Bars and restaurants
Kyo Amahare, Aburaya-cho
This exquisite craft shop in a 130-year-old machiya (wooden townhouse) features three small gardens and an interior designed by architecture studio Tonerico Inc. Tucked away in the kura storehouse is an atmospheric tea room. Book for a bowl of whisked matcha and then browse the selection of ceramics, glass and tableware selected by director Kenichi Kaneko.
Murakami Kaishindo, Tokiwagi-cho
Kyoto’s oldest Western-style cake shop dates back to 1907. Today the founder’s great-grandson, Shoichi Murakami, heads the family business. Visit for the Russian cakes – soft cookies topped with jam, chocolate or apricot – as well as florentines and kozubukuro (orange jelly).
Teuchisoba Kanei, Murasakino Higashimorinofuji-cho
Soba aficionados rate Toshio and Mayumi Kanei’s small restaurant as one of Kyoto’s best. Customers are seated at low tables on tatami-mat floors with garden views, savouring the thinly cut noodles made from Japan-grown buckwheat.
So Kawahigashi, Higashimaruta-cho
Kyoto-based Atsushi Nakahigashi’s family has been running restaurants for generations. At this snug nine-seat spot, the owner-chef serves modern, pared-back Japanese cuisine. The menu is seasonal and everything from the cooking ingredients to the wine is sourced from Japan.
Ao Onigiri, Jodoji Shimominamida-cho
Queues form for Kyoto-born chef Toshihiro Aomatsu’s delicious onigiri. The former rickshaw-puller makes onigiri to order, using fillings such as pickled plum and salmon, neatly wrapped in seaweed. They’re the perfect snack for a mountain hike or a stroll along the Philosopher’s Path.
Dupree, Okazaki Nishitennou-chou
Amid the city’s wealth of high-quality kaiseki establishments, Dupree offers a different perspective on Kyoto cooking. Beyond its traditional exterior, a cosy, candlelit space is the setting for dishes steamed or grilled over charcoal. The wine selection is excellent too.
Good Good Not Bad Kyoto, Sendo-cho
The second outpost of this Tokyo-based café is located next to a tree-lined canal in Shijo, making it the perfect spot for a break between temple-hopping. The menu features a variety of lattes, both espresso and tea-based.
Shogoin Yatsuhashi Sohonten Main Store, Shogoin Sanno-cho
Yatsuhashi rice sweets have been sold near Shogoin temple since the 17th century. They have a crisp texture and are shaped like a koto, or Japanese harp. The uncooked version, made from soft mochi, cinnamon and sweet bean paste, is a Kyoto staple.
Tan, Goken-cho
Just along the river south of the Shirakawa Bridge, this intimate two-level restaurant showcases produce from the Tango Peninsula. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, everything from the rice to the vegetables is selected and prepared with the utmost care.
Sushi Suehiro, Yohojimae-cho
In the days before refrigeration, landlocked Kyoto developed a taste for saba-zushi, salted mackerel pickled in vinegar and pressed onto a bed of rice. The 200-year-old establishment still serves this traditional dish alongside other types of Kyoto-style sushi. Eat in or buy a few to go and enjoy a picnic by the Kamo River.
