11 Cant-Miss Vegan Restaurants in Kyoto + More
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when it came to finding vegan restaurants in Kyoto. I figured it’s a major city that receives loads of tourists, so that would definitely influence the diversity of food available, right? At the end of the day, it couldn’t be that bad, right? I mean, if it’s a little lackluster, maybe the vibrant shrines tucked away in bamboo groves would make up for it.
I think I’ve gotten a little cocky over the last couple of years that there will almost always be something decent for me to eat wherever I go. It’s not all based on wishful hoping and good luck; according to research by The Good Food Institute, “66 percent of global consumers aged 16–44 report that they plan to spend more on plant-based meat and dairy alternatives in the future.”
These figures are heavily influencing business decisions and product lineups around the world. Places that would once scoff at the idea of having vegan options are now like, oh yeah, of course, we have non-dairy cheese, milk, etc.
Luckily, Kyoto was no different!
I found some stellar vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants throughout the city, from a vegan Izakaya to more bowls of ramen than I knew what to do with! Actually, I found more spots for vegan food than I had time to visit in Kyoto — isn’t that the best problem to have?
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The Best Restaurants for Vegan Food in Kyoto
Although there aren’t quite as many vegan restaurants in Kyoto as there are in Tokyo, there’s still a ton of terrific options. There’s a good chance you won’t even be able to make it to them all.
1. Ain Soph Journey Kyoto
Vegan restaurant near Nishiki Market.
Tucked away from the chaos of the city, on a quiet backstreet, is this charming vegan restaurant, well known for its “heavenly” vegan pancakes! If you haven’t yet learned, ultra-fluffy (souffle-like) pancakes are all the rage in Japan. I never found out why they are so popular, but they are, and you will find plenty of places with vegan (and gluten-free) options for them!
Although we visited at lunchtime, we couldn’t pass up those cloud-like cakes topped with ice cream and whipped cream, and they didn’t disappoint. My only regret is that we didn’t try their seasonal lemon pancakes — those come with a healthy dose of lemon cream and compote — I’m not sure anything screams summer better than lemon. In addition to irresistible pancakes, you’ll also find traditional burgers, curry, soy chick’n, and something I thought was amusing — taco rice. I think it’s the Japanese take on a taco salad. I saw it on a few menus, which always gave me a chuckle. Ain Soph also has a vegan restaurant in Tokyo, both have slightly different menus and atmosphere!
2. Premarché Alternative Diner
Vegan-friendly restaurant in Kyoto Sanjo Shopping Street.
We actually had zero plans to visit this spot. We planned to visit a Chinese spot, but after trekking halfway across the city, we found that it wasn’t entirely clear if it was open. Sounds confusing, right? Well, it’s even more confusing (and a little frustrating) when you’re hungry, tired, and standing in what appears to be a deserted restaurant! By the time we made it to that spot, it was late, and many other places had stopped serving dinner except Premarché. We snuck in just 15 minutes before the kitchen closed and apologized profusely for our tardiness while promising to order and eat quickly!
The menu errs a bit more on the junk food side—burgers, fries, rice bowls—and it’s heavily vegan-forward. Just about everything is vegan, but you can swap out a vegan burger (made from soy or wheat) for beef. I had no intention of coming here because you can get burgers just about anywhere in the world, and I’m in Japan, but maybe it was serendipitous! The food was super flavorful and affordable — it was a fabulous experience. To top it off, the staff was super lovely, even though they should’ve been giving us the evil eye to get out of there!
3. Choice
Vegan restaurant in Higashiyama Ward.
During our time in Kyoto, we spent one of the days with a local guide. I love planning time with a guide because it always helps to better understand where you’re visiting and get a local perspective. We trekked around the city and saw many sights, but then it came to lunch, and I was a little worried. He knew we were vegan, but would he really understand what that meant? As lunch got closer, he mentioned he had a restaurant in mind and that he always takes a vegan friend from NYC. Would we like to try it? Well, sure, I think!
