If you’re near Nijo Castle in Kyoto and looking for a good coffee or light breakfast, check out Clamp Coffee Sarasa.
Next up on my nearly infinite list of cool cafes in Kyoto to try was Clamp Coffee Sarasa. The images I saw online showed me a warm, wooden interior with lots of greenery, and somehow, the cafe turned out to be even more cozy and warm than I had imagined.
I met a friend here, and we first got slightly lost as the cafe is located down a somewhat inconspicuous alleyway. The whole alleyway is covered in these thick vines, and there’s a few other little shops there that sell things like pottery and simple clothing. I parked my bicycle and we walked over to the little sign that says Clamp Coffee Sarasa.
I’ve heard that sometimes the cafe is busy, but when we arrived, around mid-afternoon on a weekday, there was only a couple sitting inside together. It was easy to grab a seat at the large table and order.
I went with a black iced coffee (usually a decent test of how good a place’s coffee is) and a slice of carrot cake. I was excited about the carrot cake as Japanese baking tends to consist of mainly shortcakes, which aren’t the dense, rich cakes I’m used to as an American. My friend ordered a piece of their toast with cheese and a lemonade float. Apparently, this toast is one of their most popular items. Japanese cafes love serving thick toast topped in a variety of sweet or savory toppings.
The iced coffee was refreshing, bright and not overly bitter. The carrot cake was delicious, thank god, as I had hoped. It felt like a more Japanese take on carrot cake, as though it was dense and moist, the cake was not overly textured with carrots or nuts, and the cream cheese only had a soft sweetness. It was only slightly spiced, which was alright. I was definitely pleased with it.
The toast was reportedly good, fairly simple cheese toast. The float was also good, with the ice cream tasting very fresh.
I really liked the ambiance of this place. It was cozy and relaxed, not too bright but with a nice amount of natural light. It felt like we were tucked away in a little forest respite. The staff were also friendly and I didn’t feel rushed at all to enjoy just sitting and chatting.
Even with the ridiculous amount of other cafes I want to visit, I would like to come back here again. I think especially on a rainy day it would be a nice place to sit and read or do some work.