5 Osaka Kissaten to Get you Hooked on Coffee and Retro Showa Vibes

Imagine a time when things seemed simpler and yet brimming with class. Gold-rimmed coffee cups, silver trays lined with paper doilies, and an expertly cut sandwich—without the crust. Your coffee comes with a tiny doll-house sized pitcher of real cream and the room is filled with the soft light from Tiffany stained glass ceiling lights hanging overhead. Hand-designed logos on the straw covers remind you of time-gone-by and the long-handled spoon that came with your strawberry sundae reaches just to the bottom of your glass. A good kissaten (old-fashioned Japanese coffee shop) will transport you to an entirely different era and make you nostaligic for the Showa period style that permeated Japan in the 1920s–1980s, whether you experienced it first-hand or not.

Any local kissaten is a nice place to relax with a fresh cup of coffee and a traditional menu of sweets and light meals. Many of them serve incredibly affordable breakfast sets that will likely be a combination of toast, egg, salad or fruit, plus a drink of your choice. Purists might stick with syphon-brewed coffee. Those looking for something sweet and different could take a gamble on the shockingly green Melon Soda.

Oh and one more thing! Kissaten have a reputation for being smokey, which turns a lot of people off. But with the passage of time, this is one thing that is changing with the times. In 2020 a new law encouraged kissaten to go smoke-free and many of them are. So sit back, relax, and take in the Showa ambiance at these 5 amazing Osaka kissaten!

■A Living Museum—Tearoom Madura

Classic kissaten style, but with a twist Madura opened in 1970 in Osaka Ekimae Dai Ichi Building, the year it was constructed, after years spent running a cafe in the same neighborhood. 1970 was also the year of the Osaka Expo with all of its psychedelic vibes and the crowd-pleasing lunar rocks from the recent Apollo 12 mission to the moon. Madura has a decidedly outer-space vibe. A dark black ceiling dotted with bright lights and orb lamps hanging from the ceiling reflected by wall mirrors create the illusion of being in outer space. The curved chairs and sprawling plush couches remind you that it is not just outer space, the image of deep space with the flair of the 1970s.

Madura has remained largely the same over the years and is recognized by the city of Osaka as part of the Living Architecture Museum for maintaining “its liveliness and essence through various changes and developments” in the city around it. The menu is also essentially unchanged, serving the same classic selection of sandwiches and sundaes while the drink menu features coffee 5 different ways and Osaka-style mix juice.

A tad bit quirky and full of the nostalgic charms of late Showa period, Madura is the perfect combination of authentic retro and Star Trek feels. This is high on the list of Osaka’s best kissaten and it’s conveniently located near Osaka/Umeda Station. The only drawback is that you’ll have to navigate the Umeda underground to get here. Just think of it as a journey to the stars♪

■A Kissaten Reborn—Kissa Suigei

Suigei is an interesting one. Despite being the youngest kissaten on the list, it may actually have the deepest roots. Located just on the edge of the old Kawaguchi Settlement, one of the few areas in Japan where non-Japanese were permitted to live and conduct business during the Meiji period (1868–1912). Across the street is the only remaining building from the settlement Kawaguchi Christ Church Cathedral and a plaque for Osaka’s first cafe, Cafe Kisaragi that operated nearby. So this particular neighborhood is almost a sacred spot for Osaka’s coffee culture, and the interior of Kissa Suigei is full of history, being decorated primarily with lamps, signage, and glass salvaged from another kissaten with 50 year old history.

The young couple who opened the shop in 2021 value the traditions and charms of old kissaten and have filled the menu with classic items like the cream soda that comes in 3 bold colors and flavors: melon, strawberry, and blue hawaii. There is of course pudding a la mode, and omelette rice. Personally, I’m one for the apple cinnamon toast that comes with a side of yogurt and a whipped cream garnish.

As there are no major tourist attractions nearby and it’s a short walk from the station, I would recommend Kissa Suigei to true kissaten devotees. There are only a handful of tables and counter seating, so on busy days you may find yourself waiting outside.

■Best in Show—Junkissa American

American is classy! Opened in 1946, this kissaten sprawls over two floors featuring a large curved staircase and eclectic design. Bold flashy light fixtures, imported Italian marble, colorful glass art carefully inlaid in a wavy wooden wall, all of the design features in American are unique and fun to look at.

Plus fresh ikebana flowers are incorporated into the displays and decor. Honestly, the flowers are so colorful and vibrant you might think they are made of plastic, but they’re really real!

Located just steps from Dotonbori, this is a convenient kissaten if you’re out sightseeing. The prices reflect the busy neighborhood and the cafe’s reputation. Breakfast and lunch sets are a good choice if you’re looking to save a few yen.

And although I know from previous visits, the omelette rice is delicious, it’s always hard to choose from the overwhelming selection of dishes on the menu. You can always go with a simple coffee. And there are a few items on the take-out menu as well.

■Claim to Fame—Sennariya Coffee

Perhaps best known for its contribution to Osaka food culture with the invention of “Mix Juice” Sennariya opened its doors in 1948. A mixture of banana, apple, mikan and peach, are combined with ice and milk to make a thick and richly flavored juice reminiscent of a smoothie. Initially the shop was a fruit store, which began selling the drink and eventually became a proper cafe in 1960.

They also serve three kinds of coffee, a myriad of desserts and light meals like spaghetti and sandwiches. The pudding a la mode is supposed to be delicious, but I couldn’t resist a classically Japanese favorite—the fruit sandwich filled with whipped cream!

The cafe is located in the Jan Jan Yokocho alley of Shinsekai, a popular neighborhood for the Osaka staple kushikatsu (fried skewers) and the iconic landmark Tsutenkaku. And the quaint cafe pays homage to the area’s heyday as a center of culture and entertainment with a soundtrack of jazz classics like Billie Holiday.

■Spaghetti in a Skillet—Suisha

Soft light fills the dim interior of this very traditional kissaten. Stained glass on the ceiling, red velvet chairs, and winding wooden banisters give it the ambiance of a coffee shop from the 1950s.

The menu features mix juice (of course!), precision-sliced sandwiches, and a number of breakfast sets. The signature dish is an Italian Spaghetti which is served sizzling hot in a cast-iron pan. It’s a bit far from the city center, located down in Abeno Ward near Nishitanabe Station, but if you want your pasta in a frying pan, Suisha is where to go!