Kyoto travel guide
Best Street Food in Kyoto: Where & What to Eat
Kyoto is famous for kaiseki multi-course dining, yudofu temple hot-pot tofu, matcha green-tea sweets from Uji, and obanzai home-style side dishes. Nishiki Market, a 400-year-old food street, is the best single stop for sampling Kyoto specialities casually.
Eating in Kyoto: what you need to know
Kyoto eats differently from the rest of Japan — refined, seasonal and rooted in Buddhist tradition. Kaiseki multi-course dining was born here, but so were matcha sweets, yudofu temple tofu and the food lanes of Nishiki Market.
Must-try dishes in Kyoto
| Dish | What it is | Where to try it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiseki | Seasonal multi-course dining, Kyoto’s art form | Gion and Pontocho alley restaurants | ¥10,000–30,000 |
| Yudofu | Hot-pot tofu in dashi, temple style | Restaurants around Nanzen-ji | ¥2,000–4,000 |
| Matcha sweets | Uji green-tea parfaits, warabi mochi, soft serve | Tea houses in Higashiyama and Uji day trip | ¥800–1,500 |
The best food spots in Kyoto
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Nishiki Market · Downtown
Cuisine: Market street food · Expect to pay: ¥1,500
Must order: Tako tamago (octopus-egg skewer) and fresh yuba
Nishikikoji-dori, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
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Katsukura · Kyoto Station
Cuisine: Tonkatsu · Expect to pay: ¥1,800
Must order: Grind-your-own sesame tonkatsu set
Kyoto Station Building 11F, Kyoto
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Gion Karyo · Gion
Cuisine: Kaiseki · Expect to pay: ¥15,000
Must order: Seasonal omakase at the counter
570-150 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Kyoto
Also in kansai
best street food in Kyoto — FAQs
What food is Kyoto famous for?
Kyoto is famous for kaiseki multi-course dining, yudofu temple hot-pot tofu, matcha green-tea sweets from Uji, and obanzai home-style side dishes. Nishiki Market, a 400-year-old food street, is the best single stop for sampling Kyoto specialities casually.
Last reviewed and updated: by the AmazingAsia editorial team. See our editorial policy.