19 Izakaya Picks Around Osaka's Nakazakicho Station! Popular Spots Within Walking Distance of the Station

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This is an izakaya centered on seafood dishes, about a 14-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, with a strong focus on fresh fish. Inside, there is a fish tank where lively fish swim.

It is so popular that it fills up with reservations, and it is said to have a lively, homey atmosphere. It is perfect for enjoying a fun meal.

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The most popular item on the menu is an assortment topped with fresh seafood. It comes with a surprising variety in small portions, so you can enjoy all kinds of seafood.

Because everything is so fresh, the flesh is plump and has an excellent bite. Some say it is just right for enjoying drinks a little at a time.

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The A la carte dishes are offered on a daily rotating basis. One of the highlights is how they change based on that day’s ingredients and inspiration. The menu includes not only fish, but also items like yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and dashimaki (Japanese rolled omelet).

They also serve delicacies that make the most of the ingredients and are easy to nibble on little by little, making them great snacks to pair with drinks.

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This is a Japanese sake specialty izakaya loved by local drinkers. It is located near Ogimachi Koen (Ogimachi Park) and is accessible from Nakazakicho Station and Temma Station.

You can enjoy pairings of traditional Japanese sake culture and modern creative Japanese cuisine.

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They offer an à la carte menu chosen with pairings with Japanese sake in mind. Their standard sashimi features fresh cuts brought in that day.

Guests can enjoy seasonal fish famous from across Japan, such as Akashi tako (octopus from Akashi) with its nice texture and Himi天然buri (wild yellowtail from Himi) rich with fat.

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The menu also offers a wide range of dishes with creative takes on traditional washoku (Japanese cuisine).

The "Kuroge Wagyu 朴葉味噌焼き" is a traditional Japanese cooking method in which ingredients and yakumi (condiments) are placed on hoba (magnolia leaf) and grilled fragrantly over a hot stone. Coated in sweet dengaku miso, it offers a rich, full flavor.

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This restaurant, about an 11-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, focuses on sumibi yakitori (charcoal-grilled chicken skewers), grilling fresh jidori (local chicken) until juicy and full of flavor. They offer a wide selection of Japanese sake and wine, with a menu that puts an emphasis on pairings.

Another draw is that on weekends and holidays, you can enjoy drinks from lunchtime.

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The menu centers on chicken skewers, with a wide lineup that also includes creative Japanese dishes, fried items, and rice dishes to finish the meal.

The most popular item, “Tsukimi Tsukune,” features minced chicken grilled slowly and coated in sauce. When you dip it in the raw egg meant to resemble the moon, it adds a mild richness.

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The yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) uses fresh chicken that is ground in the morning.

The “Omakase 5 Skewer” lets you enjoy a well-balanced selection of rare cuts that change depending on what comes in that day. It includes parts not found on the regular menu, and they grill each skewer carefully over charcoal.

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Bincho Robata Daiyame, about a 5-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, is an izakaya where you can enjoy genshi-yaki (primitive charcoal grilling) cooked over bincho-zumi (binchotan charcoal). It is located in Hankyu Higashi-dori Shotengai (Hankyu East Street Shopping Arcade), where all kinds of gourmet spots gather.

The open counter features a huge irori (sunken hearth), where you can watch the chef grill dishes in a bold style, creating a lively and dynamic space.

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Genjiyaki (a traditional Japanese cooking method) is a traditional Japanese way of cooking in which ingredients are stood around charcoal and grilled slowly over time. As extra moisture and fat drip away, the natural flavor of the ingredients becomes concentrated, making it the ultimate grilled fish.

The photo shows the "Tokudai ebi (extra large shrimp)." It is simply seasoned with salt, letting you directly enjoy its toasty aroma.

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One dish that gets a lot of praise is the “Ootoro Iwashi (fatty sardine).” By grilling it slowly, the flesh turns firm and springy, with especially great juiciness.

