Located about a 5-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, just turn south at the Takakura Oike intersection. This café is popular for its cakes such as apple pie, cheesecake, and pancakes. The founder, Mr. Hirano, learned traditional cake making in America and opened a shop in Japan to recreate those flavors. They also have a sister store in Daikanyama, Tokyo. I visited the Daikanyama store in 2004 or 2005. The apple pie has a refreshing balance of apple tartness and sweetness. I ordered it with iced coffee. The top has a crispy crust, while the bottom is moist. The contrast in textures is interesting. The coffee has a strong classic bitterness. I asked for both milk and syrup. I prefer adding milk to this kind of coffee. It was around 4 p.m. when I finished dessert, and customers kept coming in without a break. I was lucky to get in without waiting, but there was a line when I left. In fact, this place has become a popular spot with 100 stores. However, the atmosphere is calm with many older customers, striking a good balance between busyness and tranquility.

After visiting the Kyoto Cultural Museum (Mofu Cat Exhibition), we stopped by to try their famous apple tart. We waited for about 10 minutes before being seated. The interior of the restaurant was predominantly white, and we were able to choose our favorite tart from the showcase before placing our order. We chose the apple tart and cherry tart. The apple tart had a crispy texture, while the cherry tart had a sticky texture (tasting like sweet pickled plum), and both were delicious. Payment with PayPay is accepted.

I visited here on the recommendation of a friend. When we went around 3 p.m. on a holiday, there was one group ahead of us and we waited for about 15 minutes, I think. There were several cute cakes in the showcase, but I chose the banana caramel pancake. Pancakes like this are delicious at first but can be a bit heavy towards the end. The pancakes were very fluffy! The latte was also delicious. There was a slightly unfriendly staff member, but I guess they were busy. Thank you for the meal.

This is an American bakery located in Kyoto's Nishikojidori Takakura area. The nearest station is Karasuma Oike Subway Station. Their signature dish is the apple pie. This is a shop owned by the culinary researcher Akiko Hirano. It's one of the long-standing establishments in this genre, having been around since my student days. By the way, they also have a shop in Daikanyama, Tokyo. Actually, you can buy their apple pie at GRAND FRONT OSAKA and DEAN & DELUCA in Sanjo, so I have tried their pastries several times, but this was my first visit to the main store. The interior of the shop is all white. You can choose to take out or eat in, and if dining in, you will be shown to an available table. There are not many tables, around six sets in total. I visited around 1:00 pm on a weekday and fortunately didn't have to wait to be seated. You select your cake from the showcase. On that day, there were few options, with only sour cream apple pie, cherry pie, and banana cream pie available, along with pound cakes, scones, and biscuits. The cherry pie (¥621 for dining in) is available year-round. It's rare to find a shop that serves cherry pie, so I ordered it without hesitation. I was hoping for some reheating or whipped cream when dining in, but unfortunately, there was none, which was disappointing (laughs). However, the pie was very delicious. I even considered getting some to go! The hot tea (¥450) arrived in a mug with the shop's logo. It was nice and hot, but nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, the pastries are delicious, but since there wasn't much point in eating in, I'll opt for takeout next time. However, I am curious about the pancakes that are exclusive to dining in, so if the timing is right, I might try the pancakes next time.

Matsunosuke Kyoto Main Store is located facing Takakura Street in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, between the main roads of Oike Street and Aneyakoji Street. The nearest stations are a 4-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station Exit 3-2 on the Kyoto Municipal Subway and an 11-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station Exit 1. It is a famous shop for pancakes and apple pies, with a Japanese-style name and appearance but a Western-style interior. The founder, Akiko Hirano, learned traditional cake making on the East Coast of America, returned to Japan, and opened a shop to recreate those flavors. The name "Matsunosuke" comes from the name of Akiko Hirano's grandfather, who was a master of Noh costume design. There is also a Daikanyama branch in Shibuya, Tokyo. Inside the restaurant, there are table seats on the left and right upon entry, with no counter seats. Towards the back of the aisle, there is a showcase and a cashier on the right side. There is a restroom near the cashier. You will be seated at an available table, and a staff member will bring you the menu. There is no menu for apple pie, so it seems you have to choose from the showcase. The menu has 5 types of pancakes, while there were only 2 types of apple pies in the showcase. I ordered the Banana Caramel pancake for 1,100 yen and a hot tea for 450 yen. The staff's attitude is not friendly. Despite the heat outside, when I asked for water, it was unclear whether they heard me or not. It took a long time to cook just one pancake. I understand that pancakes take time to cook, but it still took a while. After quite a wait, my order arrived. The Banana Caramel pancake consisted of a thick pancake with caramel sauce on top, overflowing onto the plate. It had about 6 slices of banana on top, with whipped cream on top of that. There was also caramel sauce on top of the whipped cream. The pancake was quite thick and had a dry texture when eaten, which was disappointing. The tea was served in a large ceramic mug, but the sugar in the glass bottle was not sweet at all. The total cost for the Banana Caramel pancake and the tea came to 1,550 yen. The internet mentioned that pancakes are served from 9:00 to 14:00, but the menu stated they are served until 16:00. You will be seated at an available table, and a staff member will bring you the menu. However, there is no menu for apple pie, so it seems you have to choose from the showcase. Once you decide on your order, you call the staff again to place your order. You wait for your order to arrive. They will place a number card on your table. You eat your food. When you finish, you take the number card to the cashier. You need this number card for payment, similar to a bill. You make your payment, and credit cards are accepted.

