Local Osaka specialties
Kushiage
Kushinobo - Kushiage: Nagahori
[ Open 11am-10pm daily. ]
Good-quality kushiyaki deep-fried skewers from this Tokyo-based chain. Budget around Y2500-3500 at dinnertime.
[ Open 11am-10pm daily. ]
Iruri - Kushiage: Tennoji
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Kushiage restaurants are one of the attractions of the very down-to-earth bar zone around Shinsekai's Tsutenkaku Tower, and there are a lot to choose from. But while other shops are content to serve...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Ageha - Kushiage: Umeda
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Ageha isn't super-fancy, but they turn out reliable, good-quality kushiage skewers at reasonable prices. There are four prix-fixe menus at both lunch and dinner, with somewhat more premium...
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Kushinobo - Kushiage: Umeda
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Reliable deep-fried meat and seafood skewers from this Tokyo-based shop. Budget around Y3,500 at night, Y1,000 at lunchtime.
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Kushiya Monogatari - Kushiage: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
All-you-can-eat deep-fried skewers of meat and vegetables, plus assorted side dishes and desserts, will set you back Y2625 (or Y1575 at lunchtime). There's a two-hour limit, so don't dawdle over the...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
Mogami - Kushiage: Umeda
[ Open 11:30am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
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,...
[ Open 11:30am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Takoyaki
Akashiya - Akashiyaki: Umeda
[ Open 5pm -2am (LO). Closed Mondays. ]
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...
[ Open 5pm -2am (LO). Closed Mondays. ]
Bubutei - Akashiyaki: Umeda
[ Open 10am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Akashiyaki - the main attraction at Bubutei - is a variation of takoyaki, made with a more eggy batter and served with a mild dipping broth rather than being smothered in sauce. It's native to the...
[ Open 10am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
More local dishes
Chibo - Okonomiyaki: Namba
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Five floors of okonomiyaki action here at Chibo headquarters overlooking the river. Actually the top floor - called "President Chibo" - specializes in grilled steaks.
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho - Retail: Osakako
[ Open 10am-8pm daily. ]
While it doesn't demand a special trip across town on its own, this mini-food theme park is worth a stop if you're off to the nearby aquarium or Suntory Museum. Eighteen quaint little shops sell...
[ Open 10am-8pm daily. ]
Boteju - Okonomiyaki: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
This national chain prepares good-quality okonomiyaki, yakisoba, "modern-yaki", and interesting five-color "salads" of shredded vegetables. They also do a Hiroshima-style option. Take-out is...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
Fugetsu - Okonomiyaki: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Besides the usual okonomiyaki variations, Fugetsu also serves grilled seafood - a combo of octopus tentacles, shrimp, squid and oysters is Y1050.
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Takoume (Bunten) - Oden: Umeda
[ Open 4-10pm (LO) daily. ]
The menu here is deep, with strange and unexpected variations on the oden theme - shiitake mushrooms, lotus roots, ginkgo nuts, oysters, plus a separate menu of whale delicacies. The ambience is...
[ Open 4-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Japanese budget cuisines
Rikyu - Japanese regional: Tennoji
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Good charcoal-grilled beef tongue from this Sendai-based chain. You'll also find beef-tongue curries, stews, sausages and other yoshoku-style dishes, along with regional sake from Miyagi Prefecture. ...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Motomura - Gyukatsu: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Gyukatsu (deep-fried beef cutlet) restaurants have gradually spread across Japan from their origins in Tokyo, and Motomura is perhaps the most popular Tokyo chain. Served rare in the middle with a...
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Rikyu - Japanese regional: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Good charcoal-grilled beef tongue from this Sendai-based chain. You'll also find beef-tongue curries, stews, sausages and other yoshoku-style dishes, along with regional sake from Miyagi Prefecture. ...
[ Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Shikokuya - Udon: Umeda 2-chome
[ Open 11am-10pm daily. ]
Curry udon - a soupy Japanese curry served with thick udon noodles rather than rice - is the specialty of the house here. Variations include stewed beef-tendon, pork cutlet, pork with bean sprout;...
[ Open 11am-10pm daily. ]
Ringer Hut - Japanese regional: Namba
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
This Kyushu-based noodle shop serves tasty Nagasaki-style champon, sara-udon noodles and side dishes at budget prices.
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Chuoken Whity Umeda - Ramen: Umeda
[ Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Located midway along one of Umeda's sprawling underground malls, Chuoken is one of the rare places in town where you can find Nagasaki-style noodle dishes. Our favorite is their sara-udon -...
[ Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Ippudo - Ramen: Umeda
[ Open 11am-11pm (3am Fri, Sat) daily. ]
Ippudo's Hakata-style ramen noodles, served in a surprisingly rich pork broth, draw the crowds here every night. It's worth the occasional wait.
[ Open 11am-11pm (3am Fri, Sat) daily. ]
Curry
Spice Curry Maruse - Curry: Chayamachi
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
One look at the dozens of colorful jars lining the counter at Spice Curry Maruse will convince you that they take the "spice" part of their name seriously. Occupying the ground floor of a quaint old...
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Saboten Shokudo - Curry: Higobashi
[ Open 11:30am-3, 6-9pm. Closed Sundays. ]
The prize-winning Japanese curries served are rich and complex in flavor, made with a mix of Indian spices added to a meaty European-style stock. The deep-fried beef cutlet in the gyukatsu curry has...
[ Open 11:30am-3, 6-9pm. Closed Sundays. ]
San Marco - Curry: Shin-Osaka
[ Open 10:30am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
This branch of the popular Kansai-based Japanese curry chain is conveniently located for a quick snack before you catch the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka station. Popular items include "European-style"...
[ Open 10:30am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Bruno - Curry: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
Bruno brings you old-school retro curry-shop decor and a nice selection of Japanese curries - including squid - all at budget prices.
[ Open 11am-10:30pm daily. ]
Kyu Yamu Tetsudo - Curry: Umeda
[ Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily. ]
With its innovative juxtapositions of contrasting flavors and spices borrowed from different culinary cultures, Osaka-style "spice curry" pushes the boundaries of Japanese curry cuisine. Kyu Yamu...
[ Open 11am-9pm (LO) daily. ]
Rojiura Curry Samurai - Soup curry: Umeda
[ Open 11am-3, 5-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Sapporo-based soup curry shop Rojiura is famous for their tasty farm-fresh vegetables and their endlessly customizable bowls.
[ Open 11am-3, 5-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Izakaya style
Hottokeya - Izakaya: Nagahori
[ Open 11am-3, 5-10:15pm (LO) daily. ]
The original Japanese cuisine here includes lotus-root burgers, beef croquettes, and lots of grilled chicken. The dramatically lit interior and cave-like entrance make the most of this underground...
[ Open 11am-3, 5-10:15pm (LO) daily. ]
Uoman - Izakaya: Namba
[ Open 11am-2:30, 5-10pm (LO) daily. ]
This lovely modern-style izakaya serves great seasonal sashimi and seafood dishes, grilled chicken, and well-chosen premium sake. Around Y4000 for dinner and drinks.
[ Open 11am-2:30, 5-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Tohoku Tabesa - Japanese regional: Umeda
[ Open 4pm-1am daily. ]
Kiritampo (toasted rice on skewers) from Akita, tongue stew from Sendai, and other dozens of other exotic specialties from the Tohoku region are the specialty at this lively izakaya. You'll also...
[ Open 4pm-1am daily. ]
Tsukada Nojo - Japanese regional: Umeda
[ Open 5pm-midnight (Fri, Sat -3am) daily. ]
First-rate Miyazaki chicken dishes, regional Kyushu fare and local shochu brands are the specialties at this reasonably priced, unpretentious Miyazaki-based izakaya chain. Budget around Y3000-4000...
[ Open 5pm-midnight (Fri, Sat -3am) daily. ]
Okinawa - Okinawan: Umeda 1-chome
[ Open 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays. ]
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...
[ Open 5-10pm (LO). Closed Sundays. ]
Yakitori
Nakai - Yakitori: Tenmabashi
[ 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. ]
Kuruma - Yakitori: Umeda
[ Open 5-11 (LO) daily. ]
Miyazaki free-range chicken is the main ingredient at Kuruma, with chicken sukiyaki and chicken shabu-shabu supplementing the usual yakitori menu. The tasteful interior is plusher than what you'd...
[ Open 5-11 (LO) daily. ]
Manten Kushiyaki - Yakitori: Umeda
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Tempting skewers of grilled meats and vegetables - often smothered in cheese or paired with bacon - are the draw at this very casual yakitori shop. Popular favorites include grilled camembert cheese...
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Japanese sake
Shimada Shoten - Liquor shop: Kita-Horie
[ Open 9am-7pm (6pm Sat). Closed Sundays. ]
Beneath this ordinary-looking sake shop - through a hole in the floor and down a narrow ladder - is a hidden sake tasting cave with a big selection of premium sake from around the country, including...
