Bento Lunch in Kyoto: Where to Find the Best Boxes of Flavor
Japanese meals in Kyoto can be quite elaborate and expensive at many of the popular tourist areas where restaurants charge exorbitant prices for dinners. A really good way to offset dining sticker shock is to look for places that offer lunch or bento specials which are a more affordable and cater to the businessmen who always eats out for lunch. Even the massive main train station in Kyoto has a plethora of eating options from the large Isetan department store basement food hall to the various food courts underneath the main station, these are the places to go for a bento lunch in Kyoto.
A generous bento box lunch in Kyoto
On the top-level of the Kyoto train station are all the main restaurants, each offering wonderful bento specials and plate lunches to entice the visitor in transit with a delightful and affordable lunch. After looking at all the various lunch specials, I finally chose one that had a nice assortment in their bento. Bento lunches also range in different prices depending on what extras are included in the meal. The one I chose below had an amazing assortment of sashimi, a delicious mushroom soup and a bento box of rice and fried tempura. It’s all good and perfect for a quick-lunch or in my case, a longer lunch break after a very tiring morning visiting too many temples in a short timeframe.
Where to go for the best Bento Lunch boxes in Kyoto
If you are looking for a delicious bento lunch meal, we have you covered. Here are the best places to visit to enjoy a typical Bento meal around Kyoto area below. Even though bento’s are for takeout meals, there’s also places to go to enjoy the meal at a location.
1. Department Store Food Halls (Depachika)
- Daimaru Kyoto – Basement level with a wide variety of gourmet bentos.
- Takashimaya Kyoto – Known for beautifully presented bentos featuring seasonal ingredients.
- Isetan (Kyoto Station) – Convenient for travelers, offering regional specialties in compact bentos.
2. Kyoto Station Bento Shops
- Ekiben Stores – Classic train station bentos (ekiben) with Kyoto flavors like mackerel sushi and yuba dishes.
- Shinpuku Saikan Bento – Famous for ramen-style bentos available to-go.
3. Traditional Kyoto Restaurants with Bento Offerings
- Hyotei – A Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant also known for its refined take on bento meals.
- Shoraian (Arashiyama) – Offers tofu-focused bentos with scenic views by the river.
- Izusen (Daitoku-ji Temple) – Specializes in shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) served in bento form.
4. Tea Houses and Gardens
- Camellia Garden Tea House – Light bento meals paired with matcha.
- Murata – Offers elegant bento-style lunches with seasonal ingredients.
5. Casual Bento Spots
- Obento Obanzai – Known for homestyle Kyoto dishes in a box format.
- Kyo Tsukemono (Pickles Shops) – Some sell small bentos highlighting Kyoto’s famous pickles with rice.
6. Markets & Takeaway Bentos
- Nishiki Market – While mostly street food, some shops sell small takeaway bentos.
- Local Convenience Stores (Lawson, 7-Eleven, FamilyMart) – Affordable, quick bentos with a surprisingly good selection.
Bento lunches come in beautiful arrangements and are enticing to the eye
Some bento lunches with delicious soups
Whether you choose any of the quick food courts, the Isetan department store food hall or some of the nicer restaurants in the Kyoto train station, let your eyes and nose lead you to a delicious meal. Don’t skimp, make it your best meal because the prices for lunch are substantially cheaper and equal in quality to more expensive dinners. In any case, explore and try some amazing bento lunches while you are visiting Kyoto, you’ll have a wonderful tasting experience.
What’s typically in a bento lunch meal?
You’ll find in a Japanese bento lunch meal, the typical specialty foods or ingredients neatly presented in compartments and a feast for the eyes to see below:
1. Main Protein
- Grilled fish (salmon, mackerel, saba)
- Teriyaki chicken or karaage (fried chicken)
- Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet)
- Tamagoyaki (rolled omelet)
- Tofu or yuba (soybean skin), often in Kyoto-style bentos
2. Rice or Noodles
- White rice, often shaped or topped with:
- Umeboshi (pickled plum)
- Furikake seasoning
- Sesame seeds
- Mixed rice (takikomi gohan with vegetables and dashi)
- Sushi rice or inari sushi
- Occasionally soba or udon noodles for variation
3. Pickles (Tsukemono)
- Takuan (yellow pickled daikon)
- Shibazuke (Kyoto-style purple pickles with eggplant and shiso)
- Pickled cucumber or radish
4. Vegetable Side Dishes
- Nimono (simmered vegetables such as lotus root, carrots, taro)
- Gobo (burdock root) stir-fry
- Hijiki seaweed salad
- Steamed or sautéed seasonal greens
5. Small Additions
- Edamame beans
- Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin)
- Lotus root slices
- Small croquettes or tempura pieces
6. Sweet or Refreshing Finish
- Fresh fruit (mandarin orange, grapes, melon)
- Sweet potato bite or chestnut in syrup
- Small wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) in refined bentos
Here’s a video experience on enjoying bento box lunches in Kyoto area below for inspiration
Please check out these other posts on visiting Kyoto, Japan
If you plan on visiting the Kyoto area, consider these other posts for inspiration.
Visiting the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan
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