Neo Traditional Diner

Exceptional food and drinks. Can’t recommend them enough if you are in Kyoto. In our trip to Japan visiting from Canada, this has to be one of our top5 spots trying in the cities we visited of Tokyo, Nikko and Kyoto.

Amazing ingredients and love are put into cooking the food. You won’t be disappointed. Extremely friendly and welcoming of English speaking travellers.

All the dishes we ordered were so delicious!

Amazing little gem in Kyoto. Sharable and delicious dishes for anyone. The service was excellent in both English and Japanese. Definitely worth a visit if you are lucky enough to get a seat.

The food was too good - we just got back to the hotel, and I already want to go back!

We walked in to Neo Traditional Diner after looking at its cocktail menu - I’ve fallen in love with Japan’s Chu-Hi cocktails, so after having a hard time finding one at a bar on Pontocho, we had to stop when I saw one on the menu! The cocktails did not disappoint and were so good! I had a pineapple Chu-Hi and lychee liqueur with orange juice, while my husband also had a Chu-Hi and Kaku with ginger ale.

We thought we would have a few snacks to go along with our drinks, but the menu looked so good that “just snacks” turned into dinner. We had many of the recommended menu items, but we also threw in a few of our favorites as well - we had the Teriyaki Chicken, Onion with Okinawan Salt, Garlic Shrimp, and Tempura Shrimp. A handful of small plates was great for two people!

The food was so, so good. Like, seriously good. The ingredients were super fresh and meticulously prepared - sitting at the counter, we had a front row seat watching the chef in action, and he made sure to put his full attention into every bite of what he was preparing. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection! The flavors were so explosively good, the food was such great quality, and the preparation was elegant but not inaccessible; I would eat everything that we ordered over-and-over again.

The chef and staff were very welcoming and kind - our drinks were always full and there was always a plate of delicious food in front of us. There is an English menu available, and even so, the chef explained the different dishes to us.

I would eat here again in a heartbeat! It was one of the most unexpectedly delicious meals we had while in Japan!

This food slaps!

I can't believe this place didn't have a queue. The duo running the restaurant are kind and charismatic and the food is delicious.

Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a modern take on Japanese cuisine.

Food was fine, the second floor was a bit hot and smelly (I assume the smell was coming from the kitchen straight to the second floor).
Weirdly, staff + local customers was openly laughing at us right from the start. However we took it easy and enjoyed our time.
Our waitress, on the other hand was very nice and respectful lady, easy to communicate regardless language barrier.