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What to eat in Kyoto

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for Kyoto.

Eating in Kyoto: a local guide

Far from the sea, Kyoto built its table on pickles, dried fish, tofu and vegetables. Temple cooking and home-style side dishes still appear on restaurant menus, and prices differ sharply between the tourist thoroughfares and the lanes one block back.

What people eat here

  • Yudofu Nanzenji and Arashiyama

    Tofu warmed in kelp broth and eaten with soy sauce and condiments, served as a course near the temples.

  • Obanzai

    Seasonal vegetable side dishes served several plates at a time. Best taken as a lunch set.

  • Nishin soba

    Soba topped with sweetly simmered herring — a relic of how an inland city used dried fish.

  • Saba zushi

    Salted mackerel pressed onto rice, descended from the old route that carried fish inland.

  • Matcha desserts Gion and Uji

    With tea country close by, matcha parfaits and warabimochi are everywhere.

Where the food is

Nishiki Market

A long narrow market lane of pickles, prepared dishes and snacks.

Gion and Pontocho

Narrow riverside lanes of restaurants and bars.

Arashiyama

Tofu and soba restaurants strung along the sightseeing route.

Demachi and Imadegawa

A student quarter — cheaper, and open later.

Fushimi

The sake brewing district, with food built around what goes with it.

When to go

  • During cherry blossom season in April and autumn colour in November the whole city is extremely crowded; without a booking you will struggle.
  • From May to September some restaurants set platforms out over the river for summer dining.
  • Lunch courses often serve the same composition as dinner at around half the price.

Worth knowing

  • Course restaurants expect a reservation; walk-ins are frequently turned away.
  • Some private lanes in Gion prohibit photography. Check the signs.
  • The price gap between the main tourist streets and the lanes one block in is large.
  • Lunch service is short at many places, and choice drops sharply after 14:00.

What it costsAn obanzai lunch set runs JPY 1,500-2,500 and a yudofu course JPY 2,500-4,000.

JP

What to Eat in Kyoto — Local Food Guide | TastyLog