Kasagi-ya, with its dreamy wooden interiors, is essentially a cosy, vintage tea house that boasts of being the best place to offer a steaming cup of matcha (green tea) in Kyoto. In fact, it is in many ways reminiscent of chalets dotting the European Alps; with an elaborate exotic theme, as a matter of course. With authentic Japanese desserts like the Adzuki Bean Fudge, rice cakes and Ujikintoki (a concoction of green tea ice-cream, shaved ice, syrup and red bean paste), this humble eatery is a whole lot of goodness in a simple package. Moreover, their take on Western staples like frappuccinos and shakes is quite intriguing given how a lot of them are flavoured with the country’s beloved red bean.

Everything on the menu at Kasagi-ya is quite cheap going by the standards of Japanese eateries and the servers are warm and friendly. However, if you visit in a large group, every person has to order something for himself/herself as per the policies of this place. Located near the Kiyomizu-dera temple, this restaurant is quite inconspicuous in the swarm of residences and shops and you might just have to ask locals for directions. And you will probably have to stand in a long queue to get in; it’s that popular!