Vegan
American
Pizza
Japanese
Organic
Fast food
Beer/Wine
Take-out

Vegan restaurant at 538-6 四条上る新京極通中之町中京区 serving burgers, pizza, pasta, salads, a few Japanese dishes, plus cocktails and drinks. Reported closed, Jan 2018.


Venue map for Matsuontoko Cafe
© OpenStreetMap contributors

126 Reviews

First Review by rabbits_nom

byeorii

Points +74

Vegan
16 Dec 2017

Loved it

One of the best vegan burgers I had! I’m usually not a fan of soy burgers (since in my city they’re all plain and boring) but it was sooooooo delicious, even my mom who usually hates soy loved it! It’s really flavory and it comes with tasty salad and fries. I’d definitely like to go back to try the dinner menu if I happen to have be nearby!

Apa

Points +164

Vegan
15 Dec 2017

Delicious Burgers

I liked the food at Matsuontoko Cafe so much that I ate there twice during my two day stay in Kyoto. They had delicious burgers. The portion size might look a little small but it was filling. The burgers came with fries and salad. I had the Miso Katsu Kyoto style burger and Teriyaki Fried soymeat burger. Both were very flavorful. The cafe is in Nishiki market but not visible from the main streets. I missed it a couple times even while using Google Maps.

The second time I went to the cafe I reached there at 11:30 and was told that they were not open till 12. I am not sure if it was just that day or permanent change.

JanineBarthel

Points +308

Vegan
06 Dec 2017

Love this place

We really like Matsuontoko. I've been several times and always left full and satisfied.
Their burgers and sets are good and our favorite is the Miso katsu burger. I tried their lunch set once and it was actually so much and really good.
The chocolate pancakes are my favorite dessert because the serving is actually huge! Perfect after the rather small burger set. The prices are reasonable.

It's not the typical Japanese place but definitely charming and comfortable.
Location and opening hours are really good too. Check their website to see when they're closed.

Pros: all vegan, cozy, delicious

lipkel

Points +33

Vegan
03 Dec 2017

blown away

So far the best vegan restaurant I have been to in Japan, ranks very well compared to restaurants back home in Melbourne, Australia. Friendly staff, great food and they play Ghibli movies on the projector while you eat!

Pros: great variety and quality, great staff, I could go on and on... just go here!

EmmaIn86

Points +75

Vegan
23 Nov 2017

Good food, small portions

We arrived here a little before 6pm and, despite the hours on here stating that it was closed between 3-6, it was almost full. The atmosphere was nice, I thought the staff were friendly enough and spoke a bit of English too. I saw that previous reviews mentioned small portions so I had a pizza and a burger with salad and fries because I hadn't eaten all day (it was lucky I did because the burger was very small). The food was really good but if you're hungry I would personally recommend ordering more than one dish.

EDIT: I checked the cafe's website and the actual opening hours are 11:30-22:00.

Pros: tasty western food

Cons: small portions

ClaudiaMoore

Points +50

Vegan
12 Nov 2017

Great food but unwelcoming vibe

My husband and I ate at Matsuontoko Cafe last night and we really enjoyed the food. I had the pasta, a delicious spaghetti dish with vegan meat sauce and mushrooms and my husband had the margarita pizza. Both were great, portions sizes were good and the price very reasonable.

We will likely not be back due to an unwelcoming vibe from the wait staff. We don’t think this is a cultural issue as this is our second extended trip in Japan and we have always received very friendly service everywhere despite the language barrier and cultural differences. We really didn’t feel welcome in this restaurant.

Pros: Delicious food, reasonable prices, good location

Cons: Unfriendly vibe

agadinmar

Points +28

Vegan
09 Nov 2017

Eclectic dinner

This place had very filling comfort food. Some American style and some Japanese. I had the teriyaki pizza and it had a lot of fun flavors. Great place when you’re craving a bite after you go out for a drink.

Pros: flavorful, fun

Veganitin

Points +289

Vegan
04 Nov 2017

Not bad

Despite small portions, slightly inattentive service, and limited choices at lunch, this place is still worth visiting if you are in the area because it still offers decent food in a nice, clean environment just off a busy shopping street.

blueswirls

Points +61

Vegetarian
31 Oct 2017

Food is okay

Food options are quite extensive but found the portions a bit small. The taste was quite alright. But it's a good option to eat at when you're in the Nishiki Market area.

Cons: a bit expensive, portions small

Marlasai

Points +54

Vegan
25 Oct 2017

Vegan bar

Well located, food is occidentaly inspired: we tried teriyaki pizza and a rice plate with veggies and soy balls.

Pros: Teriyaki pizza! Good atmosphere.

Cons: Portions can be small, depends on how hungry you'r

AnnaTiefenbacher

Points +42

Vegan
17 Oct 2017

BEST PIZZA EVER!!!

The pizza is like tarte flambée.. it is awsome!!!😁😁😍

koshma

Points +24

Vegan
08 Oct 2017

Tasty burger

The burger was very nice though a bit small so I took the soup as well.
Both dishes were tasty.

blackZora

Points +65

Vegetarian
04 Oct 2017

Tasty Burger!

Portions are a bit small but the Burger and Soup tasted very good! We just did not get the difference between the Single Burger and the Burger Set (which was more expansive but just had Salat and Fries included as well). Location looks a little like a dive.

Pros: fresh and cheap food , friendly and fast staff

Cons: gloomy location

LoCrosby

Points +46

Vegan
04 Oct 2017

Great!

I was hesitant to go to this restaurant after reading some bad reviews but I found it to be really nice and even went back two nights later. I had the avocado burger which was delicious (albeit a smaller size than you would expect but very filling) and I had pancakes which were really yummy. Both excellent. I found the staff great, even if they didn't speak very much English - I think it's pretty pathetic to judge a restaurant in a different country on that.

