Imperial Palace & Around
There are two restaurants at the eastern entrance to Imamiya-jinja specialising in aburi-mochi (grilled rice cakes coated with soybean flour) served with…
Must-see restaurants in Kyoto
Northern Higashiyama
This Okinawan-style restaurant has tasty food (with plenty of vegetarian options), a plant-filled stylish interior and comfortable upstairs seating. It’s…
Downtown Kyoto
This welcoming neighbourhood favourite specialises in obanzai-ryōri – a type of home-style cooking using seasonal ingredients – done creatively and served…
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…
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)…
Arashiyama & Sagano
To sample shōjin-ryōri, try Shigetsu in the precincts of Tenryū-ji. This healthy fare has been sustaining monks for more than a thousand years in Japan,…
Southern Higashiyama
Michelin-starred chef Murata serves some of the finest kaiseki in the city. Located in a hidden nook near Maruyama-kōen, this restaurant has everything…
Arashiyama & Sagano
Considered one of the best kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto (and Japan, for that matter), Kitcho Arashiyama is the place to sample the full kaiseki experience…
Imperial Palace & Around
This gorgeous tearoom-cafe is a stone's throw from the west side of the Imperial Palace Park. It's fantastic for a break from sightseeing in this part of…
Northern Higashiyama
This elegant noodle shop, a five-minute walk from Ginkaku-ji, is named after the signature dish – thick white noodles that are served in broth with a…
Imperial Palace & Around
A small traditional place not far from Funaoka Onsen, Kanei is for soba connoisseurs – the noodles are made by hand and are delicious. The owners don’t…
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…
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…
Northern Higashiyama
Perfectly located for a break when museum-hopping in the Okazaki-kōen area, this delightful restaurant is set in an old machiya with tatami-mat floors, a…
Southern Higashiyama
Take an old Kyoto house, make it comfortable for modern diners, serve excellent, reasonably priced kaiseki and you have Karyō’s recipe for success. The…
Southern Higashiyama
Family owned Chidoritei is a snug little sushi restaurant tucked away in the backstreets of Gion away from the bustle. It's a great place to try delicious…
Southern Higashiyama
Housed in a remodelled Japanese building with a light, airy feeling, this branch of Kyoto’s famed Omen noodle chain is the best place to stop while…
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…
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…
Kyoto Station & South Kyoto
On the 10th floor of the Kyoto Station building, you’ll find this collection of decent restaurants. Among the choices here are Tonkatsu Wako for tonkatsu …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Southern Higashiyama
If you need a quick meal while in the main Southern Higashiyama sightseeing district, this simple noodle and rice restaurant is a good bet. It’s within…
Southern Higashiyama
This Gion institution is one of Kyoto’s oldest and best-known okashi-ya (sweet shops). It sells a variety of traditional sweets and has a lovely tearoom…
Northern Higashiyama
The Hyōtei is considered one of Kyoto’s oldest and most picturesque traditional restaurants. In the main building you can sample exquisite kaiseki courses…
Northern Higashiyama
This approachable and friendly okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) restaurant on Sanjō, close to Nanzen-ji and other popular Northern Higashiyama sights, is a…
Northern Higashiyama
Just outside the precincts of Nanzen-ji, you’ll find Okutan, a restaurant sited within the luxurious garden of Chōshō-in. This is a popular place that has…
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…
Arashiyama & Sagano
This quaint and friendly little teishoku-ya (set-meal restaurant) is perfect for lunch while in Arashiyama. The standard teishoku favourites are on offer,…
Arashiyama & Sagano
Located near the JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, this whitewashed chic cafe is set in an old public bathhouse complete with decorative tiles and taps still in…
Northern Higashiyama
Opposite Kyoto University, this humble cafe is a godsend for vegetarians. The menu is limited but the food is fresh, tasty, mostly organic and nutritious,…
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…
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…
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…
Imperial Palace & Around
A short walk from the north border of the Imperial Palace Park, this light-filled cafe serves brilliant New York cheesecake (¥550) and hot drinks. Other…
