Delicious dishes are concentrated in Osaka Namba.
You might think of Namba as a tourist spot. But, actually, there are many nice restaurants loved by locals as well.
Among them, here I’m going to introduce 7 restaurants well-selected by local residents of Namba.
Its retro atmosphere makes you feel relieved and relaxed. Curry and rice served at “New Daruni” is highly addictive after you try once.
It is a long established curry shop, having many local fans. Curry and rice can be concerned as Japanese food now, and it is one of the soul foods for Japanese people.
Their curry is so popular that it always appears in any food magazines featuring curry.
Ingredients cannot be found in the curry roux simmered for a long time. It is thick and not too spicy. Once you eat it, you would definitely become crazy for it.
My recommendation is “Pork-katsu Curry” .
Pork-katsu is crisp as it is deep-fried after you order it. It goes well with this thick curry roux.
Both their standard menu, “Beef curry” , and “curry-udon noodles” with conspicuous smell of broth, cannot be missed.
| Name of the restaurant | New Daruni |
| Tel | +81-6-6633-4080 |
| Address | 2-12-16 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | 9:00 am～5:00 pm |
| Closed | Sundays Holidays |
| Payment | Credit cards accepted, Smartphone accepted |
Ramen soup made with well-boiled pork bones and fragrant dried sardine is a vaunt of this shop, “Niboshi-ramen Tamagoroh.”
Ramen is a representative of popular gourmet foods in Japan.
Wavy noodles of medium thickness catch the soup with rich tonkotsu flavor and fragrance of seafood very well. I assume that those who are not fond of rich and heavy soup such as tonkotsu-ramen soup can eat this ramen.
Around lunch time the shop is bustling with locals and tourists.
Their popular menu is “Ajitama-niboshi-ramen.”
Ajitama, a well-flavored boiled egg, is delicious. Noodles are chewy and filling, but soup has a simple and light taste. So, even I ate it up, though I am a small eater.
It seems that men often eat this ramen together with other dishes such as rice or gyoza as a set.
| Name of the restaurant | Niboshi-ramen Tamagoroh Kuromon Main Store |
| Tel | +81-6-6631-0033 |
| Address | 2-4-21 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Oska-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | 11:00 am～9:00 pm |
| Closed | Sunday |
| Payment | PayPay accepted |
Speaking of Osaka’s takoyaki, it has to be this shop. “Wanaka” is strongly favored by tourists as well as local entertainers.
It is so popular that there is always a queue whenever I visit.
You must queue up for a while. But, it is good that, due to the queue, you can always get freshly cooked takoyaki.
It is like a superhuman feat that takoyaki is cooked one after another in front of you. You can never get bored when watching it.
Of course it tastes great, too. Outside is a little crisp, but the texture is soft. Umami of octopus and fragrance of broth spread inside the mouth gently.
You can choose one flavor for your takoyaki among four kinds, that is, special sauce, salt, soy sauce, and spicy sauce. Also, you can make some additional topping. In other words, you can arrange your takoyaki the way you like.
There are specialties limited to each shop, so, why don’t you try them.
(I myself like mix juice limited to Osakajo-koen shop and Takoyakushi Wanaka.)
| Name of the restaurant | Takoyaki-doraku Wanaka Namba Shop |
| Tel | +81-6-6631-5920 |
| Address | 1-6-7 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | Weekdays 11:30 am～9:00 pm Weekends & Holidays 11:00 am～9:00 pm |
| Closed | Irregular |
| Payment | PayPay accepted |
Their special soup is the key. You can experience Kansai’s soup culture at “Dotonbori Imai”
It is a representative of “Osaka Udon,” and strong fragrance of soup stock is its feature.
Noodles are moderately chewy, and have a slippery feeling to the throat. Light and refined soup with sufficient umami and softly chewy noodles make a great harmony.
Located in Dotonbori, it is a relaxing place, away from the bustle, and has long been loved by locals.
Of course limited seasonal dishes are highly recommended, but, my favorite is a standard dish, kitsune-udon. Sweet and thick age (or a fried bean curd) has well absorbed the flavor of soup.
