Visit Kyoto's Sento Renovation Cafe. Enjoy the Showa-era retro space that makes you feel at home.

Kyoto has a culture of utilizing and continuing to use good old buildings, such as Japanese restaurants that have renovated machiya townhouses and hotels that use elementary school buildings.
The retro atmosphere of the Showa period remains, and the space is soothing and comfortable.
In this issue, we will introduce two cafes that have been renovated from public bathhouses and are now open for business.

Table of Contents

■ Hashigocafe Kyouto, a dusty café in Uzumasa

■ Sarasa Nishijin" is a different space once you step into it.

■ Summary

Hashigocafe Kyouto, a dusty café in Uzumasa

The first cafe is Hashigocafe Kyouto, a 7-8 minute walk from the JR Sagano Line's Taima Station.

The name "Hashigo-Cafe" comes from the desire to be a place where people can connect with each other and build bridges.

The following photos were taken when it was a public bathhouse. The ceiling is high, spacious, and liberating.

The ceiling has a skylight, some of the tiles have been left in place, and there is a scale, all of which are typical of public bathhouses.

The popular menu item is the "Adult Lunch," a hearty one-plate meal with a main dish and a small bowl that changes daily.
The menu for the day included an adult lunch (crispy fried chicken), omelette hashed with soft egg, melt-in-your-mouth cabbage roll, taco rice with original spices, and homemade Indian curry.
For the popular menu, we ordered the "Adult Lunch," which included a small bowl of cooked food and a salad, and was generous in volume. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and very satisfying!
They also make their own miso and other ingredients, and perhaps the secret of their popularity is the gentle flavor of their home-style cooking.

Another signature item on the menu is French toast. I visited on the day of my daughter's high school entrance ceremony, so I asked for a "Congratulations on entering high school" message. It was very cute and a big hit with the JKs!
The baguette is deep-fried and baked, with a crispy outside and fluffy inside that is addictively delicious.

In addition, another recommended product, shaved ice, will be rolled out in the summer. The photo shows one with peaches and espuma. It is topped with a generous amount of handmade syrup and fresh fruit, making it a very satisfying treat.

The spacious restaurant has a variety of seating options, including sofas and chairs, so you can try a new menu and seating each time you visit and make new discoveries.
It is also close to the Hadami Movie Village, so why not stretch your legs when you visit?

■ Store Name:ladder cafe kyoto
■Address: 3-4, Ohata-Aokigahara-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Phone: 075-862-0845

■HP:https://instagram.com/hashigocafe_kyoto/ (Instagram)

Sarasa Nishijin" is a different space once you step into it.

Sarasa Nishijin is a cafe of the Sarasa Group, which operates six cafes, confectionery stores, and coffee roasting places in Kyoto City.
The name "sara" comes from "sara-sa," a dyed fabric that spread from India to various parts of the world and has undergone flexible changes.
The name "KIRAI" expresses our wish that "KIRAI" will be a space that is always flexible to the people who gather at various locations and will continue to be loved by them.

This building used to be a public bath "Fujimori Onsen" until 1998, when it was renovated and used as a cafe since 2000.
The entrance door is topped with a "karahafu," a rounded gable head, which is quite magnificent!
It is designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
When you enter Sarasa Nishijin, the first thing you will notice are the bright majolica tiles that fill the walls. They come in a variety of colors to please the eye.

And what makes it feel like a public bathhouse is its high ceiling. There is also a skylight, giving it a sense of freedom.

I thought, "Is this atmosphere similar to that of Funaoka Hot Springs?" I felt that it was. The Funaoka Onsen in Kita-ku also uses majolica tiles and has a similar world view. It is said that the first generation of Funaoka Onsen built this building in 1930.

And it is not only the space that we recommend here!
First, the food. You can enjoy the warmth of homemade café food. You can choose the dish that suits your mood of the day, among which our favorite menu items are omelette rice, rou rohan fried rice, and others.
Speaking of sarasas, the best part about them is not only their taste but also their generous portions.

The photo shows the daily lunch, which offers a variety of side dishes on a single plate, satisfying both the mind and the stomach.

And I can't help but mention the quality of the baked goods.
The photo shows carrot cake. This is a typical cake from Sarasa Baked Goods Studio, which specializes in American baked goods that are left to bake. It is filled with fresh carrots, walnuts, cinnamon, and coconut, and is rich in both texture and aroma! The dough itself is light, so it is easy to gobble up. I usually enjoy this cake with a cup of home-roasted coffee.

I have been to all Sarasa stores except for the coffee roasting place, and when I enter the store, the staff says "Irasshai" to me. I feel that the warmth of the service, with a friendly atmosphere and a perfect distance that is not too close, also creates a comfortable atmosphere.

■ Store Name:Sarasa Nishijin
Address: 11-1, Higashi-Fujino Fujinomori-cho, Shino, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Phone: 075-432-5075

■HP:https://www.cafe-sarasa.com/shop-info/%E3%81%95%E3%82%89%E3%81%95%E8%A5%BF%E9%99%A3/

summary

In this issue, we introduced two cafes that have renovated public bathhouses. Why not immerse yourself in a nostalgic atmosphere in an original space that can only be found there in the world?