Restaurant in Kyoto, Japan
15 seats, one sitting, book ahead.

Ryoriya Stephan Pantel is a 15-seat French restaurant in central Kyoto with Tabelog Bronze recognition every year from 2021 to 2026, a Michelin Plate in 2025, and a Tabelog score of 4.18. Dinner runs JPY 15,000–19,999 per head by menu pricing (closer to JPY 20,000–29,999 with wine), with a single 18:00 sitting Tuesday and Wednesday closed. Confirm current operating status before booking.
Ryoriya Stephan Pantel is one of Kyoto's most consistently recognised French restaurants, holding Tabelog Bronze Awards every year from 2021 through 2026, Silver in 2019 and 2020, and a Michelin Plate in 2025. With a Tabelog score of 4.18 and an Opinionated About Dining ranking of #489 in Japan (2024), it punches above its price tier. At JPY 15,000–19,999 per head at dinner (real-world spend tracking closer to JPY 20,000–29,999 per reviews), this is a serious special-occasion restaurant at a price point that undercuts most of Kyoto's kaiseki competition. Book it for a celebration dinner when you want French technique in a city dominated by Japanese formats.
Fifteen seats. Seven at the counter, eight at tables. No private rooms, no private hire. That physical constraint tells you what kind of restaurant this is: small, personal, and fully focused on the food coming out of the kitchen. Opened in February 2014 in Nakagyo-ku, a residential pocket of central Kyoto a ten-minute walk from Marutamachi subway station, the venue operates as a house restaurant rather than a purpose-built dining room. That informality is intentional, and it works in the room's favour for couples and close-friend dinners where you want focus without ceremony.
The format is dinner-only. Service runs from 18:00 with a single sitting, finishing by 22:00. Tuesday and Wednesday are closed. That one-time start is worth noting: arrive on time. There is no drifting in at 19:30. If you are travelling from Osaka or Nara and factoring in train times, build in a buffer. The cancellation policy is strict — 50% the day before, 100% on the day — which reflects the limited seat count and the kitchen's inability to absorb last-minute no-shows at scale.
The wine programme is a deliberate part of the experience. The venue lists wine as a specific focus, and the absence of a service charge makes the overall cost calculation more transparent than comparable Kyoto dining rooms that stack 10–15% service on leading of already high menu prices. Credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners), which is useful at this price level. No electronic money or QR payments.
For the editorial angle: this is not a late-night venue in the conventional sense. The 22:00 close means that if you are looking for somewhere to eat after 21:00, Ryoriya Stephan Pantel is not the answer. But if your evening starts at 18:00 and you want a two-to-three-hour French dinner that carries you through to 21:00–21:30 without the pressure of a hard cutoff mid-course, the single-sitting format actually gives the meal room to breathe. That makes it a strong anchor for an evening in Kyoto rather than a late addition to one.
The dress code is listed as nothing special, which should be read carefully in context. At JPY 20,000+ per head in a stylish, relaxing space with a serious wine list, smart casual is the practical floor. You will not be turned away in clean casual dress, but the room and the price point suggest you should dress as if you are going to a serious restaurant, because you are.
Children are welcome from age nine upward, which makes this a workable choice for family celebrations if your group skews adult. Solo diners should request the counter: seven counter seats in a 15-seat restaurant is a high ratio, and the single-sitting format means you are sharing the room with the full house rather than competing for attention during a staggered service. For solo dining in this price range in Kyoto, this is one of the more accommodating formats available.
If you are planning a Kyoto dining itinerary, Ryoriya Stephan Pantel pairs well with a kaiseki lunch earlier in the day , the French dinner format here does not duplicate what you would eat at a traditional Kyoto kaiseki house. For broader context on the city's dining options, see our full Kyoto restaurants guide. If you are also planning where to stay, our full Kyoto hotels guide covers the options by neighbourhood. For drinks before or after, our full Kyoto bars guide is worth a look.
For French dining elsewhere in Japan at a comparable or higher tier, HAJIME in Osaka operates at a higher price point with three Michelin stars, while akordu in Nara offers a European tasting menu experience within day-trip distance. In Kyoto itself, Droit, la bûche, anpeiji, La Biographie, and Hiramatsu Kodaiji round out the French and European options at the upper end of the market. For global French reference points, Les Amis in Singapore and Hotel de Ville Crissier operate at a different tier entirely but set useful benchmarks for what serious French cooking looks like at its ceiling.
