Northshore ★ 4.8
Osaka's most photographed riverside cafe, a converted warehouse over the Dojima River; known for souffle pancakes and a morning specialty coffee ritual.
Order: ['Souffle pancakes', 'Eggs Benedict', 'Flat white']
Where to brunch in Osaka. The morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Brunch picks
bills Umeda ★ 4.6
The Grand Front Osaka branch of Bill Granger's Sydney brunch brand, famous for ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and impossibly soft scrambled eggs.
Order: ['Ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter', 'Scrambled eggs', 'Fresh-pressed juice']
West Wood Bakers ★ 4.5
A Minamihorie sourdough bakery with a brunch menu until 14:00: avocado toast, ricotta with seasonal fruit, and house pour-over from an open kitchen.
Order: ['Avocado sourdough toast', 'Seasonal fruit ricotta', 'Filter coffee']
THE CITY BAKERY Osaka Umeda ★ 4.3
The Osaka franchise of New York's THE CITY BAKERY, serving weekend brunch with the pretzel croissant, granola bowl, and legendarily thick hot chocolate.
Order: ['Pretzel croissant', 'Hot chocolate', 'Granola bowl']
Hokkyokusei Shinsaibashi Morning ★ 4.2
The birthplace of omurice opens at 11:30; the 1922 recipe of egg draped over chicken fried rice with demi-glace is effectively a historic late brunch.
Order: ['Omurice', 'Cream croquette']
Northshore Weekend Pancake Edition ★ 4.0
Northshore's weekend-only expanded pancake menu runs from 08:00-11:00, including a seasonal fruit souffle stack and the full specialty coffee bar.
Order: ['Seasonal fruit souffle pancake', 'Specialty pour-over']