Fried Potatoes near Ginkakuji.
Anchovy Garlic Butter and the Scent of Rosemary

Looking for proper fried potatoes or french fries near Ginkakuji in Kyoto? Fries turn up almost everywhere — inside a fast-food paper bag, next to the hot towel at an izakaya, on the edge of a bistro plate. They are so familiar that they are rarely the reason you sit down. Many travellers walking back from the Silver Pavilion end up with nowhere open after dark, and even fewer places serve fries as a real dish rather than a side.

At Bello Vero, the hidden-gem Italian restaurant in Kitashirakawa, Kyoto, the "Fried Potatoes with Anchovy Garlic Butter" is a plate rebuilt from the ground up as an antipasto. It is the kind of dish you order first when you open a bottle of wine.

The Potatoes — Cut, Par-Boil, Rest, Fry Twice

The potatoes are cut skin-on, a little larger than bite-size. They go into salted boiling water for a first par-boil, then rest until fully cool. Skip this resting stage and the surface starch stays half-set — the fries never build that thin, crackling outer layer. Fluffy inside, crisp outside, the line between the two depends entirely on how patiently the moisture is allowed to leave after par-boiling.

They are fried twice: first at a moderate temperature, then finished hot. What we aim for is the sharp-edged look of Italian patate fritte served at a Roman bar — the kind that stand up on the plate rather than sag into oil.

Anchovy, Garlic, Rosemary — Tossed At the End

The fried potatoes are then tossed in a separate anchovy garlic butter. Butter is melted very slowly, chopped garlic coaxed for its aroma, then chopped anchovy is dropped in and allowed to dissolve into the butter — its salt and umami folding into the fat. To finish: fresh rosemary and cracked black pepper.

The anchovy never steps forward too much, but it is unmistakably there, sitting deep in the first bite. That balance is the whole point. No extra salt is added — the saltiness of the anchovy and the sweetness of the fried potato meet each other exactly where they should. The rosemary rises quietly at the back of the nose, one beat later.

"Kyoto Fritto" — Two Very Different Plates

Search for "Kyoto fritto" in Japanese and the first hits are takeaway potato specialists tucked inside Daimaru or Isetan — freshly fried in a paper cup, eaten on the move. Light, fun, absolutely fine.

What is harder to find in Kyoto is the other kind: fried potatoes eaten seated, beside a glass of wine, with the aroma of rosemary and anchovy drifting up from the plate. Bello Vero's fried potatoes are written for that second kind of evening. Not a one-bite snack, but an antipasto that slowly disappears between pauses in the conversation.

Wines to Pair, and the Pleasure of Afternoon Drinking

The salt of the anchovy and the green note of rosemary sit very comfortably beside a light white wine. A Sicilian Grillo or Catarratto, a Soave from northern Italy — a dry, mineral-driven bottle is a good first move. Add a glass of Champagne and the bubbles and hot oil simply keep cancelling each other out; the plate never seems to end.

Wine is served by the bottle only; Champagne is the sole exception and can be ordered by the glass. A late afternoon, just back from Ginkakuji or the Philosopher's Path, with a glass of Champagne and a plate of fried potatoes — it is a very reasonable way to start drinking in the daylight.

A Hidden Gem in Kitashirakawa — 15 Minutes on Foot from Ginkakuji

Kitashirakawa is a distinctive corner of Kyoto where the tourist and the local overlap. Walk 10 to 15 minutes north from Ginkakuji along Shirakawa-dori, and you are here. It is also within 10 minutes' walk of the northern end of the Philosopher's Path. With Kyoto University and Kyoto University of the Arts just nearby, students and longtime residents have always mingled in these streets.

Most restaurants near Ginkakuji close by 17:00 or 18:00, which leaves late-afternoon travellers without many options for dinner. Bello Vero stays open from 13:00 through 22:00, so the Silver Pavilion or the Philosopher's Path in the afternoon and a relaxed late dinner afterwards both fit into the same day. Drop in as a hidden-gem stop in Kitashirakawa, whether for early wine or a proper evening meal.

The Antipasto Lineup

Bello Vero keeps a proper antipasto list. Beyond the fried potatoes, order whichever fits the mood:

• Fried Potatoes with Anchovy Garlic Butter
• Seasonal Vegetable Fritto — 6 kinds
• Semi-Dried Tomato Caprese
• Carrot Rapé
• Mushroom and New Onion Salad
• Caponata
• Jamón Serrano
• Fish Carpaccio / Beef Carpaccio
• Homemade Focaccia

Getting Here from Ginkakuji & the Philosopher's Path

After visiting Ginkakuji, head north along Shirakawa-dori and you will arrive in 10 to 15 minutes on foot. From the northern end of the Philosopher's Path it is also within 10 minutes. The nearest bus stop is "Kitashirakawa" (about 2 min on foot), and from Eizan Railway "Chayama · Kyoto University of the Arts" station it is about 10 minutes.