Kyoto has an impression of having a “Japanese” culture, however, the consumption of coffee is ranked number 1 in Japan.
There’s so many different situations when it comes to “drinking coffee”, whether it’s talking to your friend in a beautiful cafe with sunlight coming through, with your special one in a hidden cafe, or just by yourself at a quiet and cozy cafe, etc.
So this article will introduce you 15 different cafes for those of you want to have a coffee in Kyoto.
You can choose your favourite cafe from the below list!
Contents
- 1 % ARABICA Kyoto Higashiyama (％ ARABICA 京都 東山)
- 2 Coffee Tougenkyou (珈琲 逃現郷)
- 3 Maeda Coffee Meirin Shop (前田珈琲 明倫店)
- 4 Ikiteiru Coffee (生きている珈琲)
- 5 SONGBIRD COFFEE
- 6 Ogawa Coffee Main Store (小川珈琲本店)
- 7 Coffee Speciality Tourbillon (珈琲専門店トゥールビヨン)
- 8 Kamo Gawa Cafe (かもがわカフェ)
- 9 Akatsuki Coffee (アカツキコーヒー)
- 10 ELEPHANT FACTORY COFFEE
- 11 Kissa Ashijima (喫茶葦島)
- 12 GARUDA COFFEE
- 13 Saiin ROASTING FACTORY (西院 ROASTING FACTORY)
- 14 KAFE Kousen (KAFE工船)
- 15 Cafe Verdi (カフェ・ヴェルディ)
% ARABICA Kyoto Higashiyama (％ ARABICA 京都 東山)
Whilst heading towards the tower of Yasaka, there’s a cafe that stands out from the Kyoto-like ancient style neighbourhood, that is the famous “% ARABICA”. It’s a coffee roaster originated from Kyoto and is very famous for its stylish looks of the glass sided entrance and the white based interiors.
It’s that popular, there’s a queue even on a weekday, and lining up is pretty much necessary. But! It’s worth it. It’s worth lining up for a good cup of coffee.
They roast the beans from their own plantation in Hawaii, and the beans they import from all over the world. The two types of espresso they extract from the cutting edge machine “Slayer” are “Arabica Blend” which has a rich, full body flavour, and a “Single Origin”.
The most popular coffe is of course the latte (450 yen), made by the barista who has won the World Latte Art competition in the past. You’d just want to take a photo of it, from how beautiful it is.
You can also purchase the beans they use, and they regularly have around 20~30 different beans ready. They have various beans from original blend, Hawaii Kona, and Guatemala Decaf.
They roast the fresh beans for you after the order, so you can take home the fresh roasted bean. In just 5 minutes, they’ll roast the bean to your favourite degree of roasting.
By the way, the cafe is purely counter seats only. No smoking throughout the shop. They of course fo takeaways.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市東山区星野町87-5
Address (English) : 5-87 Hoshino Chou, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Open : 8:00 〜 18:00
Close : Irregular
Map : Google Map
Website : https://arabica.coffee/?v=24d22e03afb2
Coffee Tougenkyou (珈琲 逃現郷)
If you want to, “take a rest away from reality”, visit “Coffee Tougenkyou” in the Nishijin Area.
The ultramarine coloured tiles, and the blue green shop curtain is the mark of this cafe.
The cafe looks pretty small at first, but once you step in there’s a counter seat with 7 seats, and table seats that can seat up to 15 people, in the rectngular shaped shop.
With the nostalgic space that reminds you of a cafe in the olden days,
you can enjoy your coffee time with the cute mascot cat.
The owner, who has trained himself at the famous cafe “Hanafusa” in Kyoto, uses siphon coffee which brings out the characteristic of the bean, making the taste very firm and strong (from 500 yen). They use the bean from a roastery called “Masai no Kaze” in Nantanshi, Kyoto, which has a sharp bitterness and a deep rich taste.
It’s perfect for breakfast, with their 6 different selections of toast, including their famous “Honey Butter Toast”. It also operates until late night, so it’s very convenient for Kyoto, as other places closes early in Kyoto.
You can smoke inside the cafe, and the fact that is has a powerpoint on every table is pretty useful.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市上京区大宮通今出川上ル観世町127-1
Address (English) : 127-1 Kanze Chou, Omiya Dori Imadegawa, Kamigyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 8:00 〜 25:00 (Food L.O.24:00)
Close : 7 days *NYE and NY are closed
Map : Google Map
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Q.sugahara/
Maeda Coffee Meirin Shop (前田珈琲 明倫店)
Since the grand opening in 1947, “Maeda Coffee” has been very popular in Kyoto.
