Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

Excellent Food, Good service, Friendly service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

They had a great recommendation on food

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a very mixed experience at this restaurant. While the food itself was okay and about half of our family was satisfied with their meals, the other half didn’t feel well afterwards, which raises some concerns about the freshness or quality of certain dishes.

What really stood out, though, was the incredibly unfriendly service. Staff members were cold and unhelpful from the beginning. We had to ask multiple times before they finally unlocked the restroom for us, which felt unnecessary and uncomfortable.

Another issue was with the vegetarian options. Although the vegetarian dishes were supposed to include soup and salad, the soup clearly contained meat. When we asked if there was a vegetarian alternative, the response was rude and dismissive. No solution was offered, and we were made to feel like we were being difficult for simply asking.

Overall, for the price, you can find much better Japanese restaurants in Santa Barbara—both in terms of food and service.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 1

I wish I had seen a post like this prior to stopping in at Kyoto for sushi lunch. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even finish my 2 rolls, the fish was chewy and not fresh. It’s disappointing as I had heard good things about Kyoto and was hopeful to find a great spot. They were kind, but the sushi was not good and just as expensive (if not more) than some of my other favorite spots in town with fresh high quality fish.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

The owner operator was very friendly and attentive. The food was delicious I'm from out of town but when I'm back in town I will definitely be coming back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I went to this Japanese restaurant last week and had a rather unpleasant experience. I originally wanted to order sea urchin, and the waitress told me she needed to check in the kitchen to see if there was any available. After a while, she came back and said there was plenty, so I ordered one portion (which includes two pieces). However, she gave me a very surprised and almost shocked look and asked, “Only one?”

At that moment, I felt her reaction was unnecessary because we had already ordered other food—we had ordered a rice dish and several other sushi items—so we only wanted two pieces of sea urchin. I responded, “Yes, you don’t need to have this kind of attitude.” She then seemed to be very displeased and said that she wasn’t giving me any attitude and that I was the one who wasn’t being clear. This made me feel as if she was unhappy that I didn’t order more, which was quite uncomfortable as a customer. This is not the kind of attitude I expect from restaurant staff.

On top of that, the food was not great. The salmon and tuna had no flavor, and the curry fried chicken cutlet was so dry that it was difficult to eat. Honestly, it was very disappointing. If you’re looking for good Japanese food, I strongly recommend going somewhere else. This place is a 0/10—definitely not worth visiting!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

The food here was amazing, but the service left a lot to be desired. Our server was polite and knowledgeable, but we were not checked on frequently. They seemed to be very busy but too disorganized to provide prompt service. We witnessed several attempts at delivering items to the wrong table, including our own. Our own tempura was forgotten, and we had to wait an extra 15 minutes at the end of our meal to get it. At least 5 of our dishes (cups and plates) were not clean when they arrived at our table, so we had to wipe them off. Because we were a larger party (8 people), an 18% gratuity was automatically added, but we would never have left that much for this poor level of service. When my mother-in-law mentioned the poor service on our way out, all she got was a "that's too bad." The gaps in service are a shame because the food really is excellent.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 1

They couldn’t handle a busy night. We waited for over an hour and still didn’t get all our orders. They never even apologized. We had to cancel two dishes and leave.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 1

Great service, terrible rolls. Seams most rools are some version of a California roll topped or mixed with something else.

18 years ago this was the best sushi in town.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 5

Staff are wonderful, very friendly people, but I was very disappointed with the actual food. Practically every roll is just a California roll with a slight modification, and is way too expensive. The “spicy” factor is nonexistent. Unless you clap when your plane lands, don’t eat here.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 3

Super delicious, excellent service

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Nice place, food was amazing

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 4

Could use some updating (fresh pain TY etc.)

Wheelchair accessibility: Good

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Teriyaki, Combination Tempura, Miso Soup, Rainbow Roll

If you're looking for affordable quality Japanese food, this is your place!

We were visiting from the Bay area and we were lucky to come upon this restaurant.
We ordered the classic works, sushi and sashimi. The restaurant did not disappoint. I really liked how they threw in the miso soup with the meal for no extra charge.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We came on a Thursday pretty much right when they opened. So, no wait to sit down. It was very quiet compared to evening time! The staff was very kind and the food was good…but!! Unfortunately, there were so many dang fruit flies!!! Big ones, and small ones our miso soup bowl we left to the side of the table while we ate the rest of our food ended up gathering like 4 or 5 flies in it!! At that point we were ready for the check

Parking: Parking lot next to restaurant has like less than 10 spaces to park. We parked on the street in the neighborhood behind.

Kid-friendliness: They do offer high chairs and booster seats

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Roll