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Best Izakaya In Osaka

Izakaya and sake specialists (they’re almost the same thing) are everywhere in Osaka. Spending an evening in an izakaya is one of the best ways to really experience this city - you’ll sample great food, meet the locals, and drink some fabulous sake or beer.

Dinner in a traditional restaurant. Photo Credit: LMspencer/Shutterstock.com
Dinner in a traditional restaurant: LMspencer/Shutterstock.com

There are quite literally thousands of izakaya in the city. You’ll find a high concentration of izakaya around every train station in town. They’re particularly abundant near Shin-Osaka Station, JR Osaka Station, Hankyu Umeda Station, Shinsaibashi Station and Tennoji Station. Here’s a list of our favorite izakaya in Osaka.

  • Binbiya (Kita Area; moderate)
    Binbiya is a high-end, 1 Michelin-starred izakaya in the Kita-Shinchi district specialising in fresh seafood dishes, but at surprisingly affordable prices. Dinner here is unlikely to run over JPY7,000 before drinks. Now that’s value for money!
  • Chirori (Shin-Osaka Area; moderate)
    Chirori is a local, contemporary izakaya serving up fabulous little dishes, with an incredible variety of sake to pair with each one. Located one stop south of Shin-Osaka Station, it’s great for dinner with friends.
  • Shogin-an (Shin-Osaka Area; moderate)
    Do you love soba but also enjoy having a variety of side dishes to go with it? Then get thee to Shogin-an, a quiet little izakaya near Shin-Osaka serving both soba and fabulous gastropub-style dishes. Don’t forget to wash it all down with a bottle of sake or two.
  • Osaka Yakiton Center (Minami Area; moderate)
    Fancy experiencing a super-local standing bar on your visit? Head over to the Osaka Yakiton Center in Namba for delicious grilled pork skewers. There’s no English menu, but the staff are friendly and, hey, you get to pour your own sake!
  • Shinkawa Nishiya (Minami Area; moderate)
    What’s not to love about a seafood izakaya like Shinkawa Nishiya? It’s centrally located smack in the middle of Namba, the food is great and reasonably priced, the drinks are good, and best of all, it’s open until 5:00am.
  • Ginzaya (Kita Area; budget to moderate)
    Want to drink and eat well on the cheap with Osakan locals? Head over to standing izakaya Ginzaya near Osaka Station to start off your night of bar-hopping. A draft beer is just JPY330, which bodes well for the evening ahead!

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