You’ll find Kenzan in the Hotel Newotani Osaka, near Osaka Castle. There’s a river between the hotel and the castle, so you can enjoy your sushi in peace even during peak tourist season. The restaurant offers classy Edomae-zushi, with fish flown in from Tokyo locations such as Toyosu Market.

They also stock seasonal seafood in from Osaka’s central markets, allowing for maximum freshness. If you’re looking for a quiet place to enjoy beautiful sushi made by masters, look no further.

In addition to elegant cypress counter seating, there are well-lit tables and private traditional cushion seating. If you’re visiting as a couple or with a group, try the more open and well-lit table seats.

If you’re alone, it might be best to sit at the counter, where you can get an impressive look at the chefs’ work.

At the tables, you can get a view of Osaka Castle through the windows. If you want the private cushion seats, you’ll have to reserve them beforehand for 10% of what your meal costs.

Being inside a hotel, its dinner prices are about as expensive as you’d expect. Lunch, however, is fairly well-priced. The lunch-exclusive Barachirashi is a satisfying set, coming with two hors d’oeuvres, miso soup, pickles, and dessert.

If you’re having dinner here, try the course meals. The Otegaru Sushi Kaiseki has 6 nigiri sushi joined by otsukuri and chawanmushi, so you can enjoy some traditional dishes.

There are two possible courses: The 8 item Shiokaze (5,000 yen, 10% tax/sales fee not included) and the 9 item Hamakaze (6,000 yen, 10% tax/sales fee not included), and each have selectable sushi rolls: one for Shiokaze, and two for Hamakaze. Shiokaze will be plenty of food for the light eater. With the number of dishes served, you might want to reserve a table seat for the space.

The menus are only in Japanese, but the staff can communicate in simple English. Most credit cards (Visa, JCB, Mastercard, Amex, Diners) are also usable.

On the other and, if you want to casually enjoy some sushi in Osaka, try out Kissui. Close to the JR Kyobashi Station, it has 8 counter seats, some tables for groups and families to sit at, and rooms that 5-7 people can sit down in, making it perfect for large groups.

The menu has an impressive variety, boasting tempura, otsukuri, and wagyu beef in addition to sushi. This establishment offers fresh seafood stocked daily from the markets at a reasonable price.

The counter seats feel open, having windows directly in front of them. You also get to see the chef’s masterful movements for yourself, so it’s definitely somewhere you want to sit if you’re with a small group. There are also English menus, making ordering a breeze.

The establishment stands out for its hefty-topped sushi. The size won’t leave you wanting! You can order standard fresh nigiri in singles or pairs, but when you want an assorted variety, try the “Tokusen Nigiri Sushi” (1,026, tax included). Another popular item is the lunch-exclusive “Dekaneta Nigiri Teishoku”, a meal that includes large nigiri sushi, udon, and chawanmushi.

If you want to enjoy sushi and money’s no object, go with the “Koshoku Teikyo Kaiseki Course” (5,500 yen, tax included). You can have all of the sushi you want for 2 hours, from a choice of 35 types!

On top of that, you’ll get 7 kaiseki dishes and all the drinks you want, making for a luxurious course. However, you need to reserve it 2 days in advance with three or more people.

Sushi isn’t all Kissui has to offer. There’s also shrimp tempura (518 yen, tax included), the Otsukuri Moriawase (made for two, 1,944 yen tax included), and meat dishes such as the thick Atsugiri Gyu-tan Teppan-yaki 3 piece set (810 yen, tax included).

Their alcohol selection is no slouch either, with sake, shochu, wine, draft and craft beer, and more, making it work as an izakaya as well!

Sushi-dokoro Kaidou is a nice little hole-in-the-wall spot for sushi in Osaka, hidden in a back alley about a minute from Tenmabashi Station, close to the Osakajo Kyobashi Exit. The first floor has counter and table seats, while the second floor has cushion seats for 15-30.

The chef stocks the seafood at the market every morning himself, guaranteeing its freshness. The hand-written menus have lists of the day’s recommendations, which change every day based on the day’s stock. This makes repeat visits all the more fun.

As for drinks, there’s sake, beer, cocktails and more, and the weekly local drinks are popular.

There’s an English menu for easy ordering, and the counter seats are so close to the chef that plenty of overseas guests enjoy conversations with him using translation apps.

The nigiri plates generally go for 324 yen, while sushi rolls go for 162 yen. The side dishes also come in at a reasonable 324 yen (tax included for all prices listed). Grabbing some sushi, sides and a drink at the counter will really make you feel like a regular!

The lunches are popular, allowing you to casually taste all kinds of sushi. The lunch set has 10 nigiri and two sushi rolls, chawanmushi, red miso soup, and all the salad you can eat.

When you see all the nigiri on your plate, you’ll feel like you’ve picked up a steal. There’s also the large lunch set, with 10 meals per day, that includes 10 large nigiri, one sushi roll, chawanmushi, red miso soup, and all the salad you can eat. It’s a great choice if you want to eat a lot of nigiri.

For dinner, you can pick up the well-priced Horoyoi Set (1,620 yen, tax included) that includes alcohol, five sushi, and five appetizers.

The chef’s choice course that combines sushi with more standard dishes starts at 3,240 yen, which you’ll want to reserve in advance. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the “apprentice chef” cat that visits the restaurant every day.

Text by:Niki Shigemi