Michelin Star Restaurants in Osaka to Visit Alone

Michelin Star Restaurants with Single Diner Seats - $100 Michelin Star Lunch and More

Japan's kitchen is filled with Michelin recognized eateries, including a fair number of One and Two Star restaurants. Diners commonly worry that eating alone means their only Michelin option is Bib Gourmand, but these eateries are all one-person friendly Michelin star restaurants. OMAKASE Eatinerary invites guests to experience the best of Osaka's cuisine as a solo diner with great deals on lunch and Michelin Star menus.

Michelin Star Restaurants in Osaka to Visit Alone

Yugen (幽玄) / Japanese / Tanimachi

"The depth of Japanese cuisine that cannot be expressed with words" is a heavy mission, but one that Chef Keisuke Mifune has been striving towards since 2019, when he left the renowned Ajikitcho for his own counter, Yugen. In its first year, Yugen was awarded a Michelin star. In 2024, it recieved its second. This kaiseki venue, with its six-seat counter and tea room inspired architecture, is the stage for Chef Mifune to offer an umatched level of respect to the food, the farmers, and the guests. Come for lunch, which hovers around 15000 yen for an affordable but remarkable solo dining experience.

Higashichaya Nakamura (東茶屋 なかむら) / Japanese / Tenjinbashi

Diners familiar with the opulent merchant city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa will recognize the street named in Chef Manabu Nakamura's Michelin One Star restaurant. An homage to all ingredients Ishikawa, Chef Nakamura proudly serves guests a tour of his home prefecture on a quiet Osaka street. His use of a charcoal brazier and unique regional shellfish are particularly appealing aspects of a course which also features vintage glassware, kutani porcelain, and Wajima lacquer table settings. Dishes local to Kanazawa are presented with reverence to the delight of Chef Nakamura's producers and diners alike.

Masuda (桝田) / Japanese / Shinsaibashi

Kaiseki Masuda's 13th counter seat is waiting for lucky solo diners. The chef was born in Nara prefecture, studied at a prestigious culinary university, and then returned to Kansai and opened Masuda in 1999. Within this journey, Chef Yoshichika Masuda dabbled in offering cooking classes to local housewives. He was inspired by their delight in Japanese cuisine and designed his restaurant to be a welcoming space for young women to enjoy a meal. For any women traveling alone to Osaka, his counter is a relaxing place to enjoy a Michelin One Star meal that is both beautiful and delicious.

Sushi Hoshiyama (鮨 ほしやま) / Sushi / Yodoyabashi

At this Michelin One Star sushi counter, business doesn't close when the doors do. To coax out the umami of delicate white fish, kombu dressings must be prepared far ahead of time, and the unique sake lees vinegar that flavors Sushi Hoshiyama's rice won't make itself. It's thanks to this over the top commitment to his ingredients that Chef Tadashi Hoshiyama, an Osaka native, is able to bring out the very best elements in each hand-molded nigiri. Edomae style sushi is served from lightest bite to heaviest toro tuna with stewed conger eel making a grand finale. With 9 seats, even single travelers have space for a memorable meal.

Oimatsu Hisano (老松 ひさ乃) / Japanese / Kitashinchi

Warmth and kindness seem to spill from the golden, wooden interior of Umeda's Oimatsu Hisano. While searching for the best seasonal ingredients in Japan, Chef Masamitsu Hisano takes special care to select a range of rare vegetables and fruits. His courses are playful, yet honor tradition. Instead of soy-sauce on the side of his sashimi dish, Chef Hisano provides dashi for dipping. Citrus takes the place of traditional bowls, and sake pairings are served in delicate cups chosen by the diners themselves. A dialogue of new and old forms the undercurrent of this always fresh seasonal kaiseki.

