The 10 Best Tempura Restaurants You Must Eat in Osaka

Just picture mouth-watering, crunchy, fresh tempura. You’d be surprised to know this delicious dish is made from only three ingredients: flour, oil, and the main filling to be fried. Yet they are so difficult to make, so for those seeking delicious, fresh tempura, best leave it to the professionals… and lucky for you, Osaka has plenty! This is a town with a reputation for some of the best food in Japan, and you’ll have an abundance of places to choose from for amazing tempura. To help you, we’ve picked the best places in Osaka for tempura. From hidden budget gems that won’t empty your wallet to Michelin star restaurants offering tempura with a twist, there’s something for everyone. Let’s see which tempura hotspots tantalize your taste buds…

1. Yotaro Honten

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Yotaro Honten is a popular Michelin star restaurant in Osaka. The restaurant first opened in 1921 and has been serving high quality dishes for nearly 100 years. Their secret is frying the tempura in cotton oil. This creates their signature, thin but crispy batter, that’s so light and tasty. Tempura is served at the counter right in front of you, and barely touches your plate!
Another special dish at Yotaro Honten is seabream rice.

Freshly caught seabream from nearby Seto Inland Sea is steamed in a traditional clay pot on a bed of rice, allowing the seabream juices to fully infuse the rice. Absolutely delicious, and the presentation is stunning! In Japan, this dish is typically reserved for celebratory occasions, so make Yotaro Honten your number one spot for your special day.

2. Osaka Tempura Daikichi

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Osaka Tempura Daikichi is a well known spot in the fish market for locals, and stays open late into the night. Their main location in Sakai is only open during the night, but don’t worry, their Nanba store serves up the same delicious treats during regular hours. So don’t lose sleep (or money) and go get some tasty tempura from this little gem.

The popular menu choice is the lunch special ‘volume set’, served Mondays through Fridays, which includes jumbo shrimp, sea eel, whiting, and an ingredient of the day, along with clam miso soup. All of this for just 1000 yen! Deal. On top of this, they encourage you to throw clam shells on the floor – how fun is this! For a fun experience try this lively food joint in Osaka.

3. Tentei

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Located in the busy underground arcade Whity Umeda, just outside of Osaka Station, is Tentei. This spot is a mecca for businessmen from all over Osaka. Ten-don is served with prawns, vegetables and seaweed, and starts from just 500 yen (about $5 USD). It will be sure to fill you up.

The restaurant is small with only counter seats, but that means you won’t be left waiting for the freshest of tempura. This also means it’s an ideal spot for a swift bite if you’re on a tight schedule.

4. Tempura Makino

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Tempura Makino’s parent company is, Toridoll, who operate multiple successful chain restaurants across Japan (including Marukame Udon). Here, you’ll get to experience the service of a high-end restaurant while only paying a fraction of the cost. A set menu starts under 1000 yen (about $10 USD).

Check this out… the set menu “special tempura combo”, a 7-item meal including, prawn, calamari, and vegetables is only 890 yen! Or if you’d rather select your own kernels of goodness, single items can also be ordered from the menu. The seating layout is mostly counter-style . The restaurant has a casual vibe and any sized group is welcome – big or small.

5. Tempura Komefuku

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Another popular spot in Osaka is Tempura Komefuku that serves their dishes izakaya-style (Japanese tapas-style) by combining tempura with sake and seafood. Their trademark is Tempura fried in 100% rice oil, to give it a light and crispy texture.

The freshest of seafood is sourced directly from the Sanin region, southwest of Japan. If you’re one for fresh fish, we recommend trying the sashimi plate where the calamari is served whole! Tempura Komefuku is a great setting for groups looking for a lively evening with delicious food.

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6. Hareten

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This unusual tempura haven offers tempura on a stick, with prices starting at 80 yen. The menu here is bursting with creativity. You’ll find fun tempuras skewers like fish wrapped sea urchin topped with raw sea urchin, a camembert skewer with prosciutto, and salmon skewer with ikura tartar.

Another must try is oden in white fish soup. If you are looking to explore the quirkier side of tempura, this is definitely worth checking out!

7. Tempurayasan

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The menu at Tempurayasan boasts over 100 unique tempuras. Better still, most can be had for just 100 yen. To jazz things up, they’ve created a range of 10 homemade seasonings including, 8 varieties of seasoned salt, a tartar sauce, and a traditional dip.

Tempura dessert, anyone? Make sure to save some room for ice cream tempura for dessert! Ten-don is served at lunch (500 yen). For dinner, the most popular choice is the three courses prepared with the chef’s recommendations, and starts at 2000 yen. Let the server know your food restrictions in advance.

8. Tempura Tarojiro

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On the west side of the Osaka’s gourmet restaurant mecca, is the newly opened Tarojiro. The owner of this popular new restaurant earned his stripes at a famous tempura restaurant, so quality is high. Tarojiro has a unique ordering system where you use notecards to record your menu choices and pass it to the server as you’re ready for each dish. A swift service means you’re never waiting long for your next round of fresh tempura!

Tarojiro is another spot for the frugal minded, with tempura starting at 100 yen. Hot tip! Go for the lunch deal: a combo meal with 5 tempuras for only 800 yen! Tarojiro is a casual and welcoming tempura hotspot.

9. Ippoh

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Established in 1850, Ippoh is renowned as one of Japan’s premier dining establishments. Once holding a Michelin star, this restaurant treats guests to a traditional Japanese-style service, where the chef cooks the tempura dinner of choice in your private room.

At Ippoh, you control what you eat and how you eat it, with the chef tailoring the food to your specific desires, making for a truly special dining experience. Main courses start at 16000 yen. Ippoh is a classy location for your special occasion, or for those seeking an exceptional authentic Japanese experience.

10. Tenboshi

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Tenboshi has been listed in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand and is a popular spot in Osaka. The owner’s mission is to make tempura accessible in people’s everyday lives, so their dishes are priced very reasonably. Lunch starts at 850 yen for ten-don, and 2800 yen for a set menu; dinner starts at 3000 yen for a mini-tempura set.

To achieve their light, crispy batter, the tempura is fried in raw sesame oil. The set meal is made up of unique rice dishes accompanied by black truffles, raw eggs, tempura tea rice soup, or tempura onigiri. A range of wine and champagne is on offer to wash it all down.

Let’s eat mouth-watering tempura in Osaka!

Above are our best picks for tempura spots throughout Osaka, ranging from quality low budget locations to the elegance of Michelin star restaurants. You won’t be disappointed with any of them. Enjoy!