When I used to visit Kyoto 2 or 3 times a year, I always came here without fail, and the warm and welcoming service from the owner and their family is still the same. The owner's thoughtfulness and attention to detail are wonderful, captivating both regulars and tourists alike. It's a place where you want to linger over delicious food. I haven't provided detailed reviews of the food and drinks, but instead, here are some photos showcasing the beautiful presentation of the appetizers, the freshness of the sashimi, and the excellence of the fried and simmered dishes, all at a reasonable price. It's a shame that I always end up feeling full and wishing I could eat more. I heard that the wine will be discontinued, so I wonder if it will still be available next time. They are closed during the New Year, so I will definitely make sure to visit again after the holidays. It seems like the privilege of dropping in alone might be reserved for locals. This is a super popular restaurant that requires reservations.

The cooking and customer service were both excellent, and it's great that smoking has been banned for a few years now. The narrow restaurant was filled with the lively chatter of the customers. It was the last day of a three-day weekend. I didn't order the sashimi platter, so the bill came out very cheap. I was surprised when I paid the bill and received change, as it was only 7000 yen for two drinkers.

How many stomachs would one need to order everything they want to eat at this restaurant? With a wide variety of dishes, generous portions, and top-notch quality, it's hard to resist wanting to try everything. Even though you may end up feeling blissfully full after just a few dishes, increasing your stomach capacity could help you finally achieve sampling about half of what you desire.

Located near Keihan Kiyomizu-Gojo Station, this izakaya is a popular spot that is always full and requires reservations. The menu changes depending on the ingredients, but the handwritten menu is extensive and exciting. The service is excellent, which is why it's so popular. After visiting Kiyomizu-dera, this is a must-visit spot. - Komatsuna sesame salad: 430 yen - Mix teppai: 880 yen - Okinawa mozuku vinegar: 490 yen - Assorted sashimi: Price varies (Conger eel, striped jack, swordtip squid, marinated mackerel, flatfish, yokowa) - Corn and squid tempura: 900 yen - Matsutake mushroom and bynumushi: 980 yen - Beef tataki: 1,100 yen - Conger eel tempura: 900 yen The prices for dishes per person may not seem cheap, but since I went alone, the staff kindly adjusted the portion sizes and gave me a discount, so the total for the day was 6,460 yen, including a White Horse highball for 780 yen. The humble hospitality of the owner and the delightful service from the young staff with their smiles left a great impression. I would love to bring my friends here when they visit Kyoto again.

Sakura Bar in Gojo: This day we walked five minutes from Keihan Kiyomizu Gojo Station. The recommended Sakura Bar by a senior blogger. A popular restaurant always full. Good thing we made a reservation! The interior is long and narrow, with a counter and a raised tatami area. Quite small. A kind-looking old man is working diligently behind the counter. And the long menu written on a piece of paper changes daily! It's hard to decide what to order!! Mackerel Sushi for 980 yen: Thickly sliced mackerel sushi, rich in fat without any fishy smell. Delicious! Delicious! Grilled Sandfish for 800 yen: I'm drawn to this kind of rustic dish. The carefully grilled sandfish is so comforting. Large Shrimp Fry for 2080 yen: It's huge!! Crispy coating with plenty of tartar sauce. A model large shrimp fry. Fresh Ginkgo Nuts for 700 yen: It's almost ginkgo season. (Visited in early October) Stir-fried with salt. That's all you need. Corn and Squid Tempura for 900 yen: A dish with a little twist. Squid and corn finely chopped and made into tempura. The sweetness of the corn and the flavor of the squid. You can eat as much as you want. Matsutake Mushroom Steamed in a Pot for 980 yen: The season for steamed pots has arrived. With conger eel, matsutake mushrooms, and shrimp, this price is a delight. Pour some sudachi over the gentle broth. A blissful time. I'm so full! Thank you for the meal.

I used to come here frequently, but I think it's been about 4 years since my last visit. It's been a while, but not much has changed, which is reassuring. ★ Squid sashimi for 700 yen is a must-order every time. It never disappoints and has a good portion size. ★ Boiled clams for 900 yen, perfect for nibbling on. ★ Grilled conger eel for 1500 yen, delicious and fatty. ★ Corn and squid tempura for 900 yen, the sweetness of the corn and squid pairs well with salt. ★ Flounder sashimi for 980 yen, thick and fatty, very tasty. ★ Striped jack sashimi for 1380 yen, has a nice firm texture. ★ Large shrimp fry for 2050 yen, still huge and the tartar sauce is amazing. The only thing that has changed is the prices, they have gone up since my last visit. Can't order as freely as before, need to be more selective now.

