Gion, which has been the “hanamachi” bustling district in Kyoto for a long time, is lined with famous gourmet restaurants.
Kyoto-like townscapes such as the Kyoto townhouses and stone pavements are widespread which is popular by strolling around the alleys.
Enjoy Gion, where all the gourmet gather, from morning till midnight.
We will introduce selected gourmets that you can enjoy in Gion from lunch, sweets, dinner, and souvenirs.
Recommended for souvenirs! Famous Kyoto pickles “Doi Shibazuke Honpo Gion”
“Kyoto pickles” which is a popular Kyoto specialty.
Shibazuke” is pickles made by chopping eggplants and cucumbers pickled with red perilla and salt. It is said to be one of the three major pickles in Kyoto that has been popular since ancient times.
“Doi Shibazuke Honpo Gion” was born in the birthplace of Shibazuke in Ohara, Kyoto and has maintained a tradition of about 120 years.
Pickles made from vegetables are made with rich soil of Kyoto and clean water which are an excellent match with freshly cooked white rice.
The fresh sourness will make you want to eat more rice.
The 1F store sells Kyoto pickles for souvenirs.
You can sample various types of Kyoto pickles. Pickles are preserved foods that can last a long time so it is perfect for souvenirs.
The second floor is a restaurant where you can enjoy pickles and side dishes along with deliciously cooked rice.
The rice at the restaurant is cooked with clay pots, so it is more tastier than ever.
| Restaurant Name | Doi Shibazuke Honpo Gion |
| Phone Number | 075-525-6116 |
| Address | 572-1 Gion-machi Minamigawa, Shijo-dori Yamatooji-higashiiru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto |
| Map | |
| Opening Hours | 10:00am – 6:00pm |
| Closed Days | 365 days open |
Enjoy day and night of various chicken menus! “Wabiya Korekido, Gion Hanamikoji Main Store”
“Wabiya Korekido” is a place where you can enjoy a variety of original chicken dishes such as chicken skewers, fried foods and hot pots.
The open kitchen over the counter expands your expectations of the foods.
The most popular lunch menu is “Wabiya’s Specialty Stone-grilled Oyakodon Set.”
Two raw eggs inside a hot stone grilled oyakodon. Stir the egg first and eat it together.
The eggs tangled with the ingredients of the oyakodon makes a creamy taste.
Then try the crispy texture of the brunt rice stuck on the hot stone.
Lastly, enjoy the homemade fresh chicken soup with the rice like ochazuke (rice in Japanese broth).
A specialty dish of “Wabiya Korekido” which can be enjoyed three times from one dish.
In the evening, we recommend the “Duck Tsukune with Balsamic sauce and egg yolk served on the side,” which is a combination of Kyoto Duck and chicken and also the “Truffle Tsukemen.”
You can enjoy Kyoto from inside the restaurant with a calm atmosphere at the Gion district.
| Restaurant Name | Wabiya Korekido, Gion Hanamikoji Main Store |
| Phone Number | 075-532-3355 |
| Address | Kaburenjo Theater (north side), Gion-machi Minamigawa, Shijo Hanamikoji-sagaru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto |
| Map | |
| Opening Hours | 11:30am – 2:30pm 5:30pm – 10:00pm ( L.O. 9：00pm ) |
| Closed Days | 365 days open |
A popular Western confectionery store “Jouvencelle Gion Sweets Café”
“Jouvencelle” is a famous Western-style confectionery store originating in Kyoto. Gion sweets café is a very popular café, where waiting in line is a must.
The most popular sweets is the “Gion Fondue.”
Inside the double-layered pottery lacquer box, there are sweets such as the classic pound cakes, rice dumplings and Japanese confectionery as well as fruits such as bananas, strawberries and mandarins.
A slightly warm matcha chocolate sauce comes with it with a refreshing aroma of matcha.
Dip the bite-sized sweets to the matcha chocolate sauce to enjoy.
You can enjoy different flavors for each ingredients such as the refreshing taste of the fruits, the flavor of the matcha chocolate, and the texture of the rice dumplings and warabi mochi.
