Behind the door of a quaint traditional Kyoto wooden house lies Sukeroku, a guest house and noodle café where you can slurp fat tasty udon whilst sat on tatami mats looking out over a tiny central garden.
The building was originally a small textile factory, and then a family home where the current owner was born. Now it is a chic Japanese delight, tucked away in a corner of the Nishijin textile district.
Once you step through the noren curtain in the entrance way, you have to follow a series of white stepping stones around the house (on the inside) before removing your shoes and entering a stark tatami room, where you are greeted with a warm ‘irrashai’ and handed a cold towel and chilled cup of tea before sitting on the floor and ordering.
I was introduced to the place by a local kimono designer, who sat drinking beer and telling me tales of the old days while I tucked into tempura hamo (deep fried local fish of the season).
If you want somewhere special, delicious and great value for money in a traditional part of Kyoto, then Sukeroku is for you.
