The 10 Best Places For Vegetarian Food In Kyoto Japan

Kyoto is a beautiful city located in the central part of the island of Honshu in Japan. Full of majestic temples, shrines and palaces, it draws visitors in droves every year. If you’re one of those, and seeking top-quality vegetarian food while you’re here then try these 10 great options.

1. Vegans Café & Restaurant

Cafe, Restaurant, Japanese, Vegetarian, Coffee

Vegans Café & Restaurant is a family business in the heart of Kyoto, and an establishment which actively supports local organic farmers. Come here to sample vegetarian curries, salads and wraps, and even try a slice of mock meat. The interior is large and spacious and there is the option to either sit on the floor or at a table.

2. Fortune Garden Kyoto

Fortune Garden Kyoto

The experience at Fortune Garden Kyoto starts with the friendly staff who show diners to their seats. This is then followed by efficient service and some great French food, much of which is suitable for vegetarians. Made with seasonal vegetables and fresh ingredients, customers can sample dishes such as roast vegetable quiche or pea and lentil soup here.

386-2 Ichinofunairicho Kawaramachidori 2-jo Kudaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0924, Kyoto Prefecture +81 75-254-8843

Kyoto| © Pedro Szekely/Flickr

3. Morphocafe

Cafe, Japanese, Coffee, Vegan

Morphocafe exudes a cool vibe and is a popular destination for vegans in Kyoto. The vegan special here is fresh salad, tofu and braised vegetables, but the menu also offers delicious dishes from vegetarian green curry and taco rice to vegan coleslaw and tofu burgers. Don’t miss the soya hot chocolate or the soya chai latte to drink.

5. Falafel Garden

Falafel Garden

Falafel Garden offers arguably the best falafels in Kyoto; deliciously crispy on the outside, moist and aromatic on the inside. Pair yours with a range of fresh salad items and sauces, and enjoy your meal on the charming backyard terrace filled with plants.

Demachiyanagi Station. +81 75-712-1856

Falafel | © Lara604/Flickr

6. Macrobiotics Prunus

Restaurant, Coffee, Japanese

Macrobiotics Prunus is a vegan-macrobiotic restaurant, meaning that nothing of animal origin is served on the premises. Food is organic and vegetarian, with an emphasis on crisp fresh salads, and the friendly owner, Yuka, speaks good English and is willing to talk to visitors about the positive physical effects of eating this way.

7. Yudofu Sagano

Restaurant, Japanese, Asian, Vegetarian

Yudofu Sagano offers an all-tofu kaiseki menu, a vegetarian take on the traditional Japanese dining style. The joint is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in the Arashiyama district, not far from the Tenryuji Temple. The multi-course meal is served while guests sit on comfortable pillows; from here they can admire the colorful garden which surrounds the restaurant.

8. Tosuiro Kiyamachi Main Branch

Restaurant, Japanese, Asian, Vegetarian

Tosuiro Kiyamachi Main Branch is a tofu restaurant with exquisitely presented plates and kimono-clad waitresses. Top menu picks include the corn daifuku, the caremelized grilled tofu, the vegetarian sushi, the soy ice-cream and the tempura with green tea salt. The outdoor dining deck here offers a beautiful view of the Kamogawa River and features charming 1940s light stands.

9. Vege Café & Dining Tosca

Vege Café & Dining Tosca

Vege Café & Dining Tosca has comfortable wooden tables and chairs, jazz playing in the background, an English menu and an open kitchen. The sourdough breads, which accompany the meals, are excellent and come with a fragrant olive oil. The house dessert is wonderful too; a sweet potato-mugwort muffin.

67-7 Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho | Sakyo Ward, Kyoto606-8224, Kyoto Prefecture +81 75-721-7779

10. Yoshuji

Restaurant, Japanese, Vegetarian

Yoshuji is a surprisingly sophisticated restaurant set in a small, rural village. Located to the right of the entrance steps, just below the ticket gate entrance for Kiyomizu-dera temple grounds, Yoshuji serves excellent multi-course vegan Shojin Ryori, as well as cheaper options such as soba topped with mountain vegetables. Look out for the fresh Japanese vegetables freshly picked from the village and always on the menu.

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