Gion and Higashiyama, Kyoto · Food
Where to Eat in Gion and Higashiyama: 11 Places from Kaiseki to Yudofu
11 places to eat · checked October 20, 2026
11 places to eat in Gion and Higashiyama, grouped by what you eat
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 20, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Kikunoi Honten菊乃井 本店
Kaiseki · Yasaka Shrine (Shimokawara)
The main restaurant of Kikunoi, just below the Yasaka Shrine torii, serving kaiseki courses at lunch and dinner. Guests arrive inside fixed windows, and a 15% service charge is added to the listed course prices.
A 15% service charge is added to the listed course prices.
- Access
- 459 Shimokawara-cho, Higashiyama-ku, on Shimokawara-dori just below the Yasaka Shrine torii. Parking for about 2–3 cars only; tell the restaurant when booking.
- Hours
- Lunch: arrive 12:00–12:30. Dinner: arrive 17:00–19:30. Phone reservations 10:00–22:00
- Closed on
- First and third Tuesdays; year-end and New Year; may change by month
- Price
- Lunch ¥16,500–¥110,000; dinner ¥33,000–¥110,000, with a smaller ¥22,000 course. Tax included, 15% service charge extra
2Gion Maruyama祇園丸山
Kaiseki · Gion (Minamigawa)
A kaiseki restaurant in Gion-machi Minamigawa with a ground-floor counter and tatami rooms upstairs. It has a separate branch by Kennin-ji with different closed days; the hours below are for the Gion shop.
The restaurant has a reservation page on its site.
- Access
- Gion-machi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku. About 5 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan) and about 8 minutes from Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu).
- Hours
- Lunch 11:00–15:00 (last entry 13:00); dinner 17:00–22:00 (last entry 19:30)
- Closed on
- Wednesdays, first and third Thursdays, plus irregular days
3Steak Kappo Koishiステーキ割烹 こいし
Black-beef steak and French kaiseki · Gion (Minamigawa)
A steak kappo restaurant in Gion-machi Minamigawa serving Japanese black beef steak and a French-style kaiseki. Lunch sets include a beef-cutlet set, a steak-bowl set and a steak set; a beef-cutlet sandwich is sold to take away.
- Access
- 570-236 Gion-machi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku. About 10 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan), exit 6.
- Hours
- Lunch 12:00–15:00 (last order 14:30); dinner 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
- Closed on
- Mondays; Tuesdays open for dinner only
4Okutan Kiyomizu総本家 ゆどうふ 奥丹清水
Yudofu (simmered tofu) set meals · Kiyomizu-dera slopes
A yudofu restaurant in Kiyomizu 3-chome, on the way up to Kiyomizu-dera. The shop gives its founding as 1635 and began as a temple-cuisine restaurant. The sets come with yudofu, dengaku, tororo soup, sesame tofu, vegetable tempura, rice and pickles.
Cash only. Seat reservations open one month ahead.
- Access
- 340 Kiyomizu 3-chome, Higashiyama-ku. The shop's own page gives the address only, with no walking times.
- Hours
- Weekdays 11:00–16:30 (last order 16:00); Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 11:00–17:30 (last order 17:00)
- Closed on
- Thursdays
- Price
- Okimari Hitotoori ¥4,400 (silky tofu); Mukashi-dofu Hitotoori ¥5,500 (firm, traditionally made tofu). Tax included. Cash only
5Izuuいづう
Saba-zushi (mackerel sushi) · Yasaka Shinchi
A sushi shop in Yasaka Shinchi, founded in 1781, known for saba sugata-zushi (whole mackerel sushi). It has an eat-in room, and takeaway orders can be collected from 8:00 if reserved.
- Access
- 367 Kiyomoto-cho, Yasaka Shinchi, Higashiyama-ku.
- Hours
- 11:00–22:00 (food served until 21:30); Sundays and holidays 11:00–21:00 (served until 20:30)
- Closed on
- Tuesdays (open when the Tuesday is a holiday or festival day)
6Sohonke Nishin Soba Matsuba, main shop総本家にしんそば 松葉 本店
Nishin soba (herring soba) · Shijo-Ohashi (Minamiza)
A soba shop at the east end of Shijo-Ohashi bridge, beside the Minamiza theatre, serving nishin soba (soba with simmered herring).
- Access
- 192 Kawabata-cho, Higashiyama-ku. Right outside exit 6 of Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan), beside Minamiza.
