Arashiyama Itsukichaya

I was very much looking forward to this meal! Having read the reviews, I knew I had to book early if I wanted a river view. As a group of 6, I had to divide our booking to 2 and 4 but we were luckily seated next to each other on the day. There are also not many seats inside so reservations are a must to avoid disappointment. Only 50 minutes is allocated to your seating time so you must leave once your time is up. All the ingredients were fresh and everything tasted divine! It was such a beautiful dining experience with a relaxing view and the only thing that bothered me was the attitude of the main waitress (I believe she’s Vietnamese or Thai). She basically ignored my husband the entire time. She went to explain the dishes to each ‘pair’ as there were 6 of us but she essentially just skipped the last two people seated and her general attitude was curt. Despite her (lack of) customer service skills, the other waitress was kind and polite. Both spoke some basic English too if you aren’t able to converse in Japanese.

There’s also only one set meal as they advertise and adults must take the set meal each. They offered a chicken/egg rice bowl for her instead as she won’t be able to eat an adult meal so they do have children’s options available.

Despite the rude attitude of one of their waitstaff, I would still recommend for others to come and enjoy a meal here and I’d still come again in the future.

D E L I C I O U S! A set menu of 6 items (with some flexibility for non shrimp-eaters), varied and each serving a super surprise. Loved the rice with egg (golden egg bowl), the light tempura and the wagyu beef sukiyaki (mind blowing!). The ambiance is lovely with delicate separations between people and great view on the river (at least on one side). Service is excellent. Happy choice notwithstanding that it was a bit pricey. Beast book in advance.

Food was of great quality, but portion could be bigger for the price. We got the seasonal winter menu for 40,00 yen, which includes 5 dishes and unlimited iced tea. Recommend to come at 4 in the winter as the sun sets at around 5, which gives the best view of the river at sunset.