Kiraku-tei — Restaurant in Kyoto

An absolute gem, a local izakaya spot that's authentic and delish.

Izakaya is sort of like a pub (this one isn't roudy, real restaurant vibe) where you share small plates. Or you can eat them yourself (I did and that's okay!)

❗ Here's how it works. The door is small (that's traditional!) Just duck.

👟 Remove your shoes upon entering

🪑 The seating is Japanese style, on benches. You can sit cross-legged, but there's also space for you to put your legs underneath the table, so Westerners should be fine

👧 Family friendly, you can tell locals come in regularly and chat

🍺 The expectation is that you order one drink per person. A ¥400 seating fee covers a little appetizer

I highly recommend the plum wine if that's your thing. Lots of drink and food options.

🍜 Order the small dishes! I had mackerel and a 5-sampler veggie platter. Was so delish.

💳...

Like some other people have mentioned, the first thing you’ll see is a very short sliding door. I personally found it charming and memorable, not a problem. And for the record I’m 5’11” so I definitely had to duck pretty seriously to get through.

The food was excellent, we got a large mix of sushi, noodle dishes, cooked fish, and some other beef and chicken dishes. Everything was well prepared and looked appealing.

The staff were very friendly and helpful; I saw some reviews that said they were rude to foreigners, but we absolutely did not have that experience.

Lastly, the atmosphere was great. It’s definitely small, but it feels like stepping backwards through time, and...

Great izakaya! The seats at first seemed floor-level, but were bench-style upon closer inspection, so my grandmother with bad knees was more than able to enjoy this restaurant. There were only two people working: the chef and the waitress/host, but they were very responsive and quick! The appetizer was very nice, and the sashimi was a good selection. The tempura was crisp and light, and the yakitori was delicious. The chicken nanban was tasty too. The waitress appreciated that I spoke a bit of Japanese so that it was easier on her, and it was nice to be able to practice. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this place for a nice, semicasual...