Pros: Really good pancakes!, Quick service

Cons: None

yannickjo

Points +65

Vegetarian
03 Oct 2017

was okay

For fast Hunger it’s a good located place, the waitress was nice and polite, but there are better places! Food was good, satisfying

ErikvH.

Points +1290

Vegan
03 Oct 2017

More fast food than real restaurant.

This all-vegan restaurant serves food that is pretty average. We had a burger with fries and a pasta. It wasn't bad if you're looking for a quick bite, but Kyoto has far better spots for dining. The place looked like a regular pub and I wasn't feeling the vibe. There was a James Bond movie playing loudly on a huge tv screen above the bar. Why?

Pros: located in middle of shopping district

Cons: staff didn't speak English

eee135

Points +844

Vegan
29 Sep 2017

Great vegan hamburger

Restaurant has a great vegan burger served with avocado and fries. The restaurant was located about 25 minutes walking from my hotel but I returned multiple times during my stay in Kyoto. I highly recommend eating at here during your visit. Regarding some of the service complaints posted, I think it may be more due to cultural misunderstandings than "bad service".

Pros: Vegan, Great food

shenxi

Points +108

Vegan
21 Sep 2017

decent

the food was decent and the staff were just ok. There are better vegan places in Kyoto but this restaurant is convenient if you're wandering the shops.

ChrisMai

Points +73

Vegetarian
19 Sep 2017

Nice with kid and lot of choices

Nice place to eat with kid (area dedicated), lot of choices of vegetables.
Service wasn't good (first time is Japan).

Pros: Kids area Lot of choices

Cons: Welcoming Service

TomerWald

Points +24

Non Veg
16 Sep 2017

שירות גרוע

האוכל נחמד מאוד. בישראל ההמבורגרים הצמחונין בפער טעימין יותר. אבל מאוד נחמד. יש םה גם פיצה פסטות סלטים ועוד.. הגענו שעה לפני הסגירה כשאר כתוב בפירוש שעד חצי שעה לפני סגירה ניתן להזמין .. השאירו אותנו בגשם ואמרו לנו לחכות למרות שהיה מקום בקומה השנייה ( לפחות 3 שולחנות פנויים) אבל העדיפו להשאיר אותנו בחוץ בגשם.

Pros: הכל טבעוני

Cons: מלצר מגעיל

kelsiphung

Points +52

Vegan
06 Sep 2017

Excellent et riche de saveurs !

Le personnel est très accueillant, le cadre charmant, le menu varié et ses plats excellents. Nous y sommes retournés plusieurs fois pour tester différents plats et nous n'avons jamais été déçus ! Leurs fromages véganes sont incroyables, leur assaisonnement teryaki est parfait ! (Que ce soit pour les burgers ou les pizzas)

Pros: - Tout est végan !, - Les assaisonnements de plats classiques comme le

katmcc818

Points +17

Vegetarian
10 Aug 2017

awesome vegan burgers!

Though I really wished this place had A/C, they had some amazing vegan burgers at a very good price! Definitely recommend this place for lunch.

HaileyPoLa

Points +1118

Vegan
05 Aug 2017

Nice food, a bit hot in the restaurant

I was a bit worried before I went since I had read lots of bad reviews about their service, but the service turned out to be just fine.

I ordered a burger with teriyaki soy patty, which was delicious even though a bit on the salty side. The combo came with fries, salad, and a drink. The soy latte with caramel was also really nice.

I'd definitely go back and try other stuff next time!

Pros: food is nice, location is convenient , portion size is good

Cons: a bit hot inside

HollyRoseRobinson

Points +70

Vegan
31 Jul 2017

not so bad...

We were nearly put off by some bad reviews on service but it was conveniently located so decided to brave it. Perfectly nice service. Sat upstairs- VERY hot. Food decent for that fast food type thing. I just feel happy when i have a few places to choose from, nevermind a whole menu! Had a vegan burger with avocado. Comes with a miso/gravvy type sauce i could've done without but i'm a ketchup lady at heart so others might appreciate it more. V moist burger.

Pros: convenient location, fast food

Cons: upstairs is super hot!, v strict on last orders/kick out time

YokeMunLim

Points +973

Vegan
25 Jul 2017

Decent and cheap food but there are better places in Kyoto

I have mixed feelings about Matsuontoko because I do go there quite often since it is located at a very convenient location downtown, but the quality of the food and service is pretty inconsistent. Sometimes the staff are quite nice but sometimes they are inflexible and aloof. The burgers, basil rice and curry are probably the best items in the menu. although bear in mind the portions of the burgers are pretty small. Most non-vegans I've brought here did enjoy the burgers though. The cakes are usually dry and too sweet. I would recommend getting the pancakes or matcha parfait instead. I wouldn't say my experience here has been entirely bad like some reviewers have suggested, but there are many better places in Kyoto where you can enjoy fresher foods of higher quality and better service. Overall I would only recommend going there for the convenience of the location and decent vegan fast food. They sometimes close unexpectedly so check their Facebook page ahead of time.

Pros: Affordable lunch menu, Super convenient location

Cons: Inflexible staff, Small portions, Closes unexpectedly sometimes

knivmika

Points +18

Vegan
20 Jul 2017

great!

Nice, cozy, friendly staff! Try the miso burger!

sosand

Points +16

Vegan
16 Jul 2017

The least friendly staff in Japan

The worst service in all of Japan. We ate here twice because it was the only place open late. The staff were not friendly either time and acted like they were tired of doing their job. The food is not good. The only reason for the two stars was because my husband really enjoyed the teriyaki burger the first night (but not the second night).

Pros: All vegan menu

Cons: Unfriendly staff, the food is not good




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