My Quest to find the best dessert in Kyoto

(updated 25 August 2025)

Join me on my quest to find the best dessert in Kyoto! Kyoto is fabulous for dessert, sweets and green tea from nearby Uji. On my trips to Kyoto, I would often spend my food budget on dessert, because I am vegetarian and sometimes struggle to find vegetarian food in Japan easily. So my trips often see me eating my main meals from supermarkets, because I really like the choice of vegetarian sushi there. And desserts – they’re usually naturally vegetarian, and often vegan.

I would have a lovely break in the middle of a very hot day and enjoy a sweet treat after cycling and sightseeing all day. There are some very cool desserts in Japan. And hanging round in a traditional Japanese dessert restaurant was a great way to spend the time cooling down on my days sightseeing or waiting to check into my hotel. So I had a lot of dessert in Kyoto, and one seemed better than the other – time to keep a record on the best dessert in Kyoto.

And then, a funny – or maybe scary – thing happened: Just after writing this first paragraph on best dessert in Kyoto, I closed my laptop, made dinner, got cosy on the sofa and was wondering how to spend my relaxed evening watching mindless TV when Netflix suggested I watch Kantaro: The Sweet-Tooth Salaryman (さぼリーマン甘太朗). So I watched the first episode, and I must say it is bonkers but the desserts are delicious-looking – and my Tokyo map is now full of dessert suggestions. Some I tried and tested already – and reviewed them in a separate Tokyo dessert post.

And the show was a motivation to share my favourite Kyoto dessert restaurants. Do they serve the best dessert in Kyoto? Well, it’s up to the customers, but I loved everything that made its way into this post.  I came across some of these restaurants randomly when looking for kakigori, or somewhere convenient to spend an air-conditioned hour, and I found some in a cool Japanese Kyoto guidebook. So, less Insta reels, more… Japanese recommendations. The book is great, very aesthetic, and super cheap. I cannot find it online, so I will post a photo of it. It is less than 1000 JPY, and available in bookstores in Japan – I got my copy at Tsutaya in Sasayama, and I use it to practice my Japanese and just marvel at the lovely colourful pages.

This post about finding the best dessert in Kyoto will be a work in progress, as I will hopefully travel to Kyoto again and visit more fabulous dessert restaurants that social media won’t tell you about.

Some traditional Japanese desserts

Here I am going to introduce you to some typical and mostly traditional Japanese desserts I have encountered on my dessert trips, with photos coming later under the restaurants.

Kakigōri (かき氷 or 欠き氷) : the Japanese version of shaved ice. Known and loved since the Heian period, this is a summer dessert of wafer-thin ice with topping of syrup, fruit, cream… you name it.

Anmitsu (あんみつ): a sweet concoction of agar-agar (kanten) jelly cubes , shiratama dango (sticky rice dumplings), guyhi (another rice flour concoction), fruit and anko (adzuki bean paste) often served with fresh fruit or boiled peas and topped with syrup. It it a Meiji-era invention and although all this sounds weird, the combination of flavours and textures is amazing. If you just take the kanten and beans/peas, it’s called mamekan (まめかん) which has been enjoyed since Edo times.

Wagashi (和菓子): Generic term for traditional Japanese sweets, but often wagashi is meant a small piece of traditional patisserie from rice or wheat flour and sugar, shaped beautifully. Wagashi date back more than a millennium, and are usually enjoyed with a cup of green tea.

Parfait (パフェ): Western parfait can be a type of custard-like ice cream or a rich pate, but a Japanese parfait is most akin to an ice cream sundae, with an emphasis on fresh fruit, jelly cubes, anko… you name it. They are another Meiji Restoration import and can take on pretty scary dimensions.

And then… you also get Western Origin desserts that are popular in Japan like Montblanc (モントブランク) or Baumkuchen (バウム)

Let’s start the Best Dessert in Kyoto Quest!

Okay, here come the desserts. I will give you the location, a few pointers about the shop, opening hours, prices. I must add, these are all relatively high-quality desserts so the price point is moderate. Please refer to the restaurants web site for exact opening hours.

Generally speaking, these dessert places open in the late morning and close in the early evening, with early afternoons and late being the busiest times. I never had to queue or wait on any of my trips to any of these, but they are popular and you may be asked to wait at busy times.

The following are sorted in the order I have visited them, and trust me, only the finest establishments will make this list.I have left out quite few famous places like Uji’s Nanamura Tokichi, kakigori places and fine tea establishments, simply they did not live up to my high standards.

