Bar-Hopping in Itami City! 11 Great Places to Toast with Excellent Otsumami (Japanese Bar Snacks) and Local Sake

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Kisetsu Ryori Yuu stands a 5-minute walk from Itami Station. Here, you can enjoy gently flavored washoku (Japanese cuisine) made with ingredients from each of the four seasons.

Inside, the restaurant has a calm atmosphere that somehow puts you at ease. At the counter seats, you can enjoy some time to yourself, while the Sunken kotatsu seating lets you relax and take your time.

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This is the "buta kakuni (braised pork belly)," made from a secret recipe.

The pork is slowly and carefully simmered, leaving the fat rich, tender, and slightly sweet, while the lean meat turns so soft it falls apart in your mouth. One bite fills your mouth with the rich flavor of the sweet and savory simmering sauce.

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The dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet with dashi) made with rich-colored Kokuren tamago (deep orange eggs) from Kyoto Prefecture is a dish that really stands out with its bright yellow color.

This lightly seasoned dashimaki has a gentle flavor, with the aroma and umami of the dashi softly spreading across the palate. It is said to be one of the izakaya menu items that keeps many customers coming back.

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Sumiyaki Yusei, about a 1-minute walk from Itami Station, is an Italian izakaya where you can enjoy seasonal vegetables Specially selected by the owner, a vegetable sommelier, along with charcoal grilled dishes.

The wood toned interior has a calm atmosphere. With its open kitchen, you can enjoy your meal while watching the dynamic flames of the charcoal grill performance.

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The "Kunsei Potato Salad (Smoked Potato Salad)," scented with a smoky aroma, is a memorable dish with a gentle smoky fragrance that spreads from the very first bite.

Smoked bacon, takuan (pickled daikon), and crisp fried potato skins are said to add nice accents.

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The "Shun Yasai Goshu assortment" is first steamed and then grilled over charcoal to bring out the vegetables' natural flavor and sweetness.

It includes five kinds of vegetables such as renkon (lotus root), kabu (turnip), and nagaimo (Chinese yam), and makomodake (wild rice stem), which has a texture like takenoko (bamboo shoots), is said to be so tasty that you'll get hooked after just one bite.

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Kunsei Izakaya Higashi is a place in Itami City where you can enjoy smoked dishes.

The cozy, homey interior is a small space with counter seating only. As a popular spot, it is often full, so depending on the day of the week, it is best to make a reservation before visiting.

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The signature Chicken Nanban features an eye-catching two-tone tartar sauce made with shibazuke (pickled Kyoto vegetables) and kunsei tamago (smoked egg).

The crunchy texture of the shibazuke pairs well with the chunky smoked egg. Topped on freshly fried chicken, it fills each bite with a smoky aroma that really gets your appetite going.

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The “Quick Drink Set” is a popular menu item that lets you enjoy one drink with carefully made smoked dishes.

The appetizers include items such as quail eggs, oysters, bacon, and edamame (young soybeans), with the combination changing daily. One of the reasons it is so popular is that you can try a variety of smoked dishes all at once.

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Hoko, located in Itami City, is a hideaway-style izakaya where you can enjoy Japanese sake and seasonal Japanese cuisine.

The warm interior has a friendly feel and is said to be very comfortable. In addition to counter seating, there are table seats with flexible layouts, making the space easy to use.

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They serve comforting dishes made with seasonal ingredients and carefully crafted dashi (Japanese soup stock).

Their specialty, "yaki saba zushi (grilled mackerel sushi)," is a standout dish that pairs richly fatty mackerel, grilled until fragrant, with sushi rice mixed with shiso leaves and sesame. It is also said to go well with local sake.

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They offer a wide lineup of Japanese sake that pairs perfectly with the wide variety of washoku (Japanese cuisine).

The local Japanese sake sourced directly from breweries ranges from well known labels like Dassai and Kokuryu to rare bottles. The Toyo Bijin in the photo is an appealing bottle with a fruity aroma and a light smooth taste.

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Nomi-dokoro Ichi is a Japanese sake dining spot about a 5-minute walk from Itami Station, known for letting you enjoy fresh seafood and a wide variety of local sake.

The interior has a Japanese feel and a calm, quiet atmosphere, so you can relax and enjoy your meal at an easy pace.

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The restaurant also offers a full lineup of appealing izakaya dishes made with seasonal ingredients.

The daily "obanzai (Kyoto-style home cooking) 2-kind assortment" is a popular menu item that lets you choose 2 kinds from 5 to 6 options. On this day, the choices were "lightly simmered kiriboshi daikon (dried daikon radish) and beans" and "sweet and sour stir-fried satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato) and renkon (lotus root)."

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At the restaurant, they display a list of the Japanese sake available that day, and many people seem to visit with their eye on a label that catches their interest.

There is a wide range of Japanese sake, from selections that change daily to ones that rotate monthly. You may even come across premium sake such as the "Juyondai" shown in the photo.

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"Miyazaki Jidori Danpachi" in Itami City is a place where you can enjoy a wide range of Miyazaki ryori (Miyazaki cuisine).

