Estacion Cafe (Kyoto Station)

Kyoto Station > Lunch > Sentō Imperial Palace Tour > Estacion Cafe

After the tour of the gardens within the Sento Palace, we decided to head back to Kyoto Station since there was nothing much within the vicinity to explore (and we desperately wanted someplace air-conditioned to rest our feet!). So it was off to the bus stop to take a bus back to Kyoto Station where we looked around for a place to rest our feet and have a bite or two.

Since we had lunch earlier we decided to have something light, and that is when we decided upon Estacion Café, located within Kyoto Station. It is a quaint little café that can seat less than 30 people, so expect quite a wait if it is crowded. If you are in a rush, it might not be a wise choice to visit this café during peak hours (which is practically the whole day considering that this café is located within a bustling train station).

Thankfully it was a mere 5-10 minute wait as a table was cleared and we were soon ushered into the busy café. The staff can speak basic English and we were asked if we would like a smoking or non-smoking area, we went with the latter.

Note: The thing about the smoking area at Estacion Café is that there is no partition or separate room, it is just a different corner of the café with no filter whatsoever so you would still be able to have a whiff of the smog from the cigarettes occasionally.

Estacion Café has an English menu that has items like tea, coffee, waffles, cakes and breakfast items such as bread and smoked ham, sandwiches, toast and egg etc… The food is basic but served quite fresh and yummy.

The menu cover

The menu items

We ordered a Banana Chocolate Waffle to share (550¥). Thee waffle was served nice and warm. In addition, the waffle was soft and fluffy – simply delicious when paired with the slices of banana with chocolate sauce drizzled all over and served with a generous amount of shaved chocolate!

The only downside was the ice-cream, I was expecting it to be vanilla flavor, but it was an odd flavor of banana instead which I felt took away the real flavor of the real banana slices.

The price for coffee and tea ranged from about 450 to 750¥, depending on what you want. We had a coffee and ice tea each. Take a look at a short clip on the food experience:

Just looking at the food again is making me a little hungry right now, but I digress. Now, onto the service… The serving staff are polite yet brisk, hence their efficiency at clearing tables. They respond to you when you call for them (when ordering) but do not expect sweet smiles or small talk as the café can get very busy.

Conclusion:

Estacion Café is a good place if you want to rest your feet or while the time away waiting for your next train etc…, provided that the crowded is manageable. If it is too crowded you are better off trying any one of the other cafes located in Kyoto Station. And if you cannot tolerate cigarette smog, you are better off dining at the other cafes since the smoking area of Estacion Café is literally just another corner of the café and the smog will still occasional make its presences known occasionally.

From the Kyoto Station Directory

Misadventure in Kyoto >>

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