I have been visiting this restaurant for about a year now, and personally, it is my favorite izakaya in Kyoto. It's a mystery why a bar is included in the name even though it's an izakaya. They open at 4 pm, a bit earlier than usual, so I always make a reservation for 4 pm. If you don't reserve for 4 pm, the seats fill up quickly as it is a popular spot. I always go alone, and I appreciate that they serve the sashimi platter at the perfect temperature for one person. It is a family-run business, and the master's deep voice always echoes throughout the restaurant. I always order the sashimi platter with sushi rice when I go back. In winter, I can't miss the sea cucumber and shirako. The honest master will even make a comment if the fish isn't fresh enough. Although the location is a bit hard to find, the restaurant is always busy because of the delicious food and the warm service from the master. Thank you for the meal! I will definitely visit again!

The restaurant, despite being called an izakaya, offers a vast menu of delicious, authentic Kyoto cuisine. The customers order non-stop, keeping the kitchen busy until the last call. The family running the kitchen works seamlessly together to keep up with the relentless orders. Despite the impressive dishes that even high-end restaurants would envy, the prices are surprisingly reasonable. This place truly showcases the local power of Kyoto.

The sign says "bar," but this place is more like a lively izakaya! It's always packed with locals enjoying delicious dishes at affordable prices. From home-style cooking to seasonal dishes, the menu is extensive and everything is delicious without a doubt. The delicate broth, quality ingredients, and lovely service make this place truly wonderful. I would love to visit every time I'm in Kyoto.

I was able to enter without a reservation just in time after the opening. Most of the seats were already reserved. The food was delicious and fantastic. I selected a junmai sake. There were not many types of alcohol available. The sashimi platter with fresh oysters was amazing, and it cost less than 10,000 yen for two people. I think this is cheap!

Upon the recommendation of a friend, I made a reservation at a restaurant that is said to be fully booked every day. We arrived about 5 minutes early for our 7:00 reservation, but were told that we couldn't be seated yet because there were still customers ahead of us. It was clear that the restaurant is always busy. It seems to be a family-run business, as everyone there was very friendly. Despite being so busy, they provided attentive and polite service without a hint of annoyance. The menu was like a scroll, with daily handwritten updates for the recommended dishes. It was truly impressive. The extensive main menu offered a variety of delicious options. Everything we tried was delicious. I will definitely be going back!

Thursday 20:15, I ended up at Sakura Bar (I actually wanted to eat Keiran Udon and was planning to go to Benkei, but for some reason I passed by and ended up here). The place was quite busy. I sat at the end of the counter. The staff, who I assume is the owner, warmly welcomed me. "Welcome back, let me see you off," "Clean up over there," "Who's answering the phone," their voices were flying around. They seemed very busy. Highball 480 yen, assorted tempura 880 yen, Keiran Udon 620 yen. They asked if I wanted lemon squeezed into my highball, so I said yes. When I ordered the assorted tempura, the staff said something to me but I couldn't quite catch it. I apologized for my hearing impairment and could only say, "I'll leave it to you." It's quite difficult to have a conversation when it's so noisy and everyone is wearing masks, making it hard to see their mouths moving. At 20:40, the assorted tempura arrived. 2 prawns, 2 shishito peppers, onion, eggplant, lotus root, shiitake mushrooms. Served with grated daikon radish and ginger. It was delicious and piping hot. At 20:51, the Keiran Udon arrived. The standby was laughing because I had finished the tempura I ordered 10 minutes earlier. The server who brought it also brought three condiments: sansho pepper, ichimi pepper, and shichimi pepper. However, the ichimi pepper was either missing or stuck, as it didn't come out. There was a generous amount of ginger on top, and the udon looked hot, so I was glad to have a separate plate. The Kyoto-style udon was cooked to a soft texture, and the broth was as gentle as I had imagined. It was delicious. I enjoyed changing the flavors by adding different condiments multiple times. Whether with sansho pepper or shichimi pepper, it was delicious. (I'm really weak when it comes to dishes with thickened sauce or egg on top, haha, self-awareness). I unintentionally achieved my original goal of eating Keiran Udon at Sakura Bar. It was quite crowded, and I heard the owner apologizing for the wait for the dishes multiple times. It was indeed busy, so the food was a bit slow to arrive. By the time I finished eating, it was already past 9 p.m. It seemed like it would be fun to come with someone and order a variety of dishes. Now that I understood the place, it's also fine to come alone again. I will visit again, thank you for the meal.

