Saryo Tsujiri Tea House, Gion Main Store

Had the matcha ice cream with Macha it was pretty good! For what it is and they have a whole bunch of different tea and blends to choose from from Low end range up to the really high and gyokuro overall a amazing selection there a dessert shop on the second floor as well.

Atmosphere is good, service is good. Menu is limited, items are overpriced in my opinion. Ordered the ice creams (matcha and hojicha), matcha latte, matcha soba and the warabimochi. I don’t like the taste except the ice creams were alright. Spent about 4000 yen for these items

This is the main branch located near Gion Kyoto. The first floor is tea macha house and the second floor is dining / cafe. But you need to use the stair Try their cafe and matcha. Maybe because i'm not a matcha person, the drink and desert taste standard and very sweet. And the price for the drinks seems quite expensive. The cafe ambience and design is very nice, but be aware they have a one person one meal/drink policy. Maybe not my place

We stopped here every single day in our 3 day trip to Kyoto! Safe to say, this was my favorite matcha fix shop! The matcha soft serve is rich but balanced! The latte comes with sugar and can feel a bit sweet though! We bought ceremonial grade matcha, green tea and genmaicha from here! Everything was excellent! The staff is very helpful. Ask them all your questions and tell them exactly how you would like to have your matcha back home! A must visit when in Kyoto 🍵🍡😍

I usually don’t write reviews. But after walking a distance just to try the iced matcha from this shop. I had to write one. My sister and I ordered an iced Matcha (unsweetened) large size. The staff at the store poured the matcha from a pitcher and it looked like the matcha powder had all settled at the bottom. Tasting this is a huge disappointment. Waste of 580¥. I’m writing this review at Maccha House because the iced matcha that we just drank, really cannot make it. P.s, Maccha House is making the drink from scratch instead of pouring from a pitcher….

This Shop sells different grade quality of Ceremonial Matcha Tea with plenty of other delicious Matcha products such as Ice Cream, Pastries, Sweets and many more. The 2nd floor is a place if you want to enjoy their matcha food such as the Matcha pasta, Jelly, Ice Cream and many more. The staffs are wonderful and they are knowledgeable about Matcha. They explained me the difference of each grade and the process from the plant leaves up to the final powder. They will explain to you the best way to prepare the tea and to keep it. If you are heading to Yasaka Shrine, dont forget to pass by in this place and get your authentic matcha tea and try their other matcha products.

This tea store offers a good selection of matcha variations, alongside a traditionally pretty coffee house with matcha beverages and drinks. The price of packaged products is reasonable for that quality, making them perfect gifts. Great service.

This Kyoto tea house offers a perfect blend of traditional and modern aesthetics. The matcha ice cream is creamy and flavorful, while the matcha tea is rich and smooth. The service is impeccable, with attentive staff and beautifully presented dishes. A must-visit for a top-notch tea experience in Kyoto!

Admittedly I had no idea Kyoto was known for their Matcha, but I'm glad for it. On the look out for something cold on a hot day, we found Saryo Tsujiri. We decided to go to the tea room so we could sit and rest after walking around all day. The tea room could seat maybe a max of 40 people and the menus is mostly sweet matcha items and come hojicha as well. We decided on the parfaits cause they seemed to have the most variety of flavors. OMG they were so good. My favorite was the Hojicha Parfait. I chose this as it had more interesting ingredients. I loved it all!!! From the jello, to the rice dumpling to the smoked hojicha cake. It was delicious. I've never had this type of dessert before but I can totally have it again. Highly recommend this place!

The matcha warabimochi was so soft and gooey I lovedddd it! Dango was just ok by itself but really yummy with the read bean paste and soy bean powder

When in Kyoto, you gotta get some matcha and Kyoto-style sweets, and Tsujiri seems to be the place to go. This location in the middle of Gion is their main store. The ground level is packaged goods and gifts, while the 2nd and 3rd floors are space for the cafe. Clean and bright interior with some light colored wood tables. Went there twice, both on weekday afternoons. First time didn't have to wait for a table, while second time had to wait 20-30 min because it was a holiday. Tried a few things while at the cafe. The menu has various matcha flavored drinks, sweets, parfaits, and even some savory items. I tried a parfait, a mochi jelly plate and their Uji ice cream float. Everything looks pretty for the foodie photos. The float was my favorite. It's plenty sweet, but not overly so and has a clean refreshing flavor. A refreshing dessert drink after walking around Kyoto's historic sites. The parfait and mochi jelly were good as well. Prices are like 700 yen for the float, and 1200-1400 for the parfait and mochi plate, pretty standard compared to other dessert cafes I've seen in Japan. Nice spot for a break when you are visiting Gion.

