Isetan’s main dining section is the Eat Paradise gourmet food hall on the 11th floor. However, throughout the 13 levels of this department store there are cafes, restaurants and eateries where you can stop for a rest, and enjoy a drink or a bite to eat. To learn more about the 11th floor dining section, read our article: Eat Paradise at Isetan. For other dining options, see below:
Isetan occupies 13 floors on the north west corner of Kyoto Station building
Basement Cafes
There are two cafes on the B1 level where you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the lively basement food markets.
B1 – The first basement floor
Andersen – Danish Heart
Andersen – a combined café, bakery and pastry shop
The first cafe, Andersen, is divided into three sections. There is a bakery which sells a variety of freshly baked bread, pies, cakes and pastries. There is the café/restaurant where you can sit and enjoy a sandwich or pastry with something to drink. And there is the “Danish Heart” stand which sells Andersen’s trademark heart-shaped Danish pastries to go.
Open: 10:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-352-6285
UCC Café Mercado
UCC Café Mercado – a coffee specialty store and cafe
Right beside Andersen, is UCC Café Mercado. This is a coffee specialty store, where you can buy first class coffee beans both whole and freshly ground. A variety of coffee beans are on display, and the café menu has a selection of reliable coffee blends for you to enjoy. Among the food items on offer are simple sandwiches, cakes and waffles.
Open: 10:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-352-6256
Cafes and Tea Shops – 3rd-6th Floors
Isetan has a number of cafes and tea shops between the 3rd and 6th floors. These are purposely designed to be rest spots where you can take a break from shopping, sit down, relax and re-energize.
3rd Floor
Country House Eikokuya
Country House Eikokuya – a British style tea shop
Country House Eikokuya is a British style tea shop on the eastern edge of the third floor with an outside patio that overlooks Kyoto Station’s grand central atrium. Here along with black tea and coffee, you can enjoy chiffon cake and waffles. Light meals of sandwiches or Japanese style curry are also on the menu.
Open: 8:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-352-5460
4th Floor
Flags Café
Flags Café – for pasta, cake and herb teas
Flags Café serves simple meals of pasta, risotto and other rice dishes, and a variety of cakes and desserts. Desserts can be accompanied by a drink from a broad selection of herbal teas. Flags Café is situated on the north side of Isetan, close by the elevators.
Open: 10:00- 20:00
Tel: 075-342-2081
5th Floor
Brownies Club
Brownies Club – brownies, cakes and lashings of tea!
Brownies Club is a colorful tea shop serving sandwiches, handmade cakes and of course delicious fresh baked chocolate brownies. It is situated on the south side of the “Daikaidan” Grand Stairway.
Open: 10:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-352-5369
6th Floor
Malebranche
Malebranche – for luxury desserts
Malebranche is a café serving luxury French style desserts and sweets concocted from local ingredients. Among the unique sweets they have on offer are matcha (green tea) flavored Langues-de-Chat cookies, Japanese maple syrup pies, Kyoto shortbreads, and sweet golden chestnut cakes. Malebranche is situated on the north side of the “Daikaidan” Grand Stairway.
Open: 10:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-343-2727
Saryo Tsujiri
Travelers come from far and wide to taste Saryo Tsujiri’s parfaits
Right beside Malebranche is the super popular sweet shop Saryo Tsujiri. The original Tsujiri is a famous matcha tea and sweets shop in the Gion area of Kyoto. The Saryo Tsujiri branch shop in Isetan serves the same green tea flavored parfaits, ice creams and cakes that have made the main shop so popular, and as a result there is almost always a long line of people waiting outside.
Open: 10:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-352-6622
Open View Restaurants – 7th – 10th Floors
From the 7th floor to the 10th floor Isetan has a number of “Open View” restaurants, so called because they offer fine views over the city and they are open later than eateries on the lower floors. All of these restaurants are on the north side of the “Daikaidan” Grand Stairway.
7th Floor
Wansa Kansa
Wansa Kansa – Mediterranean cuisine
Wansa Kansa prides itself on its Mediterranean style seafood dishes. At lunchtime the restaurant serves mainly pizza, and pasta. As this restaurant is on the 7th floor of Isetan, which is the children’s clothing and toys department, they have meals for children, and even baby food available until 3:00 pm. For dinner, why not try a cheese fondue or paella, accompanied by a drink from the wine list or cocktail menu?
Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-352-6228
8th Floor
Kagaya
Kagaya – Formal Japanese cuisine
The original Kagaya is a famous hot spring resort hotel on the Hokuriku seacoast. It is famous for serving the very best sea food in multi-course kaiseki style traditional meals. This branch restaurant is managed directly by the original Kagaya in Hokuriku, and so the menu is held to the same exacting standards. Whether you want to have a set meal, a multi-course meal, or order a la carte, this is an excellent place to experience the fine art of Japanese style haute cuisine. The restaurant also has a number of Hokuriku region sake varieties to complement the food.
Lunch: 11:00 – 15:30 (Last orders: 15:00)
Dinner: 17:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-342-0022
9th Floor
Ichiba Koji
Ichiba Koji – a beer dining bar
Ichiba Koji is an izakaya style restaurant, or “beer dining bar” which serves a creative menu intended to complement the beverage menu. You can expect a lot of grilled meat and fish and some imaginative blends of local ingredients with Western style cooking. On the drinks menu the ever popular Kirin brand beers predominate, but there is also a fine local sake selection and some decent Spanish wines.
Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:15)
Tel: 075-365-3388
10th Floor
The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo
The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo – Italian cuisine
This restaurant is a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate. On the one side you have a bank of windows with gorgeous views over Kyoto Tower and the city beyond. On the other side you have an open kitchen animated by the lively theatrics of the cooks spinning their pizzas and working their culinary magic. Neapolitan style pasta dishes and soft doughy pizzas topped with fresh seafood vie for your attention from the menu.
Lunch: 11:00 – 1600 (Last orders: 15:00)
Dinner: 17:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-365-7765
KokeKokko
KokeKokko – for barbecued chicken kebabs
The word “kokekokko” is the Japanese equivalent of “cock-a-doodle-doo!” and so naturally this restaurant specializes in chargrilled chicken. Kokekokko serves yakitori, which is Japanese style barbecued chicken, with the meat skewered on wooden kushi spits before being grilled over charcoal and seasoned with salt or dipping sauces. The restaurant is bright and lively with a wonderful panoramic view over the Kyoto hills.
Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-365-3390
Kakiyasu Sanjyaku Sanzunbashi
Kakiyasu Sanjyaku Sanzunbashi – a Japanese style buffet
This restaurant serves imaginative buffet meals with Japanese, Chinese and Western food all represented. Plentiful main dishes, colorful vegetables and a dessert buffet are all available and all very reasonably priced.
Weekday lunch: 11:00 – 16:00 (Last orders: 15:00)
Weekday dinner: 17:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 11:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-353-8960
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
