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We've divided our beer specialty bars into craft-beer specialists (usually Japanese and US craft breweries) and Belgian and other beer bars.
Osaka
Craft beers - Japanese and imported
[ Open 6pm-1am (Sun -11pm) daily. ]
Formerly known as "Craft Beer Kitchen Pogo," the bar now offers both craft beer and hard cider on tap. The Italian food menu features big appetizer platters, pizzas, pastas and grilled meats and...
[ Open 6pm-1am (Sun -11pm) daily. ]
[ Open 5pm-1am. Closed Sundays. ]
The 23 taps at Craft Beer Works Kamikaze serve mostly Japanese craft beers, with a few US imports as well. Food and service are good, but it can get crowded during busy times and seating can be...
[ Open 5pm-1am. Closed Sundays. ]
[ Open 5pm-2am. Closed Sundays. ]
Thirty beers, mostly Japanese craft beers, are served on tap here along with bar snacks like pizza. The Y320 table charge includes a small appetizer.
[ Open 5pm-2am. Closed Sundays. ]
[ Open 3pm-midnight daily. ]
Kyobashi may be off the beaten track for Osaka craft-beer bar denizens, but this cozy neighborhood spot is worth checking out if you're anywhere nearby. There's a big tap list, including eight...
[ Open 3pm-midnight daily. ]
[ Open 4-11pm daily. ]
Past the front counter with its 20 taps, beyond the huge refrigerators stocked with 300 different canned beers, the main dining area here is quite stylishly appointed and surprisingly spacious. ...
[ Open 4-11pm daily. ]
[ Open 6pm-midnight. Closed Tuesdays. ]
This extremely informal, charmingly scruffy bar has one of the most impressive selections of US craft beers by the bottle that we've seen in town, usually with more than 100 to choose from. Most...
[ Open 6pm-midnight. Closed Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 5pm-midnight. Closed Sundays. ]
A successor to the legendary craft-beer pioneer Q-Brick, this convivial beer bar serves six US craft beers on tap along with nice Utsunomiya-style gyoza.
[ Open 5pm-midnight. Closed Sundays. ]
[ Open 3pm-midnight daily. ]
Fourteen taps, including four hand pumps, all dispense beers from Osaka's Minoh Brewery at this spacious company-run taproom. The food menu is decent, with a wide range of tapas dishes.
[ Open 3pm-midnight daily. ]
[ Open 11am-11:30pm daily. ]
Run by Osaka's adventurous Bak brewery, this Umeda outlet serves ten of the brewery's beers on tap along with a small food menu. It's a pleasant spot located inside the Grand Front Osaka's stylish...
[ Open 11am-11:30pm daily. ]
[ Open noon-2, 5-11:30pm daily. ]
A lively standing bar, conveniently located in the Hankyu Sanbangai station complex, Molto serves four craft beers on tap along with several dozen by the bottle. They also have around ten wines by...
[ Open noon-2, 5-11:30pm daily. ]
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Leaf is a bottle shop, taproom and restaurant run by the Craft Beer Base group to showcase their beers. Ten of their fifteen taps are devoted to CBB's innovative series of Osaka-brewed beers, with...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 3-10pm (Sat, Sun from noon). Closed Tuesdays. ]
Originally known as Kansai's best retail shop for imported beers, Craft Beer Base have expanded their operations to include a restaurant, bar, on-premises brewery and bottle shop. These are all...
[ Open 3-10pm (Sat, Sun from noon). Closed Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily. ]
When Craft Beer Market opened their first branch in Tokyo they shook up the craft-beer scene with their low prices, wide beer selection, good food and overall mass appeal. Their first Osaka branch...
[ Open 11am-11pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
It's hard to beat Craft Beer Market for price and beer selection. Offering thirty domestic and imported craft beers on tap, they charge just Y550 for a small glass and Y880 for a pint, plus a very...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
[ Open 5pm-2am. Closed Tuesdays. ]
The eight taps at this tiny bar here dispense a rotating selection of well-chosen craft beers, mostly from Japan, the US and Germany. Imperial pints are priced at Y1080. Open from 3pm weekends.
[ Open 5pm-2am. Closed Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5-11pm daily. ]
Craft Beer House Molto is definitely the highest craft-beer bar in Osaka, offering a fine view of the city from its 31st-floor location. There's a full menu of Italian food (budget around Y4000 at...
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5-11pm daily. ]
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Located in the lively basement bar zone of Hanshin department store, this compact outlet of importer-turned-brewer Craft Beer Base is equipped with ten taps, seven of which are devoted to their own...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
[ Open 11:30am-10:30pm daily. ]
A lively, very down-to-earth craft-beer bar, Bud offers an inspired selection from their eight taps - generally four brews from the US and two each from Japan and Europe. All pints are priced at...
[ Open 11:30am-10:30pm daily. ]
[ Open 3-10pm (Sat, Sun 11-10). Closed Mondays. ]
This outlet of Shizuoka's highly regarded West Coast Brewery is equipped with six taps dispensing their beers, plus a couple of fridges filled with canned and bottled product. The brewery is known...
