Gluten-free vegan restaurant located a short walk east of Keihan Sanjo station. Menu items include fermented vegan cheese (also for sale), veggie burgers, soups, brown rice risotto, organic pasta, quiche, pancakes, raw cake, smoothies, hot drink. No fried food. Open Mon-Tue 9:30am-3:00pm, Thu-Sun 9:30am-3:00pm. Last order for lunch 3pm, dinner 8:30pm.
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89-1 Sanjo Street, Ohashi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, 605-0009
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- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 11 Oct 2024 by najav
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316 Reviews
First Review by jennjt
smilingsunflower
Points +71
Not very impressionable - Edit
I really tried to like choice, hence I went there twice, but each time I went the food was not anything to rave about and the portion size is very small. It is a very nice, well lit, and neat cafe but it feels like a doctor's office (the owner of the restaurant is a doctor, which is probably why it feels that way).
Read moreThe first time I went with friends, we ordered a pizza, and two pastas. The pizza crust was very thin and a bit oily. The cheese texture was almost like real cheese but overall it did not really taste like a pizza and was quite bland. There were two different pastas that we ordered, one was a mozzarella and tomato pasta and the other was a cheese cream sauce one. Again the cheese was very good, almost like real cheese, but both pastas did not leave a lasting impression. There were three of us and the amount of food we got was probably enough for two people at most.
The second time I went, I ordered the burrito. For about 1000 yen I was expecting the burrito to be medium size but when I got my food it was almost a kid's size portion. It was good but it was not filling and surprisingly very oily (but the oil was what gave it any flavor). I decided to give the cream sauce pasta another chance and ordered it again, but the result was the same as the last time.
Overall this is a good place for tea time or a light meal, for vegans and vegetarians, but I do not recommend this place for lunch or dinner because you will definitely leave hungry and disappointed,
Updated from previous review on 2016-09-27
Pros: Completely vegan, good vegan cheese, very clean
Cons: Portion size , not very filling, overprized
Guest
RemyWilliams
Points +94
A great choice for vegans - Edit
We went here for breakfast, and amongst 3 people enjoyed the chocolate pancakes, the teriyaki burger and the basil tomato burger. All food is gluten free, making it a great choice for celiac's. The pancakes are Japanese style; meaning they are thick & small. The teriyaki burger was my personal favourite. It was drizzled with teriyaki, and topped with caramelized onions! The cafe is also a relaxing refuge from the heat. It's fitted out with plants, comfortable seating and a selection of books to flick through whilst you eat. Additionally, the staff are helpful & friendly. Overall a lovely cafe.
Read morePros: Gluten free, Nice settings
Cons: Less flavoursome than other vegan food in Kyoto
Guest
Stevie
Points +11765
Choice Cafe, Kyoto - Edit
Excellent food. There's less expensive places in the world but that's Japan.
Read morePros: All vegan, Tasty food
Guest
nonnis
Points +28
Tasty but expensive - Edit
Had açai bowl (1200¥) and GF pancakes (1400¥?). Good and tasty but nothing special and thus a bit expensive.
Read morePros: open quite early (compared to other vegan places)
Cons: expensive
Guest
Ajolote
Points +1495
good service, average food, pricy - Edit
Maybe I'm spoiled living in California and being a shareholder of the best vegan cheese in the world, in any case, the five cheese platter had tiny portions and was very expensive -2000¥. My pizza was tasty, but it was actually a crepe and the burrito was a rolled up crepe. The burger was the winner of the night. The desserts were pretty good too
Read moreGuest
Bridiekate
Points +68
a great choice - Edit
It was a relief to find this cafe being a vegan coeliac. All of the menu is gluten free except for the pasta. Portions are small and on the pricey end but any coeliac would be happy to pay for a tasty, safe meal in Japan. After just a few days I've found it hard to get anything without wheat. So thank you choice for a great meal. I will be back again while I'm in Kyoto.
Read morePros: lots of gluten free, great vegan cheese, lovely at
Cons: price, portion size
Guest
Skutbag
Points +116
Western options and gluten free - Edit
Agree that the time and location listed are not correct. If you get to Sanjokeihan tube stop you are close, don't give up! It's not in the nearby block/section of 5-6 restaurants where I initially thought it would be. It is only over the other side of the river so very possible to visit if you have been mainly hanging around the center.
