Tiger Lily

Tiger Lily takes the bones of an Osaka standing bar – counter, standing room, cheap plates – and refreshes them with stained glass, vintage furniture and cardamom-spiked highballs. 

The trick is finding it first. To get there, you’ll first need to orient yourself in the bustle of the Ohatsutenjin shotengai near Umeda, find a nondescript staircase, and head down into a harshly lit underground corridor before a set of traditional Japanese sliding doors, wholly out of place, give the game away. Inside, the space opens up, with high ceilings, bare concrete, and a U-shaped open kitchen flanked by vintage chests-of-drawers for tables. 

The food belongs to the school of small-plate izakaya cooking and most dishes come in well under ¥1,000: tonpeiyaki, beef tongue tataki, chicken liver sashimi dressed in tamari and ginger, and a thick but mini okonomiyaki strung with three cheeses.

The drinks are split between the unusual and the familiar. Besides the cardamom highball, you’ll find natural wine and a well-stocked sake list. Tiger Lily is elevated but not precious, working equally well for the late stages of a Friday night and a quiet weekday drink.