The standard drink to pair with it is the Imo Shochu “Daiyame,” which is also the restaurant’s name. It has a sweet aroma and is easy to drink, making it a good choice even for shochu beginners.

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About a 4-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, this izakaya is located along Higashi Nakadori Shotengai (Higashi Nakadori Shopping Street) and is popular for its charcoal grilled dishes. They offer fresh chicken prepared that morning, seafood delivered straight from the market, and Japanese sake from all over Japan at reasonable prices.

The interior is a stylish space with a bar-like feel, and it is said to be filled with the lively energy that Osaka is known for.

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The signature dishes are skewers of chicken, pork, and seafood. For chicken, they offer the standard favorites like thigh, skin, and tsukune (chicken meatball), all said to carry a nice smoky aroma from the charcoal fire.

The assortment is hearty and easy to share, and they serve recommended cuts of the day.

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One highly rated appetizer is the "Beef Tongue Burian." Thick cut Beef Tongue is slowly grilled over charcoal, giving it a perfect rare finish.

It is said to have the crisp bite that is unique to Beef Tongue, along with especially juicy, rich flavor.

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This restaurant offers both seafood dishes and Osaka specialties. It sits in the busy area near Nakazakicho Station and has a lively atmosphere with a DJ booth.

With food, drinks, and music all coming together, it is said to be a taishu izakaya (casual Japanese pub) that feels like a corner of Osaka.

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The menu centers on seafood dishes and Teppan-yaki cuisine. If you're in Osaka, you can't miss takoyaki (octopus balls), and they also go perfectly with drinks.

These are said to be an authentic Osaka-style classic, with a soft and creamy batter that lets you taste the dashi (Japanese soup stock), making them a great choice for first-time takoyaki eaters. There is also a wide range of flavors and toppings.

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The Today's Sashimi Assortment is the signature menu item, drawing nothing but rave reviews. At a reasonable price, this impressive plate comes loaded with more than 10 kinds of seafood.

It may include premium seafood such as uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe), and everything is said to be so fresh that there are no off notes at all.

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This seafood izakaya is known for letting you catch fish from the fish tank where they swim and have them cooked on the spot. It is located about midway between Nakazakicho Station and Higashi-Umeda Station.

Around the fish tank, many customers gather to fish or look at the seafood they want to eat, giving the place the lively feel of a market.

Photograph:よく食べる人。

You can enjoy live fish from around Japan along with a wide selection of drinks. Seasonal fish such as Sea Bream, aji (horse mackerel), and hirame (flounder) are available depending on the time of year.

The fish you catch can be prepared the way you like, such as sashimi, grilled fish, or simmered fish. The staff also offer careful support, so even first-time fishers can feel at ease.

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The “Kaki Jenga (Oyster Jenga)” is a highly entertaining menu item where you get as many oysters as you can stack in 30 seconds.

The oysters are thick and plump. As raw oysters, they have a silky, bouncy texture, and as grilled oysters, the more you chew, the more their toasty aroma spreads in your mouth, making them especially delicious. You can enjoy them prepared however you like.

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Yakitori Yu Ichiban Deshi is a restaurant serving chicken dishes. The name is said to come from the fact that it was opened by the first apprentice trained at Yakitori Yu, a famously hard-to-book restaurant in Osaka. The restaurant is about a 9-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station.

The space has a calm feel with the aroma of charcoal grilling in the air, creating an atmosphere where you can enjoy a quiet dinner away from the noise outside.

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You can enjoy Special jidori (free-range chicken) such as the restaurant's own brand chicken Rokkaku Daimao and Nagoya Cochin, one of Japan's best-known branded chickens. They slowly grill it over Domestic binchotan (high-grade charcoal) and finish it with a range of cooking methods.

The aroma of the charcoal drifting through your nose pairs perfectly with the juicy, rich flavor of the jidori.

