After a long absence of 3 and a half years since before the pandemic, I visited a stand in Kyoto and enjoyed a variety of drinks. It was a joy to see that some things remained unchanged! I visited during the evening, so the business hours were extended, and the inside of the shop was filled with regular customers. I started with a beer and a delicious pickled cabbage with just the right amount of plum flavor. Standing at the red counter, watching shoppers from Nishiki Market, the lined-up bottles of Sawayamatsu, sweating beer mugs, and the pickled cabbage in front of me. Ah, pure happiness. When my beer ran out with half of the pickled cabbage left, it was time for Sawayamatsu... because you have to try Kyoto's sake, right? I wanted to order the pork dish, but couldn't find it, so I opted for a special fried tofu dish with a side of pickles. The fried tofu was grilled on the previous yakitori grill and topped with plenty of bonito flakes. The assorted pickles consisted of 6 varieties, all delicious as expected from a pickle shop. I especially liked the purple turnips and mibuna. After finishing Sawayamatsu, I moved on to Kamikura, with a cool label design. As I enjoyed the pickles, my drink ran out again, so I chose Nanzan for its cute label. Listening to the lively conversations of regular customers as background music, I felt happy and content. As the night breeze blew, I thought, "I want to come back again tomorrow." Drinking alone tends to make me drink quickly... and I realized I had forgotten my wallet at Kagami around the time of paying the bill... a little regretful.

For the first stop of a Kyoto drinking session, head to this place that opens in the afternoon. They have a wide variety of alcoholic drinks, especially a great selection of sake that lets you experience the true essence of Kyoto as a sake town. The food menu offers many dishes that pair well with sake, rather than just typical beer or highball options. Thank you for the feast!

As soon as you enter Nishiki Market, you will find "Tachinomi Gaba" where you can drink at large pickle barrel tables. I chose sake (Morohari Yamadanishiki) and chu-hai with ponzu here. I thought the ponzu would taste like ponzu sauce, but it was not really like ponzu, a bit strong in acidity. There were many foreign tourists in the area, and I drank friendly with a foreign couple. #Gaba Kyoto #Standing Gaba #Nishiki Market #Kyoto Standing Drinking

Between day and night, at Kagami (standing bar in Nishiki Market) on April 28, 2023, Friday at 8:28 PM. When you're eating and drinking while standing at Nishiki Market (please note that eating while walking is not allowed), sometimes you may feel like having more drinks even though it's still too early for dinner. In such times, Kagami comes in handy. It is a standing bar run by the neighboring pickles shop. It opens from lunchtime, so you can easily drop by. Also, since there is no door and you can see inside the shop at a glance, it is easy to enter. I had already had beer, so I started with sake. Sawaya Matsumoto's junmai sake in barrel, cold, and hot, all for 600 yen each. It's affordable, generous in quantity, and highly recommended. First, the barrel sake. It has a refreshing woody aroma and a gentle taste. Although there is no photo, the snacks were cheese from a miso shop and homemade karasumi. The cheese was like raisin butter, sweet and sour, and mellow. It's a taste that goes well with sake and wine, loved by both those who prefer spicy and sweet flavors. The homemade karasumi was outstanding in its drying process! The inside was moist, and when you bite into it and sip the sake, oh, it's irresistible. The chewy texture is also a part of its deliciousness. I couldn't resist getting seconds. Next was Matsumoto's cold sake. The fresh aroma and gentle taste of this dry sake pair well with any dish. Although I didn't have it this time, the pickles are also undeniably delicious. It was a reliable place for a quick drink.

