Full of beautiful tradition and nature, Kyoto also has local delicacies and street food that should not be missed! Therefore, especially if you have limited time, be sure to check out our list of foods to eat in Kyoto!
We share foods we enjoyed as we explored the following areas in the historic city:
- Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
- Kiyomizu Temple Area
- Higashiyama District
- Nishiki Market
- Pontocho Alley
- ….more Kyoto local foods and specialties
- obanzai
- matcha: green tea & desserts
- Kyoto sake
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Firstly, since we do not speak Japanese, we wanted to ensure we not only saw certain places in Kyoto, but also learned about the food and culture!
Therefore, we highly recommend this 6-hour private tour in Kyoto with a Government-Licensed Guide! We chose what to see and do during our time! Well worth it, especially for first timers like us!
We had a private government-licensed guide in both Tokyo and Kyoto. In addition, both of our friendly guides even took pictures! (Check back for our detailed review on our website!)
Foods to Eat in Kyoto & Where We Ate Them!
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest – Street Food
After exploring the Arashiyam Bamboo Forest, there are crowds by the food stalls once you exit! And of course we wanted to try the street food that everyone was enjoying!
There are a variety of savoury and sweet foods served on skewers! We snacked on the following tasty skewers:
- grilled shrimp fishcake with yuba
- grilled chicken
- “mitarashi dango”
- traditional fried rice dumplings covered in a sweet soy syrupy glaze
- we had to try these yummy treats! Everyone was eating them and there was always a line up!
Kiyomizu Temple Area – Street Food
We explored Kiyomizu Temple with our 6-hour private tour in Kyoto with a Government-Licensed Guide, Taku. He mentioned that part of the joy of visiting the many large shrines in Kyoto, is eating after touring!
Taku pointed out that many shrines often had little markets set up near the exits. The food stalls offered freshly made street food, treats, as well as packaged goods.
Therefore, with so many shrines we saw in Kyoto, these local markets were a great way to see and try street foods to eat in Kyoto!
We tried the following tasty street food from the Kiyomizu Temple area:
Kyoto Beef Steam Bun
One of the food stalls sold steamed buns which had different fillings such as:
- kyoto beef
- yuba
- fish
- macha
Of course, we had to try the “kyoto beef” steam bun! The bun was warm, soft, and yummy!
Rice Cake
One of the stalls in the Kiyomizu Temple area sold rice cake skewers with different toppings, including:
- white miso
- kyoto pickles
- gold sesame
- cheese
- spicy cod roe mayonnaise
- habanero pepper
- sweet soy sauce
We had not seen this street food yet so decided to taste it!
Our “spicy cod roe, mayonnaise” rice cake skewer was delicious! Tastier than we expected, I could have ate another one but knew I would want to try more food!
Daifuku (mochi)
For dessert, we had “daifuku”, or mochi. These delicious small desserts are soft and chewy, made with rice flour.
The “smooth bean paste” mochi with a strawberry on top was a nice little treat we enjoyed!
Mochi is widely available throughout Japan, year-round.
Higashiyama District – Street Food & Restaurant
On our first night in Kyoto, we realized it can be difficult to find food in the Higashiyama district later in the evening! During our stay in the autumn, most of the shops closed relatively early, by 6 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Kyoto-Style Ramen
We stumbled across this very small, but deliciously amazing, family-run ramen shop in Kyoto by the Higashiyama District, called Torichu.
Despite the chilly evening, we waited outside for at least thirty minutes since there is limited seating at the counter!
However, in the end, my husband and I were both wonderfully surprised after eating at Torichu!
We each had a combo which included “slow-cooked chicken broth soup ramen” as well as karage (i.e. fried chicken) and white rice. The ramen broth was rich and delicious!
In fact, since I usually order pork ramen, I did not have high expectations for chicken ramen, which is the only type served here.
I will definitely come back to eat here if I return to the area! Our dinner was so good; it really felt like comfort food made with love!
Our meal at Torichu was perfect on the cold November evening and service was friendly!
Address: 44-8 Bishamoncho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0812, Japan
Steam Buns
After another evening of exploring the Higashiyama District, we came across this small food stall which sold yummy Kyoto Pork Buns.
The two types of steamed pork buns we tried were warm, delicious snacks on a chilly evening!
Nishiki Market
If you like exploring local markets, make time to visit Nishiki Market! This lively marketplace is full of great food and shops!
Like all food markets, there is an overwhelming variety of food that I want to taste!
