Kawadoko: Riverside Terrace Dining in Kyoto

Jun 14, 2013

Kawadoko: Riverside Terrace Dining in Kyoto

It’s summer — time for trips!

If you’ll be visiting Kyoto this summer, one highly-recommended activity is kawadoko, or river dining. In Japan, eating outside in the summer is popular because finding ways to cool off becomes of paramount importance as the humidity increases.

What is Kawadoko?

The official name for kawadoko is Noryo-yuka. It consists of a dining deck built above or next to the Kamo River. The tradition dates back to the Edo period and exists in alongside rivers outside Kyoto as well. For instance, another famous place to try kawadoko is in Minoh Quasi-National Park, where visitors can enjoy refreshing breezes while taking in the surrounding nature.
Customers can dine at a number of excellent restaurants in Kyoto.

Pontocho Hyakuren

Down a small alley, you’ll find Pontocho Hyakuren, an izakaya run by a pickle shop. It has all the typical food you’d expect to find at an izakaya, including many traditional dishes from Kyoto. Seating on the north side of the restaurant is the most popular because it’s raised up from the river, giving you great views of the water.

Where: Emerald Hall, 133-1 Hashimotocho 1F, Pontocho, Nakagyo Ward (map)

Open Hours: 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day

Fumiya

A kaiseki restaurant, the signature dishes at Fumiya feature pike conger. There are also lunch set meals available to order until 1:30 p.m. The setting is stunning whether you come while there is still daylight or after dusk has fallen. You can choose to sit outside on tatami mats or indoors at the bar counter, either of which offers views of the river.

Where: South of Pontocho Kaburenjo, Nakagyo Ward (map)

Open Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday

Kyomachi

At Kyomachi, you can choose from a limited number of traditional dishes. As an obanzai restaurant, all the ingredients used in the dishes are in season and at least half must be produced or processed in Kyoto. The cuisine is simple, made from vegetables and seafood that may otherwise be discarded. Although this may not sound especially appetizing, Kyomachi is renowned for offering some of the most delicious meals you’ll find on the Kamo River.

Where: 156 Umenokicho, Nakagyo Ward (map)
Open Hours: 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday

Mimasuya Italiano Pontocho

It’s not just Japanese food you’ll find in the riverside restaurants — at Mimasuya Italiano Pontocho, you can eat pizza, pasta, risotto, and other Italian cuisine, including seafood, meat, and vegetables. The restaurant also offers the perfect spot to see the river as well as the mountains beyond.

Where: 140-2 Pontocho Sanjo Sagaru Wakamatsucho, Nakagyo Ward (map)

Open Hours: 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day

Atlantis

If you’re looking to have a drink rather than a meal, try Atlantis. In addition to the bar indoors (where there’s comfortable couch seating with views of the river), there’s a bar right on the riverbed with bar stools and table seating. You’ll be able to choose from around 400 kinds of liquor, mostly single-malt Japanese whiskey.

Where: 161 Matsumotocho, Nakagyo Ward (map)

Open Hours: 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m every day

If you’ll be in Kyoto over the summer, make sure at least one of your meals out (or even just a drink) is on a riverside terrace.

MShades from Kyoto, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons