Ristorante Canoviano

This Italian restaurant, managed by chef Takamasa Uetake, hides out in the basement of a posh building near Daikanyama Station and is often busy with local high-flyers. Uetake specialises in bringing out the natural tastes of the ingredients, and doesn’t use butter, garlic or chilli. Incorporating plenty of Kyoto vegetables, his recipes are truly Italian but adapted for the Japanese palate. Wines from northern Italy, where Chef Uetake trained himself, make up most of the list. The attentive staff deserve a special mention.