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One of Osaka’s premier French restaurants, in the heart of the Shinsaibashi party district. Blue de Blue specialises in fish dishes from southern France as well as some Parisian dishes, and offers an excellent selection of French wines. Very popular with female office workers as well as older Japanese couples, many of whom have lived in Europe.
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This restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, but it’s popular with locals and expats. Country-style cooking with an emphasis on northern Italian dishes, freshly baked pizzas (in a stone oven) and the best mozzarella in town—as well as wines from Tuscany and Lombardi—make La Porta a gem among the city’s many Italian restaurants. Customers range from local office workers during lunchtime to those stopping off for dinner after a performance at the nearby Festival Hall.
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Since opening in March 2004, the Long Bar Grill has become the city’s most popular high-end restaurant. The original dishes, prepared under the watchful eye of New York head chef John Rees, mix European and Japanese ingredients. They are heavy on the seafood and include things like Hiroshima oysters, Scottish smoked salmon as well as filet of beef from Japan’s Omi district. The crowd is upmarket and you may also catch the occasional visiting celebrity from the Japanese political or sports worlds enjoying a late drink.
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Osaka’s newest Turkish restaurant is very convenient to Shinsaibashi station. The food includes dishes from not only the Istanbul region, but also Ankara. The rice dishes are especially recommended and there is an extensive dessert menu. The service, however, is not as good as Tugra, and the prices are a tad higher.
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Forget the street [address]. Tugra, Osaka’s best Turkish restaurant, is difficult to find even for natives. It’s tucked away in a very dicey-looking neighbourhood just north of the Dotonbori river in Shinsaibashi. But the food is superb, prepared by a Turkish chef who worked at Istanbul’s top hotels. In addition to the usual kebabs, there is a large choice of vegetarian dishes.
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