Lastly, you can add milk to make matcha latte so you can enjoy the rest of the matcha sauce without wasting it.
| Restaurant Name | Jouvencelle Gion Sweets Café |
| Phone Number | 075-551-1511 |
| Address | 2F Kyoban Blgd, 482 Kiyoi-cho, Yasakatoriimae Minami-iru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto |
| Map | |
| Opening Hours | 10：00am – 6：00pm（L.O. 5:30pm） (*Information about the closing time may be early depending on the situation) |
| Closed Days | Tuesday |
Popular Japanese sweets made with kinako, yomogi, and red beans! “Gion Kinana Main Store”
If you want to slowly taste the Kyoto sweets in Gion, “Gion Kinana” is the place to go.
Parfait is the most popular at the kinako ice cream specialty store.
Berry Berry Kinana is a parfait that combines frozen berries with Japanese ingredients such as the kinako, matcha ice cream, and rice dumplings.
It is a refreshing parfait with yogurt inside.
It has a sour taste that is soothing which is perfect from spring to summer.
Kinana Hapon is a Kyoto-style parfait that uses mainly Japanese ingredients such as yomogi, rice dumplings and red beans.
The different texture with the rice dumplings and the ice cream are unique to Japanese-style parfaits.
It will seem like you are spending a luxurious time when you are eating the desserts in the atmosphere of Gion which is very Kyoto-like.
Kinako ice cream is also very popular. You will not forget the freshly made ice cream and the freshly made kinako that has a mellow and smooth texture which is hard to eat anywhere else.
There are also take-outs items of ice cream and kinako on the first floor counter which is recommended for souvenirs.
| Store Name | Gion Kinana Main Store |
| Phone Number | 075-525-8300 |
| Address | 570-119 Gion-machi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto |
| Map | |
| Opening Hours | 11:00am – L.O.5:30pm |
| Closed Days | Thursday |
Ultimate clay pot rice that specializes in rice “KOME-RYOTEI HACHIDAIME GIHEY Gion Branch”
“KOME-RYOTEI HACHIDAIME GIHEY Gion Branch” is a place to enjoy the ultimate taste of the Japanese staple food “rice” with all five senses.
Compared and ate more than 200 kinds of rice nationwide to purchase the really delicious rice to blend with its own formula.
Using carefully polished rice and the original clay pot to cook turns into the ultimate cooked white rice.
Foodies from all over Japan come in search of the ultimate rice.
The side dishes are lined with mainly meat or fish with small portions of vegetables.
For dinner, a course menu of kaiseki cuisine using Kyoto vegetables are prepared.
Either or, each dishes goes perfectly well with the ultimate white rice.
You can even have a free refill of the freshly cooked ultimate white rice anytime!
You should definitely taste the rice that Japanese say it’s delicious.
| Restaurant Name | KOME-RYOTEI HACHIDAIME GIHEY Gion Branch |
| Phone Number | 075-708-8173 |
| Address | 296 Gion-machi Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto |
| Map | |
| Opening Hours | 11:00am – 2:30pm 6:30pm – 9:30pm(L.O.7:30pm) |
| Closed Days | Irregular Holidays |
Enjoy Japanese domestic beef in many cooking ways! “Niku-Kappo Baru -GYUGYU- Gion Main Store”
“Niku-Kappo Baru -GYUGYU- Gion Main Store” is a beef cuisine restaurant in Gion that is getting attention from foreign tourists.
Omi beef, that is attracting attention as a Japanese brand beef, can be eaten in various ways.
Omi beef nigiri sushi is popular because of its soft meat quality.
You can enjoy the different texture and tastes depending on the parts such as the luxurious “Omi beef fatty tuna roll” with sea urchin and “Omi beef lean grilled nigiri” which is grilled with exquisite heat.
The most recommended is the meat sashimi. The raw beef is a menu that can be offered here because they handle high quality Japanese beef.
The sweetness and the umami of the raw beef cannot be tasted easily anywhere else. At “Niku-Kappo Baru -GYUGYU- Gion Main Store,” you can enjoy beef dishes that you have not yet tried before.
| Restaurant Name | Niku-Kappo Baru -GYUGYU- Gion Main Store |
| Phone Number | 075-532-1129 |
| Address | 297-1 Gion-machi Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto |
| Map | |
| Opening Hours | 11:30am – 3:00pm |
| Opening Hours | Wednesday |
※The information herein is as of April 2020.
