Where to eat
Gion Mametora
When a geisha likes a restaurant, she leaves a personal paper uchiwa (fan) as a calling card. The impressive number of fans at elegant Gion Mametora (570235 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama) marks it as a local favourite. The food is traditional with a modern twist and the must-try dish is the Jewel Box: spherical morsels of colourful sushi presented on a wooden tray. It’s almost too pretty to eat.
Oku
Follow the line of hungry patrons to Oku (570-119 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama), a popular restaurant in Gion. Chef Hisato Nakahigashi presides over the prestigious, expensive restaurant at the Miyamasou ryokan in the mountains north of the city but he opened this casual space to bring his innovative obanzai to a wider audience. Obanzai is the traditional home cooking of Kyoto, with a focus on local organic ingredients. At lunch and dinner, opt for one of the reasonably priced sets that give you a taste of everything or stand at the bar and have snacks with wine or saké.
Kinmata
A short stroll from the Nishiki food market, this venerable ryokan specialises in Kyoto kaiseki (traditional multi-course dinner). The dishes served at Kinmata (kinmata.com/english/info.html) change daily – perhaps sashimi presented like a chrysanthemum, pine mushrooms grilled at the table or a clear soup scented with eel liver. This is world-class dining that won’t cripple your wallet.
Tasuki by Pass the Baton
In the heart of Gion, Pass the Baton (tasuki.pass-the-baton. com) has turned a machiya (traditional townhouse) into a retail fantasy of second-hand designer pieces and traditional Kyoto crafts. In the elegant tea and saké room, matcha tea and wagashi (sweets) are presented on whimsical antique tableware – a Japanese version of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. There’s a good selection of saké by the glass and seasonal snacks.
% Arabica Kyoto
Kenneth Shoji, the owner of % Arabica Kyoto (arabica.coffee), is so passionate about the brew that he bought his own coffee farm in Hawaii. With a latte-art world champion and a dedicated team of baristas, he opened a coffee house in a minimalist concrete box on the river in Arashiyama and another in the Higashiyama district, close to the geisha area. In fact, one of his baristas is a former maiko.