Kyoto is internationally famed for being at the heart of Japanese culture and traditions and this is evident in its cuisine. Renowned for its elegance and sophistication, Kyoto’s food traditions are complex yet they are inevitably influenced by the food cultures of Osaka, Tokyo and the rest of Japan. The city has a lot to offer those willing to learn and dig a little beneath the surface, so what should you eat when in Kyoto?
To begin with, Kyoto is famous for its machiya, green tea houses that offer up local and expertly prepared green tea in typically beautiful surroundings. These can be found all over Japan but those in Kyoto are particularly good. We thoroughly enjoyed the tea houses in Kinkakuji and Nijo Castle.
Green tea at Kinkakuji
Kyoto is also renowned for Kyo-kaiseki, which is a traditional tasting menu prepared to offer diners an experience of different flavours and feelings that the chef wants to convey. It is an artform and most importantly a deliciously interesting one, although it can be very, very expensive. If you don’t want to break the bank, we heartily recommend Giro Giro Hitoshina, which is not only much, much cheaper but probably the top dining experience we had in Kyoto, maybe even in all of Japan.
Kyo-kaiseki at Giro Giro Hitoshina
Another type of cuisine Kyoto is known for obanzai, which features seasonal ingredients produced in Kyoto typically prepared as small dishes (like tapas), highlighting ingredients that would often otherwise be wasted. This is a must-do as a foodie as the area around Kyoto is famous for its produce. Good places to try this include Menami in Nakagyo and Gyatei in Arashiyama.
Menami
Nishiki Market is another must visit, with endless stalls selling local produce and prepared food of all varieties. This is a great place to try local classics like tako tamago (a baby octopus stuffed with a quail’s egg). There are also many restaurants nearby like Sushisei (a sushi restaurant) and Warai (a great place to try okonomiyaki, a pancake/pizza type dish for which this region of Japan is famous).
Okonomiyaki
Being a major city, Kyoto is also a good place to sample other Japanese cuisines. Goya, for example, is a good place to try Okinawan cuisine and there are many good izakaya-type restaurants and yakiniku joints to while away an evening. We also thoroughly recommend Yamanaka, which is one of the best places to try tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork) in all of Japan with a very friendly and enthusiastic owner who’ll proudly show you his coverage in the international media.
Yamanaka tonkatsu
Pass the Baton in Gion is a famous place to try Japanese desserts, while nearby Gion Baby is a great place to try kakigoori shaved ice – a Japanese classic.
While Kyoto may not quite have the nightlife of Tokyo, there are many places to spend a night and enjoying local sake, spirits and more. Renowned as one of the world’s best bars, gin fans should head for the tiny Nokishita 711 bar, which specialises in gins and cocktails and is a good place to enjoy rather reasonably priced cocktails. Whiskey fans should head for the sophisticated Bar K6, which focuses on locally produced Yamazaki whiskey, which is distilled just outside Kyoto and has been since 1924. The Yamazaki distillery also offer tours.
Nokishita 711
For something a little cheaper, head for Takenoya or Ener or Kushishizuka for a beer and a more relaxed Japanese pub experience. With Kyoto being internationally renowned for its sake, we also very much recommend visiting the Fushimi sake district to learn about local sake. Beer and sake fans should also head for Local Beer and Sake Stand 336 in Higashiyama, which do reasonably priced sake and beer flights.
Sake tasting
All in all, Kyoto is a great foodie destination that can be surprisingly cheap if you look around. It is also close to Osaka, often known as Japan’s foodie capital, if you want even more foodie fun. One of our favourite things to do in Kyoto is to just sit by the Kamogawa River with a little picnic and watch the world go by, which is very cheap indeed.
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