Kagurazaka Vol.1 – Lunch in Small Kyoto in Tokyo

Love Kyoto? Then you’ll definitely love Kagurazaka, aka small Kyoto in Tokyo. Located near Edo Castle, Kagurazaka became a hub of geisha houses and restaurants centuries ago – some of them are still there today, along with trendy restaurants, cafes, shops and ryotei on both the main slope and small alleyways off the main street (Kagurazaka dori). The best way to explore Kagurazaka is to start from the main slope and then wander off to these small side streets.

Takaski recently visited Kagurazaka and we loved it! So, we’ll be running a Kagurazaka Tour special for the next couple of posts – let’s kick start with lunch in the one of the trendiest districts in Tokyo!

Saryo – Matcha specialist

On a small alley off the main street, we found Saryo, a matcha specialist. This Japanese style cafe is a sacred place for matcha-based dessert lovers, and if you decide to visit Saryo, expect a long waiting queue there. Seeing a long queue, though, we weren’t patient enough and decided to go to Robata no Ro for lunch.

Robata no Ro – Fusion of traditional and contemporary style

Robata no Ro is located only five minutes walk up on Kagurazaka Dori from Iidabashi. They are a popular robata-yaki style izakaya, a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles. Robata no Ro is an upmarket restaurant, offering fine Japanese cuisine. For dinner, expect to pay around 6,000yen and more. Dinner sets range between 6,000yen and 10,000yen.

A bit out of your budget? But don’t give up – Robata no Ro has a great lunch menu and most of the sets are 1,000yen. We highly recommend grilled saba with miso and Maguro (tuna) with tartar sauce. Mind you – each set is huge! And of course you get free mugicha.

Each set comes with rice, and you can choose either black, white or gokokumai rice. Robata no Ro is tourist friendly – they have an English menu and an English speaking staff. You can also try a variety of sake with your lunch in small Kyoto in Tokyo Kagurazaka.