One thing we always do when we head to Japan is seek out cafes that serve good coffee, especially drip coffee — and the Japanese do it so well. That search led us to Goodman Roaster, a specialty coffee roastery and cozy cafe tucked along the quieter, more suburban-style residential streets near Kyoto’s Shijo-Karasuma intersection. And every time we are in Kyoto, we never fail to get a cuppa or two at Goodman Roaster.

Born from founder and renowned coffee artisan Atsuomi Ito’s 伊藤 篤臣 coffee shops in Taiwan, Goodman Roaster Kyoto roasts its own beans in-house — including its signature Taiwanese Alishan coffee — and serves them as hand-drip pour-overs and espresso-based drinks. With a relaxed interior built around solid coffees, and a roaster you can watch at work if you are lucky, Goodman Roaster Kyoto quickly became one of our favorite stops for an unhurried coffee experience just minutes from Shijo Station.

Hand-Drip Coffee, Brewed to Order

Goodman Roaster’s drip coffee menu is where its specialty coffee roasting really shines. Each cup is hand-brewed pourover style, often on a Kalita Wave, using freshly roasted single-origin beans straight from the in-house Diedrich roaster. We didn’t get to try the cafe’s signature Alishan-TW blend — light-roasted Taiwanese beans with floral, fruit-forward, almost tea-like notes that are hard to find anywhere else in Japan. With each blend in the lineup showing off a distinct flavor profile, Goodman Roaster is already top of our list for a proper coffee fix.

Guatemala — San Antonio de Esquipulas (Cup of Excellence, 2022)

This top-quality altitude-grown coffee arrived from Huehuetenango, Guatemala’s western highlands and a 2022 Cup of Excellence lot — beans recognized by one of specialty coffee’s most rigorous quality competitions. It had a bright, clear, vivid flavor, with notes of vanilla and a toasty, roasted-bread-like character. The sweet, savory aftertaste spoke to this cup’s quality — a well-balanced coffee overall.  The cafe’s own recommended pairing for their Guatemala pour-over was the espresso butter toast where the toasty, vanilla-forward notes in the coffee played beautifully against the warm, buttery toast.

Tasting notes: orange, vanilla, toast, hazelnut, honey

Ethiopia — Yirgacheffe G1 Konga

With a peach-like aroma, this vibrant Ethiopian coffee had a bright orange acidity balanced by honeyed sweetness and a lingering floral finish — overall, an excellent, well-rounded flavor profile.

Tasting notes: jasmine, peach, bright orange, honey, syrup-like sweetness

Costa Rica — Dota, Don Cayito Farm

A sweet, juicy coffee with berry flavours, the pleasant taste carried through to the aftertaste, and it got even juicier as it cooled, really showing off the cup’s character.

Tasting notes: black currant, orange, berry, strawberry, honey

Lattes, Cappuccinos & Espresso Classics

For espresso lovers, Goodman Roaster Kyoto pulls smooth lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites with rich crema, a result of the infrared roasting profile from its Diedrich machine. Oat, soy, and almond milk options make the espresso menu approachable for dairy-free coffee drinkers (I am one~!), while black and white espresso variations give regulars plenty of ways to explore the roastery’s beans.

My friend had a latte and she said it was smooth and well-balanced.

Sweet Pairings with Espresso Butter Toast, Carrot Cake & Banana Bread

Coffee at Goodman Roaster comes with a small but well-loved bakery case. Moist banana bread, carrot cake, and espresso butter toast are cafe favorites, alongside seasonal bakes each morning. We ordered the espresso butter toast — the cafe’s own recommended pairing for their Guatemala San Antonio de Esquipulas Cup of Excellence pour-over — in our 1st visit which was in the morning. Subsequent visits in the afternoon saw this sold out or not on offer.

In subsequent visits, we had the carrot cake and banana bread. Both were moist and gave that much-needed energy in the afternoon, just when we were feeling peckish. Paired with coffee — be it pour-overs or a latte — they were the perfect pick-me-up and not too sweet.

