Cafes are popular in Korea, but why go all the way to Kyoto? … Of course! We’ve gathered places worth going to in Kyoto. When you think of Kyoto, matcha comes to mind, but you can also find places that are serious about coffee, with their own roastery and supplying it globally. They prefer light roasting, serve meals beyond brunch, and are located in unexpected spaces. It would be a good travel point to experience the cafe culture here that you haven’t seen in Korea. We introduce 6 cafes in downtown Kyoto.
Cafe Bibliotic Hello!
This is it, the most delightful cafe space in Kyoto. Located in a renovated old Japanese-style house, this place has made an overwhelming spatial impression by opening up half of the second floor to create a duplex structure, and filling one wall with books despite its narrow area. The duplex structure ensures brightness deep inside the store thanks to the brilliant sunlight, while the soft music coming from a corner is why each customer tends to stay for a long time. Like many cafes in Japan, it offers desserts and tea as well as brunch and meals. By the way, the large broadleaf plant at the entrance is really a banana tree they are growing. The taste is not especially outstanding, and the prices are relatively high, but just looking around the space is enough to make it worth visiting. As the sun sets, the huge bookcase is expected to present a different atmosphere from the daytime.
📍 Cafe Bibliotic Hello!, 650 Seimeicho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto (ビブリオティック ハロー！, 京都市中京区清明町650)
🕰 Daily 11:30 - 23:00
SCHOOL BUS COFFEE STOP KYOTO
There's something inherently delightful about it. Despite being a stranger who barely communicates, one relishes the leisure as if time stands still amid everyone's commute. Located on a main road in Kyoto, Schoolbus Coffee Stop directly faces a pedestrian crossing, offering a window to observe various people's stories. Being operated by a home renovation company, the space is attractively decorated, further enhancing the experience of its flagship brunch menu.
WEEKENDERS COFFEE TOMINOKOJI
"The Reason Behind the Buzz at a Certain Public Parking Lot in Kyoto"
If <Incredible Tales> were in Japan, this place might have been featured at least once.
In an alley in Kyoto, Weekenders Coffee, located in a small public parking lot, is truly a unique sight for first-time visitors.
Accessible only through the parking lot, with no back alleys or side doors, the space consists only of a small coffee bar and a few benches, not intended for prolonged stays.
Despite this, people gather from early morning on weekdays, drawn by the coffee, a favourite among many enthusiasts.
Offering only coffee on the menu, all pour-overs are priced at a compelling 470 yen, regardless of the beans used.
Though the servings are as light as the prices, the opportunity to taste various beans without the burden is rather an advantage for coffee lovers.
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The handicap of being in a parking lot elevates the taste of the coffee, making it an appealing scene, much like a bean husk.
The Kyoto public parking lot, lacking an electric vehicle charging station, might instead recharge our spirits.
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📍 Weekenders Coffee Tominokoji
🏷 560 Honeyanocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
🕰 Daily 07:30 - 18:00 (Closed on Wednesday)
Kurasu Ebisugawa
Kurasu Coffee Ebisugawa, located in a quiet alley near Kyoto Gyoen, is not only excellent in taste but also allows one to glimpse the meticulous kindness in everything from customer service to various aspects of the store. For those unfamiliar with coffee, the store offers detailed cup notes and samples, and if one purchases any of the various coffee tools displayed on the walls, they provide instructions on how to use them onsite. Indeed, during their stay, foreigners amazed by the coffee consulted about the various beans, turning the store into an introductory recommendation for those wanting to know about coffee in Kyoto. The kindness found in Google Maps reviews seems sufficient to satisfy anyone's coffee curiosity. Meanwhile, although Kurasu Coffee has its main store in Kyoto, it also has branches in Singapore and Bangkok and offers a global bean delivery service. Looking forward to the day Kurasu Coffee arrives in Korea, I introduce their class that left an impression.
Gion Kinana
If there is a taste that reminds you of your grandmother in Japan, it would be here. Despite the rise in dessert destinations in Korea, parfaits seem hard to come by. The layered concoction of various ingredients in a parfait offers a comprehensive gift set of sweetness, with each spoonful presenting a different flavor and texture. Among the many cafes in Japan that specialize in parfaits, Kyo Kinana, located near Kyoto's Clear Water Temple, is popular for its parfaits and desserts made from traditional Kyoto ingredients. Ingredients popular in Korea for their 'grandmotherly taste', such as beans, sesame, matcha, mugwort, and chestnuts, are primarily used. The menu, utilizing homemade rice cakes and ice cream, boasts flavors that are moderately sweet and enjoyable for all ages. The limited-time parfait available during my visit featured pickled chestnuts, black sesame ice cream, and matcha ice cream, a celebration of nuttiness that brings together tastes from the East Asian region. Regardless of the cold weather, purchasing any dessert comes with a complimentary warm green tea, making it a cozy stop to warm up with delicious desserts this winter in Kyoto.
Ogawa Coffee Sakaimachi Nishiki
While we appreciate the beauty of traditional Korean houses, it's not at all strange to want to live in the modern Summit Urban Acro apartment. Tradition is merely that, not a set of lifestyle rules to be imposed on modern people. It seems the people of Kyoto, who have retained elements of Japanese tradition, are no exception. You might have an image in mind when you think of Kyoto: buildings that are narrow from the outside but extend deeply inward with wooden, neatly constructed exteriors. This style, easily seen on Gion Street, is known as 'Kyomachiya,' which has remained largely unchanged for over a thousand years. From a tourist's perspective, these appear as serene and beautiful cultural relics; however, to modern residents, Kyomachiya represent subjects of renovation or development. Consequently, about 700 of these traditional styles are disappearing annually in Kyoto. Following a trend in Korea to recycle old Korean houses, Kyoto seems to be witnessing a similar movement. Ogawa Coffee, with several locations in Kyoto, opened a refurbished Kyomachiya near Karasuma Station this year. The blend of traditional Japanese houses with modern style feels particularly special to foreigners like myself, which is likely why many overseas visitors can be seen here early in the morning. The cafe offers a variety of beans for brewing and has a large kitchen, reportedly serving high-quality brunch.