Gyoza & Nikomi / Sakana-ya Sushishin — Restaurant in Kyoto

A bit of a hidden gem in... a bookstore of all places! This is a proper izakaya serving drinks and a selection of small plates that are unexpectedly good for an establishment within a bookstore.

The fried octopus is always fresh, the fried oden (fish cakes) can be a hit or miss depending on what's available, the stewed small intestines are sweet and fatty, and the beef tendon topped with ponzu sauce and grated radish is fantastic.

Not a bad place to go for dinner / late night snack when other...

Had to wait almost 2 hours for about 20 pieces of sushi, and it was pretty pricey. My vegetarian sushi tasted like fish, and while the staff were nice, they didn't care that we were waiting forever for our food. Maybe that's just not how things are done here, but giving free food or a discount for inconveniencing the customer really helps to not make them angry or disappointed. An apology really does nothing, especially if nothing is done to fix or prevent...

We walked through a massive bookshop to find the restaurant, after seeing it on the restaurant board outside. After quickly being seated, we were offered tea and a menu in English to choose our sushi. We decided on salmon and tuna. Both were excellent quality. We were also served with miso soup. A great first Kyoto sushi...