Thankfully, he did really understand what vegan meant and took us to this fabulous little café that is well known for its exceptional house-made vegan cheese. Just like with burgers, I had no intention of going to Japan and getting pizza, but I had to try their cheese! The small personal pizza comes with little dollops of their tangy and creamy mozzarella, which was fantastic. It was so good, Matt was disappointed that he didn’t get it, too. In addition to cheesy pizza, you’ll also find pasta, soba noodle salad, and a selection of specials. Also, everything is gluten-free!
4. Engine Ramen
Vegan-friendly restaurant near Nishiki Market.
This vegan-friendly ramen spot is right in the heart of Kyoto. If you look at the Google reviews (like I did), you might have mixed feelings about adding it to your itinerary, but after having two different guides recommend it, I figured we needed to give it a chance. In addition to having a couple of vegan ramen options, they also have gluten-free noodles, which is terrific. Being vegan in Japan isn’t as challenging as being gluten-free!
We tested out both signature flavors—zesty and Kyoto BEANing. You might think zesty means tangy, but in Japan, it’s really code for spicy (at least I think so). The zesty broth is equal parts “punch you in the face” with a little bit of creaminess. The Kyoto BEANing was definitely more my speed — a soy cream base with giant wood ear mushrooms and sesame. I could’ve eaten two bowls of it!
5. Veg Out
Vegan restaurant in Shimogyo Ward.
If you love a more Western-style breakfast, you will struggle a bit in Japan. A traditional Japanese breakfast is made up of rice, miso, grilled fish, pickled veggies, and tamago (egg) — usually, I’d say embrace the local foods, but in this case, it would leave you with rice and possibly the veggies — you’re pretty much guaranteed to be hungry or at least we were. Our hotel breakfast wasn’t stellar, so we set off to visit this charming vegan café and yoga studio that sits along the Kamogawa River. For breakfast, you’ll find a few different hearty toast options topped with banana, peanut butter, roasted veggies, and avocado, along with house-made granola and pastries (Matt gave two thumbs up for their matcha chip muffins).
If you don’t make it for breakfast, no worries! They also have a colorful and flavorful lineup of lunch options — just looking at the house-made curry makes me hungry!
6. Café Tea Terrace
Vegan restaurant near Gion Corner.
Tucked into the Gion District is this modern vegan and gluten-free café, which is actually part of the Gion Elite Terrace hotel. If you’re looking for a place to stay, I suggest checking it out. After a long morning in the sun, this serene place was just what we needed.
Their menu mainly focuses on veganizing traditional options like ramen, curry, and egg sandwiches, but you’ll also find burgers. Their ramen was one of my favorites! The broth was super flavorful, which was a surprise because it was made without garlic, leeks, onions, or chives to follow the principles of Shojin Ryori. They also used millet noodles, which held up so much better than rice noodles. Sometimes, rice noodles become a messy clump; it seems millet might perform better! You’ll also want one of their delicious (and pretty) matcha lattes and maybe their signature dumplings made with plantains.
7. Padma
Vegetarian restaurant in Sakyo Ward.
This absolutely fantastic spot is a bit elusive. I didn’t find it during my research and would’ve never stumbled across it as it’s off the beaten path and hidden on the second floor of a nondescript building. One of our guides mentioned it was a place she liked to go, so I figured we shouldn’t miss it.
The cozy dining area is an eclectic mix of mismatched furniture and random antiques that all center around a main bar area where you’ll find Padma’s owner hard at work. Everything from the ambiance to the tiny serving dishes begs for you to take a closer look, maybe even ask if there’s a story behind it. The handwritten menu is equally as eclectic and features a mix of colorful curries, bowls, and set plates where veggies are the superstars.
I opted for the Buddha bowl, which was a mistake, not because it wasn’t delicious, but because Matt ordered a platter of “Calm,” it was really anything but! The owner came out with a massive platter covered in quirky serving dishes filled with pickled veggies, fried soy chick’n (I think that’s what it was meant to be), salad, tofu, and so much more. It was really stunning — probably one of our favorite meals and incredibly photogenic.