It provides freshly roasted, freshly dripped, and freshly made coffee.
Meirin Shop is one of the most recommended stores within the city stores.
It uses a remain of what used to be a primary school (It’s now Kyoto Centre of Arts), so the old style flooring, wooden doors, creates both very retro and modern atmosphere.
They use the beans freshly roasted in the store and uses a method called Nell Drip.
Their signature menu is “Ryunosuke (450 yen) and they have been serving it since they opened”.
From hundreds of different plantation, they’ve carefully picked 3 types of beans from Brasil, Guatemala, and Colombia. Reducing the bitterness, having a little bit of sourness, and refreshing after taste. It is very easy to drink blend.
Another popular blend is “Tomiku (580 yen)”, which is a little bit expensive blend that only uses the speciality coffee from all over the world. It has a tiny scent of sourness within the sweet flavour. It is a fine blend, where as well as having a sweet-ish aftertaste, it also has a sharp aftertaste.
Other than coffee, they provide tea and soft drinks. It’s very useful in any situation as they offer sweets for cafe time, and also some food menus such as curry and pasta.
It’s non smoking throughout the cafe.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市中京区室町通蛸薬師下ル山伏山町546-2 京都芸術センター内1F
Address (English) : 1F Kyoto Centre of Arts, 546-2 Yamabushi Yama Chou, Muromachi Dori Takoyakushi, Nakagyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 10:00 〜 21:30 （L.O 21:00）
Close : Gion Festival（7/14〜16), NYE and New Years（28/12 ~ 04/01） ※There’s sometimes Temporarly Closure
Map : Google Map
Website : http://www.maedacoffee.com/
Ikiteiru Coffee (生きている珈琲)
Coffee speciality store that stick to privately roasting their beans, in the vicinity of the number 1 busy area of Kyoto, Shijo Kawaramachi.
Once you dive into the underground from the crowded Shijo Street, you’ll come to a very quiet and relaxed space. It’s like a hidden place where you can enjoy a cup of coffee at your own pace away from the noisy streets.
There’s 15 counter seating in the moderately dimmed inside. There’s also 6 semi private room table for those of you wanting to spend some time with your loved one, or just quietly read a book. The smoking area is fully sealed to avoid smokes from escaping the area, so both smoking and non smoking people can peacefully enjoy the stay.
The characteristic of this cafe is the method of roasting their beans at a low temperature for a long time, called “Hot-air roasting “. It’s meant to not break and burn the cell within the coffee, leaving the true clear taste of the bean. It reduces that dull feeling in the stomach and allows the coffee to taste good even when it gets cold.
The wide range of meanu they have is separated into each types such as, balance type, bitter type, sour type, and decaffinated. They all come out from a method called pour over.
When you don’t know what to order, I’ll recommend the “Blend (700 yen)”. There’s “red”, a heavy taste, and “white”, a clean taste, so chose your favourite.
Who people that likes to try something different, why don’t you try the “Kopi Luwak”
? It uses a very rare bean extracted from Civet Cat’s defecation, who likes to eat a ripe coffee beans as their diet, and the price is a surprising 1800 yen per coffee! It has both mild and rich flavour, which balances out really well, and a refreshing aftertaste.
You can also buy the beans in store. It’s useful how there’s a wifi and power point for your laptops.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市下京区立売東町 みのや四条ビルB1F
Address (English) : B1F Minoya Shijo Building, Tachiuri Higashi chou, Shimogyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 10:00 〜 22:00
Close : Irregular
Map : Google Map
Website : http://ikiteiru.com/
SONGBIRD COFFEE
A cafe connected to a store of a product designer, Masaki Tokuda “SONGBRID DESIGN STORE”. CLose to Nijou Castle, it uses the whole building as, the second floor being a cafe space and a little store selling original goods, and third floor consists of a showroom for interiors.
The ceiling board has been taken out, so the shop feels really open. The choice of the interior within the inorganic space shows the good taste of the owner.
The blend coffee (500 yen), served as pour over, is a blend specially made for “SONGBIRD” by “Rokuyousha” and “kamogawa Cafe” in Kyoto, “Yoshioka Coffee” in Nagoya, and “SHERPA COFFEE” in Gifu.
