Southern Higashiyama
Take a break from the crowds and head upstairs to this bright cafe serving a range of matcha sweets and treats, from overloaded parfaits to matcha soba…
Must-see restaurants in Kyoto
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…
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…
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 …
Arashiyama & Sagano
This is a popular place to sample yudōfu (tofu cooked in a pot). It’s fairly casual, with a spacious dining room. You can usually eat here without having…
Northern Higashiyama
In a converted machiya close to Kyoto University you'll find this friendly local obanzai restaurant with an izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) atmosphere. The…
Southern Higashiyama
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…
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…
Kyoto Station & South Kyoto
This small neighbourhood okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) restaurant is a great place to grab dinner if you're in the Kyoto Station area. It's cheap and…
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…
Southern Higashiyama
Choice is a spacious comfortable cafe with a great, well, choice of gluten-free and vegan fare. Drop in for breakfast pancakes, vegan cheese plates,…
Southern Higashiyama
This place serves one thing only: crisp fried gyōza (dumplings), which come in lots of 10 and are washed down with beer or Chinese raoshu (rice wine).
Southern Higashiyama
Heaped with red ginger and green scallions, the okonomiyaki at this Gion institution is a garish snack – which somehow seems fitting considering the…
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)…
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…
Northern Higashiyama
For an experience you won’t soon forget, try Okariba. If it crawls, walks or swims, it’s probably on the menu. The inoshishi (wild boar) barbecue is a…
Shinshindō Notre Pain Quotidien
Northern Higashiyama
This atmospheric old Kyoto coffee shop is a favourite of Kyoto University students for its curry lunch set (¥710), which is kind of an acquired taste. It…
Imperial Palace & Around
If you find yourself in need of a light meal or drink while you’re in the Demachiyanagi area, this casual cafe is a good choice. There is a variety of…
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…
Kyoto Station & South Kyoto
On the corner out the front of the north side of Kyoto Station, this casual cafe is a good place to kill some time while waiting for a train (though note…
Southern Higashiyama
This super-casual cafe on Higashiōji, just down the hill from the main Southern Higashiyama sightseeing district, is a convenient stop for a light lunch…
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…
Downtown Kyoto
This simple cosy cafe is a great spot to grab a healthy breakfast – it opens early (a rarity in Kyoto) and serves a tasty cheap Japanese breakfast set, a…
Southern Higashiyama
This place may look like a total dive but the food is reliable and authentic, as the crowds of Kyoto’s Chinese residents will attest. There’s a list of…
Kyoto Station & South Kyoto
Shusai Jōjō is a modern izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) within walking distance of Kyoto Station. There’s a variety of dishes to choose from in a convivial…
Northern Higashiyama
A cosy little spot in the north of town past Hyakumamben and Kyoto University, this friendly smoke-free restaurant serves passable Indian lunch and dinner…
Downtown Kyoto
If you’re downtown and you feel like a break from Japanese food, head to this popular Taiwanese place on the 3rd flood of Takashimaya department store for…
Southern Higashiyama
While the food's nothing special, Asuka is a convenient spot to fill up on a range of affordable meals while sightseeing in the Higashiyama area, from…
Northwest Kyoto
Convenient for lunch near Kinkaku-ji, this diner-style ramen eatery is decked out in black and white with checked tiles and bar stools. It does Kyoto…
Downtown Kyoto
This charming French bakery is a good spot to pick up delicious pastries and home-baked bread while perusing the shops on Teramachi-dōri.
Northern Higashiyama
At the National Museum of Modern Art, this indoor-outdoor cafe is a great spot for a pick-me-up while museum-hopping in Okazaki.
