4 what to eat Updated 16 September 2026

What to eat in Kyoto

What to order, and the price you should expect to pay

4 dishes to eat in Kyoto, with the price range you will actually pay.

Cubes of silken tofu simmering in a clear kombu broth in an earthenware donabe, with ponzu and spring onion alongsideIt depends

Yudofu

The dish Kyoto's water and its temples produced between them. No sauce, no browning, nothing to hide behind.

Tofu Best in winter Temple districts
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

Okutan KiyomizuIzusenKaiseki
A kaiseki tray of small seasonal dishes in different ceramics, with sashimi, simmered vegetables and a maple leafWorth it

Kaiseki

A fixed sequence of courses built on the season. The range of prices is enormous and the structure barely changes across it.

8–12 courses ¥4,500 upward 2–3 hours
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

KikunoiIzusenObanzai
An array of small obanzai dishes in bowls along a restaurant counterWorth it

Obanzai

Simmered vegetables, tofu and preserved fish, cooked in the morning and eaten all day. The everyday counterweight to kaiseki.

Home cooking Evenings Izakaya prices
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

KikkoyaDowntown and Nishiki MarketKaiseki
A bowl of soba in dashi topped with a whole simmered herring filletWorth it

Nishin soba

A landlocked city's answer to fish. Two days of simmering go into one fillet, and the broth gets better as you eat it.

¥1,650 at Matsuba Lunch or evening Since 1882
KyotoExplore

Not to be missed

MatsubaGionObanzai

The rest of Kyoto

Every other collection in the city guide, with what is in it.

Sights 6 Museums 3 Districts 4 Restaurants 6 Bars 3 Where to stay 4 Things to do 3 Walks 2 Events 2