Where to eat in Osaka? — 10+ Osaka best restaurants & best places to eat in Osaka

December 24, 2022

With the nickname ‘tenka no daidokoro’ meaning the national kitchen, the city is home to many of Japan’s most famous dishes. At the same time, Michelin Star restaurants here continue to enhance the city’s reputation as a culinary paradise. Below is a list of the best local restaurants you cannot miss in Osaka. So, where to eat in Osaka? Let’s check out our suggested 10+ top restaurants in Osaka including best places to eat in Osaka and Osaka best restaurants where you can find best local foods to eat in the culinary capital city of Japan!

canal dotonbori blog (1) — Tourists walk around the crowded and busy Dotonbori Arcade, the center of Minami, Osaka | osaka best restaurants

okonomiyaki osaka — Osaka is home to Okonomiyaki, must eat in Osaka | osaka best restaurants

Matsusaka Yakiniku M restaurant specializes in Matsusaka beef | osaka best restaurants

Grilled chicken skewers at Tsuki no Odori restaurant in Dotonbori, Osaka

Must eat osaka — Zuboraya is one of the best places in Osaka for pufferfish

Endo Sushi Kyobashi Central Fish Market (#best places to eat in osaka)

A spacious location serving the best sushi in Osaka, Endo Sushi Kyobashi Central Fish Market is a small eatery in the Osaka fish market. Although the staff here doesn’t speak much English, they provide a small booklet written in English for foreign guests. The note explains how they prepare their sushi and includes a full English menu. Sushi options range from sea bream and eel to tuna and yellowfin, which pair well with the restaurant’s thick miso soup with clams. Omakase is one of the most common options, including a serving of five different pieces of seasonal sushi.

Address: Endo Sushi Kyobashi Central Fish Market, 1-1-86 Noda Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Fujiya 1935 (#osaka best restaurants)

Fujiya 1935’s name comes from its origins as a simple udon restaurant opened in 1935. Four generations later, Chef Tetsuya Fujiwara transformed the restaurant into one of the most innovative dining experiences in the city. Michelin-starred and ranked among the world’s 50 best restaurants, Fujiya 1935 serves a seasonal menu of modern Spanish cuisine. Typical dishes include duck breast with wasabi leaves. Also, the restaurant’s signature appetizer is sponge bread, known for its fillings made of peas or ricotta cheese. The restaurant offers a selection of Italian and Spanish wines that have received great praise from diners.

Address: Fujiya 1935, 2-4-14, Yariyamachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Hajime (#where to eat in osaka)

Hajime is a Michelin-starred restaurant operated by creative Chef Hajime Yoneda. Ranked among Asia’s 50 best restaurants in 2014, this restaurant offers seasonal menus, with a choice of a standard menu, a small-sized set menu, or a veggie menu. Hajime’s seasonal dishes are works of art arranged in a beautiful combination of colors and textures. The restaurant’s minimalist dining room has only a few tables, topped with pure white tablecloths that contrast with the dark wood walls. Hajime offers a truly one-of-a-kind dining experience, combining Japanese attention to detail with European flair.

Address: Hajime, 1-9-11-1F Edobori, Nishi-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Kani Douraku (#top restaurants in osaka)

While the name Kani Douraku may seem unfamiliar, this restaurant’s giant crab display on Dotonbori is one of the most recognizable places in Osaka. As the huge sign on the entrance shows, this restaurant has all the crab dishes. The menu offers several amazing selections and à la carte dishes, including boiled, grilled, steamed, and raw crabs as well as many other creative preparation styles. There are crab tempura, crab sushi, crab fishcake, and even crab gratin. The seating is Japanese style while the staff dresses in traditional kimonos. The crab theme is dominant in the restaurant’s decor, with crab images found across the space and crab-shaped chopsticks placed at each table.

