If you’re looking for a good lunch located near Kyoto Station, check out our five tried-and-true recommendations. Whether you have a tour with us, or just want to eat at the busy central hub of the city, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy.
Tonoda Shokudo
This Showa style restaurant has been serving delicious udon and rice bowls since 1963. Famous for its tanuki udon (udon with fried tofu) and tanindon (beef and egg rice bowl), this shop is popular with both visitors and locals. The cute grandmas who cook your food know what they’re doing, so you can be promised a hearty and authentic Japanese meal.
Enjoy lunch only a five minute walk from Kyoto Station, and even though there is sometimes a line, the store opens at 10:30am so you can enjoy eating at your own pace.
[10:30am-5:30pm, closed Wed.]
Honke Daiichi-Asahi
Since 1947, this shop has served ramen made from an irresistible pork bone and soy sauce broth, topped with slices of chashu and a healthy heap of green onions. The standard ramen comes at a reasonable 850 yen, and pairs well with some crispy gyoza. The shop is small, but the line moves fairly quickly. They also have unique hours, opening at 6am and serving food until they finally close at 1am.
Considering the ramen has been popular in Kyoto since its creation in 1947, this shop is definitely worth checking out for any and all ramen lovers.
[6am-1am, closed Thur]
Katsukura – Kyoto Porta
This popular tonkatsu (breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet) restaurant is a well-known chain with multiple branches throughout Japan. They are known for their high-quality pork cutlets, which have a crispy breadcrumb coating around juicy, tender meat. The traditional ambiance of the restaurant features wooden interiors and a cozy atmosphere. You can also watch as the chefs prepare your cutlet in the open kitchen.
The cutlet typically comes as a set, which includes rice, miso soup, cabbage salad, and pickles. Being located inside Kyoto Station, the store can get busy, so be prepared for a potential wait. However, it’s worth it. After you have lunch here in Porta at Kyoto Station, enjoy the great shopping around the area as well.
[11am-9:30pm]
Sushi no Musashi – Kyoto Station
Musashi is a well-known conveyor belt sushi restaurant with two locations in Kyoto, one of which is inside Kyoto Station. The store is popular with tourists and locals alike, as they offer fresh and authentic sushi at reasonable prices. The sushi chefs prepare the sushi right in front of you, and can also make you anything off the menu if you’re not interested in what’s already rotating around the conveyor belt.
This restaurant is one of our personal favorites in the city, and comes highly recommended to anyone who loves (or is ready to love) sushi. If you enjoy your lunch here at Kyoto Station and want to try their other location, perhaps for dinner (we don’t judge), it’s located near Teramachi Shopping Area.
[10:30am-9pm]
Ippudo – Kyoto Porta
A popular chain, Ippudo is well known for both its rich and light pork bone ramen as well as its fragrant and spicy pork bone ramen. This modern but simply decorated location is easy to get to inside Kyoto Porta. You can eat a bowl of ramen for under 1000 yen, saving you some money to spend on their delicious gyoza. The line is typically small and moves quickly, and the food arrives fast.
This is one of the most popular chain ramen shops in Kyoto, so it’s definitely worth trying during your trip.
[11am-10pm]