A note on the closure status in the raw data: the Tabelog record flags the restaurant as permanently closed. Pearl's database and Tabelog award records through 2026 still show active recognition. Confirm directly with the restaurant before booking. This is especially important given the strict cancellation policy.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy relative to Kyoto's most competitive tables. That said, with only 15 seats and a single nightly sitting, any specific Saturday will fill faster than the rating implies , especially during peak Kyoto seasons (cherry blossom in April, autumn foliage in November). Book two to three weeks out for a weekday and four or more weeks ahead for a weekend in high season. Confirm current reservation method directly via the restaurant's website at stephanpantel.com, as phone and online booking details were not confirmed at time of publication. Also confirm current operating status given the closure flag in the Tabelog record.
| Detail | Ryoriya Stephan Pantel | cenci (Italian, ¥¥¥) | SEN (French/Japanese, ¥¥¥¥) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | French | Italian | French, Japanese |
| Price (dinner) | JPY 15,000–19,999 | ¥¥¥ | ¥¥¥¥ |
| Seats | 15 (7 counter, 8 table) | N/A | N/A |
| Hours | Mon/Thu–Sun 18:00–22:00 | Check venue | Check venue |
| Closed | Tue, Wed | Check venue | Check venue |
| Private room | No | N/A | N/A |
| Service charge | None | N/A | N/A |
| Dress code | Nothing special (smart casual in practice) | N/A | N/A |
| Min. age | 9+ | N/A | N/A |
| Cancellation | 50% day before / 100% day of | N/A | N/A |
Address: 182 Yonchome, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. Approximately 10 minutes' walk from Marutamachi subway station (381 metres). No parking on site.
For broader Kyoto travel planning: our full Kyoto wineries guide and our full Kyoto experiences guide are useful starting points. If you are extending the trip, Goh in Fukuoka, Harutaka in Tokyo, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa offer comparable or higher-tier dining across Japan's main dining cities.
It is a 15-seat French restaurant with a single dinner sitting starting at 18:00. You arrive on time or you are late , there is no flexible start. The format is intimate and the room is small, so expect a focused, unhurried meal rather than a large-group dining experience. The price runs JPY 15,000–19,999 per head by menu pricing, but real-world spend per Tabelog reviews tracks JPY 20,000–29,999 once wine is included. It has held Tabelog recognition continuously since 2017, including Tabelog French WEST 100 status, so the quality baseline is well established. Also confirm the restaurant is currently open before booking.
Two to three weeks ahead for a weekday table is a reasonable baseline given the Easy booking difficulty rating. For weekends and high-season dates (April cherry blossom, November foliage), move that to four or more weeks. With only 15 seats and one sitting per night, any given date has limited availability. The strict cancellation policy , 50% the day before, 100% on the day , means the restaurant does not hold empty seats lightly, so book when you are certain of your plans.
Dinner is currently the only option. The Tabelog record confirms lunch is not being served. The dinner price range (JPY 15,000–19,999 by menu, JPY 20,000–29,999 by actual spend) reflects a full evening format. The single 18:00 sitting runs to 22:00, giving the meal space without feeling rushed.
Yes, and the counter is the reason. Seven of the 15 seats are at the counter, which is a high ratio for a Kyoto French restaurant at this price point. Solo diners at this level in Kyoto often end up at awkward two-tops or squeezed into corners; a seven-seat counter in a single-sitting restaurant gives you a proper seat in the room. Request the counter when booking.
The listed dress code is nothing special, but at JPY 20,000+ per head in a stylish room with a serious wine programme, smart casual is the practical minimum. Clean trousers, a collared shirt or blouse, and smart shoes will fit the room. You will not be turned away in neat casual clothing, but you will feel underdressed if you arrive in tourist gear.
