This is Kyoto. Located in Shijo Kawaramachi, right off the Tenjincho Bridge to the west, this restaurant is here. It had been a few months since my last visit. I arrived at the restaurant around 5:10 pm, and as usual, it was almost full. There were many familiar regular customers, but I also saw some tourists from Kanto. This restaurant accepts reservations if you come right at the opening at 5 pm, so it's recommended for those who really want to visit. Additionally, you can order half-size portions of dishes. Just say "half" when ordering, but be sure to check with the staff as some dishes may not be available in half sizes. The menu for ordering dishes is posted in the middle of the kitchen and on the wall in the dining area. Alternatively, you can choose from the dishes lined up at the counter. If you ask what's available, the staff will explain each dish to you. On the day I visited, there was sashimi available. We immediately ordered it because others had ordered it as well. It seems like a good idea to go with what others are ordering here. The drinks menu includes draft beer, shochu, chu-hai, sake, highball, and other typical izakaya options. One popular choice is the tomato chu-hai, made with freshly chopped tomatoes. You can also add extra contents, and it's a highly recommended menu item here! Other options include a girly mixed berry chu-hai, a seasonal watermelon chu-hai, and a special lemon sherbet float lemon sherbet chu-hai. For those who enjoy strong drinks, the "Nigo-chu" made by mixing cloudy sake with chu-hai is also recommended. However, be careful not to drink too much. Popular dishes include hamburger steak, seafood broccoli with mentaiko mayo, and wasabi potato salad. You can add cheese or a fried egg on top of the hamburger steak, and the fried rice and yakisoba are also recommended. It's best to discuss with your appetite level before ordering.

On the way back from Tsuruga, I made a stop in Kyoto at the "Kimiya" restaurant in Kawaramachi. Despite opening at 5pm, the counter with 14 seats was full in just 15 minutes! There were even two people standing! It's so popular! This place mainly serves homemade side dishes. Since I had been eating fish during the day, I naturally chose something rich for dinner. The hearty hamburger comes with grated daikon radish or fried egg. I tried both and they were delicious! The prices are also reasonable, so it's no wonder it's so popular. #KimiyaKyoto #KyotoGourmet #KyotoDrinks

On a regular evening at 8 o'clock, I peeked into the restaurant thinking it would be crowded, but to my surprise, they said "we just had a seat available." I was seated immediately without any wait. After that, whenever someone left, the next person would come in right away, so the place was always full. The chef engages in conversation and creates a lively atmosphere, making it feel like everyone is friends with each other. Not only was it fun, but the food was also delicious. The menu is extensive, making it enjoyable to choose from. However, since smoking is allowed, it may be a bit difficult for those who are sensitive to smoke. Thank you for a fun and delicious time. Good job!

The day after the Kyoto Marathon, I was invited by local friends and was able to visit. It was the perfect way to end my Kyoto trip. Everyone who accompanied me and the staff at the restaurant were delightful, and the food was delicious. It was truly wonderful. I hope to visit again next time.

I was invited by a friend from Kyoto and went to "Kimiya" in Kyoto. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I could tell it was going to be a fun night with the U-shaped counter. The counter was lined with various small dishes, and the wall was filled with a wide variety of menu items! I had a "Nigori Shochu Highball" and quickly got drunk, but it was so much fun that it didn't matter haha. The food in Kyoto is always delicious and wonderful no matter where you eat, but the cozy atmosphere of this restaurant was outstanding. #Kimiya #obanzai #Kyoto

