Café
Francois Kissaten
A salon-style coffee house opened in 1934 beside the Takase River, the first café in Japan to be registered as a Tangible Cultural Property.
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.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic coffee house
- Area
- Nakagyo, Kyoto, Japan
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Opening
- Open daily · 07:00–18:00
- Official site
- inoda-coffee.co.jp
Good to know
- Breakfast
- Garden terrace
- Cards accepted
- Open year round
Why we recommend it
Inoda Coffee is a Kyoto institution. The company was founded in 1940, and its main branch on Sakaimachi-dori, a quiet street just south of Sanjo, has become a favourite of local regulars, office workers and visitors alike. Its slogan says that mornings in Kyoto begin with the aroma of Inoda Coffee, and the café's early opening and generous breakfasts have made it a classic place to start a day of sightseeing.
The building is in the style of a traditional machiya townhouse, and the interior is designed to feel as though you have stepped back in time, with a large main room, a second floor and terrace seating facing a garden. In total there are more than 200 seats, so even when it is busy the wait for a table is rarely long.
Coffee is made by nel drip, a slow method using a flannel filter that produces a smooth, rounded cup. The house blend, Arabia no Shinju, or Pearl of Arabia, is the one to order, and it is traditionally served with milk and sugar already added unless you ask otherwise, so say if you prefer it black. The menu includes Western-style morning sets for breakfast, and there are sandwiches, cakes and light meals later in the day. The café also sells its beans to take home.
The main branch is open every day from 7:00 to 18:00, with last orders at 17:30, and has no regular closing days. Reservations are not taken. Credit cards and transport IC cards are accepted. The building is non-smoking, with a smoking booth inside, while the garden seating allows smoking, so non-smokers may prefer a table indoors. Early weekday mornings are the calmest time to visit; weekend mornings and lunchtimes are busier. It suits families as well as solo travellers.
The café is about five minutes' walk from Karasuma Oike Station on the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines and around ten minutes from Hankyu Karasuma Station. It is a convenient breakfast before Nishiki Market, a few blocks to the south, or before a walk to Nijo Castle or the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Museum of Kyoto on Sanjo-dori is also nearby.
Inoda Coffee Honten FAQs
What time does Inoda Coffee Honten open?
Every day from 7:00 to 18:00, with last orders at 17:30.
Is it closed on any day?
No. It is open throughout the year with no regular closing days.
Can you book a table?
No. Reservations are not accepted, but there are more than 200 seats.
What coffee should you order?
The house blend, Arabia no Shinju, made by nel drip. Ask for it black if you do not want milk and sugar.
Does it serve breakfast?
Yes. Morning sets are served from opening time.
Does it accept cards?
Yes. Credit cards and transport IC cards are accepted.
Is smoking allowed?
The building is non-smoking apart from a smoking booth, but smoking is allowed in the garden seating.
How do you get there?
About five minutes on foot from Karasuma Oike subway station.