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Vegan
American
Pizza
Japanese
Macrobiotic
Western
Take-out
Gluten-free
Breakfast
Gluten-free vegan restaurant located a short walk east of Keihan Sanjo station. Menu items include fermented vegan cheese (also for sale), veggie burgers, soups, brown rice risotto, organic pasta, quiche, pancakes, raw cake, smoothies, hot drink. No fried food. Open Mon-Tue 9:30am-8:00pm, Thu-Sat 9:30am-8:00pm, Sun 9:30am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm. Closed Wed. Last order for lunch 3pm, dinner 8:30pm.
352 Reviews
First Review by jennjt
MorlinRoismanReuven
Points +44
Really disappointed and overpriced - Edit
Nice service but the food wasn't good at all, we had the pasta bolognese which was tiny and overcooked, sause was weird and made from quinoa. The pancakes had a very weird texture and was served with a bitter soft cream
Read moreCons: Not worth the price or coming at all
Guest
JesperLund
Points +19
Great taste, cosy place - Edit
Good tasting vegan food and smoothies. On the pricy side and don’t expect big portions.
Read moreGuest
happycyclist
Points +443
cozy, delicious, beautiful - Edit
We felt at home right away with the cozy, warm, spacious, mellow atmosphere. I could have stayed all day reading a book. Got so excited about their vegan cheese, which is so hard to find in Kyoto. We went for all things cheesy including the amazing resoto and cheese salad. Out of this world! But the burger needed a bun or something to make the dish more substantial. Otherwise the portions were unusually large for Japan, which was very welcome! The vegan cheese was definitely their strength. I tasted a nutritional yeast base to the cheese, but I'm no expert. Will go back. Good location.
Read morePros: vegan cheeses, tasty, good portions
Cons: not for the budget traveler
Guest
Bellatrish
Points +64
Nice café - Edit
Really nice place to go when it's rainy outside. The interior is very clean and beautifully decorated. But for me it has more like café feel than a restaurant one. The food isn't really filling, so if you're hungry, I'd recommend you to visit another place in Kyoto. I've tried their quiche, salad and chocolate pancakes with some sort uniquely tasting ice cream, which I didn't like that much... But overall the food was tasty. Especially their cheeses, those were delicious. The stuff was really kind and helpful.
Read moreIt's a really nice place worth trying, but I'm not sure if I'll be coming back as I prefer another vegan places in Kyoto more.
Pros: Beautiful place, gluten free, good location, Very kind and helpful stuff, tasty food, Interesting cheeses
Cons: Little overpriced, not as filling food
Guest
emeve
Points +129
Cozy and friendly - Edit
Beautiful cafe to relax from the hustle of Kyoto’s city center. Staff is friendly and speaks good English. Many food options on the menu.
Read moreGuest
seagullmcguire
Points +48
Brilliant - Edit
The food here was absolutely incredible! Everything was vegan which was amazing to find. We got 2 pasta dishes and they were both amazing! No complaints about the food whatsoever. The smoothies were also so tasty!
Read moreGuest
BethanyRoeth
Points +472
Know what it is before you come - Edit
After reading all the mixed reviews I had to check out this place! Here’s my take on some of the negative comments: price- yes it’s expensive and it’s overpriced, portion size- to me it seems average, staff- I thought the staff was friendly and very nice. My advice is to go for the experience of trying new things and supporting a vegan restaurant, but don’t go hungry and expecting to eat a huge meal. I ate a banana about 40 min before coming because I was worried about portion sizes being too small, but after eating the egg sandwich and cheese platter I’m pretty full. So don’t come ravenous and expect to pay a bit more to try some nice vegan cheeses. The egg sandwich was ok- I wouldn’t get it again because I make vegan egg salad at home, but I wanted to try the bread, which was great. I’m not gluten free and I couldn’t tell the difference. Now that I know the cheeses are great, I would order either the cheese sandwich or one of the pastas next time. I hope you enjoy :)
Read morePros: Flavorful cheeses, Good bread, Close to the metro
Cons: Expensive
Guest
JRoss
Points +650
Vegan cheese heaven - Edit
As an ex-dairy cheese lover I can safely say that these vegan cheeses would satisfy any cheese lover. We tried the cheese plate, the smoky cheese salad and the quiche. The cheese board is small but very tasty. This is very creative food and focuses on flavour and healthy options.
Read moreGuest
HanakoOkada
Points +35
Amazing! - Edit
Super kind staff, amazing food, great VALUE for money! Uses traditional and authentic Japanese flavours and cooking techniques and combines it with modern western cuisine! Try the soft serve, the sprouted brown rice milk and amazake flavour is an acquired taste but it’s light and delicious!
