40 mid-range places in Kyoto, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good restaurants in Kyoto, with real cooking and no surprise on the bill. All Kyoto food.
Iolite Coffee Roasters ★ 4.8
nakagyo · 422 Ikesucho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8242, Japan
Iolite in Nakagyo in Kyoto is Daisuke Yoshida's roaster inside his grandfather's old wagashiya, cedar beams, single-origins, light-roast V60 and espresso.
Tip: Tiny back nook seats four; mornings are calmest. Cuppings by appointment.
Tori-ryori Sumiyaki Akari ★ 4.7
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8042, Japan
A yakitori counter on Teramachi in Kyoto using Omi-jidori and Kyoto-duck. Signature tsukune comes with a yolk-bath dip, all grilled over binchotan.
Tip: Reservations open online 30 days ahead, dinner-only counter seats six.
Yakiyasai Isoya ★ 4.7
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8005, Japan
A vegetable-led counter on Kiyamachi in Kyoto, the chef-owner running his own farm in north Kyoto. Morning-picked Kyo-yasai, charcoal-grilled and lacquered.
Tip: Reservations open one month ahead. Counter eats nine, dinner only.
Kawamichi-ya Kosho-an ★ 4.7
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8094, Japan
Kawamichiya's adjacent Kosho-an counter in Kyoto, a renovated 110-year machiya. Cleaner soba menu than the Sohonke parent, faster-paced lunch trade.
Tip: Open lunch 11:00-15:00 and dinner 17:00-21:00. No reservations.
Unir Coffee Roasters Kyoto ★ 4.7
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8123, Japan
Unir's downtown Kyoto cafe-roaster, the husband-and-wife founders chasing Panama Geisha lots. Long-fermented coffees, kettle brew, slow service.
Monk Pizza Counter ★ 4.7
northern-higashiyama · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8412, Japan
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.
Tip: Reservations open online 60 days ahead, on the 1st of each month at 09:00 JST.
Kyo Yakiniku Hiro Kyoto Station Front ★ 4.6
kyoto-station · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8216, Japan
The Kyoto Station tower outlet of the Hiro yakiniku family, five minutes from the platforms. Japanese black wagyu, family-style charcoal grills, 200 seats.
Tip: Reservations needed for parties of 4+ on weekends. Open until 23:00 daily.
Wife and Husband Coffee ★ 4.6
kamigyo-nishijin · Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8132, Japan
A Showa-styled hand-drip roaster in north Kyoto, married-couple run with house-roasted beans. Picnic baskets to take to nearby Kamogawa banks.
Yoramu Aged Sake Bar ★ 4.6
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0831, Japan
Yoram Ofer's koshu sake bar in a Nakagyo machiya in Kyoto. Six-seat counter, aged-sake flights, no walk-ins, the city's reference koshu room.
Tip: Open Wed-Sat only. Call 15 minutes ahead from the corner phone box.
Ippodo Kaboku Cha-shitsu ★ 4.6
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0915, Japan
Ippodo's adjoining cha-shitsu in Kyoto, behind the tea shop. Self-whisk a bowl of matcha at the counter with a seasonal namagashi pair, walk-in any day.
Sumibikushiyaki Torito ★ 4.5
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8044, Japan
A binchotan-grill yakitori counter near Karasuma in Kyoto. Specialises in rare cuts: furisode shoulder, sankaku-nankotsu cartilage and chicken hotpot sets.
Tip: Two-hour all-you-can-drink option after 21:00. Reserve a counter seat to see the bird.
Inoue Arashiyama ★ 4.5
arashiyama · Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 616-8384, Japan
A small obanzai room near the Arashiyama tram in Kyoto, dinner-only and locals-favoured. Yuba simmer, Kyo-yasai plates, the chef-owner runs the room solo.
Tip: Reservation strongly recommended; doors open 17:00 and the counter eats six.
Azuma Sushi ★ 4.5
higashiyama · Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0811, Japan
A mid-range Edomae sushi counter in Higashiyama, Kyoto. The chef trained in Tsukiji; lunch sets sit around 3,500 yen, and the saba-zushi is exemplary.
Tip: Lunch is best value; book a counter seat to watch the rice-vinegar pressing.
% Arabica Higashiyama Roastery ★ 4.5
higashiyama · Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0853, Japan
% Arabica's roastery cafe in Higashiyama, Kyoto, on the Yasaka Pagoda slope. Their global beans roasted on-site for the city's 23 sister bars.
Senmonten Gion ★ 4.5
gion · Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0085, Japan
A small counter on Hanamikoji in Gion, Kyoto, with one item only: pan-fried gyoza by the order. Queue forms by 18:30. Cash only, no reservations.
Tip: Queue forms by 18:30. Cash only, no reservations.
Inoda Coffee Honten Morning ★ 4.5
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8118, Japan
Inoda's 1940 machiya kissaten in Karasuma, Kyoto, opens at 07:00. The Kyoto Morning set with egg, sausage, toast and Arabian Pearl blend at 1,100 yen.
Iolite Coffee Roasters Morning ★ 4.5
nakagyo · 422 Ikesucho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8242, Japan
Iolite in Nakagyo in Kyoto opens early; the morning is a hand-drip and toast set, cedar-beam machiya counter, single-origin pour-over from the in-house roast.
Katsukura Kyoto Station Porta ★ 4.4
kyoto-station · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8216, Japan
Katsukura's Kyoto Station basement outlet, perched in Porta's depachika. Born in Kyoto in 1992, this chain runs ground-sesame sauce and free-flow cabbage.
Tip: Walk-in only; expect a 20-minute queue at peak lunch in Porta basement.