Out of the several matcha places we've visited throughout Japan, this was by far my favorite. The first floor is mostly for tea and supplies to make your own matcha at home, and the second floor is for desserts. The staff on the first floor were very nice, spoke English, and gave us multiple samples and taught us the steps of making matcha tea, including the whisking process. We ended up buying a whisk there which I still use. Matcha Parfait- Had whipped cream, cake, ice cream, jello, all with varying degrees of matcha flavor, which gives it a nice contrast of textures and depth of taste. My least favorite part tends to be jello which is bland compared to the rest, but it's still very good when mixing with the other layers. 4.5/5 Matcha Float- Very simple, with matcha ice cream in a tea latte, but also very good. As the ice cream melts into the drink and makes it sweeter, it gets better with every bite/sip. 5/5

When you're in Kyoto, you know matcha is a must! This place is located on the second floor in a matcha store. We ended up ordering a matcha parfait and matcha float. For the matcha parfait, I actually expected more variety of texture in it. Maybe something crunchy or sweet? I felt like the food were all somewhat similar - glass jelly at the bottom and the middle separated by cream. The ice cream was delicious, it didn't melt as quickly and had perfect creaminess. The Castella cake had some matcha flavor to it and I did like how they were generous with the amount given. The matcha float was also okay for me. Most of the sweetness came from the ice cream and the matcha tea tasted very simple. It does taste better when the ice cream starts to melt and combined with the tea though. Service was prompt and the inside was a bit small, but they had plenty of seating when we went. Overall, I didn't think it was terrible because the matcha flavor was in every single bite, but I just expected a bit more considering how we're in Kyoto and after trying several other parfaits.

Each of us did a cone with matcha ice cream. It was flavorful without being sweet. Super yum!

"A Japanese woman loves a man who loves (matcha) passionately." - Masako, Seven Samurai One of my first stops in Kyōtō was the need to enter a high level Matcha shop and Zen. Saryō Tsujiri Gion Honten was my choice as it's close to my hotel. It's a specialty shop known all over social media for their use of high quality Uji Matcha in drinks and desserts. It was hot and humid in Nara and when I arrived in Kyōtō... well it was still hot and humid, so I made it a point to get Iced Matcha before I melted on Gion ha! I arrive to Saryō Tsujiri Gion Honten and see a line to the Tearoom from the sidewalk up a flight of steps, hmm so much for my Zen lol, I decide to order to-go. The only question is what sort of Iced Matcha should I order. The menu is intense for a Matcha shop, serving Matcha Dessert sets, Parfaits, Shaved Ice, Ice Cream, and of course Teas. I wanted a cold drink so decided on the seasonal Yuzu Matcha Soda. IKR? Why come to a premium Matcha shop and get Soda? Well because it's Uji Matcha and they'll still use it in my drink! You order and pay first and then you have the opportunity to watch the skilled employees craft your drinks. I managed to chat with them in my survival Japanese as they made my seasonal drink (I'll post my conversation on Instagram at some point if you want a lol). I noticed this area was the to-go section. The retail cashier was towards the back also on the first floor. The crowded Tearoom upstairs also has a cashier. Next time, if I'm not dying of thirst, I'll go up! I also noticed lots of Matcha related items in the retail area. And before I could peruse for Omiyagi my drink is ready. The bright yellow Yuzu and Matcha green made a perfect combo. The only question left I needed a spot to enjoy my drink. I decided outside on the shaded sidewalk. There I could enjoy my Matcha and continue to people watch. Ahhh was my first reaction after a sip and more ahhhs followed. It wasn't the most insta-viral choice, but it hit the spot! In the end, I recommend Saryō Tsujiri Gion Honten to all Matcha fans. You don't have to be fanatical to enjoy the incredible Uji Matcha just someone who is willing to taste the best life has to offer. My only regret? Wishing the cup was bigger or I ordered more! Fun fact to share: Tsujigiri 辻斬り literally "crossroads killing" is a Japanese term for a practice when a Samurai, after receiving a new Katana or developing a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent, usually a random passer-by, in many cases during nighttime. Oh the Japanese! And you still wonder if I belong here? (笑) Please follow my adventures on IG: @eric_travel_guru

Came here right before they closed to grab one last matcha drink before we headed to our dinner, and I'm very glad we stopped by! Decided to go with a citrus yuzu matcha soda that was a seasonal offering. Wow, bright flavors and the sweeter flavoring balanced out the bitter matcha. The soda water also made it very refreshing so definitely an awesome drink for summer. Only thing is that it was a bit too small haha. Tons of matcha offerings around the shop, and I really could've spent at least an hour looking at all things matcha.

