Looking for izakaya in Tsuruhashi, Osaka? This neighbourhood packs more drinking options per block than almost anywhere in the city — from smoky skewer counters under the train tracks to old-school sake bars where the owner pours from bottles you won’t find in tourist areas. Here are six of the best, covering every budget and mood, all within walking distance of the station.
MICHI’s Pick — Selected by our Osaka-based team, based on places we’ve visited and on research using Tabelog and Google Maps ratings. In Japan, a Tabelog score of 3.4+ is genuinely high — Japanese reviewers are famously strict, and most locals consider anything above 3.4 a place worth a detour. We feature venues meeting at least one of: Tabelog 3.4+, Google Maps 4.3+, or 100+ reviews — the kind of spots locals quietly trust.
Tabelog and Google Maps scores are accurate as of the time of writing.
Tsuruhashi is best known internationally as Osaka’s Koreatown, but the neighbourhood’s drinking scene runs deeper than yakiniku and soju. Japan’s largest Koreatown hits you with grilling meat, bubbling stews, and spice — Tsuruhashi is the yakiniku move in Osaka, with dozens of restaurants offering premium cuts at prices that are hard to beat anywhere in the country. What most visitors miss, though, is the parallel world of Japanese-style izakaya tucked into the covered arcades and side streets: counter seats, handwritten menus, cold sake, and locals who’ve been coming here for decades. If you want to explore more of Tsuruhashi beyond the Korean BBQ strip, these are the spots to know. For a broader view of what the city does best, see our guide to the best food in Osaka.
1. Izakaya Buaisou (居酒や ぶあいそう)
📍 2-9-7 Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka
🕐 Mon–Sat 17:00–23:30, Sun 16:00–22:00 (as of May 2026)
💰 ¥2,500–¥4,000 per person (with drinks)
🚃 Tsuruhashi Station (1 min walk)
⭐ Rating: Tabelog 3.6 / (as of writing)
🗺 Open in Google Maps
📋 Tabelog
What to order: Buaisou-yaki egg omelette (¥495)
Just a minute’s walk from Tsuruhashi Station, this is a long-established izakaya in a traditional wooden house. A long-loved, homey old-timer in Tsuruhashi, it has a relaxed sunken-kotatsu tatami room and takes bookings for groups up to 35. The signature buaisou-yaki — a fluffy half-set egg omelette cooked on an iron plate — is the kind of dish that makes you order a second round of sake without thinking about it.
2. Uosachi Shoten Tsuruhashi (地魚酒場 魚八商店 鶴橋店)
📍 1-3-22 Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka
🕐 Mon–Fri 11:30–14:00, 17:00–23:00; Sat–Sun 11:30–23:00 (as of May 2026)
💰 ¥1,500–¥3,500 per person (food only); ¥2,500–¥4,500 (with drinks)
🚃 Tsuruhashi Station (1 min walk)
⭐ Rating: Google 4.3+ (as of writing)
🗺 Open in Google Maps
📋 Tabelog
🌐 Official site
What to order: Sashimi platter (¥1,078), nigiri sushi (¥110/piece)
This fish-focused izakaya prides itself on direct-from-producer fresh fish, nigiri sushi from ¥110 a piece, and tempura from ¥132. It opens for lunch, which makes it one of the few spots in the area where you can start drinking at noon without any judgement — the daily fish bowl at ¥600 is a regular lunchtime fixture. Retty reviewers noted a recent GW visit for the daily rice bowl at ¥600.
3. Kushiyaki Tsuru (串焼き鶴)
📍 Under the Kintetsu railway tracks, Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka
🕐 Mon–Sat 17:00–23:00 (as of May 2026)
💰 ¥1,500–¥3,000 per person (with drinks)
🚃 Tsuruhashi Station (2 min walk)
⭐ Rating: Tabelog 3.4+ / (as of writing)
🗺 Open in Google Maps
📋 Tabelog
What to order: Beef harami skewer (¥180/stick), beef hormone skewer set of 5 (¥800)
Just past the Kintetsu overpass heading south, this compact skewer shop sits in a small strip of kushiyaki spots under the tracks. Beef harami skewers run ¥180 a stick (two minimum), and the beef hormone skewer set of five — hachinosu, minosando, akasen, and tecchan — goes for ¥800. Sake and shochu are both on the list, and the owner keeps a few regional labels that pair well with the charcoal smoke. It earned a Tabelog “trending spot” sticker, which in this neighbourhood means something.
