Kyoto’s Kiyamachi neighbourhood, located just a few hops away from the bustling Kawaramachi shopping street, recently welcomed a new music lounge. The brainchild of Tomoyuki Tanaka, who goes by his DJ name ‘Fantastic Plastic Machine’, Ful calls itself a ‘sound forest’, as it offers music as well as food and drinks in a lush plant-filled setting.
With a trendy interior designed by Hiroyuki Matsunaka, this laidback dining bar mixes natural materials with industrial chic concrete structures, and features vintage furniture from renowned designers. With 78 seats divided into three sections – a sofa lounge, a counter bar and a dining area – Ful is an unusually spacious hangout by Kyoto standards.
More impressively, the space resembles a forest filled with succulents and tropical plants, arranged around three massive teak trees that serve as the interior design’s focal points. Several florists as well as professional ‘plant hunters’ were tasked with achieving this indoor ‘jungle’ environment.
As for the top-notch sound system, Ful utilises ten ceiling-mounted speakers from premium audio brand 1 Sound to create an immersive yet conversation-friendly atmosphere. While the music policy here spans various genres, the focus is mainly on down-tempo, chill tunes that promote relaxation.
The drinks menu features inventive cocktails created by famed bartender Keita Saito of Liquid Works. The concoctions are made with Japanese ingredients to express different themes. Additionally, there's a curated selection of 120 bottles of natural wines, speciality teas from 7T+ and coffee from Weekenders Coffee.
The food menu, on the other hand, is inspired by Tanaka, who is widely known to be a foodie. You can expect popular Japanese street food, but with a twist, such as a brioche French toast with dashi egg sandwich and truffle aroma, and wagyu beef sukiyaki spring rolls with an egg yolk dip.
For more information, check Ful’s website.
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