Hard to go wrong with one of the highest quality matcha shops in all of Kyoto. Absolutely loved the matcha parfait and everything inside. Was very filling (basically a lunch). Also enjoyed their horjicha ice cream. The bottom floor is where they sell all their matcha products!

So good! Would come here again. For anyone unfamiliar with Japanese dining, it's one item per person, which is quite a lot for dessert. Next time we'll get just one dessert and then just drinks.

Time and time again I've been stopped short from being able to try Saryō Tsujiri. It had been nearly three attempts before this recent one when I finally visited after dinner while it was open. Forget the conbini drinks, or other cafes. For a real Kyoto dessert, it's best had with some of the best match soft serve I've ever had. Tsujiri is well famous for being one of the best stops in Gion for matcha desserts. We didn't felt it necessarily to dine in so we waited in line for ten minutes to get soft serve. For ¥550, you get delicious matcha flavors along with a condensed milk drizzle on top. Once you get to the front of the line, it's pretty quick to pay and get your dessert. The soft serve was beyond perfect. Creamy consistency with lots of green tea flavor mixed into its concoction. It isn't overly heavy and a fantastic dessert for any occasion. When in Kyoto, do as the Kyoto-ites do and make way for matcha soft serve.

On our last night in Kyoto, we came here for dessert and it was AMAZING. First off, Kyoto is known for its matcha so why not try it?! We ordered the matcha parfait (there's many varieties to choose from) which had matcha jelly, matcha and vanilla ice cream, chestnut, cream and many more. It's a pretty decent size and great for sharing. Everything tasted so delicious!! I'm super satisfied and I only wish that we came here earlier so we could make another trip. A great place to try matcha. Highly recommend!

So "Match" Matcha! If you love green tea or anything matcha related this is the place you must go. Matcha ice cream, matcha parfait, matcha tea, matcha macaroons, you name it, it's here. Everything is made with great presentation and also tastes with right balance of matcha flavoring without taking away from the original inspired dish. All are also super photoesque so get those cameras ready. The menu may be a little intimidating with all the variety of options, but staff members are ready and able to assist with any questions, don't be afraid to ask for samples. The venue itself is very charming and pleasant, a great place to enjoy and look at the other "arts" of matcha that they've come up with and can offer. I just "Matcha"to know that this place is really worth checking for any fan of the green.

After checking out Maruyama Park, we were ready for a snack. Hello matcha desserts. A must do while in Kyoto. We decided to check out Saryo Tsujiri Tea House in Gion. We dropped in on a Wednesday evening (around 6:50pm). It's a busy, high traffic area. The main floor has ice cream and tea products in the back while the second and third floor is for sit down desserts. They hand out small cups of tea that you can try while you browse. Excellent sample! The takeout menu consists of green tea, floats and soft cream (cherry blossom and matcha flavours). The menu upstairs had more options including kissako, a la carte, parfaits, drinks, zenzai and green tea noodles. - Matcha softcream (¥470) - you get sweet matcha tones at the beginning, then bitter at the end. Soft serve had a pleasant texture while the cone was light and crunchy. Solid spot to indulge in our matcha ice cream cravings.

Normally not a fan of matcha. The powdery grit and the vegetable aftertaste turns me away. But I was tired and thirsty from my lost trek down from ginkaku-ji. So I need a refreshing cool drink. This place is easy to walk by IMO. Looks like every other touristy shop along the street. Looks like a togo counter out front (which it is) and a narrow path into the store for buying stuff, and a narrow staircase to the right (if you're facing it). Google maps kept moving my pin around I was like moving back in forth in front of like another shop 10 feet away trying to figure out why I couldn't find what looked like a green tea shop. The cafe is the 2nd floor (and maybe the 3rd). English menu available by request. Got a Uji float (sweet iced green tea with matcha ice cream) ¥789 and the matcha soba ¥854. I guess I was doing it wrong, cuz she was asking me something, eventually came up with "timing", I assume the float is a dessert then and the soba was a meal, but idiot american me hungry and thirsty I'm doing it at the same time! Gomenasai? Uji float. I've never had such amazing green tea...or green tea ice cream. What in my head makes no sense, green on green, there's too much green....was actually super amazing. Sugoi? Matcha soba. Hot. Some kind of salty fish broth? with green onions. I wouldn't say it tasted like matcha. It was def cool to see dark green soba noods. The flavor and texture of the noods were amazing tho. I really don't know how to describe it. But soba in LA/OC...is nothing compared to this.

