Iolite Coffee Roasters
- ★ 4.8
- Coffee roaster
- ¥¥
- Pontocho
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.
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.
The mid-range list
40 places
Tori-ryori Sumiyaki Akari
Order Six-skewer assortment with tsukune and yolk dip
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.
Yakiyasai Isoya
Order Tableside grilled-vegetable course with sashimi
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.
Book food experiences in Kyoto
Kawamichi-ya Kosho-an
Order Kamonanban duck soba with smoked-yuzu broth
Kawamichiya's adjacent Kosho-an counter in Kyoto, a renovated 110-year machiya. Cleaner soba menu than the Sohonke parent, faster-paced lunch trade.
Unir Coffee Roasters Kyoto
- ★ 4.7
- Coffee roaster
- ¥¥
- Karasuma and Kawaramachi
Unir's downtown Kyoto cafe-roaster, the husband-and-wife founders chasing Panama Geisha lots. Long-fermented coffees, kettle brew, slow service.
Kyo Yakiniku Hiro Kyoto Station Front
Order Black wagyu sirloin set with tongue salt for two
The Kyoto Station tower outlet of the Hiro yakiniku family, five minutes from the platforms. Japanese black wagyu, family-style charcoal grills, 200 seats.
Wife and Husband Coffee
- ★ 4.6
- Coffee roaster
- ¥¥
- Kamigyo and Nishijin
A Showa-styled hand-drip roaster in north Kyoto, married-couple run with house-roasted beans. Picnic baskets to take to nearby Kamogawa banks.
Ippodo Kaboku Cha-shitsu
Order Self-whisked matcha bowl with seasonal namagashi pair
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.
Where to stay in Kyoto
A sample of Kyoto hotels from our booking partner, who list 2,260 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Khaosan Kyoto Guesthouse
With a stay at Khaosan Kyoto Guesthouse, you'll be centrally located in Kyoto, steps from Kawaramachi and w...
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EN HOTEL Kyoto
With a stay at EN HOTEL Kyoto in Kyoto (Central Kyoto), you'll be steps from Shijo Omiya and 6 minutes by f...
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Kyoto Guesthouse - Hostel
Located in Kyoto (Central Kyoto), Kyoto Guesthouse - Hostel is within a 5-minute drive of Nij Castle and Ka...
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Connect Hotel Kyoto
With a stay at Connect Hotel Kyoto in Kyoto (Central Kyoto), you'll be steps from Shijo Omiya and 5 minutes...
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Kyoto Tower Hotel
With a stay at Kyoto Tower Hotel, you'll be centrally located in Kyoto, steps from Kyoto Tower and within a...
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Kyoto Central Inn
With a stay at Kyoto Central Inn in Kyoto (Central Kyoto), you'll be steps from Kawaramachi and Nishiki Mar...
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HOTEL ANTEROOM KYOTO
Located in Kyoto (Minami), HOTEL ANTEROOM KYOTO is within a 15-minute walk of Kyoto TERRSA and Nintendo Wor...
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Hotel Gimmond Kyoto
With a stay at Hotel Gimmond Kyoto, you'll be centrally located in Kyoto, a 7-minute walk from Nishiki Mark...
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Tavinos Kyoto
Located in Kyoto (Central Kyoto), Tavinos Kyoto is within a 15-minute walk of Kawaramachi and Pontocho. Sel...
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THE MILLENNIALS KYOTO
A stay at THE MILLENNIALS KYOTO places you in the heart of Kyoto, steps from Kiyamachi Street and Pontocho....
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Rest inn Kyoto
A stay at Rest inn Kyoto places you in the heart of Kyoto, within a 15-minute walk of Shijo Omiya and Nishi...
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kyoto kamanza hotel
A stay at kyoto kamanza hotel places you in the heart of Kyoto, within a 10-minute walk of Kyoto Internatio...
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Also compare: Zen Hotels in Kyoto from USD 104/night · Booking.com in Kyoto · LateRooms in Kyoto
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Sumibikushiyaki Torito
Order Rare-cut omakase skewer flight
A binchotan-grill yakitori counter near Karasuma in Kyoto. Specialises in rare cuts: furisode shoulder, sankaku-nankotsu cartilage and chicken hotpot sets.
Inoue Arashiyama
- ★ 4.5
- Japanese Obanzai
- ¥¥
- Arashiyama
Order Five-plate obanzai assortment with simmered yuba
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.
Azuma Sushi
- ★ 4.5
- Japanese Sushi
- ¥¥
- Higashiyama
Order Tokujo nigiri lunch with side of saba bo-zushi
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.
% Arabica Higashiyama Roastery
- ★ 4.5
- Coffee roaster
- ¥¥
- Higashiyama
% 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
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.
Inoda Coffee Honten Morning
Order Kyoto Morning set with egg, sausage and Arabian Pearl blend
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
Order House-blend espresso with seasonal milk pastry
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
Order Premium loin katsu set with sesame sauce ground tableside
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.
Nomura Kyoto
Order Three-plate showcase set with grilled fish
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.
Kyoto Brewing Company Taproom
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
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
Try Shoyu-tonkotsu ramen
Kyoto's reference shoyu-tonkotsu ramen counter, open until 01:00 since 1947. Five-minute walk from Kyoto Station, queues thin out around midnight.
Bar Rocking Chair
Try Smoked old fashioned
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.
Smart Coffee
Order Hotcakes with house-roasted blend and a tamago sando
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
Order Pour-over with daily-changing homemade cake
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
Order Cold sesame Omen with seasonal vegetable plate
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.
Menami
Order Obanzai assortment with simmered ebi-imo and yuba
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.
Ponshya Santoku
Order Chicken paitan oden and sake flight of three
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.
Niyasai Onikai
Order 10-dish simmered vegetable course with sake flight
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.
Vermillion Cafe
- ★ 4.3
- Coffee roaster
- ¥¥
- Fushimi
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
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.
Izusen Zen Temple Lunch
- ★ 4.3
- Japanese
- ¥¥
- Daitokuji and Kita
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.
Le Petitmec Croissant Morning
Order Beurre croissant and pain au chocolat with a coffee
Le Petitmec Oike opens at 08:00 in Kyoto with the anchor French boulangerie morning. Beurre croissants, pain au chocolat and take-away coffee at the door.
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