Bento lunch in Kyoto

Appetizing and colorful mushroom soup

Where to go for a bento lunch in Kyoto

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.

Complete bento lunch special

 Bento lunches come in beautiful arrangements and are enticing to the eye

Sashimi side dish

 Some bento lunches with delicious soups

Mushroom soup detail

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.

Please check out these other posts on visiting Kyoto, Japan

Visiting the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan

Nijo castle in Kyoto, Japan

Beautiful gardens of Kyoto

Golden temple at Kyoto, Japan

Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto

Looking for Geishas in Kyoto

Japanese street food or Yatai

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