Kyoto is one of Japan’s most famous cities, located 1.5 hours by bullet train away from Tokyo. As a large city, Kyoto has many historic sites including Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and many many more. Kyoto is often the standard that other historic sites, like Kamakura, is compared to.
Shijo Kawaramachi
Shijo Kawaramachi is the interaction of two major shopping streets in central Kyoto, Shijo Street and Kawaramachi Street. This intersection is the heart of shopping in Kyoto, featuring everything from global luxury designer brands to locally crafted goods. It is an incredibly lively area, with excellent food and nightlife as well.
WEEKENDERS COFFEE ROASTERS
682-7 Ishifudonocho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8047, Japan (Google Maps)
WEEKENDERS COFFEE ROASTERS is a popular single origin speciality coffee roaster in Kyoto with their roastery located off Kawaramachi Street towards Kiyomizu-Gojo station. The roastery is in a beautiful traditional style Japanese building, with a beautiful garden courtyard in the middle. This coffee shop is very much the type of place for a quick stop. WEEKENDERS has no tables for customers to use but a few different places to sit in the garden. This is a great place to buy coffee beans to take home if you’re the type to make coffee at home!
WEEKENDERS COFFEE also has coffee window location near the Shijo Kawaramachi intersection.
curry & tempura koisus
3 Chome-292 Miyagawasuji, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0801, Japan (Google Maps)
On the way to Gion, curry & tempura koisus is located in an older Japanese style building that dishes up curry and tempura sets. Popular on social media, they serve curry in sushi oke, wooden sushi rice buckets.
The typical Japanese curry that most people think of is a Japanese interpretation on an old British curry, but koisus serves the more modern “spicy curry” more based on Indian curry. koisus curry uses over 20 different spices and is served with 5 different pickles.
koisus also have a vegan curry and offer sides of tempura. While it is a popular spot with English speaking tourists and they have an English menu, they can turn tables quickly so you won’t have to wait long.
Waguri Senmon Saori
Japan, ใ600-8014 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Izumiyacho, 2 Chomeโ170-1 (Google Maps)
Located in an old Japanese traditional building along the Kamo River, Waguri Senmon Saori is the perfect place for all of those obsessed with mont blanc like myself. Like Kuririn in Nagoya, Waguri Senmon Saori is a speciality shop, or senmonten, focused on gourmet mont blanc. Saori uses Japanese chestnuts to give the mont blanc that fresh flavor.
Saori’s menu consists of the classic mont blanc, a seasonal fruit mont blanc parfait, and a seasonal fruit mont blanc tart. All dine-in items come with your choice of basic non-alcoholic drinks, or you have the option to upgrade for an extra fee. They also operate a take out window for those who don’t want to make a reservation or wait in line. I absolutely recommend stopping by if you’re in Kyoto! I love mont blanc so this place has a gravity that pulls me towards it.
Katsukura
Japan, ใ600-8004 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Naramonocho, 379 (Google Maps)
Katsukura is my favorite small high quality chain tonkatsu restaurant in Japan. Originating in Kyoto, they use high quality Japanese raised pork and domestic ingredients. Part of Katsukura’s charm is the wonderful atmosphere and you get to grind your own sesame seeds and make your own tonkatsu sauce. Katsukura holds a special place in my heart for personal reasons as well.
In college I spent half a year living in Morioka, Iwate, Japan on an abroad program. The program only had 6 students on it, and always brought a professor along to teach. On our program, my professor brought her husband Kakutani Mitsuo. He was a really nice and funny guy, an artist and retired ceramics professor who really wanted to take us to a mountain to dig clay for him sometime. On a weekend group trip to Kyoto, Mitsuo insisted that we go to Katsukura, and I’ve thought about it for over 10 years. This restaurant is special to me because it reminds me of Mitsuo and that time in my life. Katsukura is also just an excellent restaurant.
Veg Out
Japan, ใ600-8133 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Inaricho, 448 ้ดจๅทใใซ 1F (Google Maps)
Veg Out is a vegan cafe located along Kamo River near the intersection of Kawaramachi Street and Highway 113. This cafe serves light breakfasts and lunches, as well as having a selection of coffees and cakes. For breakfast, they serve bread based dishes like avocado toast and light sandwiches. During lunch, they serve more rice based dishes like taco rice and coconut curry. All of their food features beautiful fresh vegetables and is a real treat to enjoy!
It has a stylish homey look with dark wood furniture and large glass windows with a beautiful view of the river and the eastward mountains. If you’re lucky, you’ll get one of the counter seats along the window and have your meal with a scenic view!
mumokuteki cafe&foods Kyoto
Japan, ใ604-8061 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Shikibucho, 261 ใใฅใผใใณใใฉใผใฉใ ๆฌ็คพใใซ 2F (Google Maps)
Located in the covered shopping street off of Kawaramachi, mumokuteki cafe&foods Kyoto is a delicious vegan restaurants that offers a plant based take on some teishoku lunch classics. From tofu hamburger steak to miso cutlet inspired by tonkatsu to okra karaage, their menu has something for everyone. mumokuteki’s menu offer the chance for vegans and vegetarians to enjoy teishoku sets with a main dish, side dishes, pickles, miso soup, and rice!
Izakaya Maumu
121 Tominagacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0078, Japan (Google Maps)
If you’re looking for a fun take on modern izakaya, Izakaya Maumu is a great choice. A relatively new restaurant in-between Kawaramachi and Gion, Izakaya Maumu serves a variety of grilled and raw dishes featuring vegetables, fish, and beef. The food is excellent, but the service is even better.
We came in as group of two, but there was only one open bar seat on Izakaya Maumu’s first floor. The staff collectively looked around for a moment, and one of the staff members said, “Well, time to build a seat!” and grabbed a stool to assemble it. We said it was ok that we could sit upstairs. The staff warned us that the vibes weren’t exactly right because the speakers on the second floor were broken. Since this wasn’t a problem for us, we went upstairs. On the window sills inside the stairwell, there were many different kinds of cute rubber ducks. Each table also had a unique rubber duck. When our server noticed use taking photos, she ran to the stairwell to grab a couple more rubber ducks for the photos. For dessert we had a unique gorgonzola cheese cake that our server told us was her recipe.
The lively and friendly atmosphere the staff created was unbeatable! I will never forget our experience at Izakaya Maumu.
Kawaramachi st. SOYA
282-8 Shimizucho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8025, Japan (Google Maps)
Kawaramachi st. SOYA is a bright modern izakaya directly off Kawaramachi Street not too far from Nishiki Market. SOYA serves an array of crowd pleasers, such as okonomiyaki, wagyu steak, and sausages. Our favorite part of the menu was their obanzai selection.
Obanzai is a type of cooking and food that originates from Kyoto home cooks. To be considered obanzai, at least 50% of the produce used must originate from Kyoto, and many of these dishes end up being vegetable heavy.
Their obanzai selection made of locally sourced seasonal food makes the experience incredible special, and one of the best meals I’ve had in Japan. The Kawaramachi st. SOYA is walk in only, but the near by Teppan to o sake Sลya accepts reservations.
Make sure to check out our article on Kiyomizu, Kyoto!
Read more about cafes and restaurants in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kamakura, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Hagi, Onomichi, and Nasushiobara.
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