They change the temperature of the hot water, and the speed of pour over so that you can have the best flavour from each blend.
The homemade curry that looks just like a bird nest, and “Butter Youkan” where they put thinly cut butter on top of a youkan (a sweet jellied azuki bean paste), is also very popular here.
You can also order drinks others than coffee, like tea, lemonade, cream soda, beer, and wine. No smoking throughout the cafe.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市中京区竹屋町通堀川東入西竹屋町529
Address (English) : 529 Takeyamachi, Takeyamachi Dori Horikawa Higashi, Nakagyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 12:00 〜 20:00（L.O 19:20）
Close : Thursday and every 1st and 3rd Wednesday
Map : Google Map
Website : http://www.songbird-design.jp/blog/
Ogawa Coffee Main Store (小川珈琲本店)
“Ogawa Coffee” has been loved by the Kyoto locals for a long time since the opening in 1952. The main store is in Nishi Kyougoku just a little away from the city.
It’s a 2 storey building with many seats. It also has a car park so it is very convenient for those travellng to Kyoto by a car so you can visit at the begninning or the end of you Kyoto trip. It has a high ceiling so you can enjoy a relaxing cafe time here.
They use varieties of extracting method such as “Press”, “Aero Press”, and “Hand Drip” with always more than 20 different beans available for you to enjoy. From the “Organic House Blen (500 yen)” which has a robust fragrance, a mild bitterness, and a smooth richness, this cafe has many varieties of beans from blend to single origin.
If you want to try a special cup of coffee, the Speciality Blend (600) is recommended. There’s differetn types like ones that has a light sourness and sweetness like a champagne, or that has a sweetness like a syrup, and every type of blend is different. You can taste the profundity of coffee.
There’s also a bar counter in the shop where you can taste test the coffee and have a little chat with the barista, so why not use it?
There’s plenty of sweets by the pattissier as well. The food is also very good, so you can come in in the morning throughout to dinner time.
Of course, the beans are available for purchase. The inside of the cafe is separated into smoking and non smoking.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市右京区西京極北庄境町75
Address (English) : 75 Nishikyougoku Kitashouzakai chou, Ukyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 7:00 〜 21:00
Close : Open 7 days
Map : Google Map
Website : http://www.oc-creates.jp/
Coffee Speciality Tourbillon (珈琲専門店トゥールビヨン)
A coffee speciality cafe opened at Saiin in September 2015 by a owner who used to go around events with food truck.
Look out for the sign “コーヒー専門店 (Coffee Speciality)” and the blue tent right in front of the shop. In the small shop, there’s 4 counter seats and 8 tables.
The beans they use for their proud speciality coffee are, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brasil, and Indonesia. The owner roast it himself, and each serve is extracted gently by Nel Drip. The characteristic is that there’s no bitterness or other unpleasant taste that detracts form the flavour of a drink, and it is very clear and smooth. The price, 300 yen ~ 450 yen, is very reasonable!
You can also choose your favourite amount for the coffee grind. The usual weigh is 20grams, but you can choose from something smooth and light (10g) up to something rich (50g).
There’s varieties of menu such as “Vietnamese Coffee” where you add condensced milk, Milk Shakes, and Acai Drink, as well as food menu like homemade curry, and sandwhich.
The breakfast service is also popular where you get a drink with salad and boiled egg. THere’s also 10 different food menus like the classic toasts, sandwhichm and french toasts.
It’s non smoking throughout the cafe.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市右京区西院西今田町12-18
Address (English) : 12-18 Saiin Nishi Imada chou, Ukyou-Ku, Kyoto
Open : 6:30 〜 18:00
Close : Sunday, Public Holiday ※Temporary Closure as well
Map : Google Map
Tabelog : https://tabelog.com/kyoto/A2601/A260401/26027121/
Kamo Gawa Cafe (かもがわカフェ)
You can enjoy the home roasted coffee here in Kamogawa Cafe.
The space is filled with warmth from the tree and the sunligh shining throuhg the stained glass. It’s a very relaxing space, where you can relax not caring about the time at all. Since it’s conveniently located near Kamo River, why not visit this cafe after a short walk along the Kamo River.
The popular blend, “Kamogawa House Blend – dark roast (500 yen)” has a sweet smell with bitter taste and a refreshing after taste. It’s so good you’d want a second one.
