Wonder Cafe — Restaurant in Kyoto

I actually never had food in this place, since I always went there only for a coffee and to spend some time there because I love the place. As for the prices, I believe they are fair for what you get and in comparison to other cafes I would say average… in other words, expect a coffee from around 400 yen… But for me I always thought of it as an “entrance ticket” + you can probably stay as long as you want (at least I never got kicked out even after 2 hours 😅), since the place is almost like a mini museum of retro culture, I don’t think pictures can give it enough justice and one has to visit with their own eyes. There are hundreds of books and retro mangas, if you have a decent level of Japanese, you might spend a whole day just sitting there and reading. Bunch of books about Kyoto and traditions of Kyoto too. There are also numerous figures and toys, billboards, pictures, gadgets from Heisei and Showa period, so if you’re interested in Japanese Retro culture, you will love this place. As for the location, it’s located right next to the Myoshinji temples complex, which is maybe 3-5 minutes by walk. Not so far away from Ninnaji and Ryoanji, so if you’re staying in the area, I recommend giving this cafe a try. The owners are very friendly, I remember when I was there, the owner always tried (doesn’t force you though) to have a small conversation and would give us tips around the place (although only in Japanese), he’s happy when you check the place around and even offers you to do so, if it’s not crowded I guess. I believe the owners don’t speak English though, but there is an English menu. There is also a retro massage chair, which you can use (at least I did multiple times 😀) free of charge, there is a small “one chair cinema”, where you can watch some retro movies he has there, but I believe a reservation might be necessary for that and I’m not sure if there is a fee for that… The toilet is also magnificent, that’s literally walking back into the past century, a radio starts playing when you walk in, there is this small old style tv, which will play something and you could just spend hours looking around the toilet, because there is just so many things to see there.

As I said, I think of this place rather as a small retro museum than a cafe and as such I give it 5 stars, because I loved the place (been there multiple times) and the owners are also...

The place is first and foremost very small and has only one table for four people.

Besides this fact, the place is very cozy and honestly one of the most unique places in Kyoto. It's stacked with retro and antique trinkets, pictures and toys from floor to ceiling. Even the toilet is filled with so much decorations that you could use some time in there as well. Apparently Robin Williams has visited this place and given his autograph?!

The atmosphere was amazing, the staff very polite and careful, and the food delicious....

The food was really good and the lunch set menu was very cheap compared to most of kyoto (they have an English menu too). Never seen so many interesting things all gathered together (lots of very retro stuff). The downstairs is very interesting but make sure you go upstairs too! The collection of manga is staggering and so many more treasures to find. Also be sure to use the toilet. Spent 10 minutes in there just looking around at all the incredible things. Also the staff are lovely and made us feel very welcome. Best find of...