Elementary School Classroom Transformed into a Nostalgic Café – Must-Try Dishes Include Red Wine Beef Curry and Coffee Sundae

Text and photos by25°C of Blankness

Stepping into the Kyoto Art Center, repurposed from the former Meirin Elementary School, feels almost as if you can still hear the voices of children reciting lessons and the sound of footsteps echoing across the wooden floors from the Showa era. Many of the original classrooms have been reused within the art center, including a café — the local Kyoto chain Front Street Coffee’s Meirin branch, located on the first floor at the entrance, also repurposed from an old classroom.

Menu outside the door

We pushed open the heavy wooden door, feeling a curious sense of anticipation.

The original spatial feel has been preserved, and the tables and chairs inside were specially chosen to match the ambiance — classic pieces that blend perfectly with the space. The warm, soft lighting reflects off the surfaces and furniture, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of an old-style coffee shop.

We each ordered a red wine beef curry and a coffee sundae that we had read glowing recommendations about in a book.

Business at the café was brisk, and many patrons were dressed quite stylishly. My coffee sundae arrived first, looking as beautiful as a piece of art — almost like an enhanced version of the famed matcha sundae from Tsujiri, but with coffee. It was sprinkled generously with cinnamon powder, and the mere sight of it was intoxicating before even taking a bite.

The coffee sundae was so delicious I wanted to order another. Even in winter, it was incredibly satisfying. The red wine beef curry was just as good — the tender omelet blended perfectly with the rich beef curry, and we finished every last grain of rice.

As we ate, through the thick wooden windows, we could see snow falling outside. Looking around at the café space, the diners, ourselves, and the dishes on the table, it felt like we were part of a scene from a Showa-era movie. Someone secretly snapped a photo, capturing the moment.

That day, when we returned to the Front Street Coffee Meirin branch, that photo would be posted at the entrance, waiting for us to come back and recognize it.

546-2 Yamabushi-yamachi, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan (546-2, Rokkaku-dori Tominokoji Higashi-iru, Yamabushi-yama-cho) – 1F, Kyoto Art Center
10:00–21:30 / Kyoto Art Center closed on holidays
 

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