Sarasa Nishijin

Located in Nishijin area, famous for its Nishijin-ori (Nishjin Fabric) industry in Northern Kyoto is this charming café called ‘Sarasa Nishijin’. It’s the second one to open and one of six other Sarasa shops (we featured Clamp coffee Sarasa before) located throughout Kyoto and is also the most popular one.

Sarasa Nishijin is quite special since it’s located inside a renovated public sento (bathhouse). The seating area is divided in three sections.

The cafe has a lunch, a dinner and a sweets menu with plenty of choices for food and drinks. For lunch there is a karaage (fried chicken) plate, Turkish rice, curry lunch and more. For dinner they serve: Napolitan, taco meat rice, mentaiko cream pasta, omuraisu (omelette over rice) and sometimes they also have a vegan/vegetarian dishes. Depending on the day, for sweets they have cheesecake, parfait, apple walnut cakes and many other delicious goodies.

The café is located on a 20 minute walk from the nearest Karasuma Line’s Kuramaguchi station so for people who have walking difficulties its recommended to take the bus. We recommend making a reservation or arrive way before opening time since the café is extremely popular and often has a long waiting lines.

Sarasa Nishijin is a little out of the way but it’s interesting interior and exterior alone are reasons enough to visit. The staff is friendly and they serve delicious food.

Read more about about it here:

Sarasa Nishijin

Sarasa Nishijin

Located in Nishijin area, famous for its Nishijin-ori (Nishjin Fabric) industry in Northern Kyoto is this charming café called ‘Sarasa Nishijin’. It’s the second one to open and one of six other Sarasa shops (we featured Clamp coffee Sarasa before) located throughout Kyoto and is also the most popular one.

Sarasa Nishijin is quite special since it’s located inside a renovated public sento (bathhouse) and opened its doors in 2000. The building was constructed in 1930 as a bathhouse until it closed its doors in 1999.

During the renovation most of the woodwork, tiling and layout of the bathhouse was left untouched. The wall that separates male and female baths was only partially torn down to connect the two and make a seating area.

The seating area is divided in three sections. One is next to the entrance on the right with three tables. This area consists mostly of wood and has a beautiful wood coffered ceiling.

Then there are the two sections in the back of the café on a raised floor which used to be the baths. The walls of the former baths are covered with beautiful Majolica tiles imported from the UK and gives the room the kind of atmosphere that one would find in Ghibli’s Spirited Away.

Above that ‘bath’ seating area is a large skylight that lights up the entire room and gives it a charming and comfortable atmosphere.

Sarasa Nishijin has a lunch, a dinner and a sweets menu with plenty of choices for food and drinks. For lunch there is a karaage (fried chicken) plate, Turkish rice, curry lunch and more. For dinner they serve: Napolitan, taco meat rice, mentaiko cream pasta, omuraisu (omelette over rice) and sometimes they also have a vegan/vegetarian dishes. Depending on the day, for sweets they have cheesecake, parfait, apple walnut cakes and many other delicious goodies.

The café is located on a 20 minute walk from the nearest Karasuma Line’s Kuramaguchi station so for people who have walking difficulties its recommended to take the bus #(1, 12, 204, 205 or 206) and get off at busstop ‘Daitokuji mae’ from where it’s only a 5 minute walk. We recommend making a reservation or arrive way before opening time since the café is extremely popular and often has a long waiting lines.

Sarasa Nishijin is a little out of the way but it’s interesting interior and exterior alone are reasons enough to visit. The staff is friendly and they serve delicious food. Visiting Sarasa Nishijin in combination with a visit to Kinkakuji which is on a 20 minute walk to the West would make for a fun outing.

Hours: 11:30 AM ~ 17:30 PM

Closed*: Wednesday

Nearest Stations & Exit:

Busstop Daitokuji mae bus #(1, 12, 204, 205 or 206) See map below

*We always recommend checking the opening hours & holidays on the official website or instagram of the establishment.

Hours: 11:30 AM ~ 17:30 PM

Closed*: Wednesday

Nearest Stations & Exit:

Busstop Daitokuji mae bus #(1, 12, 204, 205 or 206) See map below

*We always recommend checking the opening hours & holidays on the official website or instagram of the establishment.

Date | Dinner | Ideal For Groups | Ideal For Outing | Lunch | Spacious | Staffpick | Sweets | Vegeterian/Vegan | Japanese Style

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