Read moreSadly we failed to find this on our first attempt and only revisited twice before our time in Kyoto was up. We would have loved to try the breakfast/brunch as it is near impossible to find a vegan breakfast anywhere.
However, once we had found it it was worth the effort. Service good, staff spoke good English and there was quite a good variety for dinner. All in all if you are in Kyoto for more than a day or two, you will probably want to try this place.
The pizzas, while nice, would probably make an Italian confused, arguably I would say they are savoury crepes more than pizzas. Although I have no idea how to make a gluten free pizza so credit to them for this. The pasta dishes we had on our second visit were a bit more interesting and filling. The wine, beer and sake are all reasonably priced.
The star was the chocolate pancakes though which comes in a size sufficient for two to share with chocolate faux ice cream.
Everything is gluten free though neither of us had an issue with this. There are interesting Japanese books and comics around which appear to be informational/educational about various dietary issues. However the staff aren't pushy about this if it concerns you that you might get a lecture!
Pros: Nice interior, Welcoming staff, Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Cons: Pizza-esque, Ever so slightly over priced
Guest
Beeble
Points +34
Saviour - Edit
My boyfriend is coeliac and I can't have cows milk and prefer vegetarian. Particularly gluten-free is difficult in Japan, and so we didn't book in any breakfasts in any hotels, knowing that most wouldn't be able to cope. Come in this amazing place. Great location next to one of the major tube stations/roads. We ate breakfast there every morning during our stay in Kyoto and always was the service lovely and quick. It's usually quite quiet, which is actually quite nice and peaceful. To have both vegan and gluten-free has been amazing. The vegan cheese is very creamy and flavourful - I wish I could take some home with me. We were also there for an evening and again service was nice and food delivered quickly. I personally think the price is not expensive for such special food at all!
Read morePros: location , gluten-free as well, nice drinks
Guest
Brinielou
Points +168
Over Priced and Disappointing - Edit
Firstly the closing time and location on Happy Cow are slightly wrong. They were open Sunday until 9 and it is a little further down the street than what the map tracks.
Read moreI had the risotto which was nice but nothing special.
My partner had the Teriyaki Burger and was so disappointed. The dough for the bun wasn't completely cooked and it had such little lettuce, if you even wanted tomato you had to pay more. For these two, quite small portions and a juice it was $3,300.
Restaurant was empty and we weren't too surprised after
Pros: Nice interior
Cons: High Prices, Small Portions, Average Food
Guest
SusanRoberts
Points +992
Really delicious! - Edit
Tasty, cheesy, comfort food! Pasta with cream sauce very satisfying, particularly in combination with the cheese plate and organic wine. Pancakes are a perfect dessert (if you're sharing and still have room! Loved it all.
Read moreGuest
madoublethew
Points +308
Not a good choice - Edit
I would not recommend Choice. The menu was uninspired, the portions were small and the prices were comparatively high. Do not under any circumstances order the burrito. The pasta was fine, but again, a waste of money. I had the cheesecake dessert, which was okay, but overpowered by cocoa powder which was garnishing the plate. There are plenty of other places in the vicinity that are better.
Read moreGuest
Arthama
Points +20
incredible food - Edit
They have an impressive menu. They also produce own cheese made of raw cashews. Delicious cheeses, by the way. For my short stay in kyoto I plan to come back. Simply amazed.
Read moreGuest
thecholl
Points +117
Not bad for gluten free - Edit
I believe this place is a gluten free joint. I had a burger while my partner had a pasta dish. Both were good though my partner felt his dish was a little mean-portioned.
Read moreWe also enjoyed a couple of smoothies, but again, I felt they were a little mean for a small size (especially, if some of the glass is taken up with ice -- not good form!)
I was not especially enticed by the choices on the dessert menu so we skipped this.
