Must-see nightlife in Osaka

  • Brooklyn Roasting Company

    Osaka

    With its worn leather couches, big wooden communal table and industrial fittings, this is a little slice of Brooklyn in Osaka and the perfect pit stop…

  • Misono Building

    Osaka

    With a waterfall and a grand, spiralling staircase out front, the Misono Building (built c 1956) was once a symbol of the high life. It's now fallen into…

  • Circus

    Osaka

    This small club is the heart of Osaka's underground electronic scene. The dance floor is nonsmoking. It's open on Friday and Saturday nights and sometimes…

  • Frenz Frenzy

    Osaka

    Frenz Frenzy calls itself a 'rainbow haven' and it means that literally: the whole place is awash in colour (including the front door, thankfully, because…

  • Beer Belly

    Osaka

    Beer Belly is run by Osaka's best microbrewery, Minoh Beer, and features Minoh's award-winning classics and seasonal offerings (pints from ¥930). Pick up…

  • Jun-kissa American

    Osaka

    With its 1940s interior intact and waitresses in long skirts, American is a classic jun-kissa – a shop from the first wave of cafes to open in Japan…

  • Salon de Amanto Tenjin

    Osaka

    This cafe in a restored wooden building was the first of its kind in Nakazaki-chō – and it set off a wave of followers. Run by local performing artist…

  • Rock Rock

    Osaka

    Serving the music-loving community since 1995, Rock Rock has a history of hosting after-parties for international acts and attracting celeb visitors…

  • Folk Rock Bar Phoebe

    Osaka

    Crammed with vinyl and knick-knacks, Phoebe looks like a drinks counter operated out of an old hippie's storage closet (we mean that in a good way). The…

  • Beer Belly Tenma

    Osaka

    In the bustling maze of restaurants and bars in the ultra-local area of Ura-Tenma (behind Temma station) is this branch of Beer Belly from the Minoh…

  • Mel Coffee Roasters

    Osaka

    This tiny takeaway stand – the vintage Probat roaster takes up half of it – raised the bar for coffee in Osaka when it opened in 2016. The owner speaks…

  • 40 Sky Bar & Lounge

    Osaka

    If heights aren't your thing, you'll need a stiff drink once you've peered down over the city from the 40th floor at this ultrasuave hotel bar. Service is…

  • Moto Coffee

    Osaka

    Sitting pretty in a small, whitewashed building next to the Kyū-Yodogawa, Moto serves quality coffee drinks (from ¥450), along with cakes and pastries, on…

  • Craft Beer Base

    Osaka

    In the shadow of the Umeda Sky Building, this bar and bottle shop specialises in local and international craft beers. Order and enjoy around the counter,…

  • Nocosare-jima

    Osaka

    Pop in for a drink at this cosy, mellow bar with a beach-shack vibe, Southeast Asian and Okinawan munchies and a big window for bang-on views of the…

  • Blarney Stone

    Osaka

    Have a Guinness or two and relax in the friendly atmosphere of this Irish-style pub, popular with local expats and Japanese for after-work drinks and the…

  • Captain Kangaroo

    Osaka

    This popular, dimly lit bar in the Kita-Shinchi district is a short walk from JR Osaka Station and draws a good crowd of expats and Japanese. The staff…

  • Windows on the World

    Osaka

    On the 35th floor of the Hilton Osaka, this upscale yet slightly dated bar has excellent views and a good wine and whiskey list. Drinks cost about ¥2000…

  • Murphy's

    Osaka

    This is one of the oldest Irish-style pubs in Japan, and a good place to rub shoulders with expats and Japanese; enjoy free live music; catch sports…

  • Leach Bar

    Osaka

    In the Rihga Hotel, this warm wooden bar has an interior designed by legendary potter Bernard Leach (who spent significant time in Japan). A few of his…

  • Kissa Madura

    Osaka

    Running for 70 years, Madura is a glorious time capsule of retro-future styling, with tulip chairs, mirrors and chrome, and also vintage pricing – coffee…

  • G Physique

    Osaka

    This small, long-running gay bar in Dōyama-chō is welcoming to locals and visitors alike. There's no cover charge and drinks are reasonably priced.

  • Zerro

    Osaka

    Zerro has a good range of drinks (from ¥500) and food, energetic bilingual bartenders, and a street-level location ideal for a spot of people-watching…

  • Cinquecento

    Osaka

    The name is Italian for '500', appropriate since everything at this small cocktail bar costs ¥500. It's not far from the corner of Sakai-suji; look for…

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