Many of them sold from street vendors, some more hidden away as it is so often the case in Japan. With Shogoin Yatsuhashi being no exception.

So as you get closer to Kiyomizudera you will inevitably pass by Shogoin Yatsuhashi. Or if you know better, you won’t. You will head to the back of the store, where the little hidden Tea house is located. The perfect stop for a quick break before continuing heading up to the Temple.

And this really is a well-kept secret, a hidden away tea house, including a beautiful terrace overlooking the surrounding rooftops and gardens.

A little oasis away from the bustling street out the front. Almost invisible, especially if the streets are busy with tourists, which they almost always are. So easy to be missed.

So once you are here, make sure you head to the back of the shop and find yourself a seat.

The menu is pretty straight forward, with only a few options. Matcha hot and matcha cold, with a duo of traditional sweets on the side. Coffee, tea, and juice.

I recommend ordering the match set for 650Yen, including the duo of wagashi, a traditional Japanese sweet. Here they come in a triangular shape and two variations. A white one, filled with red bean paste and a hint of cinnamon, and a black one, filled with black sesame seed paste. Both utterly delicious and the perfect combination with your matcha.

It is also a great alternative to get an authentic matcha tea, without the lengthy tea ceremony.

Although attending one is a beautiful experience. Depending on your time and interest you may opt for this instead. Giving you the taste without the time commitment and with the beautiful view, it would be a shame not to have a little break at Shogoin Yatsuhashi.

So whether you love matcha or just want to give it a little try, this is one place to visit and enjoy!

Web

http://www.shogoin.co.jp/

Address

2 Chome-218 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0862

Opening Hours

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And no, this is not a tea ceremony, it is a place where tea is loved and you will get a chance to drink some of Japan’s best teas and learn more about them. As the passionate owner happily explains about the tea, the history and generally likes sharing stories about life in Kyoto and Japan.

Choose from a variety of green teas but also flavored ones (my recommendation is the Marron flavor) and if you feel peckish make sure to try one of the seasonal moon cakes. The perfect match and just delicious.

And then the entertainment begins, as your tea arrives on a beautiful tablet including a clock. A fun experience, as you will stop-watch your tea soaking time with the provided timmer. With every tea having its particular time you’ll also learn not to waste any drop as you prepare your tea. 

You will get to sip around 3 perfect cups from one pot of tea, with plenty of time to enjoy this beautiful modern tea house in Kyoto. Just the perfect spot in the very heart of Kyoto to take a break and letting time be.

So make sure you stop by if you are in Gion, as this is one well-kept Kyoto secret.

Web

https://www.mandaracha.com/

Address 

Kyoto-shi Higashiyama-ku Yamashirocho 278-1

Opening hours

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Located near Fushimi Inari’s red gates, in the south of Kyoto, this well-hidden oasis is one cafe you should definitely add to your list if you are in the area. Overviewing a pond, it oozes tranquility and is just the perfect place to rest and recharge.

The Food at Vermillion Cafe

The menu is great with a few brunch options available as well as vegan dishes and sweet options. All fairly priced, especially for its location and breathtaking view.

Take a seat on their rustic terrace and let your mind wander as you wait for your food to arrive. I ordered avocado on toast with extra bacon and a latte for 1500¥. It looked stunning, almost to pretty to eat. It also smelled delicious and cutting into the perfectly poached egg I knew I was in for a treat…

If eggs are not your thing, try the Moroccan inspired chicken over rice for 900¥, with harissa and yogurt sauce it took me on a little journey. A little escape on a plate. Absolutely delicious.

So if you get to visit Kyoto and it’s famous red gates at Fushimi Inari, make sure to visit Vermillion Cafe. A lovely restaurant with a view and without a doubt my favorite brunch spot in all of Kyoto!

