Latest reviews from Osaka
| 72 /100 32 WEST, B2, OSAKA EKIMAI BUILDING 2 “Small place, mostly standing but with a few seats at the counter too. 6 taps of West Coast beers, plus 2 large fridges filled with bottles and cans. ¥200 extra to open a can here. Prices are high, but that's WCB. If you want to drink their haze, you come and pay. Beer was in great condition when we went. Some light food options but there are restaurants all around here too.“ |
| 78 /100 CHUO-KU, OTEDORI 1-1-2, ATLANTIS 21 BUILDING “Really nice place. The food was very good, maybe the best onion rings I've had. The beers were all solid, and made right there in that tiny brewery. Great service. Very nice stop.“ |
| 76 /100 Beer Bar Torne (Bar) TEN ROCK BLDG. 1F, 13-9 KAN'EI-CHO, KITA-KU “Bar opened in January 2023. Hard to find. Take exit 1 from the station. Turn left, walk about 10 meters, then look for a little alley going to the right of a vegetable store (I think). It's tucked back in there. Taps are an eclectic mixture of Japanese craft, US and Canadian craft, and Old Speckled Hen on nitro. Lots of cans and bottles too. I noticed a lot of Canadian rarities including stuff from Bellwoods. Prices are pretty much what you expect, Japanese ¥1000-1400 per pint. Rarities quite a bit more as usual. Owner has been working around the Osaka craft seen for a long time, and is a pleasant and knowledgeable guy.“ |
| 76 /100 OYODONAKA 1-13-13, KITA-KU “Brewpub and bottle shop that opened in 2021 to replace the original and two other links in the chain. The most stylish and comfortable of them all, with lots of room for standing or sitting and a larger food menu too. Their own beers are all cleanly made and good, with some rather way-out experiments in their Olfactory line, and decent prices at ¥1000-1100 a pint. Guests are mostly imports and a few Japanese craft and pricier. Tons of bottles and cans, lots of lambic and other Belgian stuff, American, Japanese. Prices to drink bottles in are rather stiff. Had a pizza and several of their beers and was quite satisfied.“ |
| 52 /100 Yes Burger (Restaurant) NISHI-KU, UTSUBOHONMACHI, 1 CHOME−１３−17 “Burger around the corner from Tsuchinoko. Burgers are good but nothing special for the price. A few taps, two Shiga Kogen and Sapporo when I went. It's definitely more burger than craft.“ |
| 62 /100 4-2 NOMOKA, UMEDA CHIKAGAI, MATSUBARA-CHO, KITA-KU “No different than the other Osaka CBM, including location. About a 5 minute walk from CBM Lucua. I prefer this location due to the area being slightly more open.“ |
| 72 /100 Ein Bier, Bitte. (Beer Store) 2-5-9 SENRIYAMA-NISHI, SUITA-SHI “Tiny place with 2 taps and 40 or so bottles, all German / Austrian. It is about 7-8 minutes walk west of Kandaimae station, on the north side of the highway. Rather strange location. He imports Karmelieten and Flying to Japan, so lots of stuff from both of them, plus a lot of the other stuff you generally see around: Schlenkerla, Schneider, Riegele, etc. Great selection of Karmelieten, with 2 on tap when we went, pretty cheap at ¥120 / 100 ml. Bottles were slightly above average for takeaway. Friendly owner. We sat out front and drank some pints and had a good time, although with 4 of us we took up the whole area. I work nearby, and do see myself stopping in from time to time, even with that hill to climb on the way here.“ |
| 78 /100 1-22-12 KITAHORIE, NISHI-KU “Neat craft beer bar near Dotonbori. Decent sized place with a large bar and some tables. They had a good tap selection - maybe 20 taps? Lots of Japanese beers although they did have a number of Swedish taps on due to a recent event. Solid place, great beer list, worth a stop.“ |
| 80 /100 Craft Beer Bar Koumin (Bar) 2-1-15 KAWARAMACHI, CHUO-KU “Cool bar in Osaka. It is a decent sized place. They feature Yorocco and Minoh beers predominantly, and a few other Japanese plus some imports (Mikkeller, some Swedish beers). Interesting beers (various saisons, imperial stout, barrel aged beers). There is a food menu with Spanish/eclectic items. Solid tap list, worth a stop.“ |
| 80 /100 Beer Stand Molto! (Bar) HANKYU SANBANGAI 1F, 1-1-3 SHIBATA, KITA-KU “Pretty cool bar on the 31st floor of a building in downtown Osaka. Great views (we actually decided to skip views from the Umeda Sky Building and get a view + drinks!). It was quite empty on a Monday afternoon. They have a pretty decent amount of taps (15+?), mostly Japanese. There is Italian style food. We got some appetizers, which were quite small portioned but very tasty. Prices seem average with other Japanese craft beer bars. This is a pretty cool place - very unusual to get such a view from a craft beer bar - and the beer selection is good. As a tourist I think it’s a must stop.“ |
