Panel Cafe Kyoto — Restaurant in Kyoto

Currently craving this so bad so let me write about it 😅 Was visiting Kyoto with friends last month and found this place on TikTok so we had to try it! We knew there would be a wait thankfully when we got there we were next but we still waited about 15-20 minutes to sit. While we waited we were given the menus to look at which was great because there is a seating time limit of either 1 hour or hour and a half, I forgot but this way deciding what to eat doesn’t take part of our reserved time. It’s not a big establishment at least not inside. The waiting area is small, so the line wrapped downstairs near the bathrooms by the time we were seated so keep in mind if you have someone handicapped. I saw there’s an outside area too but it was raining when we went so we did inside.. Right before they sat us we placed our order at the register. The ONE thing I didn’t like right off the bat was the table we sat in was the first one to your left in the dining area and it’s basically a coffee table with 2 couches on both ends. The table is verrryy short and the couches are as well only being a little bit taller than the table which made it kind of uncomfortable to eat. You can see my picture for reference and keep in mind I’m 5’3. If you’re tall you probably don’t want to sit there, request a booth. It involved a lot of leaning over to try to eat without making a mess so that was a bit annoying. Now for the best part. OMG it was DELICIOUS! I don’t remember exactly what I ordered but it was the fluffy pancakes with chocolate and strawberries and came with vanilla ice cream 🤤 Everything melts in your mouth all the flavors blended so well, I read comments regarding fluffy pancakes that they taste like egg but I did not get that overwhelming egg taste with these they were perfect I miss them so much 😢 Both my friends also loved what they ordered including the burger. Besides the food everything else was average. Customer service could be better, no one checked up on us after giving us our food so we just literally...

The food wasn't all perfect, but some of it is definitely worth the hype!

Tried the strawberry & chocolate pancake (definitely the highlight... SO fluffy and delicious - a must-try! One of the best pancakes I've ever had), creme brulee (a little less flavorful, but a smooth creaminess and nice flavor), chocolate croiffle(?) (a croissant-waffle, with ice cream and chocolate drizzled all over it. Tasty, but the waffle wasn't as exciting or stand-out as the pancakes. If they put the chocolate topping from this menu item onto a pancake, that might be the best thing on the menu!), and a burger (tasty but nothing exceptional. Haven't had other Japanese burgers so don't know how they typically are here, but it was only as good as an "Alright" American burger.)

Strongly recommend the chocolate & strawberry pancakes, they were exceptional! A hungry adult could comfortably enjoy two pancakes. I tried 3 (one was the waffle - same size) and that was a little much.

Got in line about 40 minutes before they opened. We were the second in line, after a group who got there right in front of us. The line gathered several people in the next 20 minutes, but the majority of the crowd came in the last 15 minutes or so. Line was pretty long, and those people presumably had to wait a while to get in.

I would say it's probably worth about an hour and a half wait, but if you'll have to wait more than that, maybe try it again some other time. It's very good, but probably not good enough for THAT long waiting in line.

Summary: If you can get in without waiting for hours, DEFINITELY worth a try, and delicious! But the line can easily get out of hand! Stick with the breakfast items for sure to have the best...

This wasn't my first time trying their pancakes since I'm based in Kyoto. My niece is visiting for a week and was eager to experience them. Knowing we would likely wait in line for at least 30 minutes, I didn’t mind, as I wanted her to be happy. We queued for an hour yesterday starting at 2:30 PM. She tried the matcha brûlée, while I ordered the spring limited Sakura (cherry blossom) pancake.

While sharing our pancakes I took a small bite of hers, and she took a small bite of mine to try. I found a short black, slightly curled hair in my food. I asked the staff to come over and show them the hair, as it definitely didn't belong to either of us; we both have long blonde hair.

I understand that these things can happen in food establishments, and I wasn't angry, but I was disappointed that the staff didn’t apologize. I was expecting at least a little acknowledgment of the issue. It felt as though they didn’t seem to care, which surprised both my niece and me, especially considering the typical politeness of Japanese culture. They promptly took my plate and replaced it with a new pancake, but there was no apology or explanation. Even when we returned later, there was no follow-up from them. It was truly disappointing.

I hope they will be more careful in the future. We were both really excited yesterday, but my anticipation for the pancakes turned into disappointment.

It's sad to see that sometimes, when cafes and restaurants become popular, their service tends to decline.

Not sure if I want to...