MUTA CHIMERA, an Italian restaurant near Heian Shrine in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, is welcoming its first autumn since opening at its new location.
Half a Year Since Relocating: A First Autumn in a New Place
On April 18, 2026, RISTORANTE CHIMERA, which had run in Gion for 18 and a half years, moved to Awataguchi near Heian Shrine and began a new chapter as MUTA CHIMERA.
After the budding of spring and the freshness of summer, the season is now turning toward autumn. The morning and evening air grows cool and clear, and the ridgeline of Higashiyama gradually takes on color — the season when Kyoto shows its deepest expression of the year. This is the first autumn to be welcomed at this new location, and for Chef Mitsuhiko Tsutsui, it marks the start of a special time spent facing the season anew in unfamiliar surroundings.
Not Just "Seasonal Ingredients" — Capturing Why They Taste Best Right Now
Autumn is a season when mountain vegetables, seafood, and produce deepen in flavor by the day. But what MUTA CHIMERA aims for is not simply using autumn ingredients in its dishes. Chef Tsutsui builds each dish while asking why a given ingredient tastes good right now, and what it means to eat it here in Kyoto.
The rising aroma, the temperature at the moment it reaches the mouth, the way the texture changes, and the quiet lingering finish after the last bite — all of it is designed with care, reflecting in each plate the climate and culture behind ingredients that producers have spent time cultivating.
No Fixed "Autumn Course" — Each Visit Reflects Kyoto's Season That Day
MUTA CHIMERA's course changes along with how the season progresses. September still carries the lightness of early autumn; October brings a deepening harvest; November sees the city colored by autumn leaves. Even within the same "autumn," the ingredients that arrive and their condition differ from day to day.
The kitchen judges the ingredients delivered that day and builds a dish that can only be made then, meaning guests can encounter a different autumn each time they visit — one of the pleasures of spending time at MUTA CHIMERA.
Wine Pairings That Complement the Autumn Dishes
Wine and service are overseen by Chief Sommelier Kazuyuki Kanda, who built his experience at the Kyoto Hotel Okura and at RISTORANTE CHIMERA in Gion.
As autumn cooking deepens in aroma and flavor, pairing it with wine adds even more depth. Savoring a dish, tilting a glass, and waiting for the next course — the wine pairing is proposed to fit that day's course, so the whole flow comes together as a single experience.
The Story of Autumn Continues to the Last Course
The dessert that closes the course is prepared by a pastry chef trained at renowned establishments in France and Japan. Picking up the temperature, aroma, and flavor carried over from the preceding dishes, the dessert quietly brings the autumn day to a close. Guests can enjoy the entire course as a single story, from the first dish to the last lingering taste.
Reached by Walking Through Kyoto's Autumn Colors
The restaurant sits in Awataguchi, Sakyo Ward, close to Heian Shrine and the Okazaki area — a hideaway-like spot that feels close to Kyoto's history and culture while sitting a little apart from the bustle of the city center.
The walk there, taking in the coloring trees, the clear autumn air, and the quiet moment of opening the restaurant's door, becomes part of the seasonal experience itself. Visiting shrines and temples, walking the streets, and tasting what's in season: MUTA CHIMERA is one way to spend part of an autumn day in Kyoto.
Brand Concept: Delivering the Time Beyond the Food
What MUTA CHIMERA wants to deliver is not only food. The time spent waiting for a dish, choosing a wine, enjoying conversation, and the feeling that lingers after leaving the restaurant all matter.
Choosing this restaurant among many others and spending limited time to visit is never something to take for granted, so the aim is for guests to leave remembering not just what they ate, but what kind of time they spent there.
Comment from Chef Mitsuhiko Tsutsui
"I've cooked in Gion for 18 and a half years, but I still feel that Kyoto isn't a place you can fully understand even after living here a long time. Ingredients change with the seasons, and even the same ingredient looks different depending on the producer and that year's climate. That's exactly why there are still new discoveries to be made, even now.
I'm personally very much looking forward to the first autumn since moving the restaurant near Heian Shrine. Autumn deepens the aroma and flavor of ingredients, making it a fascinating season for a chef. Rather than simply using autumn ingredients, I want to keep asking why an ingredient tastes good right now and what it means to eat it here in Kyoto, and build that thinking into each dish.
I hope guests enjoy not just the food, but the time spent at MUTA CHIMERA as a whole, including the wine, the service, the space, and even the autumn air of Kyoto."
Chef Profile: Mitsuhiko Tsutsui
In 1995, Tsutsui joined PONTE VECCHIO, one of the leading names in Kansai Italian cuisine. Training under Daisuke Yamane, he became head chef of the restaurant's main location at age 24. He left the restaurant in 2006 and opened RISTORANTE CHIMERA in Gion, Kyoto, in June 2007.
His distinctive style, blending Kyoto's ingredients and culture with Italian cuisine, earned recognition including a Michelin Guide star, and he was also named to Tabelog's "Italian WEST Hyakumeiten" list of top 100 Italian restaurants in western Japan. In April 2026, after 18 and a half years in Gion, he opened MUTA CHIMERA near Heian Shrine, where he continues to build on his skills and experience to share, both in Japan and abroad, a new food culture that could only emerge from the land of Kyoto, expressed through Italian cuisine.
Store Information
Name: MUTA CHIMERA (Muta Chimera)
Address: 51-3 Awataguchi Toriicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture 606-8436
Access:
- 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Higashiyama Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line
- 15-minute walk from Exit 9 of Sanjo Station on the Keihan Main Line
- 11-minute walk from Exit 1B of Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Main Line
Opening date: April 18, 2026
Hours: Lunch — 12:00 PM, all seats start together / Dinner — 6:30 PM, all seats start together
Closed: Mondays
Reservations/Inquiries: 070-6548-1174
Official website: https://gion-chimera.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muta.chimera
Chef: Mitsuhiko Tsutsui
Sommelier: Kazuyuki Kanda