[ Open 9am-7pm (6pm Sat). Closed Sundays. ]
Hokuriku Plus Bar - Sake bar: Umeda
[ Open 11am-7:30pm (LO) daily. ]
This standing bar inside a regional antenna shop showcases sake from Hokuriku (Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui Prefectures), serving it alongside sake-friendly snacks. Between the bar counter and the...
[ Open 11am-7:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Sawara - Oden: Umeda
[ Open 11am-2:30, 5-10pm daily. ]
Sawara is one of the more stylish sake bars in town, with late-night hours (until 4am), a live DJ spinning dance music, and a panoramic nighttime view of the JR Osaka station area. You can sample a...
[ Open 11am-2:30, 5-10pm daily. ]
Dining bars
Sun - Japanese: Umeda
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm daily. ]
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...
[ Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm daily. ]
Maimon - Japanese: Umeda 2-chome
[ Open 11am-11:30pm daily. ]
Exquisite seafood and grilled chicken, an impressive limited-edition sake list, and a highly dramatic dining space - this sister shop of Megu in New York is definitely one of Osaka's most exciting...
[ Open 11am-11:30pm daily. ]
Sun - Japanese: Umeda 2-chome
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Another architecturally inspired branch of Sun, this one featuring a dramatically lit garden of raked sand spread out beneath a raised seating area along one wall. The menu includes well-crafted...
[ Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. ]
More Japanese specialty restaurants
Shabutei - Shabu-shabu: Chayamachi
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
This casual shabu-shabu restaurant, located at the far end of the old-fashioned Kappa Alley restaurant complex under the Hankyu line tracks, offers decent-quality beef and pork at affordable prices...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Mimiu - Japanese regional: Honmachi
[ Open 11:30am-8:30pm. Closed Sundays. ]
This main branch of one of Osaka's most famous traditional restaurants specializes in udon sukiyaki and other noodle dishes, tempura, and seasonal fish and vegetables. Prices are quite reasonable,...
[ Open 11:30am-8:30pm. Closed Sundays. ]
Yoshino Zushi - Sushi: Honmachi
[ Open 11am-9pm. Closed weekends. ]
Established in the 1840s, Yoshino is the place to go for Osaka-style sushi. Set meals are Y2000-5000, with sushi kaiseki service priced at Y3600-10,000.
[ Open 11am-9pm. Closed weekends. ]
Kyubei - Sushi: Minami Morimachi
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-9:30pm daily. ]
A branch of the long-established, highly regarded sushi shop in Ginza that invented gunkan-maki (sushi wrapped in nori strips, "battleship" style). Set menus at dinnertime are priced Y6,825-24,150....
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-9:30pm daily. ]
Kani Doraku - Japanese: Namba
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
The giant mechanical crab outside this shop has become an iconic symbol of the Dotonbori neighborhood and Osaka dining in general. Inside, the huge menu includes crab shabu-shabu, crab kaiseki and...
[ Open 11am-11pm daily. ]
Minami - Teppanyaki: Namba
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Top-quality domestic beef and seasonal seafood dinners start at Y13,860; lunches run from Y5428. The pleasant dining room looks out over the rooftop gardens of the Swissotel directly above Namba...
[ Open 11:30am-2:30, 5:30-9:30pm (LO) daily. ]
Zanmai - Sushi: Namba
[Open 24 hours a day. ]
Good-value Tokyo-style sushi and convenient hours from the famous Tsukiji-based chain; this is their only Kansai outlet.
[Open 24 hours a day. ]
Kitamura - Nabemono: Shinsaibashi
[ Open 4-10pm. Closed Sundays. ]
This famous traditional shop has been serving Osaka-style sukiyaki and similar beef-based dishes since 1881. Dinners start at Y7600.
[ Open 4-10pm. Closed Sundays. ]
Bincho - Unagi: Umeda
[ Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Nagoya-style grilled unagi eel is served here, grilled over only the finest binchotan charcoal and served with their own special low-salt tamari sauce. Hitsumabushi (a traditional Nagoya serving...
[ Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (LO) daily. ]
Tsukasa - Japanese regional: Umeda
[ Open 11:15am-8:50pm (LO) daily. ]
Regional "Tosa cuisine" is the draw here, including lots of great fish and seafood fresh from the Kochi side of Shikoku. Dinner with drinks averages around Y5000.
[ Open 11:15am-8:50pm (LO) daily. ]
Ume no Hana Umedaten - Tofu: Umeda
[ Open 11am-3, 5-9pm (LO) daily. ]
This well-established tofu specialist offers luxurious multi-course menus centered on their excellent home-made tofu. The tofu is prepared at your table, and supplemented by grilled fish, sashimi...
[ Open 11am-3, 5-9pm (LO) daily. ]
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