Kyoto goes deep on ramen with 28 venues serving it, and AYASAI leads that lane in the essentials. Phalam Cafe, OyOy, and MANDARACHA round out a five-venue top tier where every spot rates a perfect 5.0, and OyOy doubles as the salad pick across 5 venues. Vegan Sushi Kyoto takes the sushi top spot, while the Japanese and Indian cuisines both run 10 deep.
Ranked by overall rating, signature dish strength, and how much reviewers praise the food. If you only have a weekend, start here.
Must go · #3 Try the fried rice sushi and the smoked carrot sushi for standout flavors
Must go · #4 Try the avocado sandwich with soymilk cheese and the creamy spinach mushroom pasta.
Must go · #5 Try the rich sesame ramen for a creamy and flavorful experience
Must go · #8 
Must go · #9 Try the soy meat yakitori and grilled miso rice balls for standout dishes
Must go · #10 Try the highly recommended dumplings, noted as some of the best in Japan.
Must go · #11 
Must go · #12 Try the soy meat cutlet rice bowl and curry udon for signature dishes
Must go · #13 
Must go · #14 
Must go · #15 Dishes ranked by how well this city's plant-based venues make them, compared to the other 157 cities we track.
30 places worth stopping for ramen
Try the black sesame ramen set which includes six appetizers, apple cider vinegar drink, and tea.
Try the vegan ramen, highly praised for its flavor and value.
Arrive early to ensure vegan ramen is still available as supplies run out before closing.
Try the rich sesame ramen for a creamy and flavorful experience
5 places worth stopping for tempura
Arrive early to avoid long wait times, especially during lunch and dinner
Ask for the separate vegan/vegetarian menu upon arrival.
Avoid the vegetable tempura if strictly vegan as it is fried in the same oil as fish and likely contains egg in the batter.
Try the vegan soba and vegetable tempura during dinner hours
5 places worth stopping for udon
Ask for the separate vegan/vegetarian menu upon arrival.
Arrive early to avoid long wait times, especially during lunch and dinner
Arrive early as the restaurant closes around 10 a.m. or when items sell out
Try the vegan tempura fried in separate oil upon request
spinach · Vegan Food Guide All 424 Kyoto venues on the map. Filter by what's open, save what you'd return for, get walking directions in two taps.
Completely plant-based kitchens. No swaps, no asking, no surprises.
Try the black sesame ramen set which includes six appetizers, apple cider vinegar drink, and tea.
Try the vegan egg on toast set, often recommended as a must-have
Try the soy meat yakitori and grilled miso rice balls for standout dishes
Try the daily vegan lunch set with assorted seasonal vegetables and miso soup.
Mainstream restaurants where the vegan side of the menu is treated seriously.
Try the vegan plate and taco rice for a fresh, flavorful meal
Enjoy the oat milk matcha latte served on tap for a smooth, creamy experience.
Try the vegan pho with tofu, praised as one of the best in Kyoto.
Try the vegan Buddha bowl and carrot cake, frequently praised by guests.
Open before 10, good coffee, the kind of place you walk back to on day two.
Try the vegan egg on toast set, often recommended as a must-have
Enjoy the oat milk matcha latte served on tap for a smooth, creamy experience.
Try the freshly fried vegan Banbaroni Tunisian-style doughnuts
Try the hummus and marinated mushroom bagel for a flavorful vegan option
Weekday fuel and weekend stretches.
Ask for vegan naan or tandoori roti as a dairy-free bread option
Try the fried rice sushi and the smoked carrot sushi for standout flavors
Try the vegan pho with tofu, praised as one of the best in Kyoto.
Try the eggplant keema curry and aloo tikki for authentic flavor
The reason you planned the trip.
Try the highly recommended dumplings, noted as some of the best in Japan.
Try the fried tofu and lotus root with mustard, which are frequently praised vegan dishes.
Try the avocado sandwich with soymilk cheese and the creamy spinach mushroom pasta.
Try the vegan plate and taco rice for a fresh, flavorful meal
Date night. Birthday. Tell them you're celebrating.
Reserve at least one day in advance to secure a spot.
Admission to Tenryuji Garden costs 500 yen, required to access the restaurant.
Try the chef's multi-course set menu for the full experience including vegan cheese and desserts.