This is Kyoto. Located at Shijo Kawaramachi. At the corner of Nishikiyamachi and Jikkemachi Bridge, you will find this restaurant. If you come from Kawaramachi, head east from Ringa-hat. I arrived a little before 5:05 PM because the previous day I visited late and had to wait a long time. To my surprise, the restaurant was almost full when I opened the door. I managed to slip in somehow. It seems that reservations are only available for the opening at 5:00 PM. So, if you can visit at 5:00 PM, I recommend making a reservation. I started with a draft beer and ordered the classic broccoli and seafood spicy mayo salad in a half size. Even in the middle of winter, the owner, wearing shorts, quickly served us. While enjoying the beer and broccoli, I checked the menu and saw that the winter limited miso soup was available, so I ordered it immediately. It was rich in miso and flavorful, especially when sprinkled with plenty of sansho pepper, it warmed both my heart and body. I felt like the pace was fast, but I wanted to eat some rice, so I asked for onigiri. It was simple yet incredibly delicious. Yuke seemed to be a popular menu item lately, as other customers were ordering it, so I decided to try it as well. It was also incredibly delicious. Whenever I come to Shijo Kawaramachi, I feel like I will inevitably end up visiting this restaurant again.

This is Kyoto. The restaurant is located at the corner of Nishi-kiyamachi, a 100m walk up from Shijo-dori, crossing the Jikkemachi Bridge. Kyoto has regained its lively atmosphere with people returning to the streets. When I arrived at the restaurant around 9 pm, it was fully booked as expected. I asked to be notified when a table became available and went to another place nearby to have a drink while waiting. Finally, I got a seat and started with a hot watered shochu. I ordered half-sized simmered pork and egg, which were delicious. The fatty pork paired perfectly with the shochu, and the white wine simmered sweet potatoes I ordered later also complemented the drink well. It seems making a reservation is necessary now, but it's challenging since reservations are only available at the opening time, which is at 5 pm.

Kyoto. In Kyoto, at Shijo Kawaramachi. There is a shop near Hankyu Kawaramachi Station. It had been a long time since I visited Kyoto, and my work finished early, so I thought I could arrive at the shop just after its opening time of 5 pm. However, I had a bad feeling, so I immediately called the shop. I was able to make a quick reservation, so I wondered if they had availability. When I arrived at the shop, it was completely full except for the reserved seats. Starting with my favorite tomato shochu highball filled with chopped tomatoes, I also ordered the seafood and mentaiko broccoli in a half size. You can request half sizes for some dishes, which is recommended for those who want to try a variety of dishes. Ask if they can do a half size. After quickly finishing the tomato shochu highball and getting a refill, I noticed another customer ordering a new menu item, Yukhoe, which was only available that day. So, we also ordered the Yukhoe. It was incredibly delicious, maybe because it had been a while since I had Yukhoe. I hope they have Yukhoe next time I visit as well.

I passed by this restaurant last December and was curious about it. I arrived in front of the restaurant at 4:55 PM, but the sign saying "preparing" was still up as they were supposed to open at 5:00 PM. However, there were already three customers inside enjoying their meal. How strange! They offered half-sized portions which was convenient for solo diners. The "Shiba-zuke Potato Salad" was delicious, but the taste of the other two dishes was just average. I had high hopes, but it was only about 0.5 out of 1 in terms of taste. As a first stop, it was somewhat satisfying. Thank you for the meal.

It's Kyoto. In Kyoto, on the corner of Takasagocho Bridge and Nishikiyamachi, there is a shop. During the Manbo period, the shop may be open earlier than usual??? So, I arrived at the shop around 4:30 pm, but the shop was not open and it seemed like they were still preparing inside. I had no choice but to kill time at a nearby standing bar, and at 5:00 pm, I immediately tried again. The shop had only been open for about 10 minutes, but half of the seats were already taken. And soon after we entered, it quickly became full. It's still as popular as ever... Also, they seem to strictly follow the rule of closing around 8:00 pm, so if you don't get in right after they open, it might be difficult to get a seat later on. For now, I ordered my usual tomato chu-hai. I had wasabi potato salad, dried konbu, and cut tomatoes as snacks with the chu-hai. While I was drinking the chu-hai with lots of tomato chunks, the customers next to us ordered the winter limited miso soup. Is it still too early for miso soup??? I thought, but I was afraid it might sell out, so I also ordered the miso soup. Kimiya's miso soup comes with shichimi and sansho pepper on the side. I will sprinkle plenty of sansho pepper on it. The thick and rich miso soup with plenty of sake lees is so delicious♡♡♡ I would like to come back to have it again in the miso soup season.

