Akatsuki Coffee No Laptops is a restaurant in Demachiyanagi, Kyoto.
A husband-and-wife pour-over cafe in north Kyoto's Ichijoji neighbourhood. Weekenders Coffee beans, homemade cakes and a no-laptops policy at the counter.
Why locals love it: A no-laptop cafe in the Ichijoji ramen district run by a couple, with Weekenders beans and homemade cake.
Tip: No laptops policy; come for the cake and stay for the slow drip.
Address: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8182, Japan
A yudofu room set in a former silk-warehouse machiya in Nishijin, Kyoto. The Matsu Gozen set is half the price of Nanzen-ji's better-known yudofu houses.
Why locals love it: A yudofu room set in a former silk warehouse in Nishijin, two minutes from a regular bus stop and overlooked by Kyoto's temple-tour crowd.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Thursdays. Walk in from the back garden path.
Yoshihiro Imai's wood-fired pizza counter on the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto. 12 seats, daily 12-course Italian-Japanese tasting; the chef-pick of town.
Why locals love it: Yoshihiro Imai's 12-seat wood-fired counter on the Philosopher's Path that books out 60 days in advance.
Tip: Reservations open online 60 days ahead, on the 1st of each month at 09:00 JST.
A standing oden counter in a Shimogyo machiya in Kyoto, with chicken-paitan broth. Japanese-only blackboard menu, 30-sake list and a late-bar opening run.
Why locals love it: A standing-counter oden room with chicken-paitan broth, hidden in a Shimogyo machiya. Blackboard menu in Japanese only.
Tip: Open until 01:00 weekdays, sake list runs to 30 producers, standing-only.
A handmade onigiri counter near the Philosopher's Path in north Kyoto. 12 daily fillings, Niigata Koshihikari grains and a side of dashi-poached miso soup.
Why locals love it: A handmade rice-ball counter near the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto with 12 daily fillings and a cult Niigata-grain rice base.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Counter eats six, queue forms by 11:30 most days.
A shojin-ryori room inside Daiji-in sub-temple at Daitoku-ji (founded 1585) in Kyoto. Seven nested vermillion bowls in a garden-view tatami room.
Why locals love it: A shojin-ryori room inside Daiji-in sub-temple at Daitoku-ji (founded 1585), served in nested vermillion bowls, easy walk-in for under 6,000 yen.
Tip: Lunch only, 11:00-16:00. Walk in for a tetsubachi seven-bowl set.
Kawamichiya's quieter Kosho-an soba counter in a 110-year Kyoto machiya. Cleaner menu than the Sohonke parent, kamonanban duck soba and fast lunch turnaround.
Why locals love it: Kawamichiya's adjacent Kosho-an counter in a renovated 110-year Kyoto machiya. Cleaner menu than Sohonke, faster turn at lunch.
Tip: Open 11:00-21:00 with no afternoon break. Closed Thursdays.
