Mr. Maurice’s Italian

Mr. Maurice's Italian is the rooftop cocktail bar and neighbourhood restaurant of Ace Hotel Kyoto, on the third floor of the hotel in the Shinpukan complex near Karasuma Oike. It looks down over the courtyard of the complex below, and it has become a popular meeting place for local residents as well as hotel guests, with a relaxed, sociable feel that suits an evening out in central Kyoto.

The kitchen is overseen by the American chef Marc Vetri, who has created an Italian-American menu built on pasta and wood-fired pizza and made with local ingredients. Seasonal dishes have included fettuccine with an autumn mushroom ragu, squash ravioli with fried sage, roasted whole market fish and lamb shoulder cooked a la plancha, alongside a classic Margherita pizza. The menu changes with the seasons, so expect different dishes through the year.

For nightlife, the bar is the draw. Cocktails are a focus, with house creations such as a caramel rhubarb martini, and there are separate wine and drinks lists. At weekends and on public holidays there is a happy hour from 15:00 to 17:30, a good time to arrive for a drink before dinner. Dinner runs from 17:30 to 22:00, with last orders for food and drinks at 21:30, and lunch is served from 11:30 to 15:00, with brunch at weekends and on holidays.

Reservations can be made online through TableCheck, which is advisable for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings and for groups. If you just want a drink, early evening is the easiest time to find a seat. Takeaway orders are also available. Prices are mid-range for central Kyoto, and the casual style makes it a good choice for friends, couples and solo travellers, as well as families at lunchtime.

The hotel is directly connected to Karasuma Oike Station on the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines, making Mr. Maurice's one of the easiest bars in the city to reach. Stumptown Coffee and the other bars and restaurants of the Ace Hotel are in the same building, and Nishiki Market, the downtown shopping arcades and Pontocho are within walking distance for a later drink.