Here, you will find tea rooms that are hundreds of years old. They serve matcha in the same way as they did for the past 400 years.
Kyoto is known as the heart of Japanese matcha. People in the city have been drinking tea since the 1500s. Sen no Rikyū helped create the rules for the tea ceremony in tea rooms that you can still find there. In Kyoto, most tea houses serve matcha in a simple way. It comes in a bowl as usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea), with a sweet called wagashi that fits the season. You sit in a quiet spot made for calm.
Unlike Tokyo, where matcha may be in a parfait glass or a latte cup, Kyoto keeps it classic and simple.
This guide tells you about the tea houses you should visit. It talks about the well-known ones and some that are not easy to find. You will also learn what happens when you go inside these places.
Uji: The Birthplace of Japanese Matcha
Before you get to Kyoto city, you will find Uji. It is a small town about 30 minutes south of Kyoto Station. Matcha started in Japan in this town. The tea fields here still make some of the best leaves in the country. If you love matcha, you should take a half-day trip to this place.
1. Taihoan Tea House
This public tea house is managed by the city of Uji. It is a good way for people new to the tea ceremony to get started. For ¥800, you get a bowl of matcha and a sweet treat that fits the season. A trained tea master makes both for you inside a tatami room that looks out on a small garden. The ceremony is short. It takes around 20 minutes. The staff tell you what is going on during each step in easy Japanese, and they have English pamphlets you can use.
Best for: People who want to try a tea ceremony for the first time
Order: The standard matcha set (it’s the only one you can get)
Instagram factor: 6/10 — the garden is very nice to look at, but you should not take photos during the ceremony
Tip: Get there before 11am on weekends, because by lunchtime there will be many people from inside the country
2. Nakamura Tokichi Honten
The main store of a tea seller who has been in business since 1854 is the key shop. The big shop is on the main street in Uji. It has a restaurant, a tea counter, and a window for takeaway orders. In the restaurant, they give you matcha soba, matcha parfaits, and tea sets that change with the season. But most people come for the matcha itself because it comes from their own fields and is made in the store.
Best for: A full meal with matcha and top-quality tea to buy
Order: Try the seasonal matcha set. It comes with usucha, koicha, and a sweet.
Instagram factor: 8 out of 10. The entrance with bamboo and the garden seats look great in photos.
Tip: Add your name to the wait list, then walk over to Byodo-in Temple. It’s only five minutes from there.
3. Fukujuen Uji
A tea experience center that is run by one of Kyoto's biggest tea companies. Fukujuen does not feel like the old tea houses. Here, you can join in real workshops. You can grind your own matcha with a stone mill, then whisk it and drink it. It is fun, you learn a lot, and you can see how matcha is made in your own way.
Best for: A hands-on matcha grinding workshop
Order: Try the stone-grinding experience (you need to reserve ahead)
Instagram factor: 7/10 — you get to grind your own matcha, which looks good in photos
Tip: The workshop is 45 minutes. If you book the 10am slot, there will be fewer people, so it is quieter
Higashiyama: Tea Houses in the Historic District
Kyoto’s eastern hills have many old temples, stone streets, and tea houses. People have been drinking matcha there for a very long time. It is the best place to feel the special mood of the city.
4. Ippodo Tea Kyoto Main Store
Ippodo has been selling tea in Kyoto since the year 1717. Their main store is on Teramachi Street. This place is both a shop and a tea room. The tea room has seats for about 15 people. Here, staff prepare matcha for you. They know their tea very well. You can order usucha or koicha. The staff will help you understand the taste of each one.
Best for: A deep matcha taste with an expert to guide you
Order: The koicha set. That is hard to find because koicha is not served much outside special events
Instagram factor: 5/10. The tea room is small and plain. Photos are allowed, but do not use flash
Tip: You should get your matcha tins here. Ippodo has nice packaging, and the staff seals each tin tight for your trip
5. Kodaiji Temple Tea House
Inside the Kodaiji Temple, this tea house sits by a garden with raked gravel and bamboo. The matcha set has a bowl of usucha and a small sweet. The view here is really something special. You sit on a wooden veranda, not tatami mats, so it's better for people who find floor seating hard.
Best for: Seeing temple gardens while you enjoy your matcha
Order: Try the matcha and sweet set (¥1,000. It also gets you into the temple)
Instagram factor: 9/10 — the garden and bamboo look amazing
Tip: Go at 9am or 3pm if you want to miss the big tour groups
6. Gion Tsujiri Main Store
The Gion spot of the Tsujiri brand is from the same group that runs the Harajuku parfait shop in the Tokyo guide. The first floor sells tea. The second floor is a tea room where you can sit down. The matcha comes from Uji. Parfaits are the big thing here, but you can also get a real usucha set in the tea room if you ask.
Best for: A mix of old and new matcha
Order: Try the Tsujiri parfait for dessert. Start with a bowl of usucha.
Instagram factor: 8/10 — the parfaits look good for photos. The tea room is more quiet.
Tip: The Gion spot has a lot of tourists. For a more calm feel, go to the Uji main store.
Arashiyama: Matcha with a River View
Kyoto's west side is well known for the bamboo grove. There are also tea houses here that are good enough to make you want to visit on their own.
7. Okochi Sanso Tea House
Okochi Sanso is a place that used to be the home of a Japanese film actor. It sits on a hill above the Arashiyama bamboo grove. To get in, you pay ¥1,000. This price covers a bowl of matcha tea and a sweet treat that you can have in a tea room. From there, you can look at the garden and see the hills in the distance. The garden is very well made. It has winding paths, stone lights, and spots where you can look out over the land. It feels far away from all the people below.
