I checked out the Oriental Hotel Kyoto Gallery and decided to have lunch at a long-established Western-style restaurant located about a 10-minute walk from there. Grill Gojozaka. The exterior had a nice atmosphere. I ordered omurice and the daily lunch special. Today's lunch was pork loin cutlet and homemade crab croquette. Both were really good. The omurice was delicious. It's surprising to find a Western-style restaurant like this in this area. Kyoto is truly deep. I think it's very deep.

A western-style restaurant located near Higashiyama Tax Office in Kyoto for your first visit. You can enjoy delicious traditional hamburg steak and pork cutlet. It's a great place to dine before or after visiting the tax office.

I've been curious about this small restaurant run by a husband and wife. It was just right as there were two other customers when I arrived. I chose the daily lunch special for 800 yen after looking at the menu. The other two customers seemed like regulars and were chatting happily with the owners. The daily special included chicken cutlet, shrimp piccata, and roast ham with rice, miso soup, and pickles. The chicken cutlet was good, but the shrimp piccata was a bit soggy and the sauce was not great. The ham was average. The portion size was satisfying, especially for 800 yen! After eating, we watched high school baseball on TV and had a lively conversation with the owners. Before I knew it, I was caught up in the conversation and had a great time. It's a nice restaurant run by a talkative couple.

Seventeenth post station in the Western countries, on the way from Rokuharamitsu-ji to Sanjusangendo, there was a lunch sign in a residential area. It was already past 1 o'clock for lunch, so I entered the restaurant. The interior of the restaurant was narrow at the entrance like in Kyoto, but had depth. The person who seemed to be the owner was chatting with regular customers. The owner and his wife seemed to be managing the place together. I ordered the hire katsu lunch set with miso soup, pickles, and one side dish (1000 yen), while my wife ordered the daily lunch special with chicken and shiso piquant, stuffed kiss fry, roast ham, miso soup, and pickles (800 yen). The color of the katsu coating looked pale, so I thought the frying might not be perfect, but it was surprisingly delicious. The sauce was not too heavy. I also tried my wife's chicken and shiso piquant, which was really good. I might try to replicate it at home. My wife said it was just okay, but the stuffed kiss fry was also very tasty. I wish I had ordered that instead. The only downside was the soy sauce with the pickles. Dining at tourist spots can be expensive and the taste may not be great, but local Western-style restaurants are worth a try.

"Grill Gojozaka" is located between Kyoto National Museum and the earthen mound of Hideyoshi, on the way to Gojo-dori. I decided to visit the restaurant after parking at a nearby parking area. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a building that looks like a combination of a shop and a residence, with a prominent signboard reading "Gojozaka." I chose the daily lunch set and entered the restaurant. Despite my initial impression of it being a formal and high-end place, the casual atmosphere created by the lady at the entrance, who was smoking and chatting with customers, made me feel relaxed. I ordered the daily lunch set for ¥800 from the lady. The restaurant had about 5 tables inside and one table outside on the terrace. Besides the lady, there was also a man who seemed to be the owner cooking in the kitchen. He also seemed to enjoy talking and engaging in friendly conversations with customers whenever he had a free moment. After about 15 minutes, the food was served. The lunch set included "Chicken Piccata" and "Crab Cream Croquette" as the main dishes, along with side dishes, rice, miso soup, and pickled kombu as a replacement for pickles. The portion was quite generous for the price. The miso soup with tofu and fried tofu was delicious, although I wished they had poured a bit more. Moving on to the main dishes, the Chicken Piccata was well-prepared with a touch of shiso inside, and the sauce complemented it nicely. The Cream Croquette, with the same sauce, was creamy and enjoyable, although the crab flavor was not very pronounced. The accompanying spaghetti, vegetable salad, and ham were decent. The side dish of boiled komatsuna and the pickled kombu with dried chili pepper were slightly salty but satisfactory. The rice was average in terms of taste and texture. Overall, the cost-performance ratio was good, with decent food, atmosphere, and service, earning it a solid 4-star rating in terms of overall performance (75/100).

Located on a small street leading from the Kyoto National Museum to Gojo-zaka, next to the Higashiyama Post Office, this restaurant exudes a local, neighborhood vibe. While passing through this street long ago on my way from the museum to Kiyomizu Temple, I stumbled upon this hidden gem. It has an atmosphere that seems exclusive to locals, similar to how Kitchen Nanhai in Jinbocho or the now-closed Kitchen Yamada may feel daunting to beginners. However, all three share one common trait - an aura of delicious food. With no magazine clippings or famous chef endorsements, just a small sign indicating it is a Western-style restaurant. Every year as I passed by, I hesitated to enter, but one year, I noticed the restaurant had been renovated. I decided to take the plunge and went in for lunch. The kind chef or rather, the friendly owner prepared a simple yet delicious lunch of shrimp fry, croquette, and hamburger. It may not be as upscale as other Western-style restaurants, but it's the kind of casual dining experience I prefer. The omurice the customer next to me was enjoying also looked tempting, so despite already having a meal, I ordered it as well. It had a nostalgic taste to it, not the fluffy kind but one wrapped in a thin layer of egg, and it was delicious. The owner casually joked, "I can't charge much for this," but the omurice was definitely worth more than its price. As a traveler who visits once a year, witnessing the locals and the restaurant staff engaging in friendly banter created a warm and welcoming atmosphere. While not a flashy restaurant featured in newspapers or magazines, the authentic omurice and the cozy ambiance made for a delightful dining experience.

A normal restaurant run by an elderly couple. The food is not bad, but not great either. Home-cooked meals are tastier.