Unagiya

It takes a bit of courage to enter this traditional unagi (eel) restaurant a few minutes’ walk southwest of Shin-Osaka Station, but it’s worth it: the unagi here is sublime. Expect to pay around ¥3,500. Look for the blue noren curtain.

[Unagiya - image © Florentyna Leow]

Dig even just a little into unagi in Japan and you’ll find two culinary camps: Kanto-style and Kansai-style. What’s the difference between these two? Kanto-style (East Japan) sees the eel being sliced open along the back and steamed prior to grilling, giving it a more tender texture. In West Japan or Kansai, they dispense with the steaming altogether. The eel is sliced along the belly and grilled immediately, rendering it beautifully crispy on the outside.

Unagiya, a little 11-seater restaurant southwest of Shin-Osaka Station, specializes in Kansai-style grilled eel. You’ll be right in front of all the action happening in front of you at the counter, which is part of the fun of dining here.

Eel isn’t the cheapest meal around. It’s a little more expensive than your average meal in Osaka - lunch will set you back a minimum of JPY3,000, while dinner will probably run you around JPY8,000 to JPY9,000. But if you’re willing to splurge a little, you’ll have a delicious and memorable meal at Unagiya. They do close the restaurant when they run out of eel, so go early to make sure you get your fix.

For more Osaka unagi choices, see our Best Unagi In Osaka page.

English name:
Unagiya

Japanese name:
鰻家

English address:
1F Daisan-Shinosaka bldg., 4-5-22 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, 532-0011

Japanese address:
〒532-0011 大阪市淀川区西中島4-5-22 第3新大阪ビル1F

Opening hours:
Monday-Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am-7pm
Closed Sunday, 2nd and 4th Monday, and national holidays

Price:
Moderate to expensive

Non-smoking section:
No

Reservations:
No Reservations

Nearest Transport:
Subway: 3-minute walk from exit 1 of Nishinakajima-Minamigata Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line.
Train: 5-minute walk from Minamikata Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

Telephone:
+81-6-6302-7200

Website:
none

Customer Reviews:
Read customer reviews of Unagiya on TripAdvisor.

Near To Here:
Unagiya is located in Osaka’s Shin-Osaka district. See our complete list of things to do in the Shin-Osaka district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Best Osaka Restaurants
See our list of the best Osaka restaurants for even more ideas about great places to eat in Osaka.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

---