Near Karasuma Street. About a 5-minute walk from Hankyu Karasuma Station. The entrance may seem easy to miss, but there is a narrow passage leading to the back. After walking for a while, there is a door that automatically opens and a staff member greets you. The atmosphere is casual and lively. I made a reservation. Around 6:00 pm on a weekday. By 7:00 pm, the place was fully packed. It's better to make a reservation. The place is known for its delicious sake above all. I was excited and ordered "Tokujirou" and "Shirakiku". Both were fruity and easy to drink. The sake that the staff brought as a service, Kagura, was also delicious. You order via mobile and the food is brought to your table in 5-10 minutes. It's not too formal, you can have a lively time without being too noisy. We ordered a sashimi platter, octopus tempura, octopus wasabi, and crab miso gratin - which was irresistible for crab miso lovers. We also ordered grilled rice balls. It was satisfying. It cost nearly 8000 yen for two people. It was delicious! The variety of sake options is extensive, so I think there is still more to enjoy at this place.

If you visit Kyoto for sightseeing, this is definitely a recommended shop. I have visited it several times in the past. They offer a variety of izakaya menu items that go well with Japanese sake. There are many Kyoto-style dishes on the menu, and they also have a relatively large selection of Kyoto sake. The atmosphere of the shop is nice, with a Kyoto machiya-like feel and a view of the inner courtyard. The main seating is standing, but there are also some reserved table seats available. It tends to be crowded with tourists on weekends, so I recommend making a reservation. The standout feature of this shop is definitely the wide range of Japanese sake they offer. I think they have about 50 types. The rice dishes are also very delicious, and I think the cost performance is quite good. The prices have been gradually increasing, but that's understandable in the current situation. Still, I think it's quite reasonable.

The restaurant has a clean and stylish atmosphere like a bar, it's a very nice place. The potato salad with smoked salmon and the deep-fried octopus with pickled shishito pepper tartar sauce were both delicious. It was nice that they served sake as a complimentary drink. Takachiyo, a fragrant and sweet sake, was like a dessert.

On Friday at 8:30 pm, I stopped by the Gion Festival's Yoiyoiyoiyama on my way home from work. Since the pedestrian zone starts on Saturday, the crowd wasn't too big, and I was able to leisurely walk around. I walked north from Bukkoji Temple to Shakyamuni and decided to stop by Masya, which I hadn't been to in a while. The restaurant seemed fully booked, but the standing area was empty. I started with a reasonably priced daiginjo sake and paired it with oboro tofu from Hattori at Nanzenji. Later, I noticed they had a Gion Festival limited tasting set, so I ordered that too. It included my favorite Aozora and the sake I wanted to try, Hibi from Days Sake Brewery. There were a lot of police officers around for the festival, which made me feel safe. Around the floats, they strictly enforced left-side walking.

Amazing cost performance! The dishes exceed expectations in terms of volume and are all very appealing, unlike anything you would see in other sake bars. The variety of sake they offer is impressive, and you can enjoy them at a reasonable price per glass. I ate and drank a lot, and it didn't even cost me 3500 yen. I will definitely visit again!

I visited the restaurant in the evening following lunch. The appetizers were a bit cloudy Nigori sake from Shiga's Nanahonsen and fried pike conger. I ordered a set of 4 different sakes (45ml each) brewed by a female sake brewer to compare. I enjoyed a relaxed evening of drinking and dining with dishes like yuba cheese and octopus tempura with Shibazuke tartar. The view of the courtyard from the machiya house was also beautiful and serene.

On a regular weekday before noon, I saw a line of women at a Vietnamese restaurant and wasn't sure what to do. But then I found this restaurant. I walked down a narrow alley of a traditional Japanese house and arrived at a calm interior with about 60 seats. I chose the Yangnyeom Chicken for lunch, which came with a choice of two side dishes, a nice Kyoto touch. There were seats with a view of the garden, and the contrast between the dimly lit traditional house and the greenery outside was beautiful. They had a wide selection of carefully selected Japanese sake, so I plan to come back for dinner next time.

We used this restaurant for a company drinking party. The atmosphere is calm and nice from the entrance. The seats are wooden tables, giving a warm feeling. We ordered a course menu and each dish went well with Japanese sake! We started with beer, but after just one bite, we switched to sake haha. Highly recommended for sake lovers.