Pros: Non smoking
Cons: Could be better value for money
Guest
Tbms1992
Points +118
Yummy vegan pasta and cheeses! - Edit
My partner and I being self confessed fat vegans loved having a bowl of cheesy pasta and cheese cake for dessert! Visited here twice. Restaurant itself is very relaxed, playing jazz music and the waitress spoke good English. They make a range of delicious vegan cheeses which you can buy on their own. The baguettes at the French chain Via de France are also vegan so my advice would be to buy a baguette and some cheese from Choice and enjoy (if you are a carb fiend like we are) ;)
Read moreGuest
mamba
Points +1359
Great food! - Edit
The restaurant is clearly health-oriented, the atmosphere rather "clean". But, anyway, the food is really really good! I wish I had visited this restaurant earlier, so that I could have come back for a second or even third time... I had quiche, soup, salad, bread, everything was good, the quiche and the bread were outstanding! They also have more creative dishes on their menu, and a huge selection of vegan cheese!
Read moreThe location is easy to find and near tourist spots!
Pros: the food, easy to find
Cons: lack of atmosphere
Guest
SagaVigreBohinen
Points +1079
Healthy food with wonderful staff! - Edit
This is a beautiful decorated vegan cafe/lunch/restaurant. It has a cozy cafe vibe and the staff is super nice and helpful. If you have a hard time finding herbal tea for your stay in Kyoto they sell some teas and also chocolate!
Read moreWe went there twice during our stay in Kyoto because it was about 1 min from our hotel! We had the pasta with their home made vegan cheese one night and pancakes the other night! The food is a bit expensive for how much you get, I would suggest ordering a starter first but don't come here if you're on a tight budget. The pancakes are great but a bit dry, which I didn't mind!
Overall a nice cafe but not a must-visit!
Pros: Wonderful interior , Cosy atmosphere, Great staff
Cons: Too expensive , Small portions
Guest
Greenkangaroo
Points +21
average - Edit
Western style menu. We ate risotto and vegetarian stroganoff. A place to go but nothing special and rather expensive.
Read moreCons: quite expensive
Guest
LisaLisaLisa
Points +419
Changed a lot in one year - food still A+! - Edit
One year had passed since I last visited this restaurant and things have changed quite a lot. The interior was redesigned entirely, for the better I think, as it feels more like a real restaurant/cafe the way it is now. There were some other changes I didn’t like quite as much though. The staff has grown in number and has become less warm and much more business-like. The lady behind the counter did not even listen to what I was saying to her whilst a year ago I had some nice conversations with the staff. It’s become way more popular and busy, maybe that’s why the service has become less warm. Not that it was terrible or anything.
Read moreThe food on the other hand is still as good as ever! This is one of the few places I know of in Japan that serves home-made vegan cheese. We also had the vegan cheese cream sauce spaghetti which was really really good. I don’t usually order pasta in restaurants because it’s so easy to make yourself but I wouldn’t be able to make vegan cheese cream sauce that is thís good.
They also sell vegan cheese to go (around 2500 yen for a 4 inch round piece of cheese).
Oh and I wanted to make a reservation on the same day but they told me they didn’t accept reservations, I don’t know if they meant same-day reservations or reservations in general...
Pros: Vegan cheese in Japan!, Excellent food, Exceptionally good pasta
Cons: Staff less warm and more business-like
Guest
shazb22
Points +68
yummy vegan food - Edit
I wish we had found this place earlier in our stay, i would definitely have gone back more. The decor is nice and has a wine bar/comfy lounge feeling to it with good music. The vegan cheese board was delicious (i wish i could make cheese like this as thats the one thing i miss about being vegan). I ate half of my friends pancakes too which were just as good. Definitely try it out and i will be back next time I'm in Kyoto
Read moreGuest
vegan_simon
Points +2597
Classy, Romantic - Edit
Upmarket feel with prices to match. Had the vegan cheese platter, deli plate and a glass of red bio wine. All very, very nice. My friend had the curry which was rather bland. Comfy seats, soft lighting and pleasant background music.
Read morePros: Stylish, comfy, classy, Distinctive menu
Guest
GardenTiger
Points +267
Modern, Fancy and delicious - Edit
We loved this place. This is what a vegan restaurant (or any restaurant, really) should be like and look like.