Kyogori Yukimi-An 京氷ゆきみ庵

After being so fixated on kakigori in 2023 in what I thought was a very hot Nagasaki summer, I arrived in Kyoto in May and went straight looking for kakigori, only to be disappointed to not fuind much , as kakigori season usually lasts from late June to late August.

So, a specialist kakigori salon was needed, and the one I found was a bit out – in a residential area near Nijo Castle. But I had a bicycle and I was heading out to Kitano Tenmangu, Ninna-ji and Myoshin-ji anyway, so I stopped there on the way back.

The shop looks tiny from the outside, but has a lot of seating inside. It is relatively quiet and friendly. You can read a picture menu on the ticket machine at the entrance, and the staff can assist you as the descriptions are in Japanese. A portion of kakigori here has pretty hugee dimensions and costs from about 1200 JPY to about 2500 JPY.

The first time, I ordered the Uji Matcha, one of my favourite flavours when travelling in Japan. It was a revelation and pretty much beat all matcha kakigori I had before. The ice was of a wonderful consistency, fluffy and not too cold. Matcha quality was good, and then I discovered the core of thick whipped cream, or possibly clotted cream, inside my mini iceberg, which went extremely well with the slightly bitter matcha and the anko bean paste hidden somewhere in the iceberg, too.

Second time around, I went for a fruity variety and chose mango. It was more expensive, but full of fresh fruit. It also had a core of clotted cream, which did not quite go so well with the fruitiness of the excellent flavour mango, but altogether, it was a kakigori worth the sweaty bike ride in 35C heat.

Last not least, they will even serve you reliably in the depth of winter. In January, they may not be open every day, but when the do, they will make mouth-watering ice when it’s icy outside! One of the few reasons I still keep Instagram is to follow al my favourite cafes, who will usually post their opening hours well in advance.

The only downside of this shop is really that they have no bicycle parking. I parked at an apartment block opposite which seemed to have lots of space the first time, and a hardware store or drug store about 200m away after asking for permission the second time. I would say the shops are definitely the better bet, and I usually visit the drug store and buy something, too.

Address: 16-45 Nishinokyo Hoshigaikecho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8416, Japan.

How to get there: A stone’s throw from Nijo Castle and JR Nijo train station, about 400m from Nijo-jo -mae (Metro) – or cycle from central Kyoto. Cycle parking is tricky, best to park (with permission) at a nearby shop and walk 200m.

Website: no website. Instagram is www.instagram.com/kyogori_yukimian – this is where they post their opening times and seasonal specials, too.

Tsukigase (Sakaimachi) 甘味処 月ヶ瀬

Tsukigase was a chance find. I was travelling up to Kyoto from the Kumano Kodo and had to wait an hour to check into the Tabist Kiki Hotel Sanja Takakura. A quick look on a map showed this shop to be just around the corner. So I walked there in the blazing July heat and found a bright, air-conditioned cafe with the loveliest welcome and a hot cup of tea. Of all the places I have been, this was the loveliest, staffed by older ladies who really make you feel welcome and give you their friendly attention. They did not speak English, but the menu had pictures and English descriptions, so it was easy to order, Their website also has an English option.

Having been on the train for five hours, I had not eaten lunch, so I went all out and ordered a kakigori set (1450JPY) since I could not live a day without it, and anmitsu. Tsukigase started as a confectionery store in Kyoto in the 1920s in nearby Shijo Kawaramachi, and anmitsu was their signature dish.

I had not eaten anmitsu for a very long time and this was a revelation – so many different textures, cool, refreshing yet not too sweet! I also had a an iced matcha, which was of very good quality. I thoroughly enjoyed my little waiting break, then rolled back to my hotel room for a nap, before eating and drinking more at the Gion Matsuri Yoiyama.

Since that first trip, I have been back twice, usually for a break from shopping in Downtown Kyoto. That place was never crowded, and it makes for such a nice break in a usually crowded Downtown Kyoto. Also, strangely, I have always been the only non-Japanese person in there every time I visit, but always welcomed with open arms… and an English menu.

On my second trip in winter 2025, I was still on a bit of an anmitsu wave from my little Saboriman Kantaro dessert trips, so I had the match anmitsu at Tsukigase which, of course, was excellent, too!

Of course I had to return with my mother, especially, since she has mobility issues, so lots of coffee breaks. 

And again, Tsukigase excelled at what they do – high quality, no fuss dessert and great tea and coffee. You can probably see from the look of the dessert that we went cherry blossom viewing!

Address: Japan, 〒604-8106 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Marukizaimokucho, 675 1階.

