Arashiyama is one of Kyoto’s most visited areas, and it’s no wonder why, but it isn’t a café district in the usual sense. Visitors often arrive with a sightseeing list in mind—Togetsukyo Bridge, the Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-j Templei—and soon discover that places to sit down are limited, especially during peak hours when the area can tend to get crowded. You might well find yourself wanting to take it a little slower, and the cafés in Arashiyama are perfect both for resting your feet and enjoying some different scenery.
Cafés Near the Bamboo Grove and Main Streets
The area around Tenryu-ji Temple and the bamboo grove sees the heaviest foot traffic, especially between around 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or so. Cafés here fill up quickly, but their proximity to main attractions makes them convenient stopping points, too.
% Arabica Kyoto Arashiyama
% Arabica Kyoto Arashiyama is located just beside the northern end of the Togetsukyo Bridge. Though tiny, you’ll spot it immediately with its fishbowl-like design with large glass windows on four sides. The unique look of the shop and its quality coffee have made this a popular location, which means lines form early. There’s no seating reservation system, and the space is small, so plan for takeaway during peak hours. As it turns out, though, this might just be the best way to enjoy it: sipping your coffee as you enjoy the beautiful view of the bridge and the Katsura River.
See % Arabica Kyoto Arashiyama on Google Maps
Kumonocha Café
If you’re looking for adorable matcha sweets, this is the stop for you. Kumonocha Café is also conveniently located just north of the Togetsukyo Bridge, right along the area’s main drag. The café is known for its infinitely Instagrammable cloud-shaped matcha mousse cakes and bamboo-themed interior. On the second floor you can sit and enjoy your dessert with a view of the bustling Arashiyama streets below.
See Kumonocha Café on Google Maps
Traditional-Style Cafés and Japanese Sweets
If you want to find a café that matches the traditional setting of Arashiyama’s temples and scenery, there are plenty of options that put the focus on Japanese aesthetics and traditional sweets.
eXcafe Kyoto Arashiyama
It’s hard to get more atmospheric than this. Located in a renovated traditional house about one minute from Keifuku Arashiyama Station, eXcafe is known for its matcha and charcoal-grilled dango (rice dumplings), which customers cook themselves on a small hibachi at the table. If dango isn’t for you, you can also try some traditional Japanese shaved ice or parfaits featuring sweet azuki beans, matcha, and soy bean powder. For drinks, you’ll find both coffee and matcha on the menus, which are also printed with English, Chinese, and Korean.
See eX Café Kyoto Arashiyama on Google Maps
Yojiya Café Sagano Arashiyama
Yojiya Café Sagano Arashiyama is run by the well-known Kyoto cosmetics brand Yojiya, which is famous for its oil-blotting papers. The café is located near Nonomiya Shrine, roughly a 5-minute walk from Keifuku Arashiyama Station. The signature item is the matcha cappuccino with the Yojiya logo face drawn in the foam. They also serve pasta dishes for lunch, as well as beautifully decorated parfaits, crepes, and more traditional Japanese sweets.
The café interior is modern, and features a view out into a small traditional garden if you sit towards the back of the building. And since you’re here, you might as well take a look at the attached Yojiya cosmetics shop and browse the displays!
See Yojiya Café Sagano Arashiyama on Google Maps
Bread, Espresso & Arashiyama Garden
How about some coffee and a light meal under a thatched roof? This unique café and bakery operates within a traditional old home, designated a cultural property by Kyoto Prefecture. Inside, you can enjoy your coffee either sitting on legless chairs on tatami mats, at a more typical Western-style table, or even outside, in the limited garden-side seating. In the winter, the two outdoor tables are even fitted with heated kotatsu blankets.
The café is known for its espresso and home-roasted coffee, along with items like rice-flour canele, lunch plates, and seasonal fruit sandwiches. The matcha French toast is exclusive to the Arashiyama location.
See Bread, Espresso & Arashiyama Garden on Google Maps
Western-Style Cafés
TEA ROOM KIKI Kyoto Arashiyama
If Japanese styles aren’t your taste, you might want to try at stop at TEA ROOM KIKI Kyoto Arashiyama, which specializes in British-style afternoon tea. The tea room itself is a renovated 100-year-old post office building near Keifuku Randen Saga Station, with Taisho era (1912-1926)-inspired decor and antique furniture. Instead of coffee, you’ll find a variety of black, herbal, and flavored teas, plus scones and parfaits served on British Burleigh pottery. The Arashiyama location also offers exclusive menu items like matcha cream tea (a set with scones and tea). If you’re hungry, you can also order meal items like curry and sandwiches.
See TEA ROOM KIKI Kyoto Arashiyama on Google Maps
Planning Your Route
The most efficient approach is to build café breaks into your walking route rather than backtracking. If you’re starting from Togetsukyo Bridge, % Arabica makes sense for an early coffee before crowds build. After visiting the bamboo grove and Tenryu-ji Temple, you may want to visit a café like Yojiya or eXcafe for a break in a traditional Japanese setting.
For a less congested experience, consider visiting Arashiyama on a weekday and arriving by 9 a.m., so you’ll be able to visit one café before crowds build, move through main attractions, then stop at a second café in the afternoon if you feel like it. The area between Keifuku Arashiyama Station and Randen Saga Station has several cafés (TEA ROOM KIKI, eXcafe) that may see less congestion than riverside spots.
One thing’s for sure: as you explore this scenic area, you won’t want for cafe options along the way!
