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From creative cocktail bars to locally loved sake bars to cozy wine spots, here are 10 cool bars in Osaka you need to visit!
Osaka is one of the best places to visit in Japan for first-timers, especially for foodies, as this city lives and breathes food.
And while it is no secret that the city’s foodie scene is next-level, with incredible cheap eats in Osaka around every corner, I haven’t seen much being said about their bar scene—which, I’m happy to report, doesn’t fall behind.
Living three months in this foodie capital made it clear to me that the love and attention that goes into food also extends to every other aspect, like coffee—with some great coffee shops in Osaka—and bars, particularly cocktail bars.
Cocktail bars in Osaka tend to be snug, cozy, and intimate, serving creative and intricate concoctions, many of them without a menu, completely going off the customers’ tastes.
And don’t even get me started on the service, which is nothing short of luxurious, and this is at any regular bar.
So to make sure you experience the best of the uniquely Osakan bar scene, here are 10 cool bars in Osaka you need to visit—from my favorite cocktail bars to cozy wine bars and a locally loved sake spot.
10 Cool Bars in Osaka You Need To Visit
1) Bar Agreable: One of the best cocktail bars in Osaka
One of the unmissable cool bars in Osaka is the elegant Bar Agreable.
Bar Agreable is a tiny, cozy bar in the heart of Osaka that feels like walking into a liquor library with wooden shelves filled with all kinds of alcoholic elixirs from around the world.
The ambiance is elegant and quiet, and the service is luxurious but friendly.
There is no menu here, so you have to rely on your skilled bartender to nail the cocktail of your dreams by explaining to them what your drink preferences are.
For my first cocktail, I played it safe with a Negroni, and I have to say, even this classic was one of the best ones I have had, with a very unique taste to it, which I believe has to do with the vermouth they used.
For a second cocktail, I wanted something with mezcal, and even though I was nervous about the bartender reaching for the menthe liquor, the drink was incredible.
And this was all in the first visit. I came back multiple times here, and whenever I brought new friends, this spot was always a hit.
- Address: Japan, 〒542-0083 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Higashishinsaibashi, 1 Chome−12−6 吉田ビル １F
2) Bar Nayuta: Coolest speakeasy in Osaka
Bar Nayuta is one of the coolest bars in Osaka, and even finding it is part of the experience.
Hidden away inside a random building, you have to take the elevator up to some floor and find the handwritten note on a door that will guide you through a dark alley down a kids-size door—fun!
Once inside, you will be welcomed by a dark and cozy space with limited seating around a curved marble bar and some extra space on the bench on the window sills.
Same as bar Agreable, there is no menu here; you ask for whatever your heart desires.
On our first visit, I requested a refreshing drink with tequila, and the bartender delivered this delicious concoction that tasted like the baby of a mojito with a margarita with just the slight smoky hint of mezcal—it was perfection!
- Address: Japan, 〒542-0086 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nishishinsaibashi, 1 Chome−6−17 マリオビル5F
3) Bar Kadom: Incredible and attentive cocktail bar
If you are looking for a cocktail bar in the northern part of Osaka, there are plenty of great cocktail bars here, but one of my favorite ones is Bar Kadom.
Bar Kadom is an elegant and intimate space in the red light district, with no menu but welcoming, attentive and incredible bartenders, ready to create a tailored cocktail experience.
On my first visit I had three different cocktails, all of them gin-based, per my request, and they were all incredible, short but well balanced.
A highlight of this place is that there is also a lounge section that can fit up to 16 people (with a cover of around ¥2,000 per person), which is a rarity in Osaka, or any Japanese cocktail bar for that matter.
- Address: Japan, 〒530-0002 Osaka, Kita Ward, 曽根崎新地1 Chome−3−3 好陽ビル 3階KADOM
✨STORY TIME✨
I learned about this bar on my first day of our three-month stay in Osaka.
While visiting Cafe Tales, I noticed a bartender outside the cafe making cocktails and giving them to people passing by. I got asked if I wanted one, said yes, and got talking to the bartender and the barista of the cafe.