How to get there: Easily walkable from Downtown, with Sakaimachi Oike the nearest bus and Karasuma Oike the nearest underground stop. Another branch is in Takashimaya Department Store. I’ve visited that too, but prefer the atmosphere of their main shop by far.

Website: https://tsukigase.jp

Shimizu Ippoen 茶匠清水一芳園カフェ

Kyoto is full of tea shops and matcha cafes due to its proximity to Uji, one of Japan’s premier tea-growing regions. When admiring the lovely photos of my Kyoto guidebook one night, I came across pictures of green tea desserts and two matcha cafes in close proximity in the Kiyomizudera area.

Shimizu Ippoen is primarily a tea wholesaler, so their tea is excellent and you can buy some from the small shop corner which inobtrusively sits in the calm cafe, which is relatively small, with self service for ordering and water, a bit of a service step down from similar places. However… desserts are freshly made and brought to the table, the atmosphere in the cafe was calm and friendly, they definitely place the tables far apart and it’s a welcoming comfortable atmosphere.

I chose the kakigori, again, because it was another how day and I had just cycled from Ginkaku-ji in the sun and was in dire need of refreshment. The matcha espuma on top of the kakigori is a bit of a signature move by Shimizu Ippoen, and it graces pretty much every of their green tea desserts. And well… it was excellent. Fast melting ice than some other places, extraordinary taste of everything including the iced matcha I ordered on the side.

By the time I left, it was lunchtime and there was a small queue outside. This cafe is very popular with the Japanese, so it’s best visited on a weekday outside the main Kyoto tourist season.

Since my last visit in 2025, they have changed location and are now in a side street a little north of Gojo-dori, about 15min walk from Downtown Kyoto. The shop is now in a traditional Kyoto Townhouse, with a classic decor and a bar rather than individual tables.

Address: 665 Honkawaracho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0963, Japan

How to get there: The new location is in easy walking distance gtom Gojo Station on the Kyoto Metro or Kiyomizu-Gojo on the Keihan line.

Website: https://ippoen.co.jp

Mikazuki Hyouka Shaved Ice 三日月氷菓店

Being the kakigori fanatic, I had a bit of trouble finding kakigori outside the summer season, but thankfully, Kyoto has plenty of kakigori-focused places. So, off I was to another one, since it was quite chilly and I didn’t fancy cycling to Yukimi-an.

And well… Mikazuki doesn’t disappoint. A smallish shop offering just kakigori and pancakes, this one is in the Kiyomizudera-Gion tourist orbit, so it shows a bit – the cafe serves a mix of foreign tourists and Japanese, with English menus and slightly higher prices, but good quality. And superlative reviews, describing it as the best ever.

You can see that the structure of the ice is somewhat different, with large thin flakes, rather than the snowy fluff you see most often. I had Uji matcha kakigori. It was good – with the prerequisite anko beans and condensed milk, but it didn’t quite reach the high’s of Yukimi-an’s Uji matcha kakigori, which cost the same but the portion was much bigger. Still a solid recommendation if you are sightseeing in Kiyomizu -Gion.

Address: 329 Shimoatarashicho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0914, Japan

How to get there: It is served by Umamachi Bus stop, where the buses are usually crowded. Better to take the Keihan Main Line, get off at Kiyomizu-Gojo, or walk from the Kyoto National Museum or Sanjusangen-do. Bicycle parking is basically problem, there is none other than private residents parking lots.

Website: https://www.mikazukihyouka.com

Otanien Tea Shop

I noticed that I haven’t added this charming shop well off the tourist streams – not because I didn’t like it, but because it’s basically a tea shop with a few cafe tables and very, very understated. So, I am adding it now, because the quality of desserts from the small menu was very good, and if you are lucky, you might be able to buy a tin of matcha or two – or some of their other excellent tea or matcha sweets.

Matcha parfait is the classic here, and it’s excellent, I went for the medium” portion , which was massive, and a bowl of matcha, which was excellent, too. It’s all a bit 1980’s – which I love. Only two other customers in the store while I was there, heavenly quiet, and super friendly.

And of course, you can get high quality matcha here in a relaxed setting, too. There are just 12 seats, so I had some reservations including it in a blog post, but it was fairly empty on a weekend during prime autumn leaves season, so they didn’t appear to have an overcrowding problem.

Address: 7-7 Imakumano Naginomoricho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0971, Japan

How to get there: I cycled and parked at the convenient Fresco Supermarket right next to it. Buses for Tofukuji from Kyoto Station or Sanjusangen-do will stop at nearby Imakumano, or you can easily walk from Sanjusangen-do and Kyoto National Museum.

