Restaurants in Osaka

Honkogetsu

Honkogetsu serves modern Japanese kaiseki cuisine (a series of small, intricate dishes) using only the best seasonal ingredients. The restaurant is only open in the evenings and there’s really no menu to order from – it’s up to the chef what will be served. Each dish is a delicate concoction of the freshest seafood and vegetables.

Hajime

This small specialist restaurant serves a fusion of modern Japanese and French cuisine. Most of the dishes on the menu are vegetable-based, and great care is taken in the preparation and presentation. Hajime has a reputation for offering an innovative and fun dining experience.

Gyuho

This small Japanese beef kaiseki (small, intricate dish) restaurant is a gourmet meat-lovers’ treat. Gyuho is only open in the evenings, and the menu is limited to the chef’s recommendations. However, dishes vary from a sashimi selection of heart and liver, to shabu-shabu and even roast beef. The food quality and service are exemplary.

Dynamic Kitchen & Bar Sun

This is a great place to enjoy modern Japanese gourmet cuisine in Osaka. With stunning night views over the Kita area, the location and the food are truly a dynamic combination. There are a number of excellent-value dinner courses to choose from - fresh seafood, Osaka beef and Kyoto vegetables are just some of the local and seasonal dishes on offer.

Absinthe Solaar

This rooftop restaurant is very popular with young Osakans and has an inviting outdoor lounge area, perfect for enjoying the evening breeze during Osaka’s fiendishly hot summer months. The menu is Mediterranean with a delicious selection of Greek and Middle Eastern dishes, all with a Japanese twist.

Kani Doraku

This restaurant is probably most famous for the huge mechanical crab moving around on its outside wall, and it has become a symbol of the Dotonbori area. The menu has a vast array of crab dishes prepared in all possible ways - from crab shabu-shabu (cooked at the table in boiling water) and crab kaiseki (very small, intricate dish) to crab salad and crab sushi. The portions are generous and the service is friendly. An English menu is available.

Tsurutontan

This extremely popular udon restaurant serves delicious bowls of the thick white noodles in massive salad bowls. What’s also interesting is the variety of noodles Tsurutontan have on their menu – from the traditional tastes of bean curd and sour picked plums, to more modern and western-influenced variations such as carbonara udon and curry udon. Expect to queue at the door during busy times.

Nawazushi

Nawazushi serves super-fresh sushi in a traditional Osakan atmosphere. Customers sit around the main counter and can watch the chefs expertly slice sashimi and form delicious morsels of nigiri sushi. There are daily and seasonal specials. The atmosphere is boisterous so don’t be shy to yell out your order!

Nanbantei

Tucked away behind the Shin Kabukiza Theatre is this popular yakitori restaurant. It has a huge range of skewer food, including grilled chicken, leek and green pepper. The atmosphere is friendly and there’s an English menu. Because of its popularity, dining time is limited to two hours per group.