Planning ahead is key to having a kaiseki meal. Table reservation is a must, and the best restaurants may even need prior notice of weeks, if not months. To secure a kaiseki Kyoto reservation, it is often best to go through your hotel concierge or a reliable online booking service such as My Concierge Japan, Pocket Concierge or TableCheck.  Many Kyoto restaurants don't have booking systems set up. Some don’t even have a website, making it difficult to make a reservation for overseas visitors.