10 Kyoto Sweets and Tea Experiences: Matcha, Kinako, and More

Kyoto has long been known as one of Japan’s leading tea-producing regions. Among its most famous varieties, Uji tea is recognized as one of Japan’s three major teas, alongside Shizuoka tea and Sayama tea. Matcha, a finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves, is one of the most iconic ways to enjoy Japanese tea.

This rich tea culture has shaped Kyoto’s food scene, from traditional sweets and tea ceremonies to modern desserts and creative dishes. While matcha remains one of Kyoto’s most iconic flavors, visitors can also discover other local tastes, such as kinako, mochi, and seasonal wagashi-style sweets. From long-established tea shops to stylish cafés and specialty stores, these spots offer different ways to experience Kyoto’s unique approach to sweets and tea.

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Geijutsu Kissa Itoyufu

Located near Kyoto Station, Geijutsu Kissa Itoyufu is a quiet gallery café set inside a traditional machiya townhouse. The café offers a modern Kyoto experience, combining matcha sweets, craft, and art in a carefully designed space. Try the Uji Matcha Tiramisu or Matcha Latte while enjoying the atmosphere created by original machiya features, including earthen walls and rotating art exhibitions.

Kyomachiya Izumo Hananoka

Step into Kyomachiya Izumo Hananoka, a café set inside a 120-year-old machiya townhouse on a quiet lane about a 12-minute walk from Kyoto Station. Traditional features such as decorative transoms and yukimi windows, combined with vintage furnishings, create a nostalgic Taisho-era atmosphere. The highlight is Hanane Chakai, a colorful Japanese-style afternoon tea featuring matcha desserts and seasonal sweets. The café also offers Kyoto-style obanzai dishes and Wagyu-based dinner courses for those looking for a longer dining experience.

fawn.

Located near Kyoto Imperial Palace, fawn. is a café serving modern desserts made with Uji matcha. Its signature sweets include matcha pudding affogato and matcha Basque cheesecake, offering the deep flavor of Uji matcha with smooth, creamy textures. The café also serves specialty coffee roasted at its sister shop and light meals featuring Kyoto vegetables. takeout available, it is an easy stop before or after exploring the palace area.

Kyoto Gion mochico

Located a short walk from Gion-shijo Station, Kyoto Gion mochico is a mochi sweets shop known for Mochure, its signature cup dessert. Served in layers, it features soft mochi topped with homemade custard, then caramelized to order in front of guests for a warm aroma and crisp caramelized topping. The shop also offers Zakumochi, a popular takeout sweet combining soft mochi with flavorful fillings and crunchy toppings such as sesame, pistachio, and matcha. With its convenient location in Gion, it makes an easy stop while exploring one of Kyoto’s most famous districts.

Saryo Tsujiri Gion Main Store

Enjoy the Tokusen Tsujiri Parfait - Matcha, the shop’s signature matcha parfait layered with matcha ice cream, matcha whipped cream, and other matcha-flavored sweets. This rich dessert lets you enjoy the depth and variety of matcha flavor in one parfait. Located on the second and third floors of Gion Tsujiri’s main store, a Kyoto tea shop established in 1948, Saryo Tsujiri Gion Main Store has been serving tea-based desserts since opening in 1978. The salon also offers seasonal sweets and drinks featuring matcha, genmaicha, and hojicha.

SÖT COFFEE ROASTER Kyoto Shichijo

Step into SÖT COFFEE ROASTER Kyoto Shichijo, a specialty coffee shop set inside a renovated 100-year-old machiya on Shomen-dori, near Toyokuni Shrine. Along with carefully sourced coffee, the café serves a Kyoto Shichijo exclusive: Uji matcha Basque cheesecake. Made with matcha from Uji, one of Kyoto’s best-known tea areas, the rich cheesecake pairs well with the shop’s light-roast coffee. Wooden interiors and a quiet tatami area create a calm place to enjoy sweets and coffee near Shichijo Station.

Kisshokaryo Gion Main Store

Try the roasted kinako parfait at Kisshokaryo Gion Main Store, a sweets shop near Higashiyama Station set inside a renovated machiya townhouse more than 90 years old. Founded in 1934, the shop specializes in kinako, roasted soybean flour made from Japanese soybeans and prepared in-house for a deep, nutty aroma. Its signature parfait layers fragrant kinako with ice cream, soy milk blancmange, hojicha jelly, and crunchy toppings, creating a variety of textures and flavors. Offering a different side of Kyoto sweets beyond matcha, the shop also serves house-made warabi mochi and seasonal desserts.

Gion Chaya Tabanenoshi Shinkyogoku Branch

Along Shinkyogoku Shopping Street, Gion Chaya Tabanenoshi serves Japanese-style crepes made with carefully selected Kakegawa matcha from Shizuoka. The crepes use batter blended with matcha and are paired with smooth custard cream, bringing out the rich aroma of the tea. Matcha lattes and matcha soft serve are also available, making it an easy stop while exploring Shinkyogoku Shopping Street. Try the Kakegawa Matcha Brûlée or Kakegawa Matcha Tiramisu, topped with gold leaf for an elegant finish.

Takada Tsuusenen

Venture to Ujitawara Town, known as the birthplace of Japanese green tea, and visit Takada Tsuusenen, a tea wholesaler founded in 1926. The shop sells a variety of teas, including Uji tea and hojicha, along with tea-related sweets and other products. Visitors can also enjoy the shop’s rich tea soft serve ice cream, known for its deep tea flavor and gentle bitterness. Depending on the season, a limited-time shincha (first-flush tea) soft serve may also be available alongside the regular matcha version. It makes a worthwhile stop for tea shopping or a short break while exploring Kyoto Prefecture beyond Kyoto City.

Tsubameya

Order a soba set at Tsubameya, a 3-minute walk from Keihan Uji Station, to compare different types of soba, including Uji matcha soba. Made mainly with buckwheat flour from Kyoto Prefecture and nearby Shiga, the soba is paired with seasonal vegetable tempura from the local Yamashiro area. Set inside a renovated old house with a warm wooden interior, it makes a comfortable meal stop during a visit to Uji.

Discover Kyoto Through Tea and Sweets

From matcha parfaits and seasonal treats to kinako sweets, mochi, and tea-inspired dishes, Kyoto offers many ways to experience its long tea culture. Whether you visit a historic tea shop, a traditional sweets store, or a modern café, each place shows a different side of Kyoto’s flavors and craftsmanship. Take your time exploring and find your own favorite taste of Kyoto.