Drum roll please…

Bars, Pubs & Entertainment

Best Bar

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

Winner: The Suite

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

Runner-up: Cafe Absinthe

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

Best Craft Beer Bar

Serving up Kansai’s best brews

Winner: Craft Beer Base Bud

Imported and Japanese craft beer on tap in this smoke-free bar hidden in the basement of the Osaka Eki-mae Dai-1 building in Umeda.
>>Location: Umeda, Osaka
>>craftbeerbase.com

Runner-up: Craft Beer Spot Hathor

>>Location: Kyobashi, Osaka
>>Facebook: craftbeerspot.hathor

Best Irish Pub

Top spot to enjoy the Craic

Winner: The Local Irish Pub

Lively new-comer on the scene, the Local has quickly established itself as a late-night party bar where the craic it seems, is served on tap.
>>Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>>Facebook: Thelocalirishpub

Runner-up: Murphy’s

>>Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>>murphysosaka.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: Absinthe Wormwood

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

Best Whiskey/Bourbon Bar

Where to find a finger of your favorite single malt

Winner: Rogin’s Tavern

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

Runner-up: Marciero

>>Location: Doyamacho, Osaka
>>Facebook: craftbeerbar.marciero

Best Sake Bar

The mecca for sake lovers

Winner: Hana Sake Bar

>>Location: Nishishinsaibashi, Osaka
>>hanasakebar.com

Runner-up: Sake Bar Yoramu

>>Location: Kyoto
>>sakebar-yoramu.com

Best Cocktails

Kansai’s best alcoholic concoctions

Winner: Cafe Absinthe

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

Runner-up: The Suite

>>Location:Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>>thesuitejapan.com

Best Alternative Bar

Quirky spots for a drink and something different

Winner: Space Station

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

Runner-up: Rock Rock

>>Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>>rockrock.co.jp

Best Club

For carving up the dance floor

Winner: Picadilly

>>Location: Umeda, Osaka
>>clubpiccadilly.com

Runner-up: Metro

>>Location: Kyoto
>>https://www.metro.ne.jp/

Best Lounge Bar

Where to go for cocktails and conversation

Winner: Absinthe Solaar

>>Location: Namba, Osaka
>>absinthe-jp.com/absinthe-solaar

Runner-up: The Suite

>>Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>>thesuitejapan.com

Restaurants & Dining

Best Cafe

Where to kick back and enjoy a drink and a snack

Winner: Brooklyn Roasting Company

Spacious, stylish, great coffee and plenty of power outlets. Their new branch in Namba, under the Nankai railway, even has an American pizza and beer stand inside.
>>Location: Various, Osaka
>>brooklynroasting.jp

Runner-up: Coffee Roughnecks, Osaka

>>Location: Minami-horie, Osaka
>>Facebook: coffeeroughnecks

Best Mexican Food

The tastiest burritos and nachos in town

Winner: Saboten

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

Runner-up: El Pancho

>>Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka

Best Curries

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

Winner: Chai Chai

>>Location: Minami-horie, Osaka
>>Facebook: chaichaiasiankitchen

Runner-up: Ali’s Kitchen

>>Location: Shinsaibashi, Osaka
>>aliskitchen.jp

Best Italian Food

The go-to Italian restaurant

Winner: Nascondino

>>Location: Kita-horie, Osaka
>>Facebook: ナスコンディーノ-Nascondino

Runner-up: Santa Lucia

>>Location: Higobashi, Osaka
>>Facebook: Ristorante Pizzeria Santa Lucia

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: Natural BAR Paprika Vegan Dining

Runner-up: Base Island Kitchen

>>Location: Horie, Osaka
>>Facebook: baseislandkitchen

Best Noodles

Kansai’s most mouth-watering noodles

Winner: Me-Cha-Ku-Cha

>>Location: Shinmachi, Osaka
>>Facebook: noodleshop.mechakucha

Runner-up: Ippudo

>>Location: Various
>>ippudo.com

Best American Favorites

Where to get your fix of some classic American soul food

Winner: Sauce Boss

Chicken wings and craft beer take center stage at this new hangout in Kita horie.
>>Location: Kita-horie, Osaka
>>sauceboss.jp

Runner-up: Hard Rock Cafe

>>Location: Honmachi, Osaka
>>hardrock.com/cafes/osaka

Shops & Services

Best Backpackers’ Hostel

Top digs on a budget

Winner: Hostel 64

>>Location: Shinmachi, Osaka
>>hostel64.com

Runner-up: Jam Hostel

>>Location: Gion, Kyoto
>>Facebook: jamhostel

Best Hotel

The finest rooms in town

Winner: The Ritz-Carlton Osaka

>>Location: Namba, Osaka
>>ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/japan/osaka

Runner-up: Swissôtel Nankai Osaka

>>Location: Namba, Osaka
>>swissotel-osaka.co.jp

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: Osaka Science Museum

>>Location: Nakanoshima, Osaka
>>sci-museum.jp

Runner-up: Kyoto National Museum

>>Location: Kyoto
>> kyohaku.go.jp

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 Hair Salon

For the ultimate trim

Winner: Esiotrot

>>Location:Shinmachi, Osaka
>>esiotrot.jp

Runner-up: K Studio New York

>>Location: Nakatsu, Osaka
>> ksny.jp

Best Bakery / Patissiere

Baking the tastiest treats in Kansai

Winner: Kirschblüte

German bakery offering wholemeal loaves, granary rolls and pretzels.
>>Location: Minami-horie, Osaka
>>baeckerei-kirschbluete.com

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

Runner-up: Seijo Ishii

>>Location: Several locations
>>seijoishii.co.jp/en