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Izakaya in Kyoto: How to Order, Pay & Not Get Caught Out

FOOD & DRINK

Izakaya in Kyoto: How to Order, Pay & Not Get Caught Out

BY LOCAL GUIDE ·

An izakaya is Japan’s version of a pub: you order drinks first, then small plates to share, a few at a time. The food is easy. The unwritten rules are what trip visitors up.

The Short Version

  • A small dish arrives that you did not order. It is the otoshi, a seating charge of about ¥300–¥500 per person. It is normal.
  • Order a drink first, then two or three dishes at a time. Everything is shared.
  • Staff do not check on you. Say sumimasen (excuse me) or press the call button.
  • Pay at the register on the way out, one bill for the table. No tip.
  • Check the last train before the second round. The last through trains to Osaka leave at 23:15.
FAST FACTS
Evening per person
¥3,000–¥5,000
Otoshi (seating charge)
About ¥300–¥500
Glass of sake, casual place
¥500–¥800
Tipping
None
Drinking age
20
Main areas
Pontocho, Kiyamachi, Gion

What Happens, Step by Step

StepWhat to do
1. At the doorHold up fingers for the number in your group. Wait to be seated. If the floor is raised tatami, shoes come off at the step
2. Hot towelThe oshibori is for your hands
3. First drinkStaff ask for drinks before food. Order one each, even if it is tea or a soft drink
4. OtoshiA small dish arrives without being ordered. It is the seating charge and goes on the bill
5. FoodOrder two or three plates to share, then more as you go. There are no courses and no rush
6. MoreCall out sumimasen, press the button on the table, or use the tablet or QR code menu if there is one
7. PayingAsk for the bill (okaikei onegaishimasu), then pay at the register by the door. One bill per table is the norm

Small Rules Worth Knowing

  • Wait for the toast. Nobody drinks until everyone has a glass and someone says kanpai.
  • Pour for others. With a shared bottle or carafe, fill your neighbor’s glass and let them fill yours.
  • Chopsticks: never stand them upright in rice or pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks. Both belong to funerals.
  • Seats may be timed. On busy nights many places give you about two hours, and they will tell you when you sit down.
  • All-you-can-drink (nomihodai) is a fixed-price plan with a time limit, usually 60 to 120 minutes, and the whole table has to take it.
  • Cash: small places are often cash only. Carry enough for the night. See Cash, ATMs, SIM & Wi-Fi.
  • No tipping. See Tipping in Japan.

Phrases That Do Most of the Work

SayJapaneseMeaning
SumimasenすみませんExcuse me (to call staff)
Futari desu二人ですTwo people
Eigo no menyu arimasu ka英語のメニューありますかDo you have an English menu?
Nama biiru生ビールDraft beer
Osusume wa?おすすめは？What do you recommend?
Kore o kudasaiこれをくださいThis one, please (while pointing)
Okaikei onegaishimasuお会計お願いしますThe bill, please

For sake, the first question is dry or sweet. See how to read a sake menu.

Smoking, Age and the Law

  • Smoking is banned indoors in principle, and has been since April 2020. Small bars that were already open then can still allow it, and they must show a sign at the door.
  • Nobody under 20 may enter a smoking venue or smoking room, not even with parents.
  • The drinking age is 20.
  • Do not cycle home. Since November 2024, riding a bicycle after drinking can mean up to three years in prison or a ¥500,000 fine, and the person who lent the bicycle can face the same penalty.
[!] IGNORE THE TOUTS

Street touting is banned by a Kyoto City ordinance in the Gion and Kawaramachi nightlife area, with fines of up to ¥50,000 for the touts. It still happens. If someone on the street offers to take you to a bar or izakaya, keep walking. The places worth going to do not send anyone out to find you.

Where to Go in Kyoto

  • Pontocho: a narrow lantern-lit alley beside the Kamo River, with izakayas at every price. From 1 May to 15 October many open riverside terraces (kawayuka). Book ahead on weekends.
  • Kiyamachi: the street along the Takase canal, one block west. Younger, louder and cheaper.
  • Around Gion-Shijo Station: casual and lively places, good for sake with grilled food.
  • Teramachi and Sanjo: everyday izakayas mixed in with ramen and rice-bowl shops.

Vegetarian? It is possible if you ask about the stock. See Vegetarian & Vegan Kyoto.

Getting Home

From central KyotoLast train on a weekday
Keihan, Gion-Shijo to Osaka (Yodoyabashi)23:15
Hankyu, Kyoto-Kawaramachi to Osaka-Umeda23:15
Subway, Shijo to Kyoto Station23:57
JR, Kyoto to Osaka23:58

Later trains on Keihan and Hankyu stop partway, so check before you sit down for another round. Taxis cost about 20% more between 10pm and 5am.

[★] LET A GUIDE DO THE ORDERING

Our Kyoto Izakaya Hopping tour starts at 18:00 at Shijo Kiyamachi and visits 2 to 3 local izakayas in about 3 hours. You pay each izakaya directly, typically ¥3,000–¥5,000 per person in total, and the guide handles the menu.

Read next: Sake in Kyoto · What to Eat in Kyoto · Kyoto at Night

// Izakaya, Guided

Now try it with
someone who knows the menu

The best small izakayas in Kyoto have handwritten menus and no English. Our Kyoto Izakaya Hopping tour visits 2 to 3 of them in Pontocho and Kiyamachi, with a local guide doing the ordering.

4.9/5 on TripAdvisor Small groups Local experts
See Izakaya Hopping Check Availability

FAQ

What is the small dish I did not order at an izakaya? ▼
It is the otoshi, a small appetizer that doubles as the seating charge. It usually costs about ¥300–¥500 per person and appears on the bill. It is normal practice, not a scam.
Do you tip at an izakaya in Japan? ▼
No. There is no tipping in Japanese restaurants or bars. The otoshi already works as a table charge, and leaving extra money on the table usually just confuses the staff.
Can I go to an izakaya if I do not drink alcohol? ▼
Yes. Every izakaya has soft drinks and tea, and many now stock non-alcoholic beer. You are expected to order one drink of some kind per person, plus food.
Can children go to an izakaya in Japan? ▼
Often yes, especially early in the evening at larger places. The legal drinking age is 20, and by law nobody under 20 may enter a venue or room where smoking is allowed, so check the sign at the door.
How much does a night at an izakaya cost in Kyoto? ▼
Plan on roughly ¥3,000–¥5,000 per person for food and drinks at casual local izakayas. A glass of sake at a casual place is ¥500–¥800.

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OG
LOCAL GUIDE

Local guide based in Gion, Kyoto. Leading small-group walking tours and cultural workshops since 2024. Passionate about connecting travelers with authentic Kyoto culture.