Unlike most Japanese cities, the area around Kyoto Station is not particularly well endowed with restaurants. However, the enormous station complex has well over a hundred places to eat at, so this needn't be a problem. Apart from those places recommended below, your best bet is the eleventh-floor "Eat Paradise" in the station's Isetan department store, The Cube's eleventh-floor restaurant mall (adjoining Eat Paradise) or the Porta underground shopping mall.
Chikara , Horikawa Shichijo. Cheap and cheerful soba joint south of Nishi-Hongan-ji. Also serves udon and simple donburi (rice) dishes, with sets from under ¥1000. Daily except Thurs 11am-8pm.
Izusen , 2F, Bright Building, Karasuma Shichijo-sagaru. Not the most brilliant surroundings, but Izusen 's Zen vegetarian cuisine is, nonetheless, beautifully presented. Sets start at ¥1800; there's an English menu and also a window display to choose from. Daily 11am-8pm.
Suishin , SK Building, Kyoto-eki-mae. The ground floor of this big restaurant is a clean, modern sushi bar (daily 11.30am-3pm & 5-11.30pm), offering better value at lunchtime, while in the evening head for the huge, popular izakaya in the basement (daily 5-11pm).