- Hours
- 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
- Closed on
- Wednesdays (open when it is a holiday); may change by season
7Omen, Shijo Pontochoおめん 四条先斗町店
Dipping noodles (Omen) · Pontocho (Shijo)
The Pontocho shop of the Omen noodle restaurant, whose signature Omen is noodles dipped in a slightly strong broth with kinpira, seasonal vegetables and sesame. Lunch and dinner are served.
- Access
- 171-2 Kashiwaya-cho, Nakagyo-ku. No car park; use a nearby coin car park.
- Hours
- Lunch 11:00–16:00 (last order 15:00); dinner 17:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
- Closed on
- Irregular Thursdays; 30 December–2 January
8Pontocho先斗町
Restaurant alley · Pontocho
A narrow, historic alley of wooden buildings between Sanjo and Shijo streets, parallel to the Kamo River, with restaurants and bars that come alive at night. Close to 100 riverside platforms (yuka) go up each summer; Japan's national tourism organization advises booking them.
Each restaurant sets its own hours and booking rules.
- Access
- Nearest stations: Sanjo and Gion-Shijo (Keihan), Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu). From Kyoto Station, city bus 4, 5, 17 or 205 to Shijo Kawaramachi, then a short walk.
- Hours
- Set by each restaurant
9Kagizen Yoshifusa, Shijo main shop鍵善良房 四条本店
Japanese sweets and tearoom · Gion (Shijo-dori)
A Japanese confectioner on Shijo-dori in Gion-machi Kitagawa with a tearoom. The tearoom does not take reservations.
- Access
- 264 Gion-machi Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku. The shop's page gives the address and a map link, with no walking times.
- Hours
- Shop 9:30–18:00; tearoom 10:00–18:00 (last order 17:30, which can be earlier when busy)
- Closed on
- Mondays (the next weekday when Monday is a holiday)
10Saryo Tsujiri, Gion main shop茶寮都路里 祇園本店
Matcha sweets and tea café · Gion (Shijo-dori)
A tea café on the second and third floors of the Gion Tsujiri main building on Shijo-dori.
- Access
- 573-3 Gion-machi Minamigawa, Shijo-dori, Higashiyama-ku. About 3 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan), exit 6; or the Gion bus stop.
- Hours
- 10:30–20:30 (last order 19:30); may change without notice
- Closed on
- Irregular
11Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninen-zaka Yasaka Chayaスターバックス コーヒー 京都二寧坂ヤサカ茶屋店
Coffee shop with tatami seating · Ninen-zaka (Kodai-ji)
A Starbucks on the Ninen-zaka approach to Kiyomizu-dera with three tatami seating areas. The store asks customers not to queue outside the building, and entry may be limited at busy times.
- Access
- 349 Masuya-cho, Shimogawara-higashi-iru off Kodaiji Minamimon-dori, Higashiyama-ku. About 7 minutes on foot from the Kiyomizu-michi bus stop; about 20 minutes from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan, exit 1). The store advises against coming by car or bicycle.
- Hours
- 8:00–20:00
- Closed on
- Irregular
Good to know
The 11 places below sit in four parts of the area: the Shijo-dori end at Minamiza (the Keihan Gion-Shijo exit 6 side), the Yasaka Shinchi and Gion-machi Minamigawa backstreets, the Yasaka Shrine and Ninen-zaka side, and the slope toward Kiyomizu-dera. The Pontocho shops are just across the Kamo River, a short walk from Gion-Shijo.
Each place has its own closed day. Kagizen is closed on Mondays, Izuu on Tuesdays, Matsuba on Wednesdays and Okutan Kiyomizu on Thursdays; Kikunoi Honten closes on the first and third Tuesdays. The kaiseki restaurants and Okutan take bookings: Okutan opens seat reservations one month ahead, Koishi takes dinner seat reservations only, and the Kagizen tearoom takes none.
This page covers what is inside Gion and Higashiyama. For the rest of the city, including Nishiki Market, Nanzen-ji and Fushimi, see the Kyoto food page.
