Saryo Housen

You’d have to know where to go to find Saryo Housen. One of the city’s finest shops for tea and sweets is located in the suburbs of Central Kyoto, and it’s well worth seeking out.

Saryo Housen – image © Chris Rowthorn

Kyoto has hundreds of excellent teahouses. But even among them, the original branch of Saryo Housen stands out. While there’s a branch inside Kyoto Station, it’s worth the trouble of heading north of Shimogamo Shrine to the original shop for the atmosphere.

Saryo Housen’s teahouse is a traditional house with a tatami mat-lined dining room. Even before you have any food, the Japanese-style garden is already a pleasure to behold, with its slopes of moss, maple trees, pines, and Andromeda flower bushes.

There are few more Kyoto-esque experiences than sipping on matcha while gazing upon a garden. You can order any number of Japanese desserts at Saryo Housen, from finely sculpted seasonal sweets of beans, rice, and sugar to iced matcha drinks – the latter a concession to modern Japanese tastes.

If you come just for one sweet, make it the warabimochi. This wagashi is made from bracken fern starch. Texturally, it lies somewhere between fresh marshmallow and rice cakes – lightly sticky, but also stretchy, smooth, and pliant. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but those with an appreciation of Asian desserts will enjoy this. Each batch is made fresh to order. Warabimochi doesn’t get much better than this.

For more Kyoto Japanese Tea and sweet shop choices, see our Best Japanese Tea and Sweet Shops in Kyoto page.

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Name in English:
Saryo Housen

Name in Japanese:
茶寮 宝泉

English address:
25 Shimogamo-nishitakagi-cho, Sakyo-ku

Japanese address:
左京区下鴨西高木町25

Opening hours:
10am-5pm
Closed Wednesday and Thursday

Price:

Non-smoking area: Completely Non-Smoking

Nearest Transport:
3min walk from Shimogamo Higashihonmachi Bus Stop, Kyoto City Bus 204 or 206 from Kitaoji Station, Karasuma subway line

Reservations:
No Reservations

Telephone: 712-1270

Website:
Official site (Japanese)

Near To Here:
Saryo Housen is located in Central Kyoto. See our complete list of things to do in Central Kyoto, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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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.
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