One of the best parts of travelling is taking those spontaneous cafe breaks and discovering what makes each place special. When people think of Japan – and especially Kyoto – matcha immediately comes to mind. And yes, matcha is wonderful, but there’s so much more to explore.
Whether you want to unwind in a stylish contemporary cafe or experience an authentic tea room ceremony, Kyoto has both – and everything in between. I’m excited to share some spots where art and design lovers can enjoy not just what’s in their cup, but the entire aesthetic experience. These are places where your eyes are just as delighted as your palate, combining beautiful spaces with thoughtfully crafted tea and coffee. Perfect for adding a little creative inspiration to your Kyoto journey.
Cafes in Kyoto
1. Ryurei Tea Room “SABI” (然美)
This one is truly special. Tucked away in Gion’s backstreets, SABI is a contemporary tea room on the second floor of T.T, a total art space created by the late designer and artist Taiga Takahashi. The space occupies a beautifully restored early Taisho-era machiya that once housed a kimono shop and tea room – a serendipitous match for Takahashi’s vision of fusing clothing with tea ceremony culture. What makes this place remarkable is how it honours traditional Japanese aesthetics while feeling completely contemporary. The interior uses 100-year-old reclaimed wood from dismantled shrines and townhouses, with walls finished in traditional plaster and floors in tataki (compacted earth). Natural light shifts throughout the day, and the only sound is water flowing from Takahashi’s sculpture, “Infinite Gate.” The tea experience here pairs innovative wagashi (sweets created in collaboration between traditional confectioners and pastry chefs) with Japanese tea and even cocktails. It’s a modern interpretation of tea ceremony that feels both reverential and fresh. Reservations are required, and honestly, just being in this space feels like stepping into a living artwork.
📍 Address: T.T 2F, 570-120 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0074, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Keihan Main Line Gion-Shijo Station (Approx. 5 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram – SABI | Instagram – T.T
2. koen (コウエン)
koen is not just a cafe; it’s an alternative space built around the concept: “a place where connections intersect.” This unique hub perfectly embodies Kyoto’s contemporary creative spirit, housing a cafe, shop, gallery, and atelier all in one. It’s a place for people, objects, and diverse expressions to converge. Stop here for a thoughtful pause and admire the carefully chosen ceramics and art that blend effortlessly with the welcoming atmosphere.
📍 Address: 15-2 Ichijoji Tsukamotocho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8176, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Eizan Electric Railway Chayama-Kyoto Geijutsu Daigaku Station (Approx. 7 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram
3. watoto
This intimate spot has that rare quality of feeling both calm and alive. The space has a gentle, organic aesthetic, and you get the sense that the people behind it genuinely care about creating a warm experience. Operating seamlessly as a cafe during the day and a quiet bar in the evening, it’s great for a tailored pause you need between temple visits and shopping.
📍 Address: 9 Shimogamo Morimotocho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-0805, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Keihan Main Line / Eizan Electric Railway Demachiyanagi Station (Approx. 5 min walk)
🔗 Instagram
4. Hotori (ほとり)
The name means “waterside” or “edge,” and there’s something about this cafe, located right by the Kamo River (waterside!), that captures that liminal, peaceful quality. It’s the kind of place you stumble upon and immediately want to keep as your secret. Perfect for a quiet moment with good coffee and simple, well-made food.
📍 Address: 391 Horiikechō, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0038, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Kyoto Subway Tōzai Line Higashiyama Station (Approx. 4 min walk)
🔗 Instagram
5. Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe
You might think, “Blue Bottle? Really?” But trust me on this one. The Kyoto location, opened in 2018 near Nanzenji Temple, occupies a beautifully renovated 100-year-old machiya and it’s a masterclass in blending contemporary coffee culture with traditional Japanese architecture. Designed by Schemata Architects, the space honours the building’s history while making it functional and welcoming. They lowered the traditional raised floor to ground level and used terrazzo flooring with the same pebbles as the approach path outside, creating a visual flow between interior and exterior. The result is a serene, light-filled space where you can enjoy exceptional coffee alongside seasonal pastries (the matcha mint cookies are exclusive to Kyoto). Bonus: There’s a reservation-only second floor called “Blue Bottle Studio – Kyoto -” where you can experience a comprehensive coffee tasting course paired with sweets – the only Blue Bottle location in Japan offering this.
Note on Blue Bottle Studio: This exclusive experience operates on a seasonal basis during spring and autumn, available by reservation only. The Fall 2025 season is scheduled to be open from Wednesday, October 1st, to Monday, December 1st.
Book Your Reservation Here
📍 Address: 64 Nanzenji Kusakawachō, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8437, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Kyoto Subway Tōzai Line Keage Station (Approx. 10 min walk)
🔗 Website
Speciality Tea Shops in Kyoto
6. tearoom toka (冬夏)
This is where Japanese tea becomes an art form. Housed in a 100-year-old residence near the Kyoto Imperial Palace, toka is an intimate six-seat tearoom dedicated to organic Japanese green tea. The space sits directly above a famous water vein, allowing them to brew with fresh groundwater drawn daily from their own property – talk about dedication to quality. Founded by Fumie Okumura and her husband Elmar Weinmayr, toka specialises in rare organic teas (only about 6% of Japan’s tea production). You can smell different leaves before choosing, and each tea comes paired with either organic Hawaiian cacao or seasonal wagashi. The space blends traditional Japanese architecture with Nordic design – natural wood, soft lighting, and a contemplative atmosphere where the staff mindfully prepares each serving. Reservations essential.