No specific information on dietary restriction handling is confirmed in the available data. Given the small kitchen, the single-sitting format, and the tasting-menu style of French restaurants at this level, dietary restrictions are leading communicated at the time of booking rather than on arrival. Contact the restaurant directly via stephanpantel.com when reserving.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryoriya Stephan Pantel | French | ¥¥¥ | {"Year":"2026","Award Source":"Tabelog","Award Type":"The Tabelog Award","Award Group":"bronze","Award Group Rank":"376","Restaurant Name":"Ryoriya Stephan Pantel","Score":"4.18","Budget":"Dinner: JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999; Lunch: JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Budget Dinner":"JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999","Budget Lunch":"JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Price":"JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999 JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Average Price":"JPY 15,000 - JPY 19,999 JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999","Average Price (Based on reviews)":"JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 8,000 - JPY 9,999 View spending breakdown","Featured Item":"N/A","Full Address (with ZIP)":"京都府京都市中京区柳馬場通丸太町下ル四丁目182, 6040000, Japan","Address":"京都府京都市中京区柳馬場通丸太町下ル四丁目182","Postal Code":"6040000","City":"Nakagyo-ku Kyoto Kyoto","State":"Kyoto","Country":"Japan","Phone":"N/A (Contact via Tabelog page)","Phone Raw":"N/A","Website":"","Description":"Check out Ryoriya Stephan Pantel/Ryoriya Stephan Pantel (Marutamachi/French) on Tabelog! [No Smoking] Discover Japanese restaurants featuring detailed information such as menus and maps, along with user-posted reviews, ratings, and photos!","Categories":"French","Awards & Recognitions":"The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2021 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2021 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2020 Silver winner The Tabelog Award 2020 Silver winner The Tabelog Award 2019 Silver winner The Tabelog Award 2019 Silver winner Selected for Tabelog French WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2021 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \"Tabelog 100\" 2021 受賞・選出歴 閉じる The Tabelog Award 受賞歴 2026年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze 受賞店 2025年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze 受賞店 2024年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze 受賞店 2023年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze 受賞店 2022年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze 受賞店 2021年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2021 Bronze 受賞店 2020年Silver受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2020 Silver 受賞店 2019年Silver受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2019 Silver 受賞店 2018年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2018 Bronze 受賞店 2017年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2017 Bronze 受賞店 百名店 選出歴 フレンチ 百名店 2025 選出店 食べログ フレンチ WEST 百名店 2025 選出店 フレンチ 百名店 2023 選出店 食べログ フレンチ WEST 百名店 2023 選出店 フレンチ 百名店 2021 選出店 食べログ フレンチ WEST 百名店 2021 選出店","Reservation availability":"N/A","Business hours":"Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, Public Holiday, Day before public holiday, Day after public holiday 18:00 - 22:00 Tue, Wed Closed ■Business hours Currently, we are not serving lunch. Dinner starts at 18:00 (one-time start). ■Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays Hours and closed days may change, so please check with the restaurant before visiting.","Payment methods":"Credit card accepted (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners) Electronic money not accepted QR code payments not accepted","Private rooms":"Unavailable","Non-smoking/smoking":"Non smoking","Number of seats":"15 seats ( 7 seats at the counter, 8 seats at the tables)","Private use":"Unavailable","Parking":"Unavailable","Space/facilities":"Stylish space, Relaxing space, Counter seating","Drink":"Wine, Particular about wine","Food":"N/A","Service":"Celebrations and surprises","Family friendly":"Ages 9 and up","Service charge & fee":"No service charge Original text サービス料なし This section has been automatically translated. Please check with the restaurant for accurate information.","Dress code":"nothing special","Maximum party size":"N/A","Location":"A house restaurant","Occasion":"Friends This occasion is recommended by many people.","Remarks":"Cancellation policy (50% the day before, 100% on the day)","The opening day":"2014.2.22","Receipt (Qualified simple invoice)":"N/A","Latitude":"35.01717270693682","Longitude":"135.7636503666416","Primary Image URL":"","Image URL Count":"20","Image URLs":"","Restaurant ID":"26023370","Source URL":"","Raw Details JSON":"{\"Restaurant name\":\"閉店 Ryoriya Stephan Pantel This restaurant is permanently closed.