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A hidden popular menu item is the rice dish "oyako-don (chicken and egg rice bowl)" that people eat To finish their drinks. It is made with jidori (local chicken) thigh meat and rich eggs mixed with dashi and placed half-cooked over rice.

The aroma of the dashi and the just-right saltiness are well balanced, and the piping hot chicken has a plump, springy texture that makes it especially tasty.

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This is a Japanese sake specialty izakaya with more than 100 kinds of drinks available at all times. The restaurant is a 10-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, near Ogimachi Koen (Ogimachi Park).

The interior is said to look like a sake brewery, with rows of Japanese sake bottles lined up throughout. It also has a casual atmosphere that makes it easy for even first-time Japanese sake drinkers to stop by.

Photograph:秘密の○っちゃん♬︎.*

The menu is said to be full of snacks that pair well with Japanese sake. They also offer a great selection of small delicacies you can nibble on little by little, and some say the Japanese sake keeps flowing.

You can enjoy iburigakko (smoked pickled daikon), a pickled dish from Akita Prefecture, tempura (lightly battered and fried seafood and vegetables) made with seasonal seafood, and fresh sashimi.

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They offer a wide range of Japanese sake, from rare labels from around Japan to standard favorites. The staff, who know Japanese sake well, give careful explanations and help you find your favorite glass.

The tasting set, which lets you try small amounts of 3 kinds, is popular. You can enjoy the differences in aroma and sweetness.

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This restaurant specializes in robatayaki (traditional fireside grilling), a part of Japan's traditional food culture. They also offer a wide selection of drinks, so you can use it like an izakaya (Japanese pub).

The counter seats set up around the irori (sunken hearth) are appealing for the live feeling of watching ingredients grilled right in front of you. The restaurant is about a 10-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, in a location very close to the department store Hankyu Umeda Honten.

Photograph:MIMICO♡関西グルメ手帖♡

Robatayaki (fireside charcoal grilling) is known for skilled grill masters cooking ingredients boldly over charcoal. Grilled items are offered at a flat price, with a wide variety including fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables.

The most popular item is the "Katsu Hotategai no Bata-yaki (Butter Grilled Live Scallop)." It has a thick, springy texture, and with every bite you can enjoy the richness of the butter and the concentrated umami.

Photograph:MIMICO♡関西グルメ手帖♡

They also serve excellent kushiyaki (grilled skewers), made with a range of ingredients skewered and seasoned with Japanese style sauce or salt. Along with classic yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), you can enjoy vegetable skewers and creative skewers.

The "Kushiyaki assortment" brings together popular items like chicken, sausage, and egg all at once, and it is popular as the perfect match for beer.

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About a 4-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, this restaurant is located in Higashidori Shotengai (Higashidori Shopping Street). It gives the traditional taishu izakaya (casual Japanese pub) a modern twist, with a full lineup of photogenic dishes.

The interior is bright and said to have a lively atmosphere filled with laughter. The menu focuses on Japanese cuisine made with Wagyu and seafood.

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With the casual pricing you would expect from a taishu izakaya (casual Japanese pub), you can enjoy creative dishes along with drinks like beer and Japanese sake.

The house special “Muni Monaka Jumbo” is a dish that boldly piles a variety of seafood onto monaka (crisp wafers made from glutinous rice). Its eye-catching presentation is especially impressive.

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The signature item is "akazu (red vinegar) niku temari-zushi (bite-size hand-rolled meat sushi)." It is a meat version of "temari-zushi (ball-shaped bite-size sushi)," a style that originated in Kyoto.

It is made with A5-rank Domestic kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black Wagyu), and they sear it right in front of you at the end. It is said to have a melt-in-your-mouth texture that tastes amazing.

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This restaurant gathers fresh ingredients and drinks shipped directly from production regions all over Japan. They are known for excellent seafood dishes, including sashimi (raw sliced fish) to enjoy seafood fresh, as well as creative seafood dishes prepared grilled or fried. The restaurant is about a 7-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station.

