Since Japan reopened its borders last October, tourists are once more zipping back and forth by train between Tokyo and Kyoto to the point of overcrowding, swarming the top-rated bars and restaurants. If only they knew what treats await 15 minutes further down the tracks in Osaka, a frenetic, unpretentious merchant city with a legendary appetite. Osakans have a word for their approach to food and drink: kuidaore. It means to consume until you collapse, and visitors can see some champions of this pursuit scattered around the streets at night. Who can blame them? The drinking options are broad, with both exquisitely classic and utterly original cocktails, artisanal sakes and natural wines, world-class craft beers, expertly crafted highballs everywhere you look and plenty of shochu to fill the gaps. A list of the destinations worth seeking out can be found here, compiled with the help of Osakan expert Akihiko Nishio. — Nicholas Coldicott
When Osakans speak of high-class drinking, Bar K is often the first name from their lips. When it opened in 1988, Michihiko Matsuba was the young trainee. Now he’s the owner, and though he’s never worked anywhere but K, his influence on Osaka’s drinking scene has been immense as his protégés have gone on to open many of the city’s most acclaimed bars. At Bar K, Matsuba’s highball—an elegant blend of Glen Grant, Hakushu, Bushmills and Ardmore—is a good place to start, or try his exquisitely balanced High Street Fizz (gin, Champagne, elderflower, grapefruit, basil); finish with a dram from his miniature cask, which contains a swirl of Bowmore he has been topping up since 1991.
A dynamic drinking city with a legendary appetite
Bar k
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B1F Koyo Building, 1-3-3 Sonezaki-shinchi, Kita-ku
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1054 Capitol Ave, Madison, WI 53701
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1054 Capitol Ave, Madison, WI 53701
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