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Kansai Scene Magazine

The votes are in!

Articles

The votes are in!

Announcing the winners of Kansai Scene’s first ever Readers’ Choice Awards!
And the winners are…

Bars, Pubs & Entertainment


Best Bar

Hands-down, the best place to pull up a stool in Kansai


cherry-bombWinner: Cherry Bomb

Killer music, a great atmosphere, and best of all Taco Tuesdays!
Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> facebook.com/RockBarCherryBomb

Runner-up: Cafe Absinthe

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> absinthe-jp.com/cafe-absinthe


Best Craft Beer Bar

Serving up Kansai’s best brews


Winner: Craft Cafe Imazato

Come here for the best craft beer prices in Kansai – and the hoppiest IPAs!
Location: Imazato, Osaka
>>craftcafeimazato.jimdo.com

Runner-up: TNT

Location: Taisho, Osaka
>> facebook.com/craft.beer.pub.tnt


Best Irish Pub

Top spot to enjoy the Craic


Winner: Murphy’s

Recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Murphy’s continues to be a cornerstone of the Osaka bar scene.
Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> murphysosaka.com

Runner-up: The Blarney Stone

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> the-blarney-stone.com


Best Sports Bar

Where to throw some darts, shoot some pool, or just watch the game


Winner: Balabushka

•Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> balabushka.jimdo.com

Runner-up: The Hub

•Location: Several locations
>> pub-hub.com


Best Whiskey/Bourbon Bar

Where to find a finger of your favorite single malt


28-rogins-tavern-jason-haidarWinner: Rogin’s Tavern

•Location: Moriguchi, Osaka
>> facebook.com/pages/Rogins-Tavern/332010490216285

Runner-up: Kowloon’s Bar

•Location: Kurosaki-cho, Osaka
>> kowloonsbar.co.uk

 


Best Sake Bar

The mecca for sake lovers


Winner: Hana Sake Bar

Location: Nishishinsaibashi, Osaka
>> hanasakebar.com

Runner-up: Kujira

Location: Ura-Namba, Osaka
>> tabelog.com/en/osaka/A2701/A270202/27064012

 


Best Cocktails

Kansai’s best alcoholic concoctions


Winner: Cafe Absinthe

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> absinthe-jp.com/cafe-absinthe

Runner-up: Lamp Bar

Location: Nara
>> Facebook search: LAMP BAR(ランプ・バー

 


Best Standing Bar

Kansai’s top tachinomi


Winner: Maruho

Location: Nishi-ku, Osaka
>> facebook.com/events/1195271580546357

Runner-up: Kujira

Location: Ura-Namba
>> tabelog.com/en/osaka/A2701/A270202/27064012

 


Best Alternative Bar

Quirky spots for a drink and something different


space-station-tsuyoshi-tagawaWinner: Space Station

Indulge in some nostalgia and play some video games from your childhood.
Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> facebook.com/SpaceStationOsaka

Runner-up: Shinka (submarine bar)

Location: Andojimachi, Osaka
>> tabelog.com/en/osaka/A2701/A270204/27062468/dtlrvwlst/3693822

 


Best Karaoke Spot

Where to belt out a few alcohol-fuelled classics


Winner: The Drunken Clam

No retreating to a karaoke room here! Sing your heart out to your tipsy, toe-tapping audience.
Location: Souemon-cho, Osaka
>> thedrunkenclamjp.com

Runner-up: Jumbo Karaoke (Jankara)

Location: Many locations
>> jankara.ne.jp

 


Best Club

For carving up the dance floor


Winner: Circus

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> circus-osaka.com

Runner-up: Pure

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> clubpure.com/venue

 


Best ‘Nice Night Out’

Where to go for cocktails and conversation


suite-11Winner: The Suite

Modeled after a New York hotel suite, this place is as suave as it gets.
Location: Shinsaibashi
>> thesuitejapan.com

Runner-up: Seven House

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> sevenhouse-osaka.com

 


Best Live Music Venue

Where to see your favorite bands


Winner: Billboard Live OSAKA

Location: Umeda, Osaka
>> billboard-live.com

Runner-up: Namba Hatch

Location: Namba, Osaka
>> namba-hatch.com

 


Best Theater or Live Comedy

The top spot to experience Japanese live shows


Winner: ROR Comedy Club

Location: Namba, Osaka
>> rorcomedy.com

Runner-up: Takarazuka Revue

Location: Takarazuka Grand Theater, Hyogo
>> kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english

 

Restaurants & Dining


Best Brunch

For the ultimate late-morning breakfast


Winner: Westwood Bakers

Location: Minamihorie
>> westwoodbakers.com

Runner-up: Craft Burger

Location: Kitahorie, Osaka
>> craftburger.jp

 


Best Independent Coffee Shop

The finest cup of joe in town


Winner: Brooklyn Roasting Company

Location: Namba & Kitahama, Osaka
>> brooklynroasting.jp

Runner-up: Coffee Roughnecks

Location: Minamihorie, Osaka
>> facebook.com/coffeeroughnecks

 


Best Cafe

Where to kick back and enjoy a drink and a snack


Winner: Lingua World Cafe

Location: Tennoji, Osaka
>> linguaworldcafe.com

Runner-up: Brooklyn Roasting Company

Location: Namba & Kitahama, Osaka
>> brooklynroasting.jp

 


Best Burgers

The real burger king


craft-burgerWinner: Craft Burger

With craft beer pairing suggestions for every burger (The gorgonzola burger is to die for. Try it with an IPA).
Location: Kitahorie, Osaka
>> craftburger.jp