[ Open 3-10pm (Sat, Sun 11-10). Closed Mondays. ]
Belgian beers
[ Open noon-12:30am (LO) daily. ]
This conveniently located cafe is part of the popular chain of Osaka Belgian beer bars, and stocks around 100 beers, mostly from Belgium. Unfortunately the food menu is rather lackluster, and even...
[ Open noon-12:30am (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 10am-9:45pm (LO) daily. ]
Conveniently located next to the Namba subway station, Beer's Table Keller Keller carries a couple dozen Belgian beers by the bottle, priced from around Y1,200. On tap you'll find a few common...
[ Open 10am-9:45pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 10:30am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
If you're in the mood for a Belgian beer before you catch your train, this small branch of the Keller Keller chain serves a couple dozen Belgian beers by the bottle, mostly in the Y1000-1200 range,...
[ Open 10:30am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Regale - Belgian rest/beer bar: Tanimachi 4-chome [ Open 6pm-3am. Closed Sundays. ]
Worth noting for their late-night hours, Regale serves a handful of Belgian beers on tap, including DeKoninck and Brigand, as well as more than 70 by the bottle. The food menu features the usual...
[ Open 6pm-3am. Closed Sundays. ]
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5pm-midnight (LO; Sun -11pm) daily. ]
Good yakitori and Belgian beers, from the Dolphins chain of Belgian beer bar-restaurants. Budget around Y3000-3500 for dinner and drinks.
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5pm-midnight (LO; Sun -11pm) daily. ]
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Run by a beer import company, this sister shop of the nearby World Beer Museum serves draft beers from Czechia, Belgium, Germany, the UK and the US, including tasting flights. They also offer a big...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
[ Open noon-2, 4-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Located on the fourth floor of the Innogate Osaka station building at the western end of JR Osaka Station, this branch of the Belgian beer-bar chain serves more than fifty beers. There are seven on...
[ Open noon-2, 4-10pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
One of the more stylish branches of this Osaka Belgian bar chain, Keller Keller Kranz is located in the Fukoku Forest Square dining complex, accessible from the Whity underground shopping arcade. ...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 11:30am-midnight. Closed Sundays. ]
Barrel serves very good Belgian cuisine and a nice assortment of Belgian beers, including several on tap.
[ Open 11:30am-midnight. Closed Sundays. ]
Other beers
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO; 2am Fri/Sat) daily. ]
Bears serves more than 100 different beers from around the world, along with bar food like nachos, sausages, calamari, and fried chicken fajitas. The stand-up bar is open till 2am weekends; there's...
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO; 2am Fri/Sat) daily. ]
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
With more than 300 seats and several different bar counters and table areas, this sprawling complex is more like a world-beer theme park than a typical bar. The place is run by a beer importer, so...
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Retail
[ Open 11am-9pm daily. ]
This nationwide chain specializes in imported wines and liquors, and they also carry a miscellaneous assortment of imported foods. They also stock several Belgian beers by the bottle along with...
[ Open 11am-9pm daily. ]
[ Open 3-10pm (Sat, Sun from noon). Closed Tuesdays. ]
Originally known as Kansai's best retail shop for imported beers, Craft Beer Base have expanded their operations to include a restaurant, bar, on-premises brewery and bottle shop. These are all...
[ Open 3-10pm (Sat, Sun from noon). Closed Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
With more than 300 seats and several different bar counters and table areas, this sprawling complex is more like a world-beer theme park than a typical bar. The place is run by a beer importer, so...
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Kobe
Craft beers - Japanese and imported
[ Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily. ]
This big second branch of Hop Stand yakitori restaurant has forty terrace seats and another forty inside. They serve several different craft beers from Rokko brewery plus a collection of...
[ Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 5-11pm (Sa, Su 3-11). Closed Mondays. ]
A popular neighborhood standing bar (though they have four seats as well), Hare to Ke is unusual in that they offer craft ciders as well as craft beers. There are eight taps dispensing the wares of...
[ Open 5-11pm (Sa, Su 3-11). Closed Mondays. ]
[ Open 11:30am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Run by Kobe craft brewery Open Air, this central-Motomachi taproom serves a dozen of their beers on tap plus a lineup of canned beers. They're open all day, and the spacious upstairs dining room...
[ Open 11:30am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 11am-9pm. Closed Tuesdays. ]
The attractive setting and the excellent background music, mostly classic R&B and funk, are the biggest draws at this cozy brewpub located on Rokko Island. Regular beers are priced at Y730 and Y1120...
[ Open 11am-9pm. Closed Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 5pm-midnight (Sun 2-10) daily. ]
Craft beers from Rokko brewery are served with yakitori at this small bar. There are generally five or six craft beers on draft (along with three macros), served in four different sizes and priced...
[ Open 5pm-midnight (Sun 2-10) daily. ]
[ Open 5-11pm. Closed Wednesdays. ]
Formerly the Rokko Beer Diner, this brewery taproom serves beers from Rokko Brewery, Starboard, and a decent selection of guest beers - we noted Boundary Bay and Coronado among the breweries during...