You can enjoy drinks in a variety of seating options, including Private rooms available for parties of 2 or more, and Sunken kotatsu seating where you can stretch out and relax.

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The "tempura assortment of nine kinds" is a signature dish with an overwhelming sense of volume. Fresh ingredients like vegetables and seafood are coated in batter and quickly fried in oil until crisp.

Even after cooking, the thick texture stays the same, bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients. If you like drinking, it is recommended to eat it with salt.

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The selection of Japanese sake is top class. They stock 60 labels, with carefully chosen bottles from all 47 prefectures. It is also nice that you can compare different drinks and find the one that suits your taste.

They also offer a time based All you can drink plan where you can pour as much of your favorite sake as you like in a self service style.

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This is a Japanese-style izakaya where you can enjoy dishes grilled over charcoal and Japanese sake. The restaurant is located about midway between Nakazakicho Station and Higashi-Umeda Station. It stays open straight through from lunch to dinner, so it works for a wide range of occasions.

The walls are covered from end to end with Japanese sake labels, and the dining room is said to be filled with the nice aroma of charcoal grilling.

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The menu centers on charcoal grilled Wagyu and jidori (free-range chicken), with a wide selection of meat dishes. The restaurant’s namesake cut, “ranpu,” is said to be a part of lean Wagyu known for its high quality tenderness.

By grilling it slowly over charcoal, the flavor becomes concentrated, giving it a juicy and moist texture.

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The Japanese sake menu offers a lot of flexibility, and you can enjoy unique tasting flights. If you are not sure what to try, the set decided by lottery is recommended.

From the selections divided into “Red” for easy on the wallet options and “Yellow” for premium Japanese sake, drinks are served at random.

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This izakaya, about a 6-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, is popular for its wide range of drinks and Japanese cuisine. They serve dishes that make the most of the ingredients' freshness, and you can enjoy them both raw and grilled.

They offer Semi-private room seating with a private feel, as well as counter seats right in front of the grill.

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The charcoal grilled dishes made with Special ingredients are excellent. Grilling over charcoal gives them a juicy and tender finish.

The "charcoal grilled chicken thigh" is said to be served sizzling on a hot Teppan-yaki plate. The nice smoky aroma of the charcoal also pairs well with drinks.

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The “Asabiki-dori no Osashimi Sanshu Moriawase (three-piece assortment of very fresh chicken sashimi)” is a dish that lets you enjoy chicken at peak freshness. Since it is rare to find restaurants that safely serve raw meat, many people order it.

You can enjoy the different flavors and textures of each cut, and it is said to pair well with Japanese sake and shochu.

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This izakaya serves All you can eat dishes that go well with alcohol, including yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), sushi, and shabu-shabu (Japanese hot pot). It is about an 8-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, on the 6th floor of a building in Hankyu Higashi-dori Shotengai (Hankyu Higashi-dori Shopping Street), and the casual space is said to be lively with Banquets.

It also has Semi-private room seating, making it suitable for everything from small groups to larger parties.

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One of the big draws is the wide range of washoku (Japanese cuisine) and snack style à la carte dishes. The main option here is an All you can eat course, where you can order and enjoy whatever dishes you like.

With up to 116 items in total, there is plenty to choose from, and you can get unlimited refills on drinks. For an extra charge, you can also add motsu-nabe (offal Hot Pot), a Kyushu regional specialty.

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The All you can eat sushi has a reputation for being high quality across the board. It includes premium toppings such as tuna, aburi unagi (seared eel), and large shrimp.

If you find a sushi you like, you can enjoy it again and again, which is a nice and easy perk. The toppings have a nice glossy look, and they are said to feel very fresh.

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This seafood izakaya serves dishes that make the most of seasonal fresh fish, along with Japanese sake from around Japan.

The interior has a clean Japanese modern feel. With 141 seats in total, this is a spacious restaurant, and it also has Private room-style seating. People use it for all kinds of occasions, from solo drinks to Banquets.