Best for: A calm matcha time in the middle of a garden
Order: The matcha set comes with your ticket
Instagram factor: 10/10 — the garden, tea room, and views all look great
Tip: The villa sits up a hill. You will find lots of steps. Wear shoes that feel good, and give yourself 90 minutes to see the garden well
8. Rilakkuma Sabo
A themed tea house sits close to the Arashiyama station. This place is not like the old type of tea houses. Rilakkuma Sabo gives you matcha lattes with bear shapes in the foam. You can try matcha parfaits that show the Rilakkuma design, and matcha soft serve comes in cups that you can take home. The atmosphere is light and fun. Many people like to visit, and it feels easygoing. If you spent your morning in more serious tea rooms, this is a nice place to relax and enjoy something different.
Best for: Fun matcha desserts and souvenirs
Order: The matcha latte with Rilakkuma art
Instagram factor: 10/10 — made for photos
Tip: There might be a line. Put your name down and check out the Arashiyama shops while you wait
Northern Kyoto: Hidden Tea Rooms
Away from where the tourists go, northern Kyoto has some of the city's best tea experiences. These feel real and true.
9. Hiranoya
Hiranoya is a small tea house run by a family. It is near Daitoku-ji Temple and has been open for three generations. You get matcha in a tatami room with a view of a moss garden. The owner's wife makes wagashi by hand, and the matcha comes from one farm in Uji. They do not have an English menu, a website, or a social media account. It is just very good tea in a spot that feels like home.
Best for: A small, not-for-business tea time
Order: The matcha set (the only choice)
Instagram factor: 4/10 — you can take photos, but the place is small and calm; so be careful
Tip: You need cash. The owner does not speak much English; just point and smile and you will be fine
10. Sarasa Nishijin
This place used to be a sento, or public bathhouse, but now it's a café in the Nishijin textile area. The matcha here is not for special events. It is a laid-back café feel. Still, the spot is something you will not forget. The tile walls, high ceilings, and things from the bathhouse are still there. You can order a matcha latte and sit where women used to bathe.
Best for: A one of a kind, calm matcha break
Order: Matcha latte and a slice of matcha pound cake
Instagram factor: 9/10 — the bathhouse inside is different from other places
Tip: You can go with a trip to the Nishijin Textile Center to see them make kimono
What to Expect in a Traditional Tea House
The entrance. Many old tea houses have a short door called nijiriguchi. You have to bend down as you go in. This shows you feel humble. Most places where people come for tea have regular doors, but you still should enter with respect.
The seating is simple. You will sit on tatami mats. You can sit right on the mat, or use a cushion called a zabuton. If you find it hard to sit on the floor, some tea houses have chairs. You can ask about this when you get there.
The sweet comes first. Eat the wagashi before you drink the matcha. The sweet taste helps balance out the strong taste of the tea and gets you ready for the next part.
The bowl. When the matcha comes, pick up the bowl with both hands. Turn the bowl to the right. Make sure that the front part of the bowl faces away from you. This shows good manners to others. Take small sips to drink it, not all at once. When you finish, turn the bowl back so the front side is facing you. Put the bowl down in a soft way.
Photography. Be sure to ask before you take photos. Most old-style tea rooms will let you take pictures of the place and the tea bowl, but they do not like people taking photos of other guests or the person making tea. Flash is almost never allowed.
Conversation. Traditional tea houses are calm places. In these tea houses, you need to talk in a soft voice. Please do not make phone calls or video calls at all.
Kyoto Tea House Etiquette Cheat Sheet
Arrive on time. Tea houses care about being on time. If you get there late, you might not get in.
Remove your shoes at the entrance if you see a step up to tatami.
Don't wear strong perfume — it gets in the way of the smell of the matcha.
Eat the sweet first, then drink the matcha.
Turn the bowl before you drink (make sure the front design is not facing you).
Finish the matcha — leaving some in the bowl is seen as wasteful.
Don't mix the matcha with the whisk after someone has made it. Drink it as it is.
Thank the host with a small bow when you leave.
One-Day Kyoto Matcha Route
Morning (9am): Take the train to Uji. Start your day at Taihoan Tea House. Try the tea ceremony.
Late morning (11am): Walk to Nakamura Tokichi Honten. Enjoy a matcha set and do some shopping.
Midday (12:30pm): Get on the train and go back to Kyoto. Head to Higashiyama.
Afternoon (1:30pm): Visit Kodaiji Temple. Drink matcha and look at the garden view.
Late afternoon (3pm): Walk to Ippodo Tea. Taste koicha and shop for tea.
Evening (5pm): Go to Gion Tsujiri. Have a matcha parfait to finish your day.
Kyoto vs. Tokyo: The Matcha Difference
Aspect | Tokyo | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
Vibe | Modern, experimental, fast | Traditional, ceremonial, slow |
Matcha style | Lattes, parfaits, fusions | Usucha, koicha, straight |
Setting | Cafés, concept stores | Tatami rooms, temple gardens |
Price range | ¥600–¥2,500 | ¥800–¥3,000 |
Best for | Variety, creativity, content | Depth, tradition, experience |
Photography | Generally welcome | Ask first; often restricted |
Kyoto's tea houses are more than spots to have matcha. They help you feel what matcha is all about. In this city, you learn that matcha is not a drink to finish quickly. It is something you sit with and enjoy. Take your time. Follow the rules. Let the tea rooms slow you down like they have done for many years.
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