Harijyu Dotonbori Honten

Harijyu has been selling and cooking beef in Dotonbori for more than a hundred years, and its main store, on the corner where Dotonbori meets Midosuji avenue, is one of the landmarks of the street. The business specialises in kuroge wagyu, the Japanese black cattle prized for marbled, tender meat, and in particular uses female cattle for its sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. It is a place for a celebratory dinner or a long lunch rather than a quick bite.

The restaurant is laid out as a series of 17 Japanese-style private rooms, so each party eats in its own quiet space away from the street. Sukiyaki is the heart of the menu: thin slices of wagyu cooked in a shallow iron pan with a sweet soy-based broth, together with vegetables and tofu, and dipped in beaten raw egg before eating. Set courses build around it, adding sashimi, tempura or a premium sirloin cut, and the most elaborate course combines all of them. Expect to pay at the top end of Osaka's price range; current course prices are published on the restaurant's listings, and all courses are priced per person.

Because the experience is tied to private rooms and set courses, it suits couples marking an occasion, families with older children, business dinners and anyone wanting a calm, traditional setting a few steps from the crowds of Dotonbori. It is worth booking ahead, especially for evenings, weekends and December, when Japanese year-end parties fill restaurants. If you do not eat raw egg, ask the staff, who can suggest alternatives.

According to its listing, the restaurant opens from 11:30 to 21:00 and closes on Tuesdays, except in December and on days before public holidays, when it stays open. Payment by the main international credit cards, UnionPay and cash is accepted. Allow around two hours for a full course.

Harijyu is about three minutes' walk from Exit 14 of Namba Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line, and about five minutes from Kintetsu Namba Station. Dotonbori's neon signs, the Ebisubashi bridge and the Tombori River Walk are all within a few minutes on foot, so dinner here can be followed by an evening stroll along the canal or drinks in Minami.