Try the vegan unagi (eel) made from tofu for a standout dish
Where the coffee is the reason to come.
Try the vegan katsu and egg sandwiches for authentic textures.
Try the vegan egg toast, highly praised for its texture and flavor
Try the gluten-free vegan pizzas with organic sprouted brown rice crust and housemade vegan sauces.
Be prepared for limited seating and tiny stools
Ice cream, pastry, and the honest dessert case.
Try the cacao and chestnut gelato flavors
Try the vegan soy custard cream filled donut, a standout favorite among visitors.
Enjoy the oat milk matcha latte served on tap for a smooth, creamy experience.
Try the freshly fried vegan Banbaroni Tunisian-style doughnuts
Quiet rooms, unhurried pace, under $$.
Try the vegan matcha crème brûlée and mooncakes with your tea.
Try the vegan ikura and ebi fry mock sushi for standout flavors
Try the chef's multi-course set menu for the full experience including vegan cheese and desserts.
Make a reservation and specify vegan dietary requirements in advance to ensure the vegan set menu is available.
Wifi, outlets, no judgement for a 3-hour sit.
Try the vegan matcha crème brûlée and mooncakes with your tea.
Try the matcha red bean filled vegan bagels
Try the creative vegan lunch plate which changes seasonally
Enjoy the variety of sweet and savory gluten-free crepes with unique Japanese-inspired flavors like matcha and azuki bean.
Busy rooms with tables big enough for eight.
Try the highly recommended dumplings, noted as some of the best in Japan.
Enjoy karaoke in multiple languages to maximize the entertainment experience.
Try the vegan plate and taco rice for a fresh, flavorful meal
Try the vegan burrito, known for its large portion and fresh ingredients
Menus kids recognize, staff who don't flinch at strollers.
Try the vegan egg on toast set, often recommended as a must-have
Try the vegan Buddha bowl and carrot cake, frequently praised by guests.
Try the herbal hot pot and soy meat cutlet bowl for signature flavors
Try the vegetable paella, a popular vegan dish praised for its fresh ingredients and generous portions.
Admission to Tenryuji Garden costs 500 yen, required to access the restaurant.
Try the vegan ikura and ebi fry mock sushi for standout flavors
Try the vegan matcha crème brûlée and mooncakes with your tea.
Try the Japanese curry, highly praised by many guests
Try the eggplant keema curry and aloo tikki for authentic flavor
Try the soy cutlet rice bowl, a signature dish praised by many guests.
Ask for vegan naan or tandoori roti as a dairy-free bread option
Try the dal bhat vegan set for a filling traditional meal
Cities where the ramen signature also earns a spot in the top essentials — pack a weekend around one.
Yes — Kyoto has 424 vegan-ready venues. The top-ranked are Ayasai - 采菜, VOG Kyoto, Da Maede & Lapis. Spinach ranks them daily on overall rating, signature dish strength, and reviewer praise for the food.
Kyoto scores 76.4/100 on the Spinach vegan city index. The city has 92 vegan-friendly venues and 129 high-quality restaurants out of 424 analyzed.
Kyoto has 67 fully vegan restaurants and 32 vegetarian restaurants. 92 venues score B or higher on the Vegan Friendliness grade.
Kyoto's top signature dishes for vegans are ramen, tempura, udon, and the city also does sushi and curry well. Signature dishes are ranked by how the city's venues score against the other 157 cities we track.
The vegan scene in Kyoto leans Japanese, Asian, Indian. Japanese is particularly strong, with 10 venues serving quality plant-based options.
Ayasai - 采菜 is ranked #1 in Kyoto by the Spinach Essentials algorithm, which weights rating, signature dish performance, and reviewer praise. See all 15 Essentials for the full ranking.
Spinach ranks vegan venues using the same algorithm the mobile app runs: a composite of Google Maps rating, the Spinach Rating (Wilson-confidence scored), dish-quality Wilson scores from extracted review signals, and city-specific signature dish strength. Essentials add a tier weighting; category lists add their own mood/occasion weights. No pay-to-play.
The ranking refreshes daily from Supabase. The last refresh is stamped at the top of this page. Venue data comes from Google Maps, HappyCow, and Spinach's own review-analysis pipeline.
