Eight-seat Edomae sushi counter in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, led by chef Takaaki Yamashita, serving a 10-course omakase for ¥22,000 with sake pairing.
At a glance
- Price
- $$$
- Courses
- 10
- Seats
- 8
- Chef
- Takaaki Yamashita
- Sake pairing
- Yes
- Dress code
- Smart casual
- Reservations
- Visit website · book a few weeks out · 1 month
- Booking
- Phone reservations
- Cuisine
- Edomae sushi
- Price
- Upscale
- Recognition
- Michelin listed
Ovino is a small Edomae sushi restaurant tucked into a building on Takamiyachō in Kyoto's Nakagyo Ward. The counter seats eight, all facing the chef, and the room has no private space—every guest eats at the same bar. Chef Takaaki Yamashita, trained in Japan, runs a 10-course omakase that runs about two hours, with a sake pairing available alongside the meal.
The restaurant is listed in the Michelin guide and holds a 3.5 score on Tabelog. Pricing sits at ¥22,000 per person, placing it in the upscale tier locally. Both lunch and dinner omakase service are offered, with dinner hours running 17:30 to 21:00 daily. An English menu is available, and the dress code is smart casual.
Reservations go through the restaurant's website rather than by phone, and the typical lead time is about a month out—useful to know if planning a trip to Kyoto around a specific date. Booking difficulty is rated moderate, so early planning helps secure a counter seat. The restaurant is not cash-only, so standard payment methods should work, though confirming payment details directly with Ovino before arrival is reasonable given how small the operation is.
For sushi diners visiting Kyoto who want a compact, chef-led counter experience without a large dining room, Ovino offers a straightforward format: fixed courses, sake pairing, and a chef trained in Japan working an eight-seat bar in the Nakagyo Ward.
Good to know
- How do I book a table at Ovino?
- Reservations are made through the restaurant's website rather than by phone. Plan for a lead time of about one month, and expect moderate difficulty in securing a seat.
- How much does the omakase cost?
- The 10-course omakase is priced at approximately ¥22,000 per person, with a sake pairing available as an add-on.
- What should I wear?
- The dress code is smart casual; there's no formal requirement, but overly casual beachwear or similar would be out of place at the counter.
- How many seats are at the counter, and is there a private room?
- Ovino has eight counter seats and no private room, so all diners sit together facing the chef.
- How long does the meal take, and is there an English menu?
- The seating runs about 120 minutes, and an English menu is available for non-Japanese-speaking guests.
Details checked September 29, 2026. Prices and hours change; confirm before you go.
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