Oba-talian

Oba-talian in Gion brings obanzai and Italian cooking together. For a night when you want a choice of dishes, the range of pizzas is an immediate draw. The Kyoto-style pizza combines Harema’s chirimen sansho—dried whitebait seasoned with sansho pepper—with Kujo spring onion and mozzarella. It is quite different from the Margherita, topped with basil and mozzarella, so choosing between them is part of the meal.

For a generous dose of cheese, there is a Quattro Formaggi made with Gorgonzola, Parmigiano, mascarpone and mozzarella. The Bismarck, topped with bacon, Gorgonzola and a soft-cooked egg, offers another option. One visitor remarked that the pizza arrived piping hot from the oven. Another mentioned enjoying butter, fried shrimp and lotus root, along with pizza and pasta. Whether pizza takes centre stage or you prefer to sample it alongside obanzai and other small plates, there is room to shape the meal to your liking.

The obanzai menu also features fresh-fish carpaccio served as a salad, pâté de campagne and roast beef made with beef loin. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are available, as is wine; a visitor who enjoyed the wine reported finding Italian and French selections.

The restaurant is open from 19:00 until 3:00 the following day, Tuesday through Saturday, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Its late hours make it an option when dinner runs late. Reservations are recommended for dinner.