\",\"Awards & Recognitions\":\"The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2021 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2021 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2020 Silver winner The Tabelog Award 2020 Silver winner The Tabelog Award 2019 Silver winner The Tabelog Award 2019 Silver winner Selected for Tabelog French WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2023 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2021 Selected for Tabelog French WEST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2021 受賞・選出歴 閉じる The Tabelog Award 受賞歴 2026年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze 受賞店 2025年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze 受賞店 2024年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2024 Bronze 受賞店 2023年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2023 Bronze 受賞店 2022年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze 受賞店 2021年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2021 Bronze 受賞店 2020年Silver受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2020 Silver 受賞店 2019年Silver受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2019 Silver 受賞店 2018年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2018 Bronze 受賞店 2017年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2017 Bronze 受賞店 百名店 選出歴 フレンチ 百名店 2025 選出店 食べログ フレンチ WEST 百名店 2025 選出店 フレンチ 百名店 2023 選出店 食べログ フレンチ WEST 百名店 2023 選出店 フレンチ 百名店 2021 選出店 食べログ フレンチ WEST 百名店 2021 選出店\",\"Categories\":\"French\",\"Address\":\"京都府京都市中京区柳馬場通丸太町下ル四丁目182 Show larger map Find nearby restaurants Transportation 10 minutes walk from Marutamachi Station on the subway 381 meters from Marutamachi.\",\"Business hours\":\"Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, Public Holiday, Day before public holiday, Day after public holiday 18:00 - 22:00 Tue, Wed Closed ■Business hours Currently, we are not serving lunch. 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Please check with the restaurant for accurate information.\",\"Number of seats\":\"15 seats ( 7 seats at the counter, 8 seats at the tables)\",\"Private rooms\":\"Unavailable\",\"Private use\":\"Unavailable\",\"Non-smoking/smoking\":\"Non smoking\",\"Parking\":\"Unavailable\",\"Space/facilities\":\"Stylish space, Relaxing space, Counter seating\",\"Drink\":\"Wine, Particular about wine\",\"Occasion\":\"Friends This occasion is recommended by many people.\",\"Location\":\"A house restaurant\",\"Service\":\"Celebrations and surprises\",\"Family friendly\":\"Ages 9 and up\",\"Dress code\":\"nothing special\",\"Website\":\"",\"The opening day\":\"2014.2.22\",\"Remarks\":\"Cancellation policy (50% the day before, 100% on the day)\"}","Matched Location ID":"68ff4478-3706-4504-8a32-62b5d4822e6c","Match Status":"matched","Match Method":"award_page_url_exact","Match Confidence":"high","Matched On URL":"","Matched DB Name":"Ryoriya Stephan Pantel","Matched DB Address":"182 Yonchome, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-0974, Japan","Needs Review":"no","Review Reason":"","Fallback Score":"","Fallback Name Sim":"","Fallback Addr Sim":"","Fallback Loc Sim":"","Fallback City Sim":"","Fallback Country Sim":"","Fallback Phone Match":"","Fallback Domain Match":"","Fallback Explanation":""}; Michelin Plate (2025); Tabelog Bronze Award 2025 Score: 4.17 Cuisine: French / Kyoto Phone: 075-204-4311 Hours: Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, Public Holiday, Day before public holiday, Day after public holiday 18:00 - 22:00 Address: Kyoto Kyoto City中京 Ward柳馬場通丸太 Town下ru四chome 182 Tabelog:; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #489 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Recommended (2023) | Easy | — |
| Gion Sasaki | Kaiseki, Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| cenci | Italian | ¥¥¥ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Ifuki | Kaiseki | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Kyokaiseki Kichisen | Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| SEN | French, Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Ryoriya Stephan Pantel and alternatives.
The venue data does not confirm specific dietary accommodation policies, so check the venue's official channels before booking. What is confirmed: this is a 15-seat, single-sitting dinner format at ¥15,000–¥19,999 per head, which typically means a set menu with limited flexibility. If you have serious restrictions, flag them at reservation time rather than on the night.
Dinner runs as a single sitting starting at 18:00, so arriving late is not an option. The restaurant has 15 seats across a counter and tables, no private rooms, and no private hire — it is an intimate house restaurant format, not a grand dining room. Tabelog reviewers put average spend closer to ¥20,000–¥29,999 than the listed ¥15,000–¥19,999 range, so budget accordingly. Cancellation policy is 50% the day before and 100% on the day.
Yes. Seven of the 15 seats are at the counter, which makes this a reasonable solo option — counter seating at a small French house restaurant tends to offer more engagement with the kitchen than a table for one. Book a counter seat specifically if dining solo.
Dinner only, currently. The Tabelog listing confirms lunch is not being served. Dinner runs from 18:00 as a single sitting, priced at ¥15,000–¥19,999 per the listed range, with reviewer averages higher. There is no lunch option to compare against.
The listed dress code is 'nothing special,' which in a Kyoto context at this price point means smart casual is appropriate — neat clothing that fits a serious dinner, without a formal requirement. You are not expected to arrive in a suit, but turning up in sportswear at a Tabelog Bronze French restaurant would be out of place.
Pearl rates booking difficulty as Easy relative to Kyoto's most competitive tables, but with 15 seats and one sitting per night, specific dates fill quickly. Book two to three weeks out for a weekend, or one to two weeks for a weekday. Tuesday and Wednesday are closed, which compresses availability across the five open nights.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.