It's Kyoto. Kyoto is at Shijo Kawaramachi. Exit from Hankyu Kawaramachi Station and walk north on the east side of Kawaramachi Street, past the corner of Ringa-hat, and just before reaching Takase River, you will find this shop. The day before, we visited late and had to wait quite a bit as it was full. So on this day, we visited just a little after opening time. But we barely made it in time. My friend and I managed to slip in just in time, but about 10 minutes later it was full again. The shop owner, with a buzz cut, was in high spirits on this day as well! Energetic. Energetic.. Energetic.. Regular customers, of course, as well as first-time tourists in Kyoto were all enjoying themselves, even though there was an acrylic board, it didn't matter, the atmosphere was lively. My friend seemed to be hooked on the tomato shochu highball with diced tomatoes, he must have had multiple refills. The wasabi potato salad, avocado salad, and chicken tempura were also well-liked. The neighboring customer, who we had become friendly with, was also influenced and ordered the potato salad and avocado. This kind of interaction is the essence of a good bar.. It's fun. For the finish, we had onigiri and Chinese soba. The Chinese soba had a strong and rich Japanese-style broth, it was incredibly delicious. Furthermore, the onigiri and Chinese soba left us feeling satisfied. I love bar hopping, but due to the current situation, it's difficult, so we thoroughly enjoyed "Kimiya" this time. My friend, who I went with for the first time, seemed to like everything - the alcohol, the side dishes, the finish - he didn't dislike anything at all. It was really great.

It's Kyoto. In Kyoto, at the corner of Takikencho Bridge and Nishikiyamachi on Shijo, there is a shop here. When I arrived late, as expected, it was full. They said to contact them when a seat becomes available. So I leisurely drank nearby and passed the time, and about an hour later, I received a message on my phone saying a seat had opened up. I headed to the restaurant. I opened the sliding door with a rattling sound and looked for an empty seat. As I glanced around the counter, I noticed almost everyone had familiar faces. However, there was one young couple from Tokyo in the center who had come today. They were being teased by the regular customers and seemed to be having fun. It was a usual scene. For starters, I had a highball on this day, then I ordered a hamburger with a fried egg on top, broccoli with spicy cod roe dressing, and other classic dishes. I also ordered the winter limited Kasu-jiru (sake lees soup), and luckily it was the last one. When I heard someone else order Kasu-jiru, I also asked for it, but I'm sorry. I'll have the last one. I enjoyed it!! After a while, the Kasu-jiru arrived, and it was thick with plenty of sake lees, a mature taste. It was incredibly delicious and made my body warm. I switched to shochu with hot water and got carried away. When drinking in this area, this shop is a must-visit.

"Kimiya," a super popular izakaya in Kiyamachi, is a must-visit! The atmosphere, food, and staff are all amazing. The place is always packed from opening time, with only counter seats available. You can enjoy a wide variety of dishes while watching the chefs at work. Definitely one of the top izakayas in Kyoto!

It's Kyoto. The restaurant is located a little north of Hankyu Kawaramachi Station. It's about 100m up from Shijo Street to Nishi Kiya-machi. I visited after a long time. I arrived a little after 5 pm, just after opening, and it was about 30-40% full. I quickly sat at the counter with my friend and started with the cloudy sour (a mixed drink of cloudy sake and shochu) that I had been wanting to try for a while. At first glance, it looks cute like Calpis, but in reality, it's a dangerous drink with a strong alcohol content and a light taste. Caution in how you drink it! For food, we ordered a speedy spaghetti salad and a voluminous homemade hamburger with a fried egg on top. After a short wait, the spaghetti salad arrived. It was topped with crispy fried onions, and the contrast between the crunchy fried onions and the soft spaghetti texture was distinct and addictive. The hamburger arrived sooner than expected, with a sunny-side-up egg on top, looking very delicious. I immediately cut the hamburger in half, dipped it in the egg yolk, covered it in demi-glace sauce, and took a bite. The meat was juicy and very tasty. I ordered another cloudy sour for now, a highball for the third drink, and enjoyed the seasonal miso soup. It was rich and creamy, perfect for warming up in the cold February weather in Kyoto. Despite the freezing cold, the miso soup made me feel warm all the way back to the hotel. I would love to come back next winter to have the miso soup here again.

