We had just gotten off a 9 hours journey from Tokyo to Kyoto, a not-so-restful night on the sleeper bus. We naively thought getting the sleeper bus would mean we would be well-rested for the whole day of exploring Kyoto the next day.
We were saving money by getting accommodation and transport in one, but not so ideal when you don’t get any sleep.
Unfortunately for us, we were in Kyoto really early. The only reason I say unfortunately is we were very sleep deprived and feeling SO hungry.
Our Airbnb check-in wasn’t until 5 pm and nowhere we could go was open, It was 6:20 am after all. In any other scenario, arriving early before the city wakes up to explore is a dream!
We had a look at the weather before coming and knew that we would only have about until midday before the rain hit us. (We came prepared with our rain macs!)
So we tried our very best to get all the energy we had left in our bodies and put our very heavy feet, one in front of the other and to explore Kyoto before the city woke up.
We had originally planned a whole day of activities for us to explore Kyoto but that definitely was not going to happen today. We were very tired and had a long day of trying to keep ourselves awake!
We snacked on party rings for a little bit of fuel, but our energy levels were running low, in the end, we were just too tired and decided to just sit and relax by the river near the cafe before it opened. This may have resulted in me having a quick cat nap 😅
Veg Out – the cafe
Veg Out cafe is a 100% vegan cafe in Simogyo Ward, Kyoto. It’s 11 minutes away from Kyoto train station. The perfect place to go if you get a train, Shinkansen or the overnight bus to Kyoto – more than likely this is the train station you will arrive at.
The cafe has a peaceful, grounding feel to it. Using organic and or locally produced products in its cafe, they serve curry, Buddha bowls, salads, taco rice, Veg Out plates as well as cakes, cookies, pancakes, smoothies, coffee, and alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks.
The menu is dependent on what time you go and I hear that their baked goods and desserts sell out quite fast, so may be worth an earlier visit if those are the items you’d like.
As you go in, you are greeted by a large window, showing a gorgeous view of the Kamo River. On a nice day, the windows are opened up so you can listen to the sounds of the river and the world go by. It’s furnished with wooden furniture, adding to the calm and organic feel of the place.
As we arrived just after the cafe opened its doors, we were lucky enough to get a seat by the large windows, we could fully enjoy the view and take in the calm atmosphere.
What’s close to Veg Out?
Fushimi Inari Taisha – 25 minutes walk / 9 minutes by car
Kyoto Railway Museum – 30 minutes walk / 9 minutes by car
Nanzen-ji Temple – 19 minutes walk / 60 minutes by car
Toji Temple – 30 minutes walk / 9 minutes by car
Kyoto Tower – 12 minutes walk / 6 minutes by car
Shoseien Garden – 9 minutes walk
Kyoto Aquarium – 26 minutes walk / 8 minutes by car
Kyoto Train Station – 11 minutes walk
Food at Veg Out
When trying a new place with Jonny, I always think trying two different items on the menu is more exciting. It means that we can try a variety of food and get a better sense of the place.
However, a lot of the time we’re so similar that we end up wanting the same item on the menu. This was one of those times! We were too tired and hungry to not get the thing we both desired. We both got a TLC (tempeh, lettuce and tomato) sandwich and a warm matcha latte.
TLC Sandwich (tempeh, lettuce and tomato)
In England, I was never much of a fan of tempeh, but I didn’t fancy anything else on the menu this day and wanted to have bread because It had been so long since I had last eaten it.
This tempeh was delicious! Which makes me think I must have not had it correctly all the other times. I’m so glad I gave it another go.
It had a slightly smokey taste and a texture I had not experienced with tempeh before. The toasted sourdough was beautifully crusty with a slightly tangy taste and chewy texture. Paired perfectly with crispy lettuce and slices of tomato.
The side salad was fresh, filled with refreshing and crispy leaves, tomato, radish, a light sprinkle of quinoa and topped with a light dressing.
Everything was great apart from one thing, the portion size!
We definitely didn’t leave hungry but Jonny and I both thought the sandwich was so little. Jonny pretty much had finished it in four mouthfuls 😂
Matcha Latte
I really needed caffeine, and thought I would be getting a coffee but when I saw that they had a matcha latte using oat milk on the menu, how could I refuse? It was warm, frothy, creamy and sweet (I added sugar, I needed it!) The matcha latte was exactly what I needed.
It felt so lovely being able to enjoy our food and drink looking out to the beautiful river. It’s definitely somewhere you feel a sense of calm, the cafe had such a nice atmosphere to it.
How to get to Veg Out
Address: 〒600-8133 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Inarichō, 448 Bldg.1F
Open time:
Closed on Mondays
Breakfast: 9:00 – 10:30 (L.O.)
Lunch: 11:00 – 15:00
Cafe: 15:00 – 18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
(Open time info from their Instagram @vegout_kyoto , the website says 11 am – 6 pm but we were able to get breakfast at 9 am when we went in November 2022)
Contact: 075-748-1124
Veg out was very idyllic, the interior had an organic beauty to it, and the added bonus of the glorious view out of the big windows. It’s a perfect place to go if you’re close to Kyoto Train Station, as it’s only 11 minutes away by foot. If you need a quick break from busy Japan, this is a great spot to have something to eat and wind down while you take in the beauty.
If you decide to go, let me know what you think!
