Kyoto Travel Guide

Dining out is one of the greatest highlights of any visit to Japan, and with the exception of Tokyo (and apologies to Osaka), Kyoto has probably the greatest range and variety of top-quality restaurants, bars and cafes in the country. In addition, the city offers a number of different styles of cuisine uniquely and exotically its own.

Kyoto cuisine, or kyoryori, is quite distinctive. At the apex of Japanese haute cuisine is kaiseki, which evolved in conjunction with the tea ceremony. It consists of a series of small courses with the emphasis on presentation, surroundings and fresh, seasonal ingredients served in beautiful ceramic dishes and lacquered bowls. Such formal meals are served at exclusive restaurants like Hyotei. Another type of local cuisine is shojinryori, a form of vegetarian cooking based upon tofu, yuba (soybean curd) and fu (wheat gluten). This developed around the city's many Buddhist temples, but you can give it a try at many fine restaurants, such as Izusen.

Due to its inland location and the historical absence of fresh fish, Kyoto is renowned for its vegetable dishes, especially its pickles, such as those offered by Daiyasu. Highly recommended, too, is a visit to Nishiki Market. Here, samples are readily available to introduce visitors to the rich diversity of local food, which tends toward more subtlety and variety of flavor than foods from other areas of Japan. The absence of heavy sauces and spices serves to emphasize the natural taste and freshness of the seasonal ingredients. Even simple tofu has been turned into high art by kyoryori chefs, like those at Kyo-tofu Fujino Restaurant. For more healthy eating, explore "Tivoli"—with its vegetarian fare, Obanzai with its selection of buffet-style salads (try the Japanese wafu dressing), or go for something really exotic and re-energizing—the sea eel at NAB Sakaiman.

Lunch (usually between 11am-2pm) is much less expensive than dinner (often 5pm-9.30pm) in Kyoto restaurants, because it traditionally consists of a set meal, or teishoku, rather than a la carte selections. Modern-looking family restaurants provide colorful, illustrated menus that make ordering easy. Just point to choose. A favorite of Kyotoites is noodles, which are consumed with a slurping sound that is actually considered appreciative and not rude at all. There are a vast number of good quality and often long-established noodle shops, such as Azekura, throughout the city. In the evening, the more formal restaurants often close at 10pm sharp, with last orders taken half an hour before. But there is no need to worry if your hunger strikes late; there is no shortage of places open till well past midnight.

The main concentration of dining and drinking establishments in Kyoto is around the historic entertainment district that once made up the old pleasure quarters of the Floating World. These include Kamogawa Odori at Pontocho Kaburencho in the Gion district, long associated with Kyoto's community of geisha, and Kiyamachi and Kawaramachi, bounded by Sanjo to the north and Shijo to the south.

For a quieter dining and drinking experience head out to the restaurants of Arashiyama and Sagano, such as Tenryu-ji Shigetsu, or to the numerous fine eateries and busy little bars set amongst the temples in the eastern hills of Higashiyama. For lower cost wining and dining, the up-and-coming student area around Kyoto University offers some lively and well-priced alternatives. Representative of these budget shops is the ever-popular Sunshine Cafe (Taiyo Cafe). Indeed, many enterprising restaurateurs have set up businesses in converted wooden townhouses, or machiya: Tosai, for example. Dining in these old buildings can add extra special ambiance to your meal.

Culinary arts in the ancient capital are not just limited to Japanese cuisine. In recent years a diverse array of exotic eateries have opened, offering the delights of world cuisines to the local palate. Among these are excellent Indian, Italian, French, Chinese and Thai restaurants, not to mention Korean, Indonesian, Mongolian and even Iranian, all vying for your custom and your yen. Wherever you are in Kyoto, you will never be far from a gastronomic gem.

If you wish to enjoy your eating and drinking experience in more informal and lively surroundings, then head for an izakaya such as Shizuka, or to a sushi bar, or to a yakitori-ya like Yakitori Ichiban for delicious grilled chicken on skewers. Just look for the large red paper lanterns hoisted outside. As with all restaurants in Japan, check to see that the short curtains, or noren, are hanging in the doorway to let you know the place is open for business.

After visiting temples and palaces all day, you will probably be in need of a little rest and liquid refreshment. If it is tea or coffee you desire, Kyoto is well served by both traditional shops like Inoda and more modern cafes like Le Cafe Salut, as well as by teahouses like Ippodo Tea Company, where you can try Kyoto's famed green tea, macha. Kyoto prides itself on its vibrant cafe society.

If you hanker after something stronger, Kyoto definitely has a watering hole for you. In fact, there is a veritable maze of late-night bars and clubs around Kiyamachi and Pontocho. Whether you seek a quiet tipple or a barhopping carousal lasting until dawn, you will find just the right spot, from the sophistication of Sama Sama to the low-brow offerings of Backgammon, from British pubs like the Pig & Whistle to live jazz houses like Sesamo, from 60s chic at Switch Forum to 90s cheek at Bar, isn't it?, and from real ale at Liquor Mountain, to real cheap at ING.

In short, Kyoto is a gastronome's delight, an epicure's dream, and has almost every dining and drinking experience you could wish for in rich abundance. All this combined with the city's justified reputation for refined presentation and immaculate service will make any stay here a memorable feast.2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 115