Aqua Kyoto

Fantastically beautiful place with incredible décor 🌺 and a stunning interior. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and everything felt top-notch. The staff were friendly and welcoming. We were a group of four (two men and two women) and ordered four full tasting sets. That turned out to be a lot: with dessert there were five courses, and we were absolutely full 😆. Next time we’d probably order just two sets for the four of us. The wine was excellent too 🍷. One especially sweet touch: they surprised us by bringing out a birthday cake 🎂 and singing “happy birthday,” even though it wasn’t anyone’s birthday 🥳—such a fun gesture that made our evening even more cheerful. There’s also a gorgeous terrace with a bar, which adds a lovely atmosphere. The only small downside was the music—it was a bit loud for our taste. We would have preferred it a little quieter, since this isn’t a nightclub and at times it was hard to hear each other.

Four of us were seated at a small round table. Since we planned to share all the dishes, the space was quite limited. We asked if we could move to a larger table, but the manager explained that because we had booked through The Fork, we were not allowed to choose our table. She added that if we wished to select a specific table, we would need to book directly with the restaurant. This gave us the impression that customers who book through The Fork and enjoy a discount are treated as less valued guests, which left a negative impression. That said, to be fair, the food was fresh and delicious.

I need to say, my expectations were high but I was impressed. Really good food, good service and people very kind. The environment so nice, (even not enjoying loud music) but really cool. The Edamame marguerita was amazing. And I wasn’t expecting the “happy birthday plate in the end” people normally just ignore the message for special occasions. Very happy 😃