ACTUAL KYOTO

I have to say, they have the best cheesecake I’ve ever had — and my whole family agrees! We were seriously tempted to try everything on the menu. The coffee was fantastic, the matcha latte was amazing, and the service was absolutely wonderful. People mention in the reviews the wait or feeling rushed, but honestly, places this good get busy — it’s part of the experience. It’s absolutely worth the wait, and the staff does their best to keep things moving so everyone gets a chance to enjoy the place. We can’t wait to come back! 10/10!!!!

Strong rich matcha - not overly sweet, the bitterness still coming through. The basque cheesecake - phenomenal. I saw another review saying it’s the best cheesecake they’ve had.. I might have to agree. Rich and creamy and perfectly soft. Cozy and relaxing atmosphere. Ambient spa music. You can watch the trains and world go by from the floor above. I came at 12:30 on a Monday and it wasn’t too busy. My order arrived within 5-10mins. Staff were kind. I sat for 1.5hrs upstairs and was not rushed or bothered by anyone.

S-tier cheese cake. Silky smooth texture with zero curdle. The tea flavor is pronounced and unctuous, a dessert for grown ups if you will. The design of the space is also very cool, they also have a small porch at the front for those who want to enjoy their food and drinks outside.

A tiny groovy cafe right next to the tram line, Actual Kyoto only seats about 18 people, and it was obviously THE place to be at 3:00 on a Thursday afternoon. It was full, so we had to wait. The menu is extremely limited - cheesecake is the only food. There's choices of coffee, hot chocolate, and hoji tea soda but no hot tea. We had the Basque cheesecake- divine!!, hot chocolate - very nice, and the tea soda - also very refreshing. The decor is gorgeous - high ceilings (there's a mezzanine with one table), dark timber beams, a beaten-copper bench top, and lots of polished concrete and stainless steel. Mood lighting and tasteful floral touches finishes off this very elegant space. My take-away - don't go in mid-afternoon, be prepared to wait, just have a lovely coffee and cheesecake and soak in the 'oh-so-cool' ambience. I loved the tram going by just outside, and the service was great, too.

The MALE staff came to asked me to leave when I JUST finished the food. If you want to make more business by serving more customers, set a dining time limit when customers make their order. Very rude and odd when you ask the customer to leave, which wasn’t suppose to happen in a cafe or even in Japan. The lady staff was very friendly and helpful. NOT RECOMMENDED TO COME.

this place is a jewel, not only everything was delicious but the location the style the workers and the architecture next to the rail i felt in a movie set from a tom ford movie, the coolest coffee place in kyoto, sublime experience congrats to the creator mastery and good taste

Love the vibe and atmosphere. It’s so calm and quiet, and we managed to get there during their opening, so we got the terrace seats. It’s an experience to see the trains pass by while savoring the beautifully plated cheesecakes. We truly enjoyed the matcha cheesecake! A very small space so do be mindful as the waiting line can be quite long during peak periods. Service was friendly, and they’re welcoming to foreigners!

A hidden gem 👏 The guys at ACTUAL KYOTO were super nice and welcoming, making some additional recommendations for us as we were cafe-hopping. We ordered the cheesecake sets - one basque and one hojicha and both were exceptional. The space, while small, is well thought out and designed very intentionally. Thanks guys for a great experience 🥰