Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto) will run a festive season from winter into the new year, starting on November 23, 2026 (Monday). It opens with the "Winter Yuzu Afternoon Tea" (冬薫る 柚子アフタヌーンティー), which layers the fresh aroma of yuzu over both sweets and savories. Yuzu is paired with strawberry, matcha, chocolate, and sake lees, and the menu also includes grilled mochi finished over charcoal and savories made with kappo (Japanese-style fine dining) techniques.
At the turn of the year, the hotel will also serve a "New Year's Eve Kaiseki" (大晦日会席) and a "New Year Kaiseki" (お正月会席), offering a stretch of time from winter into the new year in Higashiyama as the seasons change.
Winter Yuzu Afternoon Tea
Yuzu deepens in fragrance as winter approaches. This afternoon tea uses its freshness and mild tartness across everything from sweets to savories.
The centerpiece, the "Strawberry and Yuzu Light-Snow Fromage" (苺と柚子の淡雪フロマージュ), combines sweet-tart marinated strawberries and a light crème d'Anjou with yuzu sauce. A thin, baked yuzu tuile on top adds a crisp texture and a refreshing tartness with every bite.
The "Yuzu Matcha Mont Blanc" (柚子抹茶モンブラン) pairs rich matcha cream with yuzu-scented chantilly and light meringue, leaving a lingering yuzu note within the depth of the matcha.
Other sweets combine Japanese ingredients with yuzu. The "Yuzu Kosho Truffle Chocolate" (柚子胡椒のトリュフショコラ) is a rich milk chocolate ganache with a faint kick from the green chili in the yuzu kosho. The "Sake Lees Blancmange With Yuzu Confiture" (酒粕のブランマンジェ 柚子のコンフィチュール) pairs the soft, sweet aroma and smooth texture of sake lees with yuzu confiture.
The lineup also includes items with a wintry flavor and a Japanese feel, such as the "Yuzu-Rolled Persimmon With Fermented Butter and Walnuts" (柚子巻き柿 発酵バター くるみ), the "Kogyoku Apple and Ginger Macaron" (紅玉林檎と生姜のマカロン), and the "Pumpkin and Azuki Ukishima" (南京とあずきの浮島).
Charcoal-Grilled Mochi With Yuzu Aromas
Grilled mochi, finished over charcoal, comes with two flavors.
- Yuzu Miso (柚子味噌) - white miso mixed with chopped yuzu peel. The mellow richness of the white miso is joined by the scent of yuzu, bringing out the toasty aroma of the mochi.
- Walnut Praline With Chunky Sweet Red Bean Paste (胡桃のプラリネつぶあん) - a praline that makes the most of the toasty flavor and texture of caramelized walnuts, paired with chunky sweet red bean paste and a hint of cinnamon.
The richness of the walnuts and the gentle flavor of the red bean paste come together, and the texture changes as you eat.
Savories With Kappo Technique and Winter Colors
The eye-catching savory is the "Yuzu Kama-Mori" (柚子釜盛り), served in a hollowed yuzu peel that acts as the vessel. Daikon and carrot namasu is topped with nagaimo (Chinese yam), buri (yellowtail) seared until fragrant, ikura (salmon roe), and mitsuba, then finished with a refreshing yuko-su (柚香酢) jelly.
The "Shungiku Ohitashi" (菊菜浸し) is garnished with julienned yuzu zest, adding a yuzu aroma to the gentle flavors of shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) and enoki mushrooms. The "Wagyu Miso-Marinated" (和牛味噌漬け) is wagyu marinated in white miso and cooked slowly at low temperature, served with a Saikyo miso dressing.
Other items with different flavors and textures include the "Salmon Fukusa-yaki" (鮭袱紗焼き), "Temari Sushi" (手毬寿司), and "Kaki Hakata" (柿博多). There is also a clear soup of soft-simmered ebi-imo taro, fried until fragrant, with ginkgo nuts and somen noodles in a bonito broth. A faint yuzu aroma rises from the warm bowl, a welcome dish for winter.
The tea comes with free-flow drinks, with a choice of 35 types, mainly Kyoto-style teas such as hojicha, Japanese black tea, and sencha. Guests can enjoy a seasonal afternoon tea at a leisurely pace in a space where architecture whose design was supervised by Kengo Kuma (隈研吾) meets a quiet garden, with the deepening scenery of Kyoto outside.