4. Sanken (三玄)
📍 Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka
🕐 Evenings only; closed irregularly — call ahead (as of May 2026)
💰 ¥3,000–¥6,000 per person (with drinks)
🚃 Tsuruhashi Station (5 min walk)
⭐ Rating: Google 4.0 (40+ reviews) (as of writing)
🗺 Open in Google Maps
📋 Tabelog
What to order: Abalone porridge (¥—), steamed pork (¥—)
Sanken is a Korean-inflected izakaya in Tsuruhashi known for its abalone porridge, mixed seafood hoe, steamed pork, skewers, and pajeon — a combination that draws regulars back repeatedly. It sits in a slightly different category from the pure Japanese izakaya on this list: the menu crosses freely between Korean and Japanese drinking food, which is exactly what makes Tsuruhashi’s pub scene distinct from anywhere else in Osaka. Hours are irregular, so a quick call before you go is worth it.
5. Chisoan (馳走庵)
📍 Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka (near Tsuruhashi Station)
🕐 Mon–Sat 17:00–23:30 (as of May 2026)
💰 ¥2,500–¥4,500 per person (with drinks); all-you-can-drink courses from ¥3,800
🚃 Tsuruhashi Station (3 min walk)
🗺 Open in Google Maps
📋 Tabelog
What to order: Chicken-focused omakase course (from ¥3,800 with 2hr all-you-can-drink)
Chisoan runs a popular chicken-focused izakaya course with two hours of all-you-can-drink included, bookable via Gnavi. The robata-style setup means most of the cooking happens over live coals in front of you, and the sake list leans toward Kansai-region labels. Good for groups of four or more who want a structured evening rather than a la carte grazing.
6. Tori Atama Saburo (鳥頭サブロー)
📍 Near Tsuruhashi Station (Ikuno-ku, Osaka — approx. 5 min walk from JR Tsuruhashi)
🕐 Evenings; closed Mondays (as of May 2026)
💰 ¥3,000–¥5,000 per person (with drinks)
🚃 JR Tsuruhashi Station (5 min walk)
⭐ Rating: Google 4.3+ (as of writing)
🗺 Open in Google Maps
📋 Tabelog
What to order: Jidori chicken sashimi platter (¥1,738), jidori charcoal-grilled assortment (¥2,068)
Tori Atama Saburo is a yakitori-focused izakaya near Tsuruhashi’s Nobeha-no-yu, about five minutes from JR Tsuruhashi Station, drawing regulars for its free-range jidori chicken sashimi and charcoal-grilled assortment plates. The sashimi platter covers six cuts — liver, heart, soriresu, thigh tataki, sasami, and gizzard — and the kitchen also does a clay-pot rice that’s worth the wait. The MICHI Osaka travel guide rates this as one of the stronger yakitori-izakaya crossovers in the eastern part of the city.
FAQ
Q: What is the best izakaya in Tsuruhashi, Osaka?
A: For a classic, long-running local pub experience, Izakaya Buaisou (居酒や ぶあいそう) is the most consistent pick — it’s a minute from the station, has a Tabelog score of 3.6, and the buaisou-yaki egg omelette alone is worth the visit. For something more food-focused, Uosachi Shoten is the go-to for fresh fish and cheap nigiri.
Q: How many izakaya restaurants are in Tsuruhashi?
A: Tabelog lists well over 100 izakaya-category venues in the Tsuruhashi and Uehonmachi area combined. The densest cluster sits within a five-minute walk of Kintetsu/JR Tsuruhashi Station, particularly under and around the railway tracks heading south from the station.
Q: Do Tsuruhashi restaurants have English menus?
A: Honestly, most do not — Tsuruhashi is a working local neighbourhood, not a tourist district. Uosachi Shoten has some visual menus that make ordering easier, and Izakaya Buaisou can be booked via Tabelog in English. Pointing at neighbouring tables’ dishes works well everywhere, and Google Translate’s camera mode handles handwritten menus reasonably well.
Q: What should I order at izakaya restaurants in Osaka?
A: In Tsuruhashi specifically, lean into the neighbourhood’s dual identity: beef and hormone skewers (horumon kushiyaki) from the under-track stalls, fresh sashimi and nigiri at fish-focused spots like Uosachi Shoten, and the local specialty doteyaki — beef sinew simmered in sweet miso — which pairs perfectly with a cold glass of junmai sake.
Last updated: July 28, 2026 · Corrections: [email protected]
