Jan. 16, 2023 UPDATE
HEIAN JINGU SHRINE Restaurant & Banquet
- 平安神宮会館 -Traveler Friendly
There are English and Chinese speaking staff
Menu
English
Languages spoken
English/Chinese
Story & Recommendation
Enjoy a lovely afternoon tea with views of a beautiful Japanese garden
On June 5th, 2019, HEIAN JINGU SHRINE Restaurant & Banquet began offering their “Kyo Afternoon Tea” – an elegant afternoon tea with beautiful views of the shrine’s inner Shin-en Japanese garden.
The extravagant banquet hall paired with the floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the Japanese garden come together to create a luxurious and relaxing afternoon tea with aspects taken from both Japan and the west.
The Kyo Afternoon Tea was started out of a desire to have “more people know the true value of the Shin-en Garden.”
Designated as a national scenic spot, Heian Jingu Shrine's Shin-en Garden is a beautiful 33,000 m² Japanese garden designed by the famous Japanese landscaper Jihei Ogawa.
With the beautiful greenery ceasing to wither year-round, every angle of the Shin-en Garden provides a beautiful painting-like scene.
It was from the desire to have people be able to more freely enjoy the incredible world of the garden that the banquet hall's Kyoto × Western-style afternoon tea was born.
The Kyo Afternoon Tea contains a line-up of both savory and sweet foods, each made with Kyoto grown ingredients and Japanese culinary techniques.
The four dishes in the afternoon tea set - "饗(Kyo)" "縁(En)" "凛(Rin)" and "結(Yui)" - are of all course fabulous tasting and have an almost jewel-like beauty to them.
If you find yourself visiting Heian Jingu Shrine, we highly recommend taking the time to enjoy this rare and special experience.
*Price: ¥4,500 (Inc. tax and service fee)/per person
1Recommended
Mighty Leaf
The Kyo Afternoon Tea uses a specialty organic tea brand from San Francisco called Mighty Leaf.
The set contains six varieties of tea, all of which you can enjoy until your heart's content.
Included are classics such as Darjeeling and Earl Grey, in addition to a blend of fruit and Japanese tea called White Orchard, an aromatic decaf herb tea, and two varieties of iced tea. In addition to tea, there is also coffee available too.
*Refilling the tea will require exchanging the current pot in use.
2Recommended
饗 (Kyo)
When you take your seat, you will first be served "Ginjo-ka scented Cream Cheese Blancmange and carbonated jelly" and a "Seasonal Sorbet to alleviate the heat."
The Blancmange uses dealcoholized Japanese sake, giving it the elegant and refined fruity aroma of Ginjo sake.
During the warmer seasons, the seasonal sorbet is served the moment customers take their seat, showing the restaurant & banquet hall's great compassion for guests.
From autumn, when the weather begins to cool down, the menu changes to something a little warmer.
饗 (Kyo)
Ginjo-ka scented cream cheese blancmange and carbonated jelly/Seasonal Sorbet to alleviate the heat.
3Let's Try!
縁 (En) & 凛 (Rin)
Served in traditional Japanese multi-tiered boxes, 縁 (En) and 凛 (Rin) come with savory sandwiches and sweet, colorful desserts, respectively. 縁 (En) features the fabulous fusion of Japan and the west in a line up of foods including a Norwegian salmon and purple Japanese pickle sandwich.
凛 (Rin) features artfully decorated desserts that look like tiny wee Japanese gardens have been crammed into black lacquered boxes.
The desserts go beautifully with the selection of teas and are a great way to try a lot of little things at once.
縁 (En) and 凛 (Rin)
縁 (En)
Miso pickled Wagyu roast beef and brioche sandwich/salmon and shibazuke Japanese pickle sandwich/soy milk and seasonal vegetable blancmange/colorful vegetable noodle salad
凛 (Rin)
Lemon macaroons/pate de fruits/classic fragrant butter financier/seasonal bonbon Chocolat/Yuzu scented chocolate ganache/small mitarashi Dango/petit strong matcha tart/choux pastry of the day
4Let's Try!
結 (Yui)
The final dish of the Kyo Afternoon Tea is 結 (Yui), a special matcha tiramisu with Japanese kohakuto crystal candies. The tiramisu uses matcha from the over 450-year-old Uji, Kyoto tea shop "Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten."
The matcha has an incredibly strong flavor, so even a shot glass sized amount is enough to satisfy.
The jewel-like kohakuto candies are a traditional Japanese sweet made from sugar and agar. These candies have a characteristically crunchy texture and are refreshingly sweet.
The traditional Japanese flavors in this set pair fantastically with the tea.
結 (Yui)
Special tiramisu with Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten matcha and kohakuto candy.
How to Order
Reservations are necessary for the Kyo Afternoon Tea, so please make a booking via the web or by phone at least 3 days in advance.
Kyo Afternoon Tea Official Website:
https://www.heianjingu.com/party/afternoontea/
Book your reservation at the bottom of this page.
Phone bookings can be taken in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
Please note that cancellations can be made up to 3 days prior and anything past that will require inquiring with the restaurant.
If you have any allergies or dislikes, please don't forget to include them in your reservation so that the restaurant may comply on the day.
HEIAN JINGU SHRINE Restaurant & Banquet welcomes those with children (infants and toddlers included).
- Order Tips -
On nice days, it's possible to enjoy the view of the garden from the outdoor terrace. Please inquire with the staff on the day.
