Kichiri Kawaramachi — Restaurant in Kyoto

Me and my friend had the good fortune of stumbling across this restaurant whilst trying to find vegan options wandering in the streets of Gion. From the moment we stepped in the staff were professional and friendly and we were given easy instructions on how to order and an English menu.

The menu has a variety of great dishes from various country’s, and whilst I expected the food to be good, taking the first bite of my mushroom risotto blew my mind. Every dish we ate was absolutely packed with flavor, a good size, and a reasonable price (not to mention their mixed juices in a jar were delicious too). My friend also loved the veggie spring rolls as a vegan option.

I have to give a mention to our awesome server, Ruichi, who was welcoming and professional from the moment we sat down to the moment we left. His english is extremely impressive and we had a great chat (He’s very cool and easy to talk to).

Can’t recommend this place enough. If you haven’t already decided where to eat, give this beautiful Izakaya a try. You...

The food isn't bad. But it's on the pricey side for the portion size/s.

The real killer is the wait times. You will wait a very long time for your meal. Not everyone eats at the same time.

The communication between staff is not good at all. I'm not sure if the restaurant is short staffed? But their communication system is not effective at all.

More ventilation or some form of fragrance is needed. The place slightly smells like socks and feet. Before entering, you take your shoes off. Of course, this is not a problem because this is Japan and that customary practice. However, I have never come across such a scenario where the place has a pungent smell. Especially considering that it's place one goes to dine.

The cleanliness of the seats and of the seating area is not good. Very stained, and I don't think much attention is taken for cleanliness for the next customers.

It can get a bit loud, but that's sort of expected because it is an...

Kichiru Kawaramachi is a cozy, relaxed restaurant. The menu offers a variety of tasty tapas-style dishes, which was perfect for someone indecisive and excited to try new food (like me!) My favorites were the Japanese white radish oden tempura, the teppanyaki grilled yam cake, and the garlic rice with beef. The last one may sound like a familiar dish, but it had a unique umami flavor that really added a nice kick (and there is English on the menu.) I also recommend their mocktails if you have a sweet tooth- my friend got the calpis coconut pineapple drink, and it was delicious. The service was incredible. The waiters were welcoming and patient, talking to me despite my very poor Japanese as I asked questions about the food. I am extremely grateful for their kindness.

The posted picture is a surprise dessert from our waiter, Ueno-san, encouraging me to continue learning Japanese. I will, and I hope others enjoy the restaurant as...