I found this place on my way back to the hotel after exploring the cultural heritage sites around the Kamogawa River and feeling tired from walking. It's nice here. I decided to stop for a standing drink in the afternoon. I was drawn to the pickled vegetables barrel serving as a table. I ordered sweet potato shochu with hot water, hotel squid, and fried tofu, and then added some sake. I drank slowly while looking out at the street. The taste was as I expected, neither good nor bad, but the atmosphere was fantastic. All the customers inside were Japanese, but I could see foreign visitors peeking in with interest. It was fun to drink while looking out at the street. Kyoto seems to be regaining its lively atmosphere with many foreign visitors returning. The bill was 1,900 yen including tax. Saying "ookini" when leaving the store made me feel the essence of Kyoto and warmed my heart.

Walking through Kyoto's Nishiki Market. It used to be called the "Kitchen of Kyoto". Is that term already outdated? Like Kamakura's Komachi Street, where tourists stroll and enjoy food. In the midst of the changing logistics, Nishiki's role is evolving. While walking down the street, I came across an old pickle shop. Surprisingly, they had a standing bar for day drinking. It may seem odd for adults to be day drinking, but half of the customers were women. Drinking openly in broad daylight. No, such thinking is outdated. It's not strange for women to drink during the day. If you think of it as an extension of Kawaramachi, with friendly staff and reasonable prices, plus pickles as appetizers, it's easy to understand why even locals visit. The era of discarding the shame of traveling is over. People seek to make memories, have adventures, and escape to a different world. When it comes to food, be greedy and try everything! -Unfiltered raw sake Nishiyama 780 yen -Sawaya Matsumoto barrel sake 500 yen -Assorted pickles 400 yen (cucumber, mountain burdock, potato, pickled radish) -Homemade karasumi (bottarga) 500 yen

I went to a standing bar in Nishiki Market for the first time in my life, where prices range from 1000 to 2000 yen. It's located near the main street entrance, and I was intrigued by it, so I went back and forth before finally entering. Nishiki Market is like an adult amusement park, my excitement level went through the roof! You can easily spend the whole day there, feeling like you need more time, money, and stomach space. This bar offers barrel sake (Japanese rice wine). I started with a glass, which had a slightly sweet aroma of cedar and was easy to drink. For snacks, I couldn't decide between salted fish guts and salted mullet roe. Both were amazing! I could just keep drinking with these! The flavors were rich, and you could easily sip on them with a small amount. I had to leave because I had a Shinkansen (bullet train) to catch, but I would love to come back if I have business in Kansai again. 🚺

As soon as you enter from Teramachi Shopping Street to Nishiki Market, you will find this standing bar. Start with some sake. There are several side dishes available, but I recommend ordering the assorted pickles in partnership with the neighboring pickles shop. The pickles, such as pickled radish, senmai-zuke, and pickled cabbage & cucumber, are excellent. Drinking sake with pickles is one of the highlights of Kyoto.

Today, I was wandering around Kyoto! I took a little break at "Tachinomi Kaka," a place I visited before. It's a standing bar run by a pickles shop, so the pickles here are delicious! They also have a decent selection of sake, so it might be good for sake lovers too! Pickles paired with sake is a great combination!

I went to Kyogoku for the first time in 2021 to have beef tendons. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was different. Unfortunately, they were out of beef tendons. I started with a bottle of water, which was very soft. The assorted pickles for 400 yen were delicious, but without the beef tendons for 180 yen, the overall evaluation drops. It's nice to find a place open for lunch in Kyoto, but overall it's just an average standing bar. I visited this place on a weekday in Kyoto in 2019. It is located north of Kawaramachi in Kyoto, within Nishiki Market. The exterior looks like a pickle shop. The interior can accommodate around 1 to 20 people. I started with a draft beer for 400 yen, and as a side, I ordered a pickled vegetable assortment for 380 yen and beef tendons for 180 yen. The pickled vegetables were plentiful and tasty, but the highlight was the beef tendons. They were delicious. I was told they were A4 grade tendons, which explains their great taste. The fact that you get this much for 180 yen is amazing. They also had a bottle of water on the table, and the water was soft and tasty. This place is definitely worth a visit.