In depth
Four parts of Gion and Higashiyama: closed days and booking
Hours are on each card above.
| Part of the area | Places | Closed days | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shijo-dori and Minamiza (Gion-Shijo exit 6) | Matsuba, Saryo Tsujiri, Kagizen Yoshifusa | Matsuba Wednesdays · Kagizen Mondays · Tsujiri irregular | Kagizen tearoom takes no reservations; Matsuba and Tsujiri do not state a booking rule on the pages checked |
| Yasaka Shinchi and Gion-machi Minamigawa | Izuu, Gion Maruyama, Koishi | Izuu Tuesdays · Maruyama Wednesdays and first and third Thursdays · Koishi Mondays (Tuesdays dinner only) | Maruyama has a reservation page; Koishi by phone, dinner seats only; Izuu takeaway by reservation |
| Yasaka Shrine and Ninen-zaka | Kikunoi Honten, Starbucks Ninen-zaka Yasaka Chaya | Kikunoi first and third Tuesdays · Starbucks irregular | Kikunoi by phone or online; Starbucks asks guests not to queue outside |
| Kiyomizu-dera slope | Okutan Kiyomizu | Thursdays | Seat reservations open one month ahead; cash only |
| Pontocho (across the Kamo River) | Omen Shijo Pontocho, Pontocho alley | Omen irregular Thursdays and 30 Dec–2 Jan; alley restaurants set their own | Japan's national tourism organization advises booking the summer riverside platforms |
By kind of trip
A kaiseki meal
Kikunoi Honten takes guests at set arrival windows (lunch 12:00–12:30, dinner 17:00–19:30). Gion Maruyama serves lunch 11:00–15:00 and dinner 17:00–22:00. Koishi serves French-style kaiseki and black-beef steak.
Open into the evening
Izuu serves until 21:30 (20:30 on Sundays and holidays), Koishi takes last orders at 21:00, Matsuba at 20:30 and Omen Shijo Pontocho at 20:00. Pontocho's restaurants set their own hours.
Izuu · Steak Kappo Koishi · Sohonke Nishin Soba Matsuba, main shop · Omen, Shijo Pontocho
Tea, sweets and a seat indoors
Kagizen's tearoom closes at 18:00, Tsujiri's last order is 19:30, and the Ninen-zaka Starbucks is open 8:00–20:00. All three are indoors.
Kagizen Yoshifusa, Shijo main shop · Saryo Tsujiri, Gion main shop · Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninen-zaka Yasaka Chaya
On the way to Kiyomizu-dera
Okutan Kiyomizu serves yudofu sets at ¥4,400 and ¥5,500 and closes on Thursdays. The Ninen-zaka Starbucks has three tatami seating areas.
Okutan Kiyomizu · Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninen-zaka Yasaka Chaya
Planning around closed days
One regular closed day per weekday, Monday to Thursday, across four places.
Kagizen Yoshifusa, Shijo main shop · Izuu · Sohonke Nishin Soba Matsuba, main shop · Okutan Kiyomizu
Questions
Which places in Gion need a reservation?
Kikunoi Honten takes reservations by phone (10:00–22:00) and online. Gion Maruyama has a reservation page on its site. Koishi takes reservations by phone, and seat reservations are for dinner only. Okutan Kiyomizu opens seat reservations one month ahead. The Kagizen tearoom does not take reservations.
What is open late in Gion?
Izuu is open until 22:00 and serves until 21:30 (21:00 and 20:30 on Sundays and holidays). Koishi's dinner runs until 22:00 with last orders at 21:00. Gion Maruyama's dinner runs until 22:00, with the last entry at 19:30. Matsuba closes at 21:00 (last order 20:30) and Omen Shijo Pontocho at 21:00 (last order 20:00).
Where can I eat on the way up to Kiyomizu-dera?
Okutan Kiyomizu, a yudofu restaurant in Kiyomizu 3-chome, is open 11:00–16:30 on weekdays and 11:00–17:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and is closed on Thursdays. The Ninen-zaka Starbucks is about 7 minutes on foot from the Kiyomizu-michi bus stop and open 8:00–20:00.
Which of these places is closest to Gion-Shijo Station?
Matsuba's main shop is right outside exit 6 of Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan), beside Minamiza. Saryo Tsujiri is about 3 minutes on foot from exit 6, Gion Maruyama about 5 minutes and Koishi about 10 minutes.
Is Pontocho part of Gion?
No. Pontocho is an alley between Sanjo and Shijo streets on the Nakagyo-ku side, parallel to the Kamo River. Gion lies on the other side of the river, in Higashiyama-ku. Omen's Shijo Pontocho shop is at Kashiwaya-cho, Nakagyo-ku.