The best restaurants Kyoto

This restaurant serves only one dish: the issen yoshoku, a kind of pancake which would be the ancestor of the okonomiyaki. The name means "Western meal for a penny", and it was an excellent street dish, copious and cheap. Today, one can enjoy here for less than ¥1000 a delicious pancake filled with multiple ingredients. This restaurant is a real institution in Gion. It is easily recognizable by the large plastic statue of a dog biting a man at the entrance, as well as by the tourists who crowd in front of the door.

Close to the Ginkaku-ji, this restaurant is one of Kyoto's must-sees. In a truly pleasant decor, we are served, as the name suggests, the o-men: udon (thick wheat flour pasta). The noodles are served in a basket, with sesame seeds and a julienne of vegetables. A good address when visiting the nearby pavilion. The place is immensely popular and in high season, the queue snakes in front of the entrance curtain. An English menu is available, and one can take a seat on tatami or chairs.

A small intimate robatayaki, which serves in season the sake of saké coquilles in their shell, various fish and vegetables. Good address throughout the year. Tōfu and sushi fans are not forgotten.

Good tempura (800 ¥ to 3 200 ¥) and sashimi in this traditional Japanese house. The address is very busy at noon.

While passing in front of this abandoned house, Chika, the boss, had the idea to create this bar-restaurant. After some renovation work, it quickly became the underground landmark of the city centre. Over time, the canteen has been transformed into a gourmet restaurant, serving delicious French-inspired dishes. Moreover, Chika speaks the language perfectly: she will be happy to tell you the history of her place and give you tips on how to visit the city. This is an authentic and original establishment not to be missed.

With its bay window and terrace in summer, Kawa Café is a perfect place for a gourmet break with a view on the Kamo River. This café-brewery was founded by a Frenchman with a passion for Japan and offers pastries and dishes both Japanese and European, at any time of the day, from brunch to dinner. Steak-frites or local mussels, snails and Nicoise salad are on the menu. It also has a nice selection of wines and sakes. Upstairs, there is a collection of old photographs of the city and its inhabitants.

Close to the Kinkaku-ji, this pretty restaurant inside a machiya serves simple dishes: buckwheat soba noodles with vegetables or herring, fried fish and vegetable fritters and, for more copious and festive menus, excellent pot-au-feu. This simplicity does not prevent a great quality of products, even if, it must be admitted, it is the setting that makes all the charm of the place: tables on tatamis (ozashiki), Japanese garden... Gontaro exudes all the cosy and warm charm of the Kyoto houses.

A hotel and restaurant opened in 1952, it serves excellent tempura, fish fritters and fried vegetables in a serene setting around a Japanese garden said to have been designed by the famous Enshū Kobori in the 17th century. The residence of Chinese poetry scholar Ema Tenko in the 19th century, it was a meeting place for intellectuals. The rooms have different atmospheres and you can eat at a table in a tatami room, or, cheaper, at the counter.

A very well located sushi place, literally a stone's throw from the Sanjo Meitengai (Kyoto's shopping district), right in the center of town. The fish is very cheap and the menu offers a wide variety of sushi and other small dishes, including seasonal specialties. Prices are really reasonable. If the first floor is crowded, don't panic, the establishment includes a second floor with tables. This is a very good address for small budgets and groups of four. The address is popular with visitors.

This restaurant and ryokan is a real institution in Kyoto. Full of history, the building built in 1833 is still in its original state and overlooks the river with grace. The interior, if it lacks a little freshness, is comfortable and warm. We dine in separate rooms with a small veranda overlooking the river. You can enjoy the cuisine of Chef Nobuyuki Tanaka, who is inspired by local and tasty recipes. The meals are based on a multitude of small dishes in a kaiseki style.

The term shiruko means a soup cooked to perfection with all its heart. This is also what the dishes served in this restaurant, which opened in 1932, evoke. White or red miso soups, a wide variety of deliciously cooked and presented vegetable and fish tofus are on the menu, but it is the "bento rikyu" that is extremely popular. Seasoned rice is served with an assortment of five dishes that vary according to the seasons. Try wood-fired grilled eel, junsai, an aquatic plant or egg tofu.