Menu
Sweets
- Strawberry and Yuzu Light-Snow Fromage (苺と柚子の淡雪フロマージュ)
- Yuzu Matcha Mont Blanc (柚子抹茶モンブラン)
- Yuzu-Rolled Persimmon With Fermented Butter and Walnuts (柚子巻き柿 発酵バター くるみ)
- Yuzu Kosho Truffle Chocolate (柚子胡椒のトリュフショコラ)
- Sake Lees Blancmange With Yuzu Confiture (酒粕のブランマンジェ 柚子のコンフィチュール)
- Kogyoku Apple and Ginger Macaron (紅玉林檎と生姜のマカロン)
- Pumpkin and Azuki Ukishima (南京とあずきの浮島)
Charcoal-Grilled
- Grilled mochi, with Yuzu Miso (柚子味噌) or Walnut Praline With Chunky Sweet Red Bean Paste (胡桃のプラリネつぶあん)
Savories
- Yuzu Kama-Mori (柚子釜盛り) - seared buri, namasu, nagaimo, mitsuba, ikura, yuko-su jelly, chervil
- Shungiku Ohitashi With Julienned Yuzu Zest (菊菜浸し 針柚子)
- Shrimp Bread (海老パン)
- Salmon Fukusa-yaki (鮭袱紗焼き)
- Temari Sushi (手毬寿司)
- Kaki Hakata (柿博多)
- Wagyu Miso-Marinated (和牛味噌漬け)
- Lotus Root Chips (蓮根チップ)
Clear Soup
- Ebi-imo taro, ginkgo nuts, somen noodles, yuzu
Winter Yuzu Afternoon Tea Details
- Period: November 23, 2026 (Monday) to December 28, 2026 (Monday), Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays only
- Reservations: Close at 3:00 PM two days before
- Serving hours: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM (last order 3:00 PM)
- Venue: Kappo restaurant "Ryozen" (割烹料理「りょうぜん」), 3F, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto
- Price: ¥8,000 (tax and service charge included), with free-flow drinks
- Reservations and inquiries: Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto, TEL. 075-531-0500
- Booking page: https://www.banyantree.com/ja/japan/kyoto/offers/dongxunru-youziafutanuntei
All photos are for illustration purposes. The menu and content may change without notice.
Special Kaiseki for the Year-End and New Year in Quiet Higashiyama
For the close of the year and the start of the new one, the hotel will serve special kaiseki meals made with seasonal ingredients. Wrapped in the quiet of Higashiyama, Kyoto, guests can look back on the passing year with family or loved ones and celebrate the one ahead.
New Year's Eve Kaiseki (大晦日会席)
The evening of Thursday, December 31, 2026 will feature a kaiseki meal to close out the year.
- Date: December 31, 2026 (Thursday)
- Price: ¥38,000 per person (tax and service charge included)
- Seatings: Two seatings, starting at 6:00 PM and at 8:15 PM
New Year Kaiseki (お正月会席)
From January 1 (Friday) to 3 (Sunday), 2027, a kaiseki meal will celebrate the start of the new year.
- Dates: January 1 (Friday), January 2 (Saturday), and January 3 (Sunday), 2027
- Price: ¥38,000 per person (tax and service charge included)
- Seatings: Two seatings, starting at 6:00 PM and at 8:15 PM
For reservations and inquiries for both kaiseki meals, contact Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto at TEL. 075-531-0500. The menu and content may change without notice.
About Ryozen and Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto
"Ryozen" (割烹料理「りょうぜん」) is a Japanese kappo restaurant that centers on Kyoto ingredients. It serves course meals featuring Kyoto's seasonal flavors at breakfast and dinner, plus afternoon tea during café hours. The dining room has 48 seats in total, and there is also terrace seating.
- Breakfast: 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM
- Café: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Dinner: 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto stands on a hill in the Gion and Higashiyama area, next to Kiyomizu-dera and overlooking the city of Kyoto. The hotel has 52 rooms, 8 of which have a hot spring, and its grounds are surrounded by bamboo groves. It also has a natural hot spring in its large public bath, spa treatment rooms, and some guest rooms. Gion's sightseeing spots are within walking distance, yet the hotel offers a quiet space away from the bustle.
- Address: 7 Seikanji Ryozen-cho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Access: About 10 minutes by taxi from Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan Main Line, or about 20 minutes by taxi from JR Kyoto Station
- Facilities: Ryozen, BAR RYOZEN, Banyan Tree Spa, large public bath, gym
- Website: https://www.banyantree.com/ja/japan/kyoto
