Mead’s Guide to Walking Vol. 2 “mati” in Kyoto

A project introducing places where you can enjoy mead wonderfully.
"A Guide to Walking with Mead"

Just like a guidebook you rely on when traveling through unfamiliar lands, we hope to make this a project that conveys how to enjoy drinks you may not be familiar with. We want to share not only how to enjoy mead, but also the wonderful qualities of these shops and some lovely pairing examples.

Today, we’re featuring "mati" in Kyoto. Located along the canal as you head west on Reizei-dori from Okazaki, mati offers wonderful bread baked by Hami-san, natural wines, and light appetizers.
@mati_kyoto

1. Access
A 4-minute walk from Exit 2 of Keihan "Jingu-Marutamachi Station." Head south, turn east onto Reizei-dori, and you're there. If coming from the Okazaki area, just follow the canal west, west along Reizei-dori.

2. History
Opened in July 2023, mati is a sister shop to the popular Kyoto eateries IL LAGO and SirotoKuro. While the owner, Hotta-san, just says he chose it because it was a "really wonderful building," it’s filled with so much concentrated love in every little detail that it makes for an incredibly comfortable space.

3. Food & Drink
At mati, you can enjoy daily-baked bread, light appetizers, natural wines, and our mead. If you happen to encounter their whole-wheat croissants or meat pies, we recommend ordering them ASAP. They’ll reheat them on the spot, allowing you to enjoy them in their best possible state. Their croissants, hand-kneaded and intentionally made with thicker dough for a chewy, satisfying bite, are sure to be loved by every Japanese person.

4. How to “Walk”
At mati, you can enjoy several types of our mead by the glass. They have a wide selection ranging from seasonal offerings to classics, so you can enjoy your mead according to your mood.
Compared to wine, mead often uses residual sugar to create body, making it "so good"—or rather, "social good"—when paired with the hearty, grain-rich flavor of mati’s bread. Let’s all eat bread and drink together.

If you can pick up some bread for tomorrow’s breakfast on your way out, skipping your way south toward SirotoKuro is the local way to "walk" this city. If it's too far, though, just hop in a taxi—it’s about 10 minutes away.
At SirotoKuro, you can enjoy natural wine, kushikatsu, and seasonal fish. On this day, they had crab—specifically, the insect-like kind of crab. Needless to say, it was incredible; they always have wonderful dishes available depending on the time of year🦀
If you feel like having another drink, try asking the owner, Hotta-san, for his next recommendation. He’ll tell you the best spot for the day.
@sirotokuro.kyoto

5. Open

mati 12:00-19:00 Closed Wed/Thu
SirotoKuro Weekdays 19:00- / Sat, Sun, Holidays 18:00-

Please check the shops' Instagram pages for specific holiday closures.

Mati has blended into the Kyoto cityscape so seamlessly that you’d never guess it opened only half a year ago. The gentle atmosphere inside, the bread, and the drinks are all so comforting. They explain their bread with such care, and their hospitality toward international visitors is perfect.

When the weekend approaches and you find yourself wondering, "What should I have for breakfast tomorrow?" strolling over to mati is a lovely idea. Maybe enjoy a glass of sweet mead. And even if you planned to head home after one stop, maybe you'll end up visiting another. That’s just fine. It's exactly as it should be.
I hope I’ve been able to share a little bit of how to "walk" with mead. I wonder which shop I should walk to next.