Was strolling around Gion in our kimonos and my BF insisted that we come to Tsujiri Tea House. Since matcha was the thing to try when in Kyoto, I was definitely more than down to try. Located in one of the stores on the Gion strip, you simply can't miss the long line of people queuing up on top of the stairs of the store to grab a seat for their matcha parfaits. Main floor has ice cream and tea samplers if you wanna occupy your time and pregame for the desserts. They also had different teas for sale and parfaits for purchase on the bottom floor. We were in line for approx 30-45 minutes until we were finally able to be seated. The wait was worth it! They had more seating than I expected. Atmosphere was casual and homey. We were served Hojicha after we were seated - which was really good btw, I regret not buying it. I had the matcha parfait with vanilla ice cream. Everything tasted amazing. Loved the mochi and and green tea castellas were moist and sweet.

MATCHA!! The specialty of Kyoto! I was staying in the Kyoto area for 1.5 months and new that I neeeeded to try the infamous Matcha Parfait before leaving. This parfait is no joke. Layers upon layers of creamy ice cream, rice cakes, cake, whipped cream... Amazing! Located in the "downtown" of Kyoto aka Gion this Matcha Parfait shop will most likely have a line out the door. Customers line up along the narrow staircase that leads you to the actual restaurant. Once seated you are given a menu with many different parfait options. And one if enough to share between 2-3 people! They also serve you tea with you parfait. If you're hungry, they sell matcha dipping soba noodles... wow! Didn't get to try it but they sound so interesting. The parfait presentation is sooo pretty! Everything is layered so nicely and you almost don't want to eat it because you don't know where to start or mess it up! Inside the parfait there is matcha cream, matcha cake, chestnuts, rice cakes (mochi), red bean, regular milk flavored ice cream (much richer like Japanese soft serve compared to US ice cream), and jello cubes at the very bottom! It's like a treasure chest of sweets! And the best part is that none of it was overly sweet! That's what is great about Japanese desserts. They aren't into overly sweet things either! You NEED to go to a matcha parfait place when in Kyoto. It's their specialty!! Every local you ask will tell you. There are many throughout the Gion area but I highly recommend this one! It seems to be the most popular!

Tsujiri is famous for Uji tea. Uji is a city in Kyoto that is known for its high quality tea. Most people come here for the sweets, but they do serve matcha tea (to drink) and matcha soba, etc. On our last day in Kyoto (on our annual trip), I brought my 11 year old son here. He ordered the special Tsujiri parfait (特選都路里パフェ). He thought that was the highlight of our two week trip in Japan this year. I ordered the Tsujiri an-mitsu (都路里あんみつ). I wouldn't call it the highlight, but I missed living in Japan. Prices are very reasonable: 1,383yen (USD12.50) for the gigantic loaded parfait and 1,080yen (USD9.50) for my delicious an-mitsu. The service was minimum (from an American standard) but quick and courteous just like any good cafes in Japan. It IS touristy, but it's fun. They have their menu in different languages and there are also photos to help you. If you love green tea desserts and/or have children, I highly recommend coming here. ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become friends on Yelp! Thank you and happy Yelping!

This green tea (matcha) dessert cafe is a "must try" for dessert aficionados. The parfaits, mochi and various gelatins range between 800¥ and 1550¥. The line up may look long but it moves very quickly - place is big and occupies 3 levels (store on 1st, cafe on 2nd and 3rd). Place seems popular for the young ladies, some sporting their bright kimonos on their outing through Gion.

