Weekenders Coffee Roastery

Weekenders is one of the names that built Kyoto's specialty coffee scene. Founded by Masahiro Kaneko and his wife Ayumi, it has grown into a roaster ranked among the world's top 100, known for clean, light-to-medium roasts with a fruit-forward, tea-like delicacy. After the much-loved Tominokoji stand relocated in 2026, the Roastery in Shimogyo became the place to drink it at the source. Set just off Matsubara-dōri, it hides a small, serene Japanese garden behind the working roaster — an unexpectedly tranquil spot to sit with a hand-brew. The lineup is built on meticulously, directly sourced single origins that rotate with what's good, sold as whole bean to take home or order online. One catch: the Roastery keeps deliberately irregular, mostly-weekend hours, so check their Instagram before you make the trip. Worth planning around.