Sowaka’s spirit of “suki” and hospitality does not stop at the guestrooms.
It extends to our elegant public spaces, where you can enjoy yourself the moment you set foot in the hotel.
Sowaka’s restaurant, Gion Loka, offers imaginative, seasonal dishes prepared using the freshest local ingredients.
Here you can experience innovative new tastes, based on traditional Japanese cuisine, as served nowhere else in Kyoto. Details about the food are below.
Upon arriving at Sowaka, please make yourself at home here while we take care of your luggage and serve you a welcome drink.
Relax in the lounge’s luxurious, comfortable seating, examine the many unique features that have been preserved from the original antique building or browse its carefully curated library of books about sukiya,
which we invite you to peruse during your stay. Drinks are available at The Lounge throughout the day and Japanese Sake will also be offered between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm.
Open
7:00 am – 10:00 pm
This intimate space just off the reception area was designed by Kyoto master craftsman Sotoji Nakamura.
The drinks menu emphasizes local ingredients, including sake, shochu and whiskey distilled in Japan.
The private setting, seating only four guests, is also a good place to relax and read during the day.
Open
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The rooftop balcony of Sowaka’s main building presents a wonderful view of Higashiyama and the town of Kyoto beneath a vast open sky.
During the summer, feel free to relax in the cool of the evening breeze with a beer in hand, while viewing Kyoto’s Gozan Okuribi (Mountain Bonfire) festival, or the Buddhist lantern festival.
The roof balcony is also where we host seasonal themed events exclusively for hotel guests.