Read moreI’ve seen lots of reviews saying the portions are small but that’s just the Japanese way of eating “hara hachibun me” means to eat till your 80% full, a common saying in Japan. Maybe it’s one of the reasons they have low obesity rates and long lifespans!
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Gf options, authentic Japanese flavours
Guest
Maddykillua
Points +44
Delicious vegan cheeses but small portions - Edit
We ordered the cheese board, which yes the portions were small, but they were the tastiest vegan cheeses I’ve ever had. The chocolate pancakes were dry and you could taste the rice flavour in the soft serve ice cream making it not as nice as other places I’ve tried (Mumokuteki cafe in Kyoto was tastier but wired bon bon in Tokyo is my favourite for vegan ice cream). Made me wish I had ordered one of the pastas instead to try more cheese. The risotto was tasty but portion was too small for my partner. The cafe itself was lovely with a pleasant atmosphere. If it was cheaper we would have ordered another cheese board.
Read moreGuest
bvanwassenhove
Points +149
Tiny portions, overpriced - Edit
This restaurant has nice housemade vegan cheeses but the servings are tiny. We ordered three courses here ($50 for two people) and left hungry.
Read morePros: Good vegan cheeses, Friendly staff, Nice presentation
Cons: Tiny portions, Expensive, Bland taste
Guest
Rachel4Animals
Points +192
Expensive but for Good Reason - Edit
At first, I looked at the menu and was shocked by the prices. But once I got my egg sandwich and cheese platter and tasted it, I understood the reason for the price. The taste was absolutely divine. I don't normally eat at places like this so maybe my palate has never been treated this well. The Italiana cheese was by far my favourite. The egg sandwich was worth a second trip to come back to eat. I could not believe the bread was gluten-free. It had an amazing fluffy yet crumby consistency. I would only come back for special occasions though. My wallet would not be able to come here regularly.
Read moreEven my omnivore sister thought it was an amazing tasting cheese. She would go back again, especially for the Italiana. She's even thinking of ordering it overseas.
Staff spoke minimal English but did well to understand. English menu provided.
Updated from previous review on 2019-01-02
Pros: Options, 100% Vegan, Gluten-Free
Cons: Expensive
Guest
MadeleineCox
Points +156
Great for GF - Edit
Had the cheeseboard and vegan egg sandwich. The bread was more like a scone, not great, but the filing was excellent. We liked two out of three of the vegan cheeses, one was more a dip. They are stingy on the crackers. It is pricey here, definitely not a cheap eat and you won’t leave full.
Read moreGuest
Claremveg
Points +629
Wow! - Edit
Like most places in Japan, we looked this place up on Happy cow then went in search. This is a lovely big space, very nicely decorated inside. I ordered pasta & veg and homemade mozzarella style pieces, which was very yummy indeed. However the cheese tasting platter that myself and boyfriend shared was just divine! They make their own cheese and you can also buy a barrel. It was simply delicious, If I had have known how good it would be, I would have ordered a platter for myself ;)
Read moreGood choices on menu, nice and varied. Lots of vegan cheese options of course!
Pros: Vegan cheese! , Nice decor
Guest
Cuthien
Points +53
Overpriced and disappointing. - Edit
For what you get the cost is way too high. I wasn’t very satisfied after eating here and ended up needing a snack only a couple of hours later. The dishes weren’t very flavourful either and I didn’t feel very comfortable during the meal. I went here a few times several years ago and found it lacking each time, but I went to try the vegan cheeses as everyone recommended them. I didn’t think they were worth the price or the fuss. All in all, I was disappointed as I expected more given the reviews. There are many, much better restaurants in Kyoto, several only a short walk from Choice, so I won’t be going again.
Read moreCons: Overpriced, Rude staff , Not much flavour
Guest
j19
Points +6
Great vegan/Gluten free place! - Edit
Such cute little place in Kyoto! Boyfriend is vegetarian/gluten free and this is literally the only place he could eat safely at in Kyoto. Amazing food and nice atmosphere.
Read morePros: Gluten free
Cons: None
Guest
JackieJans
Points +1228
Amazing vegan cheese!! - Edit
Their cheese tasting plate was awesome! Even my French cheese snob boyfriend liked it which is high praise!! The Genovese pasta was delicious with the mozzarella in it! Worth the visit.
Read moreGuest
neekfan
Points +36
Best vegan cheese tasting - Edit
HIGHLY recommend! Located in cute neighborhood, quiet restaurant very relaxing. Had a great sit down meal including a vegan cheese plate which was delicious! After eating small portions at traditional Japanese restaurants, this was a great treat. Had the omelette (amazing), bolognese, and cheese plate tasting with crackers. Other diners said the fondue was excellent.