On September 23rd, my friend and I went to Kimiya. This was our second stop of the day. We were surprised to see only two seats available as we passed by, so we quickly entered. I ordered a Tomato Highball with plenty of fruit in it. No matter how many times I come here, I never have trouble deciding what to eat. On this day, we had Chinese cabbage and fish in a thick sauce, shrimp and garlic sprout mapo tofu, and hamburger. It's really good here. I was quite amazed by the juiciness of the hamburger. Delicious, affordable, and fast. This is the best restaurant. Thank you as always.

It's Kyoto. A little north of Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, along Nishi-kiyamachi, there is this shop. Recently, whenever I stay in Kyoto, I almost always come here ♡♡♡ The shop opens at 5 pm, and if you go past 5:30 pm, it's often full. So, this day, I just made it in time at 5:30 ♪ For some reason, I always end up sitting in almost the same seat, starting with the usual tomato sour cocktail!! The tomato sour here has roughly chopped tomatoes mixed with plain chu-hai, and you crush the tomatoes to your liking with a long spoon. Of course, you can also get a refill of just the chu-hai, and I usually get about two refills. For food, I chose the shrimp and broccoli with spicy cod roe mayo from the big dishes lined up on the counter ♡♡ Surprisingly, it's a substantial portion for the price, and it's delicious ♡♡ In between refills of the tomato sour, I ordered a cloudy sake mixed with plain chu-hai, a cloudy sour cocktail ♡♡♡ It sounds like it would make you really drunk, and it really does make you drunk... Looking around the shop in my tipsy state, I noticed that the same customer was sitting in almost the same seat as last time, the time before, and even the time before that. I realized that time seemed to have stopped, as if I was stuck in a time-traveling aquarium, a strange feeling. But you might not feel this unless you keep going regularly. I hope others can experience this time-traveling sensation by visiting frequently.

Kyoto is very close to Hankyu Kawaramachi Station. From Shijo, go up Kiyamachi, cross the second bridge (Tokkencho Bridge), and the shop is right on the corner. I revisited a while ago and once again found the cozy atmosphere here. I had some work in Kyoto and finished just before the shop opened, so I headed straight here. When I arrived, only a few minutes had passed since the opening, but there were already two groups of customers. Truly a popular spot. I quickly joined in and sat at the L-shaped counter surrounding the kitchen. First things first, a beer! The beer poured into a chilled glass was perfectly balanced and refreshing, especially in the humid rainy season. For food, I chose eel with egg and green pepper from the lineup of large plates on the counter. The eel paired with green pepper accentuated the sweetness of the eel's fat, very delicious. The green pepper was also tasty, but it called for sake more than beer. I quickly ordered sake and added a sashimi platter. However, I finished the sake before the sashimi arrived, so I ordered more sake. Might be drinking too much? I slowed down and enjoyed the sake sip by sip. The regular customers were all fun people, and even though we were newcomers, we naturally had a great time with them. The timing plays a big role in this area. If the owner in shorts starts speaking in a somewhat flamboyant manner, it's a sign that the shop is about to liven up. Just my personal observation. I definitely want to visit here again whenever I go to Kyoto.