KILLER DESSERT SPOT!. They even bring you some delicious Matcha tea in the bowl as traditionally served. Drink it with two hands. I had the parfait which was a good size for just a solo traveler. It consisted of fresh made real matcha cream. A tasty matcha cracker on top. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a scoop of matcha ice cream. Some rice balls regular and matcha flavored. Also some fresh cut kiwis . You may be thinking... maybe this is Matcha overkill, but trust me as someone who isn't really a huge matcha fan, this was incredible. Each matcha ingredient was different from the other. I was afraid it would be a bit redundant but it wasn't at all!. Amazing dessert HIGHLY RECOMMEND!. Very nice setting as well intimate and classy

FOR THE LOVE OF GREEN TEA! You've got to check this place out. There is always a huge line for this place. They have the shop downstairs to purchase their snacks, teas and treats. While upstairs is the cafe. Here's a trick. Go to the shop to sample all the goodies and order a green tea float. This will save you so much time, unless you must have the parfait for that instagram post then by all means stand in the horrific line. But I do want to come back to try their cafe, one day...lol. The green tea float~~~The green tea soft serve (or whatever you want to call it) was so rich in green tea flavor it was amazing. At subtle bitter taste which I really enjoy and a sweet creamy dreamy soft serve floating on top of ice surrounded by an amazing matcha concoction topped with green tea fortune cookie bits. Mmmm... After eating it I dreamt about it everyday and we even made time to come back for a second time. Now I'm back in California and dreaming about the day I can eat this again.

I came to this dessert shop on my very first visit to Japan. We stumbled upon this place because there was always a long line of Japanese girls and women waiting to get in. Now, every time I make it back to Kyoto, I have to make a stop here for desserts. Kyoto is known for their matcha and hojicha so you should eat as much matcha/hojicha food as possible here, including desserts. This shop makes really great matcha and hojicha parfaits. They have a large variety of toppings and fillings. I love the Green Tea Parfait with little mochi balls inside along with hojicha jelly. It is topped with ice cream and whipped cream. The only thing is you have to make sure to eat the balls quickly or they freeze up next to the ice cream and get hard. They also have other types of cold and warm desserts so you can visit in any weather. English menu is available although you can just point and order as well since everything has pictures. The shop is a little hidden as it is located on the 2nd floor. You can usually spot it by the crowd looping down the steps into the side walk or just google map and look for an opening between shops with stairs that leads to a desserts shop upstairs.

3.5 stars. Rounded up to 4. Love green tea? Then Tsuijiri is the place for you. There are plenty of Tsujiri locations across the city and maybe even more than that. One of my coworkers suggested this place along with some other places to try desserts out. We decided to try Tsujiri since it is quite easy to get to and seeing the long lines, it seems to be quite popular as well. Also, the line never seems to die down. There is a line even an hour before they close. The line, for us, moved kind of slow. It wasn't as quick as you would think when it's just mainly dessert that is being served. However, from what we were told, the line usually moves faster but I guess it was bad luck on our part. They do have an English menu but the English menu doesn't have everything that their regular Japanese menu had. So there were a few things on the Japanese menu that we didn't quite understand since there were no translations with it. My boyfriend and I shared a parfait and a bowl of jellies. It was a "set" option. It was one of the buy one item, add another small item for like 400 yen extra. However, the add on is only limited to three options I believe. The parfait was really yummy, especially the soft serve portions. The green tea flavored everythings were so concentrated with the green tea, it was a burst of flavor in your mouth. And by green tea, I do mean matcha. Also, those castella cake bits that are in the parfait are to die for. The tea that they serve you once you sit down is really good tea. It has a fruity note to it. I kinda wished that I bought some of those tea leaves home. Tsuijiri is definitely something that you should try when you're in the area. It is a little pricey for dessert overall but hey, anything is worth a try when you're on vacation.

I had this place saved to check out, and it was my fault for coming so late at night and expecting green tea ice cream. They ran out, but they did have a freezer with already made green tea ice cream in a cone. It was good, but not great. The cone was chewy, but I did love how there was white chocolate at the very bottom.

While the beautiful Matcha Parfait is stunning (and delicious), my review is dedicated to the Aji Kurabe set (味くらべ). With a variety of tastes and textures, from dango (rice dumplings) to matcha warabi mochi (jelly like mochi coated in kinako), azuki bean paste to a side of matcha and hojicha jellies this is simply heaven in a bowl. I will forever be in search of this dessert back home. Regarding wait times, we lucked out since we arrived around 8:30pm on a weekday at the end of January and there was no line or wait to sit upstairs. I guess the trick is to visit when it is literally freezing outside?

This place only accepts cash. The products here are so rich in matcha green tea and it taste amazing. They offer a wide variety of items to order from. The area is comfortable to sit at, warm and toasty. The dishes are served quickly. I loved the ice green tea and the jelly green teas.

