In Pontocho, I ate and drank, socializing, and ended the night with soba noodles. I went to Kawadoya, a shop that was open relatively late. There were plenty of appetizers, but I couldn't eat anymore, so I ordered duck and green onion soba with a beer. The duck and green onion were seasoned just right, perfect as a beer snack. The soba noodles were also delicious.

I wanted to go to Kawadokuya Honten in front of Kyoto City Hall, but they close early at 8 pm, so I stopped by Ginka in Pontocho instead. The old-fashioned storefront was welcoming, and when I opened the door, the cozy interior made me feel at ease. It felt like I had been there before (laughs). I had some cold sake with appetizers, simmered herring, and waited for the assorted tempura. (I forgot to take a photo of the tempura...) It's so relaxing here. The chef is working alone in the kitchen. Maybe this calming atmosphere is because they have just the right number of seats to handle. For the finale, I had tanuki soba. It's different from the Kanto-style tanuki soba, with chopped fried tofu in a thick broth. It had plenty of grated ginger on top, and it warmed me up nicely. My companion had the duck nanba soba, which they said was delicious. The hot sake we ordered afterwards, paired with the leftover broth from the soba, was amazing (laughs). Thank you for the meal!

Dinner‼️ We tried calling various places but couldn't get a reservation because there were four of us. Eventually, we decided on a place and took a taxi to Kawaramachi. Many restaurants seem to close early nowadays, and the one we had in mind had already closed before 8 pm! Oh no! My son-in-law searched for a nearby open soba restaurant, and we headed to one in Kiyamachi. We found a place with a red lantern lit up, phew! It was a relief. My daughter, son-in-law, a young staff member, and I enjoyed some sake and dishes together. We had soba, tempura, rolled omelette, and warm egg udon. It seemed like there weren't many open restaurants that night, as customers kept coming in one after another. The staff seemed a bit tired and had trouble hearing my order, but my son-in-law's orders were clear. Despite that, they bid us a cheerful farewell when we left. I realized that it's important to make reservations in advance, especially in Kyoto on weekends. Lesson learned!

I really enjoyed the light and refreshing soba noodles. It was the perfect way to end a drinking session. I ordered the tempura as a side dish, and it had a crunchy texture with a satisfying bite. The broth was also delicious. Thank you for the meal.

After a full day of visiting temples in Kyoto, I went to a soba restaurant by the Kamogawa River a little off the beaten path. I was drawn in by the appearance of the shop. Inside, it had a nice retro vibe. I ordered the beer set for 2500 yen, which came with a refreshing glass of draft beer and grilled chicken skewers. I finished off with fried soba noodles topped with duck meat, and it was all very satisfying. Thank you for the delicious meal.

In Kyoto, at Pontocho, walking east from Minamigurumaya-cho, crossing Takase River, there is a shop on the way to Pontocho Park. It had been a while since I last drank in Kyoto. I enjoyed delicious sake to my heart's content and left the shop feeling warm, but Kyoto in January is extremely cold. After a while, I felt like eating something warm, so I ended up here. The shop has an old-fashioned atmosphere, which can be described as charmingly traditional or slightly worn out. However, the cozy ambiance is strangely appealing to me, and it has become one of my favorite spots. Once inside, the heating was working well, so I decided to have another drink along with tempura. As I sipped on my bottled beer, the tempura arrived, beautifully golden and crispy. It tasted delicious with a bit of salt sprinkled on top. I thought it would go well with sake too, so I ordered more sake and pickles. In the end, despite coming here for something warm, I unexpectedly finished with soba noodles. The soba noodles refreshed my body warmed by alcohol, and they were incredibly tasty. This place is open late into the night, so I will definitely visit again whenever I'm drinking in this area.

On a Sunday night, the bustling streets of Pontocho were lively even late into the night. I was directed to a cozy soba restaurant that stays open until 1:30 am. It seemed to be a well-established branch of a traditional soba shop. The owner, an elderly gentleman, was the third generation since the split. I was looking forward to the comforting an sauce soba. I ordered the "tanuki soba" (1,000 yen) with a side of pickles and a beer, and waited for my meal. The tanuki soba arrived as expected, with finely chopped fried tofu, green onions, and grated ginger. The noodles were soft to easily soak up the broth. As I finished my meal, the thick sauce had almost disappeared. Even after drinking up the rich sauce, the aftertaste was refreshing. Whether it was the broth or the ginger, it had a unique Kyoto flavor. Leaving the restaurant with a warm "ookini" from the owner, I felt content. Thank you for the delicious meal.

The best soba in Kyoto, or maybe in all of Kansai! The owner has a charming personality that makes you feel like coming back again. The atmosphere is lovely, and enjoying sake while savoring the homemade konjac is just delightful. The duck broth in the soba leaves a lingering aroma that makes you want to return right away even after going home. This is a soba restaurant that my family has loved for four generations.

