It was a little late in the afternoon, but I wanted to eat soba so I entered the restaurant. Everywhere was crowded due to the Gion Festival, but we were able to enter smoothly as a group of four, which was very much appreciated. We ordered the "tenzaru" soba. The soba noodles were deliciously smooth, and the tempura was freshly fried and tasty.

It was my first time at this restaurant. I climbed the stairs and entered the store... tea was served immediately, but there was no wet towel provided. Even though the pandemic is still ongoing, I would have liked at least a wet towel. I ordered the tempura soba! Hmm... I'm sorry. Maybe I was expecting too much because it's Kyoto, but the condiments were scarce and there was very little wasabi... I asked for extra wasabi, but that was also very little. The taste of the soba, tempura, everything was just average. I couldn't help but feel concerned about the hygiene, so I ended up feeling like I was just filling my stomach rather than enjoying the food. There was also nothing to wipe hands in the restroom, so I was a little disappointed. Thank you for the meal.

Near Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. It was lunchtime at a hand-made soba restaurant on a busy street frequented by tourists. The restaurant was located on the second floor. The small interior had a few seats available at the counter, so I took a seat. It was lucky to find a seat as all the other places were crowded. I looked at the menu, wondering what to order. When in Kyoto, I wanted to try something Kyoto-like! And then I saw "Hamo Tempura" on the menu. Hamo! It's not something you can eat often, so I decided to go for it. The hamo tempura came with two pieces. The flesh was light and delicately flavored. The soba was also delicious. Payment was cash only. I wish they would introduce cashless payment systems in tourist areas.

Beyond the Shijo Hanami, there is a soba restaurant on the second floor near Yasaka Shrine. The mini tendon set is recommended, but I cannot recommend it. The price and taste do not match. It seems to be a tough business for now, as they cater to tourists.

I tried the famous Nishin Soba in Kyoto. It was great to experience local cuisine. The restaurant had a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for when you're tired from walking. Located in Gion, it's easy to access.

It was a little cold so I thought about having soba, but ended up choosing the tempura bowl from the menu. It was delicious. Since it's New Year's and there are many holidays, I decided to stop by this unknown restaurant. They had some unique soba menu options as well!

I moved to Gion and found a place where I could have a quick early lunch by myself. The restaurant is on the second floor of a building, with lanterns, food samples, and menus at the entrance of the stairs, making it easy to find. They started serving lunch at 11:30, so I decided to eat there and should be able to leave by around 12 o'clock. The menu includes not only soba noodles but also rice bowls, and the atmosphere inside the restaurant is like a nostalgic local soba shop. I ordered a set of duck meat and zaru soba. The restaurant was about 70% full. The soba and duck meat were served on a tray without much of a wait. I started by eating the zaru soba plain, without any dipping sauce. The noodles were smooth and easy to eat, but the scent of the soba was weak. The wasabi was from a tube, and considering the higher prices on the menu, I wished they had provided freshly grated wasabi. The duck meat had a subtle saltiness. One slight disappointment was that the duck meat was a bit tough and lacked juiciness. However, I was able to finish my meal quickly and leave the restaurant by around 12 o'clock, achieving my goal of a quick meal. Thank you for the meal!

I dropped by for lunch and ordered the mini tempura rice bowl set. Overall, the portion size was small, especially the amount of rice in the tempura bowl was quite minimal. The tempura shrimp was plump and delicious, but personally, I found the soba broth to be just okay.

When walking from Kawaramachi towards Yasaka Shrine, I noticed that about 3-4% of the shops had their shutters down due to the state of emergency. I decided to have lunch at a shop that was open, without any prior knowledge. Along Shijo Street, the entrance to the shop was on the second floor, and I was intrigued by the mame tofu soba displayed near the staircase. It was around noon, and I seemed to be the first customer of the day. It was understandable that many shops were closed, as the impact on tourist spots must be significant. I felt that the government, local authorities, and customers all need to take more serious measures to support restaurants. Looking back, the GoTo events now feel somewhat melancholic. As for the mame tofu soba, they were unable to prepare the tofu due to the current situation. So, I opted for the cold soba, which seemed to be a type of white soba made from the center of the buckwheat grain, similar to morekawa soba. It lacked the dark color of countryside soba, and while I usually associate morekawa soba with a lack of firmness, this one had just the right amount of chewiness, allowing me to savor the flavor of the soba. Although it may not be the best value for money, considering the location in a tourist area, it seemed appropriate. Not all restaurants need to be supported during the pandemic. Some shops still have long lines despite the circumstances. It's likely that many restaurants will not survive the pandemic, even though they should. I believe that all members of parliament should switch to remote work and redirect their transportation and entertainment expenses to support restaurants. I digressed. Thank you for the meal.

