Pizzeria Cinq — Restaurant in Osaka

Summary: if you have any doubts, get rid of them and eat here.

We stepped in at about 7 pm purely on a whim for pizza and oh boy what a delicious surprise awaited us. We were greeted immediately and sat down promptly where we were presented with what appeared to be an entirely handwritten menu in English with what had to be some of the cleanest most aesthetically pleasing handwriting I’ve seen. Sadly no pictures but look on here or just trust the process. Our party of four each ordered a different pie and an appetizer along with a drink and the owner hopped into action immediately. What we didn’t realize is that the owner was completely alone preparing, cooking, cleaning, waiting, serving… everything. He’s an army onto himself. There was never a gap in service. Once the appetizer (the chip fry things whose name I can’t remember) arrived and we had our first taste of the food we were blown away, it’s incredibly soft but has an subtle crunch to it. When the pizzas arrived and we took a bite it was like a Food Wars moment and I about lost my clothes and my mind. The flavors each stand out while complementing each other… I don’t know what wizardry he used to make food play so nicely together but not one of the food items that was serviced tonight was just “good” it was amazing. I regrettably lack the words in Japanese to tell our incredibly talented and gracious host how amazing the food, atmosphere, and service was but hopefully I can convince people to pay him a visit and...

Reading other reviews I was initially skeptical of the praise heaped upon Pizza Cinq. Was it really possible that a world-beater of a pizza could be found in a 5 table unassuming Japanese Pizzeria?

The short answer. Yes. Absolutely yes.

While the Roast beef pizza we had was exceptional, the special Margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella was out of this world. Without a doubt the best pizza I've ever had, and I've made a point of trying to find great Margherita pizzas. It honestly feels a crime giving this place only 5 stars, as it makes the previous 5s I've given cheap. To put this into perspective, just last night we dined at a multiple Michelin-starred restaurant, and though different cuisines, I can honestly say that the quality of this pizza, the harmony of ingredients, was higher than food that cost 10 times as much.

Not only this, but our host was gracious. As others have said, it is a one man shop, but, he is an expert at his craft. Despite not speaking English, he was congenial and friendly. At the end of our meal, he even rushed outside so that he could open the door for us and wish us a good evening. What a host! What a chef!

Believe what I and others say, if you are in Osaka, and love great food cooked by great people, this small pizzeria is...

Must visit.

My partner and I felt like a little break from traditional Japanese food so googled ‘best pizza in Osaka’ and were directed here.

We were disappointed to see a sign saying “fully booked” out the front when we arrived but before we could decide where to try next the owner was welcoming us in and seating us.

The restaurant is a one man show and the owner obviously takes pride in his business and works very hard. Language was a barrier but he was very friendly, patient and helpful he whilst we decided what to order.

We had the caprese salad first which was made with local mozzarella, high sugar content tomatoes and fragrant basil- delicious. We also had two pizzas both of which were outstanding. The dough was perfect as well. Our only regret was not having enough room for a third pizza to try a tomato base! Home made gelato for dessert was an absolute treat as well.

Lovely restaurant with soft music and great ambiance, just the night we were looking...