This place was expensive! The parfaits are beautiful and pretty much all the ingredients in it are great. We got the Special Green Tea Parfait, which was delicious and not too overwhelming with matcha, but the macaron was brittle and dry, not fresh. It was about $12 for a parfait, and each customer had to order an item, so my fiance got a Yatsuhashi tea for about $5. I didn't think this was worth it but it is good for a one time try. Plus, it is located on a big shopping street, so it was a great place to take a break from all the walking.

Heaven does exist!!! If you love tea and desserts, this is the perfect place for you. They have many kinds of desserts such as the matcha parfait which has matcha whipped cream, matcha sherbet, matcha ice cream, azuki beans, mochi, etc. Everything is done perfectly and not overly sweet. They have a little tea shop underneath which sells high quality tea. The staff is also super friendly and nice and the place is nicely decorated, fitting the japanese mood. Would definitely come back!

If you are visiting Kyoto and are a big fan of matcha desserts, you must try the matcha parfaits at Tsujiri! Located very conveniently in the Gion district, Tsujiri offers a wide selection of Japanese desserts. I came here with a group of friends during our visit to Kyoto. We knew we arrived at the right location when we saw a line forming to head upstairs to the cafe. We saw the matcha parfaits on the menu and knew we had to try it. After waiting about 20 minutes, we finally were escorted to a table. I ordered one of their parfaits with matcha and vanilla ice cream, matcha castella, matcha jelly, and matcha cream. At that time I never had a full-size matcha parfait before so I was extremely excited, as were all of my friends. When the matcha parfaits arrived at the table (very quickly, within a few minutes), it was a very happy moment and the smiles lit up on all of our faces. The presentation of the parfait was amazing: the matcha jelly hiding away at the bottom, big scoops of vanilla and matcha ice cream, layered in fluffy castella cakes, and a swirl of cream to top it off. The taste was phenomenally delicious and all of the components complimented each very well. The matcha ice cream was by far the best quality matcha ice cream I've tasted. And the sweetness of the parfait was perfect: not extremely sweet but enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. I'm going to let the picture speak for itself. Highly recommend a visit!

first visit here and it was GREAT! love the teas and desserts! Picked up couple of the Matcha Lattes and green tea when I returned home to California which I got more...that just means I have to go back and visit.

I arrived at 9:35pm at the store and I was so upset because the last order time for the tea room was 9:30pm... the lady suggested me to take a soft serve, but I really wanted to try the parfait. I came back the following day around lunch time, the waiting was quite short, around 15 minutes. I thought it would be awkward to have a parfait alone but I saw another traveller enjoying its parfait alone, and a couple having two parfaits. Actually, the parfaits are SO GOOD that you don't want to share... haha!

On an absolute basis compared to other green tea places around the world, this shop deserves a four star. However, when compared to the standards in Kyoto, I found Tsujiri to just be average. We ordered a variety of desserts. My sister got the original matcha soft serve, I got the roasted green tea soft serve, Dad got the matcha soft serve with matcha condensed syrup, and my Mom ordered the matcha hard ice cream served in a prepackaged cup. My roasted green tea was milkier in taste, and in retrospect I should've ordered the matcha soft serve because the flavour was much more pronounced and rich. The matcha condensed syrup was overly sweet, so my Dad rushed to remove and eat all traces of syrup in order to fully enjoy the matcha flavour LOL. There was a line up for the cafe, so we chose to buy the ice cream to go. The place is a little pricey, but decent enough for quality and sufficient to satisfy any matcha cravings. That being said, we went to Nakamura Tokichi the next day and this place just pales in comparison in terms of matcha soft serve quality...

I LOVE tsujiri tea house! We went to a couple matcha cafes in Kyoto and the parfaits here are certainly a cut above the rest. We shared the hojicha parfait and every. single. component. was DELICIOUS. The castella? GOOD. Matcha wafer cookies? YUM. Hojicha ice cream? YES PLEASE. Green tea ice cream? DUH. and a bunch of other stuff in there that was equally delicious and perfectly in balance with the parfait as a whole. It was hands down the best dessert we had our whole entire trip in Japan. I'm drooling just reminiscing. Not sure when I'll ever be back in Kyoto, but if I do return, this is certainly on my list.

