After eating in Karasuma or Karasuma-Oike, where do you go next? The area is office district in character, so venues that run late sit south of Shijo.
Keep it within Karasuma, or widen to Shijo, Kawaramachi and Gion? Here is how to think about it, from your numbers and the hour.
Karasuma runs on business use
From Karasuma-Oike down to Shijo-Karasuma, the restaurants suited to a meal are there. Places open past 11pm, though, are not many.
If you are breaking up early on a weekday, Karasuma is enough. If the evening might run on, build it around moving south from the start.
Shijo and Kawaramachi are walkable
From Shijo-Karasuma to Kawaramachi is about ten minutes east along Shijo-dori. One stop on the subway from Shijo Station is another way.
Out at Kawaramachi, the choice widens sharply, from chains to owner-run places. For a large party, finding seats is easier.
- From Shijo-Karasuma to Kawaramachi, about ten minutes on foot
- Ten or more: Kawaramachi or Gion
- For a quiet conversation: the Gion side
Widening to Gion brings in calmer places
Cross the Shijo Bridge from Kawaramachi and you are in Gion. From Karasuma it is just under twenty minutes on foot, or about ten by taxi.
The Gion side runs mostly to calmer places, which suits business entertaining and an after-party with older colleagues in it. Venues open late are easier to find there too.
Keep the bill easy to read
Numbers move at an after-party. Ordering as you go makes the settlement fiddly, so a fixed price per person with free-flow drinks makes collecting easier.
If the organiser is fronting the money, check too whether cards and electronic money work and whether receipts can be split. It saves work afterwards.
- A flat contribution with free-flow drinks
- Whether numbers can change on the night
- How receipts are handled
Moving from Karasuma for an after-party in Gion
Gion Country Club is an indoor golf and bar lounge three minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station, open from 5pm until 5am. From Karasuma it is about ten minutes by taxi.
Simulation golf, the bar, darts and karaoke share one space, so there is no entertainment to prepare. Plans with free-flow drinks start at ¥6,800 per person.
Frequently asked questions
How long from Karasuma to Gion?
About ten minutes by taxi from Shijo-Karasuma, or just under twenty on foot. A subway and walk combination also works.
Are there after-party venues near Karasuma open late?
More of them are south of Shijo. Gion Country Club is open until 5am.
Can you take more people if the numbers grow on the day?
That depends on availability. Ask when booking how many can be added on the night.
