The Living Pavilion by Aman

Dining and living pavilion at Aman Kyoto with wooden furnishings and warm lighting throughout the contemporary space.

Set before a moss garden illuminated by fleeting shafts of light, all‑day dining at Aman Kyoto unfolds in quiet communion with the forest. As the seasons change, they shape both the scenery and the experience, inviting a slower, deeply immersive way of dining.

Ingredients like fragrant yuzu, sansho leaves and tender cedar shoots are gathered from the garden; mushrooms and chestnuts are drawn from the surrounding satoyama. Then, guided by elemental forces – fire, smoke, fermentation and the passage of time – each dish is distilled to its essence, expressing nature's cycle. It’s a sensory and restorative ritual, enriching both body and spirit.

 

Advance reservations are required for visitors. Reservations can be made online via the following link. 

Make a reservation     Email [email protected] 

Wooden seating surrounds a central fireplace in Aman Kyoto's living pavilion, with vertical timber screens filtering natural light. Artfully plated dish at Aman Kyoto featuring seared protein, green vegetables, and delicate garnishes on white plate. Aman Kyoto's living pavilion nestled among trees with wooden decking and seating areas.

The Scent of the Earth

Scent is an essential element that awakens the memory of the forest. Cedar, cypress, straw, charcoal, smoke and herbs are brought together through the use of 'nature’s fire' – charcoal grilling, wood‑fired cooking and smoking – to create lingering aromas imbued with the depth of soil and wood.

 

Fermentation and Maturation


From soy sauce and miso aged in traditional wooden barrels to richly matured meats shaped by time itself, The Living Pavilion's cuisine is guided by the quiet wisdom of fermentation and ageing.Through sustainable relationships with producers in and around Kyoto, each dish carries the depth and patience of nature’s passing time, expressed with restraint and reverence.

 

The Changing Forest Garden


Spring’s first buds, the fresh green of young maples, autumn’s crimson leaves and the quiet presence of snow and frost – the forest garden shifts with the seasons. Drawing inspiration from these moments experienced within Aman Kyoto’s forest, each dish reflects the rhythm of the seasons, composing serene landscapes through the colors and textures of the earth, evoking soil, moss and stone.

 

Lunch menu
Afternoon tea menu
Dinner menu

Director of Culinary and F&B Operations Tatsuya Ozawa

Director of Culinary and F&B Operations Tatsuya honed his skills at a number of Michelin star restaurants, and in 2015 won a prize in one of the largest chef competitions in Japan to discover young talent. In 2020 he joined the team at Aman Kyoto, as Chef de Cuisine. He has since been appointed Executive Chef and offers simple yet profound dishes that have a particular focus on local ingredients, wishing guests to enjoy dining experiences that are unique to the forest garden home of Aman Kyoto and inspired by the beautiful surrounding nature.

 

Executive Pastry Chef Hiroyuki Matsuo  

The master behind The Living Pavilion’s freshly baked breakfast pastries and the exquisite confections served for afternoon tea, Chef Matsuo started his career as a confectioner in Osaka in 1984. Over the course of his career, he has won numerous awards for his original sweet creations including the Osaka Governor's Award.