Bar entertainment in Kyoto
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A
A-Bar
This is a raucous student izakaya with a log-cabin interior located in the Kiyamachi area. There’s a big menu to choose from and everything’s cheap. The best part comes when they add up the bill – you’ll swear they’ve undercharged you by half. It’s a little tough to find – look for the small black-and-white sign at the top of a flight of concrete steps above a place called Reims.
reviewed
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B
Gael Irish Pub
A cosy little Irish bar on the doorstep of Gion. It offers good food, excellent beer and friendly staff, as well as occasional live music. It's a great place to meet local expats and see what's going on in town. It's up a flight of steps.
reviewed
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Yoramu
Named for Yoramu, the Israeli sake expert who runs the place, this is highly recommended for anyone who wants an education in sake. It's very small and can only accommodate a handful of people. By day, it's a soba restaurant.
reviewed
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C
Atlantis
This is one of the few bars on Pontochō that foreigners can walk into without a Japanese friend. It’s a slick, trendy place that draws a fair smattering of Kyoto’s beautiful people, and wannabe beautiful people. In summer you can sit outside on a platform looking over the Kamo-gawa. It’s often crowded here so you may have to wait a bit to get in, especially if you want to sit outside.
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D
Rub-a-Dub
At the northern end of Kiyamachi-dōri, Rub-a-Dub is a funky little reggae bar with a shabby tropical look. It’s a good place for a quiet drink on weekdays, but on Friday and Saturday nights you’ll have no choice but to bop along with the crowd. Look for the stairs heading down to the basement beside the popular (and delightfully ‘fragrant’) Nagahama Rāmen shop.
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E
Marble Room
The Marble Room is what a lot of people in the 1950s imagined the year 2000 would look like. It’s a mod space that draws Kyoto’s fashionable young set for decent drinks and snacks. If you’re over 30 here, you’ll probably feel like an antique. It’s on the 4th floor of the Pontochō Building, which has a white front.
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F
McLoughlin's Irish Bar & Restaurant
With a fine view over the city, free wi-fi and good food, this bar is a nice place to spend an evening in Kyoto. There's a great selection of local and international craft beers. It's also a good place to meet local expats and Japanese. It hosts music events as well.
reviewed
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Backgammon
On a little alley north of Sanjō-dōri, this is a late-night Kyoto institution. Small, dark and loud, it's a place for serious drinking. Check out the crow's nest drinking area at the top of the ladder - if you don't want to climb down for the next round, staff will send it up to you in a special drinks lift.
reviewed
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MataMata
MataMata is a cool bar with an Indonesian theme. They also serve good Indonesian food, if you have a craving. The interior is pleasantly bohemian and you might easily forget you're in Kyoto while drinking here.
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G
Sekisui
Open from 17:00 until 01:00, this bar on the basement floor of the Hotel Fujita Kyoto looks out over water falling onto stones (hence the name, which means 'stone and water').
reviewed
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Tōzan Bar
We love this cosy and cool underground retreat below the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, one of Kyoto's best hotels. It's worth a visit just to marvel at the design.
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Sama Sama
This place seems like a very comfortable cave somewhere near the Mediterranean. Scoot up to the counter or make yourself at home on the cushions on the floor and enjoy a wide variety of drinks, some of them Indonesian (where the owner hails from). It's down an alley just north of Sanjō; the alley has a sign for Sukiyaki Komai Tei.
reviewed
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H
Ing Bar
This little joint is the place for cheap bar snacks, drinks and good music. It's on the 2nd floor of the Royal building.
reviewed
