Six Recommended Places to Eat in Arashiyama

If you are visiting Arashiyama, why not make your dining experience part of the trip as well? Arashiyama is famous for attractions such as the Bamboo Forest and Togetsukyo Bridge, but the area is also home to many excellent restaurants. In this article, we have carefully selected six restaurants around Arashiyama’s main streets where you can enjoy delicious food while experiencing the unique atmosphere of Kyoto. Be sure to stop by one of them during your sightseeing trip.

Arashiyama Yoshimura | Handmade Soba with a View of Togetsukyo Bridge

If you are looking for a traditional Japanese lunch in Arashiyama, Arashiyama Yoshimura is one of the first restaurants you should consider. This soba restaurant boasts an outstanding location, with views of Togetsukyo Bridge and the Oigawa River from its windows. It has long been loved by both tourists and local residents, making it one of the most popular places to enjoy a meal in Arashiyama.

The restaurant takes great care in selecting its ingredients. Carefully selected Japanese buckwheat is slowly ground using a stone mill, and all of the noodles are made by hand. The soba has an excellent texture and aroma, giving you that unmistakable feeling that you are eating the real thing. The restaurant’s famous shrimp tempura is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, making it an excellent match for the soba.

Another popular choice is the Togetsu Zen, a set meal featuring yuba-oroshi soba and a tempura rice bowl. For those who want to enjoy a hearty meal that feels distinctly Kyoto-like, this is an excellent option. The restaurant also offers a unique dessert called a soba tea roll, filled with fragrant soba tea cream. It is perfect for enjoying a relaxing café break after your meal.

The restaurant can become quite crowded during the lunch rush, so visiting after 3:00 p.m. is generally a good way to avoid the longest lines, although spring and autumn can still be busy. Reservations are not accepted, so please keep this in mind when planning your visit.

Address: 3 Saga Tenryuji Susukinobaba-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Phone: 075-863-5700

Access: About 3 minutes on foot from Arashiyama Station on the Randen Line

Hours: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (until 4:00 p.m. on weekdays)

A Must-Visit for Dining in Arashiyama | Arashiyama GYATEI and Its Obanzai Set Meal

If you want to enjoy a meal centered around obanzai, traditional Kyoto-style home cooking, Arashiyama GYATEI is one restaurant you should not miss. Located just one minute on foot from Randen Arashiyama Station, it enjoys an extremely convenient location and is popular enough to attract long lines of tourists around lunchtime.

The restaurant offers only one main menu option, the GYATEI Gozen, but it is an incredibly satisfying meal that captures the essence of Kyoto cuisine. A beautiful selection of small dishes featuring creative obanzai, carefully prepared broth, and locally sourced Kyoto vegetables is arranged across the tray according to the season. With so many colorful dishes and beautifully designed tableware, you may find yourself wondering which one to try first.

One of the restaurant’s specialties is roast beef marinated in Saikyo miso for ten days. It is an interesting combination of Western influences and traditional Kyoto flavors. For an additional charge, you can also replace the regular white rice with a small yuba rice bowl or a small yuba and beef simmered rice bowl, making the meal even more distinctly Kyoto-style.

Because the restaurant does not accept reservations, visiting between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. is a smart choice, as the crowds tend to become lighter around this time. The restaurant is closed on Wednesdays, although there may also be occasional irregular holidays.

Address: 19-8 Saga Tenryuji Tsukurimichi-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Phone: 075-862-2411

Access: About 1 minute on foot from Randen Arashiyama Station

Hours: 11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (last order)

Closed: Wednesdays and occasional irregular holidays

Arashiyama Taisho HANANA | A Popular Restaurant Famous for Its Tai Chazuke

When people think of dining in Arashiyama, soba and YUDOFU may be the first dishes that come to mind. However, Taisho HANANA is an especially good choice for anyone looking to enjoy something a little different. The restaurant is one of the most popular dining spots in Arashiyama, attracting long lines of visitors who come for its famous tai chazuke, made with fresh red sea bream that is prepared every morning.

The restaurant’s Tai Chazuke Gozen includes sliced red sea bream, Kyoto vegetables, a small sea bream dish, rice, Japanese pickles, and fresh warabi mochi. The real charm of this meal is the way the flavor changes in three stages. First, enjoy the sashimi on its own with the restaurant’s special sesame sauce. Next, place the fish on warm rice, and finally pour tea over it to turn it into ochazuke. It is not often that one dish can be enjoyed in so many different ways.

The restaurant also has a comfortable modern Japanese atmosphere, making it an ideal place to relax and enjoy a meal during your Arashiyama sightseeing. To avoid the busiest period, try arriving around 11:00 a.m. when the restaurant opens, or visit after the 12:00 p.m. lunch rush has passed.

Please note: The restaurant may only accept

cash payments, so it is a good idea to carry some cash just in case.

