Harbs — Restaurant in Kyoto

We visited this location to pick up some cakes for our daughter’s birthday, and while the cake itself was absolutely fantastic—fluffy, moist, and just as delicious as we remember from Harbs in New York—the overall experience was unfortunately tainted by poor customer service.

On April 12, 2025, around 5 PM, we encountered an extremely unpleasant interaction with the woman who took our order. As longtime fans of Harbs in New York, we were shocked by the stark contrast in service. This staff member was dismissive, visibly disinterested, and unwelcoming, which made the ordering process frustrating and uncomfortable. While we understand this is a tourist-heavy area, the level of service we received did not reflect the standard expected from such a well-regarded establishment. We remained polite throughout, but her attitude was unprofessional and frankly, unacceptable.

Additionally, the ordering process felt chaotic and poorly managed—clearer direction for customers would go a long way in improving the experience. Thankfully, we didn’t dine in.

On a positive note, the man who packaged our cakes was warm, courteous, and professional—he deserves recognition for his kindness.

Despite the rough experience, we’re grateful the cakes lived up to our expectations. They were a hit with our daughter, and we were able to enjoy a lovely birthday celebration at our hotel. The pricing here is also quite reasonable compared to NYC.

All in all, amazing cakes, but the service—at least from one individual—needs serious...

I have to agree with the other reviewers, the service is terrible and noticeably lagging behind many of the other places we have visited. For context, we have been in Kyoto for over 16 days so we have had plenty of Dine In experiences prior to coming to this place. The staff ignored us after sitting down for about 10 min before I signalled them. The lady rushed through taking our orders and was impatient as I translated her explanations to my family members (I am the only one that speaks Japanese). She seemed a bit "frustrated" with us, which I have no idea why.

We eventually got our food but it was mediocre at best. The chocolate cake was very bland, not spongy but "soggy" and the "let's add nuts (peacan) as garnish to make it taste better" trick was present. It wasn't good...The coffee was average, irish cream cake was decent, honey lemon tea soda was alright - all in all a little pricey for the quality.

After paying the bill you are usually given thanks by the staff but this was the first time ever in 2+ weeks of being in Japan that someone took the money, issued receipt and walked off. By Japanese standards, I consider their attitude to...

We stopped by Harbs Kyoto for a coffee break and had a really lovely experience. The staff were kind and attentive, and the service was excellent from the moment we walked in. We ordered a few slices of cake and some coffee and tea. The cake was incredibly moist and fluffy, and honestly, much bigger than we expected! It was rich but light at the same time.

There was quite a long line when we arrived, but the cozy atmosphere and the quality of everything made the wait more than worth it. Highly recommend this spot if you're in Kyoto and looking for a relaxing break with great western...