| 76 /100 3-2 NANIWA-CHO, KITA-KU “Finally a Baird Tap Room in Osaka. About 5 minutes' walk from Tenroku station, on the West side of the main drag. The place has a garage-like feel to it, one which I particularly like. There are probably more taps than seats here, or about the same of each. 12 Baird year-round beers plus 4 seasonals on tap, with about the same number of bottles and some different seasonals. Bottles consumed in house carry a ¥200 corkage fee. I just wish they had some hand pumps like in their other places. Only a few snacks are available as food, but you can bring your own in, and there are tons of great takeout options in the neighborhood. The manager was very friendly and helpful. About 5 minutes from Minoh's Beer Belly, which together would make a great crawl. For more fun, try Doll Dress just down under the tracks.“ |
| 68 /100 3-15-6 NISHIAWAJI, HIGASHIYODOGAWA-KU “About a 10 minute walk west of Awaji station, past the shinkansen tracks, you find a former public bathhouse that is now a brewpub. opened in 2019. Take off your shoes to enter. There are some tables in one of the changing rooms, and you sit around them on the floor. You can also go into the empty bath and drink there. Very interesting environment, although with a bit more thought put into design elements it could be really awesome. Two beers were on tap, served in 180ml milk bottles for ¥500. About 4 more beers in bottles for ¥800. You can bring your own food. Beers were all decent enough but I would consider it a work in progress.“ |
| 76 /100 4-2 NOMOKA, UMEDA CHIKAGAI, MATSUBARA-CHO, KITA-KU “A short walk from CBM LUCUA, this is very close to Marciero and the Higashi-Umeda subway station.
Similar kind of selection to the other CBMs but that means a wide variety and the best prices in Kansai for draft. Nice lunch sets but watch out for the table charge after 3pm.“ |
| 50 /100 2 CHOME-4-25 NAKAZAKINISHI, KITA WARD “Weird place. The train above is loud, but the atmosphere is stylish and it was full of young ladies, mostly drinking coffee. The beer menu was singularly unimpressive and equally confusing to figure out. They need to stop relying on the J-Craft beers and get someone to write up a neatly organized menu. Should be more interesting when they start brewing their own.“ |
| 74 /100 4-2 NOMOKA, UMEDA CHIKAGAI, MATSUBARA-CHO, KITA-KU “As Maekchu said, pretty much like all the other CBMs. Kind of crowded feel, service ok, beers pretty cheap for 30 taps. Best to avoid dining times when it can get pretty crowded and then the service slows down a bit too. They seem to be trying pretty hard to get a wide variety of beers in, which means some stinkers, but generally there are always several good ones.“ |
| 76 /100 4-2 NOMOKA, UMEDA CHIKAGAI, MATSUBARA-CHO, KITA-KU “This is the second Osaka location for CBM. It's a bit smaller than the Lucua shop, and is sort of tucked into a triangle area around the corner from the Whity Umeda Nomoka restaurant section. Seats for 30 or so at tables and 12 at the counter. 30 taps, with style selection similar to other CBMs. The website shows the daily beer and food menus. Prices are the same, as well (Y480 for a glass and Y780 for a pint. And a Y300 per person table charge after 16:00 (English menu said after 14:30...). Quick service. Pleasant place. I'll stop by again when I'm in the area.“ |
| 46 /100 2 CHOME-4-25 NAKAZAKINISHI, KITA WARD “Strange place under the train tracks near Umeda Station. The decor defies description, but let me try. Kinda sorta somewhere between fancy high-end, steampunk, and creepy, with a touch of Disney via Tim Burton. Loads of dry bushy plants stuck onto the tables. Hundreds of shiny black kegs with the Craftman logo stacked up three meters high in several parts of the room, to no apparent purpose. Huge round black lampshades painted gold inside. Massive concrete pillars to hold up the train line. And then ..... when a train passes above, the noise level makes conversation impossible and the entire places rattles like a roller coaster. Very confusing double menus, one laminated plastic and the other printed on paper, with what appeared to be the same beers. Beer list is very uninspired. The place currently makes one beer, and of course it was sold out. One member of our party took a quick look around, saw the beer menu, and said "I'm outta here," and we followed shortly thereafter. If you are dying of thirst, and are standing right in front of this place, and a server beckons you, holding a tall glass of beer .... well, you should go somewhere else.“ |
| 78 /100 Stand Umineko (Bar) 2-2-11 SHINSAIBASHI-SUJI, CHUO-KU “Umineko Craft Beer is about three blocks Burkett of Dotombori bridge on street level with space for 10 cozy folks. The staff and customers were very friendly and the the roughly 8 taps featured up and coming breweries from southern Japan so this is a great place to try things you are unlikely to see on tap elsewhere. Prices were 700¥ a small to roughly 1400¥ for their largest size.
