Kaikado Cafe

Founded in 1875, Kaikado Café is operated in Kawaramachi Shichijo by Kaikado, a handmade tea caddy shop that is believed to be the oldest in Japan. Although it is not clear why a tea caddy shop would operate a café serving coffee and cakes, this place is widely recognized as Kyoto’s pride and joy as an upscale café, attracting many tourists from home and abroad every day.

What kind of luxurious café time can be had at such a Kaikado Cafe? I decided to visit the café one afternoon and try it out for myself. When I heard that it was a high-class café, I had an image of a place like a lounge in a high-class hotel until I entered the store, but my impression changed completely once I actually entered the store…

A stately building with a surprisingly casual atmosphere inside…Kaikado Cafe is a place like this!

Kaikado Cafe opened in 2016 after renovating a former Kyoto tram office and garage built in 1927. The building, which has remained from the prewar period, shows its age and creates a stately atmosphere that makes it hard to tell at a glance that it is a café. I passed by the cafe without even noticing it, even though I passed right in front of it myself…so it might be a good idea to have a map or other information on your phone when you go to the cafe for the first time.

But once inside it, the atmosphere changes drastically. While some of the interior remains as it was in the past, it has a clean look with a lot of light-colored wood. On top of that, the restaurant has a large window on the west side, so the western sun shines brilliantly on the interior. According to the restaurant’s Tabelog information, there are 31 seats in total. There are also several terrace seats in the courtyard, so you can enjoy a refreshing café time outdoors on a sunny day. I think it’s totally fine for a loner like me, or even with a small child.

How was the Kaikado Cheesecake, a popular menu item at Kaikado Cafe, made in the image of a tea canister, when I tried it?

This time I ordered Kaikado Cheesecake, a popular menu item at Kaikado Cafe. I ordered it with a set of iced coffee, and the price was 1950 yen including tax…

The Kaikado cheesecake and iced coffee that was brought in front of me looked like this. I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but this cheesecake is quite small. An adult male would be able to eat it in one bite if he tried hard enough. On the other hand, a cup of iced coffee with water also costs 1,150 yen, so there is no doubt that this is a high-end cafe in terms of price.

Aside from that, this cheesecake seems to have been made with the shape of a tea canister in mind. It certainly looks like what you might call it…. This cheesecake is a special-order product made at a popular store called Cheese Garden, whose main store is located in Tochigi Prefecture. The cheesecake portion is smooth to the tongue and has a texture that melts surly while conveying a well-balanced sour and sweet taste to the tongue.

In contrast, the iced coffee made with water has a strong bitterness. The bitter taste is slightly delayed by the acidity like a pre-ripe fruit. The impact of the bitterness is enough to reset the taste of the cheesecake. I feel like I could spend a lot of time with just this one drink.

With the above two items, I relaxed in the cafe for about 40 minutes and paid the bill. Yes, the prices are high, but there is no doubt about the quality of both of them as high-end products. Especially since the iced coffee tastes quite heavy, it’s a good value from a time performance standpoint to be able to spend quite a bit of time with this one. It’s not as bustling as Starbucks, and you may be surprised how addictive it is to read…with this coffee in your hand.

On the second floor, there is a gallery displaying traditional crafts…Access to Kaikado Cafe is a 6-minute walk from the nearest station, Shichijo Station on the Keihan Electric Railway Line.

On the second floor of the Kaikado Cafe, there is a gallery where traditional crafts, including Kaikado tea caddies, are displayed. This second-floor gallery is also quite a cozy space with a fusion of retro and modern styles. If you have come all the way to this cafe, it would really be a shame to leave without visiting the second floor. I dare not put up any pictures, so you’ll just have to see for yourself.

Now, here are the details of the cafe…

From JR Kyoto Station, it is a 10-minute walk.

P.S. If you are looking for a cozy cafe in Kyoto, please stop by this article…