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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313 Reviews
First Review by jennjt
FrankieW
Points +2651
Excellent! - Edit
We got lucky here.
Read moreOur chosen dishes were excellent on all fronts. Perfect mix of flavours. The cheese board was extraordinarily tasty and a hallmark of forward thinking vegan cuisine.
The staff are very accommodating.
Guest
WolfsRain
Points +127
Fancy restaurant for cheese lovers - Edit
Great interior. Card is good for cheese lovers, and the cheese was very good according to my wife. However, the curry was pretty bland with only sauce and onions. Taste wasnt great, overseasoned.
Read morePros: Lots of good stuff for cheese lovers, Fancy interior
Cons: Avoid if you don't like vegan cheese
Guest
VeganExpression
Points +1728
Food is amazing, full of surprise - Edit
Surprise 1. Vegan Pancakes! In the absence of egg and milk, the taste can be kept so soft and moist, and the most amazing part is the matching with ice cream, it is actually ... made by RICE? ! Surprise 2.The humidity of the risotto is just right, plus their own vegan cheese (yes, they have their own brand of vegan cheese), it made me feel blessed, I even have no time to chat with my travel companion, I was too busy and focus with my RISOTTO! Surprise 3. There are many nutrition books and magazines everywhere in the cafe, topic including vegan foods, raw foods and diseases. Customers can read them and buy them.
Read morevisit date: 2018-11
Guest
12dam
Points +72
Soymilk without vanilla - Edit
We had the burger. It was really small and underseasoned but we afsked for ketchup and salt which help a lot! I liked the bun that had a scone-crumble to it. Also got a nice big coffee with neutral soymilk (no vanilla). Would come back for the soymilk, but otherwise not.
Read moreGuest
Jean_Luis
Points +28
Had a great diner experience. Great atmosphere, reasonable priced. - Edit
After a long day wondering around Kyoto, we came across Choice. My girl and I are both Vegan/Gluten free. This hit right the spot. Food was delicious. We started by ordering the 5 cheese plate with crackers.
Read moreIf you’ve been vegan for a while, then you know the struggles of finding good tasting vegan cheese. Their cheeses are among the best I’ve ever tried. Specially the smoked.
We then had the pasta bolognese and the burger. We also had two glasses of vegan wine. We
Both loved the atmosphere and service. I would highly recommend this place if you are in Kyoto. (Even if you are not vegan)
Pros: Cheese plate is a must try , Vegan wines, Smoothies
Guest
ldd_happy
Points +581
Good food and lovely interior - Edit
We had the burger and the bolognese pasta which were both good. We also had the green smoothies which were delicious and the fruit pancake which was good! Added bonus for me is when vegan food is also gluten free (so far, this has been rare in Japan)! Friendly and helpful staff and a lovely spacious cafe.
Read morePros: Friendly staff , Everything is gluten free as well as vegan
Guest
justcallhimal
Points +43
Dedicated vegan & gluten-free cafe in Kyoto - Edit
This was our first meal in Kyoto. Their speciality is their fermented vegan cheeses-definitely worth getting the cheese board to try it. I had the green pasta for main and and the cheesecake to finish. Pasta was under seasoned but still tasty. The cheese was a highlight-especially the Italian version!
Read morePros: Dedicated gluten free & vegan, Great cheese!, Friendly staff
Cons: Pricey
Guest
sandysaga
Points +32
Delicious food and posh environment - Edit
Had an amazing vegan burger, very solid texture for the bean cake part. The pancake is the best vegan pancake I ever had, very solid, fulfilling and not too sweet. The only thing is that the berries are not fresh ones, they are frozen, so get ready for the freezing temperature in your mouth when you have them.
Read morePros: Burger is high quality, ingredients & flavour
Cons: The strawberry is iced instead of fresh ones
Guest
FabianaMoraes
Points +17
Disappointing - Edit
It was probably the worst vegan food I’ve ever had. It tasted horrible!! The ingredients were not fresh. I had a strogonoff that was basically canned tomatoes. Also, it was quite expensive.
