10 (Probably) Unknown Points of Interest in Kyoto
Enjoying a French Meal at Restaurant “Aux bons morceaux”
What is it?
When visiting the Kiyamachi area with a friend one day (Kyoto’s nightlife district), we found ourselves facing a restaurant’s menu all written in French and claiming to offer cuisine from Lyon. Since I am myself from the French Alps, I promised I’d come here to eat at some point, and did so a couple of weeks later with a French-speaking friend.
The restaurant isn’t cheap (count 1500 JPY for a starter, 2500 JPY for a main course and 800 JPY for a dessert), but the food was excellent, with a great variety of dishes and a lovely atmosphere (think bistro style, with walls covered in posters, pictures and deco that reminded of France). The chef, a friendly Japanese man who fell in love with Lyon and goes there every year, speaks pretty good French, and the staff is nice.
Yes, I know, I can already hear the confused and bewildered reader raising his/her voice in protest: “David, why on Earth are you telling us about a French restaurant when this article is about Japan? Tell us about Japanese stuff!”. To which I offer a very definite yet kind answer: “It’s my blog and I’ll do whatever I want with it!”
Access
The restaurant can be found on Google Maps and the area is well-covered by public transport, so there are many options to get there. One of them is to take the Keihan train line to Sanjo station, take exit 6 or 7, cross the bridge over the Kamo River and then turn right to walk alongside the canal (Kiyamachi Street). Take the second street left (Aneyakoji Street) and you’ll find the restaurant on your left.
Advice
If you wish to decrease costs as much as possible, they have the offer of the day, with a starter and a main course for only ~2000 JPY. However you can’t pick the main course and the choice of starters is limited to two basic options.