I first came across Le temps du goût, a small French patisserie café in Kyoto, while flipping through a Japanese lifestyle magazine. I was only half-reading, casually turning the pages, when the French name Le temps du goût (literally, “the time of taste”) suddenly caught my eye. I checked the address, realized it wasn’t far from home, and pinned it on Google Maps, adding it to my personal list of must-visit cafés in Kyoto. Then life got busy, and the pin quietly slipped to the bottom of my map.
Months later, on an early autumn morning, we had errands near the Philosopher’s Path and decided to grab lunch around Shirakawa-dori and Kitaoji-dori. Afterward, the weather was so beautiful it felt like a waste to go straight home. Autumn in Kyoto does that—once you step outside, you don’t want to head back too soon. It would have been a shame to waste such a peak foliage day.
So we made a small detour to check out a new café.
That’s when I remembered Le temps du goût, the little dessert shop I’d saved on my map—conveniently just a short ride away.
We followed Kitaoji-dori toward the Takano area, then turned onto a side street just before reaching the Shirakawa Canal. There, tucked along a quiet residential lane in Kyoto’s Ichijoji neighborhood, we found Le temps du goût. This part of town sees few tourists and feels distinctly local.
The exterior is understated: exposed concrete walls paired with a row of glass blocks. The entrance is compact, marked only by a small bronze nameplate and a single light above the door. It blends so seamlessly into the street that it’s easy to walk right past without noticing it. There are no curated “photo spots,” and none of the typical patisserie cuteness. At first glance, it looks more like a design studio or a small architecture office than a dessert shop.
Interior design & pastry display: understated, warm French flair
We parked our bikes and paused for a moment in front of the entrance. It was almost quiet enough to hear the occasional car in the distance and the faint murmur of water from the canal. Early autumn sunlight poured over the trees along the Shirakawa Canal, their leaves slowly deepening into reds and golds. For a second, it felt like opening the door might disturb something delicate.
Inside, the entire right-hand side runs as one continuous line of work counter and pastry display. Near the entrance, you’ll find the checkout and pour-over coffee station; further in are the pastry case and the open kitchen, quietly distinguished by subtle shifts in wood tone. The kitchen counter glows with a honey-like warmth that softens the cool gray-blue of the concrete walls, giving the whole space a gentle, understated ease.
One detail that stands out: the interior design wasn’t handed off to a commercial firm. Instead, the owners worked closely with an architect friend, sketching plans by hand and refining them together. The exterior’s combination of exposed concrete and glass blocks keeps the aesthetic clean and minimal while letting in generous natural light. By day, the café feels bright and comfortable; in winter it fills with sun, and in summer it stays airy rather than stuffy—much like the French pastries on display: simple at first glance, but full of thoughtful detail.
There’s no clear divide between the work counter and the display; visually, they flow seamlessly into each other. Neat rows of plates and glass domes showcase an array of baked goods. Under the domes, financiers, madeleines, pound cakes, and canelés sit on dark wooden boards. Warm wood grain and soft lighting make each pastry look especially inviting. In front of every item is a black handwritten label in white ink—a clean, modest script that quietly reinforces the café’s handmade, small-batch feel.
At the very back of the room is a small bar counter. The long slab of solid wood used for the bar and work area originally came from a relative’s home, where it had sat unused for years. After sanding and oiling, it was brought back to life as one of the café’s warmest focal points. On the counter are glass jars and wicker baskets: jars filled with cookies, dried fruit, and sugar cubes; baskets holding house-made jams and fruit liqueurs. According to the owners, many of the jars and woven baskets once belonged to their elders and were part of everyday kitchen life. Reused this way, they bring a quiet “taste of home” into the space.
The interior has no partitions or closed-off rooms; your line of sight runs straight to the back of the kitchen. It’s open, but never cold—airy without feeling exposed.
Seating is limited—just three spots at the bar, one deep walnut round table for four, and two small two-top tables. Each chair is different in shape and style, as if gathered from different chapters of everyday life. The walls are simply accented with a few bunches of dried flowers and a single potted plant. It’s minimal, but never bare—perfectly in tune with the café’s character: quiet, gentle, and calm, yet quietly self-assured.
