LO : "last order"
: Open late  : Open Sundays  : Notable decor
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JR Osaka area
This section covers Umeda 3-chome (Acty, Daimaru, Hotel Granvia), Umeda 1-chome (E-ma, Maru Bldg, etc.), and south of Kita-Shinchi. Areas to the west (Herbis Plaza, Ent, Hilton West) are covered in the Umeda 2-chome guide, and those to the north and east are covered in the Hankyu Umeda area guide.
See area restaurant map.
Umeda 3-chome
Ab (Buffet). 06-6347-1439. This lively hotel restaurant is worth knowing about for its lunchtime buffet (Y1890 weekdays, Y2100 weekends). They also offer a dessert buffet if you're in need of a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. [feedback]  Umeda 3-1-1, Grand Via Hotel 19F. Open 11am-3:30, 4:30-11pm daily. Gofu (Japanese). 06-6457-1108. Enjoy the view and the rather flashy decor along with Gofu's "creative Japanese cuisine" - dinners average around Y4500. [feedback] | |
This stunningly appointed restaurant offers serious modern Italian cooking at accessible prices - full-course lunches are Y2100-4725, and dinners start at Y5775, although the bill climbs quickly when you order a la carte (main dishes average around Y4000). The magnificent dining room - with its high ceilings and panoramic views - is as important a part of the experience as the food. [feedback] | |
Seasonal kaiseki (from Y4000), nabe stews, tempura and premium sake are the draw here, along with nice views looking north over Umeda. [feedback] | |
Umeda 1-chome
Iori (Soba/Udon). 06-6347-5156. Mini-kaiseki soba and udon-based menus start at Y5000 at this no-frills hotel restaurant. [feedback]Umeda 1-8-16, Hilton Plaza 6F. Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily. Good sushi at affordable prices in this convenient hotel setting; 10-piece sets start at Y4725. [feedback] | |
You'll find top-class yakitori, good seasonal seafood and other side dishes, and numerous regional sake brands at this friendly, English-speaking hotel yakitori-ya. [feedback] | |
Ashoka (Indian). 06-6346-0333. Good curries at budget prices in this basement branch of Kyoto's famous Indian-restaurant landmark. [feedback]Umeda 1-9-20, Maru Building B2F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-9pm (LO). Closed 3rd Monday. Bali Lax (Misc. Southeast Asian). 06-6347-0015. The elaborate interior here looks like it was airlifted from a beach resort in Bali, and the space is set up for parties of up to 100 people at a time. The food is a fun mix of various Southeast Asian favorites. [feedback] | |
One of the rare places in town where you'll find Nagasaki-style noodle dishes, including sara-udon - stir-fried seafood, pork and vegetables in a thick sauce served on a bed of crunchy ramen noodles. [feedback] | |
Sure you can get takoyaki anywhere in town, but here the metal takoyaki grills are actually built into the tables, and the grills also serve as a motif for the decor here, if it can be called that. Signed photos of local celebrity diners adorn the walls. [feedback] | |
One of the nicest restaurants in an otherwise dowdy office building basement, this branch of the Kobe shop serves carefully crafted Vietnamese dishes with a Japanese sensibility. Take-out available. [feedback] | |
A (Kushiage). 06-4795-7594. Reasonably priced gourmet kushiage (10 skewers for Y2000), plus sushi from the small sushi bar at one end of the restaurant. [See FULL REVIEW.] [feedback] | |
This hip little cafe with attached art-oriented bookstore is a relaxing place for a break from shopping in E-ma or nearby. There's a substantial, inexpensive food menu featuring quiche, stews and lasagne plus pies and cakes. [feedback] | |
From the outside it may remind you of one of those little boutiques selling African carvings and Indian-print dresses; inside you'll find curries and other "ethnic" dishes plus a good dessert selection. [feedback] | |
Hanau (Tempura). 06-6442-5875. This budget-friendly shop serves udon noodles or donburi rice dishes paired with shrimp tempura. [feedback] | |
Szechuan-style tantan-men (ramen noodles with meat in broth) comes in two variations here - sweet or hot. Just Y700 per bowl. [feedback] | |
This chic, dimly lit dining bar serves original cuisine including excellent grilled meats and many more vegetable-based dishes than average. Sake comes by the glass or in 3-glass tasting sets, economically priced at Y1200. Dinner with drinks runs around Y5000. [feedback] | |
Attached to a florist/plant shop, Tacy is one of the greenest, leafiest cafes in town, with seating both outdoors and in. The food menu is limited to desserts. [feedback] | |
This small teashop at the entrance to E-ma's basement offers a surprisingly large selection of teas and desserts, including galettes and crepes as well as cake. [feedback] | |
Uoman (Nabemono). 06-4795-7517. The big counter area visible from the entrance only hints at the marvels that lie within - this tastefully decorated dining bar is a cut above the average izakaya, with an excellent (and inexpensive) sake list and quite good snacks to go with it. [feedback] | |
The very popular Restaurant Okinawa fills up soon after work lets out, probably because of their cheap drinks. The Okinawan food - dishes like champuru stir-fries and pig's ear - seems mainly intended to accompany the drinks. [feedback] Umeda 1-1-3, Umeda Ekimae Dai-3 Bldg B1F. Open 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays. | |