Yakitori Ichimatsu (焼鳥 市松) / Yakitori / Kitashinchi

Just a year into his training, Chef Takeda took the leap into ownership. His ambition has been rewarded with a Michelin star at Kitashinchi's Yakitori Ichimatsu, where he goes back to basics serving all things fowl. Not only does the chef's beloved jidori chicken meat make frequent appearances in the 18 course menu, but pate, duck and game birds all find a place. At Ichimatsu, Chef Takeda pares down his innovative spirit to highlight the essential goodness of high quality ingredients. In the 30 years since challenging Kansai's food world with his first concept, the chef has made himself known through a devotion to skewering technique and understated mastery.

Naniwakappou Noboru (浪速割烹 昇) / Japanese / Umeda

Naniwa refers to Osaka itself, a place known for its wide culinary variety and gregarious people. At Naniwakappou Noboru, this reputation comes to life through the chefs' kappo kaiseki courses. The menu differs from day to night, featuring a selection of the best ingredients. Diners at the counter are encouraged to chat with the chef, who happily tailors the menu to guests' mood and preferences. Instead of stocking major sake brands, Noboru favors small producers. The restaurant, a 2024 Michelin One Star, makes its basic elements in house. 24 month aged kombu becomes precious dashi and thick kombu shoyu.

YUNiCO (ユニコ) / Italian / Kitashinchi

Yunico uses the Italian word for unique and the Y of Chef Yamamoto's last name. The owner-chef worked at Restaurant Hiro before opening Yunico in 2020. The Michelin One Star restaurant features a wraparound counter in a darkened space, perfect for a relaxing solo meal. The menu incorporates produce and seafood from Awaji Island. Chef Yamamoto originally hails from Hyogo prefecture, making use of both local ingredients from his home and touches like black shichimi to evoke the Japanese-Italian flavors that makes Yunico one of a kind.

Ajikitcho Bumbuan (味吉兆ぶんぶ庵) / Japanese / Honmachi

Even more than comes to be expected from washoku cuisine, Ajikitcho Bumbuan represents the steadfast tradition of kaiseki. The sukiya style architecture features a professionally designed Japanese garden, washi paper paneling and natural fibers at every turn. For lunch, a ¥3000 bento set provides travelers a once in a lifetime chance to have a Michelin starred meal for as little as $20 and change. The chef works tirelessly to uphold the 2 generations of Kitcho family name that established the restaurant's signature kamikata style.

Presquile (プレスキル) / French / Yodoyabashi

PRESQU'ÎLE is operated by the oldest winery in Japan. A Michelin One star restaurant, both the food and wine are as exquisite. Chef Sasaki infuses his cuisine with the flavors of Lyon. Wagon service transported straight from the French grand maison style contrasts the generous wine selection of Japanese Maruki grape, pear, and other fruit wines. This interplay of unchanging tradition and attention to fashions is one element that defines Presquile. The lunch course, at around ¥10000, is the perfect way for a solo-diner to enjoy a Michelin star meal for under $100.

IWAKI (いわき) / Japanese / Kitashinchi

12 years of continuous One Michelin Star mastery, once again reconfirmed on March 27, 2025, makes Iwaki an indivorcible part of Naniwa culinary canon. The chef serves just one menu, an omakase kaiseki, but he refuses to include anything like rehashes of old dishes or signature courses. While sticking to the defined culinary style of washoku, Iwaki continues its relentless pursuit of novelty. Deboned hamo and shiryaki unagi are just a few examples. Ryoichi Endo, the man behind it all, takes pride in his work and keeps a close bond with the community, putting his skills on full display for counter seated guests.

Chi-Fu (シーフ) / Chinese / Kitashinchi

The frangrance of China, the future of China, and the importance of cuisine as teacher and master are all expressed in the name chi-fu. Chi-fu's Chef Azuma passes down generational wisdom of Chinese cuisine in menu items that are informed by his formal French culinary training and Japanese environs. The cuisine is Chinese, but not bound by the restraints of the genre. Each dish is meaningful and exciting, while to 3000-plus bottles of wine waiting in Chi-fu's cellar are certain to delight any wine lover. The Michelin One starred restaurant is a testament to versatility of fine dining through an international lens.