Momi Cafe

They use fish (dashi) so the vegetables are not vegetarian. The croquettes contain egg. She can't leave anything out.

There aren't any vegetarian places in Arashiyama area listed in Happy Cow except for a few restaurants operated by the temples that offer temple style vegetarian meals costing more than 5000Y.

But Momi Cafe serves a small simple temple style lunch set for just 1350Y.

It is a bit of a walking from the Arashiyama train stations, but if you are exploring the temples in the northen part of Arashiyama, then this is a good stop for lunch.

It is small place run by just the owner. The cafe has a simple white decor and has a nice ambiance which makes it a nice stop for a cold drink as well. The cafe overlooks a small garden with a maple tree that will be nice in fall.

There was no English menu -- just tell the owner you want the vegetarian lunch set or the "shyojin ryori" set. The set is available daily, but it's the same everyday.

The set consists of various small little items that are traditional Japanese dishes and pickles. The dishes are simple and flavours subtle. The cold tofu was very nice as it was served with a dash of grinded ginger and yuzu (citrus) flavoured soy sauce. I enjoyed it very much.

The cafe also serves some deserts/tea snacks.

The cafe is less than 200M away from the west entrance of Seiryo-ji temple. If you approach from the west, the cafe may looked closed as the main door is hoarded. Just walk up to the door facing the street and you will see the side door.

It is definitely a nice stop for lunch and rest in Arashiyama area.