Runner-up: Sasebo Burger

Location: Tennoji
>> Yelp or Tripadvisor search: Sasebo Burger Tennoji

 


Best Mexican Food

The tastiest burritos and nachos in town


sabotenWinner: Saboten

Location: Kitahorie, Osaka
>> facebook.com/saboten.horie

Runner-up: El Zocalo

Location: Kitahorie, Osaka
>> facebook.com/El-ZocaloBurrito-143521265681806

 


Best Indian Food

Where to go to eat spicy curry to your heart’s content


Winner: Ali’s Kitchen

A hidden gem of truly mouthwatering Pakistani and Arabic halal ethnic cuisine.
Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> aliskitchen.jp

Runner-up: Suraj

Location: Several locations
>> Tabelog Search: Suraju

 


Best Italian Food

The go-to Italian restaurant


Winner: Santa Lucia

Location: Higobashi, Osaka
>> Tabelog Search: Santa Lucia

Runner-up: Azzurri Pizzeria

Location: Sannomiya, Hyogo
>> Tabelog Search: Azzurri Pizzeria

 


Best Chinese Food

Spicy noodles, delicious dumplings, and crispy duck


Winner: Ding Tai Fung

Location: Umeda & Namba, Osaka; Kyoto
>> dintaifung.tw/store/en-japan.html

Runner-up: Chinese Cafe Eight

Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> http://en.cceight.com/restaurant

 


Best Vegetarian/Vegan Food

Where to go for some healthy whole food


Winner: Paprika Shokudo

Huge amounts of creativity poured into every dish – so flavorsome you could swear you were eating meat sometimes!
Location: Shinmachi, Osaka
>> Facebook Search: Natural BAR Paprika Vegan Dining

Runner-up: Le Coccole

Location: Kitakyushuji-cho, Osaka
>> le-coccole.jp

 


Best Ramen

Kansai’s most mouth-watering noodles


Winner: Ippudo

Location: Several locations
>> ippudo.com

Runner-up: Kinryu Ramen

Location: Dotonbori, Osaka
>> dotonbori.or.jp/en/shops/89

 

kyoto_national_museum_2009

Kyoto National Museum

Shops & Services


Best Backpackers’ Hostel

Top digs on a budget


Winner: J-Hoppers

•Location: Osaka & Kyoto
>> j-hoppers.com

Runner-up: Hostel Base Point

•Location: Namba, Osaka
>> basepoint-osaka.com


Best Hotel

The finest rooms in town


Winner: Swissôtel Nankai Osaka

Sleek and spacious rooms and hands down the best location in the city.
•Location: Namba, Osaka
>> swissotel-osaka.co.jp

Runner-up: InterContinental Osaka

•Location: Umeda, Osaka
>> intercontenental.com/osaka


Best Art Gallery

The gallery space that consistently inspires


Winner: The National Museum of Art, Osaka

•Location: Nakanoshima, Osaka
>> nmao.go.jp/en

Runner-up: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

•Location: Higashiyama, Kyoto
>> momak.go.jp/English


Best Museum

If you only go to one museum in Kansai…


Winner: Kyoto National Museum

•Location: Higashiyama, Kyoto
>> kyohaku.go.jp

Runner-up: Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum

•Location: Ikeda, Osaka
>> instantramen-museum.jp/en


Best Record Store

The best place for vinyl


Winner: King Kong Records

•Location: Umeda, Osaka
>> kingkong-music.com

Runner-up: Time Bomb Records

•Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> timebomb.co.jp


Best Vintage Clothing Store

Top spot for vintage fashion


Winner: Book-off

Better known for its bargain books, this second hand chainstore also has a great selection of used clothes at selected locations.
•Location: Namba & Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>> bookoff.co.jp
Runner-up: Green Pepe
•Location: Nakazakicho, Osaka
>> greenpepe3104.com


Best Tattoo Parlor

Where to go to get inked


Winner: Chopstick Tattoo

•Location: Shinsaibashi
>> Facebook Search: Chopstick Tattoo

Runner-up: Three Tides

•Location: Minami Horie, Osaka
>> threetidestattoo.com


Best Hair Salon

For the ultimate trim


Winner: K Studio New York

Hiroshi at KSNY once cut the hair of Sarah Jessica Parker while working in NYC!
•Location: Nakatsu, Osaka
>> ksny.jp/en

Runner-up: Esiotrot

•Location: Horie, Osaka
>> esiotrot.jp


Best Bakery

Baking the tastiest treats in Kansai


Winner: City Bakery

Location: Umeda, Osaka
>> thecitybakery.jp

Runner-up: Westwood Bakers

Location: Minamihorie, Osaka
>> westwoodbakers.com


Best Imported Groceries Store

Most reliable spot for a fix of tastes of back home


Winner: Costco

Stocking almost every grocery item you could ever want.
Location: Amagasaki, Kyoto Yawata, Kobe, Izumi-chuo
>>costco.co.jp/p/?lang=en

Runner-up: Yamaya

Location: Several locations
>> yamaya.jp


Best Dental Clinic

Who to trust your teeth to


Winner: Osaka Dental Clinic

Points for having fluent English speakers – Osaka Dental Clinic has your pearly whites covered.
Location: Higashi Umeda, Osaka
>>osaka-dental-clinic.com

Runner-up: Kono Dental

Location: Yodoyabashi, Osaka
>> kono-dental.com/english

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