Izakaya restaurants in Kyoto
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A
Anji
This smoky izakaya -style fish specialist is a great place to sample a wide variety of sashimi, cooked fish and standard izakaya dishes. You can sit on the tatami mats in the zashiki (communal room), but you’ll have to have a high tolerance for cigarette smoke. If you don’t smoke, and don’t want to be smoked, we recommend the counter. There is no English menu, so you’ll have to bring a Japanese-speaking friend or point at what your neighbours are eating. Anji is on the 2nd floor, up a flight of steps festooned with signs (in Japanese) advertising the menu; you’ll know the place when you see it.
reviewed
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B
Zu Zu
This Pontochō izakaya is a fun place to eat. The best bet when ordering is to ask the waiter for a recommendation. The fare is sort of nouveau-Japanese, with menu items such as shrimp with tofu and chicken with plum sauce. Look for the white stucco exterior and black bars on the windows.
reviewed
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C
Bamboo
Bamboo is one of Kyoto’s more approachable izakaya. It’s on Sanjō-dōri, near the mouth of a traditional, old shopping arcade. You can sit at the counter here and order a variety of typical izakaya dishes, watching as the chefs do their thing.
reviewed
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D
Uontana
This upscale izakaya is a good spot to try a range of sake and elegantly presented Japanese fare (sashimi, fried dishes, salads). The design is sleek, modern and more Tokyo than Kyoto. There is an English menu and a tiny lantern out the front.
reviewed