Arrived at the restaurant at 12:30 on a weekday. It faces a narrow alley with a basic white and black exterior. The interior is not very spacious, about 80% full. Sat at a table for two. Ordered the Pancake Set for 1,200 yen, which includes pancakes, bacon and eggs, mini granola, and a drink. The pancakes were served about 20 minutes after ordering. They had a fluffy texture with a subtle buttery flavor, very simple and delicious. The accompanying maple syrup was not too sweet and had a smooth consistency, which paired well with the bacon. Alternating between salty and sweet was a personal favorite. Thank you for the meal.

☑︎Banana Caramel Pancake ¥1,100 ☑︎Apple Pie ¥621 ☑︎Iced Coffee ¥500 I visited around noon on Sunday. I was able to get in without waiting in line! The pancakes weren't overly sweet, had a gentle flavor, so I felt like I could eat as much as I wanted, haha. The caramel and whipped cream were on the sweeter side. The apple pie had a crunchy texture and was delicious! The best. They also had a lot of cakes and pancakes that all looked delicious. The interior of the restaurant was cute. ♡ Address: 605-3 Kameyacho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8105 ⚐ Hours: 9:00-17:30 ⚐ Closed on Tuesdays ⚐ Phone: - ⚐ Reservations: - ⚐ Access: 3-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station, 9-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station ⚐ Parking: - ⚐ Price range: Up to ¥1,999 Thank you for reading until the end! I would be delighted with likes and saves. ( ¨̮ )⤴︎⤴︎ Be sure to check out my Instagram too @gourmet_tabi.

I lined up at 8:50 and was at the front, around 10:00, about 4 groups had lined up. By 10:05, it was fully seated. The interior of the restaurant is designed with white as the main color, and you can see the kitchen well. I ordered the "Pancake Banana Caramel Ice Cafe au Lait." The whipped cream served with the pancake was lightly sweetened, with maple syrup provided separately. The scones and biscuits were large in size and reasonably priced. Thank you for the meal, and thank you very much.

Located in Kyoto, Matsunosuke has a shop in Daikanyama, Tokyo. This place is famous for its pancakes, but I was intrigued by their baked goods, so I got a scone to go! By the way, around 11 a.m. on Sunday, the place was almost full with everyone enjoying pancakes, haha. The pancakes looked fluffy and delicious. The plain scone costs 260 yen for takeout, which is quite reasonable compared to 480 yen for dining in, probably due to toppings. They also had cranberry scones and biscuits. I reheated them, and they were crispy on the outside with a rich buttery aroma. I like moist scones like Kiyon, but the classic crispy scones are delicious too! This scone ranks high among those I've recently tried. Baked goods like scones should keep well, so it's a good choice for souvenirs too!

