Inside Kyoto

A Kyoto Travel Guide

Best Cafes in Kyoto

With dozens of fantastic cafes across the city, Kyoto’s cafe culture is well worth exploring. Here is a short list of our favorites, all personally tasted and enjoyed!

Cafe Bibliotic HELLO! in Kyoto
Cafe Bibliotic HELLO! in Kyoto – image © InsideKyoto.com

Kyoto might be well known for traditional teahouses and old-school restaurants, but to overlook its more modern hangout spots would be a tragedy of mild proportions. Forget Starbucks and Tully’s – we’re talking about independent cafes and third-wave coffee joints that serve great coffee along with a dose of modern Kyoto charm. Many newer ones are located in renovated machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses), effectively marrying old-world charm with contemporary coffee brewing methods.

Independent cafes in Kyoto are everywhere. There’s an abundance of them downtown, and we recommend being bold – just walk into one that takes your fancy. More often than not, they’ll provide a great atmosphere and space to relax in.

In the meantime, here are a few places we love:

  • Café Bibliotic Hello! (Central Kyoto; budget to mid-range)
    Even if it didn’t have this marvelously quirky name, I’d still love this uber-hip Kyoto café. It’s built into an machiya and the owner has some wickedly good design sense.
  • % Arabica Higashiyama (Southern Higashiyama; budget)
    This super-stylish coffee shop serves some of the best coffee in Kyoto and occupies a prime position on a lovely lane leading up to Yasaka-no-To Pagoda.
  • % Arabica Arashiyama (Arashiyama; budget)
    If you need a pick-me-up while exploring Arashiyama, head to this stylish and airy coffee shop on the banks of the Hozu-gawa River.
  • Kurasu Kyoto (Kyoto Station area; budget)
    Located just minutes from Kyoto Station, Kurasu Kyoto is a stylish cafe that serves excellent coffee. As a bonus, they’re very English-friendly too.

For more information on kissaten, visit our Kyoto’s Best Kissaten page. For more information on teahouses, visit our Tea in Kyoto page.

Best Kyoto Restaurant Recommendations

Where Are These Places Located?

See these places on our Kyoto Google map:
  • Open the Kyoto map
  • You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
  • Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
  • Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
  • If you're using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

Kyoto Vacation Checklist


Kyoto District Map

Click a Kyoto District for detailed info on attractions, places to eat and accommodation


Chris Rowthorn

About InsideKyoto.com and Chris Rowthorn

  • Chris Rowthorn is the co-founder of InsideKyoto.com and has an unparalleled travel knowledge of Kyoto spanning three decades. Chris has written or commissioned and edited every page on the Inside Kyoto website.
  • A former author of Lonely Planet Kyoto and Lonely Planet Japan guidebooks, Chris is also the director of the Kyoto walking tour company Chris Rowthorn Tours, and Japan Travel Consulting, where you can get bespoke travel advice for your Japan trip.
  • InsideKyoto.com has been cited by the New York Times and The Times of London, among many other publications and websites.


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