Best Specialty Coffee Places in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto in Japan is not only a cultural capital of Japan, with many of the country’s major cultural landmarks located there, it also boasts a number of astonishingly great specialty coffee spots!
I spent a month in Kyoto and visited quite a few places during my time there and tasted some exceptional specialty coffees.
Find a list of the best specialty coffee places in Kyoto, Japan below.
Quicklinks:
Goodman Roaster Kyoto
This little coffee shop was super close to my hotel so I went there almost daily. Not only do they serve amazing coffee, they also have some delicious cakes and cookies that are just waiting to be enjoyed 😉
I loved how the people working there (I think they are the owners too) were always super welcoming and always greeting everyone enthusiastically and also saying goodbye and thank you with much gusto, which was actually quite rare in the Kyoto cafe and restaurant scene, and I thought was super friendly.
It’s not really a place to work from as they have limited seats and it’s often packed with people.
Opening hours: Open daily from 9AM to 5PM (except closed on Wednesdays)
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Stumptown Coffee is actually a chain from Portland, US, and they somehow managed to open another location all the way in Kyoto. It is situated withiin a fancy hotel (Ace Hotel), where you can sit in the lobby and enjoy your coffee. The lobby of the hotel has a big table which is also a great spot to do some work.
The roast at this cafe are slightly darker (the US influence, undoubtedly), but I still enjoyed the coffee.
Opening hours: Open daily from 7 AM to 7 PM
astrea coffee kyoto
Another great coffee place located in central Kyoto, close to the Shijo metro station. It’s a cozy little spot and the coffee is excellent.
They also serve some interesting Japanese sandwiches, the ones with the fruit inside (which seems to be pretty popular throughout Japan 😄).
It’s a small cafe, so it’s not the best place to work from.
Opening hours: Open daily from 7:30 AM to 3 PM (except on Friday, open until 12 PM)
COYOTE the ordinary shop
This cute cafe is located right next to Kyoto Station, so it’s a great pit stop for coffee and breakfast if you’re planning to visit any other places close to Kyoto. They serve great coffee, and since it’s a vegan place, they don’t serve dairy milk, and only use vegan milks for their espresso based drinks.
I also enjoyed their ‘Tamago toast’ which was a vegan scrambled egg on a slice of sourdough bread. It tasted just like egg!
They have a big table in the middle and some seats at the window, so I think it’s also a pretty good place to get some work done for a few hours.
Opening hours: Open daily from 8:30 AM to 5 PM (except closed on Mondays)
WEEKENDERS COFFEE
Not quite sure why the name of this spot is all IN CAPITALS, but this little takeaway specialty coffee place serves some pretty great specialty coffee.
It’s tucked in the back of a parking lot close to the Nishiki Market and there are not really any seats - so coffee is enjoyed while standing.
Opening hours: Open daily from 7:30AM to 6PM (except closed on Wednesdays)
common.
Another cute little specialty coffee shop in Kyoto, this one is located near the Kyoto Imperial Palace, in a quiet side street. The owner serves top notch specialty coffee, including pour overs. There’s also some pretty amazing cakes and sweet toasts, so definitely get a little treat to go with your coffee as well.
Opening hours: Open daily from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, 12:30PM to 7PM (except closed in Tuesdays)
Kurasu Kyoto Stand
Kurasu is a specialty coffee spot close to the Kyoto station. They roast their own coffee out of their Nishijin branch. They also have branches in other locations in Kyoto as well as in Singapore and Bangkok.
For a hand drip coffee, you can select from multiple coffee beans and they also have some sweets and pastries.
Opening hours: Open daily from 8AM to 5PM
ABOUT US COFFEE
This specialty coffee place is run by a certified coffee Q grader, so he definitely knows what’s up regarding specialty coffee! They have a selection of single origin coffee beans that you can choose from for both pour overs and espresso drinks and serve some pastries and sweets too.
It’s close by the famous Fushimi Inari temple, so definitely check out this coffee spot when you visit the temple.
Opening hours: Open daily from 10AM to 6PM (except closed on Sundays)
Hope you enjoyed my selection of specialty coffee spots in Kyoto, Japan! ☕
Did I miss any specialty coffee place? Let me know in the comments below!