Visited in March 2023 ◎ At the time of posting, the restaurant had a rating of 3.49 on Tabelog (based on 111 reviews). ■ Kyoto-style seafood yakisoba (served with fried rice and 2 side dishes) for 1,000 yen (tax included) *Limited menu after 1:00 PM Today's lunch was the 1:00 PM limited menu at "Sake Hall Masaya." The Kyoto-style seafood yakisoba, fried rice, choice of 2 side dishes, self-serve coffee, all for 1,000 yen including tax, is a great deal. The atmosphere inside the restaurant, which seems to have been renovated from a machiya (traditional wooden townhouse), is cozy. You get to choose 2 dishes from several options brought to your table, but the number of dishes varies depending on the day. On this day, there were 6 options to choose from. The "Kyoto-style seafood yakisoba" has thin noodles that are chewy in some parts and crispy with a nice charred flavor. It's enjoyable with ingredients like shrimp, squid, onions, bell peppers, eggplant, and daikon radish, topped with bonito flakes. Mixing the octopus and egg fried rice with the side dish of simmered clams is also delicious. I leisurely enjoyed a cup of hot coffee after the meal. Thank you for the meal.

I was recommended this place by someone who knows a lot about sake. They have a wide variety of sake and the interior of the shop is stylish and quite spacious, making it a relaxing place to hang out. I got a bit carried away and drank a bit too much this time. The sake lineup changes daily, so I look forward to visiting again.

I stopped by here on the second night of my Kyoto trip. I wanted to visit a place where I could drink sake. Since the beginning of the year, I have been awakening to the deliciousness of sake with Dassai at a tonkatsu restaurant in my local Asakusa area... But here, sipping on several types of sake and enjoying exquisite appetizers, I realized how wonderful it is to spend the evening like this! - What I had: - Kamikura - Shuhari - Fujiyama no Hi Asa Jozuri - Smoked shishamo - Octopus wasabi

A few minutes walk from Karasuma Station. Today, I stopped by here. The interior of the restaurant consists of counter seats and table seats, and the main drink menu is sake. I ordered a draft beer and some food. Let's dig in! First, a serving of sardines and a small cup of sake arrived as a starter. Not bad for 440 yen. The draft beer is in good condition and delicious. For the second drink, I switched to a sake from Hiroshima called Nishijou Tsuru Unfiltered Junmai Sake. It has a fruity flavor unique to fresh sake, with a solid and satisfying taste. Even without snacks, it's a tasty drink. Since I just stopped by today, I didn't stay long and ended the visit. So, thanks for the meal! The food starts from a minimum of 500 yen, but since a starter is served, the bill may end up higher than expected if dining alone. It's more suitable for those who prefer to have a proper drink rather than just one drink if you decide to stop by.

Visited in February 2023 ◎ At the time of posting, the restaurant had a rating of 3.48 on Tabelog (based on 112 reviews). ■ Sake Kasu Miso Nabe Udon for 1,000 yen (tax included) * Comes with cooked rice, choice of two side dishes, soup, and pickles. I visited the izakaya "Sake Hall Masuya," where sake lovers gather, for lunch. I had previously tried the "White Miso White Kheema Curry," but since the cold days continue, I decided to review this one first. Today, I used the counter for the first time and ordered the "Sake Kasu Miso Nabe Udon" as planned. The staff brought a tray full of side dishes, from which you can choose two of your liking. This time, I chose Nikujaga (braised meat and potatoes) and simmered daikon radish and shiitake mushrooms! The "Sake Kasu Miso Nabe Udon" was filled with salmon slices and the rich sake kasu miso soup was delicious. The thick udon noodles were a bit soft, but even as someone who prefers firm noodles, I didn't mind it much. It was interesting that the soup was kasujiru, but I like kasujiru so it was totally fine. Both side dishes were delicious as well. Thank you for the meal.

