Craftroom
Asia's 50 Best Bars-ranked Osaka cocktail bar by Ryu Fujii, experimenting with Japanese ferments and distillates in a discreet Umeda basement under Osaka Ekimae Daiichi Building.
Signature drink: Seasonal Japanese fermentation cocktail
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Osaka for grown-ups.
Where to drink
Bar Nayuta
A ten-seat Amerikamura cocktail bar near Triangle Park where bartenders craft bespoke drinks to each guest taste from house-made syrups with no fixed menu.
Signature drink: Bespoke seasonal infusion cocktail
Ghost Ultra Lounge
Amerikamura flagship basement electronic venue hosting Tokyo and international DJs on a Funktion-One sound system; open from 22:00 Thursday to Saturday.
Signature drink: Ghost signature sour
Good Times Reggae Bar
An Amerikamura reggae bar open since 1992 with a Sound System from Jamaica, a rum-heavy cocktail list, and walls of vintage dancehall posters.
Signature drink: Dark rum punch
Ueda Saketen
A Shinsaibashi standing sake shop selling direct-from-brewery junmai and daiginjo from smaller Kansai and Hiroshima breweries not widely distributed.
Signature drink: Seasonal junmai from Hyogo brewery
Hozenji Yokocho Izakaya Strip
The lantern-lit stone alley parallel to Dotonbori: moss-covered walls, traditional izakayas, and the Fudo-son temple giving the alley its resonance.
Signature drink: House sake by the tokkuri
Yellow Ape Craft
Yellow Ape Craft Kitahama taproom pouring 10 house-brewed taps from Yao City, including IPA and rotating collaborations with Kansai brewers.
Signature drink: Yellow Ape IPA
Craft Beer Base Mother Tree
A craft beer destination near Umeda with 30 rotating taps spanning Japanese microbreweries and a barrel-ageing programme for seasonal releases.
Signature drink: Barrel-aged Osaka porter
Shinsaibashi Bar District
The five-floor walk-up buildings along Nishishinsaibashi hold Osaka's densest concentration of cocktail bars, DJ booths, rooftop terraces, nightclub floors.
Signature drink: Varies by bar