Web

https://www.vermillioncafe.com/

Address

5-31 Fukakusa Kaidoguchicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0805

Opening Hours

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Located in a small shotengai, a local shopping street close to Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama, the traditional district of Kyoto, you will find this small Ramen Restaurant, known especially for its authentic Miso Ramen. 

It is a small shop, bright, clean, and they have installed plexiglass dividers between seats to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Something I have not often seen in ramen shops often yet. Also, the staff is lovely and ready to help you to find the right buttons on the ticket selling machine. They also have an English menu, again another plus.

I recommend the spicy miso ramen for 900yen. It’s topped with a thick slice of juicy meat, salad greens, and as a surprise grated ginger. Getting a bite of that on its own might be a bit overpowering, so the secret is to mix it in with the creamy heavy broth little by little. I promise you it takes this already tasty bowl of ramen to a different level. Just the right amount of zing to give it the freshness it needs. This is one ramen you will want to lick the bowl after finishing it.

So if your in the mood for ramen in Kyoto then Gion Shirakawa Ramen is just the place to eat after a long day of exploring! 

Web

https://gion-shirakawa.com/

Opening Hours

Address

567-26 Inaricho Kitagumi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0068

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Located on the second floor inside a hip, sustainable fashion and antique shop near the famous Nishiki Market, it is well hidden. Its spacious layout is rather unexpected. With plenty of seating options and a window front overlooking a wild-garden-like balcony, it feels airy, modern, and chic.

Dishes start from 1000¥, with their most popular plates coming in at 1500¥ including the aforementioned meatless burger.  Which I ordered and loved. It comes with brown rice, salads, and a few seasonal side dishes as well as miso soup. The perfect dish to make you feel nourished and if you got some space left in your tummy, they have delicious dessert options too!

They are also family-friendly, with fun kids dishes around 700¥. So whether you come here by yourself, with a date or your loved ones, Mumokuteki is the perfect place to sit, relax, and eat some healthy food in the Center of Kyoto!

Web

https://mumokuteki.com/cafe

Opening Hours

Address

〒604-8061 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Shikibucho, 261 ヒューマンフォーラム本社ビル 2F

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And no, this is not fancy washoku, Japanese-style breakfast, this is simple bite-sized breakfast. Perfect to get something in your belly before you set off exploring this traditional part of Kyoto. Sets, including a fancy cappuccino, start from 930yen. And just to put that into perspective for you, in a location, where you easily pay 600-800yen just for a coffee, this is amazing value! 

Plus, Keys Cafe’s owner is super friendly, service is quick and the coffee is delicious and comes with a cacao version of Yazaka pagoda stenciled on top. Hello Instagram!

And if that is not enough to persuade you to visit, then listen up as this small cafe also has plugs at most tables for you to easily recharge your phone (just make sure you have a Japanese adapter). And let me tell you, this will come in extremely handy. As the area with its tiny winding streets, traditional shops, and all-around-Japanese-movie-feel, may set you into a photo frenzy for a while…

Web

n/a

Opening hours

Address

388 Kinencho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0828

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Come here for a quick stop between sightseeing, grab a coffee or one of their delicious ice creams. The perfect treat especially on a sunny day!

They have plenty of seats either inside or on their airy terrace. Plus if you are a fan of the kotatsu, the low wooden table covered by a blanket often seen in Anime or Japanese movies, then this is for you, as there is an area full of kotatsu’s for you to enjoy.

A medium-size cafe latte will set you back 550Yen, which is respectively low compared to other coffee places in the area. As this is prime tourist territory many restaurants and cafes are charging 700-900Yen for the same. Making this is a great deal, especially for its location and view.

Definitely, a must-visit if you are sightseeing in Kyoto, perfect to recharge with a delicious cup of coffee while enjoying the fabulous view.