It's in Kyoto. From Kawaramachi, down Teramachi Street, crossing Takatsuji to Kyogoku-cho, this shop is located. Just west from the street on the north side of Pontocho Park, you'll find it down a narrow alley with a red lantern. It had been a while since I had a Kyoto drinking session, and I was wondering what to eat for my last meal. As I was walking, I stumbled upon this place! I was actually looking for a ramen shop, but I hadn't had soba in a while and the shop had a very traditional feel, so I decided to change my plans and head here. When I entered the shop, the inside was just as old-fashioned as the outside. There was an experienced old man and a student part-timer named Hanaban-san, who seemed a bit inexperienced. The atmosphere was not particularly cozy, but not bad either. I originally planned to just have a quick soba meal for my last meal, but when I saw that they had my favorite soba shochu drink, I couldn't resist ordering it. I also ordered a dashimaki (rolled omelette) on the side. As I sipped on the soba shochu drink, I reached for the dashimaki and... I had already had enough alcohol. But I still felt like drinking more. I quickly ordered another soba shochu drink and at the perfect timing, the dashimaki arrived. Of course, the dashimaki was delicious. However, my friend was starting to feel like having a proper meal, so he ordered a tempura soba. I also decided to order a hanamaki. As I enjoyed my soba shochu drink, I indulged in the dashimaki, and just as the dashimaki was running out, the hanamaki arrived. The scent of seaweed was irresistible. The soba seemed to be a mix of 20% wheat and 80% buckwheat, with a mild soba aroma, but it was quite delicious. The broth was also tasty. The friendly owner treated us very politely, even though we were drunk. So, when I drink in Pontocho again, I would like to visit this place again.

With the change from the Heisei era to the Reiwa era, I went to have soba on New Year's Eve. Despite there being empty tables, I was seated at a crowded counter. The dashi broth was elegant and the tempura soba and duck tsukemen were delicious. The rolled omelette was surprisingly ordinary, and the grilled chicken skewer was small, about the size of one skewer. It might be a good choice for a meal after drinking, but it didn't leave me feeling full for dinner.

I felt like eating soba noodles around cherry blossom season, but the popular soba restaurants on the main street had long waits, so I was unsure what to do. Then I remembered a soba restaurant in the geisha district that stays open pretty late, which I have always found convenient since I was young. I managed to get in at a good time, but there were several groups of people, including foreigners. I decided to try the soba noodles with vegetable sauce, which was unusual on the menu, along with a set that included a draft beer. The crispy fried soba noodles in a small dish, topped with flavorful vegetable sauce, were delicious. I wish they offered a larger portion of this dish. The rest of the meal was as good as always. The soba noodles are not hand-made, but they are still satisfying.

The other day, my boss took me to a restaurant as the final stop of our drinking party. It was my first time walking around Pontocho and we arrived at a place with a calm atmosphere, adorned with fans all over the walls. I heard that this place is a famous hidden gem in Pontocho. There were various options for hot and cold dishes, but on that day, I tried the recommended tanuki dish. In Osaka, tanuki dishes are often kitsune soba, but here it was served with a savory sauce. As a fan of dishes with sauce, this was a perfect match for me, and even though I was quite full, I managed to finish it all in one go. I would like to visit this place again on my own and take my time. Thank you for the delicious meal.

This time, I visited Kawadokoya Ginga in Pontocho. Kawadokoya is a soba restaurant that has been around since the Edo period. This Kawadokoya has three different shop names through noren (curtain) division. The shop inherited by the eldest daughter is called Kinka. The shop inherited by the second daughter is called Ginga. The shop inherited by the third daughter is called Dokka. Ginga is located in the alleyways between Pontocho and Kiyamachi. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is very welcoming and not intimidating at all, which is one of Ginga's strengths. It's a hidden gem where only locals go, just a 10-step walk from the tourist-filled Pontocho. It's a well-known Kyoto-style soba restaurant. The broth is comforting, rich, and gentle. The soba noodles are also top-notch. The scent of shichimi (Japanese seven spice) is very Kyoto! The exquisite aroma of sansho pepper! Inside the restaurant, there are many Maiko-themed folding fans. I ordered Kitsune Soba (850 yen) and my companion ordered Tanuki Soba (900 yen). In Kyoto, Kitsune means soba with fried tofu, and Tanuki means soba with sweetened soy sauce and grated radish. If it gets a little colder, I recommend trying Tanuki! The perfect balance of broth and ginger. A soba restaurant beloved by Kyoto locals. They welcome you warmly, so please do visit.

I had duck soba at this place. The soba and broth were quite delicious. The owner was nice and answered customers' questions politely. However, the female staff member in charge of serving was a bit unfriendly. Well, I guess that's not really what you look for in a soba restaurant. I'd like to go back next time to try their tempura.

"Good to end with. The location is a bit hard to find, which adds to its charm."

The soba noodles at night are irresistible.