Where to Eat in Kyoto and Osaka: The Ultimate Food Itinerary

Two great food cities in Japan and must-visits. Take the bullet train from Tokyo to either and you're in a completely different land.

Kyoto and Osaka bring completely different energy than Tokyo when it comes to food. Kyoto is refined and historic, while Osaka is bold and full of street food legends. If Tokyo is about precision then Kyoto is about tradition and Osaka is all about flavor-packed, no-rules deliciousness. Plus, we’ve included a little bit of info about a special luxury Ryokan Resort we stayed at in Hakone. Here’s where you need to eat.

Our Favorite Bites in Kyoto & Osaka

Watch our video HERE!

Kyoto:

• Katsukura – The best katsu in Kyoto, comes with rice, shredded cabbage, and grind-your-own sesame seed sauce

• Ramen Sen-No-Kaze – Rich, creamy tonkotsu ramen

• Nishiki Market – Endless snacks, but don’t skip strawberry daifuku, wagyu yakitori, crème brûlée sweet potato, and mini octopus.

Osaka:

• Dotonbori Street Food Crawl – See all the giant food displays above all the restaurants, find yourself a takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, and melon pan ice cream

• Wagyu Idaten (MUST-VISIT) – Go for the insane wagyu rice bowls, get the half & half or the cooked wagyu don.

• Famous Cheese Coin & Egg Tart – These two spots are right next to each other so just might as well get both

Famous Cheese Coin in Osaka