Best Cheap Eats in Kyoto: Under 1,500 Yen

Eat well in Kyoto for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.

Cheap eats worth seeking out

Honke Daiichi Asahi ★ 4.4

Brunch¥kyoto-stationMon Tue Wed Fri Sat Sun 06:00-25:00; Thu closed

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

Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8214, Japan

Sizuya Carnet ★ 4.0

Brunch¥kyoto-station

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

Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8214, Japan

Nishiki Market Pickle Stalls ★ 4.3

Street food¥nishiki-market

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

Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8055, Japan

Issen Yoshoku Budget ★ 3.9

Japanese¥gionMon-Fri 11:00-25:00; Sat 11:00-27:00; Sun 10:30-22:00

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

Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0073, Japan

Katsukura Lunch Set ★ 4.0

Japanese¥kyoto-station

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

Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8216, Japan

Tentenyu Shijo Ramen ★ 4.1

Japanese ramen¥karasuma-kawaramachi

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

Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8164, Japan

Kane-yo Unagi Lunch ★ 4.0

Japanese¥karasuma-kawaramachi

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

Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8064, Japan

Omen Ginkakuji Udon ★ 4.2

Japanese¥northern-higashiyama

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

Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8413, Japan

Demachi Futaba Mame-Mochi ★ 4.5

Japanese¥demachiyanagi

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

Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0822, Japan

Menya Inoichi White-Soy Ramen ★ 4.4

Japanese ramen¥karasuma-kawaramachi

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

Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8043, Japan

Smart Coffee Hotcakes ★ 4.3

Cafe¥karasuma-kawaramachiDaily 08:00-19:00

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

Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8082, Japan

Kotowari Obanzai Lunch ★ 4.1

Japanese¥karasuma-kawaramachi

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

Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8042, Japan

Nomura Showcase Breakfast ★ 4.1

Brunch¥karasuma-kawaramachiDaily 07:00-14:30

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

Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8131, Japan

Kyoto Ramen Koji Sampler ★ 4.0

Japanese ramen¥kyoto-stationDaily 11:00-22:00

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