Turned out that it was a bartender of Bar Kadom, testing out a new cocktail he created, making content outside Cafe Tales because both young owners of the cafe and the bar were friends.
Bar Kadom uses Cafe Tales coffee to create their espresso-based alcoholic drinks, and they just help each other out, and this is something I found often in this city.
Young entrepreneurs are building food-based businesses and creating a community with others. The more places I visited, cafes, bars and restaurants the more I noticed how everyone knows everyone.
After that first day, a relationship was started, and both Cafe Tales and Bar Kadom became some of our most visited spots during our three-month stay in Osaka.
I even celebrated my 30th birthday at Bar Kadom, and the guys at the bar went above and beyond to make it special with incredible service and a surprise birthday drink.
All to say, I love Osaka, its foodie people, and the great sense of community there is here, so if you can visit these two spots, you definitely should!
4) Bar Craftman: Cozy little bar with creative drinks
Bar Craftman is—in true Osaka fashion—another tiny, cozy cocktail bar with just enough space for six people. That’s right, it’s tiny!
There is a menu here, and all the options look both unique and incredibly appetizing. Like their tiramisu martini, which was so so good, and their lavender sour, which is the perfect floral drink on a hot summer evening.
The bartender is quiet but friendly, kind of like a discreet host filling up your drink when you are not looking and letting you enjoy your evening with your friends.
One day—don’t ask me why—we brought origami paper and started learning how to make paper cranes, and he just stood there behind the bar, amused and entertained by us. It was very cute!
Upon arrival, you are also welcomed with a cold, peppermint-scented towel, which is a treat after walking around all day in the Osakan summer heat.
- Address: Japan, 〒530-0003 Osaka, Kita Ward, Dojima, 1 Chome−5−39 小蝶ビル 1F
5) Vinoteca Osaka: Casual wine bar
Vinoteca Osaka is an Italian wine bar, which might make you say, “Well, that’s not very Osakan,” and you will be right.
However, the reason I specifically visited this place was to enjoy a drink on a warm summer evening outside.
With most bars in Osaka tucked away in snug rooms inside buildings, sometimes on a warm evening, all we wanted was to sit outside with a drink, and for that, Vinoteca Osaka was perfect.
With a few outdoor tables and a concise list of wines that you can pair with any of their Italian appetizers, this is the perfect spot for enjoying a glass of wine on a good weather day.
- Address: 1 Chome-8-12 Bakuromachi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 541-0059, Japan
6) Sake Ichiro: Locally loved sake bar
One of the best bars in Osaka to visit for a truly local experience is Sake Ichiro, a hidden local gem.
Tucked away on the third floor of a building, Sake Ichiro is a snug little sake bar that serves tasty small dishes like karagee and a wide variety of sakes.
If, like me, you don’t really know much about the different kinds of sakes, don’t worry. Along with the menu, you’ll be handed an informational pamphlet describing the different kinds of sakes and their flavor profiles.
The bartender, even with limited English, is happy and excited to help and explain a bit about the different sakes and recommend what he thinks you will like best.
This is one of my favorite bars in Osaka for its casual local vibe—where locals catch up with friends over sake while baseball games play in the background.
A place I will definitely come back to next time I’m in Osaka.
- Address: Japan, 〒542-0083 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Higashishinsaibashi, 2 Chome−7−12 ホワイトビル 302
7) Bar Juniper: Gin-based cocktail bar
Another one of my favorite cool bars in Osaka that you should sneak into your itinerary, especially if you are a gin lover, is Bar Juniper.
Bar Juniper is a gin-based cocktail bar—you guessed it—with no menu, just attentive bartenders ready to make you your dream drink based on your preferences.
There are two sides to this bar; one of them involves a fun entrance through a vending machine to the left, and there’s the regular wooden door to the right—which we visited since we didn’t know about the other side.
By entering through the right side we got to sit at the bar, where the attentive bartender asked each of us what kind of drink we like, before getting to work.
