Feel Kyo Good

My girlfriend and I stumbled upon this bar via a Unilocal recommendation.
We quickly got to chatting with TJ — who made us some strong drinks, gave us free snacks, and chatted with us about our trip. We got to exchanging travel stories and had a good time. He even took the time to help us pick some great spots to check out in Kyoto, which ended up being great.
We’ll definitely be making a stop back here again!

I have had such a great experience. TJ has been such a hospitable bartender and went above and beyond to provide an atmosphere comfortable to his guests. My experience has been so superb that I have been here 3 times in 2 days. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Where do I begin…
This place is easily one of the best bars I have ever visited. There is a little something for everyone (my favorites where the local whiskeys and sake cocktail — Samurai.) Above all, I would say this place is special for TJ, the owner and operator of the establishment.
It was great to sit at the bar and listen to TJs experiences abroad (US, EU, and beyond.) TJ is fluent in English and you can sense that he really cares about the craftsmanship and service he provides. Being able to conversate back and forth about life made it such a memorable experience.
This was easily one of our favorite stops in Japan. I wish him all the best of luck for the future.

I was determined to have my Japanese Whiskey experience while in Japan and felt a bit clueless as to where to have it and a bit intimidated to just stroll into any local bar due to language barrier.
It was with great relief to seek out this gem among the Unilocal listings and a comforting and awesome experience interacting with humorous TJ.
First and foremost, being able to communicate easily is a bit YES!!! And secondly TJ stocks some really nice Japanese whiskey and does generous pouring for my flight. The bar boasts an comprehensive selection of «western bar stuff» or whatever we are used to at home, and can also offer some cute cocktails such as passion soda for those feeling kawaii or adventurous.
And in between the drinks we shared our funny and embarrassing stories as gaijin tourists and TJ made suggestions on some highlights of the town while offering us matcha (are you matcha-​ed out here yet?) snacks and freshly sliced orange (from the old fashioned he made for another guest, why not right?).
If you come on Thursdays there will be tea ceremony session available in the special setup area behind the bar and I’m sorry to have missed it darn.
There’s also a yummy and cheap yakitori place just around the corner of the bar where you can sober up with some charcoal-​grilled chicken’s many parts. (And hats off to TJ for the suggestion)
I look forward to come back for more drinks and laughter.
Cheerio!

So much fun! Met new people, TJ made fantastic drinks! He’s really an artist with his work and making drinks. Small and intimate but a lot of fun, an interactive place to enjoy your night in Kyoto!

TJ knows exactly how to make you «Feel Kyo Good». If you are looking for that comfy jazz bar then look no further. There’s a reason why this bar is on the top of Unilocal bar list.
Superb English, very hard working bartender and his cocktails look yummy although I just went here for the Sake tasting.

Great bar! TJ is more than helpful in:
1. Making you a great drink
2. Helping you plan your Kyoto visit
Cool visitors from all over. Make friends, have drinks, then go for some Karaōke!

Come here on your first night in Kyoto and you’ll leave with an entire itinerary in hand.
TJ (aka Teiji) was born and raised in Kyoto and knows everything there is to know about the city. He also spent many years working in the US and Europe, so his English is impeccable. He loves dishing out his local knowledge to travelers, and also happens to pour a mean drink.

Awesome bar! The environment is laid back, place is clean, and the staff is really friendly. I had a great time chatting with TJ and Mai as they speak pretty fluent english. What’s more, they can actually make an old-​fashioned here… whiskey, whiskey ice ball, simple syrup, bitters, and orange peel… nothing else (none of that soda water and cherry junk)! I used hakushu 12 as the base and it was nice and smoky. If you ordered that here in the good olé USA, it would run you north of $ 20 because Hakushu is so rare and expensive.
If you don’t see something on the menu, they’re more than happy to make it for you assuming you have the recipe and they have the products on hand. We had Mai whip up a whiskey sour with eggwhite for the first time and it was spot on.
Other drinks I had were sake and saketinis which were really good.
Don’t miss this spot if you’re in Kyoto!
5 stars.

