Musubi-Cafe Arashiyama, located a quick 3-minute walk from Hankyu Arashiyama Station, bases its cooking around the theme of “locally sourced” “healthy grains and vegetables.” For lunch, the eatery offers a slew of nutritious meal sets that all cost 1,600 yen including tax, such as the “Daily Lunch A/B,” “Curry lunch set (chickpea and tomato curry),” and “Spaghetti lunch set (veggie Tomato spaghetti).”

Since vegan fare is on the menu, anyone who's in the market for some delicious, locally-sourced Kyoto vegetables will likely find what they're looking for here!

Nestled deep in a quiet recess away from any main streets is Kijuro, a shop with a modern Japanese interior that offers fantastic views of a beautiful Japanese-style garden from some of its windows. It almost feels like you’ve entered a different world and time when you enter its doors.

The lunch menu is plentiful and varied, with standard set meals such as the “Grilled Wagyu Beef Multi-Tier Food Box (2,090 yen),” “Wagyu Beef Thigh Meat Steak Multi-Tier Food Box (starting from 3,630 yen), as well as the nutritionally balanced “Wagyu Beef Thigh Meat Steak Multi-Tier Food Box With Boiled Beancurd (4,290 yen).” In case you’re wondering, Wagyu is a term that refers to Japanese beef cattle, and the meat produced by these cattle are renowned for their premium quality.

We recommend that you try the restaurant’s “Grilled Wagyu Multi-Tier Food Box,” which is best enjoyed with a generous dose of the sauce provided by the shop, since it was specially formulated to enhance the umami flavor from both the grilled meat and steamed egg!

Takeout meals such as the “Grilled Wagyu Lunch Box (1,500 yen)” and “Wagyu Beef With Bones Lunch Box (2,000 yen, pictured)” are also available for those planning to eat at another location. All prices are inclusive of tax. (Information accurate as of 2021. Please get in touch with the shop for current information.)

English menus are available on request.

Right in front of this restaurant is Togetsukyo Bridge, a major Kyoto tourist attraction. This means visitors to the shop can expect to behold the bridge and its surroundings in all their glory throughout the changing seasons while comfortably seated with a bowl of delicious soba (buckwheat noodles) in hand. It’ll be an unforgettable lunch, for sure!

The must-try soba dish here is the “Tenzaru Set (2,300 yen, tax excluded),” which comes with a plate of soba as the main dish with some tempura (deep-fried food) and a bowl of rice with dried fish toppings on the side.

Menus are also available in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Korean on request.

Definitely come here if the combination of good food and great views sounds like something right up your alley!

Daizen is a specialty store that offers kyozushi, a lesser-known variety of Japanese sweet sushi. The shop is located close to major sightseeing spots and has garnered fans from its locality and beyond. The cozy atmosphere of the store is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the unique taste of kyozushi.

The menu items include mackerel sushi, boxed sushi, seasonal sushi, side dishes, and other items. The sushi is prepared using a unique method that allows it to keep well. The "Sabasugata Zushi (2,750 yen, tax included)" is a must-try, as it has been perfectly salted to enhance the flavor of the kelp inside. If you are interested in authentic kyozushi cuisine, then you should definitely visit this restaurant.

Smoking is strictly prohibited inside Daizen.

Shintogetsu's udon have been prepared using traditional methods and high-quality ingredients since the shop's establishment. No chemical seasonings or additives are added during the process. As a result, you won't find this shop's udon anywhere else!

One of the special dishes featuring this unique udon is the "Tanba Bihada Pork and Soft-Boiled Eggs Curry Udon." Bihada pork is a brand of Kyoto pork that is known for its high collagen content. Customers have raved about the curry, which, when combined with the springy udon and soft-boiled egg, creates a delightful explosion of flavors. If you visit during lunchtime, you can try out their bargain set meals like the "Kobe Beef Tendon Meal (490 yen, tax included)" or the "Mini Tempura Platter (690 yen, tax included)," which each come with a bowl of udon as well.

We would be remiss to forget to mention “Kinsei Shoyu Soba (980 yen, tax included),” a brand new dish made by the shop owner, who, despite being an udon expert, decided to invent this ramen dish with 1% playful inspiration and 99% heartfelt dedication. The dish is so well done that it has gained a reputation for being even tastier than the ramen of specialty stores. But don’t take our word for it - try it out yourself!

English menus are available upon request.

All the restaurants mentioned here represent the cuisine of Arashiyama in their own special ways, and at reasonable prices too! Spice up your trip today with a meal that will bring you closer to the authentic flavors Kyoto has to offer and open the way to new culinary discoveries!

English translation by Huimin Pan.