Read morePros: All vegan and gluten free, Excellent vegan cheese plate , Cute neighborhood/atmosphere
Guest
Sacha.D
Points +115
Wow the cheese! - Edit
It’s hard to do great VEGAN and GLUTEN-FREE but they did it. Try the vegan fondue
Read morePros: All vegan
Cons: Bit pricy, Small portion
Guest
GretaLotto
Points +19
Nice vegan cafè - Edit
An a little bit nicer than avarage vegan caffè, service was professional, the place was calm and the pancake good, would have loved a little more chocolate on my chocolate pancakes. Enjoyed it nonethless.
Read moreGuest
Jl95
Points +50
The local vegan restaurant for the shiba’s of kawaramachi. - Edit
Great little cafe, 2 minute walk from the station. We went for breakfast and between the four of us got pancakes, soup, fruit and two juices. Service was great and friendly and quick food service. The food is both vegan and gluten free. Food was very nice. Paintings of two shiba dogs which are locals to the cafe, we saw them as we were leaving and got to pat them.
Read morePros: Gluten free options. , Friendly service. , Beautiful shiba’s
Cons: Specific menu times.
Guest
JenniferAC
Points +238
Excellent food, lots of choices - Edit
Lovely selection for breakfast. My husband and I had the pancakes. Great that everything is all vegan and GF.
Read morePros: All vegan options , Sweet and savoury options for breakfast, Cozy atmosphere
Guest
RandRwander
Points +12
Relaxing Gluten Free and Vegan Dining in Kyoto - Edit
My husband and I went here twice while in Kyoto. They have a great selection of desserts and meals and they also have some breakfast options. Lots of vegan cheeses as well! We wrote a full review on our blog randrwander if you are interested in hearing more!
Read morePros: Gluten Free, Quiet
Guest
hummuscide
Points +16
Extremely disappointed - Edit
I was really excited at first that the menu was in English and had pictures, although it's not Japanese food, I had high hopes with all the nice reviews they had. Wow, was it extremely disappointing. I had the pasta bolognese with vegan mozzarella, it was just slightly warm. The flavor tasted only of the rice pasta they were using even though there seemed to be enough sauce. There were 4 very small dollops of the mozzarella, which, when you put your fork in it, it stuck together almost like a rice cake. No real flavor at all in the mozzarella. There was quinoa in it, but nothing really made it "bolognese" like. Seriously so bad. It was 1400 yen which is basically just under $14 USD. For that price I could've bought a dozen rice balls from the many convenient stores in Japan. It was self service water although there were at least 5 waiters. My food, was almost cold for it being pasta, and I heard another couple complain that their dish was actually very cold and they wanted it reheated, of which, after the waiter spoke to the manager, came back saying there was nothing they could do. So not only is the food cold and bland, but the customer service doesn't care. Oh and I forgot to mention that it's not very clean, for going there at 5pm when dinner service just opened, there was leftover food on the bench where they placed me. Even if the menu is vegan and gluten free, there's nothing about this place that makes it worth a visit. I would only give it 1 star but Happy Cow automatically gives it a star bumping it to 2 because it's an exclusively vegan restaurant. What a total joke of a restaurant.
Read morePros: vegan and gluten free
Cons: Expensive, Bland, Terrible customer service Dirty
Guest
SusanT125
Points +124
Vegan and gluten free! - Edit
This was one of our favorite restaurants in Kyoto. All of the dishes we tried were delicious!
Read moreThe menu was in English, although the staff was able to speak English well.
The quiche melted in your mouth, it was a cashew base that created a fabulous texture. The curry and pasta were also big hits at our table. As for desserts, the strawberry lemon was cashew based and melted in your mouth. The chocolate cake was incredible too! My husband got the pancakes with vegan butter and maple syrup and we all tried it and loved it.
Pros: English menu, Great flavors
Guest
JMcCleary
Points +347
Delicious vegan food! - Edit
Came here by chance after finding Ain Soph closed, and I’m glad I did. Really nice atmosphere, and the food was all great. The options leaned more western-style than Japanese and many included their house-made vegan cheese. Tried the vegan cheese sampler plate, the taco rice, and the chocolate pancake. Also tried a bit of my dining companions’ rum raisin/nut pancake and cheesecake. The cheesecake in particular was amazing!
Read morePros: All vegan, Everything was delicious, Interesting choices
Guest
LarissaTorres
Points +104
Awesome - Edit
Very cozy cafe with delicious food
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
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