MURAYA

Browse the sake list, choose a drink, then add a small plate that catches your eye. At MURAYA, an izakaya in Tanaka Shimoyanagicho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, there is a broad choice of both sake and shochu, making it easy to build a meal around what you feel like drinking. Sake can be served warm; the selection includes Kyoto labels such as Kyo no Haru Junmai and Yasakazuru Yamahai Junmai, alongside bottles from elsewhere in Japan. Shochu ranges beyond sweet-potato varieties, too, with options made from sake lees and chestnuts, as well as a bottle flavoured with cardamom. Choosing a familiar favourite or trying something new can be part of the evening’s conversation.

To go with your drink, the small plates range from familiar choices such as dashimaki (rolled omelette) and oboro tofu to shuto cream cheese, salted squid guts with red squid, and smoked flying fish. One visitor enjoyed dashimaki and oboro tofu with bottled beer and chuhai, a combination that suits a light start followed by another dish if something else on the menu appeals. Regulars have singled out shuto cream cheese, dashimaki, fried chicken and sauce yakisoba as favourites. Whether you want mostly snacks to accompany drinks or a more substantial dish, there is room to shape the order to suit the evening.

Set meals are also available at lunchtime. A visitor who came on a Saturday described a conger-eel tempura set meal served with an appetiser plate and miso soup with plenty of ingredients. It offers a different option from the evening’s drinks and small plates when you want a full meal. Visitors have also remarked on the distinctive atmosphere inside; one account recalls learning about ways to enjoy sake from someone seated nearby at a shared table. The restaurant is described as suitable for dining with a group, too, making it a natural fit for an evening spent choosing dishes and drinks with friends.