The interior of this izakaya, with the feel of an adults-only hideaway, is lit by warm lighting and offers a relaxed place to unwind. There are also counter seats and table seating for groups, making it very easy to use.

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You can enjoy chicken dishes made with Miyazaki jidori (Miyazaki local chicken).

The juicy "Miyazaki jidori momo-yaki (grilled chicken thigh)" is a great dish packed with rich flavor from the meat. People say that when you squeeze the lemon served on the side over it, the fresh acidity and aroma make it taste even better.

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The yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) lineup ranges from standards like tsukune (chicken meatball skewer) and tebasaki (chicken wing) to rarer cuts like segimo (a rare organ cut).

The "sasami ume shiso" is slowly grilled, and the meat is said to be surprisingly moist. The fresh aroma of ume shiso spreads across your palate, making you want to order several more before you know it.

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Just a 2-minute walk from Itami Station, Amiya Itami Ten is a yakitori izakaya where you can casually enjoy charcoal-grilled yakitori, and one of its charms is how easy it is to drop in on a whim.

The black-based interior is full of energy and is said to always be bustling with many customers.

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“junkei (skewer made with thigh meat and skin from an older hen)” is a skewer for those in the know, made with thigh meat and skin from an older hen.

Compared with young chicken, it has more bite, and the more you chew, the more flavor comes out. Grilled simply with salt, the natural flavor of the ingredients stands out, making it a perfect match for drinks.

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"Mushidori to Tofu no Salad (Steamed Chicken and Tofu Salad)" is a popular menu item that many people order every time they visit.

The light steamed chicken and tofu come with plenty of rich goma-dare (sesame sauce), and it is so tasty that you will not be able to stop eating.

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"Hamayaki-dokoro Hajime" is an izakaya where you can grill seafood at your own pace and enjoy it.

The interior is spread across two floors, with counter and table seating on the 1st floor, and table seating plus partitioned Sunken kotatsu seating on the 2nd floor, so you can enjoy your meal in a relaxed atmosphere.

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You can enjoy exceptionally fresh seafood sourced from multiple markets, including Kyoto’s Chuo Ichiba (Central Market), grilled in a hamayaki (seaside-style grill).

When you grill it boldly over the net right in front of you, you can really taste the natural flavor of the ingredients. It is recommended to add sauce and let it bubble away after the shell opens on a clam before eating!

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Hoba-miso-yaki (grilled magnolia leaf with miso) is made by grilling miso, green onions, mushrooms, meat, and other ingredients on top of a hoba leaf (magnolia leaf).

As it cooks over the flame, the toasty aroma of the hoba leaf (magnolia leaf) moves into the miso, creating a sweet and savory taste with a unique flavor that pairs well with Japanese sake.

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The "Gokai Warayaki assortment of 3 kinds" is a dish that lets you enjoy three kinds of fish, bonito, buri (yellowtail), and salmon, prepared with the restaurant's signature warayaki (straw fire searing).

As the fish is seared, it is also smoked by the rising smoke, so the outside turns crisp and fragrant while the inside concentrates the umami. The toasty aroma of the straw is said to really whet the appetite.

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The "Chicken Nanban with aurora tartar (pink mayo-ketchup tartar sauce)" is popular for its original tartar sauce.

The chicken is fried to a crisp, fragrant finish with perfect heat control, and its juicy texture layers with a refreshing sweet vinegar sauce and the rich tartar, making it tasty all the way to the last bite.

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The restaurant’s specialty, “Mugen Ninniku Horumon Kushi,” is a popular menu item made with beef Horumon, and you can enjoy it seasoned with dote miso (rich miso sauce) and yuzu ponzu.

At about JPY50 per skewer, it’s cheap and addictive in a good way, and people say it’s perfect as a snack to go with drinks.

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Each piece of kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) uses large ingredients, but the batter is light, so it is easy to end up eating more than you planned.

The "Teiban 8-Piece Assortment," which includes popular skewers like beef kushikatsu, pork kushikatsu, quail eggs, and beni shoga (pickled red ginger), is a good pick when you cannot decide what to order.

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Oden Sakaba FreeDoM, about a 4-minute walk from Itami Station, is popular as a place where you can casually enjoy oden (Japanese hot pot dishes) in a bright and casual atmosphere.

The interior has a stylish, cafe-like feel. There are counter seats, table seats, and Semi-private room seating, so you can relax and enjoy your meal.

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In addition to three kinds of specialty oden (Japanese hot pot dishes), they also offer izakaya menu items such as eihire (grilled stingray fin) and tonpeiyaki (pork omelet).

The oden is served one item at a time rather than on a large shared platter. The black oden item "jagaimo (potato)" is topped with butter and aonori (green laver), giving it a rich aroma.

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The "dashimaki (Japanese rolled omelet with dashi)" is one of the popular menu items alongside oden (Japanese stew).

In addition to the plain version, they also offer mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), cheese, and ume shiso (pickled plum and perilla), so you can choose based on your mood that day. The "Mentaiko Dashimaki" in the photo contains a whole piece of mentaiko, making it very satisfying to eat.