[ Open 5-11pm. Closed Wednesdays. ]
[ Open 11am-3, 5-9pm (LO) daily. ]
This popular cafe-style restaurant serves "farm-to-table" fare, with heaping "one-plate" lunches. The buttermilk fried chicken is a specialty of the house, and is recommended. Japanese craft beers...
[ Open 11am-3, 5-9pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
This charming Kobe landmark serves a full range of Sapporo beers, and a huge, 150-item food menu. The small brewery in the basement produced two craft beers - a somewhat fruity wheat beer and a...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
[ Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
This Rokko beer stand takes center stage inside the "Tooth Tooth Mart Food Hall & Night Fes," the fancy food court underneath Kobe Port Museum. They serve eight beers from Rokko Brewery on tap,...
[ Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Belgian beers
[ Open 1pm-midnight. Closed Tuesdays. ]
This cozy local beer specialist has seven seats at the bar and a few tables. In addition to four hand-pumped ales they offer more than 100 bottled beers, including a wide selection of Belgian...
[ Open 1pm-midnight. Closed Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 11:30am-11pm daily. ]
Brugge is one of the few places in town where you can find a multiplicity of Belgian beers, in a convenient location right at the foot of Ikuta Road.
[ Open 11:30am-11pm daily. ]
Kyoto
Craft beers - Japanese and imported
[ Open noon-9:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays, Tuesdays. ]
If you're wandering around Kyoto's Gion district near Yasaka Shrine and find yourself in need of a cold drink, this cozy brewpub offers craft beers and ciders for here or to go, and even has a...
[ Open noon-9:30pm (LO). Closed Mondays, Tuesdays. ]
[ Open 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays. ]
Seven craft beers on tap and good food at this neighborhood craft-beer bar.
[ Open 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays. ]
Bungalow - Beer bar: Karasuma [ Open 3pm-1am (LO; Sun 12-10pm). Closed Mondays. ]
One of the better places for craft beer in Kyoto (there isn't much competition), Bunglaow has ten taps devoted to Japanese craft breweries as well as a good menu of French and European bistro fare. ...
[ Open 3pm-1am (LO; Sun 12-10pm). Closed Mondays. ]
Before 9 - Beer bar: Karasuma-Oike [ Open 5pm-1am daily. ]
This stylish two-story bar, located in a converted machiya townhouse, serves both craft beer and artisanal sake. Kyoto Brewing Co, a local brewer, is well represented on the bar's eight taps, and...
[ Open 5pm-1am daily. ]
[ Open 11am-10pm daily. ]
By far the hippest beer bar in Kyoto, Dig The Line offers a good selection of imported craft beers and ciders, excellent music (with regular DJ events), and comfortable seating both indoors and out. ...
[ Open 11am-10pm daily. ]
[ Open 4-11:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Appetizing aromas wafting from the direction of the deep fryer are one of the charms of this lively craft-beer bar, although they occasionally clash with customers' cigarette smoke. Eight taps...
[ Open 4-11:30pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 11:30am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Ichiya's spacious dining room is definitely a cut above your average beer bar, with stylish modern decor, comfortable seating and an invigorating musical soundtrack. Launched in August 2016 by...
[ Open 11:30am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
[ Open 8am-11:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Located on the ground floor of a popular hostel, this budget-friendly cafe-bar offers a good selection of drinks, including draft beers from Kyoto Brewing and Baird (Shizuoka), a few types of sake,...
[ Open 8am-11:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Karr - Beer bar: Kyoto City Hall [ Open 3pm-1am. Closed Thursdays. ]
'Good beer! Good ham! Good music!' reads the sign on the wall, and this is a manifesto we wholeheartedly endorse. Pub Karr is a cozy, friendly little spot, well suited to a group outing if you don't...
[ Open 3pm-1am. Closed Thursdays. ]
Miyama 162 - Beer bar: Kyoto City Hall [ Open 6pm-midnight (LO; Fri, Sat -2am). Closed Wednesdays. ]
This cozy dining bar offers venison, wild boar and other game dishes along with craft beer and craft whisky. Draft beers include four types from Kyoto Brewing, a local favorite, along with Yona Yona...
[ Open 6pm-midnight (LO; Fri, Sat -2am). Closed Wednesdays. ]
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
Thirty beers on tap, reasonable prices and decent food - that's the formula that has made Craft Beer Market a popular drinking destination in Tokyo, Osaka and now Kyoto. Most beers are priced at...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
[ Open 11am-midnight daily. ]
A very attractive two-story bar-restaurant, Crafthouse offers excellent food and drink in a beautiful setting. Twelve taps dispense beers from well-regarded Japanese craft breweries like Two Rabbits...
[ Open 11am-midnight daily. ]
[ Open 3-11pm daily. ]
This small brewpub offers eight of their own well-produced beers on tap. These often including creative varieties like Macadamia Brown Ale, Blueberry Cheesecake Sour, and Wasabi-Salt Gueuze. The...
[ Open 3-11pm daily. ]
Belgian beers
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