Families · Kyoto

Family-Friendly Restaurants in Kyoto: 5 Picks for Traveling With Kids

Updated 2026.10.24 Reviewed by the Japan Eat Guide editorial team

Many people picture Kyoto dining as quiet ryotei or small counters that feel hard to enter with children. But Kyoto has plenty of places families can walk into easily. This guide covers five Kyoto restaurants that work well for families: Ippudo at Shijo Karasuma, Katsukura in Sanjo, Omen at Ginkakuji, Nishiki Warai near Nishiki Market and Gyu-Kaku at Shijo Kawaramachi. The dishes, ramen, tonkatsu, udon, okonomiyaki and yakiniku, are easy for kids to eat.

How to choose a restaurant with kids

Whether a place suits families usually comes down to practical things: table seating, simple ordering, and a room that tolerates some noise. Central Kyoto has chains and restaurants with plenty of table seating that do well on these points. Places where dishes arrive as a set, or where food is shared at the table, make it easy to adjust portions for children.

High chairs and kids’ menus are not available everywhere, so ask the staff when you arrive if you need them.

Shijo Karasuma: Ippudo Shijo Karasuma

Ippudo Shijo Karasuma

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BUDGET: Under ¥1,000
AREA: Kawaramachi
HOURS: 11:00-22:00 daily; last order 30 min before close.

Ippudo is the internationally known Hakata tonkotsu ramen chain, with shops in Japan, Asia, the US and Europe. This branch is at the Shijo-Karasuma intersection, right by Shijo Station on the subway and Karasuma Station on the Hankyu line, easy to find in central Kyoto and handy for lunch. It accepts credit cards and IC cards, is open 11:00 AM-10:00 PM daily (last order 30 minutes before closing), and needs no reservation. Ramen is simple to order and comes out quickly, so kids do not have to wait long.

Sanjo: Katsukura Sanjo Honten

Katsukura Sanjo Honten

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BUDGET: ¥1,000–3,000
AREA: Kawaramachi

Katsukura is a Kyoto-founded tonkatsu chain, and this is its main store. Most set meals bundle the cutlet with rice, miso soup, cabbage and pickles, so a complete meal arrives without ordering dish by dish. Table seating suits groups, and set meals make it easy to order smaller portions for children; freshly fried tonkatsu is one of the easier dishes for kids. It is on Teramachi-dori near Sanjo, within walking distance of Sanjo Keihan Station. Katsukura has several branches in Kyoto, including one inside Kyoto Station, and some offer English menus. Its hours were not confirmed by this site, so check before you go.

Ginkakuji: Omen Ginkakuji Honten

Omen is an udon shop born near Ginkakuji, and this is its main branch. Its namesake dish is thick udon dipped in a warm, sesame-accented broth, with seasonal vegetables served on a separate plate for you to add yourself. Because vegetables and broth are shared at the table, it suits families and groups. It is right by the Ginkakuji bus stop and the municipal parking lot, easy to combine with Ginkakuji and the Philosopher’s Path. Ginkakuji has no railway station, so the city bus is the easiest way there.

Omen Ginkakuji Honten

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BUDGET: ¥1,000–3,000
AREA: Ginkakuji

Omen is said to have been founded near Ginkakuji in 1967 and is reported to have a shop in Pontocho near Gion-Shijo Station, so you may be able to try the same dish in central Kyoto on a day you skip Ginkakuji. Add the vegetables to the broth a little at a time and dip the udon as you go; it is easy to portion vegetables for children.

Near Nishiki Market: Nishiki Warai

Nishiki Warai

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BUDGET: ¥1,000–3,000
AREA: Kawaramachi

Nishiki Warai is a Kyoto-founded okonomiyaki restaurant a short walk from Nishiki Market, known for a fluffy, omu-soba-style take rather than the denser Osaka style. Okonomiyaki is cooked on a griddle built into your table, and watching it come together is fun for kids. Review platforms describe it as relaxed for families with children, with reservations recommended for groups of four or more. Its hours were not confirmed by this site.

Shijo Kawaramachi: Gyu-Kaku Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

Gyu-Kaku Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

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BUDGET: ¥1,000–3,000
AREA: Kawaramachi
HOURS: Mon–Fri: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM; Sat–Sun: 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM

Gyu-Kaku is Japan’s largest yakiniku chain, and this branch is on the 2nd floor of a building in the Shijo-Kawaramachi shopping district, so families staying near Kawaramachi or Gion can have yakiniku without traveling far. You grill meat on a roaster at your table and can choose an all-you-can-eat course. It is open 4:00 PM-12:00 AM on weekdays and 11:30 AM-12:00 AM on weekends, and accepts credit cards and cashless payment. The grill gets hot, so it is best for an adult to do the grilling.

Combining with sightseeing

The five are split between central and eastern Kyoto. Shijo Karasuma, Kawaramachi, Nishiki Market and Sanjo are all within walking distance of each other, so on a shopping and strolling day choose from Ippudo, Katsukura, Nishiki Warai and Gyu-Kaku. On a Ginkakuji and Philosopher’s Path day, lunch at Omen keeps travel to a minimum. With small children, sightseeing moves can take longer than expected, so decide on a restaurant near your destination in advance.

Which one to choose

For a quick bowl of ramen, choose Ippudo; for a calm set meal with rice and soup, Katsukura; for a very Kyoto udon meal shared as a family, Omen; for okonomiyaki cooked in front of you, Nishiki Warai; and for meat lovers, Gyu-Kaku. For dinner, Ippudo (until 10:00 PM) and Gyu-Kaku (until midnight), whose hours are confirmed, are the easiest.

Budget and payment

Ippudo is in this site’s budget range of up to about 1,000 yen per person; Katsukura, Omen, Nishiki Warai and Gyu-Kaku are about 1,000 to 3,000 yen. Ippudo and Gyu-Kaku accept cards and cashless payment. Payment methods at the others were not confirmed by this site, so carry some cash.

Before you go

High chairs and kids’ menus vary by shop. If you need them, ask the staff when you arrive.
Popular places get busy on weekends and at mealtimes. Going a little off-peak makes it easier to get in.
If anyone has food allergies, always check with the shop before ordering.

For the basics of eating out with kids, see our guide to dining out with kids in Japan. For Tokyo and Osaka, see family-friendly restaurants in Tokyo and family-friendly restaurants in Osaka.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kyoto hard to eat out in with kids?

Not necessarily. Central Kyoto has chains and restaurants with table seating, such as Ippudo, Katsukura, Nishiki Warai and Gyu-Kaku.

Which restaurant is good near Ginkakuji?

Omen Ginkakuji Honten, next to the Ginkakuji bus stop, serves dipping udon with vegetables shared at the table.

Which is open in the evening?

Ippudo is open until 10:00 PM and Gyu-Kaku until midnight. Hours at Katsukura and Nishiki Warai were not confirmed by this site.

Do I need a reservation?

Ippudo needs no reservation. At Nishiki Warai, reservations are recommended for groups of four or more, according to review platforms.

Quick Answer

In central Kyoto, Ippudo serves quick ramen at Shijo-Karasuma, Katsukura offers tonkatsu set meals, Nishiki Warai cooks okonomiyaki at your table and Gyu-Kaku grills yakiniku until midnight. Near Ginkakuji, Omen's dipping udon is shared at the table.