Le temps du goût is run by a husband-and-wife team. The owner, Mr. Yamashita, trained for years at several French patisseries in Kyoto. He oversees everything from recipe development and ingredient selection to baking and plating. He’s particularly attentive to pairing French cultured butter with seasonal Japanese fruit, subtly adjusting the flavors of his financiers, pound cakes, and canelés throughout the year. The rich aroma of browned butter and the delicately moist crumb feel like a direct expression of his idea of an “everyday dessert done right”.
His wife, who handles the café’s hand-brewed coffee, is the other half of its soul. She sources beans in collaboration with Kyoto roasters WEEKENDERS COFFEE and Kurasu, paying close attention to roast profiles and extraction. When you step inside, you’ll often find her quietly focused at the pour-over station, her movements smooth and unhurried. From time to time, she looks up to chat with regulars, sharing notes on bean origins or the flavor profile of the latest seasonal selections.
On the café’s Instagram Stories, they occasionally share glimpses of their after-hours experiments—the two of them testing new ideas together, from discussing ingredients to tasting and fine-tuning. Creations like their caramelized apple canelé or liqueur-soaked cherry pound cake come out of these late-night sessions. This balance of professional craft and everyday rhythm may be what makes the place so compelling: it’s not only about pastries and coffee, but about two dedicated makers quietly shaping their own version of French-inspired café life in Kyoto.
The Story Behind “Le temps du goût”: A Quiet Philosophy of Taste and Craft
The name Le temps du goût translates literally as “the time of taste”—a phrase that also suggests savoring the moment, slipping into a quiet pause. The café was built around a simple wish: that anyone who visits can enjoy a small pocket of time devoted entirely to flavor—a cup of coffee, a piece of pastry—even in the middle of a busy day. Those four French words capture the subtle relationship between time and the senses, something both poetic and quietly grounding.
Le temps du goût opened in June 2023. Everything—from the location and interior design to the menu layout—was shaped by the couple themselves, entirely by hand. The intentionally open kitchen allows guests to watch the pastry-making process, while the aroma of freshly baked pastries and hand-brewed coffee naturally fills the space.
That day, we ordered two cups of pour-over coffee, a pistachio financier, and a langue de chat (a thin French butter cookie). The financier carried a deep browned-butter aroma and an exceptionally fine, buttery crumb—a small detail that immediately signals the baker’s confidence and skill. It has since become one of our favorite French-style cafés in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward.
The Menu at Le temps du goût
The menu at Le temps du goût fits on a single page—simple at first glance, yet carefully considered. Drinks center on pour-over coffee, black tea, and herbal tea. Beyond the core pastries, the café also offers handmade daily desserts, announced with small handwritten notes. These items change with the seasons and the bakers’ inspiration, adding a touch of anticipation to each visit.
Alongside the menu, the pastry display case presents a rotating selection of freshly baked treats such as madeleines, financiers, mini tarts, and cookies.