Cozy Cafe Vibe

Stepping inside, the vibe was unmistakably cozy: a glass-fronted, light-filled space with comfortable plush sofas, a communal table, window and bench seating, all set against a mid-century modern backdrop of wood tones, clean lines, and retro-style furniture with lo-fi music playing softly in the background.

Potted plants were tucked throughout the cafe, softening the space and adding a touch of greenery against the exposed roastery setup, where the Diedrich roasting machine sat in full view, filling the cafe with the smell of fresh-roasted beans during a roasting session.

Tucked into a quiet residential pocket of Shimogyo Ward, away from Kyoto’s main tourist crowds, it’s a low-key neighborhood spot that works equally well for a quiet solo coffee break or for settling in with friends.

In-House Roasting by Founder Atsuomi Ito

Every bag of beans at Goodman Roaster Kyoto is roasted on-site by founder Atsuomi Ito, a former Starbucks barista who later opened coffee shops in Taiwan and introduced Japan’s third wave coffee to the country before bringing his craft home. A SCA-certified Q-Grader (Specialty Coffee Association’s internationally certified coffee quality grader), Ito uses a Diedrich roaster and Cropster software to roast in small batches, maintaining consistency while unveiling the beans’ floral notes and sweetness. He is known for sharing his coffee knowledge with guests, even hosting the occasional Instagram Live on brewing and roasting technique. We were lucky and happened on the cafe on one of its roasting days.

Take Home Goodman Roaster Coffee Beans

Beyond the cafe counter, Goodman Roaster sells its own roasted coffee beans — from its single origins and seasonal blends to its prized Taiwanese Alishan — alongside brewing gear like Hario V60 drippers, paper filters, and pour-over kettles. It’s an easy way for visitors to bring the Goodman Roaster Kyoto coffee experience home with them.

We brought home a pack of beans to brew our own cuppa, especially after we enjoyed the drip coffee of that blend and knew we were going to miss it. There was a free drink reward then for buying a pack of their beans.

Taiwanese Tea

Rounding out the menu is a selection of Taiwanese tea, a nod to Goodman Roaster’s origins in Taiwan. For non-coffee drinkers or who those want to try out Chinese tea, especially the Alishan Mountain Tea (阿里山高山茶), the tea menu pairs naturally with the cafe’s baked sweets and reflects the Taiwan-Kyoto identity that defines the brand. As we are already frequent tea drinkers at home, we still opted to have their pour-overs every visit. But we did catch glimpses of guests sipping their tea, savouring quiet, soul-warming moments of their own.

pling thinks…the pour-overs at Goodman Roaster are reasons enough to make the trip, but the small touches stuck as well: watching the roaster at work just feet from our table, the mid-century warmth of the space, and the quiet, relaxed vibe. For anyone chasing good coffee, hand-drip or espresso-based, in Kyoto, this is well worth a stop — and a strong case that Goodman Roaster deserves to be on travelers’ radars, tourist crowds or not.

How to get to Goodman Roaster

〒600-8442 京都府京都市下京区矢田町115-2 ベアフルートイイノ 一階
Japan, 〒600-8442 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Yadacho, 115-2 ベアフルートイイノ 一階

Open Daily: 08:00 – 20:30

From Kyoto Station:

• By bus: Take city bus 50 and ride for 7 stops before alighting at Shijo Nishinotoin (四条西洞院) and walk for 2 mins. OR take city bus 26 and ride for 6 stops before alighting at Shijo Nishinotoin and walk for 3 mins.

• By train: Take the Kyoto Subway (not JR line) Karasuma Line (烏丸線) towards Kokusaikaikan (国際会館) and ride for 2 stops before alighting at Shijo Station (四条駅). Follow signs for North Ticket Gate and exit the station via exit 3. Walk for 8 mins.