Coffee & Tea

• Cafe Bibliotic Hello!; the coolest coffee shop in Kyoto, this book-themed café serves great coffee drinks and some delicious pastries. It’s a short walk north of downtown.
• Saraca Nishijin; we list this here because it’s a cool place – a café built inside an old sento (Japanese public bath). The coffee is pretty average, but the location is incredible! It’s on the west side of town, not far from Funaoka Onsen.
• Kasagiya; the most atmospheric little tea house in Kyoto, we never pass this way without stopping in for a hot cup of matcha tea and a sweet.
• Yoramu; sake bar (tipped)

Eating

• Gyoza Hohei. Located smack in the middle of the geisha district of Gion, Gyoza Hohei serves fabulously garlicky dumplings to fuel you up after a long day of sightseeing. As a bonus, you might even see a local maiko or geiko enjoying a plate of gyoza, too.
• Kikkoya. Eating out in Kyoto doesn’t have to be fancy, multi-course affairs all the time. We love obanzai places like Kikkoya in downtown Kyoto, which serve up homestyle cooking that’s heavy on the vegetables as well as flavour.
• Jojo. A good casual izakaya (Japanese-style dining pub) within walking distance of Kyoto Station, Jojo is one of our favorite restaurants in the Kyoto Station area.
• Roan Kikunoi. The sister restaurant to Kikunoi in Southern Higashiyama, 2-star Roan Kikunoi in the heart of Gion is a more unorthodox but no less delicious take on classic kaiseki. Happily, it is also the more affordable of the two!
• Guilo Guilo Hitoshina. Located in a renovated warehouse south of Gion-Shijo Station, Guilo Guilo Hitoshina offers a delicious, modern take on kaiseki cuisine at ridiculously affordable prices.
• Otafuku. For a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown Kyoto, drop by Otafuku in Kawaramachi. Though it’s right in the heart of the city, you’ll be whisked away to another world in this retro kissaten.
• Oagari. Located a hop and skip south of Yasaka Shrine, Oagari in the Gion district might seem touristy, but it’s no run-of-the-mill okonomiyaki restaurant. Top-notch cooking at incredibly reasonable prices, accompanied by a solid selection of sake – what’s not to like?
• Yamamoto Mambo. Beloved by locals, Yamamoto Mambo is a family-run okonomiyaki joint that’s a good bet for a hearty meal. Their flavourful, iron-griddled dishes are fantastic washed down with drinks.
• Shigetsu. Inside the grounds of Tenryu-ji Temple, Shigetsu is a great place to try traditional Japanese Buddhist cuisines, also known as shojin-ryori.
• Honke Owariya. Located in an atmospheric old wooden building, Honke Owariya is arguably the best soba (noodles) restaurant in all of Kyoto.
• Mishima-tei. For some good sukiyaki, try this reliable old specialist in the Teramachi Shopping Arcade.
• Meitei. Izakaya restaurant (tipped)