A small taste of France at Kyoto's Citrus Sale cafe

Normally when cafes are spread over several floors they are usually just another link in a big chain, or, well, part of a big chain. Not so with Citrus Sale, a sleek three-story outfit only a few minutes walk from the busy Karasuma shopping strip.

Citrus Sale, as the name suggests, wears its love for France on its sleeve; there's the tricolor with the Eiffel Tower at the entrance, inside a Paris Metro map as well as Tintin memorabilia -- who is actually a French-speaking Belgian.

Thankfully Citrus Sale's French affair doesn't get too fromagey. Menu-wise Citrus leans more to bistro cuisine while managing to create a laid-back café with a more Nordic than Gallic atmosphere.

The kitchen and patisserie are located on the ground floor with seating spread over the next two floors. There's a bar with a mix of tables and comfy chairs on the second floor while the third floor has more seating space along with exhibition space, currently showing glassware by Finnish designers.

Whether you're coming for a coffee and a sweet fix or for some serious brunching, staff are relaxed and not too perturbed at general lounging. There are a few books scattered about the place, but this is more for decoration.

On the food front it's French and European all the way. Citrus takes its French food seriously, the menu is well stacked with French favorites; gnocchi a la parisienne, ratatouille, coquille Saint Jacques and a damn fine quiche lorraine.

Dishes are reasonably priced with most coming in at under ¥1,000 (US$11) complimented by a strong showing of red and white wines.

Oh, and the coffee? Citrus serves some of the finest coffee in Kyoto; it's a bit more than you would pay at a chain and the coffee cup is a little odd, but it’s the contents that count and it's good.

Citrus Sale, Shimogyo-ku 5-29, Kyoto
Open daily 12-11:30pm
Tel: +81 (0) 75 351 1311
www.speem.com/citron