9 must-go bars and izakayas in Osaka

Putting the Hokusetsu area on beer fans’ radars since 2021, 3Tree Brewery is a pioneering microbrewery where you can settle in and drink your way through their acclaimed selection at the second-floor pub. In addition to four of their regular brews, you’ll find two different seasonal specials on tap every month. 

When you want to drink like a local, nothing beats hitting up a kakuuchi – a liquor store that doubles as a bar. Ueda Saketen is the perfect example; a long-established booze dealer with a superb selection of sake, shochu and canned cocktails. Feeling adventurous? Pair your poison with some house-made monkfish liver. 

Osaka’s premier urban winery occupies a handsome two-storey space some 15 minutes on foot from Shinsaibashi Station. The tanks of the winemaking facility on the ground floor are visible from the Italian restaurant upstairs, where you get the opportunity to taste Fujimaru’s own wines, made entirely with grapes grown in the area around Osaka. Raise a glass to the local terroir while savouring quality Italian cuisine from appetisers to pasta and fish just a quick stroll from the city centre.

Audiophiles from far and wide make pilgrimages to this Shinsaibashi record bar, which stocks a collection of some 2,000 titles from Brazilian beats and jazz to mellow hip hop, including classics and new releases alike. Owner and bartender Keiji Maki picks every track himself, pulling records from the shelf one after the other and playing songs that match the moment’s atmosphere. We’d be remiss not to recommend Jazz’s house wine, made at Maki’s vineyard in southern Osaka.

Your one-stop shop for quality beer in central Osaka, Mother Tree is a brewpub and bottle shop that should satisfy the cravings of even the most discerning drinker. You’ll find around 15 of their own beers on tap at all times, and the food menu merits equally careful consideration (otherwise you’ll end up trying everything...). The selection of bottled and canned beer is impressive too, with an expertly curated line-up of around 500 varieties from throughout the world.

The runner-up in 2016’s global World Class final, Ryu Fujii showcases his mix mastery at this tiny counter-only hideaway. Never one to rest on his laurels, the widely travelled bartender makes a point of revamping his cocktail menu entirely from year to year, giving discerning drinkers a reason to come back. 

Twenty kinds of seasonal sashimi is just the beginning – if you enjoy pairing your alcohol with fresh seafood, you might never want to leave Ajiyoshi. Neyagawa’s discerning drinkers and pescatarians flock to this fish-focused izakaya, where you can choose from a dizzying variety of raw, grilled, steamed and deep-fried fish to fuel a night of imbibing. The admirable attention to detail on display extends to the house-made soy sauce, of which there are separate varieties for sushi and sashimi.

Yao wakagobo burdock root and a plethora of other local heirloom greens feature prominently in the Italian-inspired dishes served to complement the carefully curated wines and sake at this snug bar, housed in an atmospheric space under the railway tracks near Kintetsu Yao Station. Koto Ryokushu is a labour of love and a true haven for friends of aromatic tipples, whether grape- or rice-based.

In 2010, Nagahori became the world’s first izakaya to earn a Michelin star. Fifteen years later, Shigeo Nakamura’s establishment retains its place at the summit of Osaka’s gastropub scene, serving up no-frills dishes highlighting veg selected by the chef himself – including heirloom greens like Kaizuka sawa nasu eggplant.