As you’ll know from my “About Me” section, I haven’t actually lived in Kyoto but I did live in Kobe for 7 + years and have visited often.
I will continuously add new options as I discover more.
Here are my favourite places that I’ve discovered for breakfast along the way. (If you’ve read my long list of brunch and breakfast spots in Tokyo, you’l know that I’m a major, major breakfast person.
It is a VERY casual grab and go option BUT this Japanese bakery is right under Kyoto Station.
Another REALLY casual breakfast idea is to grab some of the bakery goods from Vie De France ( a chain store in Japan so if you like them, you’re in luck, they are everywhere!) inside the Cube Department Store (also underneath Kyoto Station.) They have a dine-in section.
This place did the trick and my kids were delighted to be given pizza bread for breakfast too.
It’s open early which also helps.
It’s not my most glamourous recommendation but….. meggghhhh… sometimes you’ve just got to go with what works, right?
All of their items are made fresh on the day of sale.
VIE DE FRANCE, CUBE DEPARTMENT STORE, KYOTO
京都市下京区 烏丸通塩小路町９０１ＴＨＥ ＣＵＢＥ地下２階
THE CUBE DEPARTMENT STORE, BASEMENT 2ND FLOOR,
901 KARASUMA STREET, HIGASHI-SHIOKOJI-CHO, SHIMOGYO-KU, KYOTO
OPEN 7:30AM-9PM
For a vegan breakfast, I recommend Coyote The Ordinary Shop in Kyoto. This cafe serves vegan egg on toast and coffee.
This cafe doesn’t accept reservations. They do accept most major credit cards. The entire cafe is non-smoking. I would budget around 1200 yen for a meal here.
COYOTE THE ORDINARY SHOP, KYOTO
下京区東塩小路町939 キャンパスプラザ京都 1F
GROUND FLOOR, CAMPUS PLAZA KYOTO BUILDING, 939 HIGASHI-SHIOKOJICHO, SHIMOGYO
OPEN EVERYDAY 8:30AM-5PM
And for a more formal brunch on a weekend, there is the Mercer Brunch Terrace House Kyoto restaurant in the Sanjo area.
On Weekends, brunch is offered from 10am.
This restaurant is completely smoke-free and has lots of space for strollers (although it is on the 3rd and 4th floor)
They are famous for their French toast.
For brunch I would budget 2500 yen per person for brunch. It’s a very pretty restaurant (and at night, a bar) so its not really an eat’n’dash type place. It is all about experiencing the breakfast itself.
* The photo above is from the restaurant’s instagram account.
MERCER BRUNCH TERRACE HOUSE KYOTO
OPEN FOR BRUNCH FROM 10AM ON WEEKENDS
RESERVATIONS ARE POSSIBLE
MERCER BRUNCH KYOTO WEBSITE
If you are venturing out to Arashiyama..
If you are vegan (or just want lots of yummy colourful veggies) I recommend making a reservation at Musubi Cafe. They have lunch plates that include a choice of a daily curry, pasta or plant-based taco meat on rice with salad. The miso soup is also vegan. You can see pictures of the Musubi Cafe menu here. They have an English menu. Breakfast here is two giant rice balls in seaweed, pickles and a veggie-laden vegan miso soup for just 700 yen. For other meals, I recommend budgeting approx 2000 yen per person. They accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. They have free wifi. This is also a good spot for parents to try some hot and cold sake while dining here too.
They are have space to store strollers while you dine.
MUSUBI CAFE
京都市西京区嵐山西一川町1-8
1-8 ARASHIYAMA-NISHIICHIKAWACHO, NISHIKYO-KU, KYOTO
OPEN FOR BREAKFAST 10:30AM-11:30AM
OPEN FOR LUNCH 11:30AM-3PM
CLOSED TUESDAYS (OPEN IF TUES IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY & THEN THE WED IS CLOSED INSTEAD)
If you are looking for vegan options in Kyoto, I recommend trying the restaurant Veg Out by the river near Shichijo Station exit 3. Open 8am-9pm. Closed Mondays. Open from 8am – 9pm (last orders at 8pm.)