I went to a restaurant across from Yasaka Shrine where the white rice is delicious, but the line was too long so I decided not to wait and came here instead. The atmosphere was nice. Ajimo.

It is definitely tastier than a regular tempura bowl, but not that much... I'm not sure about the soba...

It might have been a bit expensive...

The parent-child bowl was spicy, the tempura bowl had shrimp and seaweed, but the oil was too greasy, and the zaru soba was just average. I won't be coming back again.

I went to a restaurant along the street in Gion, Kyoto around 12:30 pm on a Saturday, but the place was not very crowded. There were about 3-4 middle-aged female staff members. Despite the hot weather outside (30 degrees), we were served hot tea when we sat down. When I tried to order the beer set menu, I was told that it can only be ordered after 2 pm, which was not mentioned anywhere. The slightly more expensive set menus could only be ordered after 3 pm. I ordered a mini tempura bowl and cold soba set, while others ordered egg tempura bowl and Shimizu set (soba, shiso rice, and 3 side dishes). Each set cost around 1500-1700 yen. It was frustrating to get the attention of the staff, as they seemed to ignore us when we called them multiple times. The wet towels were not provided until we asked for them, and even then, it took a while. Our dishes were served in a strange order, with one dish missing for a long time. The last dish arrived when the first person had already finished eating. The food itself was disappointing - the soba set had very little soba on a flat plate, and the tempura was not crispy. The egg tempura bowl lacked flavor, and the miso soup was served in a half-filled bowl. The shiso rice in the Shimizu set was basically white rice with a sprinkle of seasoning, and the portion was very small. The side dishes were also lacking in taste and quantity. Despite the high prices, the food quality and portion size did not match up, and the service was subpar. I left feeling very disappointed. It made me realize that this place probably survives on tourism rather than quality. They should improve by offering better value for the prices they charge.

<Access> A minute's walk west from Gion intersection on the north side of the second floor <Appearance, Interior> Located on the second floor of a building along Shijo Street. The interior has table seats and a raised seating area. <Ordered Item> Agodashi Tofu Soba \1200 <Impression> I visited on a Sunday afternoon. It seemed busy as usual, but we managed to get in without waiting. Agodashi Tofu Soba \1200 They had soba noodles with agodashi tofu, which I've been into lately. The soba noodles themselves were nothing special, but the agodashi tofu was smooth and delicious. It tends to be quite crowded due to its location.

It was a cold day. I had to eat at a restaurant in Gion while moving from one customer to another. I ordered a parent and child bowl & soba set here. It was about half the price and the taste was nothing special. I think it's understandable since it's a tourist spot, but I hope that they will improve the taste, service, and price for people coming from other regions or from overseas who have high expectations for Kyoto. If you love Kyoto, I hope that even the restaurants in the heart of the tourist area will do their best. I love Kyoto.

I visited the restaurant on my way back from Maruyama Park around 5 o'clock on a weekday. It was during the cherry blossom season, so I thought the restaurant would be crowded, but I was the only customer there. The sound of a koto playing in the background created a peaceful atmosphere. A male staff member quickly brought me some tea. I ordered the zaru soba (750 yen), which arrived in about 4-5 minutes. The soba noodles were topped with shredded seaweed, and the condiments included wasabi and green onions. The soba had a slight aroma and a good texture. The soba broth was light. Since I was the only customer, the staff member seemed to be watching me eat, which made me a bit nervous. As I was leaving, I noticed a small bottle of "soba karinto" on the counter, and the staff member offered me a sample. It was a bit sweet but had a crispy texture and was delicious. I ended up buying a set of "soba karinto" and "soba matsuba" (300 yen) because I love karinto.

The soba restaurant in Kyoto that I visited is my favorite place, where I have been going occasionally for about ten years. I have visited this place about five times in total. The other day, I visited after a long time, but I was still feeling the effects of the previous day's drinking, so I started with a "beer set" and then had tempura. After that, I don't remember what I had (it had been over two months). I ended with "tempura soba." The restaurant has clean restrooms (only Japanese style) and a sense of cleanliness, making it feel like a proper eating establishment. Moreover, seeing the female staff working happily makes me feel like I can see the personality of the owner. There are many high-end restaurants in Gion, but if you feel hesitant about trying traditional Kyoto cuisine, this is a casual place to visit. Unfortunately, I was too busy and couldn't take photos of the food due to alcohol consumption, so I have only posted a picture of the exterior that I took previously. It is located right in front of Gion Hotel (APA Hotel), so it is very easy to find.