I came to Karasuma Oike, so I finally visited the main store of Matsunosuke-san that I've wanted to go to (*´༥`*) I used to go to "Linebeck" in Imadegawa often, but it seems that it closed in January 2023. It's full of memories there, so it's a shame (><) "Linebeck" was famous for its pancakes, but here, the apple pie is popular! The interior of the restaurant is stylish with a New York style decor, and in a good way, it doesn't feel too Kyoto-like (*´艸`*) "Matsunosuke" is a shop that produces apple pies and sweets, supervised by Akiko Hirano. Akiko Hirano is a leading chef in Japan who provides desserts to Dean & Deluca's Marunouchi and Shibuya stores. She is mainly active in Tokyo in areas like Daikanyama, Meguro, and Shinjuku, but since she is from Kyoto, she seems to have a special attachment to Kyoto ♡ Especially their apple pie is renowned, with the characteristic of wrapping fresh apples in pie crust and baking them. They particularly focus on the tart Akane apples and use different crusts for each pie! The seasonal apple pies are delicious, and I personally like the "Caramel Apple Pie" and "Maple Apple Pie" from autumn to winter, but I haven't tried the classic "Sour Cream Apple Pie" yet!!! ◉ Sour Cream Apple Pie 621 yen ◉ Cranberry Scone 530 yen ◉ Iced Tea 500 yen ◉ Iced Coffee 500 yen The prices are reasonable, so it's popular among tourists and young people ♥️ The long-awaited "Sour Cream Apple Pie" is perfect for summer with its refreshing sour cream with a tangy taste ✩⋆*॰¨̮⋆｡˚ The crispy apples are delicious ♥️ And the crumbly texture, a feature of Matsunosuke's apple pie, is irresistible! (*´ч`*) Delicious hot apple pie in winter is amazing, but the chilled Sour Cream Apple Pie is also delicious. They also have other NY-style delicious pies and sweets like "Cherry Pie," "Banana Cream Pie," "Lemon Pie," and "Coconut Cake." I feel that the apple pie at Matsunosuke's main store in Kyoto is tastier than the one in Daikanyama for some reason~♡ Thank you for the meal (*´▽`人)

After enjoying traditional Japanese sweets, I decided to try some Western-style sweets this time lol. I visited the popular café Matsunosuke's main store, located about a 3-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station. Luckily, we were able to get a seat smoothly without waiting in line (*^。^*) This café is famous for its apple pie, so we ordered that first. We also ordered scones because they looked delicious. The apple pie, being the specialty, had a perfect balance of apple tartness and sweetness, and the crust was delicious. Additionally, the scones here were amazing Ψ( 'ч'♡ ) They were crispy and fragrant on the outside, but surprisingly moist and not dry on the inside, which was great (﹡ˆ﹀ˆ﹡)♡ When topped with cream, they were even more delicious ♥️ This café has been selected as one of the top 100 cafés, and it was definitely a popular and satisfying place to eat (^_-)-☆ Thank you for the meal m(_ _)m

I tried the sour cream apple pie at Matsunosuke that I had been curious about for a while. I was ignorant about what sour cream was, wondering if it was sour, but it wasn't at all. The refreshing sweetness of the apple and the crispy pie crust matched perfectly and was delicious. I was surprised by how light and easy to eat it was, I could go for a second one. They also have a pancake menu, so I'll try it next time I have the chance!

Around 3:00 PM on Saturday, surprisingly not crowded, and we were able to get in smoothly. I was planning to eat apple pie, but my heart wavered between cherry pie and scones (~_~;)♡ If they could improve the drink menu a bit more, I think I would visit more often♡

This is a restaurant I have loved for a long time. I went there after a long time, and even though it's a bit off the beaten path, the restaurant was still bustling as usual. It's simple but really delicious. Even though I was full, I managed to finish the pancakes in no time. It's always a bit of a hassle to find parking nearby when going by car, but the consistent deliciousness makes me want to go back! The staff's service may seem a bit indifferent though.

I went around 3 pm on Friday and was seated right away without waiting. They only had sour cream apple pie, but mentioned that a different apple pie will be available after October. The apple pie was light and you could taste the freshness of the apples.

I went on a gourmet cafe tour in Kyoto~ Visiting various cafes is always fun. I found this cafe through a search for top 100 cafes, so I decided to check it out. The cafe closes at 6 pm, and I arrived around 5 pm. When I entered the cafe, I informed them of this and was kindly welcomed. The drink menu was placed on the table. There wasn't a very welcoming atmosphere. I was instructed from the register side to choose a cake from the showcase. I can't eat cake! I asked if only drinks were possible, and they said yes. I ordered a coffee for ¥550. A large mug was brought to me, looking quite hot. It was indeed piping hot! I wondered how they brewed it. I was worried if I could finish it before closing time, but I managed to drink it all. There was one other female customer, but she left before me, so I felt a bit awkward being alone. Entering a top 100 cafe must mean their apple pie is delicious. I wonder if I'll have a chance to try it someday. The coffee was generous and had good value. It had a light taste from light roasting. It would go well with apple pie!

Although there is also a branch in Daikanyama, this is the main store. I've wanted to visit this restaurant for a while. I had the classic apple pie and pancakes. The apple pie was not too sweet and refreshing, while the pancakes were fluffy, which was a new experience for me. They were delicious.

The apple pie for 520 yen was delicious! Despite the rain, the place was moderately crowded, and I think there were some types of apple pie that were sold out. They don't have a one-drink minimum policy, so the prices are cheap and it's a nice place to have a quick tea!