In March, Kyoto is in full bloom with cherry blossoms. Enjoying the beautiful scenery from noon, I decided to visit this shop in Nishiki Market where you can drink in the daytime. Although it's mainly a standing bar, there is one table seat available where I settled in. The menu looked so tempting! - Highball: They grill it over charcoal right in front of you. It's irresistible. - Dried firefly squid: Since there are many pickles shops nearby, you can get high-quality ones. - Assorted pickles: I couldn't stop eating after this. - Sake (served warm): I lost count of how many cups I had. - Grilled salmon - Senmaizuke (thousand-layer pickles) - Ham mayo I drank heavily and ate heartily from noon. This was just amazing. How many cups did I have? Haha.

At Kamigamo Suguki: Suguki 380 yen, Nuka-pickled vegetables 280 yen, Fried tofu 280 yen, Hot sake 580 yen x 2 [Total] 2,100 yen. A standing bar run by a pickled vegetable shop in Nishiki. The shop is owned by the famous(?) Bakki Inoue in Kyoto. When it comes to winter pickles in Kyoto, it has to be "suguki"! The sourness is irresistible. "Suguki" and Nuka-pickled vegetables are my top two favorite pickles. The fried tofu was also delicious. We only had a short gathering today, but next time, I want to take it easy and drink more.

■ August 2020 ■ Another visit this month, following last month's visit to the restaurant. It's the end of the scorching hot August (^◇^;) Today's dishes included Kyoto pickles, fried tofu, water eggplant, and burdock tempura. This time, I was able to sit down as there was one table available. I ended up drinking two extra cups because of that. Next time will be in autumn... Thank you for the delicious meal!ヽ(´▽｀)/

On a day in July, I received an invitation from Menjiro at Mairebi's Kitasenju to go on a mini expedition. Our destination was Kyoto. After leaving Torise E Tako Yakushi store, we headed to the next restaurant. Without any knowledge of the area, I had no choice but to silently follow along (sweat). As soon as we entered Nishiki Market, Menjiro-san remarked, "There are surprisingly few people here!" It seems that the market is usually so crowded that you can't walk straight, but on this day it was sparse. Now, I wonder if the next restaurant we're heading to will also be empty (´-∀-｀；). After about a 10-minute walk, we arrived at Takakuraya, a pickled vegetable shop. Right next to it is a standing bar called Kaga. It's a place where you can enjoy sake while snacking on Takakuraya's pickles, a dream come true for sake lovers♪ Although it was quite crowded, we managed to secure the only available table and raised our glasses (´-∀-｀；). SAKE: - Sawaya Matsumoto Junmai [Kyoto] 580 yen - Kyo Seisui Junmai Ginjo [Kyoto] 750 yen A variety of Kyoto sake to choose from. I made my selection while hesitating. Since there was a large bottle displayed, the sake was served chilled (at room temperature). This may be a matter of personal preference, but I like this way of drinking. It allows you to enjoy the true taste of sake that you wouldn't get from cold sake (*‘ω‘ *). FOOD: - Assorted Nukazuke 380 yen - Grilled Atsuage 280 yen - Specialty! Zaitaku Ni 180 yen For food, we chose three items. Given that it's a pickle shop, the deliciousness of the Nukazuke goes without saying. The acidity and saltiness are both exquisite and just right. What was interesting was the Zaitaku Ni. According to the staff, they wash the pickles once and then simmer them further. This is truly luxurious (^o^) The spiciness invites you to drink more sake. When we entered, the place was full, but by the time we left, it was only us. Thanks to that, we were able to have enjoyable conversations with the staff. Thank you for the book by the owner, Bucky Inoue, and the delicious watermelon. I will definitely stop by again when I go to Nishiki next time. Thank you for the feast.