Website: https://www.kyoto-ujicha.net

Salon Tawaraya

I am slow adding new places here, since I keep going back to the places I love, and as I mentioned, many new places I tried didn’t make this list.

Salon Tawaraya is closely associated with Ogawa-dori, the street where the two famous Kyoto Tea SChools, Omotesenke and Urasenke, sit behind high walls side-to-side. Just some tea utensil shop let you glimpse into the refined world of the tea ceremony, and if you are lucky, the small museum at the Chado Research Centre may be open.

Lacking any outstanding sights, the area is calm, and quite residential, with old houses and flanked by three temples, all worth a look, with Myoken-ji perhaps being the most beautiful. You can browse freely in the shops, which display and sell beautiful tea wares, although you should show an interest in traditional tea ceremony – this is not the place for talking about matcha latte or buy everyday dinnerware. If you must, Hasegawa (look for ハセガワ陶器店 on a map) close to Marutamachi on the Kyoto Metro is a charming family run shop with quality regional ceramics, mostly from nearby Shigaraki, with a few pricier Kiyomizuyaki matcha bowls and tea utensils as well. And tanuki, of course.

But back to the word of refined tea drinking. Salon Tawaraya (same name as the famous ryokan, no relation I think) is old, of course, founded in the mid-18th Century like so many traditional Kyoto shops. There is a confectionery shop out front and a small cafe at the back and when I arrived on a weekday afternoon, I had it to myself for half an hour, then a few Japanese customers arrived. Can’t remember if there was an English menu,but the menu is small and typed, so easily translated.

I was served two types of tea, hojicha and sencha, and I have seen this several timesnow, where cafes attached to tea purveyors serve you a free tasting course of their teas. I had saved up all my appetite by eating atiny lunch only and first ordered zenzai, followed my matcha anmitsu.

The zenzai was delicious, and they gave me a little bell to ring when I wanted to eat my “second course” of anmitsu. Anmitsu was small but extremely delicious, topped with a cup of strong matcha. And of course, a cup of matcha could not be passed up.

Address: Japan, 〒602-0062 Kyoto, Kamigyo Ward, Hokyoin Higashimachi, 592

How to get there: Take the Kyoto Metro to Imadegawa, and head towards the Urasenke and Omotesenke Tea Schools. Alternatively, it’s a great place to visit when you are at Nishijin Textile Center. it’s about 400m from the Metro or Nishijin Textile Centre.

Website: https://kyogashi.co.jp

Where to Stay in Kyoto

If you are in Kyoto for good food, it doesn’t matter so much where you stay, but my advice is to stay in central Kyoto but away from the incredibly busy Kawaramachi Shijo area. Parts of Gion are also good – just pick somewhere with not many bars in unless you are a night owl yourself.

If you have the budget, a lovely traditional ryokan or luxurious hotel in Higashiyama makes a lovely base for your stay in Kyoto. If you are on a moderate budget, like me, I will give you some recommendations on places I have stayed myself and which I can highly recommend, with a carefully researched “dream stay” at the end where I haven’t stayed – but I am saving up for it!

Tabist Kiki Hotel Sanjo Takakura

The Tabist Kiki Hotel Sanjo Takakura is a small and very smart four-star hotel at the back of ShinPuhKan. I paid 83 Euro for one night in a reduced price room as there was a window but very little daylight. Other than that, the room was great – large, with a full size bath, two immensely comfortable twin beds and a tatami-covered sitting area with nice accents form Kyoto design house Sou-Sou. I’d say the beds were the most comfortable I slept in for a long time on a trip.

Prince Smart Inn Kyoto

The Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo is a very smart moderate budget option. Not only did this hotel have bicycle parking, but I liked the location even better – a stone’s throw from the northern end of Teramachi Shopping street with some of my favourite Kyoto shops, Kyukyodo, Misuyabari Sewing Needles, Musubi… and cult cafe Smart Coffee. The surrounding area was a great mix of small restaurants, upmarket apparel shops and art supplies and paper stores. 

The hotel is bright and modern, rooms rather spartan but large enough, with very comfortable beds that are close to the Tabist Kiki in quality. There’s a small fridge under the basin for snacks and drinks, and a laundry and ice machine on the central corridor. The only thing I really missed was a kettle for my morning coffee and my green tea. I paid 163 Euros for three nights including a relatively sparse breakfast.

Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi SAnjo

Of all the Hotel Resol locations in Kyoto, Hotel Resol Kawaramachi Sanjo is probably the best, right opposite Mina Shopping Mall in a downtown area full of hotel and shops. It is a rather small hotel in Japanese style but with Western beds – and bicycle hire! Expect to pay 60-120 Euro per person per night depending on room type.