Read about the great reviews so I decided to check it out. TJ, the bartender, spoke perfect English and gave our group a history how Kyoto got its name, all the while chipping by hand on a solid ice cube molding it into a round ball for my Scotch. I can truly appreciate it when someone takes the time to do something right.

Great place to try Japanese whisky in Kyoto. The bartender speaks excellent English and will ensure you get something you will enjoy. TJ seriously spent 10 min carving an ice sphere for my Yamakazi on the rocks. Seriously epic bar!

TJ is awesome. We came in right as he opened and were the only people in the bar. He told us about Kyoto, where to go, and about his time in Europe and the U.S. The drinks are solid and it has a comfy atmosphere. TJ speaks great English because of his time in South Carolina. A great place to grab a cocktail and hang out.

TJ-san’s Feel Kyo Good bar was undeniably the highlight of my Kyoto trip! Amazing atmosphere, laid back bar with good jazz in the background, great mix of regulars and foreign travelers, a perfect place to wind down after seeing temples and shrines during the day. Out of the three nights that I stayed in the city, I went there twice to enjoy TJ’s speciality cocktails. I had his whiskey sour, matcha martini, sake, and a few others but best of his selection in my opinion was the Samurai, a spinoff of lemon drop but with sake. It’s a MUST! What makes this bar so special and unique is TJ-​san himself and his many life stories when he was once a president of a company in the States to his many travel adventures. He’s been all over the world and he’s always excited to share his experience with his patrons. He also knows Kyoto very well and suggested many good local spots. And did I mention Mao-​san, most friendly and genuine waitress who also practices matcha tea ceremony in the bar every Thursday. Tea was amazing and she’s very serious about it! Definitely go check that out if you have a chance to. I can’t say enough good things about this bar because I had such an amazing time there. Thank you TJ and Mao for making my Kyoto trip so memorable!!! :)

I hear the best cocktail here is the mojito, but I settled for a really good cranberry cocktail.
Regardless of drink choice you will feel so good, and the bartender will be your guide.

After 20 hours of traveling, my husband and I were incredibly happy to find this bar. When we arrived at 19:30 we were the only ones in the bar but we did not mind as we could chat with the Tj (owner). TJ, Not only made wonderful made us incredible cocktails (very extensive cocktail list) but he provided us with lots of great info. He gave us tips on places to go along with directions and contact info. BTW, the owner once lived in the states so he speaks English. We will be back and highly recommend as a starting point in Kyoto.

The best bar in all of Kyoto, TJ the owner makes you feel at home. Mao, the waitress is so kind and friendly. Cant wait to go back,
Attention Foreigners… TJ and Mao are fluent in English, makes your night so relax and fun.

My husband and I had a great time having a few drinks and chatting with the bar owner. It was a pretty slow night and the owner was just so affable and spoke excellent English. He was an engineer that lived abroad and he pointed us to some interesting things to do while in Kyoto.
I tried the plum wine mojito and a whiskey sour. My husband had an el Diablo and a shot of Japanese whiskey. The owner paid attention to every detail and I thoroughly enjoyed trying plum wine for the first time. I’ll definitely be back.

Came upon this bar randomly last night after running out of things to do in kyoto. Definitely had a fun time. The bar has a wide selection of drinks. But what really made our night was the owner, Tj. He provided a very hospitable environment. He spoke english very well as he lived and worked in South Carolina for several year. He told very funny stories. He even provided us with recommendations on things to do in Kyoto. I would definitely come back. I highly recommend this bar. The crazy samurai drink is a must try.

First trip to Kyoto, found this place to be awesome! TJ is very friendly, entertaining, and welcoming. He lived in the states for a while so he speaks good english.
He was very helpful in finding a good drink, I simply told him I wanted a dry sake and he found several different bottles for our group to try.
Would highly recommend this place! We will definitely return.

Stumbled by this place on my last night in Kyoto. The owner was great and had lived in the states for a few years. My server attended school in Colorado so they both spoke English very well. They hand carve the ice balls for your drinks on the rocks. If you’re in Kyoto and want a drink this is a great place!
Thanks TJ and Mao for a great last night in Kyoto