◇■ July 2020 ■◇ Visited Kyoto for drinks with Kame-chan again, amidst the COVID-19 situation. I had mentioned to Kame-chan before about a place I wanted to go together, and this time we finally made it. Nishiki Market was empty due to the pandemic, but this place was packed! At our second stop, we had chilled sake (Matsumoto), draft beer, assorted pickles, fried tofu pockets, and a luxurious simmered dish. The pickles were as delicious as always, and the fried tofu pockets were great. But the standout was definitely the luxurious simmered dish. It was so delicious! I won't go into details, just go and try it for yourself. Once again, the food was delicious. Thank you for the feast! ヽ(´▽｀)/

On this day, I visited Kaga Hanakai in Nishiki. It's only a 3-4 minute walk from Kawaramachi Station. While strolling through Nishiki, I stopped by. I ordered the "Nuka Tsuke Moriawase" (380 yen) with a side of "Sawayamatsu Moto" (580 yen) in hand. [Nuka Tsuke Moriawase] The soaking level was exquisite! The balance of acidity and saltiness was just right, with a refreshing aftertaste. It pairs perfectly with alcohol. It was delicious! It gave me a sense of happiness to enjoy pickles after a long time. Next time, I want to try the pickled eggplants too.

Tonight, I drank here♪ For the second round, I had some refreshing pickled vegetables to go with my drink here. It seems like this standing bar specializes in pickles, so the menu might not be very extensive. It's been a while since I had pickled vegetables, and I enjoyed it a lot. In Kyoto, pickles are a big part of the culture, and while lightly pickled vegetables are common, I personally prefer pickles made with rice bran, so I was very happy. I had a variety of pickles like eggplant, napa cabbage, red turnip, white turnip, cucumber, and mustard greens, and ended up having at least two servings. It was a delicious meal♪

Visited in September 2019 with a rating of 3.47 on Tabelog (from 29 reviews). Due to heavy rain and lightning, the train was stopped and substitute transportation was being provided. I thought about going back that way, but since I was already here, I decided to wait for the service to resume while enjoying some drinks! After finding out that the restaurant I was planning to go to was closed or on a holiday, I finally arrived at "Tachinomi Kaga". The interior of the shop is quite narrow and there are not many hearty dishes, mainly focusing on alcohol pairings. Today, I had a light meal like this: - Draft beer x2 - 400 yen each - Assorted pickles marinated in rice bran - 380 yen - Premium salt-grilled salmon - 380 yen I enjoyed a draft beer in a Highball-printed glass! Cheers to myself (^_^)/□☆□＼(^_^) The assorted pickles marinated in rice bran included about 6 types, with a slightly light marination overall. They were quite tasty, especially the "plum napa cabbage"! This is a must-try, as it's also available as a single item on the menu. The premium salt-grilled salmon was smaller than expected and very salty. It's the type that makes you want to drink a lot of beer with just one bite. Personally, I didn't enjoy it that much. I felt like having ramen while eating, so I didn't eat much of it and left after this. Thank you for the meal.

◇■August 2019■◇ During the Obon holiday, I visited Kyoto for just one day. Instead of sightseeing, I decided to go on a food and drink tour around Nishiki Market. For my first meal, I had Sichuan Mapo Tofu. For my second, I wanted to try "Kyoto pickles". This was my third visit to Nishiki Market, but it was crowded with foreign tourists. It was hard to make progress as popular shops had long lines. Despite feeling frustrated due to the heat and slow pace, I eventually enjoyed a platter of pickles, including Nukazuke, and Kyoto-style fried tofu. The pickled water eggplant was particularly delicious. I am satisfied and would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal!

Feeling tired from walking, I decided to have a beer at Nishiki Market and then take a taxi straight there! My throat was dry, so I ordered a draft beer. I wasn't really hungry yet, but the juicy water eggplant made for a great snack. I love the texture of this dish! I also wanted to try the Wagyu beef skewers since I love eggplants, but I wasn't hungry enough yet, so I just took a photo. My throat was now quenched, so I continued to explore Nishiki Market. The water there is said to be from the Kinkaku-ji Shrine.