Kansai's first Tunisian restaurant serves fantastic couscous and other traditional North African fare in a small but comfortable basement space. You'll even find Belgian beer to go with your meal. Budget around Y3000 for dinner. Lunch is served on weekends only. [feedback] | |
South of Kita-Shinchi
Mogami (Kushiage). 06-6345-9085. Earthen walls with backlit niches and the spacious dining room at Mogami elevate the humble kushikatsu (fried morsels on skewers) to a feast. There are 36 different kinds, from fish to vegetables, quail eggs to cheese. However, the indecisive are well catered for. The chefs serve an array of skewers at your table or your place at the long, wide counter until you have had enough. You then say "koko made desu" ("until here" in Japanese). You pay for what you have eaten, as well as any Yamagata sake or wine you have drunk along the way. There is an English-language menu at Mogami and the staff speaks English. Y16,000 for two, including drinks. [feedback]Sonezaki Shinchi 1-10-16. Open 11:30am-10:30pm (LO) daily. A classic old-style Kansai steakhouse that looks like it was frozen in time at some point in the late 1970s; the picture of Bill Clinton on the wall dates back to when he was a governor. Dinner starts at Y8000. [feedback]Sonezaki Shinchi 1-10-2. Open 11:30am-2, 5-9:30pm. Closed Sundays. | |
Karma (Club). 06-6344-6181. This long-running club has a varied music schedule during the week, and inexpensive lunches at midday. [feedback] | |
Sun (Japanese). 06-6367-5512. One of the older branches of Sun (they opened in 1996), with first-rate izakaya fare, pleasant decor and panoramic views in several directions. Full-course menus start at Y5500, or you can order a la carte. [feedback] | |
Isshin (Japanese). 06-4709-3020. There are only sixteen seats in this small kappo restaurant, east of Kita-shinchi. The Osaka legal profession work in this area and of an evening head to Isshin for refreshment. Order the omakase (chef's suggestion, Y3500) and be regaled. The quantity and quality of the food here confirm Osaka's reputation for good food at reasonable prices. Sashimi, tempura, crab, and the freshest seasonal ingredients are on the menu, with a range of premium sakes to match. Y10,000 for two, including drinks. [feedback]Nishi-Tenma 4--12--2, Oshima Bldg B1F. Open 11:30am-2, 5-11:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays. You'll find authentic Portuguese cuisine prepared by a native chef in this homey little restaurant. The food is very down-to-earth - rabbit stew, garlic-fried shrimp, grilled meats, codfish croquettes, vegetable soups. There's an impressive selection of unusual Portuguese wines, with premium wines of the day priced around Y1500 and house wines under Y1000/glass. Budget around Y5000-7000 for dinner and drinks. [feedback] | |
Akashiya (Japanese regional). 06-6341-3910. The prices on the menu outside Akashiya are in U.S. dollars and the sign reads: we have loco food. Does this mean crazy or local? It's a little of both. Masa, your congenial host, will cook up an Osaka culinary storm of akashiyaki (takoyaki in a light soup), ikayaki (grilled squid) and handmade gyoza. And what could be better than a glass of super-strong Samurai sake to wash it down with? The daily set menu is Y2500 on weekdays and Y2100 on weekends, when Kita-shinchi slows down a little. The set includes a fish dish, gyoza, rice, pickles, and of course, akashiyaki. [feedback] | |
Amelie (French). 06-6341-7782. The provincial cuisine of Bretagne (Brittany) is the specialty here, including some 40 varieties of galettes (savory buckwheat crepes). Lunch is served till 3pm, and in the evenings the bar is open till 2:30am; the regular food menu is served till 11pm. The interior is huge and spaciously laid out, and outdoor terrace seating is also available. [feedback] | |
Reliably good izakaya fare (homemade tofu, soba noodles, grilled chicken, sashimi) and a better-than-average sake selection, including tasting sets. [feedback]Dojima-Hama 1-2-6, Shindai Bldg B1F. (on the street just N of the river, 1 1/2 blocks W of Midosuji, N side) Open 11am-2, 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays. | |
More of a bar than a restaurant, with counter seating on the main level and lounge-y sofas upstairs. They offer a limited Italian food menu, and serve Belgian beers as well as Italian wines. [feedback] | |
Oude Kaas's chef worked in Holland for 13 years before he decided to bring the flavors of Dutch cooking back to Osaka with him. There's a good selection of beers (German and Belgian mainly) to go with the unusual food. The latter include excellent stamppot (mashed potatoes with whatever vegetables and seasonings are around the kitchen that day) and over 60 pancake variations (combos like cheese, banana, rum raisin and salami). [feedback]Nishi-Tenma 2-5-2, Nishitenma Bldg B1F. (from Yodoyabashi station walk N on Midosuji, crossing two bridges, then turn right at the police box) Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays. | |
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Umeda 3-3-20, Meiji-Yasuda Seimei Bldg 30F. Open 11:30am-2, 6-9:30pm. Closed 1st, 3rd Mondays. 
Sonezaki Shinchi 1-5-18. Open 11:30am-4am daily. 