Web

https://en.slowjetcoffee-kodaiji.com/

Opening Hours

Address

〒605-0825 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, 高台寺 下河原町526 高台寺境内

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Tarokichi Yakitori Restaurant is just next door from the Grandbelle Hotel, on the same street literally around the corner. It is a small Izakaya, very comfortable and quite fashionable. It is easy to come here by yourself and sit at the counter and we have seen quite a few couples on a date. So if you are a bigger group and want to try it, better try to get a reservation. There might be a wait if you come from 7 pm as it is their peak time, but the queues moved quickly.

What you probably love to hear, they have an English menu!

And if you really can’t decide, they also do a combo. The set includes a variety of 5 skewers for about 1000¥. If you order them one by one, our recommendation is the chicken meatballs, called Tsukune, either plain or with Ume.

Because we do love to have a little carbs with our meal we also ordered the fried rice ball, which was absolutely delicious! The lady next to us let us know that the Shitake mushrooms are to die for. And actually every single table ordered them… And if you do want to add a little bit more healthiness to your meal they also do salads and of course Tofu.

So what did we order?

We ordered; 1 fried rice ball, 2 chicken meatballs, 1 chicken breast, 1 aubergine with cheese and 1 beer. All of this together came to ¥1600 which was more of a pre-dinner snack, but as you know you can always order as much as you like. Which makes these Yakitori Restaurants so great, right? However, we do recommend to stage your order, as often your eyes might be bigger than your stomach, hint hint. And it does happen that your order arrives all at once occasionally. And Food just tastes so much better hot!

We would definitely come back! In fact, we already recommended this restaurant to some fellow travelers we liked it that much!

Also, check out how to spend one day in Kyoto for some inspiration on what to do.

Web

http://w/http://www.yakitoritarokichi.com/

Address

〒605-0075 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Yamatocho, 21 大和大路四条, 下ル

Opening Hours

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So finally we made it and yes it was pretty awesome! If you like Tonkatsu, a Japanese style breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet, then you will love this!

At this Tare Katsu Restaurant, their specialty is Niigata cutlet, a very thin pork cutlet. Learn more about it from the Tare Katsu Restaurants Homepage here: http://tarekatsu.jp/what/ But they also serve a Prawn version of it and you can get combos too!

The place itself is spacious and stylish, it can get a bit busy around lunch hour as well as in the evenings, but the wait is not long and worth it.

As with many Japanese Restaurants, they focus on one thing, with a few sides and set-meal options. As we felt like some extra vegetables today, we got the pork katsu and vegetable don for 880¥. Which was Pork cutlet and vegetable on top of rice. It was so good! With the pork cut so thin it really adds another dimension to it. Plus it was filling. You may think it does not look crazy big, but when you get through half of it you will start to feel pretty full..

We would definitely come back and actually while writing this review, we were surprised to find out that they have Restaurants in many different cities, including Tokyo! Yay!

Also, make sure to check out how to spend one day in Kyoto for some inspiration on what to do.

Web

http://tarekatsu.jp/map/#kyoto

Address

44 Shioyacho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8052

Opening Hours

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Now, this Restaurant is quite hidden on the 2nd floor, you might walk by it if you don’t know it’s here. And it serves only Tsukemono. What are these “Tsukemono” you may ask? They are Japanese preserved vegetables, mostly pickled and often served as a side or garnish.

The unique thing here is they are the main! And interestingly enough, they are served Sushi style, as small plates or as a lunch set with miso and rice. It was such a nice surprise and unusual find. A great way to discover these Kyoto specialties. And a really must cafe to go to for any vegetarian or vegan. 

And the best part? It’s also affordable. We got a Tsukemono set for 850¥ and great tea, free refills included! Not bad right? And If you like what you are, you can get the pickles downstairs in their shop. A great souvenir to bring home 

A great place for a light lunch or why not get a takeaway box and it is somewhere with a nice view? Check out our how to spend one day in Kyoto for some inspiration on what to do.

Web

www.nishiri.co.jp/eng/

Address

578 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0074

Opening hours 

Everyday 11 am to 7 pm

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