Before returning to Osaka from Kiyomizu-dera, I decided to relax and sweat at Minoo Onsen Hanano-yu in Nakagyo-ku, and then have dinner at the restaurant Sakura-tei located inside the facility. However, the restaurant was quite crowded, so I searched for nearby restaurants recommended by MyRebi-san. Unfortunately, many of them were closed for New Year's or busy, and I was turned down over the phone. Eventually, I chose a nearby restaurant with high reviews. When I called to inform them of the number of people, the staff kindly said that they could only seat us in a section without backrests at the moment, but would move us to seats with backrests when they became available, especially for the children. The restaurant was clean and very stylish, just as described in the reviews. I found the mobile ordering system to be convenient and easy to use. However, many items were sold out, which was quite shocking. When I asked the staff about it, they explained that it was due to the New Year season and the limited time available. Despite the disappointment, I ordered two delicious items that were not sold out and filled my stomach. The potato salad and pizza were particularly tasty. The restaurant also had a wide selection of sake, although I opted for a soft drink as I was driving. The prices for the dishes were on the higher side, but the quality was good. As the last order was announced, we decided to leave and thanked the staff. Just before the last order, three customers next to us ordered multiple items verbally instead of using the mobile ordering system, even though some items were sold out. I was puzzled as to why the staff didn't inform them about the sold-out items. After settling the bill at the table, we left without being escorted by the staff, feeling a chill in the air as we bid farewell to Kyoto. Good taste! Thank you for the meal.

On the way back from Akashi, we stopped at a Japanese sake shop for lunch. With so many options, I couldn't decide, so I started with hot sake even though it's summer. I also considered a crisp cold sake, but since the journey was far from over, I decided to power up here. It's hard to believe, but there was a beautiful lady serving sake in the afternoon. I took it easy here. After this, we visited two more places.

■Order Summary 【Food】 ・Caesar salad with spring vegetables and warm egg (tax included 660 yen) Rating=◯ ・Iburi Gakko potato salad (tax included 490 yen) Rating=◎ ・Salmon and sprout cabbage with leek miso chanchan-yaki (tax included 770 yen) Rating=◎ ・Fried tofu from Kyoto and shredded sansho pepper with mayonnaise (tax included 600 yen) Rating=◎ ・Asparagus wrapped in meat with hollandaise sauce (tax included 680 yen) Rating=◯ ・Inari-zushi with small shrimp and edamame rice (tax included 500 yen) Rating=△ 【Sake】 ・New sake "Megane Senyou" (tax included 495 yen) Rating=◎ ・Ten'on (tax included 495 yen) Rating=◯ ・Mansaku no Hana Kame Label (tax included 715 yen) Rating=◎ ・Joujin Kyuhei (tax included 715 yen) Rating=◎ ■Comments I made a reservation before visiting on a holiday night around 6 pm. Of course, the purpose was to enjoy Japanese sake and food. About 30% of the seats were already occupied by other customers. Maybe they started drinking since noon? We were guided to a table and ordered the menu as listed in the order summary. 【Appetizer】 We were served with Japanese-style tomato appetizer and sake. The sake was called "Minami" from Kochi Prefecture. The tomato appetizer allowed us to savor the sweetness of the tomatoes, along with finely chopped daikon radish, dried baby sardines, green onions, and myoga, offering a delightful aroma and texture. 【Food】 ・Caesar salad with spring vegetables and warm egg (tax included 660 yen) Rating=◯ The crispy texture of the cauliflower added a nice touch. The ingredients included warm egg, lettuce, asparagus, cauliflower, and fried pasta (?). The cauliflower was firm, and the asparagus was cooked to retain its texture. We enjoyed mixing it with the crushed egg. ・Iburi Gakko potato salad (tax included 490 yen) Rating=◎ The finely chopped Iburi Gakko added a crunchy texture to the potato salad. It had a delightful crunch and texture, with ingredients like potatoes, bacon (?), Iburi Gakko, and mustard. This is a must-order dish at sake shops. ・Salmon and sprout cabbage with leek miso chanchan-yaki (tax included 770 yen) Rating=◎ It was a foil-baked dish. At the bottom were salmon, topped with sprout cabbage, onions, and leeks mixed with miso. The crispy texture of the sprout cabbage was delicious. The miso seasoning was rich and flavorful, eliminating any fishy smell from the salmon. ・Fried tofu from Kyoto and shredded sansho pepper with mayonnaise (tax included 600 yen) Rating=◎ The surface of the fried tofu was crispy, and it was delicious with the shredded sansho pepper. The thick fried tofu had a fluffy tofu-like texture inside, and the contrast between the crispy surface and shredded sansho pepper was delightful. ・Asparagus wrapped in meat with hollandaise sauce (tax included 680 yen) Rating=◯ The asparagus wrapped in meat with orange sauce was a dish with a memorable texture. The cheese sprinkled on top enhanced the aroma, stimulating our appetite. ・Inari-zushi with small shrimp and edamame rice (tax included 500 yen) Rating=△ Surprisingly juicy, it was brought to us cut in the middle. The texture of the edamame and the flavor of the small shrimp were delicious, but it felt a bit sticky and difficult to eat. The pickled vegetables were a refreshing way to end the meal. 【Sake】 ・New sake "Megane Senyou" (tax included 495 yen) Rating=◎ It had a clear taste with a noticeable acidity. It was refreshing and delicious to drink first, with a clean aftertaste. All the brewers were wearing glasses, but it's not exclusive to people who wear glasses. ・Ten'on (tax included 495 yen) Rating=◯ We enjoyed it warm. Surprisingly, when warmed, the sweetness of the sake became more pronounced. We savored the richness and overflowing sweetness while sipping it slowly. ・Mansaku no Hana Kame Label (tax included 715 yen) Rating=◎ It had a fragrant and rich taste. The exquisite aroma and robust flavor made it a delightful choice. ・Joujin Kyuhei (tax included 715 yen) Rating=◎ It had a rich and mellow taste, with a vibrant aroma and a solid umami flavor.

