Gnome opened in October 2007, which (at the time of writing) makes it the newest Irish pub in town. It's also my favorite. I like the cosy, home-like atmosphere and I might be just imagining things but I think the Guinness tastes best here too. Yuko, the owner is a friendly, chatty, charming lady of many talents; musical, culinary and professional. She already had her own … [Read more...] about Gnome
Bars
舶来酒 Absurd (Formerly Bar 探偵)
Update June 2025: Having survived the pandemic, the master of Bar 探偵 decided he wanted a change of mood and so changed the name of the bar to 舶来酒 Absurd (Hakuraishu Absurd). However, it is still the same bar, and run by the same guy, who is still a detective. My original review is below. Here's a quirky little place that's worth a mention. Bar 探偵 ("Tantei" or … [Read more...] about 舶来酒 Absurd (Formerly Bar 探偵)
Rokuyosha
Listed in the “Kyoto Music Spots” guide book (京都音楽空間 ) as one of the “legendary places" of Kyoto Rokuyosha (六曜社) is a old-style café on Kawaramachi. A handy location to pop into for a breather if you are shopping, Rokuyosha is famous for it’s delicious home-roasted coffee beans and tasty home-baked donuts. In fact so famous are these old-style donuts that people of a sweet … [Read more...] about Rokuyosha
BAR Cafezinho
Bar Cafezinho owes its existence to it's owner's love of Brazilian music; Samba, Bossa Nova and Pagode. A cafe/bar, Bar Cafezinho's strongest point is the cheap, cheap menu. You can get good, strong, Brazilian coffee at only 200 yen a cup and the whisky here is also remarkably cheap at roughly half the price you'll find elsewhere. Here's my lunch; a vegetarian coconut curry … [Read more...] about BAR Cafezinho
The Wellers Club
The Weller’s Club is a spacious bar/club venue on Takoyakushi Dori. The owner, Yamamoto-san is a big fan of Paul Weller (hence the name) and also of British pub culture, and in 1998 opened this club with the intent of creating a space where people could meet and have a drink while listening to British music. The array of musical events that go on each month are not … [Read more...] about The Wellers Club
Tsurugi
On a quiet backstreet, just west of Kawaramachi, sits Tsurugi, a shabby little bar with bad plumbing and uncertain opening hours that I love. Two years ago I strolled into this bar quite by chance and was immediately struck by how friendly both the master and his customers were. People can be a bit stuck-up in Kyoto so this was no small thing. The master, … [Read more...] about Tsurugi