📍 Address: 298 Shintomicho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-0875, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Keihan Main Line (Oto Line) Jingu-Marutamachi Station (Approx. 7 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram
7. Ippodo Tea (一保堂茶舗)
If there’s one tea shop that defines Kyoto’s tea heritage, it’s Ippodo. Founded in 1717 – over 300 years ago – this family-run company has been crafting aromatic teas for generations. Their flagship store on Teramachi Street underwent a beautiful renovation and reopened in December 2023, and walking in feels like stepping into tea history.
The adjacent Kaboku Tearoom offers a unique experience where you actually brew your own tea (except matcha, which they prepare for you). Each table has a clock so you can time your steep perfectly, and everything comes with seasonal wagashi from renowned Kyoto confectioners. It’s one of those rare places that manages to feel both prestigious and welcoming—perfect whether you’re a tea enthusiast or a complete beginner.
📍 Address: 52 Tokiwagi-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0915, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Kyoto Subway Tōzai Line Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station (Approx. 5 min walk from Exit 11) / Karasuma Line Marutamachi Station (Approx. 10 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram
8. Fukujuen Kyoto Flagship Store (福寿園 京都本店)
If you want a comprehensive Uji tea experience under one roof, this is it. Founded in 1790, Fukujuen has been crafting Uji tea for over 230 years, and their stunning flagship store on Shijo Street spans multiple floors – each offering something different. First floor tea shop with premium selections, upper floors with tea ceremony experiences and a tea room, plus a French restaurant where Chef Matsuda creates dishes entirely infused with Uji tea.
What makes this place special is how the entire building celebrates Kyoto craftsmanship, with works by Living National Treasures displayed throughout. You can enjoy seasonal wagashi with matcha in authentic settings, try hands-on experiences like blending your own tea, or simply browse their beautifully packaged teas. It’s a total immersion in Uji tea culture, from history to innovation, all in one elegant space.
📍 Address: 19 Tachiuri Higashimachi, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8005, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Hankyu Kyoto Line Karasuma Station / Kyoto Subway Karasuma Line Shijo Station (Approx. 7 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram
9. YUGEN
Opened in 2018, YUGEN is a beautifully renovated four-story tea shop near the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The founder designed it with the philosophy of “bringing traditional Japan closer” while making authentic Japanese tea accessible to everyone – from longtime tea lovers to curious newcomers. The ground floor serves as both shop and tearoom, offering carefully selected teas with a focus on Uji tea from Kyoto and single-origin sencha from specific farms. What makes YUGEN special is how approachable they make the complex world of Japanese tea. Tea is thoughtfully paired with signature sweets created by a team with kaiseki restaurant experience, and throughout the building you’ll find handcrafted pottery, glassware, and textiles under the theme “Beautiful Handcrafts for Everyday Life.” The second floor has a traditional tea room, and the third floor serves as a gallery space. It’s a place designed for exploration and discovery.
📍 Address: 146 Kameyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-0865, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line Marutamachi Station (Approx. 2 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram
10. ma (○間)
This is perhaps the most experimental of Kyoto’s speciality tea shops. ○間 (pronounced “ma,” meaning “space” or “interval”) uses Japanese tea as a foundation for designing experiences that integrate food, art, fragrance, and music. Located near Toji Temple in a renovated 100-year-old machiya, the space exudes nostalgic Kyoto atmosphere while feeling thoroughly contemporary.
The tea room offers curated selections from renowned establishments like Marukyu Koyamaen and Rishouen, plus innovative brands like EN TEA. But ○間 goes beyond just serving tea—they offer pairing courses, tea ceremony experiences, fragrance workshops, and various cultural events. The second-floor gallery shop features Kaikado’s renowned handcrafted tea caddies and beautiful tea ware. It’s a holistic approach where tea becomes the thread connecting various forms of Japanese culture and sensory exploration.
📍 Address: 59 Nishikujo Hieijocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8437, Japan
🚇 Nearest Station: Kintetsu Kyoto Line Toji Station (Approx. 5 min walk)
🔗 Website | Instagram
Plan Your Tea Journey
To make your exploration easier, I’ve curated a custom Google Map with all the locations featured in this article. You can view them grouped by category (cafes vs. shops), so planning your own seamless Kyoto itinerary becomes effortless. Just open the map on your phone, and you’ll have every spot at your fingertips.
Whether you’re drawn to contemporary tea experiences in historic buildings, hunting for rare organic teas from small Japanese farms, or simply want to unwind in a beautifully designed cafe by the river, Kyoto offers this incredible blend of tradition and innovation that you won’t find anywhere else. Take your time, wander between visits, let the afternoon stretch out over a slow cup of tea, and allow yourself to be surprised by the depth of care and craft waiting in these spaces. These places aren’t just cafes and tea shops – they’re invitations to slow down and experience how Kyoto continues to honour its tea heritage while exploring new, thoughtful directions. And honestly, that’s what makes the tea scene in this city so endlessly fascinating.
