A night on a business trip, the last day of a journey, or simply an evening you want to drink alone. Kyoto has many owner-run bars, and plenty where one person is comfortable.
Some, though, do not expect guests without an introduction, which makes a first solo bar feel daunting. Here is how to tell the approachable ones, and how to handle the evening.
Whether you can see inside is the first test
You can judge an approachable bar from the doorway. You can see inside through a window or a glass door; the menu and prices are posted; the opening hours are stated. With all three, a first visit is easy.
A place with only a sign and nothing visible inside, on the other hand, may be trading on its regulars. The back lanes of Gion lean that way in particular, so it is safer not to make one your first stop.
- Whether you can see inside
- Whether the prices are posted
- Whether the opening hours are stated
A counter changes how comfortable it is
Alone, whether there is a counter is decisive. At a counter you are close to the staff, and both ordering and conversation come naturally. Sitting alone at a place with only tables, you never quite settle.
If you can choose, the end of the counter or a seat near where the staff work is the comfortable one. The end for a quiet drink, nearer the middle if you would like a little conversation.
Know the cover charge and the likely bill first
Bars often set a cover charge or a service charge. Intending one drink and going well past what you expected is what happens when you have not read that part.
Where prices are posted, adding the price per drink to the cover gives you roughly the bill. Whether cards or electronic money work is also worth checking before you go in.
- Whether there is a cover charge, and how much
- The price range per drink
- Whether cards and electronic money are accepted
Think of the visit as one or two drinks
Going into a bar alone, it is easier to assume you will finish after one or two. If you are comfortable you can stay longer; if it does not suit you, you can leave early.
If staying a while is the point, there is also the option of a place with something to do besides drink. Where there are darts or simulation golf, even one person has more ways to use the time.
Alone late at night, settle how you are getting home
On your own, it is easy to look up and find the last train close. Kyoto's last trains run around midnight, and away from the stations the ways home are few.
Around Gion-Shijo and Kawaramachi, taxis are easy to find late, and some venues will hold you until the first train. Settle the journey home first and the decisions while drinking get easier.
Somewhere in Gion that is comfortable alone
Gion Country Club is an indoor golf and bar lounge three minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station, open from 5pm until 5am. We take single guests.
We open at 5pm, so you can call in straight from work, and the bar alone is available too. Clubs, gloves and shoes are lent free of charge, so you can come with nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go into a bar alone in Kyoto?
You can. Choose one with counter seating and prices posted, and a first visit is easy.
Is it all right to come to a golf bar alone?
Gion Country Club takes single guests. We open at 5pm, so you can call in on the way home from work.
Can I come just to drink?
The bar alone is available. In that case there is a counter charge of ¥1,000 per person.
