Our Favorite Places to Eat (and Drink) in Kyoto

Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious. – Ruth Reichl

One of the perks of travel is the chance to discover new food and drink. As much as we can, we aim to find local places to support and enjoy. For those of you that know us in real life, you know that Husband, (and me but to a lesser extent), enjoys craft beer. Husband often seeks it out when we travel, meaning we eat at a lot of pubs, breweries, and taphouses. Titling this “Places to Eat in Kyoto,” seemed a little misleading. I’m not so great at keeping track of actual restaurants we eat at, but I do make note of where we drink. I promise we’re not lushes.

If you want to know how the beer was, you’ll have to ask Husband. Keeping track of everything I drink while traveling became too much (still not a lush, I promise). But I do try and make note of the ambiance, service, and food. So, without further ado, here are my top four places to eat (and drink) in Kyoto.

Kyoto Beer Lab

This spot was by far our favorite. We sought it out one evening for a snack and some drinks. All the beer is brewed on site, and the venue draws a variety of patrons. We sat at the bar and ordered some finger foods – sausage, edamame, cheese, and bacon. I’m not one for seasonings and sauces, but everything was cooked and seasoned really well. Nothing was overpowering or off-putting.

Husband and I each had a few beers and chatted with the staff. The “kitchen” is open and it’s fun to watch the staff work on preparing the food. The staff spoke a little English, enough to make ordering easy and have a short chat about where we’re from. Beers cost between 700 and 1000 yen based on the size, and there was a nice selection available. I can also safely say that this was Husband’s favorite stop as well.

An A frame chalkboard outside of Kyoto beer lab

A small glass filled with a orange/yellow IPA beer

Two plates of food sit on a wooden bar. The round plate in the back has sausage, bacon and fries. The rectangular plate in the foreground has edamame, cheese and bread.

The bar area of Kyoto Beer Lab. Stainless steel taps line the bar

Beer Pub Ichi-Ya

This spot offered a nice selection of taps, including their own brews. I had a great coffee stout, a style that can be hard to find in Japan. The beer was great and reasonably priced at 600-950 yen. But for me, the food really stood out.

It was at Beer Pub Ichi-Ya that I had the best burger I’ve had in Japan. At about the size of my palm, it would have been a perfect meal for one, but Husband and I split it so we could try more things. I’m not a sauce/condiment girl, and I typically find that ketchup or mustard overpowers any other flavors. Not the case this time! The bun was toasted just right and all the flavors came through. This is an excellent food choice!

We also snacked on some edamame (one of my favorites, and one of the few foods I know when traveling that won’t tear up my sensitive stomach) and some smoked nuts. The nuts were weirdly addictive, but we couldn’t put our finger on the seasonings. This spot also had a nice mix of clientele, and most food is priced under 1000 yen.

The inside of Beer Pub Ichi ya in Kyoto. There are high top tables, with customers sitting at the bar. chalkboards on the back wall provide a list of beers for sale.

A small hamburger on a wooden cutting board sits next to a stout beer

Ramen Nishiki

This is the only proper “restaurant” on the list. We had a lot of ramen in Kyoto, it was chilly on our trip and the warm broth was always nice. This place especially is worth mentioning. We stumbled upon it accidentally while waiting for our tea ceremony to begin. The décor is sleek and modern, and it feels a little intimidating walking in after a day of being out and about. We bellied up to the bar area and got to watch our food being made.

My chief observation with ramen is there’s a lot of broth. Always. Ramen Nishiki got the amount just right – not too much that I couldn’t finish it and not too little that I was wanting more. The noodles were thin, and the seasoning was just enough. We discovered later that the noodles are made on site on the second floor. My bowl had a grilled, iridescent fish and some pork. Husband and I also split some spectacular red snapper dumplings. Although a bit pricier than we’d experienced before, it was totally worth it.

The store front of Ramen Nishiki. The facade is black, with some light brown elements

A bowl of ramen topped with an egg sits on a wooden tray. An appetizer of red snapper dumplings is in the background

Bar seating at Ramen Nishiki. Each place setting has a wooden tray, a menu, a spoon and wooden chopsticks

A bowl of salt broth ramen with pork and fish.

Hachi Record Shop and Bar

This was our first drink stop in Kyoto and it was a great place to begin our journey! Michael Jackson’s Bad album was playing on the record player when we arrived. The place is small, seating maybe 6 downstairs, and housing a record store on the second floor. The bar holds two turntables at one end, with speakers built into the wall as décor.

The drink selection was limited, and because it was just a “snack stop,” Husband and I split drinks. We had some finger foods – edamame and sausage – which were good but nothing to write home about. The staff was pleasant and English speaking, allowing us to chat a bit about our plans for Kyoto. The vibe of this place is great and I definitely recommend adding it to your agenda!

A bar with a black and white movie playing in the background. The end of the bar has a macbook and two turntables

A bartender pours an IPA from taps with a modern, minimalist design

A light colored beer in a rounded glass next to a small plate of sausage

There are so many great places to eat and drink throughout Japan! I hope this short list has given you some ideas on where to start. Husband and I absolutely plan to go back and explore more spots. Where are your favorite places to eat and drink in Kyoto? Leave a comment and let us know! Until next time!