01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Taking a seat at Koutasato begins with the table appetizers (otoushi), delivered as a series of small dishes each holding a bite of Kyoto-style home cooking (obanzai). These lightly seasoned, comforting tastes provide an unhurried, welcoming prelude while you decide on your first drink.
Set inside the Bambio Building 1 complex in Nagaokakyo, this izakaya offers a remarkably wide selection that ranges across fish, meat, vegetables, and fried specialties. Guests can start with an assorted sashimi platter of fresh seafood or a generous seafood salad, alongside unpretentious, reasonably priced choices such as horse sashimi (basashi) and house-made tofu. Heartier hot meat dishes are equally well represented, including local chicken skewers, grilled chicken neck (seseri), and slowly braised Omi beef sinew or dote-yaki, giving diners plenty of freedom to match whatever they feel like eating.
The beverage list easily keeps pace with the kitchen. In addition to staple draft beers and sours, the bar features a curated lineup of regional sake—including junmai ginjo and unpasteurized namazake—alongside authentic shochu. When it comes time to finish the meal, options extend from local chicken rice porridge (zosui) and ochazuke to comforting bowls of udon and full set meals, making it just as handy for a complete dinner as for casual grazing.
Inside, simple table seating sets a relaxed, down-to-earth tone that draws friends and coworkers winding down after work. Smoking is permitted throughout the premises, making the space best suited to those who are comfortable around smoke during casual evening drinks and gatherings.
