This autumn, the first-floor venue "The Living Room" at Park Hyatt Kyoto (Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto) is introducing two seasonal tea menus — afternoon tea SUNLIT and evening high tea AFTERGLOW — from September 19, 2026. Both are served as course-style experiences built around fruit and ingredients that reach their peak in autumn.
Set within the golden-lit space of "The Living Room," each dish is paired with a carefully chosen beverage — Japanese teas, herbal infusions, and wine among them — so that the flavors and aromas build course by course. SUNLIT unfolds over the soft daylight hours, while AFTERGLOW carries guests from dusk into evening; some of its pairings include alcohol, with non-alcoholic substitutions available on request.
Autumn Afternoon Tea: SUNLIT
■ Buckwheat and pumpkin blini with caviar
Pairing: Kirinosoba-cha buckwheat tea — Kyoto
An amuse-bouche pairing the toasty flavor of a buckwheat blini with a pumpkin mousse and caviar. The pumpkin's natural sweetness and the caviar's refined salinity awaken the appetite, while a fragrant, clean-finishing buckwheat tea gently ties the elements together to open the course.
■ Mushroom and Annou sweet potato quiche ■ Autumn eggplant pressé with sudachi jelly ■ Smoked scallop with Japanese pear and fennel
Pairing: Nihon no Nukumori — Shiga
An assortment celebrating autumn's harvest: a quiche pairing sweet Annou sweet potato with fragrant porcini mushroom, a pressé of glossy autumn eggplant finished with a refreshing sudachi jelly, and scallop smoked over spicebush wood and marinated with Japanese pear and fennel.
■ Scone with clotted cream and apple jelly
Pairing: Benifuuki tea — Kyoto
A freshly baked scone served with the chef's original clotted cream, made smooth with ricotta cheese, alongside a tangy apple jelly. The layered flavors bring out the scone's flavor, leaving a fragrant, lingering finish.
■ Grape and walnut granité
A granité made by carefully freezing and shaving fresh grape juice. The grape's rich fruitiness unfolds first, followed by the toasty aroma of walnut. Its light, delicate texture offers a refreshing pause between courses.
■ Shine Muscat tart ■ Fig mousse ■ Yuzu macaron with yuzu confiture ■ Kogyoku apple tatin ■ Pear and caramel milk chocolate cake
Pairing: Loquat leaf and jasmine tea — Chiba
Five sweets built around seasonal fruit, from a tart showcasing the juiciness of Shine Muscat grapes to a smooth pear and caramel milk chocolate cake. A fragrant pairing of loquat leaf and jasmine tea complements the delicate, fruit-forward flavors.
■ Chestnut and praline soufflé
Pairing: Roasted black soybean tea — Kyoto
The course closes with a soufflé combining rich chestnut paste with the deep flavor of praline. Its light, delicate texture gives way to the chestnut's full flavor and a toasty, nutty finish, while the roasted black soybean tea's mellow aroma brings a calm close to the course.
Autumn Evening High Tea: AFTERGLOW
■ Buckwheat and pumpkin blini with caviar
Pairing: SHINSHU SHE SAID mead — Nagano
An amuse-bouche of blini with pumpkin mousse and caviar, its toasty buckwheat flavor set off by the caviar's refined salinity. It is paired with a mead carrying a bright honey aroma and delicate sweetness that wraps around the pumpkin's flavor and the caviar's umami for an elegant opening pairing.
■ Mushroom and Annou sweet potato quiche ■ Autumn eggplant pressé with sudachi jelly ■ Smoked scallop with Japanese pear and fennel
Pairing: Nihon no Nukumori wakoucha, Iiri Farm — Shiga
This savory assortment is paired with Iiri Farm's Japanese black tea "Nihon no Nukumori." Its gentle sweetness and quiet aroma harmonize with the sweet Annou sweet potato, glossy autumn eggplant, and smoked scallop.
■ Wagyu tenderloin and autumn truffle katsu sandwich
Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 — Yamagata
A katsu sandwich built on tender, melt-in-the-mouth wagyu tenderloin. Apple chutney and grain mustard bring a refreshing acidity and depth, layered with the rich aroma of autumn truffle and finished with a red wine sauce. A Cabernet Sauvignon with concentrated fruit character and firm tannin complements the wagyu's umami and harmonizes beautifully with the truffle's aroma.
■ Grape and walnut granité
An adult-oriented granité made with fresh grape juice and pinot noir. The rich fruitiness of the grape and the elegant character of pinot noir slowly unfold on the palate, followed by a toasty walnut note and a light, delicate finish.
■ Shine Muscat tart ■ Fig mousse ■ Yuzu macaron with yuzu confiture ■ Kogyoku apple tatin ■ Pear and caramel milk chocolate cake
Pairing: Loquat leaf and jasmine tea — Chiba
Five sweets arranged on a mirrored stand, including a fig mousse, a yuzu-scented macaron, and a Kogyoku apple tatin. A blend of loquat leaf and jasmine tea, with its soft floral aroma, complements each sweet's individual character.
■ Chestnut and rum soufflé
Pairing: Roasted black soybean tea — Kyoto
The closing soufflé combines the rich flavor of chestnut with the fragrant aroma of rum, its light, airy texture giving way to an elegant, lingering finish. It is paired with a mellow, toasty roasted black soybean tea, whose gentle sweetness and depth of aroma bring out the chestnut's natural sweetness and the rum's fragrance.
Reservation Details
Autumn Afternoon Tea SUNLIT / AFTERGLOW
Available: Saturday, September 19, 2026 to Monday, November 30, 2026
Hours:
- SUNLIT: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- AFTERGLOW: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Price: ¥6,600 (tax included; 15% service charge not included)
Note: Some pairings in AFTERGLOW include alcohol. Non-alcoholic substitutions are available upon request.
Venue: 1F The Living Room, Park Hyatt Kyoto
Restaurant page: https://www.hyatt.com/ja-JP/hotel/japan/park-hyatt-kyoto/itmph/dining/the-living-room
Reservations: https://www.tablecheck.com/ja/shops/kyoto-park-hyatt-livingroom/reserve
Menu items are subject to change based on ingredient availability.
