Kyoto is known for matcha and wagashi, but the Western-style sweets here are worth seeking out too.
Many cafes and sweet shops are converted machiya, old houses or former kissaten, so the rooms themselves are worth photographing.
This article covers six stylish cafes in Kyoto.
Cheesecakes, tarts piled with seasonal fruit, baked sweets and cakes: places that work for dessert, a light meal or breakfast.
Worth a look if you have a sweet tooth.
cafe origi: A Machiya Cafe Run by a Couple
A kissaten that fewer people know, where spotting the cafe origi sign is its own small pleasure.
The machiya setting carries the warmth and depth of wood, which suits sitting a while over a conversation.
Many come for the napolitan, but the lemon cheesecake and the ice cream that go with the coffee are worth ordering too.
Coming from the Seimei Shrine side you will see the sign; coming from Kitano Tenmangu, some people walk straight past it.
Look for the small window in the wall.
| cafe origi Address: 542-1 Sasayacho 1-chome, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto Tel: 075-4065-068 Hours: 11:00–18:00 Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays Website: https://www.instagram.com/cafe.origi?igsh=MXdtMGpzNmhmZ3JqYQ== |
Hidamari Cafe: Chestnut Cheesecake in a Warm Room
Food made with ingredients that are good for you, and that leaves you feeling warm.
That is what Hidamari Cafe serves.
It began with cooking for the family, and the room still feels that way.
The chestnut baked cheesecake is unusual; so are the caramel cheesecake, not too sweet with a slight bitterness, and the rich matcha gateau chocolat.
Any of them will satisfy someone who likes cheesecake.
| Hidamari Cafe Address: 25-25-1 Horinoue-cho, Kamidachiuri-dori Horikawa Higashi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto Tel: 075-451-7078 Hours In the cafe: 11:30–17:00 (last order 16:00) Tuesdays only: 11:30–16:00 (last order 15:00) Takeaway: collection 12:00–17:00 (last order 16:00) Tuesdays only: collection 12:00–17:00 (last order 16:00) Closed: Saturdays and Sundays Website: https://kyotohidamaricafe.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hidamaricafe.kyoto/ |
ha ra: HORNO Cakes Made with the Season
A cafe worth visiting for its sandwiches and the baked sweets of HORNO, for a meal or a short break.
Lasagne, sandwiches and salad plates all go with coffee, and some people come for the HORNO baked sweets alone.
The cakes made with what is in season, such as pumpkin, pear, apple and chestnut, are the ones to order.
People sit and talk or read, each in their own way, which is part of why it feels easy. Taking something out for a picnic by the Kamo River works too.
| ha ra Address: 448-62 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto Tel: 075-285-4821 Hours: 10:00–19:00 Closed: Tuesdays, with occasional closures (see the official Instagram) Website: https://www.instagram.com/ha_ra_kyoto?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== |
cafe cirque: Tarts in a French Antique Room
A tart specialist in a room done in French antique style.
The pastry is made from scratch: lemon tart, chocolate banana tart, and an airy fromage honey tart, all of which can be reserved up to the day before.
They pair with the original blend from Circus Coffee, the coffee specialist in Kitayama. Tables cannot be reserved, but tarts can be held through the form below.
| cafe cirque Address: 271-10 Motoisa-cho, Imadegawa-dori Omiya Higashi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto Hours: 11:30–17:00 Closed: Mondays (open when Monday is a public holiday) Website: https://www.instagram.com/cafe_cirque?igsh=MW8xMHc1amdna2phcQ== |
cafe marble Chiekoin: Fruit Tarts in a Room Like a Clearing
A shop for handmade quiche and tarts, next to a park in Nishijin.
Sun comes through the large windows, and the room feels as open as a clearing in a wood.
Lunch brings quiche made with seasonal vegetables and fruit tarts, along with a kids’ plate of meat sauce pasta, curry and other dishes that work for any age.
There is a quiche box to take away and a bear cookie tin that works as a gift.
| cafe marble Chiekoin Address: 1-519 Sasayacho, Sasayacho-dori Chiekoin Nishi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto Tel: 075-451-8777 Hours: 11:30–20:00 Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays, with occasional changes (see the official Instagram) Website: https://www.cafe-marble.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafemarble_kyoto/ |
Kaze to COFFEE Kissa Kazeko: A Neo Junkissa for Coffee Drinkers
Old kissaten are disappearing.
A building left unused for years has been taken on by an owner in his twenties, who brought a deep interest in coffee and a young eye to it and reopened it as a neo junkissa.
The room has something cinematic about it, and the fruit tarts and matcha tarts made with fresh fruit have a following.
The one to order is the French toast, which goes with coffee better than you might expect. The acidity of the fruit, toast that is not too sweet and the ice cream on top suit a light roast.
| Kaze to COFFEE Kissa Kazeko Address: 266-2 Daimonji-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto Hours Monday to Friday: 10:00–18:00 Saturday and Sunday: 8:00–18:00 Closed: Thursdays Website: https://www.instagram.com/kazetocoffee_kyoto?utm_medium=copy_link |
Summary
This article has covered six stylish cafes in Kyoto with sweets worth stopping for.
Along with the matcha sweets Kyoto is known for, the ones made with sweet potato, chestnut and pumpkin in season are worth trying.
Many of these places care about their coffee, so the pairing is part of the visit.
They work for dessert, for a light meal or for breakfast.