We had the following light meals and snacks during our visit to Nishiki Market:
- grilled seafood
- seafood rice bowl
- kobe beef skewer
- takoyaki – be sure to try takoyaki in Osaka where we loved it most! Read our Osaka foodie article here!
Pontocho Alley
This narrow alley lined with restaurants is a tourist attraction due to it’s traditional architecture and various places to eat and drink.
We walked through the picturesque street that is nice to stroll through in the evening. It was busy with people like us exploring the area. We went back and had dinner at a sushi restaurant that also served “hamo”, which we wanted to try while in Kyoto…
Hamo (conger eel)
We love unagi and had it several ways in Japan such as sushi and grilled or skewered.
In particular, “hamo”, or conger eel in English, is a part of Kyoto’s food culture. We ordered a side dish of delicious grilled “hamo” on our last night in the city.
…And More Kyoto Specialities to Try:
Lastly, we wanted to add other Kyoto specialties, not necessarily in a particular place, that we tried and should not be missed!
Obanzai
The Japanese word “obanzai” essentially refers to a meal rooted in traditional Kyoto home cooking. In my opinion as a foodie, it should be on your “must-try” list of foods to eat in Kyoto!
Obanzai should be made with local and seasonal ingredients from Kyoto. The meal is comprised of several small dishes typically served with white rice and miso soup.
Fortunately, we had obanzai each morning for breakfast at the ryokan we stayed at in Kyoto – read our review of Toshiharu Ryokan here! My husband and I truly enjoyed our meals at Toshiharu and cleared our plates!
Experiencing this traditional meal at our ryokan gave us a wonderful glimpse and taste into the culture in Kyoto.
Also, if you do not stay at a ryokan that serves this traditional meal, these days restaurants also serve or specialize in obanzai!
Matcha
For foods to eat in Kyoto, matcha is a must! We had a lot of matcha while in Japan, and Kyoto in particular is famous for matcha!
Cultural importance and uses of matcha include:
- production:
- Kyoto is known for the production of high quality matcha, particularly in a town called Uji.
- cultural:
- matcha is central to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony
- culinary:
- use in food, drinks, and desserts
- health benefits including high in antioxidants
We had matcha tea and desserts regularly in Japan, especially in Kyoto! Our Kyoto government-licensed tour guide even took us to a traditional tea house in Kyoto for tea and dessert, which we enjoyed!
TIP: At the Kyoto train station, be sure to buy matcha boxed treats for yourself and loved ones! Everyone absolutely loved the cookies we brought back! And we bought some for ourselves as well! We recommend the Kyoto Veneto brand! Get the “Galett-Cha” and “Gra-Cha” cookies! And the Kyoto Hime Senju Senbei Matcha cookies with matcha cream. These came in a beautiful box with gold leaf, and most importantly, were delicious!
Kyoto Sake
Lastly, Kyoto is known for sake! Although we planned on visiting a sake brewery, unfortunately we were not able to fit it in…we hope to return to Kyoto and surely tour at least one!
And if you are visiting the Fushimi Inari Shrine, check out Kyoto’s sake district. The traditional district of Fushimi is also known for its sake breweries!
- take a guided Kyoto sake tour to visit various breweries!
- Gekkeikan:
- visit one of Japan’s oldest and most famous sake brewers and enjoy a tasting!
- This brewery also has tours of its Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum where you can learn about its history and all about sake!
- Fushimi Sake Festival:
- the annual event is free to enter, usually in March
Kyoto Food & Restaurants: Conclusion
Kyoto was a beautiful and delicious city to explore!
Our list of foods to eat in Kyoto is surely not complete, but we hope our Kyoto foodie guide of foods we tried helps! We plan to return to Japan and indulge in more delicious food adventures!
Happy travels and enjoy Japan!
*Also check out our related articles on foods to eat in Osaka and foods to eat in Tokyo!
Tour Information:
Kyoto Popular Tours
Explore Kyoto popular tours from Viator here, or explore the tours below with hundreds of positive reviews:
Hotel Information:
During our time in Kyoto, we stayed at two fantastic places, we highly recommend:
- Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion
- 4-star luxurious-feel, boutique hotel with large public bath.
- check back for our hotel review with photos!
- Toshiharu Ryokan
- 3-star beautiful historic ryokan for a traditional experience with modern amenities.
- read our Toshiharu Ryokan review here with photos!
For other accommodations in Kyoto, explore Booking.com for hotels, more reviews, and availability in the link below:
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