Shōjin ryōri — the vegetarian cooking tradition of Japanese Buddhist temples — predates kaiseki by centuries and, by most accounts, directly shaped it. Kyoto, with its extraordinary concentration of major temples, remains one of the best places in Japan to eat it as it was actually intended: a full, considered meal rather than a side note.
The principle behind it
Shōjin ryōri follows Buddhist dietary precepts — no meat, fish, or, in its strictest forms, pungent alliums like garlic and onion, which are believed to disrupt meditative calm. The word shōjin itself relates to spiritual devotion and diligence; the cooking is meant to be an extension of practice, not a workaround for it.
What's actually on the table
Expect an emphasis on tofu and yuba (tofu skin) prepared in multiple different ways across one meal, seasonal vegetables treated as the main event rather than a side, and a real technical range achieved without any meat-based stock — dashi here typically comes from kombu (kelp) and dried shiitake rather than the bonito flakes used elsewhere in Japanese cooking.
Where to actually eat it
Some temples with visitor programmes serve shōjin ryōri directly, often requiring advance reservation, while a number of restaurants around the city specialise in the style for a general dining audience without requiring a temple visit at all. Reservations are worth making ahead either way — this isn't the kind of meal kitchens prepare to order on short notice.