Read morePros: Cozy place
Cons: Bland food., Not fresh, Expensive
Guest
NicoNico
Points +207
Fresh & delicious - Edit
We ate there 2 times during our stay in Kyoto. We enjoyed the food as well as the atmosphere of the restaurant. The homemade vegan cheese is one of the best I've ever eaten so far! I will definitely come back here the next time I'll be in Kyoto
Read morePros: delicious food , affordable , atmosphere
Guest
SimoneSif
Points +779
lacking - Edit
the restaurant is very cozy but the food isn’t that good. the quiche was very tasty. everything is i had was not that great. i especially disliked the strawberry / lemon dessert.
Read moreGuest
klem
Points +22
Good "choice" - Edit
Ambiente tranquilo y agradable,la camarera muy simpática y atenta,es todo absolutamente vegano,yo no lo soy, pero llevo años disfrutando de esta opción gracias a mi pareja,la tabla de quesos no te deja indiferente,la próxima vez pido la grande,la pasta muy buena y el precio razonable,hoy vuelvo.
Read morePros: Vegano y delicioso
Cons: Nada
Guest
lilali
Points +327
So nice! - Edit
I have never been in a vegan and gluten-free restaurant. the atmosphere is very quiet and the staff is really friendly. We had the egg sandwich, the burger, a choco muffin and the cashew cake and for us it was one of the best food we have eaten so far (its a little bit expensive, but the portions are good). I would have loved to try the whole map, I can only recommend the choice!:)
Read moreGuest
MichaelYiasemides
Points +59
Yummy but expensive and small portion - Edit
The food was good, the staff very kind, and the seating was nice. However the portions are very small and expensive. Mine was ¥1400. I had to go get another meal elsewhere, which was just as good but twice the the size and only ¥1000.
Read morePros: Yummy, Nice staff, Nice seating
Cons: Expensive, Small portions
Guest
MorlinRoismanReuven
Points +44
Really disappointed and overpriced - Edit
Nice service but the food wasn't good at all, we had the pasta bolognese which was tiny and overcooked, sause was weird and made from quinoa. The pancakes had a very weird texture and was served with a bitter soft cream
Read moreCons: Not worth the price or coming at all
Guest
JesperLund
Points +19
Great taste, cosy place - Edit
Good tasting vegan food and smoothies. On the pricy side and don’t expect big portions.
Read moreGuest
happycyclist
Points +443
cozy, delicious, beautiful - Edit
We felt at home right away with the cozy, warm, spacious, mellow atmosphere. I could have stayed all day reading a book. Got so excited about their vegan cheese, which is so hard to find in Kyoto. We went for all things cheesy including the amazing resoto and cheese salad. Out of this world! But the burger needed a bun or something to make the dish more substantial. Otherwise the portions were unusually large for Japan, which was very welcome! The vegan cheese was definitely their strength. I tasted a nutritional yeast base to the cheese, but I'm no expert. Will go back. Good location.
Read morePros: vegan cheeses, tasty, good portions
Cons: not for the budget traveler
Guest
Bellatrish
Points +64
Nice café - Edit
Really nice place to go when it's rainy outside. The interior is very clean and beautifully decorated. But for me it has more like café feel than a restaurant one. The food isn't really filling, so if you're hungry, I'd recommend you to visit another place in Kyoto. I've tried their quiche, salad and chocolate pancakes with some sort uniquely tasting ice cream, which I didn't like that much... But overall the food was tasty. Especially their cheeses, those were delicious. The stuff was really kind and helpful.
Read moreIt's a really nice place worth trying, but I'm not sure if I'll be coming back as I prefer another vegan places in Kyoto more.
Pros: Beautiful place, gluten free, good location, Very kind and helpful stuff, tasty food, Interesting cheeses
Cons: Little overpriced, not as filling food
Guest
emeve
Points +110
Cozy and friendly - Edit
Beautiful cafe to relax from the hustle of Kyoto’s city center. Staff is friendly and speaks good English. Many food options on the menu.
Read moreGuest
seagullmcguire
Points +44
Brilliant - Edit
The food here was absolutely incredible! Everything was vegan which was amazing to find. We got 2 pasta dishes and they were both amazing! No complaints about the food whatsoever. The smoothies were also so tasty!