Kanidouraku restaurant,dotonbori blog — Live crabs | best places to eat in osaka

Address: Kani Douraku, 1-6-18 Dotombori, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Matsusaka Yakiniku M

Matsusaka Yakiniku M specializes in Matsusaka beef, which originates in southern Osaka. Often compared to Kobe beef in terms of quality, Matsusaka beef is associated with many legends as its more famous cousin. It is said that Matsusaka cattle are fed beer to stimulate their appetites, and massaged using a particular mixture of shochu. Matsusaka Yakiniku M offers more than a dozen pieces of this delicious beef, which diners can season and cook on the grill. The ‘DX Platter’ is especially popular, featuring six different cuts of Matsusaka beef and grilled vegetables. You can also order the beef à la carte, with an available English menu explaining the differences between the various cuts of beef.

Address: Matsusaka Yakiniku M, 1-1-19 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Mizuno

Okonomiyaki is a dish that all travelers coming to Osaka should try at least once. Mizuno created a special version of this great dish in 1945. Also, as the city’s oldest okonomiyaki restaurant, there are only eight individual seats along the bar in addition to a slightly larger seating area on the second floor of the building. Most guests come here for the famous yamaimo-yaki, which uses yam instead of the traditional flour for the dough. As a result, okonomiyaki has a uniquely soft texture and a slightly sweet taste. The mazeyaki, made of shredded cabbage, squid, pork belly, octopus, and shrimp, is also a favorite at this restaurant.

Address: Mizuno, 1-4-15, Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Tsuki no Odori

You will find Tsuki no Odori towards the end of Osaka’s well-known culinary street, Dotonbori. This friendly restaurant specializes in chicken, offering a variety of fast food, such as spicy fried chicken wings. Along are options to satisfy those who prefer a more novel dining experience, such as chicken breast sashimi or chicken heart yakitori. Moreover, there are a few non-chicken dishes, including grilled yams and thick-baked rice balls. An English menu is available, and the staff is able to speak pretty good English. The dining space is furnished with sleek seating and individual seats along the counter where diners can chat with the chef as he prepares their meals.

Address: Tsuki no Odori, 1-1-11 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku | 2F 24K Bld 1-1-11 Dorombori Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Tsurutontan Soemoncho

Tsurutontan Soemoncho is one of Osaka’s most famous udon restaurants. Customers usually have to queue outside the door during peak times. The restaurant serves famous Japanese thick udon in large salad bowls. Their menu is diverse, including classic udon dishes along with more creative servings such as udon curry, udon carbonara, and udon ice cream. The setting is cozy and traditional with Noren curtains at the entrance and plenty of warm wooden decoratives inside. In addition to udon, the restaurant offers a wide selection of other traditional Japanese dishes, including tempura, sushi, and sashimi.

Shaved ice udon at Tsurutontan Soemoncho

Address: Tsurutontan Soemoncho, 3-17 Soemoncho, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Yamachan

Osaka is home to the famous Japanese dish takoyaki. Thus, these exotic octopus balls become a thing you must try while in the city. Yamachan’s Takoyaki is known for its distinct dough, made from flavorful elements consisting of chicken, fruits, and mixed vegetables. They fill the dough with chopped green onions and octopus. The mixture is then cooked into balls on a special takoyaki pan until the outside turns crispy and the center is warm and creamy. You may enjoy the dishes with a number of different sauces and toppings; however, the restaurant recommends having their takoyaki separately to fully appreciate the flavor of the dough. If takoyaki alone isn’t enough to satisfy your appetite, the restaurant also offers a few other dishes, including yakisoba noodles and tonpeiyaki.

Address: Yamachan, 1-2-34, Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Zuboraya

Zuboraya is one of the best places in Osaka for tourists to try the legendary fugu (pufferfish). Only chefs who have received training for many years can qualify for a license to prepare and serve this potentially deadly fish. The restaurant offers a wide range of options and the famous fish à la carte, including sashimi, sushi, tempura, and soup. The fish is served with the restaurant’s unique ponzu sauce to enhance its flavor. To avoid confusion, pay attention to the large pufferfish sign outside the restaurant.

Address: Zuboraya, 2-5-5, Ebisu higashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

It is hard to resist the specialties in Osaka. Make sure you arrange a reasonable schedule, so you can enjoy the dishes one by one without overeating them at once!

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Osaka you can refer to

Are you looking for more Osaka travel guide and top things to do in Osaka: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Osaka itinerary 3 days — What to do in Osaka for 3 days? And Osaka full guide here.