Kyoto dosu. Just north of Hankyu Kawaramachi Station. At the corner of Nishikiyamachi and Jikkemachi Bridge Street, you will find this restaurant. It's been quite a while since my last visit. This place is always packed whenever I come, so it's been hard to find the right timing. But this time, maybe due to the current situation, there were fewer customers, so I managed to quickly get a seat. I immediately ordered a cold beer and started scanning the tempting dishes lined up at the counter. Cheers with the icy cold beer, and then I quickly ordered some dishes that caught my eye - Mapo Tofu and Buttered New Onion. The Mapo Tofu wasn't too spicy, making it easy to eat and a favorite flavor for everyone. The Buttered New Onion was sweet and the black pepper added a nice touch, making it incredibly delicious. Before I knew it, my beer was gone, so I added a Tomato Shochu Highball, thinking the health benefits of tomatoes would allow me to drink more. The Tomato Shochu Highball was so delicious that I couldn't stop myself from having multiple refills. Ahh! I wish I could go back again if it's not crowded. But I have a feeling that by the time I visit next, Kyoto will be back to its usual bustling self.

A popular restaurant in the vicinity of Nishikiya-machi. It seems to have many regular customers who are locals rather than tourists. It's always packed whenever you visit. The restaurant has a counter with only 15 seats in a horseshoe shape, where you can find a variety of snacks for drinks. Unlike a sake-focused place, this restaurant is more about beer and shochu highball, with a lively atmosphere. One of their specialties is the Shikuwasa (Okinawan citrus) highball for 450 yen. It has just the right amount of acidity without being too sweet, making it easy to drink. We ordered the seafood and broccoli with mentaiko mayo for 400 yen, the hamburger for 450 yen, and the keema curry for 500 yen. The menu offers a mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, without sticking to a specific genre, creating a diverse selection. The flavors are decent overall. If you happen to peek through the window and see an empty seat, consider yourself lucky and go in right away to try it out...

[Overall Impression] Just a short walk from Kawaramachi Station in Kyoto, this cozy izakaya is tucked away in a narrow alley off Kiyamachi Street. The appetizers here are really delicious, with creative and unique dishes that showcase the chef's sense of flair. They offer a wide range of dishes, from traditional Japanese to Western and creative fusion cuisine, which is quite impressive. This place embodies the essence of an izakaya. While there are plenty of dining options in the Kiyamachi area, this spot is perfect for a casual and enjoyable dining experience. [Detailed Review] Turning off Shijo Street onto Kiyamachi Street and further into a narrow alley, you enter a competitive dining district with many restaurants. After finishing work in Kyoto, I was looking for a place to grab a drink and stumbled upon this spot. With a simple exterior featuring a straw curtain and a red lantern, it exudes a classic izakaya vibe. Inside, there are around 14 seats at the counter, and the background music playing old-school Showa era songs adds a unique touch. The staff, consisting of two members, manage the place efficiently. One resembles the comedian Tamuken with a sporty haircut, while the other is a regular guy in glasses. I visited on a weekday around 6 pm, and although it was full, I was lucky to secure a spot as someone was leaving. The lively yet cozy atmosphere of this popular spot assured me that it was a good choice. The menu offers a mix of Japanese, Western, and creative dishes, with about half being regular items and the rest changing daily. Despite the small kitchen, they offer a wide variety of appetizing options. The prices are reasonable, allowing me to order a few items that caught my eye. I opted for two glasses of highball (price forgotten) and the following dishes: - Wasabi Potato Salad (350 yen): The potatoes were smooth and creamy, with a nice balance of textures. The addition of myoga and shiso with a hint of wasabi gave it a sophisticated flavor. It ranked high among the potato salads I've had, with a sharp twist to the usual starchy taste. - Chijimi (400 yen): A specialty of the house, this dish had a crispy exterior and a soft center. The simple seasoning, combined with the perfect crunch and texture, made it quite delicious. - Beef Cutlet (850 yen): A massive portion presented in a rustic manner, this dish impressed with its volume. The thinly sliced meat, coated in a demi-glace sauce, was tender and flavorful. The absence of fatty parts allowed the beef's richness to shine through, enhanced by the crispy coating and sauce. Highly recommended. [Final Thoughts] Each dish I ordered showcased creative and exceptional ideas, making them standout izakaya fare. The welcoming atmosphere inside further elevated the dining experience. The charm of this place is undoubtedly curated by the owner. The total bill for today came to 2,400 yen. Thank you for the delicious meal.