4 of the best cocktail bars in Osaka

Sister bar to the Bible Club in Portland, Oregon, this Osaka outpost will transport you back to the pre-Prohibition era of 19th-century America. The attention to detail here is faultless, from the discreet basement location to the old-world wooden interior filled with vintage newspaper clippings and posters as well as antique crystal glassware and decor.

The house cocktail menu features a mix of reimagined classics and new creations accented with Japanese spirits and ingredients. Highlights include the Negroni Flip with gin, vermouth, Campari, egg, simple syrup and orange bitters, and the refreshing Mr Hendrick’s with gin, lime, cucumber and house-made cardamom syrup. Alongside these are a small selection of dessert-style cocktails that are perfect as a nightcap, as well as four mocktails.

Locating Craftroom takes some effort. Firstly, the bar is tucked two floors below ground in the old-fashioned Osaka Ekimae Daiichi Building in Umeda. Once you reach the right floor, amid a maze of local izakaya, keep your eyes peeled, as the bar is hidden behind a nondescript facade with a sign so small you could easily miss it.

But once you’re seated, you’re in for a treat. The warm, cosy space feels homely, with jazz playing softly in the background. The bar is helmed by the 2016 runner-up of the World Class global final, Ryu Fujii, who honed his skills at the esteemed Bar K before striking out on his own.

In 2024, Craftroom made history as the first bar in Osaka to earn a spot on the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, and the acclaim is well deserved. The menu is a showcase of technique and creativity, with an array of inspired concoctions listed alongside inventive twists on classic cocktails.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the serene Zentis Osaka hotel, Upstairz bar offers a calming retreat from the city’s pulsating nightlife. The space carries a clean, refined polish, anchored by an island bar with a row of cosy little booths running along one wall. 

Upstairz bar is led by award-winning bartender Norihiko Furuse, who has made his mark in some of the region’s top industry competitions. What’s particularly interesting about Upstairz is its long list of original cocktails, many of which are built around fruit, herbs and shochu, a clear Japanese spirit distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes or buckwheat, similar to vodka. 

On the menu, you’ll find Furuse’s Wine of Citrus Heart, an immensely drinkable blend of gin, grapefruit, shiso and Timut pepper, which won the Refreshing Challenge at the 2022 Diageo World Class Japan final. For a Japan-inspired concoction, the Wasabi Smash offers a lip-smacking introduction to the iconic flavours of wasabi and shiso, rounded out with lemon, orgeat, tequila and gin.

To find Bar Nayuta, head to Amerikamura and look for a nondescript multi-storey building opposite Triangle Park, marked by an intricate geometric symbol on one of the signboards outside. Then, make your way up to the fifth floor and duck through a very low door. Inside, you’ll discover a dimly lit, rustic bar, where countless bottles spill from wooden shelves onto the floor around them.

The bar looks like a mad alchemist’s home, and that’s not too wild an assumption as Nayuta is known for creating its own infusions, bitters and liqueurs. There’s no menu, so just tell the knowledgeable bartender your preferred taste and poison and wait for your bespoke cocktail. Therein lies the fun and appeal of Nayuta, and before you know it, you’ll be throwing new flavour combinations and alcohol choices at the mixologist on duty and looking forward to being surprised.