Kyoto Solo or Girls' Outing: 5 Japanese-Style Restaurants with Stylish Counters Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: May 15 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Kyoto Solo or Girls' Outing: 5 Japanese-Style Restaurants with Stylish Counters

Kyoto has numerous great Japanese-themed restaurants. Here are several restaurants with elegant counters where you may dine alone or on a girl's outing. In a relaxed setting, you may savor innovative Japanese food or traditional favorites like okonomiyaki and buckwheat noodles. Find a restaurant that you enjoy.

See full listings of Japanese Cuisine restaurants found in and around Kyoto.

Karasuma Oike - Temari Sushi and Nihoncha SOUDEN

A moment of luxury as you enjoy sushi and tea in a beautifully crafted refined adult setting.

Temari Sushi and Nihoncha SOUDEN is a restaurant specializing in sushi balls and Japanese tea. The restaurant is located on the left side of Shinmachi Street, a short walk from Oike Street, and it offers colorful and beautiful sushi balls and flavorful Japanese tea. As you pass through the wooden door, a large wooden table made from a single slab of wood draws the eye, and behind it is a jet-black counter decorated with a dazzling painting. The setting is lavish and yet relaxed.

Enjoy Kyoto alone or with the girls! 5 Japanese-style restaurants with a stylish counter / Kyoto

A must-try, the Monthly Set Meal includes adorable bite-sized sushi balls with seasonal ingredients, tempura, traditional Kyoto home-cooked dishes, and steamed egg custard. Another appeal of the restaurant is that each cup of Japanese tea is carefully brewed so that you can savor the true flavor of the tea. This restaurant offers a moment of bliss to soothe the soul.

Temari Sushi and Nihoncha SOUDEN

Open: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm (L.O. 3:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Lunch] 3,000 JPY
Access: Get off at Karasuma Oike Station on the Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line, and it's a 6-minute walk from exits 5 and 6
Address: 110-1, Machigashira-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Map

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Kyoto Shiyakushomae - KOTOWARI

A café-restaurant that combines leather goods and Japanese cuisine to create an extraordinary setting.

Located a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station, Kotowari is a house-style restaurant that offers a unique combination of Japanese cuisine and leather goods. On the first floor, there is a tower displaying small leather goods, counter seating with an open kitchen, and table seating. On the second floor, there is tatami room seating for a more private atmosphere, creating a stylish, unique, and extraordinary setting.

The Whimsical Plate of 3 Rice Bowls of the Day allows you to savor 3 types of rice bowls (meat, seafood, and light) in a stylish lunch that includes 5 traditional Kyoto home-cooked dishes, salad, and miso soup. In the evening, they recommend the Seared Kotowari Cheesecake with a smooth and crispy top or the sumptuous Sukiyaki with Black Japanese Beef. The restaurant has a wide selection of drinks that go well with the dishes, allowing you to enjoy both drinks and food in a relaxed atmosphere.

KOTOWARI

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (last order 9:00 pm) / Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (last order 2:30 pm) / Other 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (last order 5:00 pm)
Closed: November holidays will be 4, 11, 18, 23, 25
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 2,000 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station

Address: 463 Matsugae-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

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Karasuma - Ikkaku10 Karasuma Branch

Fluffy okonomiyaki thanks to the magic of rice flour! Karasuma's Gluten-Free Teppanyaki.

Just a 3-minute walk from Karasuma Station, Ikkaku10 Karasuma Branch offers healthy gluten-free okonomiyaki and a wide variety of griddle-cooked dishes. In addition to popular counter seating where you can relax, you can also enjoy exquisite dishes prepared by a full-time okonomiyaki chef in a sophisticated Japanese modern setting. The restaurant also has cozy private rooms decorated with paintings of red and white plum blossoms on a gold background.

Of note is the gluten-free specialty, Assorted Okonomiyaki. The okonomiyaki is made with rice flour instead of wheat flour, and the temperature of the griddle, method of mixing the batter, and grilling time are carefully considered. The okonomiyaki has a unique texture that is both fluffy and crispy, and it is popular among a wide range of customers. The restaurant also offers an extensive drink menu, with an emphasis on non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcoholic beverages, allowing customers to enjoy pairing their drinks with meals.

Ikkaku10 Karasuma Branch

Open: [Sunday,Saturday,Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (last order 2:00 pm)Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 10:00 pm)
Closed: The store will be closed one day a week from April 2024. Please refer to the website for closing dates.
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPY
Access: 3 minutes walk from Karasuma Station

Address: B1F, Grandeur Ayanokoji, 248 Shinmei-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

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Ono - Robata Yutaka

A new frontier in charcoal grilling! Charcoal-grilled meat with herbs and spices.

Located a 5-minute walk from Ono Station, Robata Yutaka is a charcoal grill restaurant where you can savor creative charcoal-grilled food in a modern atmosphere. The restaurant has counter seating where you can enjoy the sounds and aromas of the lively kitchen, and it is recommended for adult couples and groups of female diners. In the back of the restaurant, there are small sunken kotatsu tables where families with small children can relax and enjoy a meal.

The restaurant recommends the charcoal-grilled meat with herbs and spices, which turns the concept of charcoal grilling on its head. Meat is exquisitely charcoal-grilled to lock in the flavor. The chef’s meticulous handiwork shines through in each dish, which features carefully selected seafood and meat as well as home-grown organic vegetables. The Seared or Lightly Seared Kyoto duck meat from Yamashiro Nosan is a must-try dish.

Robata Yutaka

Open: [Sunday - Tuesday,Thursday - Saturday] Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (last order 10:00 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from Ono station

Address: 1F, Treasure Mansion, 129 Kanshuji Hirata-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

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Demachiyanagi - Aoi

A new style of buckwheat noodles in Shimogamo, Kyoto, created by a young female owner.

Aoi is located near Shimogamo Shrine. You can enjoy unique Japanese buckwheat noodles in a bright and stylish setting like a café. The restaurant is decorated with wood and greenery throughout, giving it a warm and open atmosphere. The counter seating, where you can converse with the owner, is comfortable, and you may want to stop by even if you are by yourself.

The young female owner has created a creative menu of authentic Japanese buckwheat noodles with homemade broth. They recommend the Fluffy Noodles of Grated Yam, which feature the different textures of meringue-glazed yam and Kyoto’s famous broiled sesame seeds. The restaurant also has a wide variety of drinks that go well with buckwheat noodles, including bottled wines from Kyoto. You can feel the attention to detail in every aspect and enjoy “innovative Japanese” cuisine at this restaurant.

Aoi

Open: Lunch 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm (last order 4:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 1,500 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Access: 16 minutes walk from Demachiyanagi Station

Address: 1F, 52-1 Shimogamo Matsunokicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

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Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.