They use carefully selected beans, taking out all the drawback beans, roasting everyday using a hand roaster over a flame.
By the way, you can also buy the Kamogawa House Blend, so you can enjoy the same taste at home.
The complete dessert and food menu is also one of the atractiveness of this cafe.
The most recommended menu is the Omelette with rice where you can enjoy the good old Western restaurant. It is opent ill late night, as well as lunch, so you can visit in the dinner time as well.
Smoking is allowed at a specific area of the cafe.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市上京区上生洲町229-1
Address (English) : 229-1 Kami Ikesu Chou, Kamigyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 12:00 〜 23:00 (L.O.22:30)
Close : Thursday
Map : Google Map
Website : http://cafekamogawa.com
Akatsuki Coffee (アカツキコーヒー)
An impressive blue grey antique door on a pure white wall is “Akatsuki Coffee”.
The simple interiors creates a stylish atmosphere. It’s filled with a comfortable quietness as there’s no music playing in the background. You can enjoy your elysian coffee time whilst on a stroll in the Ichijoji area where it’s full of fancy book stores and little general good store.
The beans that are very gently hand dripped coffee poured by the owner, is from the famous Kyoto cafe, “WEEKENDERS COFFEE”, and a very popular roaster in Europe “FUGLEN COFFEE ROASTERS”.
As well as the smooth finish blend coffee (420 yen), espresso and cappucino is also very popular. They only serve coffee.
Why not order seasonal sweets and homemade sweets, such as Carrot Cake, and Baked Cheese Cake with the coffee?
The toast and sandwhich, that uses the bread from the popular bakery near Kamogawa “Nakagawa Komugi Ten” is also magnificent.
THe smoking in the cafe is prohibited, and the use of laptop is also prohibited so please be careful.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市左京区一乗寺赤ノ宮町15-1
Address (English) : 15-1 Ichijoji Akanomiya chou, Sakyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 9:00 〜 17:00
Close : Sunday, every 2nd Wednesday ※temporarly closure as well.
Map : Google Map
Website : http://akatsukicoffee.com
ELEPHANT FACTORY COFFEE
If you feel like a coffee at night time, here’s the place.
Once you go up the stairs in a complicated alley way, there’s “ELEPHANT FACTORY COFFEE”
The dimmed orange light and the wooden table creates a relacxing atmosphere.
It’s so romantic, as if you’re in a novel.
The signature coffee is the dark roast blend with a strong bitterness and richness, “EF BLend 7 (cup 700 yen / mug 800 yen)”.
The bean they use is from a cafe in Bihoro, Hokkaido that roasts their own beans “Toutou”. The owner himself travelled around Japan tasting nearly all the beans to select the best bean. It is served as a pour over.
Other than that, they have easy to drink refreshing medium roast blend, dark roast from Mandelin and Traja, and meidum roast from Tansania and Ruwanda.
You can also buy the beans at the cafe.
They only order minimum, so it’s better off calling to see if the beans are available.
There is also drinks menu consisting of Cafe au lait, fruit blend tea, etc.
Pizza toast made with natural yeast, and cheese cakes are also very nice, so unless it’s sold out, please try it!
Spending time alone at the counter seat next to the window reading a novel is perfect, as well as spending time with your special one is also perfect.
If you bring someone here, their heart might start beating faster.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市中京区蛸薬師通東入ル備前島町309-4 NHビル2F
Address (English) : 2nd floor NH Building 309-4, Bizenjima chou, Takoyakushi Dori, Nakagyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 13:00 〜 25:00
Close : Thursday
Map : Google Map
Tabelog : https://tabelog.com/kyoto/A2601/A260201/26005522/
Kissa Ashijima (喫茶葦島)
It’s a cafe where you can enjoy your cup of coffee in a quiet little space, even though it’s located in a busy Sanjo Kawaramachi area. The harmony of the interior design of the floor, wide counter made by “Muku tree”, and the smart and fashionable objects creates a very comfortable space, where reading a book might make a good progress.
