Kyoto, Japan｜黒兵衛

We found this quaint little restaurant last night. It’s at the side alley of the Pontocho alley. That alley has no name! The restaurant was full yesterday but my husband was determined to eat there so he made a call to the restaurant to make a reservation today. He overcame language barrier by using google translate (voice) to communicate with the owner over the phone. When we arrived today, we were the only customers. The restaurant is manned by 2 elderly couple. We communicated via google translate. The owner was very friendly & helpful. Each and every dish that we ordered were really delicious. My favourite was the grilled squid, fried chicken and grilled green pepper. The sake that the owner recommended was the best sake I’ve ever tasted! I never really like sake until then. We were so happy thinking we could enjoy our night there. Unfortunately a group of youngsters came and started smoking in the small hut. We had to eat very fast and leave the small hut. It would hv been at 10/10 experience if they had not allowed smoking in the small hut. Kyoto is a place that’s full of hidden gem! We highly recommend this place.

2 grannys running the place are amazing, they are not speaking English but there was no problem understanding each other with the English menu. takoyaki was delicious, the welcoming and hospitality is beyond, a must!!! The location is tricky follow my pictures.

A little hard to find, google takes to the street further south whereas the entrance is the next one north (near bar pillars) and head to the three red lanterns. The place is quite small, but it’s a real gem. The owners are lovely and welcoming, definitely one of our favourite homely places in Japan. Food is great (freshly made and worth the wait), drinks are generous and hosts lovely.