01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Two highlights to look for at Lino are its seasonal courses and the fresh sea urchin pasta, presented as a signature dish. The dinner specialità course comprises 8 dishes, including house-made tagliolini with fresh sea urchin from Hokkaido, seasonal fish and charcoal-grilled Japanese black beef fillet. One diner who tried the handmade pasta with sea urchin said the lemony, refreshing flavour brought out the sea urchin’s sweetness—a reason to choose the course for its centrepiece.
Some diners return for seasonal dishes such as confit ayu in its season and porcini in autumn. One account describes a dinner course that ran from appetisers and soup through wine and dessert, with time to chat with friends at a table towards the back. It sounds well suited to an unhurried meal.
At lunch, the listed options include a weekday-only course with a choice of one pasta or risotto from a monthly selection of 3 dishes, and a seasonal course of 7 dishes featuring seasonal appetisers, 2 pasta options and a main course of beef from Miyazaki Prefecture. The listed prices are 4,200 yen and 7,800 yen, respectively. The choice is between a lighter pasta or risotto lunch and a longer meal that lets you explore more seasonal dishes. One diner reported enjoying appetisers, pasta, risotto and dessert over a weekday lunch, with lively conversation among friends—a possible choice if you want to make lunch a course meal.
In the evening, diners can order à la carte as well as choose a course, selecting from appetisers, pasta, main dishes and dessert. One diner mentioned that a dish was served already divided between two people, which may make it easier to sample several items while keeping portions manageable. The listed dinner courses are a standard menu of 7 dishes for 9,000 yen; a 8-dish course for 12,000 yen that includes sea urchin pasta and charcoal-grilled dishes; and a 10-dish course for 15,000 yen featuring ingredients such as horse meat and foie gras. Lino, at Kamimyōkakuji-chō in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, offers lunch and dinner courses alongside seasonal à la carte dishes, with options to suit the time you have and the dishes you’re in the mood for.
