My Kyoto guide

And 5 new-ish NYC restaurants I'm booking this fall.

Every month, I’ll share a guide to one of my favorite cities for paid subscribers. This month, it’s Kyoto, with bonus recommendations from René Redzepi, who’s there right now for a Noma residency, plus Haruki Murakami, Chef’s Table director Brian McGinn, Kettl tea’s Zach Mangan and more.

Ikko Narahara, “Japanesque #53,” 1969

First up…

The Five

After a summer spent everywhere but NYC, these are the new (and new-ish) places I’m excited to try this fall:

Bridges / This newcomer checks all my boxes: Alum from Estela, Bones Paris and NoMad. Inspired by the Basque country and Aux Deux Amis in Paris. Fantastic design by Billy Cotton. Afterwards, I’ll walk a few minutes to look at that crazy corduroy concrete at Chatham Towers.

Café Mado / Only hearing good things from trusted eaters about this all-day café and restaurant, formerly Oxalis, near the Brooklyn Museum — especially for lunch. In fact, the word “perfect” has been used. Several times.

Café Zaffri / Chef Mary Attea and pastry genius Camari Mick of the Musket Room and my current favorite, Raf’s, are opening a Levantine-inspired restaurant in the new Twenty Two hotel near Union Square. It doesn’t open until December, but I can wait!

Le Veau d’Or / The gentlemen behind Frenchette and Le Rock took years to restore this 1937 French staple, which reopened in July. Book before the Times review hits in the next few weeks. Lunch service starts in November!

M. Wells / It’s not new, but it is still over-the-top-nuts/fantastic — and back in July, the owners announced it’s closing on December 31. For old time’s sake, I’ll impale myself on the Montréal smoked meat ravioli and the pintade à la crème — and put in an order for one last tourtière for the holidays.

The Guide

Kyoto is one of my favorite places. I’ve been trying to learn Japanese and angling for an apartment swap so I could spend more time there. This post says it all…

It’s also one of the cities I’ve been getting the most requests for in the last few months. So here are my favorite restaurants, ryokans, ceramics dealers, tea spots, rice-topping stalls and more, with bonus picks from locals and trusted visitors — the people whose lists I ask for when I go — at the end. Just be sure to book hotels and restaurants as far ahead as you possibly can. Six months is ideal.