Apart from the shrine, Fushimi Inari area is known for its many sake distilleries, where one can taste good local spirits. Kanoco is one of those places where one can sip sake with a good meal. The buckwheat noodles, a specialty of the house, are served in homemade broths that guarantee their exceptional taste. In addition to the classic noodles, cha-soba, buckwheat noodles flavored with matcha green tea from Uji, near Kyoto, is also on the menu. The address is really worth to be noticed.

In this concept-store, a mixture of country attic and a store selling tableware and decorative objects, there is a very good café-restaurant upstairs. Most of the products are organic and local, the establishment works directly with the farmers of the region. We sit at large wooden tables to taste seasonal dishes, traditional or revisited, often accompanied by brown rice. The atmosphere is contemporary and relaxed. Good to know: a room is dedicated to families with children. Reservations are recommended.

Well located, the place offers udon, and only udon. The noodles are fresh and homemade, just like the products used. This results in delicious noodles with typical ingredients from the Kyoto area such as yuba (tofu skin). The different sets are served with quite unusual assortments for a price that defies all competition. We particularly recommend the "Arashiyama udon" set, for an efficient, hearty and quick meal. Beware of the waiting time on busy days.

In a carefully renewed machiya, this restaurant offers traditional Japanese breakfasts and lunches revisited. Beyond the delicious selection of seasonal fish and vegetables, you can discover the philosophy of traditional Japanese cuisine through meetings with local suppliers, cooking classes or knife handling. Governed by the principles of mottainai (zero waste), shoku-iku (education through food) and hospitality, it is a perfect place to discover Japanese cuisine in depth.

Located right in the center of town, Miyakoyasai Kamo offers an all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet for an excellent price/quality ratio. Everything is prepared on the spot and most of the ingredients are locally produced and organically grown. You can taste the Kansai cuisine, with a wide variety of self-service dishes (tempura, grilled meat, oden, ramen, etc.), to be enjoyed according to your taste. The atmosphere is cosy, the setting uncluttered, and you serve yourself in a nice traditional wooden tableware. Suitable for lunch as well as for dinner

Just a stone's throw from the temple Sanjūsangen-dō, here's a good neighborhood address to eat chasyu ramen. Here, the slices of pork, of incomparable finesse, literally melt in the mouth. The portions are very nourishing and the broth is rich and tasty. The menu also offers other small dishes (rice, fried chicken, pork slices, etc.) to accompany the ramen. The restaurant opened its doors at the beginning of 2019 and the team is young and extremely friendly! The opportunity to eat a comforting dish at a ridiculously low price.

In an alley perpendicular to the canal, in the district of Gion, a small lantern indicates the way to this discreet restaurant, nestled on the second floor of a machiya. Here you will discover dishes of unparalleled refinement despite their apparent simplicity. In a soft light and against a backdrop of bossa nova, a kind of serenity emanates here, in a space that is both calm and convivial, allowing you to fully appreciate the delicious cuisine. In particular, we recommend the very original chicken-lemon ramen, which is incredibly fresh!

Close to Kinkakuji, this restaurant overlooks a pretty Japanese garden. Meals are also traditional. The house serves copious bentō elegantly presented, based on croquettes, fried fish and marinated vegetables, but also more elaborate menus that are thought according to seasonal ingredients. A typical cuisine, therefore, in a place with a very simple atmosphere. Spacious, the restaurant easily welcomes groups and families for special occasions. In these cases, reservation is recommended

Since 1967, Unagi Hirokawa has been faithfully serving grilled eel. It has been a great success since the place is easily recognized by the long tail that snakes around the entrance. Eel lovers will appreciate the fresh eel fillets, grilled over charcoal and served plain(shiroyaki) or with a sweet and sour sauce(kabayaki). To remove excess fat, the grilled fillets are steamed and the result is tender and melt-in-the-mouth flesh. To avoid waiting, reservations are possible for 2 or more people.