Kansai
This tiny counter restaurant is inside the Funaya-no-sato michi-no-eki (road station) and looks utterly unremarkable, but locals swear that its kaisen-don…
Must-see restaurants in Kansai
Kansai
Akafuku has been making its signature style of mochi (pounded-rice cakes), coated in sweet adzuki-bean paste, for over three centuries. There are several…
Himeji
A local sake brewery runs this casual spot specialising in oden (stew comprising fishcakes, tofu, vegetables and eggs simmered in kelp-flavoured broth),…
Kansai
Just down the steps from the main gate of Kurama-dera and on the street corner, this classic old-style shokudō is a reminder of Japan before it got rich…
Nara
This popular spot in Naramachi is styled like an old storehouse and has just 16 seats around a counter amid dark-wood panels and an old beer sign. Indulge…
Kansai
This tiny, family-run takeaway shop serves kakinoha-zushi. Choose your fish – salmon (sake), mackerel (saba) or both (combi) – and quantity (the smallest…
Osaka
At the main branch of this Osaka institution, a large dining hall serves a wide variety of set-course meals and sushi (à la carte or in sets), reasonably…
Kii Peninsula
This new restaurant – the only place in Hongū serving regularly after dark and naturally a gathering spot – dishes up small plates made with local…
Kansai
The signature dish here is local speciality yakisaba-sōmen (grilled mackerel over thin wheat noodles). The restaurant is inside a 150-year-old wooden…
Kansai
Take a break and soak up some views at this traditional tea shop serving matcha and freshly made kuzubana (dumplings made from kudzu root – arrowroot –…
Kansai
This unexpectedly chic new spot does set meals of prettily plated grilled fish or sashimi, using seafood caught from the fish market in nearby Miyazu,…
Kii Peninsula
An unexpected treasure at Hongū's southern end is this vegan cafe in a former post office (with the wooden floors and clapboard walls to prove it). It…
Kansai
Soba and udon are handmade here using local ingredients; try the house speciality, kamo-zaru (chilled soba served on a bamboo mat with hot broth and duck…
Kansai
In a 150-year-old thatched-roof farmhouse (and with tatami seating and a central hearth), Morishige serves soba, on its own or in a set with small dishes…
Osaka
This large, comfortable cafe in Ame-Mura serves good coffee, drinks and eclectic light meals, including pastas, sandwiches, salads and rice bowls. It has…
Kansai
The exposed wooden beams and open, airy feel of this rustic cafe make it a great spot to stop for a cuppa and cake while exploring Kibune. In winter it…
Osaka
One of Osaka's best bakeries, Gout (pronounced 'goo', as in French) sells baguettes, pastries, croissants, sandwiches and coffee to take away or eat in…
Kōbe
This adorably funky cafe with a glassed-in verandah is Kōbe's go-to spot for organic vegetarian and vegan meals and cakes, served with herbal tea or…
Kansai
One of the oldest restaurants offering kawadoko dining in Kibune, Hiroya is a fine choice for eating riverside in summer. It's well known for the…
Osaka
This lively local chain has a huge line-up of kushikatsu (skewers), from staples including renkon (lotus root) and mochi (rice cake) to unconventional…
Kōbe
A reliable place for Kōbe beef served teppanyaki (grilled on a steel plate) at entry-level prices: less-expensive cuts start at ¥2500 for 80g and a daily…
Nara
A reliable choice offering a variety of dishes, from sashimi to tempura to noodles to wagyū (Japanese beef). Try its speciality: dishes marinated in sake…
Kii Peninsula
With its cluster of private rooms and regulars' personal whisky bottles kept on the shelves, Tensui has a local vibe, but it has happily embraced the…
Osaka
Beneath the massive green dragon, this indoor-outdoor spot offers house-made noodles and a front-row seat to the Dōtombori scene. Purchase a ticket from a…
Kansai
Signage reading 'Japan's most famous restaurant' may be an exaggeration, but this is a reliably polished place to sample a huge variety of local seafood…
Kansai
This tiny izakaya (Japanese pub-eatery) serves satisfying classics like agedashi-tofu (creamy, deep-fried tofu) and yaki-zakana (grilled fish), paired…
Osaka
There are dozens of restaurants (including Japanese, French, Spanish and Chinese), plus cafes, bakeries and sweet shops on the upper floors of the Grand…
Osaka
Friendly and trendy, near Ame-Mura's western edge, Absinthe serves cocktails, teas and juices, plus a rare (for Japan) Mediterranean and Middle Eastern…
Osaka
This cute little shop inside a late 19th-century wooden townhouse on the Karahori Shōtengai serves a changing rotation of eclectic (perhaps incorporating…
Nara
With its red lanterns and plastic food models out the front, Kameya doesn't look like anything special, but the okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) at this…
Osaka
This tempura specialist in the Hilton Plaza packs 'em in at lunchtime but lacks atmosphere at dinner. The small tempura set at lunch comes with rice, miso…
Osaka
The signature dish at this small food stand with a picture menu is ika-yaki – grilled squid, served here in a thin crêpe splattered with egg, mayonaise…
Kōbe
Amid the myriad izakaya (pub-restaurants) and bars northwest of Sannomiya Station, Hirai is a reliably popular spot for its house specialities katsuo wara…
Kansai
Run by a local tofu maker, this shop sells all sorts of soy-based dishes, from orthodox goma-dōfu (tofu made with ground sesame seeds) to more unexpected…
Osaka
If you've never tried Japanese-style curry rice, this restaurant on a quiet Ame-Mura side street is a good place to get acquainted with its warm, saucy…
Osaka
Satoyama's all-you-can-eat 'Viking' (buffet) setup lets you choose from mostly Japanese home-style dishes, while enjoying great city views from the…
Nara
Part of the somewhat Mediterranean-looking Axe Unit complex (towards the back), Mellow is indeed a relaxed space in which to eat pasta and brick-oven…
Kansai
This craft-beer pub near the town centre has four locally brewed house beers on tap and a diverse menu that includes dishes with Tajima beef, such as…
Himeji
This reliably good local conveyor-belt sushi chain has a huge selection (including many non-sushi items): choose what catches your eye as it goes round or…
Osaka
The Dōtombori branch of famous kushikatsu specialist Daruma can draw long lines (though there are plenty of seats, so it moves fast). Start with the …
