If you want to treat yourself to traditional Kyoto cuisine, then head for the city's eastern districts . We've recommended one or two of the more affordable restaurants below, which still offer a glimpse into the world of kimono-clad waitresses, elegant tatami rooms, carp ponds and tinkling bamboo water spouts. Northeast Kyoto, on the other hand, is home to a number of lively student cafeterias, which make a welcome break on the temple trail.
Café Buttercups , 103 Shimobanba, Jodo-ji. Arty gaijin hangout serving a well-priced menu of scrumptious daily specials including sandwiches, fried rice and tacos, accompanied by fruitshakes and free coffee refills. English spoken; newspapers, books and video rental available. Daily except Tues 10am-10pm.
Chosho-in , Fukuchi-cho, Nanzen-ji. A sub-temple of Nanzen-ji which offers Zen yudofu cuisine in its attractive gardens, with the option of an outside terrace in fine weather. If you don't want the full "Matsu" meal (around ¥3000), there are individual dishes such as fu no dengaku , three wheat-gluten cakes with different toppings. English menu. Daily except Tues 11am-4pm; last orders 3pm.
Didi's , Higashioji Imadegawa-agaru. Follow your nose to this cheerful ethnic restaurant, using all natural ingredients to create delicious curries, wholewheat pancakes and blueberry muffins. It's a great place for breakfast, and weekday lunch sets are a snip at ¥750. No smoking. Daily except Wed 9.30am-10pm.
Furoen , Ishibashi-cho, Jodo-ji. Earthen walls, bamboo fixtures, rustic tables and Elvis make odd bedfellows, but this little place is less touristy than most around Ginkaku-ji. The food's equally eclectic, and prices aren't bad, with a choice of teishoku at under ¥1500. Daily except Tues noon-1.30pm & 5.30-9.30pm.
Hyotei , Nanzen-ji (tel 075/771-4116). Hidden behind Murin-an garden, this thatch-roofed garden-restaurant started serving kaiseki cuisine more than a hundred years ago. Their specials are asagayu , a summer breakfast, and uzuragayu (rice gruel with quail eggs) in winter. Prices are lower in the new annexe, but even here expect to pay ¥4000 for the cheapest meal. Reservations essential; English spoken. April-Nov 8am-7.30pm; Jan-March & Dec 11am-7.30pm.
Imobo Hirano-ya , Maruyama-koen-uchi. Delightful, 300-year-old restaurant located inside the north entrance to Maruyama park. Their specialities are imobo incorporating an unusual type of potato ( ebi-imo ), and finding ingenious ways to make preserved fish taste superb. Try an imobo teishoku for about ¥2500. Daily 10.30am-8pm.
Matsuno , Shijo-dori. If you like eel ( unagi ), this is the place for you. The Matsuno family have been broiling eels for at least a century and devising all sorts of delicious ways to present them. Sets start at around ¥2000. English menu. Daily except Thurs 11.30am-9pm.
Nakamura-ro , 509 Gion-machi minami-gawa. This wonderful old restaurant has been serving exquisite Kyoto cuisine for the last four hundred years. It's surprisingly relaxed and informal, with tatami rooms overlooking a lush garden, but even a lunchtime bento will set you back ¥3600, or ¥5250 for a mini- kaiseki meal - worth every yen, of course. Daily 11.30am-6pm ( kaiseki until 3pm); closed last Thurs of the month.
Okutan , 86-30 Fukuchi-cho, Nanzen-ji. If Chosho-in is full, try this small restaurant half-hidden in a bamboo grove on the east side of the same garden. Daily except Thurs 10.30am-6pm.
Omen , Shishigadani-dori. This informal noodle restaurant makes a useful pit-stop at the north end of the Philosopher's Path. Lunchtime sets (around ¥2000), plus daily specials. English menu. Daily except Thurs 11am-10pm.
Speakeasy , Shugakuin Station. Casual American-style bar/diner with all-day breakfasts (9am-6pm), toasted sandwiches and coffee refills. CNN and foreign newspapers ensure its popularity with local foreign residents. English menu and vegetarian options. Daily 9am-2pm.
Sunshine Café , 4 Ushinomiya-cho, Yoshida. A veritable jungle of pot plants fills this popular organic café housed in the Italian Institute near Kyoto University, serving tasty, innovative meals in generous portions. There's a daily lunch for ¥800, a longer evening menu (around ¥800 for a main dish), plus sandwiches, salads, herb teas and organic beer. Daily 10am-11.30pm.
Tenkin , Shijo Yamatooji nishi-iru. A spick-and-span sushi restaurant a few doors east of the Minami-za theatre. Prices aren't bad for the location (around ¥2000 for a reasonable selection). There's a plastic window display to choose from, and English-speaking staff. Daily except Wed 11.30am-8pm.