You need a strategy when you're visiting a city the size of Kyoto. Ours was simple: No tourist spots, no taxis and no traipsing around. We were there to eat.
We had a day and a half, just time for three good meals (not counting breakfast). So, instead of zooming from one side of the city to the other — we've seen the main sights many times over, anyway — our plan was to relax, explore on foot and stick to a single neighborhood.
Our focus was the quadrant to the southeast of the busy Shijo-Kawaramachi Crossing. This area, sandwiched between the mighty Kamogawa River and the scenic Takasegawa canal, is much quieter than the brash Pontocho/Kiyamachi entertainment district to the north.