Must-see restaurants in Downtown Kyoto

  • Menami

    Downtown Kyoto

    This welcoming neighbourhood favourite specialises in obanzai-ryōri – a type of home-style cooking using seasonal ingredients – done creatively and served…

  • Yoshikawa

    Downtown Kyoto

    This is the place to go for delectable tempura with a daily changing menu. Attached to the Yoshikawa ryokan, it offers table seating, but it’s much more…

  • Honke Owariya

    Downtown Kyoto

    Set in an old sweets shop in a traditional Japanese building on a quiet downtown street, this is where locals come for excellent soba (buckwheat-noodle)…

  • Giro Giro Hitoshina

    Downtown Kyoto

    Giro Giro takes traditional kaiseki and strips any formality so you're left with great food but in a boisterous atmosphere and with thousands more yen in…

  • Café Bibliotec Hello!

    Downtown Kyoto

    As the name suggests, books line the walls of this cool cafe located in a converted machiya attracting a mix of locals and tourists. It’s a great place to…

  • Roan Kikunoi

    Downtown Kyoto

    Roan Kikunoi is a fantastic place to experience the wonders of kaiseki. It's a lovely intimate space located right downtown. The chef takes an…

  • Kyōgoku Kane-yo

    Downtown Kyoto

    This popular restaurant is a good place to try unagi (eel). You can choose to either sit downstairs with a nice view of the waterfall, or upstairs on the…

  • Shi-Shin Samurai Cafe and Bar

    Downtown Kyoto

    Decked out in replica swords and armour, this restaurant might not strike you as a place dedicated to world peace, yet the young owner here is passionate…

  • Tagoto Honten

    Downtown Kyoto

    Across from Takashimaya department store, this long-standing Kyoto restaurant serves approachable kaiseki in a variety of rooms, both private and common…

  • Gyoza Chao Chao Sanjo-Kiyamachi

    Downtown Kyoto

    In the heart of Kyoto's bar scene, it's no wonder Chao Chao draws long queues for its crispy gyōza (dumplings) – great as a pre-drink dinner, even better…

  • Den Shichi

    Downtown Kyoto

    This is one of the best reasonably priced sushi restaurants in Kyoto. It’s a classic: long counter, bellowing sushi chefs and great fresh fish. The lunch…

  • Tōsuirō

    Downtown Kyoto

    You will be amazed by the variety of dishes that can be created with tofu at this specialist tofu restaurant. It’s got traditional Japanese decor and in…

  • mumokuteki cafe

    Downtown Kyoto

    Above the mumokuteki shop in the middle of the downtown area, this popular cafe is a lifesaver for many Kyoto vegetarians. The food is tasty, varied and…

  • Sushi no Musashi

    Downtown Kyoto

    If you’ve never tried a kaiten-sushi (conveyor-belt sushi restaurant), don’t miss this place – most dishes are a mere ¥146. Not the best sushi in the…

  • Biotei

    Downtown Kyoto

    Located diagonally across from Nakagyō post office, this is a favourite of Kyoto vegetarians, serving à la carte and daily sets with dishes such as deep…

  • Saryo Suisen

    Downtown Kyoto

    There are countless places in Kyoto to be restrained with your matcha and sweets...this teahouse isn't one of them. Roll up your sleeves, loosen your belt…

  • Ganko

    Downtown Kyoto

    This giant four-storey dining hall is part of Kansai’s biggest sushi chain. The ground floor is the sushi area, with a long sushi counter and plenty of…

  • Omen Nippon

    Downtown Kyoto

    This is the downtown branch of the famous Ginkaku-ji noodle restaurant. It serves a variety of healthy set meals and, of course, the signature omen udon…

  • Rāmen Kairikiya

    Downtown Kyoto

    Not far from the Sanjō and Kawaramachi intersection, this popular ramen specialist welcomes foreigners with an English menu and friendly staff. It's got…

  • Nishiki Warai

    Downtown Kyoto

    Nishiki Warai is a great place to try okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) in casual surroundings. Non-smokers might find it a bit smoky at times, but it’s a…