I had never had a parfait before coming to Japan, but wow. Just. WOW. Tsujiri has some bomb matcha (green tea) parfaits! No wonder there is usually a 20-40 minute wait at all hours... Located in Gion, Tsujiri is a cute cafe/tea house and shop on the bottom floor. If you are in Kyoto, you definitely have to make your way here. The wait is worth it. Their specialty is the Tsujiri parfait. Starting from the top, you have your green tea whipped cream that is only slightly sweet (a good thing), covering the green tea castela (my fave), green tea ice cream, marron (spanish chestnut), and green jelly. Underneath is sweet red bean (azuki), and mochi, followed by ice cream. When taking bites of this magnificent masterpiece, one cannot help but to let the eyes close and have the taste buds overtake everything. Especially popular in the warmer months, don't miss out on these delicious parfaits!

Dessert stop #1 was Kagizen (~20 min wait) -- 5/5 stars Dessert stop #2 was Tsujiri (~40 min wait) -- 4.5/5 stars The two are located across the street from each other in Gion District so of course I wanted to check them both out! :D Tsujiri is a green tea matcha company in Kyoto and its cafes are known to produce the best matcha desserts. At this current location, they sell tea on the ground floor (they handed everyone on line a free cup of hot tea) and their cafe seating is on the 2nd and 3rd floors. It was getting chilly as the sun began to set so the woman staffing the line gave us free hand warmers as well. I love how they care about their customers! I was impressed with their menu, which is fully illustrated with pictures. We got their Tsujiri parfait (1178 yen) and Hojicha castella parfait (1156 yen). The Tsujiri parfait came with both vanilla and matcha ice cream, chestnuts, sweet red bean paste, hojicha jelly, matcha syrup, and matcha whip cream. There was a lot of matcha flavor and I liked the rich texture from the chestnuts and bean paste. The Hojicha parfait was filled with hojicha ice cream, jelly, and cake (castella). Hojicha, which is roasted green tea, was well complemented by the genmaicha ice cream, which also has a roasted but brown rice flavor. The two parfaits tasted very differently and I might have enjoyed the hojicha a bit more even though I ordered the Tsujiri parfait.

This is on my personal "top 10 best foods I have ever eaten" list. The matcha parfait is absolutely amazing. The ice cream is sweet and delicate, the matcha cake bits soaked in all the melted ice cream, and the jelly cubes added the perfect amount of texture to each bite. I finished my parfait and am currently wishing I could relive the last 10 minutes for the rest of my life. I will definitely come back to Kyoto just to eat here.

Hands down my absolute favorite matcha tea shop in Kyoto. Bought a bunch of teas for presents and had hot an cold matcha drinks every day (sometimes 2x) while we were in Kyoto. My absolute favorite treat to order was the iced matcha au lait with matcha softserve. I was in HEAVEN. Highly recommend this brand to everyone!

Matcha everything!!! Tsujiri is conveniently located on a busy street in Gion, and hence, is super packed with tourists. Tip: go later in the day to avoid the crowds. We went around 9pm and there wasn't a wait. We ordered the most expensive parfait with everything on it, because go big or go home. The parfait was tasty, but not the most amazing dessert ever as many other reviews seem to imply. It made me reallyyy cold and the matcha overdose definitely got me a little wired! I would recommend checking out Tsujiri if you are in Kyoto, but no need to go back more than once.

The juxtaposition of the traditional atmosphere of the tearoom and the modern tea parfait is interesting. The parfaits are well-balanced and they certainly don't skimp on the mochis. Besides parfaits they have more traditional desserts, tea-based drinks as well as green tea udon and soba. It is expensive for what it is but enjoyable!

THE MATCHA PARFAITS HERE ARE RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!!! ^ I would like to repeat that sentiment a hundred times over, but the mighty mods of Yelp might not approve of its spammy nature. But seriously, they're stupidly good. I came here with a group of five and was debating on skipping on it for other matcha dessert stops since the waiting queue went down the stairs and some ways alongside the sidewalk. There's even a dedicated worker here that appears to simply stand in a single spot and manage the queue traffic. Don't let the long queue discourage you from coming here! Their turnover rate is fairly quick. After seating us at a table, the waitress immediately provided us with menus, wet towels, and hojicha tea (because you gotta pay if you want that matcha!). The menu has a selection of numerous parfaits averaging somewhere around 900-1000 yen. They also have items such as matcha soba, pure matcha, and matcha cake. I super highly recommend the parfaits though! They are worth the price and are not overly sweet as they might appear to be! I ordered one of the matcha parfaits that came with mochi, red bean paste, matcha jelly, matcha cream, matcha soft serve, matcha cake, vanilla ice cream, matcha, chestnuts, and whatever else they managed to stuff in that glass. It's so good that I honestly can't find the words to describe it. A lot of the ingredients look like they're going to be far too sweet and sugary to be enjoyable, but they did a superb job balancing it all out. I guess I'm actually just speechless on this one. :P