Address: 26-1 Saga Tenryuji Setogawa-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Phone: 075-862-8771

Access: About 5 minutes on foot from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station

Hours: 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (last order; closes when sold out)

Sagano-yu | A One-of-a-Kind Café Renovated from a Taisho-Era Bathhouse

“Lunch in a bathhouse?” You may find the idea a little strange at first, but Sagano-yu, located directly in front of JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, is a café with exactly this unique concept. The building was originally a public bathhouse from the Taisho era, which has since been beautifully renovated into a modern café while preserving its original white tiles. The concept is based on the idea of providing visitors with a relaxing experience through tea and café culture, just as the bathhouse once provided relaxation through its hot water.

One of the most popular dishes here is tofu pasta. Arashiyama is known for its many excellent tofu shops, and the tofu served here is also homemade. The tofu pasta is served with Kyoto-inspired seasonings such as matcha salt and soy sauce salt. It is light and healthy while still being satisfying enough to make it a popular choice among returning customers.

Sagano-yu also sells unique souvenirs, including cookies decorated with the bathhouse’s distinctive hot-water symbol and small bath additives shaped like old Japanese coins. Since these items can only be found here, the café is worth visiting not only for a meal but also for some souvenir shopping. With its unusual history and atmosphere, it is certainly one of the most memorable places to eat in Arashiyama.

Address: 4-3 Saga Tenryuji Imabori-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Phone: 075-882-8985

Access: About 1 minute on foot from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station; right next to Randen Saga Station

Hours: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Tenryu-ji Shigetsu | Shojin Cuisine with a View of a World Heritage Garden

If you are looking for a truly special dining experience in Arashiyama, Shigetsu, the shojin cuisine restaurant located within the grounds of the World Heritage Site Tenryu-ji, is well worth visiting. Shojin cuisine does not use meat or fish and instead carefully prepares seasonal vegetables, seaweed, and other plant-based ingredients with delicate Japanese-style broth. It is sometimes described as Japanese vegan cuisine, and it has become particularly popular among international visitors in recent years.

Before or after your meal, one of the best ways to enjoy your visit is to take a leisurely walk through the Sogenchi Garden, a World Heritage garden traditionally attributed to the Zen master Muso Soseki. The restaurant itself also offers beautiful views of the garden throughout the seasons, allowing you to experience Kyoto through both taste and scenery. In spring, you can enjoy cherry blossoms, while autumn brings spectacular fall foliage, giving the garden a completely different appearance depending on when you visit.

Each dish of the shojin cuisine is delicately prepared and beautifully presented. Eating the meal slowly, one dish at a time, creates a remarkably calm and refined dining experience. For anyone who wants to enjoy the most carefully prepared and tranquil meal possible in Arashiyama, Shigetsu is an excellent choice.

Please note: A separate admission fee for the Tenryu-ji garden is required in addition to the cost of the meal.

Address: 68 Saga Tenryuji Susukinobaba-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Phone: 075-882-9725

Access: About 5 minutes on foot from Randen Arashiyama Station

Hours: 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Closed: Thursdays

Pan to Espresso to Arashiyama Garden | Freshly Baked Bread Lunch at a Traditional Japanese House

For anyone looking to enjoy a slightly different kind of café lunch in Arashiyama, Pan to Espresso to Arashiyama Garden is an excellent choice. Located near Tenryu-ji Temple, this café occupies the beautifully renovated former Kobayashi Residence, a traditional house built in the late Edo period. Its striking thatched roof makes it easy to recognize even from a distance, and you will probably know you have arrived as soon as you see the building.

The café overlooks a beautiful Japanese garden, where visitors can also enjoy colorful autumn leaves in the fall. Having bread and coffee here allows you to experience the unique atmosphere of Kyoto and Arashiyama while surrounded by traditional architecture and greenery. There is also a bakery attached to the café, so you can enjoy your meal while surrounded by the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread. From 2:00 p.m., the café offers a special matcha French toast, an Arashiyama-exclusive menu item topped generously with ice cream. Its beautiful presentation makes it particularly popular for photos and social media.

The café opens from 8:00 a.m., making it a convenient choice for breakfast or a morning meal before beginning your Arashiyama sightseeing. Reservations for indoor dining are not available, so if the café is crowded, it is best to register for a table first and then spend the waiting time exploring the surrounding attractions.

Address: 45-15 Saga Tenryuji Susukinobaba-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto

Phone: 075-366-6850

Access: About 4 minutes on foot from Randen Arashiyama Station

Hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Final Thoughts

Dining in Arashiyama can be just as enjoyable as visiting famous attractions such as the Bamboo Forest and Togetsukyo Bridge. From soba, obanzai, and tai chazuke to tofu pasta, shojin cuisine, and freshly baked bread at a traditional café, the area offers an impressive variety of dining experiences. This diversity is one of the reasons Arashiyama remains enjoyable even for repeat visitors.

During the busy tourist seasons, finding a restaurant without a long wait can be challenging, so planning ahead is always a smart idea. Arriving shortly after a restaurant opens or visiting before closing time can often help you avoid the busiest periods. Use this guide as a reference and make sure that enjoying a delicious meal becomes an important part of your Arashiyama sightseeing experience.