Must Eat Foods in Kyoto & Where To Eat Them

Photo credit: tenichi official site

Located in the same area as Tsurukame is another one of my favourite places to eat in Kyoto, Tenichi. This restaurant is known for its amazing tempura, a well-known and must eat Japanese dish referring to deep fried seafood or vegetables. What makes this place so great is that your food is prepared in front of you and the chefs explain the process as they go along. Not only is it an interesting experience but you’re also assured of the fresh quality of the food served to you. You can find Tenichi on the top floor of the Isetan department store right next to the station, making it easily accessible and convenient if you just got off the train and want to grab something to eat. The restaurant is open from 11:00 until 22:00 every day.

Photo credit: thetravellingsquid.com

Tendon is a traditional Japanese dish consisting of tempura served on a bowl of rice and topped with sweet soy sauce. Tendon Makino is a really good restaurant to try this dish at very affordable prices. Like Tenichi, your food is cooked right in front of you to add to the cultural experience. This is a popular lunch spot among locals, so I’d advise you to place your order and then run a few errands or do some shopping before coming back to collect your food to avoid waiting in long lines. Tendon Makino is located in the Teramachi Shopping Arcade on Shijo Street, so it’s surrounded by many other shops. The restaurant is open from 11:00 until 21:30 every day.

Melonpan is a delicious ice cream sandwich dessert that’s unique to Japan and very popular in Kyoto. The freshly baked warm melonpan bread that is then filled with ice cream makes for quite an interesting treat since it’s both hot and cold at the same time! The name does not refer to the taste but comes from the distinctive exterior of the bread that is used. Visit Melonpan Ice in the Shinkyogoku shopping street for the best melonpan aisu in Kyoto. This shop is famous for being the second best of its kind in the entire world. This is quite a small place and the menu doesn’t offer a very wide variety of ice cream flavours, but it’s got everything you need! Opening hours are from 07:00 until 19:00.

Photo credit: donguri official site

Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake filled with a variety of ingredients to your liking. The best place to try this street food dish in Kyoto is at Donguri, a restaurant known for its amazing okonomiyaki. Apart from the popular okonomiyaki, you can also have other Japanese grilled dishes here. Donguri uses locally sourced ingredients only. What makes this place stand out from the rest is that it serves typical Kyoto street food but in the setting of a sit down restaurant, giving you the best of both worlds! Donguri is located in Shijo-Kawaramachi closeby the Kamo River. The restaurant is open from 17:00 until 01:00 every evening.  

Photo credit: theculturetrip.com

If you don’t know what to eat in Kyoto, teppanyaki is the answer. Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cooking where a variety of ingredients are cooked on an iron griddle, giving the food a smoky taste. Because you can add any ingredients you like, this is a dish with many variations to suit different tastes and dietary preferences. The best restaurant in Kyoto for teppanyaki is Teppan Manryu, located right next to the Kamo River in the Gion area. The food is prepared in an open kitchen and the ingredients used are fresh and of high quality. If you’d like, you can even grill your own teppanyaki! The chef, who is originally from Fusumaya, brings an interesting modern twist to this traditional Japanese dish by implementing his own ideas inspired by cultures and cuisines all over the world. This is a really popular restaurant so I’d advise you to make a reservation before going. Opening hours are from 17:00 until 22:00.

Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto’s Kitchen, is the best street food market in Kyoto. This is the one stop place to go to if you want to try all the local foods Kyoto is known for. With more than a hundred small shops and restaurants in this shopping streets, you can only imagine the energetic atmosphere in this area. A must try food is takoyaki, or octopus balls, made of a wheat flour batter, filled with diced octopus and other ingredients like tempura, ginger and green onion, and then cooked in a moulded pan. The balls are finished off with a special sauce and green seaweed. Nishiki Market is a 5-minute walk from Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line. Different shops have different opening hours, but most places are open from 09:00 until 18:00.

Although bubble tea originated in China, it is a popular drink that has been adopted into Japanese cuisine. Bubble tea is a flavoured milk tea beverage topped with popping boba, grass jelly or tapioca balls. There’s nothing as refreshing as an ice cold bubble tea when you’re exploring the streets of Kyoto in summer. You won’t struggle to find good bubble tea in Kyoto since it’s easily available all over the city. A few recommendations for some of the best bubble tea in Kyoto are Pearl Lady Cha Bar in Kawaramachi, Dragon Crepe & Deli in Kuzetakadachō and Ippodo Tea in Teramachi.

Photo credit: tasuki.pass-the-baton.com

Tasuki is a cafe and bar situated right next to the Kamo Rover, about a 5-minute walk from Gion-shijo station. Tasuki is very well known for their artisanal shaved iced in seasonal flavours that changes up every month. You’ll almost always find a line at Tasuki, but it’s definitely worth the short wait. A special matcha tea, unique to Kyoto, is used for the syrup that tops the shaved ice, making for an interesting play between sweet and bitter. Tasuki also serves other Japanese desserts like grilled rice balls as well as a range of tea-based cocktails. Tasuki is open from 11:00 until 20:00 every day.