| Item | Original | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | ||
| House Blend | ブレンド | Hot ¥500 Iced ¥550 |
| Single-Origin Coffee | シングル（例：ルワンダ／ペルー／ケニア 等） | Hot ¥600 Iced ¥600 |
| Café au Lait | カフェオレ | Hot ¥600 Iced ¥650 |
| Tea | ||
| Black Tea | 紅茶 | Hot ¥600 Iced ¥600 |
| Earl Grey | アールグレイ | Hot ¥700 Iced ¥700 |
| Royal Milk Tea | ロイヤルミルクティー | Hot ¥700 Iced ¥700 |
| Chai | チャイ | Hot ¥700 Iced ¥700 |
| Rum Chai | ラムチャイ | Hot ¥800 |
| Herbal Blend Tea | ブレンドハーブティー | Hot ¥700 Iced ¥700 |
| Chamomile Tea | カモミールティー | Hot ¥700 Iced ¥700 |
| Alcohol | ||
| Heartland Beer (Small Bottle) | ビール（ハートランド小瓶） | ¥600 |
| Wine (by the Glass) | グラスワイン | ¥1,100〜 |
| Champagne | シャンパーニュ | ¥1,700〜 |
| Dessert Wine & Others | デザートワインなど | See in-store |
| Non-Coffee Drinks | ||
| Grape Juice | ぶどうジュース | ¥700 |
| House-Made Ginger Ale | 自家製ジンジャーエール | ¥700 |
| Hot Ginger Tea | ホットジンジャー | ¥600 |
| Tonic Water | トニックウォーター | ¥500 |
| Passion Fruit Soda (Seasonal) | パッションフルーツソーダ（季節限定） | ¥700 |
| Pastry | ||
| Assorted Baked Goods (Madeleines, Financiers, etc.) | 焼き菓子各種（例：マドレーヌ、フィナンシェ、ダックワーズ、小タルト、クッキー 等） | ¥250〜 |
| Eat-in Only Desserts | ||
| Choux Cream Puff | シュー・ア・ラ・クレーム | ¥450 |
| Caramel Chantilly Cream Puff | シャンティ・キャラメル | ¥450 |
| Today’s Cake / Pound Cake | 本日のケーキ／パウンド | ¥350 |
| Two-Cake Dessert Plate | 2種ケーキプレート | ¥700 |
| Seasonal Fruit Vacherin | 季節のフルーツのヴァシュラン | ¥1,200〜¥1,500 |
| Eton Mess (Amanatsu × Passion Fruit) | イートインメス | See in-store |
| Daily & Seasonal Specials (Availability varies) | ||
| Fig Feuilleté | Feuilleté aux figues | ¥1,500 |
| Hazelnut Tart | Tarte Noisette | ¥700 |
| Lime Tart | Tarte au Citron Vert | ¥700 |
| Mille-Feuille | Mille-feuille | ¥700〜¥900 |
| Mont Blanc | Mont Blanc | ¥1,000 |
| Lemon Soda | レモンスカッシュ | ¥700 |
| Chocolate Cream | クリームショコラ | ¥700 |
| Eton Mess & Champagne Set | Eton Mess + Champagne | ¥2,500 |
Shop Information
| Shop Name | Le temps du goût（ル タン ドゥ グー） |
|---|---|
| Address |
Jizoboncho 30-3, Ichijoji, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto Takashima Building, 1st Floor |
| Phone | Not publicly listed (contact via Instagram DM) |
| Business Hours | 10:00–17:00 |
| Closed | Closed on Thursdays; additional closures are announced on Instagram |
| Access |
Approximately a 6-minute walk from Chayama / Kyoto University of the Arts Station (Eizan Main Line), and also within walking distance of Ichijoji Station. |
| @temps_gout_kyoto | |
| Notes | Seasonal pastries often sell out early. Dine-in requires a minimum order of one drink. |
Final Thoughts
This is the kind of café you naturally find yourself returning to. There’s no heavy promotion, yet sincerity and good taste come through in every detail. From the aroma of the pastries and the depth of the coffee to the quiet focus of the owners at work, Le temps du goût feels like a place where quality time is treated with care.
On social media, the hashtag #ルタンドゥグー often appears alongside phrases like “a hidden gem in Kyoto.” Some dessert lovers describe it as feeling less like a pastry shop and more like a personal space shaped by its owners—warm, thoughtful, and quietly intimate. Wooden furniture, woven baskets, and well-worn tableware add to the sense that this is a place built for everyday life, not performance.
Regulars frequently single out the café’s canelés and financiers, often calling them among the best in northeast Kyoto. Coffee beans are sourced from respected local roasters WEEKENDERS COFFEE and Kurasu, while the dessert lineup shifts with the seasons, ensuring there’s usually something new to discover.
If you’re exploring Ichijoji or Takano in Sakyo Ward, this café is well worth a short detour. It’s an ideal stop for anyone seeking a calm moment and thoughtfully made French-inspired sweets in Kyoto.