Blue Bottle Coffee - Kyoto Kiyamachi Cafe — Restaurant in Kyoto

If you’re staying around the Kiyamachi area in Kyoto, you’ll likely stumble upon Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Kiyamachi. It’s tucked inside a shared building with a hotel and several other tenants—pretty easy to miss if you’re not paying attention, but absolutely worth the stop.

The place itself is super clean and stylish, with a chill atmosphere. The staff were super friendly and quick to help, and they spoke enough English to guide me through the menu. One thing I really liked here is that they sell lots of Blue Bottle merchandise, including mugs, drip kits, tote bags, T-shirts, and several specialty beans from different countries—Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, etc.

I tried a few drinks: • Ice Americano (single origin) – 8.5/10, clean and bold • Hot Americano (blend) – 8.5/10, very balanced • Ice Latte – 9/10, smooth with a slightly nutty note • Ice Nola – 8.5/10, unique with a chicory twist • Orange Cream Nola – 9/10, really interesting and refreshing!

Location tip: It’s just a short walk from Kawaramachi Station, right near the river. Super convenient if you’re staying central.

Overall? Great coffee, great space. I’d...

My order: Oat-milk Mocha, Seasonal (orange) Pound Cake, Oat-milk Latte w/ single origin espresso Food/drinks: personally not my favorite although I’m sure it would fit some people’s tastes. I believe the espresso they use is on the sour side which made our latte+mocha taste a bit sour. So if you like sour coffee this is all you :) The pound cake is textured almost exactly like cornbread so again, depends on your taste. Atmosphere: I came around 10am and it was relatively crowded, there were a few seats here and there open so definitely not a problem with finding a spot. Has a lot of windows so you get to see them make your drink in a nice sunlit area. More than half seem to be tourists. Service: the staff that took care of us was quite nice. She gave us recommendations and explained the seasonal items Overall: definitely not a place I would come just for coffee, it is also on bit of the expensive side. But it was a nice first experience!!!...

I recently visited Blue Bottle Coffee in Kyoto and unfortunately had a negative experience. While the coffee and dessert were of high quality, the prices were on the high side. To make matters worse, when my wife joined me and my son, the staff refused to let her inside the establishment despite us already having placed an order. She was only holding a small ice cream, which she finished in just a few seconds, and was planning to order a coffee as well.

Additionally, the staff had a snobby attitude which made the overall experience unpleasant.

Overall, while the coffee and dessert were good, the high prices and poor customer service left a bad impression. I hope that Blue Bottle Coffee can improve their customer service in the future and create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for...