8. Café Phalam
Vegan-friendly cafe near Nijo Castle.
I came across this vegan-friendly spot in my hunt for vegan breakfast options. Reviewers raved about it! One shared that they wish they hadn’t found it on their last day because they would’ve gone every day! Sadly, we found it on our last day as well. The cozy little spot offers a peaceful atmosphere to enjoy your Matcha latte, veggie burger, cake, or whatever you please!
For breakfast, Café Phalam offered multiple “sets.” You will quickly learn that sets are very popular in Japan. Depending on the time of day, it usually includes a main entrée, soup or salad, and a drink. Café Phalam had three: a special morning set, a muffin set, and a granola set. The first two were vegan; the granola could be made vegan because they can substitute dairy yogurt for soy yogurt. The sets are super fun as you get to try a bunch of different things, all of which were house-made. That reviewer was right; this is definitely the type of place you will want to visit every morning!
Vegan-Friendly Bakeries & Ice Cream in Kyoto
In addition to visiting plenty of vegan restaurants in Kyoto, you can’t forget about getting yourself a little treat! Luckily, there are a few places to go. ,
9. Koe Donuts
Vegan-friendly donut shop on the Kyoto Shinkyogoku Shopping Street.
At first, this super hip and modern spot caught my attention because of its décor, but then I was super interested when I saw a giant sign proclaiming plant-based donut options! They offer a seasonal variety; when we visited, they had a delicious strawberry glaze donut filled with cream and peach compote—I’m usually pleased when they have cake donuts, but this was top-notch. In addition to that, they also had a few others on the menu that were unavailable.
10. (THISIS) NATURE
Vegan ice cream shop on the first floor of the Kyoto Takashimaya shopping center.
We all know beautiful food always sells way better than something that’s kinda ugly (but delicious). This vegan ice cream spot excels in the beauty category. They created a viral ice cream flower bouquet that is a work of art. While it’s gorgeous, it’s not the tastiest thing. The bouquet is made of bean paste, and there’s a lot of bean paste to eat before you get to the ice cream, which is a bummer! Although I don’t really recommend the bean paste (unless it’s something you love), their ice cream was terrific! They have a few different house-made flavors that are super creamy! I recommend skipping the flowers and going for a couple of scoops!
11. Doughnut Cafe Nicotto & Mam
Vegan-friendly donut shop in Nakagyo Ward.
One more donut shop to check out in Kyoto, and almost everything here is vegan! The shop prides itself on creating fluffy creations without eggs or dairy; everything was marked vegan when we visited. I guess it could be possible that they use honey in some of the others — it’s always good to ask or stick with the ones with the little green vegan leaf. You’ll find a variety of traditional cake donuts in fun flavors like matcha, peanut, chocolate, and maple, along with filled options — don’t skip the soymilk whipped filling!
Vegan Kyoto Dining Tip
Hours of operation gave me a real run for my money! As you’re mapping out all of the vegan restaurants in Kyoto that you want to visit, be sure to note when they are open. I found that many places are open select hours throughout the day (for instance, a couple of hours for breakfast, then lunch, etc.), or they don’t open until the evening, or they’re closed on random days throughout the week! Needless to say, it was a bit of a challenge to keep track. Also, if there is somewhere that you have your heart set on visiting, then check their Instagram or Facebook for updates on hours. I had a couple of experiences where Google said they were open, but when I arrived, they clearly weren’t!
Bonus: Vegan-Friendly Hotels in Kyoto
These two hotels have fabulous options! The Gion Elite Terrace hotel is connected to the vegan and gluten-free restaurant, Cafe Tea Terrace. I highly recommend the restaurant! In the morning, the hotel offers a buffet with vegan options, but they shared that they could offer other items if they know in advance. The second hotel, Good Nature, has an on-site restaurant that is vegan-friendly.
44-21 Bishamoncho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto
600-8022 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Inaricho
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