Restaurant
Kikunoi Honten
A family-run kaiseki ryotei founded in 1912 in the Higashiyama hills, led by chef Yoshihiro Murata and holding three Michelin stars.
Honke Owariya
A family business founded as a confectioner in 1465 that has served soba since the early eighteenth century, in a wooden townhouse south of the Imperial Palace.
At a glance
- Type
- Soba noodles
- Area
- Karasuma Oike, Kyoto, Japan
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Opening
- Open daily · 11:00–15:30
- Official site
- honke-owariya.co.jp
Good to know
- No reservations
- Sweets shop next door
Why we recommend it
Honke Owariya is one of the oldest businesses in Kyoto. The founding family came to the city from Owari province, around present-day Nagoya, and opened a confectionery shop in 1465. In the early eighteenth century, during the Edo period, they added soba noodles, and many of their orders came from the Imperial household and from Zen temples, which bought noodles for their monks. The family still runs the business today, and its main restaurant occupies a traditional wooden townhouse in central Kyoto, entered beneath a magnolia tree and through a shop curtain.
Soba is the reason to come. The menu covers both cold soba, served on bamboo trays with a dipping sauce, and hot soba in broth with toppings such as tempura or herring, a Kyoto favourite. The best-known dish is hourai soba, served as a stack of lacquered trays of noodles with a selection of toppings to add as you go, an attractive way to share a meal. The broth is light and delicate in the Kyoto style. Seasonal dishes appear through the year.
The restaurant opens daily from 11:00 to 15:30, with last orders at 15:00, and closes only on 1 and 2 January. It does not take reservations, so expect to queue at peak lunchtime, especially at weekends; arriving at opening time or after 13:30 usually means a shorter wait. A meal takes around 45 minutes to an hour. It suits all ages, from families to solo travellers, and the prices are moderate for a meal with this much history.
Next door, the confectionery shop opens from 9:00 to 17:30 and sells the company's sweets, including soba boro, crisp flower-shaped biscuits made with buckwheat flour, which travel well and make good gifts. The sweets shop is worth a visit even if you do not have time to eat.
Owariya is in the business district south of the Imperial Palace, a short walk from Karasuma Oike Station, where the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines meet. It makes an easy lunch stop between Nijo Castle, a short subway ride to the west, and the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the north, and the Kyoto International Manga Museum is also nearby.
Honke Owariya FAQs
How old is Honke Owariya?
The business began as a confectioner in 1465 and has served soba since the early eighteenth century.
What are the opening hours?
The restaurant is open daily from 11:00 to 15:30, with last orders at 15:00, closing only on 1 and 2 January.
Can you book a table?
No. Reservations are not accepted, so be prepared to queue at busy times.
What should you order?
Hourai soba, a stack of trays of noodles with toppings, is the best-known dish.
Does it sell sweets?
Yes. The shop next door sells sweets, including soba boro biscuits, from 9:00 to 17:30.
When is the best time to go?
At opening time or after 13:30 to avoid the longest queues.
Where is it?
South of the Imperial Palace, a short walk from Karasuma Oike subway station.
Is it good for families?
Yes. The menu is approachable and the atmosphere relaxed.