Osaka is one of the best cities for entertainment. Also, it is known as the city of gourmet. Moreover, there is a cafe culture that is so original and that cannot be seen in other cities. Let me introduce to you Osaka’s cafe culture and the best cafes in Osaka to visit.
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How the cafe culture has developed in Osaka
Like anywhere else in the world you’ll find the usual coffee chain stores all over Osaka, such as Starbucks and Tully’s. However, the Osaka cafe culture’s history goes way deeper.
Since Kobe being an important trade port in Kansai, coffee was firstly introduced there and then being spread all over Kansai area and beyond.
About 50 to 60 years ago, the cafe culture had gradually grown in Osaka. By the way, there are many names that describe cafes in Japanese. One of the most popular and used one is “Kissaten“.
Many offices back then in Osaka did not have enough space for meeting booths so that businessmen working in such offices started to use cafes for meetings. With this background, the demand for cafes became high.
According to a 2014 census that was announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan, the number of cafes in Osaka is 9,337, which is the highest number of all 47 prefectures. It is quite impossible to know which cafes out of almost 10,000 to go to. But don’t worry.
This time, I will introduce the best coffee shops and cafes that you should check out when you visit Osaka.
Cafe American
Cafe American, established about 70 years ago, is a popular cafe among Osaka locals located in Namba. This place has been loved by locals for generations.
When you step inside, one of the first things you notice is a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and old style dot-patterned chairs that you have seen only in movies themed in the 70s. Such a retro modern interior makes people feel they have gone back to the 60s and 70s.
The drink you should try in this cafe is “mix juice (mixed juice),” a fruit juice that oranges, bananas, and pineapples are mixed together with milk. This juice was invented in Osaka by the owner of a fruit shop about 70 years ago. It quickly became so popular among Osaka locals and is now well known as the drink of Osaka.
Cafe Augusta
Located in the northeast side of the city of Osaka, this cozy cafe is crowded with local residents and neighbors enjoying their time, especially Sunday mornings. You hear locals chatting away with the sound of coffee being ground and made. The wood-based natural interior makes you feel like you are home.
This cafe has only one kind of coffee beans, Indonesian God Mountain, the owner’s particular pick. What makes this cafe special is that you can choose the method of brewing between a hand drip and siphon brewed. If you order a siphon brewed, the owner brings the siphon to your table. In the relaxed environment, you can enjoy watching the water being boiled and coffee coming down
Words Cafe
Words Cafe is known for its specialty coffee and pork cutlet sandwiches. It is located near Osaka Tenmangu shrine, a shrine that has more than 1300 years of history. There is a Yose theater nearby, and the walls are filled with the autographs of famous rakugo storytellers, celebrities, and artists who have visited the place.
This cafe’s specialty that you should definitely try is pork cutlet sandwiches. The cutlet, dipped in the special secret sauce, is so thick that it is hard to keep it between the slices of bread. The hint of mustard and onions brings out the juicy flavor of the cutlet
Cafe Osaka Chakai
The cafe is in Japan’s longest shopping arcade, Tenjinbashisuji shopping arcade, which is about 2.6 km long. This is a cafe where you can enjoy specialty Japanese tea.
Before this shop, there were only a few cafes in Osaka city specialized in Japanese tea. The owner once was asked by her American friends if there was any cozy cafe that serves Japanese tea. She could not recommend any, and that is the reason she decided to open this cafe.
There is bilingual staff in the store, so no need to worry. You can go ahead and ask any questions in English about the menu or how you can enjoy tea. There is a shelf filled with ceramic tea cups that were made by artists and collected from all over Japan. What makes this place so interesting is that you can choose your own cup from the shelf for your tea
There are four kinds of tea leaves you can choose from: leaves from Kagoshima, Wakayama, Kyoto, and Nara. Each has a different taste and umami, the essence of deliciousness. You can ask the staff if you are not sure which one to choose. The aroma and taste of the freshly ground tea makes you feel relaxed and zen.
If you have time and never done it before, you may want to try “make your own tea.” You can adjust the amount of the tea leaves depending on your preference and make your own tea with Chasen, a tea whisk.
