Kyoto Tea, Coffee, Sweets & Bars 🇯🇵

京都醸造 Brewery taproom in a quiet neighbourhood southwest of Kyoto Station, pouring fresh, Belgian- and American-inspired beers. Wednesday to Sunday only. Craft beer · Nishikujo, Minami-ku · $

酒バー よらむ Tiny bar where the owner pours aged and unusual sake in small glasses, with tasting sets for exploring. Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings; small groups only. Sake bar · Nijo Karasuma, Nakagyo · $$

Polished whisky bar with a deep shelf of single malts and Japanese whisky plus classic cocktails, a grown-up nightcap near the Kamo River. Whisky bar · Kiyamachi Nijo, Nakagyo · $$$ Good to know: Closed Mon & Tue.

BEE'S KNEES Prohibition-style speakeasy behind an unmarked yellow door, pouring creative cocktails. No reservations and the line can be long; closed Sundays. Speakeasy · Kiyamachi, Nakagyo · $$$

Tiny, magic-themed bar with theatrical, playful cocktails. No reservations, so arrive at the 8pm opening; closed Thursdays. Cocktail bar · Kiyamachi, Shimogyo · $$$

Bar Rocking chair Intimate, low-lit cocktail bar known for inventive and beautifully precise drinks. Mostly walk-in, with early bookings by phone; closed Tuesdays. Cocktail bar · Kawaramachi, Shimogyo · $$$ Good to know: Reservations only for 17:00-18:00 by phone.

Vermillion espresso bar & info. Bright café a couple of minutes from Fushimi Inari, good for coffee and a light brunch before or after the climb. Closes at 2pm. Café · Fushimi Inari · $

% ARABICA 京都 嵐山 Glass-fronted coffee bar on the Katsura River facing Togetsukyo Bridge. Take your latte to the riverbank; lines build by mid-morning. Specialty coffee · Arashiyama · $

Specialty coffee stand a few minutes from Kyoto Station, ideal before a train, also selling Japanese brewing gear. Specialty coffee · Kyoto Station · $

Airy café in a 1927 tram-company building, run by the Kaikado tea-caddy makers, serving coffee, tea and cakes. Closed Thursdays. Café · Shichijo, Shimogyo · $$

六曜社 地下店 Snug basement coffee shop with house-roasted beans and doughnuts by day, turning into a bar in the evening. Tiny and walk-in only. Kissaten & bar · Kawaramachi Sanjo, Nakagyo · $ Good to know: Café closed Wednesdays (bar open).

フランソア喫茶室 A 1934 café with an Italian Baroque interior and classical music, now a registered cultural property. Order the custard pudding; cash only. Kissaten · Shijo Kiyamachi, Shimogyo · $ Good to know: No reservations.

スマート珈琲店 Retro coffee house on the Teramachi arcade, roasting its own beans and serving thick, old-fashioned hotcakes. Mornings are calmer. Kissaten · Teramachi, Nakagyo · $

イノダコーヒ 本店 A grand old Kyoto coffee house, open from 7am, for a classic breakfast and coffee served with milk and sugar unless you ask otherwise. No reservations. Classic coffee house · Sakaimachi Sanjo, Nakagyo · $$

茶寮都路里 祇園本店 Upstairs matcha café on Shijo-dori from an old Uji tea house, serving towering green-tea parfaits. Afternoon queues are long, so go near opening. Matcha sweets · Gion, Higashiyama · $$

一保堂茶舗 京都本店 Historic tea merchant on Teramachi with a tearoom where staff brew matcha, sencha or gyokuro for you, or show you how to do it yourself. Tea shop & tearoom · Teramachi Nijo, Nakagyo · $$ Good to know: Closed 2nd Wednesday monthly.

虎屋菓寮 京都一条店 Serene café of the historic Toraya confectioners, with garden views, yokan and seasonal sweets, a short walk from the Imperial Palace. Wagashi café · Imperial Palace (west), Kamigyo · $$

鍵善良房 四条本店 Old Gion sweets maker whose tea room makes kuzukiri to order: chilled kudzu noodles dipped in black sugar syrup. No reservations; closed Mondays. Wagashi tea room · Gion, Higashiyama · $$

出町ふたば Beloved shop for mame-mochi, soft rice cakes studded with salty red peas. The queue moves fast, but go early before they sell out. Wagashi · Demachi, Kamigyo · $ Good to know: Closed Tuesdays and 4th Wednesday.

一文字屋和輔 (一和) Tiny rice cakes on skewers, charred over charcoal and dipped in sweet white miso, served by the gate of Imamiya Shrine by a shop said to be a thousand years old. Wagashi (aburi mochi) · Imamiya Shrine, Kita-ku · $ Good to know: Closed Wednesdays (with exceptions) and 16-31 Dec.

通圓 Founded in 1160 at the east end of Uji Bridge and housed in a 1672 building, it is thought to be Japan's oldest tea shop. Stop for Uji matcha by the river. Tea house · Uji Bridge, Uji · $

中村藤吉本店 Historic tea merchant's house by JR Uji Station serving matcha jelly, parfaits and green-tea soba. No café bookings; join the waiting list early in the day. Tea house · Uji · $$