  • Karafuneya Coffee Sanjō Honten

    Downtown Kyoto

    This coffee and dessert cafe is smack in the middle of Kyoto's main shopping district. In a country famous for its plastic food models, Karafuneya takes…

  • Kiyamachi Sakuragawa

    Downtown Kyoto

    This elegant restaurant on a scenic stretch of Kiyamachi-dōri is an excellent place to try kaiseki. The modest but fully satisfying food is beautifully…

  • Mew’z cafe

    Downtown Kyoto

    With its relaxed bohemian feel and Pan-Asian menu, Mew'z cafe-restaurant is a great place to break up bouts of shopping on Teramachi-dōri. Drop in for a…

  • Café Independants

    Downtown Kyoto

    Located beneath a gallery, this cool subterranean cafe offers a range of snacks, meals and drinks, including craft beer, coffee and cocktails, in a…

  • Cafe Phalam

    Downtown Kyoto

    A short walk from Nijō-jō, this homey cafe is a great spot to lunch on mainly vegan and vegetarian homemade food, from veggie burgers with salad to vegan…

  • Mishima-tei

    Downtown Kyoto

    Mishima-tei, around since 1873, is a good place to sample sukiyaki (thin slices of beef cooked in sake, soy and vinegar broth, and dipped in raw egg) as…

  • Fujino-ya

    Downtown Kyoto

    This is one of the easiest places for non-Japanese to enter on Ponto-chō, a street where many of the other restaurants turn down even unfamiliar Japanese…

  • Papa Jon's

    Downtown Kyoto

    This convenient downtown branch of the original favourite Papa Jon's serves its excellent New York cheesecake, as well as breakfast sets, quiche, soup and…

  • Ganko Nijō-en

    Downtown Kyoto

    This is an upmarket branch of the Ganko chain that serves sushi and simple kaiseki sets. There’s a picture menu and you can stroll in the stunning garden…

  • AB

    Downtown Kyoto

    Drop in for one of its filling sandwiches and an Ethiopian coffee or stop by to knock back craft beer at this cool basement bar-cafe with a laid-back…

  • Ootoya

    Downtown Kyoto

    Ootoya is a clean, modern Japanese restaurant chain that serves a range of standard dishes and set meals at good-value prices. It’s popular with Kyoto…

  • Shunsai Tempura Arima

    Downtown Kyoto

    Tempura is one of Japan's tastiest dishes and this friendly downtown restaurant is a great place to try it. It's a tiny family-run joint with a welcoming…

  • Le Bouchon

    Downtown Kyoto

    For casual French fare at reasonable prices, Le Bouchon is a great choice. Like a good Parisian bistro, it's got old-school charm and tends to be…

  • Ippūdō

    Downtown Kyoto

    There’s a reason that there’s usually a line outside this place: the ramen is fantastic and the bite-sized gyōza are to die for. The gyōza set meal (from …

  • Tsukiji Sushisei

    Downtown Kyoto

    On the basement floor, next to Daimaru department store, this simple sushi restaurant serves excellent sushi. You can order a set or just point at what…

  • Lugol

    Downtown Kyoto

    Settle into this dimly lit classy Italian-inspired cafe-bar with a an Aperol or glass of Prosecco paired with a decadent lobster pasta or pizza. It's on…

  • Gyoza Chao Chao Shijo-Kawaramachi

    Downtown Kyoto

    This branch of Gyoza Chao Chao is convenient for a quick bite when hitting the shops downtown. It has a range of interesting vegetarian gyōza (dumping)…

  • Honke Tagoto

    Downtown Kyoto

    This casual restaurant in the Sanjō covered arcade serves a variety of soba and udon (thick white wheat noodles) dishes. It can get crowded at lunchtime…

  • Yak & Yeti

    Downtown Kyoto

    This tiny joint serves more than just the dal bhaat (rice and lentil curry) that most people associate with Nepalese cuisine. In fact, the fare (good…

  • Kerala

    Downtown Kyoto

    Kyoto's best Indian restaurant is a narrow upstairs unflashy spot on Kawaramachi-dōri. The lunch set menu is a good deal, dinners run a little pricey but…