Kiraku Inn (R.I.P.)

This charming little guesthouse was in Northern Gion and was an excellent comfortable and clean private room budget option. I stayed at Kiraku Inn Kyoto on a previous trip. It’s a very simple accommodation in a historic Kyoto Machiya. I had a private room, bathrooms were shared. I liked it, my room had everything it needed, it was quiet (except for the crows at 4am, thank you) and clean. I paid under 100 Euro for three nights in a clean private room with access to a small kitchen in a super central location – and I could also park my bicycle there thanks to the very accommodating owner.

It is worth noting the true lord or the mansion was Tama, a huge tomcat, who was allowed everything everywhere. But alas, when I last walked along Shinmonzen-dori in February 2026, the inn was a building site, the lantern dismantled and neither Tama nor his human anywhere to be seen. It is sad, that in the process of gentrification of this particularly Kyoto area, while more classy shops like Momotaro are moving in, small, privately owned inns like this appear to disappear, and follow Shijo-dori, where quite some low quality touristy shop appear to have moved in, too.

Thankfully, there are lovely private guesthouses like this, although you may struggle now to find them in Gion. Two I have stayed at and really liked, running by their owners with dedication in old Kyoto townhouses, are Gallery Nozawa Inn in Shimabara (owners are well into their 70s, so enjoy it while it lasts) and Higurashi-Sou close to Nijo Castle

Ryokan Shimizu

I stayed here a few years ago and if you can get in, the lovely budget-friendly Ryokan Shimizu really is the best traditional experience you can get in Kyoto on a modest budget, with large tatami rooms, a big bath, for about 50 Euro per person. English spoken, and a stone’s throw from Kyoto Station. But you need to book well, well in advance.

It’s the perfect traditional ryokan for first-time visitors – traditional, authentic but run by a young team who speak English well, and are happy to teach you the Japanese way of staying in a traditional inn. I stayed there on my second trip to Kyoto and it was perfect for sightseeing, but also you are close enough to Kyoto Station, in a really nice area between the two Hongan-ji temples, really charming given it’s so close to touristy Kyoto Station.

Splurge Stay: Chourakukan or Gate Hotel Takasegawa

The Hotel Chourakukan is a Western-style mansion built in the Meiji Era for state visits and is now a hotel, with the communal areas interior kept pretty much intact, a curious blend of Belle Epoque and tatami-clad banqueting halls. Being a sucker for old hotels, this one is pretty accurately what I like, but comes with a price tag of about 400 Euro per night. Given my last fancy stay was the Pera Palace some time ago, I think it is time again.

Rooms are modern in a calm mid-century modern style, with mostly Western style interior, fireplaces, and they’re huge – more like small apartments. And yes, for a spare 4000 JPY you can enjoy the afternoon tea there as well, keeping in line with the dessert theme, and that’s what I may do on my next trip!

I am going to be honest with you, as much as I love a splurge stay, every time I look up the Chourakukan, rooms cost around 500 to 1000 Euros. Not my price range, to be honest, but, I did manage to stay at another classy Kyoto landmark hotel, the Gate Hotel Tokyo Takasegawa in the Pontocho area, for a much more reasonable 120 Euro a night in February 2026.

It’s a converted primary school, the first concrete building in Kyoto apparently, and is superbly located in a prime shopping and entertainment area, less than five minutes walk from Kyoto Kawaramachi Station for trips to Arashiyama and Osaka. My room was in the modern extension, and ultimately comfortable and restful – find a detailed review of my stay here.

 The Small Print

This post was written based on my experience of trips to Kyoto in 2024 to 2026, including some return visits.

You may ask yourself, how did I find these places if I don’t do Social Media much, and if they are not in guidebooks? Well. They are in guidebooks – just Japanese ones. I bought a Japanese Kyoto guide book in Spring 2024 and just followed some of their recommendations. I have since learned that some vendors pay to be included in the guidebooks but my experience with the Japanese guide books so far has been really good. I can’t find the same book son the net, but walk into any decent book store and they’ll usually have Kyoto books. For starters, Diane Durston’s “Old Kyoto” is a great social media hype-free guide to traditional Kyoto establishments. I’ll eventually include decent photographs of the books I have in here.

I have visited each restaurant at least once, as always, paid in full. All prices are correct at the time of writing. This is not a sponsored post. You can trust me for unbiased reviews and opinions. This post contains some affiliate links to Booking.com. Please refer to my Terms and Conditions for further details.

This post was first published in September 2025 and updated on 25 August 2026.

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