Kyoto has some of the finest eating in Japan, and the locals will insist that it’s the best in the world. While that is subject to personal tastes, there is no doubt that Kyoto has some of the most subtle and complex flavors around. Restaurants that serve traditional Japanese meals usually prepare them with fresh mountain vegetables, sometimes picked that very day. Everything served is predicated by the season, and the finest dining experience is kaiseki – or kyo-ryori in Kyoto – a set meal where every course has been planned out to compliment and balance the others. An example of a kaiseki dinner might be sashimi (raw fish) to start, served with local vegetables which will be barely modified, followed by a grilled fish and miso soup, sushi, a nabe pot which is much like fondue without cheese, a meat, a rice dish, and some sort of sweet to cap it off. Each course is small by Western standards, but everyone will be full by the end of this feast. Kyoto is a truly international city, and for that reason world cuisine is as prominent as Japanese throughout town. Pontocho boasts a number of fine and expensive French restaurants, as well as a few odder selections, such as a Russian bar and café. |
| While wondering around you should look for some Kyoto specialities. Pickles are a treat – not simply cucumbers, but basically any vegetable you couldn’t imagine being pickled, is. The varieties are nearly endless. Also, if you see a triangular sweet treat of raw flour stuffed with anko (sweet bean paste), buy it. This is only found in Kyoto, and it comes in numerous flavors – classic red bean, chocolate, cherry blossom, peach, and all sorts of other scrumptious flavors. It’s usually coated with a sugar or cinnamon powder, and you’ll either love it or hate it, but you should take the time to find out. |
| Not every meal needs to be a feast, and efish is the perfect café to take a breather and enjoy the surroundings. As you eat one of the eclectic selections or sip one of the superb original drinks while enjoying the view of the Kamogawa River’s west bank just south of Gojo Bridge, any travel-related stress will melt away in efish’s relaxing environs. The interior was designed by Tsukasa... |
| Feeling hip? Check out Kyoto’s own underground scene (literally), the basement restaurant/venue Café Independants. A wide array of international brews is available, as are all sorts of combinations of coffee drinks. The food is hip – fresh ingredients creatively arranged – and very satisfying without overstuffing. All sorts of cool cats and fashionable ladies will spend hours down here,... |
| For a congenial atmosphere set to classic jazz ballads, the friendly staff of Sugar Hill Bar and Restaurant will make you feel welcome. Along with a wide selection of spirits, many of the seemingly simple dishes are surprisingly lush. The garlic fried potatoes (french fries) in particular stand out as a winner – no one can get enough once they’ve tried them. This is bar food as art. Sugar... |
| A good place to try an “inexpensive” kaiseki meal is Tagoto Meigetsuan. A full set costs 6500 yen, with a mini-kaiseki usually priced around 3700 yen. The interior is simple and Spartan, as all traditional Japanese rooms are. Tagoto is just off Karasuma; turn onto Yanagi-banba Street just north of Shijo dori. |
| If sitting on the floor isn’t your thing, you should check out Doi just south of Kodaiji Temple, in the Higashiyama hills between Gojo and Shijo Streets. Prices for table service are much cheaper than normal, with a typical difference being 9000 yen for a setting served Western Style, compared to 25000 yen for the traditional Japanese dining experience. Lunch is much cheaper, starting at 7500... |
| In Japan, you have to eat sushi at least once. The problem is kaiten sushi (conveyor belt sushi) tends to be of low quality, while the finer restaurants are outrageously expensive (albeit delicious). Enter the happy medium of Sushi Tetsu, on the famous Pontocho alley just south of the Sanjo Bridge, west of (and overlooking) the Kamogawa River. Each piece of sushi costs 100 yen – 200 yen for a... |
| When it comes to world cuisine it is hard to stack up against Italian, and when it comes to Italian few places do it as well as Il Pappalardo. The wine selection is superb, the grappa is one of the best collections outside Italy, and the pizza is, perhaps, a rival to anything anywhere. The pizza chef, Kenji Kitamura, is a rising Japanese star chef, having interned a year in Italian pizzerias... |
| Kansai is famous for a certain dish, okonomiyaki. That is a bit of a misnomer – a better definition would be a pancake omelette. It’s made with flour, eggs, and a plethora of potential ingredients. Perhaps the best place to sample this cuisine is Mr. Young Men, a small shop on Teramachi just north of Shijo. In addition to the classic versions made with pork or squid, a number of eccentric yet... |
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