LiLo Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Osaka

Lilo(リロ) Coffee Roasters is a small and charming coffee roaster located in the trendy and youthful Shisaibashi Amerika-mura. Definitely give this place a try be it for the coffee or the experience!

Lilo Coffee Roasters is known for their incredibly huge range of beans and their staff who are all very friendly. The staff members all speak English very well so do not worry. I also had a chance to meet the founder-cum-roaster Keita Nakamura when visiting late at night and you can tell the amount of sincerity and joy he has in making coffee!

Drip Coffee (Guatemala Finca La Soledad Geisha) - ¥1,500 The geisha beans are roasted and served straight from Lilo Coffee Roasters. Like other geisha coffees it does have a lighter body and floral notes. Also note that even though it is processed via fully washed, it has a longer fermentation so you will definitely taste those notes as well.

The drip coffee is also accompanied with the tasting card and a nice introduction card of their barista!

Comparatively to Singapore, the geisha beans here are cheap (almost half price) so you might even want to buy back a...

I’m not sure if this is the best coffee I’ve ever tried, but it’s certainly the most interesting and excellent to boot. Super complex and long lasting flavor from the pour over coffee. Tried the Jardines del Eden, Anerobic Honey Infused Wine Yeast and Passion fruit. Incredible depth of flavor. Super juicy and funky and refreshing. This would be like the coffee equivalent of West Coast IPA. Delicious. I liked it so much that I’ve been proceeded to order a second pour over going for the Colombia Carolina Mejia Orange Soda Mandarin Washed. That one was amazing too and the flavor just kept going and going even after I was done I kept on hardening back to it. It’s as though it had a secret effervescence, not unlike its namesake orange soda, only like a really fancy soda. These coffees are definitely not to be mixed with milk or sugar and just appreciated as is. That I’m half way across the world and looking up this road street so that I can try and order online in the hopes that the coffee will arrive half as good as what I had should tell you everything. Please don’t...

A Hidden Gem That Turned Out to Be Famous — And Deservedly So

I stumbled across this spot completely by chance, and I’m so glad I did. Later I found out it’s part of a well-known group in Osaka — they also run a popular bakery and a coffee roastery — and honestly, it all makes sense now. This place is incredible.

I had what was easily one of the best burgers of my life: a juicy 200g beef patty plus a 150g steak layered right on top. It was perfection. The chef is also the owner, and he’s there every day — you can feel the pride and attention to detail in every dish and in the exceptional service.

The drinks are amazing, and I’d highly recommend trying the full range of pickled vegetables and appetizers — every bite is thoughtful and packed with flavor. And definitely save room for dessert — the cream-filled donut is phenomenal, and the ice cream is just as memorable.

Bonus tip: just down the street, their bakery serves incredible sandwiches, coffee and pastries. Totally worth stopping by if you’re in the area.

If you’re in Osaka, this...