I revisited because I couldn't take photos last time. It was not crowded, probably because it was the beginning of the week. I ordered beer and sashimi and enjoyed looking at the menu to decide what to eat. The portion seemed smaller than last time, but the food was delicious. It was cold, so I had four shochu hot water drinks, and it was more cost-effective to keep the bottle.

This is a very popular izakaya. They serve delicious sashimi, shrimp fry, udon, and everything is tasty. I go there occasionally and it's a very cozy place. I'm happy that they offer bottle keep service. I want to go there again to eat the huge shrimp fry. It's a popular place so it's hard to get in, but there are openings now. Thank you for the meal. I will go again. I will eat with gratitude for all the ingredients in this world. I'm calling delicious things♪ The more you eat, the more power overflows♪

Located on a small path that feels like it's just a short walk from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station to Kiyomizu Temple, this izakaya has a good reputation so I decided to visit. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice, with a hidden gem-like feel on the small path. When I entered the restaurant, the counter seemed full. I signaled to the owner that I was alone, and they showed me to a tatami room for four people that was temporarily available. They asked if I could move to the counter when other customers arrived, and I agreed. I started with a draft beer, Kirin Lager. There was no appetizer. For side dishes, I ordered the recommended dishes of grilled Man'enshi Togarashi peppers, Izumisano pickled water eggplant, and salt-grilled small sweetfish. The Man'enshi Togarashi peppers were juicy and delicious. I've never had such juicy Man'enshi Togarashi peppers before. Maybe it was the right season. I finished the beer and switched to sake, Kinshi Masamune special junmai sake served cold. It was easy to drink and had a nice umami flavor. It was getting really good. The Izumisano pickled water eggplant arrived, with a crispy texture and a seasoning that went well with the sake. This was also delicious. The salt-grilled small sweetfish arrived later. It was perfectly grilled, with a fluffy texture and crispy skin. The liver was also delicious! Sweetfish is always good. I added Kinshi Masamune freshly squeezed raw sake. I had planned the menu from the beginning. Since it was raw sake, the alcohol content was higher. It had a thick texture and was effective. It was delicious. At this point, the customers in the restaurant changed, and I moved to the counter seat. I adjust to the restaurant's convenience, but the service was polite, so I didn't feel uncomfortable. I felt like having tempura with the raw sake, but I was also interested in Kyoto black soybeans edamame. After considering everything, this time I chose the edamame. The edamame was juicy and had just the right amount of salt. It wasn't as rich as edamame, but it was still good. The sake kept flowing, and it was time to close. It's a popular restaurant, so customers kept coming in one after another. I was lucky to get a seat this time. The grilled dishes and pickled vegetables were delicious, and the prices were reasonable. The menu was also extensive. The sake was focused on Kinshi Masamune, but I had no complaints. I would love to visit again if I have the chance.

I visited the restaurant near my accommodation around 10 pm. It wasn't too crowded, so I sat at the counter. I ordered a hot sake from Fushimi Kinshi Masamune, along with simmered fuki and aoyagi teppai. The Kinshi Masamune sake was warmed in a glass bottle with hot water. The simmered fuki had a crunchy texture, and the aoyagi teppai (vinegared miso dish) had a unique flavor with scallions, seaweed, and sansho pepper. For my second hot sake, I had salt-boiled asparagus, which was boiled and then cooled in ice water to a vibrant green color. When I asked the owner about the origin of the name "Sakura Bar," he mentioned that it came from his great-grandmother who used to run an izakaya in Fushimi, where the old Dai-Nippon Beer (predecessor of Sapporo Beer and Asahi Beer) used to serve Sakura Beer. It's a name with a historical background. The restaurant is run by a couple and their two sons, who all seem very humble and down-to-earth, typical of Kyoto locals. It's rare to find a family-run izakaya in a touristy city like Kyoto. The bill was pleasantly affordable, in the low 2000 yen range.