Nomura Kyoto ★ 4.4
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8131, Japan
An obanzai showcase three minutes from Hankyu Karasuma in Kyoto. Pick plates from a glass case; the set comes with rice and miso for under 1,200 yen.
Tip: Open from 07:00 for breakfast. Counter seats 12, no reservations.
Kyoto Brewing Company Taproom ★ 4.4
fushimi · Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8211, Japan
The original Kyoto craft brewery in Minami-ku, opened 2014 by three foreign founders. Belgian ales, rice lagers and a glass list rotating weekly.
Kyoto Beer Lab Brewery ★ 4.4
karasuma-kawaramachi · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8138, Japan
A canal-side craft brewery and tap room on the Takasegawa in Kyoto. Eight on-site taps and a beer-and-pizza programme; the city's most-visited counter.
Honke Daiichi Asahi Late Night ★ 4.4
kyoto-station · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8214, Japan
Kyoto's reference shoyu-tonkotsu ramen counter, open until 01:00 since 1947. Five-minute walk from Kyoto Station, queues thin out around midnight.
Senmonten Gion ★ 4.4
gion · Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0085, Japan
Senmonten's one-item gyoza counter on Hanamikoji stays open through 01:00 in Kyoto. Pan-fried gyoza orders paired with cold beer, cash only.
Bar Rocking Chair ★ 4.4
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8042, Japan
Bar Rocking Chair's late-night cocktail counter in Nakagyo, Kyoto, open until 02:00. Smoked old fashioned and a single-malt back-bar, nine seats.
Wife and Husband ★ 4.4
kamigyo-nishijin · Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8132, Japan
A Showa-styled coffee roastery in Kita, Kyoto, run by a married couple. Hand-drip beans, homemade cake and picnic-basket loans for the nearby Kamogawa banks.
Tip: Picnic-basket programme runs at lunch. Best on a sunny Saturday morning.
Akatsuki Coffee No Laptops ★ 4.4
demachiyanagi · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8182, Japan
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.
Tip: No laptops policy; come for the cake and stay for the slow drip.
Aoonigiri ★ 4.4
northern-higashiyama · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8412, Japan
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.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Counter eats six, queue forms by 11:30 most days.
Smart Coffee ★ 4.4
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8082, Japan
A 1932 kissaten in Kyoto's Teramachi arcade. Pillow-thick hotcakes, house-roasted coffee and a tamago sando at the city's reference Showa-era breakfast.
Akatsuki Coffee Brunch ★ 4.4
demachiyanagi · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8182, Japan
Akatsuki Coffee's no-laptops brunch room in Sakyo, Kyoto, husband-and-wife run. Daily cakes, a single Weekenders pour-over and a quiet morning room.
Omen Ginkakuji ★ 4.3
northern-higashiyama · Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8413, Japan
A hand-cut udon counter beside Ginkaku-ji, opened in Kyoto in 1967. The Omen bowl pairs wheat noodles with sesame, vegetables and a dipping dashi.
Tip: Cash and card both accepted. Closes 21:00; arrive before the 19:00 dinner rush.
Menami ★ 4.3
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8004, Japan
The grandmother of Kyoto obanzai counters. Daily-changing seasonal dishes set in clay pots along a tatami room since 1958, three minutes from Sanjo Station.
Tip: Walk-ins land easier at 17:30 dinner opening or after 21:30.
Ponshya Santoku ★ 4.3
karasuma-kawaramachi · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8077, Japan
A standing-counter sake bar and oden room in a renovated Kyoto machiya. Chicken-paitan oden broth, 30-sake list and the Japanese-only blackboard menu.
Tip: Open until 01:00 weekdays, late dinner spot. Standing only, no reservations.
Niyasai Onikai ★ 4.3
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8005, Japan
A vegetable-focused kappo counter on a Kawaramachi second floor in Kyoto. Daily-changing simmered Kyo-yasai across a 10-dish course with drink pairings.
Tip: Course-only after 19:00. Lighter set-menu lunches under 1,500 yen.
Vermillion Cafe ★ 4.3
fushimi · Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-0805, Japan
The pond-side sister to Vermillion's espresso bar at Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. Australian-style flat whites, in-house roast and the rare Kyoto bagel set.
Gekkeikan Okura Sake Brewery Museum ★ 4.3
fushimi · Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-8043, Japan
Gekkeikan's working museum and tasting bar in Fushimi, Kyoto, brewing sake since 1637. Walk the old warehouse, taste current ginjo and seasonal nama-zake.
Toseian Yudofu Nishijin ★ 4.3
kamigyo-nishijin · Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8378, 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.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Thursdays. Walk in from the back garden path.
Izusen Zen Temple Lunch ★ 4.3
kita-daitokuji · Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8231, Japan
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.
Tip: Lunch only, 11:00-16:00. Walk in for a tetsubachi seven-bowl set.
Kawamichi-ya Kosho-an Soba ★ 4.3
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8094, Japan
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.
Tip: Open 11:00-21:00 with no afternoon break. Closed Thursdays Word-of-mouth is the only marketing.
Yakiyasai Isoya Vegetable Counter ★ 4.3
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8005, Japan
A vegetable-led counter on Kiyamachi in Kyoto run by a chef-farmer. Morning-picked Kyo-yasai charcoal-grilled on a binchotan brazier; nine-seat dinner room.
Tip: Reservations open one month ahead. Counter eats nine, dinner only.
Rokuyosha Chika-ten ★ 4.3
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8005, Japan
A red-walled basement kissaten on Sanjo-Kawaramachi in Kyoto since 1950. Cinnamon-toast morning sets, smoked-glass lamps and a Showa-era hold on time.
Tip: Cash-only counter. Open from 09:00 through to 23:00 daily Word-of-mouth is the only marketing.