All in all a great place to pop in to fir a quick beer in a plastic cup.“ |
| 64 /100 1-22-12 KITAHORIE, NISHI-KU “Great lineup, with plenty of beers you won't see elsewhere. A lot of imports, but also some interesting and less common Japanese.
Good food. It was full on a Wednesday and there wasn't a lot of space, with only stools at high tables or counter. Prices are high (1300-1800pint), but you can order half pints for 700-900. For the ultra geeks they have some "rare" cans at crazy prices, 2000-4000.“ |
| 78 /100 Stand Umineko (Bar) 2-2-11 SHINSAIBASHI-SUJI, CHUO-KU “First beer stop in Osaka. Tiny little place close to the Dotonburi area. Standing room only (thus the name). 8 taps of Japanese goodness, a tad expensive but not bad for Japan and Asia in general. Small (quarter pints) available at 650¥ per pour. Friendly service and free wifi. Small food menu, all 300¥ each, mainly small platters (cheese, cold cut, etc..)“ |
| 54 /100 Craft Beer W&W (Bar) 2-8-17 SENNICHIMAE, CHUO-KU “Small bar in a busy section of Minami. Pleasant barman. Ten taps of craft + one serving Ichiban Shibori. Also, selection of 12 craft brews in bottles, including a couple from Shiga Kogen. On the negative side, two of the taps were Spring Valley "crafty" things. Prices a touch high: Y700 for small, and Y900-1,000 for regular (380ml).“ |
| 76 /100 3 CHOME-14-19 MAKIOCHI, MINOH “A bit of a hike from train stations but a stylish modern building in a quiet side street. Great open plan decor, standing and sitting downstairs, spacious with tables upstairs. Plenty of locals dropping by on a late Sunday afternoon to grab bottles to go. About 8 taps operating, mostly year-rounds but a couple of seasonals on tap and bottles. One hand-pump too, decent low prices. Smiling service, kids ok, plenty of merch for sale. I’d go here all the time if I lived nearby. Go if in the area for falls or onsen.“ |
| 26 /100 Tamibar (Bar) 2-12-14, NISHISHINSAIBASHI, CHUO-KU “This place has been closed for a while now.“ |
| 74 /100 Third Place (Bar) 中央区今橋2-2-9, OSAKA “Replacing Smoke House as the new third bar in the "Yellow Ape" empire. Very close to Yellow Ape as well, between exits 2 and 4 of Kitahama station. 10-15 taps of domestic and imported brews. A varied and well chose list upon my visit. ¥1200ish a pint. Downstairs holds the small bar with a few seats while the upstairs is spread out with several comfortable tables and large Victorian type chairs. Staff was pretty new it seemed (didn't recognize any of them) and definitely need some time to hone it and work out the kinks. Seems like it would be a fun bar if the atmosphere was a bit more lively, it was dead on a Saturday night. Perhaps with some more time to prove themselves the bar and staff will shine.“ |
| 58 /100 Lucua Food Hall Kitchen and Market (Restaurant) JR OSAKA STATION LUCUA B2 “Market type setup right near CBM in Lucua. There is a sort-of bottle shop with some basic Japanese stuff and a few common imports for average prices. Near the back is a bar with pseudo-craft options. Worth a stop for a road soda but no need to go out of your way.“ |
| 58 /100 2-5-8 UKIDA, KITA-KU “Sister bar of Tetard Vallee focusing on meat. The beer was cheap, but nothing special, especially their earlier stuff. Food was pretty good but not as cheap as Tetard Vallee. Love to see more brewpubs but I wish they put a bit more focus on the beer rather than the atmosphere and food.“ |
| 46 /100 Umeda Sky Building (Bar) 1-1-88 OYODONAKA, KITA-KU “Not really a beer place. It's a cafe near the top of the sky building that has a fridge with some random macro lagers from various countries. If that's what you're into then hit up a Yamaya, Seiji Ishi, or Liquor Mountain prior to your visit. It'll save you a few hundred yen and you'll be able to get better stuff.“ |
| 62 /100 stand midoribashi (Bar) 1-2-10 HIGASHINAKAMOTO HIGASHINARI-KU “Converted house that offers 3 taps of Minoh. Run by a friendly couple. The appeal is the large open deck which is bliss when the weather is nice. They use to do a monthly all-you-can-drink but I'm not sure if that still happens.“ |
