Asty operates two shopping and dining areas on the south side of the station: Asty Square and Asty Road. Asty Square occupies the space both immediately outside and inside the Shinkansen ticket gates.
Asty Square
Asty Road is a shopping arcade on the south east flank of the station building that connects with the Miyako Michi arcade on the south west. On the whole Asty Road has the greater variety of dining opportunities.
Asty Road
Opening times vary but for those in desperate need of sustenance McDonalds is open the earliest and latest from 5.30 – 23:00.
Asty Square
Outside the ticket gates:
Café Espressamente Illy
Café Espressamente Illy
This café serves Italian espresso coffee, light meals and takeouts. A “hot sandwich set” includes coffee or tea and costs just 450 yen. A morning “toast set” includes toast, an egg, salad and coffee or tea and costs 550 yen.
Open: 7:00 – 21:30 (Last orders: 21:00)
Tel: 075-693-4310
Inside the ticket gates:
Matsuba
Matsuba – herring with buckwheat noodles
Matsuba is a noodle shop specializing in nishin soba. Nishin is salty sweet simmered herring and it is typically served in a hot bowl of broth and soba (buckwheat noodles). This is a local delicacy here in Kyoto, so this is your very last chance to try it before you board your train! A bowl of their signature nishin soba noodles will cost you 1404 yen.
Open: 8:30 – 21:00 (Last orders: 20:30)
Tel: 075-693-5595
Café Koto
Café Koto
Café Koto serves its own brand of siphon brewed coffee. Light meals such as ham and egg sandwiches, or croquet-monsieur style ham and cheese on toast are available. There is also a more unusual menu item of sweet red adzuki beans on toast for 790 yen that comes with a drink of your choice.
Open: 7:00 – 21:00 (Last orders: 20:30)
Tel: 075-692-2203
Housen
Housen – tea and sweets
Housen is a traditional Kyoto green tea and sweets shop. They sell a variety of sweets made from rice cakes, warabi-mochi bracken starch dumplings, and sweet red adzuki beans. In their tea room you can sit and enjoy some powdered green tea and the sweets of your choice. A seasonal tea and sweet set will cost you 1080 yen.
Shop: 8:00 – 21:00
Tea room: 10:00 – 20:00
Tel: 075-693-9103
Asty Road
Asty Road’s restaurants are concentrated in the Kyoto Omotenashi Koji section at the far eastern part of the arcade.
Kyoto Omotenashi Koji
Kamado Yakitate Gohan Doi
Kamado Doi – Japanese set meals with pickles
Kamado Doi is essentially a traditional pickles shop that also showcases its pickles in restaurant meals served with freshly cooked rice. There are various set meals of rice, pickles, soup and a main dish of your choice such as tempura, salmon, mackerel and pork. Each of these costs 1550 yen. If you like the pickles you can buy some on your way out as a souvenir.
Open: 9:00 – 22:00 (Last orders: 21:30)
Tel: 075-634-8545
Sushi no Musashi
Sushi no Musashi
This is a casual “conveyor belt” sushi bar with fish delivered fresh from the Japan Sea coast. Sit at the counter and pick tasty looking items off the conveyor belt, or order directly from the sushi chefs. Takeout is also available from 9:00 – 22:00.
Open: 10:00 – 22:30 (Last orders: 22:15)
Tel: 075-662-0634
Hararyokaku
Hararyokaku – curry and noodles
Hararyokaku is a spice and condiments specialty store based in the Gion area of Kyoto. In this restaurant, they serve such dishes as curry, curry with noodles, and noodles flavored with ground sesame. Each table has a selection of Hararyokaku spices for you to add to your meal according to your taste. A bowl of sesame noodles is 972 yen.
Open: 11:00 – 21:00 (Last orders: 20:30)
Tel: 075-661-9673
Kurama
Kurama- steamed rice and vegetables
Kurama serves up Japanese cuisine with rice and vegetables cooked in an old style bamboo steamer. Taking the taste of each season as a theme, the restaurant uses carefully selected local vegetables, tofu, chicken and fish for each meal. Matched with famous brands of sake from the Fushimi district of Kyoto, a meal enjoyed in this calm and comfortable spot, is a pleasant way to take a moment’s rest.
Open: 10:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:15)
Tel: 075-681-1539
Kyo Dining Hachijo
Kyo Dining Hachijo – grilled food and beer
Kyo Dining Hachijo focusses on hearty grilled food to be enjoyed with beer. This shop actually has its own original mellow flavored “Hachijo Beer” a large glass of which costs only 700 yen. A lunchtime hamburger set with soup, rice and lotus root will cost you 950 yen.
Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-661-8548
Pastamore
Pastamore
Whatever the variety of pasta you choose here, they are all priced by their size, medium, large or double large. Inexpensive set meals are also available. This is a good spot for a quick meal, whether by yourself, with friends, or for families with children.
Open: 7:00 – 23:00 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-694-2270
MacDonalds
MacDonalds
Sometimes you just want a cheeseburger. And who could blame you? The big advantage of MacDonalds is that it is open when other shops are closed. The “asa makku” breakfast time menu is served from 5.30 – 10.30. A “Big Breakfast Deluxe” of burger, scrambled eggs, hashed brown and pancakes with syrup will cost you a mere 600 yen.
Open: 5:30 – 23:00
Tel: 075-694-2326
Hoshino Coffee
Hoshino Coffee
This original coffee shop takes pride in serving hand drip coffee made from carefully selected top quality beans. No trouble is spared to make one cup with the perfect aroma and deepest flavor. Enjoy a moment on one of their antique sofas, sipping a delicious coffee, and maybe indulging in one of their soufflé pancakes too!
Open: 7:00 – 22:15 (Last orders: 22:00)
Tel: 075-748-8656
Inoda Coffee
Inoda Coffee
Inoda Coffee have been roasting their Arabian Pearl coffee in house for over 70 years. Light meals include sandwiches and spaghetti and they also have handmade cakes and pies. The “Kyo-no-choshoku” is a set breakfast meal of ham, eggs, salad, croissant and coffee for 1380 yen.
Open: 7:30 – 20:00 (Last orders: 19:30)
Tel: 075-574-7478
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
