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176-1 Minoyachō, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8015, Japan
contacts phone: +81 75-341-0115
website: kawa-cafe.com
larger map & directionsLatitude: 34.9996141, Longitude: 135.769014
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::Service and atmosphere: The French gentleman who hosted us in the front bar was very short with his words and came off as annoyed and rude. He told us it was 500 yen per person to sit on the terrace. We were okay with that and proceeded to head to the terrace to check in and be seated. We were looking forward to enjoying the terrace we saw from below on the river. The service staff who sat us on the terrace told us it was 200 yen per person. The confusion between the front of house and terrace staff made me think we might have been getting scammed/tourist trapped. But we went in anyway without any questions. We were looking forward to the view. The final charge was 500 yen per person plus our drinks. The staff member was kind and patient with us as we dug for our change and bills to pay. Like most places in Japan, this place is also CASH ONLY. Please be aware of this. There is NO easily seen signage stating so. There are a lot of resources out there for information on local customs and preferences. You can find them on them on Kyoto’s very own travel website. https://kyoto.travel/en/info/enjoy-respect-kyoto/l0fe8b0000000zwk-img/tripgraphic01.jpg We got sat right against the rail and the view was decent. There was a lot of construction going on across the river. But if you ignore the construction it looks pretty decent. I’d imagine it would look great without the construction. If you adjust your view southeast, you can ignore the construction cranes and get a cute view of some quiet, lit up streets. Beware of bugs. There will be a lot when the sun goes down if you sit on the terrace as you should expect. I would wear long sleeve garments for self protection. Food and Drinks: The white wine was not very good. It was extremely alcohol forward. The chamomile tea was pretty standard. We were looking forward to eating here. But, we opted out of eating dinner here after the very poor first impressions. Summary: I would not return or recommend this location to my friends due to the owner’s attitude and entitlement. Edit: The owner replied to this review saying we spat in the river, that we are Chinese tourists, and a whole plethora of other imagined scenarios/descriptions. I don’t know where he got any of that from. I would love to see the CCTV footage of these claims because I can assure you that was not us since we are not Chinese. My wife is a white Canadian/American and I am an Asian American without any Chinese ancestors. The staff member who sat us was kind. We had no ill words for him and only thanked him for his kindness. Okini! Sir, if you read this I sincerely hope you seek out therapy to help manage your rage, megalomania, and narcissism. I wish you peace and tranquility for you and your family. The world isn’t out to destroy you and the culture you have adopted. I hope your interpretation of my review was a case of something lost in translation. If you were to apologize I would be more than happy to return and give your cafe another chance because forgiveness and growth is cool. I’m sure we could learn a lot from each other. I’m attaching his response to this so it can live forever on the internet.
Eric Meulien
::Small cafe outside and inside bar with a great selection of Japanese craft beers. Cosy and warm place.
Mauri R
::Cosy place, and a lively atmosphere. The staff were friendly, and Kawa and this friends were welcoming as well. I ate the quiche Lorraine, it tasted authentic and was perfect as a snack! I also ate a slice of apple cake (added a photo). Definitely recommend if you want to meet up with a loved one and want to have a bite!
Liz Gwynn
::We absolutely loved our experience! We both had the ramen and the apple tart which came in a set and it was not only delicious but was extremely affordable. The red wine was to die for and we had wonderful customer service from Aiko (you couldn’t meet a sweeter person). Highly recommend!
Cody Lum
::A very comfy cafe right off the Kamogawa River. Food: the food is quite good. The pizza is some of my favorite pizza I've gotten in Kyoto. I'm not a big fan of the pizza I've gotten in Japan, but this one is very tasty. The owner (who I think is french) might have something to do with that. I've had the sandwich and the pasta before and while both are good, I prefer the pizza. The food comes in sets, and they don't allow sharing, so keep that in mind. Each set is around ¥1600 which isn't a bad price for an entree, a drink, and a desert. The desert rotates, but some of the most common ones are an apple tart and vanilla ice cream, both of which were tasty. Service: the service is very good. The lady at the front is incredibly sweet and attentive. The place gets a bad rap because of the owner, but he's a nice man. He has a European bluntness that is not common in Japan, nor is it generally liked. I have had several interactions with him, and he has always been nice to me. They also have rules (like buying a set / no sharing / cash only) that are more or less enforced, which is why people get upset. It's really not that big of a deal. Don't let that dissuade you from coming to this very good restaurant. Atmosphere: the view is amazing and is it's main feature. The cafe looks right out onto the river for a stunning view of Kyoto that is good anytime of the year. The road across the river is bustling, but not too busy. Cyclists and pedestrians casually stroll along the river. Cranes fly by and land in the brush. It truly is a beautiful scene. During the summer (or whenever the weather is nice), the terrace is opened and you can sit outside and enjoy the river. It's one of my favorite cafes in Kyoto for this. There's also two stories, so there's usually always seating available even at it's busiest (although the terrace might fill up during the summer). They also have a cafe cat (Kawa-chan, no doubt the cafe's namesake) that wanders around and is incredibly cute and friendly. The other day he sat down in my bag basket underneath my seat and it was adorable. Do note that this isn't exactly a typical cafe. You can't just order coffee and work on your laptop or something, so in that way it's more like a restaurant. Keep that in mind. Final thoughts: this truly is a gem of Kyoto. A wonderful restaurant with a stunning view of the Kama-gawa river. You would be remiss not to give this cozy cafe a try!