Kyoto is all about matcha, so it's no doubt that some of the best dessert shops have the longest lines and wait times. You can beat them by going at awkward hours. Stopping 30 minutes before closing meant we waited a total of zero minutes, but trying to come back again on another day after lunch meant we had to wait for 30 minutes. Long story short, it's worth it - but plan ahead. There are two floors. The bottom floor is the take-out area, super casual and quick. Not exactly the experience we're looking for, so head upstairs to the seating area. Enjoy some warm tea as you select your dessert (from what seems like dozens of options), each one unique and incredibly appealing. We had a hard time choosing among the four of us and ended up choosing the Tsujiri Parfait and another item we pointed from one of the example photos in the Japanese menu, as the English menu doesn't have everything. Both were incredibly delicious, not overly sweet, and each item was well-crafted and enjoyable to look at (and Instagram, of course). Great place for post lunch / dinner. Make sure to get the Japanese menu and browse through the photos and pick the one that looks the yummiest!

Green tea heaven! Brandon Y suggested this place when I visited Japan. We got there after dinner and ended up waiting for about 10 minutes before being seated. He ordered 2 of the matcha parfaits that had so much items in it it was so amazing. Totally enjoyable. Protip: green tea parfait.

I wouldn't call myself a green tea lover by any means, but this place certainly altered my view. The actual sit-down restaurant is upstairs, above the more casual/take-out area on the ground floor. As soon as you are seated, you are served a matcha cookie along with green tea. We ordered the most popular matcha parfait, at the recommendation of our waitress. The ice cream, matcha gelatin, red bean, and matcha cake melded together harmoniously. It was a dessert unlike anything we've ever had: perfectly balanced with the right amount of sweetness. We polished off the parfait to the very last bite. We were just in Kyoto for 2 days, but had we stayed longer, there is no doubt that we would have returned here.

Super tasty matcha ice cream shop! Highly recommend getting the matcha / vanilla combo. They also have tons of tasters of all kinds of other sweet crackers and such.

I came here for the Matcha green tea and I loved it! Absolutely delicious. Mine was iced, although the hot one was better.

I came here for dessert during my stay in Kyoto last December. There was about a 15 minute wait. I ordered the Christmas dessert set which consists of fluffy matcha chiffon cake with whipped cream, a scoop of maple walnut ice cream, a scoop of matcha ice cream, strawberries and a cup of white chocolate mousse. It was just fantastic!

The line for this place is crazy long so be prepared to wait. I had to try it out for the reviews. I ordered the Tsujiri parfait, which is a must try. I also got an order of some type of noodle with brown sugar sauce, can't remember the name but I did not like it at all. If you like green tea, try to check it out but there are lots of places to get parfaits in Japan! Note: cash only!

Green tea parfaits FTW! Thank you Yelp for helping me discover green tea dessert heaven. The Singaporean in me saw the queue up the stairs and thought, "Wow, this must be really good." And to think, by the time we left around 3 PM or so, the queue was not only up the stairs but all the way down the street! There are 2 levels for the cafe, so the queue can move fairly quickly if people don't linger around too long. Once we were seated, we didn't receive an English menu but the photos were good enough to know what's what. They had a lot of parfaits to choose from; some with fruits, some with jellies, all with green tea flavoured ice cream and toppings. I chose one with jellies and red bean. It also had these yellow chunks which I'm not sure what they were, they tasted very starchy like potatoes. I wasn't a fan of it, but everything else was delicious. The parfaits looked substantial and I didn't think I'd be able to finish it, but it was so good that I couldn't help myself. I loved how the flavors just came together as you got through each layer. Even the vanilla ice cream tasted great! I noticed a few people ordered some lunch items, which looked really interesting- I could've sworn someone was eating green tea noodles. Loved this Kyoto spot and it was totally worth all of the calories!

I came because I heard so much about parfaits that I just had to try. I got the one with the jelly, kiwi, banana, mochi and green tea whipped green. Overall, it was pretty good but I would suggest sharing, especially after dinner. The flavors were light and subtle, but I liked how there were layers of different textures. After a while, it got to be too much, but of course I finished it! Great dessert, but pretty pricey at $12 a cup.