| 76 /100 Tap Beer Club Vend (Bar) 1-17-4 HIGASHI SHINSAIBASHI, CHUO-KU “Super fun bar right in the heart of minami. 8 taps of Japanese craft. ¥600 for a large "half" pint and ¥1800 for a yard glass (never seen anyone but me drinking one). Owner is very friendly and speaks good English. They offer a few snack type foods. There is a wheel of fortune type game as well with prizes including a free beer, switching places with the barkeep for 5 minutes, a strong chuhai, buying the bar a round, and calling the person you love. They're open very late. Give it a go.“ |
| 68 /100 Stand Umineko (Bar) 2-2-11 SHINSAIBASHI-SUJI, CHUO-KU “Small, narrow bar just north of the dotonbori. Very friendly, and bilingual, staff. Mostly Derailleur beers with a few selections from smaller Japanese breweries. They offer a few snacks and to-go coffee as well. Fun and lively atmosphere.“ |
| 62 /100 CHUO-KU, OTEDORI 1-1-2, ATLANTIS 21 BUILDING “Cheap beers and well priced food. While neither are much to write hope about, if you're looking for a budget crafted beer and a bite, its worth a drop in. The service is pretty good. Came once with about 20 people on a crawl and they were happy to make an accommodation for the large, mobile group.“ |
| 66 /100 8-9F, 1-1-28 KITAHAMA, CHUO-KU “Well-thought-out decor with unique lighting and nice view of the city. Only a couple of their beers (brewed off-premises), but decent ones. Others on taps were from reliable Japanese craft brewers like Swan Lake or Ise Kadoya. They use their own glassware, 500ml for 980, 300ml for 680, decent pours. Only open a year, hope they do well.
“ |
| 64 /100 CHUO-KU, OTEDORI 1-1-2, ATLANTIS 21 BUILDING “They were quite busy on a Friday at 6pm and we ended up at the counter. Some good looking meat dishes coming out of the kitchen. We ordered some tapas and fried chicken and it was good. Only 4 beers on tap. One was a bit cloudy, but the dark was nice. A proper UK pint for 700 yen is the best price in Osaka, no doubt. The brewer was friendly and eager to discuss his process and lineup. They seem to change styles every week or so. I will go back.“ |
| 60 /100 2 CHOME-4-25 NAKAZAKINISHI, KITA WARD “A huge, very modern and nicely decorated brewpub, close to Osaka central station. Sadly, they only seem to brew just the one beer here themselves despite the impressive brewing kit, but there is a decent selection of beers on offer from other breweries too. Food looks good, although I didn't eat. English was an issue, but we got by. The major drawback to this place is the fact that it's directly under a railway bridge and it's very noisy indeed when a train passes overhead. For that reason I would not stay here for long, which is a shameas it's a rather nice place to hang out.“ |
| 54 /100 Ale House Kamiya (Bar) 2-10 DOYAMACHO, KITA WARD “A small underground dive bar. Looks well used. Half a dozen beers on tap and a few bottles. Friendly service and Wi-Fi. Somewhat noisy. Don’t take your girlfriend here on date night! Not recommended.“ |
| 68 /100 8-9F, 1-1-28 KITAHAMA, CHUO-KU “A stylish brewpub on the 8th floor, overlooking the river. Plenty of wood, concrete and brick in addition to the shiny brewery equipment. Sadly there was just one of their own beers and six guests. I’m guessing that the lovely looking brewing equipment is rarely used. Shame. Awesome view. No English spoken here, but the staff did their best. Working Wi-Fi. Would not be somewhere I would come back to for the beer, but you can’t deny that the view is awesome.“ |
| 80 /100 Stand Umineko (Bar) 2-2-11 SHINSAIBASHI-SUJI, CHUO-KU “A tiny little bar with standing room for around ten people! They have 10 taps of all quality Japanese beers, mostly from Derailleur. The place is run by two charming ladies who speak great English are real fun to be with. A truly awesome place. Stop by for a beer if you can find room inside.“ |