The signature coffee “Ashijima Blend (500 yen)” is a blend made on order where it brings out the characteristic of all the 5 different beans.They weigh each bean before grinding, and serves as pour over so that you can be satisfied with the taste of the coffee made with gem of a bean. The Homemade Cheese cake made by the Yamada Farm in Kyoto is also very popular. Non smoking.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市中京区三条通河原町東入大黒町37 文明堂ビル5階
Address (English) : 5th floor Bunmeidou Building, 37 Daikoku chou, Sanjou Kawaramachi, Nakagyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : Weekday 12:00〜19:00 (L.O.18:30) / Weekends, Public Holiday 12:00〜21:00 (L.O.20:30)
Close : Monday（Open on Public Holiday Mondays, and closes on Tuesday instead)
Map : Google Map
Website : https://ashijimablog.com
GARUDA COFFEE
Very popular cafe with an atmosphere of smart and classy, but has a little bit of playfulness to it. Retailing of their home roasted coffee beans were their original concept, but in 2013 they’ve created a cafe area. You can enjoy their freshly grinded coffee. The “Fuwatoro Milk Coffee” is their favourite. The bitterness of the dark roasted bean melts with the mellowness of the milk.
They retail 6 different types of beans on a regular basis plus 1 weekly special. The cute design of the package is also very popular, which is one of the reasons why many people from outside Kyoto visits this cafe. They also sell owner’s selection of coffee goods and other general goods, so please check it out.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市山科区御陵別所町11-11
Address (English) : 11-11 Misasagi Bessho chou, Yamanashi-ku, Kyoto
Open : 11:00〜17:00
Close : Irregular
Map : Google Map
Website : http://garuda-coffee.com
Saiin ROASTING FACTORY (西院 ROASTING FACTORY)
Opened in June 2017 in the Saiin area, where there’s not many cafes around. It has a beautiful natural and kind atmopshere with a solid masculin atmopshere in the same space.
The pour over coffee with the home roasted beans is the signature blend. You can have it inside the cafe or take it away, and the price is very reasonable at 250 yen for your first cup of coffee and 100 yen from the second serve. They also retail their beans, roasting it on order. They have 20 different beans on a regular basis. The freshly squeezed juice is also very nice.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市右京区西院日照町60-1 武藤商店 南側 1F
Address (English) : 1st floor South of Mutou Shouten, 60-1 Saiin Hideri Chou, Ukyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 10:00〜18:00
Close : Sunday
Map : Google Map
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/srf_coffee/
KAFE Kousen (KAFE工船)
KAFE Kousen is like a hidden cafe operating on a 2nd floor of a so called a Retro Modern Building.
Their signature blend is extracted using Nel Drip method. So that it doesn’t damage the flavour, they set the temperature lower than usual, also they serve their coffee in a glass so that you can enjoy the coffee with your eyes as well.
It’s very exciting how you can choose the beans from their region, of course, but also choose how they roast it and whether you want it refreshing or rich, you can customise your coffee. Hot coffee 520 yen.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市上京区河原町通今出川下ル梶井町448 清和テナントハウス2F G号室
Address (English) : Room G 2nd floor Seiwa Tenant House, 448 Kajii chou, Kawaramachi DOri Imadegawa, Kamigyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : 11:00〜21:00
Close : Monday・Tuesday（Opens on Public Holiday）
Map : Google Map
Website : http://ooyacoffeeassociees.com
Cafe Verdi (カフェ・ヴェルディ)
A very famous home roasting cafe on the main road of Shimogamo. The bright, clean cafe has a very comfortable atmosphere, loved by all age groups.
The pour over (500 yen~) they serve has a smell and flavour you can only get from a freshly roasted beans. The 20 different types of bean they have on regular basis, are carefully hand picked and selecting only the top quality ones. They differ the method of roasting depending on each bean to bring out each characteristics of the beans. They also have all the beans for retail, so you can enjoy the same taste at home. There’s also toast, sandwhich, and sweets on the menu, so you can go in the morning or lunch time. Non smoking throughout the cafe.
Address (Japanese) : 京都府京都市左京区下鴨芝本町49-24 アディー下鴨1F
Addres (English) : 1st floor Addy Shimogamo, 49-24 Shimogamo Shibamoto chou, Sakyou-ku, Kyoto
Open : Weekdays 8:30〜19:00、Sunday, Public Holiday 8:00〜18:00
Close : Monday, every 3rd Tuesday（Open on Public Holiday, closes the next day instead）
Map : Google Map
Website : https://www.verdi.jp/
What do you rekon? Because the cafe culture and coffee culture is here to stay in Kyoto, you can find and encounter all these beautiful cafes. Find your cup of coffee by trying these cafes.
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