Must-see restaurants in 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…

This Okinawan-style restaurant has tasty food (with plenty of vegetarian options), a plant-filled stylish interior and comfortable upstairs seating. It’s…

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…

The Hyōtei is considered one of Kyoto’s oldest and most picturesque traditional restaurants. In the main building you can sample exquisite kaiseki courses…

This approachable and friendly okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) restaurant on Sanjō, close to Nanzen-ji and other popular Northern Higashiyama sights, is a…

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…

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,…

This is part of the new wave of yakitori (skewers of chicken, and other meats or vegetables) restaurants in Kyoto that are updating the old standards in…

Behind the blank white facade of Prinz, you’ll find an inviting modern cafe-restaurant, gallery and garden – a chic island of coolness in an otherwise…

This place, popular with Kyoto University students, dishes up creative variations on chicken, fish and meat. The menu is in Japanese only and if you’re at…

Overlooking the Shirakawa Canal, just across the street from the National Museum of Modern Art, this tiny French-style cafe is a lovely spot to take a…

Karako is a favourite ramen restaurant in Kyoto. While there's not much atmosphere, the ramen is excellent – the soup is thick and rich and the chashū …

Filling noodle and rice dishes are served at this pleasant shop with an English menu – the nabeyaki udon (pot-baked udon in broth) is a great choice. This…

If you're in need of a break from Japanese food, head to this casual spot near Demachiyanagi Station for excellent and filling felafel pita sandwiches or…

In a converted machiya close to Kyoto University you'll find this friendly local obanzai restaurant with an izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) atmosphere. The…

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…

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…

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…

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.