Cantina Arco — Restaurant in Kyoto

From the moment you arrive, you're greeted by classic Italian ceramic letters spelling out the restaurant’s name, setting the stage for an experience that feels straight out of Italy. Once inside, the authenticity only deepens—if it weren’t for the guests and language, you’d swear you were on the Amalfi Coast, not in Kyoto. Every detail is truly from Amalfi, from the ceramics to the coffee table to the signage.

The wine was a perfect 14-year-old red from Tuscany, and the food was exquisite. We enjoyed incredible pasta, fresh salad, and an authentic Italian dessert—each dish bursting with flavor and quality. The experience was so convincing that we were almost surprised to step back out onto a Japanese street; for a moment, we’d forgotten we weren’t in Europe!

The highest compliment: my Italian boyfriend was thrilled. This was one of the best meals we had during our two-week trip in Japan....

In 2022 we got rained out during a visit to Kyoto in the typhoon season. Every restaurant we went to was closed or not seating foreigners. Just as we were giving up, we found this warm and inviting slice of Italy to escape into from the pounding rain.

The food was absolutely delightful and the proprietor was fantastically gracious; even by the already high standards of Japanese hospitality. As a tourist, I only spoke broken Japanese - but it wasn't an issue at this establishment. In researching Kyoto, I finally found this again, and it deserves my long-overdue review.

For two waterlogged travelers, this restaurant will forever be a...

The food here is great! I got the meatball spaghetti and my sister got the carbonara pasta. I don’t know how but they perfected the spaghetti and meatball ratio and it’s probably the best Italian food i’ve had in Japan! You do have to order a drink per person though so keep that in mind when coming here, but when aren’t you buying a drink in a restaurant. It says on here that the restaurant closes at 12:30, but upon arriving at 12:15 they still took our order! Not sure if their kitchen is always open until 1 (this was on a Thursday night) but it’s definitely worth a trip, and the staff...