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They offer a full lineup of fresh fish dishes shipped direct from the production regions. In addition to sashimi that makes the most of that freshness, you can also enjoy it as sushi, grilled dishes, and in many other preparations.

They have a wide selection of Japanese sake, with 15 well-known labels from around Japan and 5 premium labels. Even first-time Japanese sake drinkers can find a cup they like.

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A wide variety of dinner courses are also available, and the popular option is a course where you can enjoy All you can eat crab.

You can fully enjoy two kinds of crab: hon-zuwaigani (snow crab) and beni-zuwaigani (red snow crab). Appetizers, sushi, fried dishes, and other izakaya menu items are also included in the All you can eat option, so it offers great value.

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About an 8-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, this Japanese-style izakaya serving washoku (Japanese cuisine) is on the third floor of a building along Hankyu Higashi-dori Shotengai (Hankyu East Street Shopping Arcade) and offers a wide selection of Japanese sake. Centered on fresh seafood delivered directly from the market, it is said to be the kind of place made for Japanese sake lovers.

There are plenty of Private room and Semi-private room options, creating a calm Japanese-style space. Another plus is that you can relax and spend time comfortably with your group.

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They offer a wide variety of courses, including sashimi and All you can eat crab. The main dish of the “shrimp Hot Pot Special course” is a shabu-shabu style dish where you lightly swish fresh shrimp in the broth and enjoy them, fresh enough to eat raw.

The course also includes a range of a la carte dishes, with an all-shrimp lineup such as sashimi and sushi.

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The course that comes with 2 hours of All you can drink can also include about 50 kinds of Japanese sake for an extra charge, and you can enjoy them freely.

Since you take them from the refrigerator and pour them yourself, you can also compare different drinks in small amounts. They also sometimes stock rare varieties.

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This izakaya is popular for its oden (Japanese stew), soaked through with plenty of dashi broth. It is about a 7-minute walk from Nakazakicho Station, tucked away in a back alley behind Higashi Nakadori Shotengai (Higashi Nakadori Shopping Street), with a hideaway-like feel.

Inside, there is a pot filled with oden, and the place is said to be filled with its nice aroma. With Sunken kotatsu seating, you can relax and enjoy a drink at your own pace.

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One thing that makes this place stand out is that the otoshi (small appetizer) is oden (Japanese one-pot dish), and it is All you can eat. The daikon radish and fish paste items are said to be well soaked with flavor, with dashi broth overflowing in each bite.

You can also enjoy unusual ingredients for oden, such as shumai.

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The robata-ryori (fireside grill dishes), slowly cooked over the irori (sunken hearth) inside the restaurant, are also said to be worth trying. The photo shows "ginsake (coho salmon) with ikura (salmon roe) and grated daikon." The tender, flaky ginsake has a strong salty taste that pairs perfectly with alcohol.

They also offer a wide range of menu items that make the most of Domestic ingredients, including corn and hotate (scallops).

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This Japanese izakaya is popular for its All you can eat and drink plan. You can order any dishes and drinks you like within the time limit, and the menu offers a wide lineup of 130 items.

Located inside Hankyu Higashi-dori Shotengai (Hankyu East Street Shopping Arcade) near Nakazakicho Station, the interior is mainly made up of box seats and Private room seating, with a layout that lets you relax comfortably.

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The "sashimi (raw sliced seafood)" lineup offers a wide variety of seafood, from red fish like tuna to blue-backed fish like horse mackerel and mackerel, making it a menu that makes you want to try all kinds of items.

It goes very well with beer and Japanese sake, so it is a classic choice for a snack with drinks.

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Their standard menu features yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) cooked juicy and agetakoyaki (fried takoyaki), made by deep-frying Osaka's famous takoyaki.

With the All you can eat and drink course, you can enjoy All you can drink options including beer and highballs, as well as shochu and Japanese sake. You can savor the drinks to your heart's content.