OSAKA : Where to eat

Osaka – also known as the nation’s kitchen – is filled with culinary experiences for all budgets. A delicious noodle or sushi meal can cost only one or two euros.

The best restaurants in Osaka are located in the city center. Osaka Food Theme Park, for instance, is an excellent way to find anything you want, from octopus dumplings to fugu.

The Osaka Food Theme Park is located in the neon-lit Dōtonbori pedestrian street. The Umeda area, near the main railway station, is also filled with various different small restaurants offering numerous delicacies.

Sample Japanese food culture in an izakaya
An izakaya is a Japanese version of a tapas bar, where several small servings are brought to the table at the same time. Eating in an izakaya is a great way to sample several different Japanese dishes. Izakayas are popular spots to spend the night, not least for the beer and sake!


What to eat

Japanese cuisine is world-renowned, and the Japanese call Osaka the kitchen of Japan. You can expect a lot from the food in Osaka – and the city delivers.

Culinary experiences in Osaka
When in Osaka, try the city specialties: takoyaki octopus dumplings, kushikatsu meat skewers, and udon noodles. Osaka is also renowned for its okonomiyaki, a sort of cabbage bake, as well as yakitori chicken skewers. You should also try the vegetable-filled gyōza dumplings and donburi rice dishes, served with fresh fish. One thing is for sure: the broadminded traveler will leave Osaka having had many delicious culinary experiences.

Tessa, or puffer fish sashimi, is an exciting experience
Fugu, or puffer fish, is a popular delicacy in Japan, despite the fact that if prepared with inexpert hands, the dish is lethal. In Tokyo puffer fish sashimi is known as fugu sashimi; in Osaka the same delicacy is known as tessa. You can buy tessa in the Dōtonbori pedestrian street, for example.

When your tummy misses home
If the kids find the local food too exotic, the city also offers Famiresus – family restaurants with a strong Western influence – as well as the familiar McDonald’s, called Makudonarudo.