After crafting our drinks, he then went on to explain every detail of the cocktails and introduced us to the craft Japanese gins used in preparing them.
The drinks are delicious, the place is elegant, with a bar adorned with copper pipes and modern light fixtures, and the service is simply excellent. Definitely one of the best cocktail bars in Osaka to try!
- Address: Japan, 〒530-0003 Osaka, Kita Ward, Dojima, 1 Chome−4−4 Nj Bldg., 1F
8) Osaka Cocktail Library Akashic Records
If you are looking for a roomier cocktail bar to visit with more than one person, then Osaka Cocktail Library is the right one for you.
While being less of an intimate cocktail experience compared to other spots on this list, Osaka Cocktail Library is way more spacious, with tables for groups of 6+ people—which is unimaginable in most Japanese bars.
And while losing that small, cozy bar element, you are not losing anything when it comes to the drinks.
The menu is extensive, offering many delicious, unique concoctions with incredible presentation.
Another element that makes this one of the most unique bars in Osaka is the occasional live performances behind the bar, with bartenders showcasing their unique pouring skills and even playing with fire.
An overall great spot to add to your list, especially if you’re traveling with a bigger group.
- Address: Japan, 〒542-0085 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Shinsaibashisuji, 2 Chome−1−32 Is・・・, 3F
9) Cafe LA: International cafe/bar with games
As the name might suggest, this is not simply a bar; Cafe LA functions as a cafe during the day, serving coffee and delicious matcha, and a bar in the evening.
What makes Cafe LA one of the top cool bars in Osaka is the fact that you can come with a group of friends and pick a board or card game to play as you sip on your drink of choice.
While living in Osaka for three months, this became a go-to spot to hang out and play UNO while sipping on espresso martinis or their delicious paloma.
Also, this is a great spot to have on your list if you are visiting Osaka in the scorching summer months, as it is the perfect location to kill some time with a game and a drink while waiting for the weather to cool off.
Or, just an overall great spot to wind down after a day of exploring lively Osaka, no matter the time of the year you are visiting.
- Address: Japan, 〒542-0086 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nishishinsaibashi, 2 Chome−3−7 西井ビル 地下1階
10) Bar Francais Le Chat Noir: Cozy French wine bar
While living in Japan for nine months, I quickly realized that there seems to be some kind of love affair between the French and Japanese cultures.
You will find so many French-inspired brands and businesses in Japan, and vice-versa, like this cozy French wine bar, Bar Francias Le Chat Noir.
Bar Francais Le Chat Noir is an intimate and elegant wine bar with green velvet-cushioned seats and a typically small space, like many Osaka bars.
The menu consists of various wines—not only French—and some small bites that pair great with the wines.
This is the perfect bar in Osaka for wine lovers to wind down at the end of the day with a nice glass of red and a little charcuterie board.
- Address: Japan, 〒542-0083 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Higashishinsaibashi, 1 Chome−19−8 日 宝 プロムナード 心斎橋 ビル 4F
Final thoughts on cool bars in Osaka to visit
The cocktail bar scene in Japan is simply next-level, with incredible attention to detail and impeccable service, but Osaka is in a league of its own.
While Tokyo also has some incredible bars, the thing that sets Osaka apart is the city’s natural charisma.
Osakans are more curious and extroverted than Tokyoites, making cocktail bars—or any bar for that matter—such a fun experience. With bartenders happy to make conversation and explain more about the drink, the city, or give you recommendations.
Also, Osaka’s status as Japan’s foodie capital extends to its drinks, which are creative, unique, and perfectly balanced—if you are a cocktail lover, you will be in heaven!
While there are so many cool bars in Osaka worth visiting, I believe this is a good round-up list of some of the absolute top ones, mixed with some variety in there for all tastes.
I hope you find this little guide to the coolest bars in Osaka useful, and I’m excited for you to try some of these. They are incredible!
Which one would be the one at the top of your list to visit and why? Let us know in the comments.