Another feature of Osaka Udon is a good harmony of noodles and other ingredients. Please experience Osaka’s soup culture!
| Name of the restaurant | Dotonbori Imai Main Store |
| Tel | +81-6-6211-0319 |
| Address | 1-7-22 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | 11:30 am～9:30 pm（L.O. 9:00 pm） |
| Closed | Wednesdays *Except when a public holiday falls on Wednesday. |
| Payment | Credit cards accepted |
Yellow shumai?! If you want to eat shumai in Osaka, “Ippoutei” is the place.
Their shumai is covered with yellow wrapping made with thin fried egg paper.
It has fans throughout the nation and overseas as well as of locals. Once you eat it, you would get addicted to it.
You may wonder why shumai in Osaka. In fact, this is the only place you can find yellow shumai! Often there is a queue during lunch time.
With one bite, soft and puffy texture and sweet onion smell spread in the mouth.
Another popular item along with shumai is karaage. With thin crisp coating, it is very juicy. ♡
If you are an alcohol lover, please have this with beer!
Trying delicious Osaka gourmets is an idea, but also it is fun to visit those long established shops favored by locals.
| Name of the restaurant | Ippoutei Main Store |
| Tel | +81-6-6641-8381 |
| Address | 2-6-22 Nambanaka, Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | 11：30 am～8：00 pm |
| Closed | Sundays & Holidays |
| Payment | Cash only |
The taste which has been loved by locals. Speaking of sukiyaki in Osaka, it has to be “Harijyu Dotonbori”
“Harijyu” has been established for 100 years, and it is so popular to be said that everybody in Osaka knows this restaurant.
In the gourmet city Osaka, it has long been loved by local foodies.
Of course meat is delicious, but also their warishita (or sukiyaki stock), which is the key of sukiyaki, gives the traditional taste maintained for a long time.
At their Dotonbori store, you can enjoy their specialty meat according to various scenes, as they have “Japanese restaurant” for Japanese food including sukiyaki, “Harijyu Grill” for steak, etc. and “Curry Shop” for curry and rice.
They also sell obento (or boxed lunch), so it is a good idea to drop by before going out.
| Name of the restaurant | Harijyu Dotonbori Store |
| Tel | +81-6-6211-7777 |
| Address | 1-9-17 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours |
Japanese Cuisine 11：30 am～10：30 pm（L.O. 9：15 pm） |
| Closed | Tuesdays (Unless a public holiday falls on Tuesday or Wednesday and in December.) |
| Payment | credit cards accepted |
Good for both souvenir shopping and café use.◎ “Rikuro-ojisan Namba Main Store” is popular with lovely cheese cake shaking when branded.
Video of Rikuro-ojisan’s freshly baked cheese cake shaking when branded on its surface is often seen on SNS.
When a hand-bell is ringing, it is a chance to take a photo, as it is a sign of branding. When visiting the shop, listen carefully to the sound of the bell.
This store is not only for take-out, but also for you to relax as there is a café space available.
Having many returning fans, their cheese cakes are baked there every day. It is a good thing that you can always get freshly baked ones.
Sour-sweet fragrance of raisons on the bottom of the cake is the highlight of its taste. With spongy texture, fragrance of cheese, and sourness of raisons in harmony, it makes you feel pleasant and satisfied.
When eating it at home, please warm it up before eating. It is also nice.
| Name of the restaurant | Rikuro-ojisan Namba Store |
| Tel | +81-120-57-2132 |
| Address | 3-2-28 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu |
| Map | |
| Business Hours | ＜ 1F Namba Main Store ＞9：00 am～8：00 pm < 2F Tea Room Riku Café ROOM >11：30 am～5：30 pm（L.O.4:30 pm） |
| Closed | None |
| Payment | credit cards , Alipay , WeChat Pay accepted |
How did you find them?
Popular local cuisine of Osaka locals are proud of to the world. Even living in Osaka, we constantly have new discoveries.
If you have any other places you would like to recommend, please let us know through SNS!
*Information on this page is as of March, 2020.
