Finding foreign friendly, English speaking bars in the beautiful town of Kyoto can be a challenge, so we have compiled a convenient list for you of the most popular.
Although we have not listed all the Western style pubs, we hope this list satisfies your craving, makes your stay more convenient, and helps you to enter a bar knowing that you will be greeted with the usual Japanese politeness and manners but that English speaking staff and menu will ease your worries about ordering.
1. Hub British Pub
We kind of have to start with the Hub, spread across Japan they are the biggest chain of “Pubs” in the country, with the first Hub opening in 1980. The Management philosophy is a s follows “In order to spread British PUB culture widely in Japan, we will develop a Culture Project that will impress customers through British-style PUBs.”
In Kyoto there are 3 Hubs:
- Located near Kyoto station: https://www.pub-hub.com/index.php/shop/detail/84?utm_source=google&utm_medium=mybusiness&utm_term=profile
- Located in the Cocon building on thh corner of Shijo and Karasuma: https://www.pub-hub.com/index.php/shop/detail/30?utm_source=google&utm_medium=mybusiness&utm_term=profile
- Located on the corner of Sanjo and Kiyamachi: https://www.pub-hub.com/index.php/shop/detail/107?utm_source=google&utm_medium=mybusiness&utm_term=profile
Hub is a regular go to for many tourists and Japanese mainly because of their daily happy hour (5-7pm) and their convenient locations. The atmosphere in the Hub is busy and lively and they show a lot of the Japanese staple sports-baseball and J-League soccer. The daily happy hour is a bargain with most drinks discounted by 2-300 yen and they also regular run separate drink and food campaigns.
The interior is very much like a British pub but without the counter seating and the system is cash on order which is unusual for Japan-most places work on a buy now, pay when you finish system. They have there own Hub ale and beers are in proper pint and half pint servings
Generally Hub does what it says, they deliver a good copy of a British pub with a range of cocktails mixed with a few tap beers. The staff speak enough English not to have any basic problems and they are usually filled with a good mix of Japanese and foreigners so the bar is foreign friendly and used to dealing with overseas tourists.
3 Key points from the store:
* Happy hour of course!!
* Really convenient locations
* Feels like home
2. Irish PUB field
For those looking for something a bit more Irish, there are a couple of good ones in Kyoto. this is first on our list: Irish Pub field.
Irish PUB field opened in January 2000 and was the first Irish pub in Kyoto. In the comfortable wood interior space, there is a pub counter bar and with extra seating on wooden chairs and tables.
The staff are very friendly, speak great English, like to banter; and with an excellent knowledge of Kyoto they can give you visit recommendations in excellent English (without an Irish accent though). Feel free to enjoy traditional Irish drinks, custom cocktails and great traditional Irish food. There is live Irish music most Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm which adds colour to the Irish pub atmosphere.
If you want to go to an Irish pub without going to Ireland, this is the place for you-come sip a Guinness and enjoy!
3 Key points from the store:
* Expertly poured Guinness certified by Guinness
* Custom made cocktails-just tell the Master your taste preferences or the base alcohol and they will make a bespoke cocktail for you
* Recommended food: Fish and chips and the pizzas
To get an exclusive discount for this bar go to:
3. BEER PUB Takumiya
A craft beer pub store specializing in domestic beer ordered from over 300 craft beer manufacturers in Japan. The inside of the bar is reminiscent of a foreign pub, where you can enjoy drinking and talking with the people sitting next to you making a fun, lively atmosphere.
The interior is spacious but Beerpub Takumiya is popular with Japanese and non-Japanese so it gets crowded on busy nights.
Their main sales points are that their craft beers are all Japan domestic beers and their staff are very knowledgeable about their different breweries and beers. There will be a good range of beers available that regularly changes and they are well-connected with the breweries so they can offer seasonal and new brew beers.
The food menu is creative and locally sourced. There are both Japanese and Western dishes that go well with beer, and no matter which one you eat, you’ll be satisfied. You can enjoy many original dishes such as `Hamo fish and chips’ and `Tango wild boar meat shumai with homemade blueberry ponzu sauce.
3 Key points from the store:
* Regularly rotates Craft beers on tap
* Original food dishes
* Busy, lively atmosphere later on
For more details and location visit:
4. Dublin
A second listing for an Irish pub, the Dublin. The interior is very western with a counter bar and separate wooden tables and chairs split over 2 floors. On the second floor there is also a really nice outside balcony area that sits about 10 at a push and is great in Spring and Autumn.
They pride themselves on their Guinness and to protect the deliciousness, they thoroughly control the temperature using their original dedicated refrigerator. As they sell a lot of Guinness barrels arrive regularly so you are assured of a fresh Guinness.
The menu offers authentic Irish meals such as Irish stew, whisky cured salmon, mussels and soda bread with a daily Happy hour on food and drinks until 7pm. The bar is a good the mix of people, both foreign and Japanese, and there is live Irish music played by excellent local musicians every Friday (from 8.30 pm), Saturday (from 9.00 pm) and Sunday (from 6.30 pm).
They have a course plan starting at 4,500 yen course with 7 dishes + last order 90 minutes all-you-can-drink.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nqRUrPwkJsCrg8U79
Website: https://k127211.gorp.jp/
3 Key points from the store:
* Traditional Irish food
* Live Irish music
* A comfortable place where you can freely talk with other customers
5. Takanoya
Sister bar to Takumiya. A craft beer pub store specializing in domestic beer ordered from over 300 craft beer manufacturers in Japan. The inside of the bar is reminiscent of a foreign pub, where you can enjoy drinking and talking with the people sitting next to you making a fun, lively atmosphere.
The interior is spacious but Takanoya is popular with Japanese and non-Japanese so it gets crowded on busy nights.
Their main sales points are that their craft beers are all Japan domestic beers and their staff are very knowledgeable about their different breweries and beers. There will be a good range of beers available that regularly changes and they are well-connected with the breweries so they can offer seasonal and new brew beers.
The food menu is creative and locally sourced. There are both Japanese and Western dishes that go well with beer, and no matter which one you eat, you’ll be satisfied. You can enjoy many original dishes such as `Hamo fish and chips’ and `Tango wild boar meat shumai with homemade blueberry ponzu sauce.
3 Key points from the store:
* Regularly rotates Craft beers on tap
* Original food dishes
* Busy, lively atmosphere later on
For more details and location visit:
As always, to find a list of foreign friendly, English speaking bars, restaurants, cafes and so on in Kyoto (then expanding across other cities in Japan!) visit:
https://japantouristfriends.com/
Making your stay more convenient and comfortable.
