Last visit Apr 2025 · 2 visits

Wayoshusai Hide: one of Japan's best izakaya, in Osaka

Izakaya · ¥¥¥ · Shinsaibashi, Osaka · 4 min read

Wayoshusai Hide (和洋酒菜ひで) is, by the numbers, one of the best izakaya in Japan — a Tabelog score north of 4.0, a Tabelog Award, and a fixture on the Izakaya WEST 100 list — tucked into Shinsaibashi in the heart of Osaka. The name says it all: 和洋酒菜, “Japanese-and-Western dishes for drinking.” It looks like an izakaya and feels like one, but the fish and the cooking are at counter level.

Hide's discreet entrance — a small stone sign with a hand-drawn squid on a dark plaster wall beside a wooden lattice door — The discreet entrance in Shinsaibashi — a hand-drawn squid (and the hiragana ひで) marks the door.

The food

This is a fish-first kitchen, and a serious one. Expect pristine sashimi, charcoal-grilled fish — swordfish, kinmedai, barracuda — and the season’s luxuries when they’re in: Hokkaido ankimo (monkfish liver), firefly squid in spring, the occasional whale. The wa-yō idea runs underneath it all: a Japanese backbone with the odd Western turn, dishes built to be eaten slowly over a drink rather than marched through as a fixed course. The Western turn shows most at the main course: grilled wagyu, sliced, with cracked black pepper and a homemade tartar sauce.

A skewer of grilled hotaru-ika (firefly squid) held at the counter — Grilled *hotaru-ika* (firefly squid) — a spring dish, and a measure of how seriously Hide takes its fish.

A lightly grilled hokkigai surf clam on a rustic ceramic plate — Lightly grilled *hokkigai* (surf clam).

A grilled scallop topped with red shiokara on a rustic ceramic plate — Grilled scallop, topped with *shiokara* (salt-cured squid).

Slices of rare grilled wagyu with black peppercorns, a crusted side, vegetables and salt on a brown plate — The main — grilled wagyu, sliced, with black pepper and a homemade tartar sauce.

And the drink is half the point. Hide is as particular about its sake as its fish; this is a place to let the staff pour you something good and keep eating.

A bottle of Dio Abita sake — A few of Hide's bottles — *Dio Abita*, *Jikon* (而今), *Katsuyama* (勝山), and *Hiroki* (飛露喜); the sake list is half the reason to come.

A bottle of Jikon sake — A few of Hide's bottles — *Dio Abita*, *Jikon* (而今), *Katsuyama* (勝山), and *Hiroki* (飛露喜); the sake list is half the reason to come.

Worth the trip

Dinner runs roughly ¥10,000–15,000, and it’s dinner only. For an izakaya that’s a splurge — but you’re getting counter-grade fish and cooking without the counter’s hush or price tag, in a room that wants you to relax. Among Osaka’s essential meals, and proof that some of the country’s best eating isn’t at a starred sushi-ya at all.

Tips before visiting

The collection of sake here is superb, do please drink it with the savoy dishes cooked by the chef, otherwise it’s a waste.

Location

2-1-3 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chūō-ku, Osaka

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