Eating Bear-Shaped Food at Rilakkuma’s Tea House in Kyoto, Japan!
Did you know there’s a renowned Rilakumma-themed cafe in Kyoto, Japan? I didn’t until I started doing research on themed cafes for my most recent visit. Nestled close to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is Rilakkuma’s Teahouse, a store and cafe dedicated to the popular San-X bear, Rilakkuma, and friends.
Themed cafes, especially in popular areas, tend to get busy quickly and it may prove troublesome to try and get a table. My original gameplan was to head straight for Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and then find our way to Rilakkuma’s Teahouse, but I was surprised to see a giant Rilakkuma statue directly across the street as we headed to the bamboo grove. Naturally, we opted to visit the cafe first.
The cafe hadn’t quite opened yet but we were able to put our names on a list while we browsed the store below. In the goods shop you’ll find everything Rilakkuma and friends, except its merchandise exclusive to this location. I grabbed a Rilakkuma eggplant plush and a keychain to commemorate my visit. Next to the gift shop, there’s also a small to-go cafe that serves ice cream and Rilakkuma-shaped sponge cakes. After waiting for about 20 minutes or so, we were able to sit at our table.
This themed cafe has more unique menu items than other cafes that I’ve visited like character-themed temari sushi and dipping noodles with duck breast. We opted for the Korilakkuma omurice and Rilakkuma beef curry, as well as a matcha parfait with dango. We dined with plushies of Rilakkuma and friends while we enjoyed the beautiful views of Arashiyama. The food was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced.
If you’re a fan of Rilakkuma or just love a themed cafe with truly good food and service, you have to visit Rilakkuma’s Teahouse. Even if it’s just for an ice cream cone topped with a Rilakkuma-shaped sponge cake- be sure to stop by! It’s located so close to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove you can’t miss it!