| 74 /100 Craft Beer Base Bud (Bar) OSAKA EKIMAE FIRST BUILDING B2, 1 CHOME-3-1 UMEDA KITA-KU “A small, underground beer bar with seating for around 20 people. A worn, industrial looking place with 10 taps of mixed Japanese and imported beers. Working Wi-Fi and friendly service. English is well spoken here. An awesome little bar and well worth the effort to get here. Once you get to basement 2F It’s quite easy to find.“ |
| 74 /100 Umeda Sky Building (Bar) 1-1-88 OYODONAKA, KITA-KU “On the 39th floor of the observatory, you will find the cafe, which along with the awesome views has around 40 bottles of beer from all around the world! Furthermore, the beers here are cheaper than in a regular bar at 600 Yen a bottle. I came for the views but stayed for the beer! Even managed a couple of country ticks too!“ |
| 68 /100 Craft Beer Gulp (Bar) 2-4-6 NAMBA, CHUO-KU “A restaurant with 12 taps of imports and Japanese beers. A rather small place with a building site feel to it. The bar is constructed of grey breeze blocks! Helpful staff. Good food. Recommended but not if you are searching for Japanese beers. There are better options in that case. 300 Yen cover charge.“ |
| 82 /100 1-22-12 KITAHORIE, NISHI-KU “An awesome modern bar with 20 taps and a couple of hand pulls. The focus is clearly on standing here without a single chair in the bar! Lots of quality on offer here from all around the world. Less Japanese beers than I expected though. Friendly staff and English is not a problem. The best beer bar I’ve been to here in Osaka so far.“ |
| 58 /100 Craft Beer Bar Marciero (Bar) 8-10 DOYAMA-CHO, KITA-KU “A tiny beer bar in the heard of Osaka’s entertainment district. Concrete floors and wooden walls. Has an industrial feel about it. They have eight taps and no bottles. Half the taps are Japanese and the rest imports. Reasonable prices for a 250ml glass. Worth stopping by.“ |
| 78 /100 Maruho Liquor Shop (Beer Store) 2 CHOME-16-11 KUJO MINAMI, NISHI WARD “Small liquor shop, a short walk from Kujo Station, in a lively, busy area full of mixed businesses, small factories, and shops. Forklifts and small trucks buzzing in and out of warehouses. Anyway, the liquor shop is pretty well stocked with a variety of imports (nearly all from the US, and very little from Europe) and a good selection of Japanese micros. Not quite on a par with Asahiya (in Moriguchi), but probably the best in Osaka proper. Very friendly service from two elderly women; not sure if either spoke English or not. I rarely get to this part of Osaka, but I'd certainly go there more often if I lived or worked closer.“ |
| 70 /100 Stand Umineko (Bar) 2-2-11 SHINSAIBASHI-SUJI, CHUO-KU “Small standing bar just around the corner from the famous bridge at Dotombori. Fits maybe 8 people comfortably. Like the sister shop upstairs, it features Derailleur beers, plus mostly stuff from new craft breweries in Japan. That means they beers can be hit-and-miss, but it is nice to be able to try these breweries, because basically no one else around here stocks them. ¥650 for a small, ¥1100 for a pint. Plastic cups are a minus but the service was friendly as could be.“ |
| 76 /100 8-9F, 1-1-28 KITAHAMA, CHUO-KU “Place very close to the canal. I went to the 9th floor. One of their brew and 6 guests.
ONLY ONE OF THEIR BREW. For a brewpub that's the minimum... and a bit of a deception. A Kölsh. Good one though. Good list of food, looks good, I just took pickles.
The view is great by day or night. No flights but they have 150ml tastings (380-480¥) so that's ok. The decor is between the fancy and the faux-old school, all is wood and steel. I liked it.
Not enough beer diversity but interesting enough to stop by, have a round or two with some appetizers.“ |
| 74 /100 Craft Beer Bar Koumin (Bar) 2-1-15 KAWARAMACHI, CHUO-KU “Small bar with 20 seats on tables and about 10 seats at the bar.
10 beers on tap when I was there. 3 US + 7 JP. Average is 800¥/glass and 1200¥/US Pint to give pricing.
The gyozas looks homemade and quite tasty (3p/400¥). I recommend them.
Try to arrive early. It opens at 5PM, at 5:30PM it was almost full a Tuesday. A bit noisy though as there is a DJ set live (maybe not everyday)
Overall: quite good place to have one drink or two, I could come back.“ |
