Honke Daiichi Asahi ★ 4.4
Kyoto's 1947-founded reference ramen counter under 1,200 yen a bowl. Open from 06:00 for breakfast ramen, the cheapest sit-down meal in the city.
Try: Shoyu-tonkotsu ramen with rice
Eat well in Kyoto for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Cheap eats worth seeking out
Sizuya Carnet ★ 4.0
Sizuya's local-chain carnet sandwich at Kyoto Station, the city's standby breakfast under 500 yen since 1948. Ham-and-onion bun, melon pan, sausage roll.
Try: Carnet ham-and-onion roll
Nishiki Market Pickle Stalls ★ 4.3
Lunch in Kyoto for under 1,000 yen: walk Nishiki Market east to west grazing on tako-tamago skewers, yuba sticks, tsukemono samples and warabi-mochi cups.
Try: Tsukemono samples and snacks
Issen Yoshoku Budget ★ 3.9
Gion's 1925 single-dish counter selling issen yoshoku pancake for 680 yen in Kyoto. Pre-war Showa atmosphere; eat-in counter or takeaway from the corner.
Try: Issen yoshoku pancake
Katsukura Lunch Set ★ 4.0
Katsukura's tonkatsu set in Kyoto Station Porta basement at 1,300 yen lunch. Free refills of rice, miso and cabbage; pork loin or fillet on a single ticket.
Try: Tonkatsu set with free-flow sides
Tentenyu Shijo Ramen ★ 4.1
Tentenyu's chicken-paitan ramen on Karasuma in Kyoto under 1,200 yen a bowl. House-raised Kyotamba bird boiled to a milky broth, finished with bright yuzu.
Try: Chicken paitan ramen
Kane-yo Unagi Lunch ★ 4.0
Kane-yo's lunch unaju is the cheapest eel lacquer-box in Kyoto around 2,000 yen. A Taisho-era counter on Kyogoku Shotengai with grilled-eel smoke.
Try: Unaju eel rice box
Omen Ginkakuji Udon ★ 4.2
Omen's hand-cut udon under 1,600 yen at the Ginkaku-ji branch in Kyoto. Cold sesame Omen with a seasonal vegetable plate; the easiest northern lunch.
Try: Sesame Omen udon set
Demachi Futaba Mame-Mochi ★ 4.5
Salted-bean and azuki mochi for 220 yen at the city's most famous wagashi shinise in Demachiyanagi, Kyoto. Eat fresh on a Kamogawa bench across the road.
Try: Mame mochi sweet
Menya Inoichi White-Soy Ramen ★ 4.4
Menya Inoichi's Michelin Bib Gourmand ramen under 1,200 yen in Kyoto. White-soy dashi broth, ajitama half-egg, and the smallest queue line at 11:00 sharp.
Try: White-soy ramen
Smart Coffee Hotcakes ★ 4.3
Smart Coffee in Kyoto serves the city's best Showa-era hotcake morning set under 1,200 yen. Tamago sando, coffee and a pillow-thick pancake to start the day.
Try: Hotcake morning set
Kotowari Obanzai Lunch ★ 4.1
Kotowari's obanzai set in Kyoto under 1,500 yen lunch. Daily-changing five-plate, clay-pot rice option and the reliable downtown vegetable lunch.
Try: Five-plate obanzai set
Nomura Showcase Breakfast ★ 4.1
Nomura's showcase obanzai counter in Kyoto opens at 07:00 for breakfast at under 1,500 yen. Pick three plates from the glass case; rice and miso included.
Try: Pick-your-plate obanzai breakfast
Kyoto Ramen Koji Sampler ★ 4.0
Ramen Koji on the Kyoto Station building's 10th floor. Eight counters serving regional ramen styles for 900-1,500 yen; the city's quickest ramen tour.
Try: Pick-your-bowl ramen alley