Hayden Quinn COOK · TV PRESENTER · FOOD ADVENTURER

Japan

Kyoto Guide

A clean copy of the places, for your phone or a PDF. Updated October 2026.

Back to the guide

Eat

Drink

Do

Shop

Stay

  • Aman Kyoto

    Hotel · Takagamine

    On our list.

  • Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto

    Hotel · Nijō

    One of our best stays in Japan. Complete luxury, amazing rooms and incredible service (and I guess it would want to be for the price!). If you’re looking for one of the best spots to stay in Kyoto, this is it.

  • Machiya Inns & Hotels

    Machiya Stays · Kyoto Station

    Heads up: this was a bad experience and we really didn’t have much luck here. The stay wasn’t as advertised, and there was insane construction going on right next door that we weren’t told about. We bailed out of there quickly.

  • Rinn Shiki Juraku

    Machiya Hotel · Nishijin

    We stayed here. A great traditional-style stay with a nice breakfast included, in a handy spot, just around the corner from my favourite izakaya in the world, Sakaba Ikura Mokuzai.

Tips

Getting there and around

Kyoto is a shinkansen ride from Tokyo Station. Once you are there, buses and the subway do most of the work, and Google Maps is the easiest way to pick the right stop.

Taxis work the same way as in Tokyo. Screenshot the Japanese address and show the driver.

Money and tipping

Have cash for smaller shops and ticket machines.

Tipping isn't part of eating out in Japan. Don't leave money on the table.

Etiquette

Tokyo and Kyoto share this Japan etiquette. The same notes apply in both cities.

Some key Japanese etiquette tips, particularly around dining, that are worth sticking to when you eat out in Japan, and especially at the more high-end places.

Don't double book. Plan ahead (that is what this guide is for) and don't put yourself on waitlists you may not make if the other booking comes through. Use a hotel concierge, a friend who speaks Japanese, or a booking service such as Omakase (https://www.omakase-japan.jp/en) or Tableall (https://www.tableall.com/).

Arrive early. Get there 5–10 minutes before your reservation, but not too early. Punctuality matters.

Allergies and aversions. Tell the restaurant when you book, so there is time to plan. You should do this wherever you are dining.

Dress. Smart casual. No shorts, no singlets, no thongs. Same idea as the sign at an RSL back home. Keep it sharp.

No perfume. This matters at a sushi counter. The meal is a sensory thing, the rooms are small, and you don't want to fill the room with it.

Voices. This one is hard for me, because I am loud. In Japan people are respectful of everyone else's space. Keep it down. There are moments when it is expected to be lively, like a few too many sakes with the locals at a small izakaya. Don't be the westerner who is kuuki yomenai (can't read the air).

Photos and phones. Ask before the camera comes out. A lot of places would rather you eat the food at its best than five minutes later, after the photos. Many rooms are phone-free. Don't take calls at the table or the counter. No flash, and no photos or video that include other guests. Keep the phone on silent.

Eat it when it lands. Sushi and tempura need to be eaten straight away. Don't wait for the rest of the table. If yours arrives first, eat it.

Countertops. If you are at the counter, don't rest a phone, camera or bag on it. A lot of them are serious wood or stone, and that space is for the food.

Chopsticks. Use the rest when you are not eating. Don't stand them upright in the rice. That is a funeral rite, and it is incredibly disrespectful.

Sushi. Chopsticks for the tsumami (the appetiser). Hands or chopsticks for nigiri, whichever you are less likely to drop. I use my hands. Eat a piece of nigiri in one bite. The sushi is already seasoned, so don't add soy unless you are told to, and then only dip the fish. Ginger (gari) is a palate cleanser between courses, not a topping. The wet towel stays with you so you can wipe your fingers between bites.

Tempura. Salt, tentsuyu (the dipping sauce) and lemon will be on the table, or a selection of them. Ask which one goes with which piece if it isn't clear. The grated radish is a palate cleanser, and you can add it to the tentsuyu. The shime, the last dish, tells you the meal is ending. At a tempura counter that is often tendon, tencha or kakiage. When I have had yakitori, the shime has been a small bowl of light chicken soup.

Ramen ticket machines. A lot of ramen shops take payment at a machine before you sit down. Insert your yen or you won't be able to order.

Markets. Don't eat and walk. Most stalls have a spot to stand and eat, and walking off with the food offends the vendors. Same with a drink in your hand. Don't eat one stall's food in front of another stall.

Queues. People wait in an orderly line for a train, a bus, a bowl of ramen or the till. On the escalator, follow the locals: stand on the left, pass on the right.

Groups. More than three of you and you probably won't be at the counter. You'll be at a table if there is one.

Smoking. You can still smoke inside at a lot of bars. I don't love it, but the ventilation is usually decent, and some places are non-smoking or have a smoking section.

A few phrases I actually use. People warm up if you have a go, and most will switch to English if they can. Good morning: ohayo (gozaimas). Good evening: konbanwa. Thank you: arigato. Please: kudasai. Yes: hai. No: iie. Sorry: gomen nasai. Excuse me: sumimasen. Do you speak English: eigo o hanasemasu ka. I'd like a beer please: biru o onegai shimasu. Same again: okawari. What's that: sore wa nan desu ka. Where is the toilet: toire wa doko desu ka. The bill please: okanjo o kudasai. Let's go: iko. I don't understand: wakarimasen. Please take me here, shown with a map screenshot: made onegai shimasu.

Download Google Translate and the Japanese pack for offline use before you go. iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/google-translate/id414706506 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate

References I still use: https://savorjapan.com/ https://www.tableall.com/ https://www.omakase-japan.jp/en https://jw-webmagazine.com/ https://www.eater.com/maps/best-tokyo-restaurants https://www.japan-guide.com/

Safety

Same as Tokyo. Take your shoes off where everyone else does, don't eat and walk, and carry your rubbish until you find a bin.