jazz spot YAMATOYA

Must visit if you like Jazz, Kyoto and your alcohol ! And the music comes from vinyl as it should !!! The bar has around 2-3000 vinyl records on display. Also try their brewed coffee.

Came here as it was close to where I was staying and wanted to get a coffee and a drink. This place was amazing, with the owner being very welcoming to me and my wife as foreigners. Vibes were amazing and I enjoyed my time here. Would recommend to anyone coming to Kyoto.

Loved everything about stepping into this place and stepping back into Japanese kissa jazz cafe culture. The vibes were immaculate. The sounds system amazing and the records lining the wall impressive. Not the place to go during the day to chat, more to appreciate amazing music on an amazing classic sound system. An older couple running the place could not have been more endearing. Food was surprisingly good too.

Brilliant place to spend time. Very welcoming hosts, respectful and pleasant and good whisky selection and the jazz was superb. Huge record collection! Think you need CASH to pay. choice of nuts or chocolate snacks ( we had both!) and many more drinks, beer, liqueurs, soft drinks, proper coffee ground and dripped at the bar. really great atmosphere.100% recommend.

We went to this jazz joint on a Tuesday at around 5 PM; it was relatively slow. An elderly couple was running the place, and they were great hosts. The place is insanely stylish and has a ton of personality. It boasts approximately 5,000 vinyl records, an amazing sound system, and great music. The drinks were perfect; it being summer, we had a Ki No Bi (Japanese gin made in Kyoto) tonic, which was one of the best long drinks we'd had in a while. This place is for listening to jazz, for jazz lovers. You can have conversations, but it's probably not suitable for larger groups. I don't recommend more than three or four people because you can't really talk over the music. Also, the vinyl records are handled by the staff/owners; it's not a jukebox-type setup. I've seen some reviews with people complaining that they couldn't look at or handle the vinyl records. I thought it was pretty much a given, but apparently, there are some entitled individuals out there. Also, it’s cash only, so bring ¥.

An excellent jazz bar - amazing martini as I read a book. Highly recommend it. Great vibe and the service was beyond amazing. Thank you for having me.

Personally, I’d give it 5 points for atmosphere but it isn’t perfect for *everyone*. That’s because this is the kind of place meant much more for listening to the music than chatting with people. If you are going to be social, this won’t be the best place. If you are going to enjoy music and drinks peacefully, Yamatoya will be ideal. Big bonus points for playing the music at a reasonable decibel level. I’ve been to a few jazz bars where they think blasting the music so loudly that you can’t hear an earthquake is *good*. Yamatoya is not that kind of place. You won’t leave with a headache, just a smile.