Café
Inoda Coffee Honten
The flagship of a Kyoto coffee house founded in 1940, serving nel-drip coffee and breakfast from 7:00 in a townhouse-style building with more than 200 seats.
% Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama
The Higashiyama flagship of % Arabica, a coffee brand whose founder chose Kyoto for its first shop in Japan, on the lane leading to Yasaka Pagoda.
At a glance
- Type
- Specialty coffee bar
- Area
- Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- arabica.coffee
Good to know
- Takeaway
- Espresso drinks
Why we recommend it
% Arabica is a specialty coffee brand that now has shops in many countries, but its story in Japan begins in Kyoto. Its founder, Kenneth Shoji, chose Kyoto rather than Tokyo for the first % Arabica in Japan, describing the city as the best place to create a Japanese brand. The Higashiyama shop, which the company describes as its flagship, stands on Yasaka-dori, the sloping lane that leads up to Yasaka Pagoda in the heart of the historic district.
The shop is small and minimal, with a white interior, a large espresso machine at its centre and the brand's simple percentage-sign logo. It works mainly as a coffee bar for takeaway, with limited space to linger, and the queue often stretches outside. Its clean modern look in the middle of a street of wooden houses and old shops is part of its appeal, and the shop and its cup have become popular subjects for photographs.
The menu centres on espresso drinks, and the caffè latte is the drink most visitors order, along with espresso, americano and seasonal specials. Beans and merchandise are on sale if you want to take a bag home. Expect specialty coffee prices rather than budget ones. Iced versions of the main drinks are a welcome option on hot summer days in Higashiyama.
Because the shop sits on one of the busiest walking routes in Kyoto, between Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine, the queue can be long from mid-morning, especially in the cherry blossom and autumn leaf seasons. An early visit, combined with a walk to Kiyomizu-dera before the crowds arrive, is the best plan. Please take your cup with you and do not leave rubbish in the lanes, where bins are scarce, and keep to one side of the narrow street while you drink.
Yasaka-dori is a short walk uphill from Higashiyama-Yasui bus stop, and around 15 to 20 minutes on foot from Keihan Gion-Shijo Station. From the shop, Yasaka Pagoda is a few steps away, and Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka lead on towards Kiyomizu-dera. Kodai-ji and Kennin-ji are also within walking distance, as is Tempura Endo if you are looking for a meal later.
% Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama FAQs
Where is % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama?
On Yasaka-dori in Higashiyama, the lane leading to Yasaka Pagoda.
Why is it significant?
It is the brand's flagship, and its founder chose Kyoto for the first % Arabica in Japan.
What should you order?
The caffè latte is the most popular choice.
Is there seating?
Space is very limited, so most people take their coffee away.
When is the best time to go?
Early in the morning, before the queues and the tour groups build.
Is it expensive?
Prices are typical of specialty coffee shops.
Can you buy beans?
Yes. Beans and merchandise are on sale.
What is nearby?
Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Kiyomizu-dera and Kodai-ji.