STARDUST — Restaurant in Kyoto

We went for lunch. When we booked the day before, we were warned that we may be asked to vacate our table if it got busy. This was surprising.

The food (there's only one option) - soup, bread, and a small serve of roast vegetables and pickles, was tasty but meagre. We drank sake, but even so, the cost was eye-watering - more than ¥ 5000 for two.

I found the interiors dark and cold, with the distressed aesthetic rather overdone. The service was attentive if somewhat slow. We were there for 20 minutes before receiving our meals, despite an empty restaurant.

It's not in a central location, and vegetarian restaurants and vegetarian options are becoming more common in Kyoto. I was really looking forward to this experience after reading the reviews. My conclusion now is -...

This is my favorite cafe to go to and relax in Kyoto. The ambience is serene and beautiful. I'm almost embarrassed to say I'm not much of a tea drinker since I live in Japan, but the tea here has made me rethink everything. The tea is of the highest quality. I've enjoyed all the varieties I've sampled and I can tell the care with which the staff approaches everything. My favorite thing to get is the daily soup with vegetables and bread. It's perfect and exciting to try new seasonal flavors. I feel welcomed each time I visit and staff speaks good English so if you're still learning Japanese there is no issue. Thank you very much, Stardust!! I will be back (and...

Kana and her Stardust crew and cafe are the most wonderful and cool people we had the pleasure and honour of meeting in our Japan time. Some of the fine details of the atmosphere and texture of the place may go unnoticed to some peoples eyes, but not to mine. I think anyone who appreciates beauty, artistry, kindness, good music, tea, clothing arts and cakes - or simply anything wonderful - will love this place. Thank you for your kindness Kana and we can't wait to come back to Stardust (and Elbereth!) Ps. I recommend making a reservation in case you'd like to be sure of having a spot, otherwise it is probably possible to...