Reviews of Cafes and Restaurants in Kyoto, Japan
Inside a 100-year-old machiya or traditional townhouse near Nanzenji, Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto is a must-visit for both coffee lovers and interior design buffs. Sipping a good cup of coffee in a cafe that pays homage to Japanese aesthetics and heritage while melding with modern coffee culture sure has its draw.
% Arabica is one of Kyoto’s best-selling coffee stands, popular among locals & international visitors who flocked to its cafes in Kyoto and around the world. With a latte art champion and a specialty coffee trader at its helm, % Arabica quickly became one of the must-visit cafes for coffee lovers in Kyoto.
IZAMA 居様 serves up Kyoto home-style food, platter meals or obanzai おばんざい in a traditional Kyoto townhouse. Concocted of skillfully arranged small dishes, the chefs brings the natural flavors, colors, and Kyoto style of cooking to the forefront. Read our review on IZAMA’s seasonal bento box obanzai.
Founded since 1940, Inoda Coffee イノダコーヒ has been a beloved coffeehouse for more than 69 years, serving the residents of Kyoto with its own brand of coffee. Its first café opened in 1947 in Sanjyo 三条, and it has 7 other branches in Kyoto, 1 in Osaka, 1 in Hiroshima, 1 in Hokkaido, 1 in Tokyo, and 1 in Yokohama. It also has a take-out cake shop in Kyoto, called Ketel. Don’t expect swanky or hipster vibes in this Kyoto café. Inoda Coffee houses an old school charm that still appeals to the everyday lives of locals. There are no frills, no fuss, just a strangely familiar comfort that seems to belong to bygone days. Since 1947, Inoda Coffee has been a beloved coffeehouse for more than 69 years, serving the residents of Kyoto with its own brand of coffee. Instead of visiting the flagship café or honten 本店, we always made our way to the one in Kiyomizu as part of our exploration of the Higashiyama district 東山区 after visiting Kiyomizu-dera. You need strong knees …
Nishiki Market 錦市場, also known as Kyoto’s Kitchen, is a more than 400-year-old, 400-metre arcade full of cooked food, seafood, eateries, shops, and fresh food ingredients that never fail to entice locals’ and travelers’ tastebuds. Time to fill your stomachs and stock up your kitchens!
Our feet were screaming for respite, our palates in need of something sweet, and our body craved for a warm cuppa, after that trek to admire the bamboo groves, Arashiyama and Katsura River. Right along the street from Saga-Arashiyama station to Tenryu-ji is Sagano-Yu Cafe Style Resort 嵯峨野湯, a public bathhouse turned cafe. Don’t be fooled by the spotless exterior of Sagano-Yu Cafe. It was built in 1923 as Sagayu Bathhouse and refurbished into a teahouse in August 10, 2006. Beyond its cool white doors are warm wooden furniture, exposed bricks, quiet conversations and shared laughter. We had to put down our names on the waiting list, as there was a queue of like-minded, tired people wanting a table. While waiting, we wandered up the steep stairs to the 2nd level where you would find a little space selling a plethora of handmade goods – from accessories and knits, to kitchenware and food. We were intrigued by the rustic display at the bottom of the stairs, but disappointingly, it’s not as well stocked, or as …
Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to locate Hisago (ひさご) in Kyoto, Japan. We definitely did not expect to see such a long queue outside the restaurant, not when the restaurant opens at 11.30am for lunch. It’s off the usual track for most travelers, and pretty out of the way. That is why we didn’t think many would go to the trouble of finding this place. Since we finished early at our previous visit to Kiyomizudera 清水寺, we decided to take a leisurely walk exploring some really old streets and houses. We reached Hisago (ひさご) at about 11am. Somehow, you know you have stumbled upon an excellent place to eat when you see Japanese of different ages in the queue – young, families with toddlers, elderly folk, groups of teenagers, and of course, tourists from different countries. I heard Taiwanese, French, Thai, Korean, English and Chinese while I stood in queue with the rest. Our curiosity piqued with more and more joining the queue. Many times, we contemplated abandoning the queue …
Did I share that I simply love the taste of yuzu (ゆず、柚子) ? From yuzu vinegar to yuzu fruit, yuzu sake to yuzu cakes, I’ve tried it all! Naturally, when I hear that there is a shop in Kyoto serving yuzu ramen, I had to go try. I was already imagining how such disparate flavors would combine – one is obviously a fruit! I arrived at Eitaro (英多朗) at 11am, when the shop opens and way before the lunch crowd hits. The shop exterior is not eye-catching and one could have easily missed it. So, here’s a picture to help. Eitaro is a small ramen shop and does not have a lot of seats, so it was good to get there early. Of course, I ordered the yuzu ramen (ゆずラメン) at ¥700 (approximately S$9 – S$10). When the bowl of piping hot noodles was served, the refreshing whiff of the citrus fruit greeted me first before the fragrant chicken broth started mingling with its fruity accent. You can either squeeze the mini yuzu fruit or …