Read moreGuest
BethanyRoeth
Points +472
Know what it is before you come - Edit
After reading all the mixed reviews I had to check out this place! Here’s my take on some of the negative comments: price- yes it’s expensive and it’s overpriced, portion size- to me it seems average, staff- I thought the staff was friendly and very nice. My advice is to go for the experience of trying new things and supporting a vegan restaurant, but don’t go hungry and expecting to eat a huge meal. I ate a banana about 40 min before coming because I was worried about portion sizes being too small, but after eating the egg sandwich and cheese platter I’m pretty full. So don’t come ravenous and expect to pay a bit more to try some nice vegan cheeses. The egg sandwich was ok- I wouldn’t get it again because I make vegan egg salad at home, but I wanted to try the bread, which was great. I’m not gluten free and I couldn’t tell the difference. Now that I know the cheeses are great, I would order either the cheese sandwich or one of the pastas next time. I hope you enjoy :)
Read morePros: Flavorful cheeses, Good bread, Close to the metro
Cons: Expensive
Guest
JRoss
Points +630
Vegan cheese heaven - Edit
As an ex-dairy cheese lover I can safely say that these vegan cheeses would satisfy any cheese lover. We tried the cheese plate, the smoky cheese salad and the quiche. The cheese board is small but very tasty. This is very creative food and focuses on flavour and healthy options.
Read moreGuest
HanakoOkada
Points +35
Amazing! - Edit
Super kind staff, amazing food, great VALUE for money! Uses traditional and authentic Japanese flavours and cooking techniques and combines it with modern western cuisine! Try the soft serve, the sprouted brown rice milk and amazake flavour is an acquired taste but it’s light and delicious!
Read moreI’ve seen lots of reviews saying the portions are small but that’s just the Japanese way of eating “hara hachibun me” means to eat till your 80% full, a common saying in Japan. Maybe it’s one of the reasons they have low obesity rates and long lifespans!
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Gf options, authentic Japanese flavours
Guest
Maddykillua
Points +44
Delicious vegan cheeses but small portions - Edit
We ordered the cheese board, which yes the portions were small, but they were the tastiest vegan cheeses I’ve ever had. The chocolate pancakes were dry and you could taste the rice flavour in the soft serve ice cream making it not as nice as other places I’ve tried (Mumokuteki cafe in Kyoto was tastier but wired bon bon in Tokyo is my favourite for vegan ice cream). Made me wish I had ordered one of the pastas instead to try more cheese. The risotto was tasty but portion was too small for my partner. The cafe itself was lovely with a pleasant atmosphere. If it was cheaper we would have ordered another cheese board.
Read moreGuest
bvanwassenhove
Points +138
Tiny portions, overpriced - Edit
This restaurant has nice housemade vegan cheeses but the servings are tiny. We ordered three courses here ($50 for two people) and left hungry.
Read morePros: Good vegan cheeses, Friendly staff, Nice presentation
Cons: Tiny portions, Expensive, Bland taste
Guest
Rachel4Animals
Points +192
Expensive but for Good Reason - Edit
At first, I looked at the menu and was shocked by the prices. But once I got my egg sandwich and cheese platter and tasted it, I understood the reason for the price. The taste was absolutely divine. I don't normally eat at places like this so maybe my palate has never been treated this well. The Italiana cheese was by far my favourite. The egg sandwich was worth a second trip to come back to eat. I could not believe the bread was gluten-free. It had an amazing fluffy yet crumby consistency. I would only come back for special occasions though. My wallet would not be able to come here regularly.
Read moreEven my omnivore sister thought it was an amazing tasting cheese. She would go back again, especially for the Italiana. She's even thinking of ordering it overseas.
Staff spoke minimal English but did well to understand. English menu provided.
Updated from previous review on 2019-01-02
Pros: Options, 100% Vegan, Gluten-Free
Cons: Expensive
Guest
MadeleineCox
Points +156
Great for GF - Edit
Had the cheeseboard and vegan egg sandwich. The bread was more like a scone, not great, but the filing was excellent. We liked two out of three of the vegan cheeses, one was more a dip. They are stingy on the crackers. It is pricey here, definitely not a cheap eat and you won’t leave full.
Read moreGuest
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