Mochiso Shizuku
This is a cafe where you can enjoy Japanese sweet mochi and traditional confectioneries with Japanese tea. The modern concrete exterior does not look like an authentic Japanese sweets store. The soft light coming in from a large window creates a calm atmosphere, which makes you totally relaxed.
The owner of the shop is particular about the quality and ingredients of the products and only uses organic farming mochi rice. All the mochi sold at the store are freshly pounded every morning. They have a variety of mochi from traditional ones to modern ones.
Raspberry Daifuku mochi is the most popular mochi of the store. You can taste the sweet and sour raspberry that is mixed with sweet red bean paste. It is wrapped in soft and moist reddish pink dough that is colored with beets and topped with gold leaf sprinkles.
There are many other Daifuku mochi such as fresh chocolate mochi, black bean mochi, edamame mochi, and so on. Instead of going to a regular cafe where you can enjoy a cup of coffee, why don’t you try Japanese traditional sweets and Japanese tea in a tranquil environment?
Moto Coffee
The Kitahama area, a business and financial district of Osaka city, has a lot of hip cafes and coffee shops. Among them, Moto Coffee might be the most popular shop. There is a line of people by the shop even on weekdays. If the weather is nice, you can enjoy a cup of coffee on a terrace by the river looking at a boat going by. The coffee will be served in a cup created by local ceramic artists.
You can choose your coffee from five different roast styles depending on your preference; light, medium, dark, Italian, and French roasts. They grind the beans once they receive the order and hand drip one at a time.
You can choose your coffee from five different roast styles depending on your preference; light, medium, dark, Italian, and French roasts. They grind the beans once they receive the order and hand drip one at a time.
Arlazi
Once you open the door, a cute friendly black terrier dog is the first one to welcome you. When you look up after playing with him, you will be surprised by a number of whiskey bottles crowdedly displayed in a small space. In the next second, you think you might have stepped into a bar not a coffee shop. But this is a coffee shop that offers specialty coffee and whiskeys.
Once you open the door, a cute friendly black terrier dog is the first one to welcome you. When you look up after playing with him, you will be surprised by a number of whiskey bottles crowdedly displayed in a small space. In the next second, you think you might have stepped into a bar not a coffee shop. But this is a coffee shop that offers specialty coffee and whiskeys.
There was a very old looking bottle of whiskey sitting on a counter table when I visited the shop. The owner told me that it is the oldest Suntory whiskey and it is about 100 years old. He also told me that Suntory does not have it anymore. It is 8,000 yen for half a shot!
There was a very old looking bottle of whiskey sitting on a counter table when I visited the shop. The owner told me that it is the oldest Suntory whiskey and it is about 100 years old. He also told me that Suntory does not have it anymore. It is 8,000 yen for half a shot!
Lilo Coffee Roaster
With the concept, “Life is short. Surround yourself with good people and only drink good coffee,” this stand offers a variety of coffee from light to dark roast, which are roasted in-house.
A wide range of coffee beans from various countries are available. English-speaking staff will recommend you the coffee beans that best fit to your taste. While you wait for your coffee, the staff brings you a nicely-designed card that describes where the beans are from and what it tastes like. The taste and aroma of the coffee vary depending on the country of the origin, so this is the coffee stand that you want to go to every day to try every single cup of coffee.
Takamura Wine and Coffee Roasters
Takamura WIne & Coffee Roasters has been in Nishi Ward since 2013 attracting local coffee and wine lovers.
The origin of this shop is based on the owner’s experience. He noticed that it is common for restaurants to suggest which wine goes well with a certain dish. But he had been wondering that there were not very many restaurants that care enough about coffee after a meal. From this experience, he decided to open a shop that sells coffee and wines and started roasting coffee beans in-house.
Besides the freshly roasted coffee, they offer a wide selection of wines from many countries. If you are a wine lover, try various wines from servers.
I hope you’ll find this guide about cafes in Osaka useful. It features not only regular coffee shops, but there are many other types of cafes in Osaka such as the ones that serve specialty coffee, the ones that have signature food and sweets, and the ones that also serve alcohol. Next time when you visit Osaka, exploring various coffee shops is one way to enjoy the city.