"Affiliated with 'Benefitya Saketen.' I forgot to take a photo of the menu, but there were many delicious options to choose from, making it hard to decide. The interior has a Kyoto-like atmosphere with a courtyard and a décor that Japanese sake lovers will adore. It's great that you can start drinking early!"

The entrance is narrow and hard to find, but the atmosphere is stylish and the sake starts at 495 yen, which is reasonable. The food was delicious, but the place was crowded and there weren't enough staff, so the service was really slow... It's better to go early, use it for a quick first round, and leave. The grilled rice ball at the end was really delicious haha.

"Located about a 7-minute walk from Karasuma Station, I had previously used "Sake Hall Masuya" for lunch, but this was my first time dining there for dinner. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with sake bottles, making it a perfect place for sake lovers. There are both counter and high tables, and this time we were seated at the counter for two people. [Order] - 4 draft beers - 2 sake - Iburi Gakko Potato Salad - Smoked Salmon Carpaccio - Braised Beef Tendon with Boiled Egg - Cheese Spring Rolls and Fried Camembert - Fried Chicken Cartilage in two varieties All the dishes were delicious, and the fried chicken cartilage came in both the usual small size and a large size, which was quite unique. We ordered Kido's Junmai Ginjo Sake and Shinomine's Junmai Ginjo Nigori Namazake, both of which were slightly dry and easy to drink, pairing perfectly with the food. The staff's service was also good, and I definitely want to come back again! Thank you for the delicious meal!"

I casually stopped by before noon on a regular day. There are both counter seats and table seats, and you can relax in this nice atmosphere. I had the daily meat set meal for 950 yen. Various side dishes are lined up on a tray, and you can choose two of your favorite side dishes. I chose mentaiko macaroni and white fish and kikurage mushroom simmered in a miso-based sauce. The simmered dish has a delicious Japanese broth flavor. The Kyoto red chicken tempura bowl comes with a warm egg. The moist chicken tempura, along with eggplant, pumpkin, and shishito peppers in the bowl, is very satisfying. The combination of chicken tempura and the warm egg makes the rice go down smoothly! The pickled radish, thick fried tofu and nameko mushroom, and miso soup with Chinese cabbage are also delicious. I had a delicious lunch at this cozy restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

After the state of emergency was lifted, I visited the sake bar "Masuya" for the first time in a while. I ordered "Namero" and "Uni Ika" as appetizers, and enjoyed them with sake from Shiga called "Uzumare Ishi o Ugatsu" and a sake from Iwate called "Akabu F Newborn". The Namero had a sticky texture with chopped shiso leaves as an accent, while the Uni Ika had the sweetness of sea urchin clinging to the squid. Both dishes paired well with the sake. "Uzumare Ishi o Ugatsu" was brewed using a traditional method called "Jusui Shikomi" from the Edo period, so I enjoyed it at room temperature. It had a refreshing aftertaste that complemented the appetizers. "Akabu F Newborn" had a fresh and lively carbonation, a rich aroma, and a crisp finish, making it a well-balanced sake. The appetizers at Masuya paired well with the sake, and as always, I enjoyed them deliciously.