Bar Nayuta — Restaurant in Osaka

It was a little difficult to rate at 2 stars, but the experience warranted it. I went to this bar around the first week of September. As a frequent bar patron from California to many countries around the world--I felt I needed to explore a bar with great cocktails and a chill ambiance. So my gf and I, headed to this spot. It takes a few minutes to find, but they don't make it too hard, which is nice.

Before entering there is a paper with numerous rules that had to be written, which I found odd, but thought nothing of it--probably too many tourists' I suspect. The interior is very dark, low key and only seats a maximum of 20ish people. Those who came in were not allowed to stand and wait nor come in to have a drink and stand. Sorry guys, it's just one of the rules! Luckily we snagged one at the bar. There appeared to be a lot of foreign folks, particularly American/English (of course, me!) but I suspect that is due to all the Yelp ratings; so if you want to truly be immersed in a Japanese setting--this would probably not be a place to go.

Anyways, it appeared to be 2 bartenders but for some reason only one was working much more than the other. A long wait came for drinks and while one man was rushing to fill orders, the other guy with glasses literally stood and took a smoke break. Anyways, this whole charade is going on while the guy in the glasses appears to be saying a bunch of things to the other guy but I can't understand him--I don't speak Japanese...but my girlfriend does.

Apparently, the owner/bartender was the man taking a smoke break and the other guy was a new worker or trainee. The boss was berating him and being rudeto him while he was making drinks, collecting payments, greeting other patrons, etc.

So yeah, I silently sat there and watched for a good hour or so--and decided it was time to go somewhere else.

Pros: Drinks are good. Ambiance fits the theme. Small and intimate.

Cons: Small seating capacity. Owner seems to be rude as his reviews on google reflect that (and he never apologizes either, good for him). Drinks are $$$. Long wait for cocktails. Mostly foreign customers.

Sorry man, good drinks and a nice interior isn't everything. Treat your staff better and don't mock customers when they ask you to make them a cocktail--especially if they don't know...

Staff with no humanity or compassion. The entrance was dimly lit and very low. It was my first time at this bar, and I hit my head hard on the door, it was excruciatingly painful, beyond words. I was trying to decide whether to go to the hospital while my head was still throbbing. My friend had already ordered a drink. When the bartender first asked what I wanted to drink, I told them I had just hit my head really badly and needed a moment. While I was still trying to recover (because it truly hurt, anyone who sees that door would understand), another bartender came over to push me to order. I told them again I had just hit my head and was in serious pain, that I needed some time. The bartender replied that they charge a “headcount fee.” (Service charge I reckon. ) I said I understood and would pay, but I needed to rest. They continued pressing me to order, emphasizing that a table charge would apply whether I ordered or not.

If they think I’m trying to dine and dash, they can call the police. But could the bar at least train their staff to understand what basic humanity and empathy mean? The door design is clearly flawed, I’m not the only one who’s been hurt by it. I was in tears from the pain, and this is how I was treated?

To the owner’s reply:

Your response is misleading and does not reflect what actually happened. Please do not twist the facts.

Only one of the three bartenders showed any basic human empathy. He did not pressure me to order and kindly offered an ice pack just before I left. I appreciated his attitude.

However, the other two bartenders were extremely pushy and disrespectful. Despite me clearly stating that I was in pain from hitting my head on your dangerously low entrance and that I needed time to rest—I also explicitly said I would still pay—they continued to aggressively push me to order. Their attitude was unacceptable and lacked basic human decency.

Please stop misrepresenting the situation. Your bar’s design flaw caused physical pain, and most of your staff’s response was not just insufficient, it...

World class cocktail bar with friendly staff and a fantastic atmosphere.

Bar Nayuta has no menu and instead offers bespoke cocktails (and mocktails) tailored to your preferences, as well as their twists on classic cocktails. There are no reservations and each drink is 1,600yen.

At Nayuta you can order any drink you can imagine (with the exception of Long Island iced tea and Pina coladas). For those having trouble deciding, the bar has 3 signature cocktails: Nayuta Old Fashioned, Cucumber Gimlet, and Milk Punch. The Old Fashioned is strong and smoky whereas the others are light and refreshing, my favourite of the 3 being the Milk punch. All of them offer very unique, distinct flavours and are definitely worth a try.

The staff at Nayuta are all great people and won’t hesitate to have a conversation with you or answer any questions you may have. Each bartender has their own favourite cocktails and flavours, so I would highly recommend asking any of the bartenders to make you their favourite cocktail if you’re sitting at the counter. Even if you ask them to make you something completely random you won’t be disappointed.

Smoking is allowed in Bar Nayuta and as a result I would recommend coming around opening time if you are particularly weak with smoke. From 5-6 there tends to be very few customers. That way you can still enjoy all of the amazing drinks without having to worry about smoke.

I highly recommend not only visiting Bar Nayuta but also going its sister bars “Third Place Bar Nayuta” and the Newly established “Karuda”. Both have equally as amazing drinks and typically have less people, making them the perfect places to visit on busier days.

And to all the Nayuta staff, Thank you so much for all of the wonderful service as well as everything you have done for me this past year. Because of you guys Osaka really does feel like a second home to me, and I will definitely be...