Read moreWe had pasta of the day, but it contained onions which I don't like, it was no problem to receive a different pasta dish, and it was delicious!
We also had smoothies and a chocolate cake as dessert. Everything was delicious. The server was very nice and the atmosphere in this cafe is great. Go there!
Pros: Great Atmosphere, Delicious food, modern
Guest
sarah m
Points +185
Superb! - Edit
What a delight. We shared the caesar salad, the pasta dish and the fondue plus some chocolate pancakes [not your usual pancakes but still delicious]. All vegan and all gluten free. Wow! Would definitely come here again.
Read morePros: delicious , great vibe , clean
Guest
MyVeganJoy
Points +583
Nice and Tasty Organic Vegan meals - Edit
We visited Choice in Kyoto 3 times. The food is tasty and the service is very nice. They are open at 11 am for 'eat in/lunchtime', but they are also selling some muffins and cookies starting from 9 am. The portions aren't huge, but because the set meal contains 5-6 dishes, we always left full and happy. Their 'pancakes' are not what you would expect - they are more like corn bread, not pancakes in the western sense of the word... Serves good organic coffee, and ingredients quality is very high: organic, local, macrobiotic, balanced. We'll happily go back on our next trip to Kyoto.
Read morePros: close to station, stylish, organic, healthy
Cons: pancakes are not what you'd expect ;)
Guest
JanWolffgang
Points +26
Clean, modern and good food - Edit
We visited this restaurant 3 times and had great meals, made from the buttom, and 100 % vegan.
Read moreThe lunch, dinner and deserts were all very nice.
A nice and exceptional clean and hygienic local restaurant, with professional owner and very nice waiters and employees.
Absolutely WORTH visiting.
Thanks for a great experience.
LHJ from Denmark
Updated from previous review on Sunday August 02, 2015
Pros: Central, Close to Gion, Clean
Guest
Tiggy
Points +13928
Great vegan lunch... - Edit
We ended up close to this place dragging our luggage to our hotel and it was a bit of a lifesaver. The atmosphere is bright, with white walls and green chairs, and the kitchen is very visible so you can see what's going on. The menu is simple but appealing. We ordered a taco plate and a quiche plate to share. From the three brightly coloured smoothies on offer I chose the red one and it was delicious. We were brought cups of vegetable broth as a courtesy. The taco plate was fine but nothing out of the ordinary, except that it didn't have tacos (but rice instead). Afterwards I had to order the green smoothie, while waiting for the next plate. The quiche was OK - quite "cheesy" according to my partner - but not with the 'eggy' texture of traditional quiches (as some vegan quiches are). We did have dessert: a coconutty, fruity cake, a bit like a muesli loaf but with a scoop of reasonably good vegan ice cream on top. A cup of Earl Grey with soy milk finished this nicely. A generally good experience, this place would be worth another visit.
Read morePros: Decent lunch
Cons: Cake fairly ordinary
Guest
AliDark
Points +92
good and bad - Edit
This is a classy joint, possibly organic and definitely health oriented. Great for whole foods eaters. I was actually meaning to visit another restaurant with pizza but came here by accident.
Read moreClean and welcoming.
My partner got the curry Which was just a bit small, and unusual tasting. Prob not for all although it did have its own thing going on. This was 2.5 stars.
My taco rice on the other hand was a 4... Tasty and large. Nice hearty bowl of stacked ingredients, lovely salad on top.
Guest
Yama
Points +25
Centrally located and clean, address in Japanese - Edit
Went there for the first time this week. The central location raises expectations that more people in Japan will get interested in veganism (so far behind right now...). The staff were very friendly and the food fine.
Read moreRegarding the exact location we had to call to find it. Although it is close to the Sanjō Keihan station, the GPS directions were inaccurate. From the crossing between Kawabata and Sanjō, one has to go East for about two hundred meters to find it (past the Family Mart and the first light). Here is the exact address in Japanese:
〒605-0009 京都府京都市東山区大橋町89-1 鈴木形成外科ビル1F
Unfortunately, it closes quite early on weekdays (19:00 last order Monday to Thursday and 21:00 on Friday and Saturday) and is closed on Sunday.
Guest
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