Café
Marufuku Coffee Sennichimae Honten
Osaka's classic coffee house, founded in 1934, serving extra-rich drip coffee and copper-plate pancakes in a tiled, antique-furnished shop in Sennichimae.
Kitahama Retro
A British-style tea room and cake shop in a small 1912 brokerage building in Kitahama, serving afternoon tea and around 40 teas beside Nakanoshima.
At a glance
- Type
- British-style tea room
- Area
- Kitahama (Chuo-ku), Osaka, Japan
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- nakanoshima-style.com
Good to know
- Afternoon tea
- Around 40 teas
- Cakes baked daily
- Historic 1912 building
- Views towards Nakanoshima rose garden
Why we recommend it
Kitahama Retro occupies one of the most charming small buildings in Osaka, built in 1912 as the head office of a securities brokerage, in the old financial district of Kitahama. It is now a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, and its design shows the influence of the Glasgow School, with British-made fittings inside. Today the whole building is given over to tea and cake, and its period facade makes it a favourite with photographers.
The ground floor is a shop selling British-style cakes and teas, and the tea room is upstairs on the first floor, furnished in an antique British manner. The windows overlook the river and the rose garden on Nakanoshima, so a seat by the window is the one to ask for. The highlight is afternoon tea, served with sandwiches, scones and cakes, and all the cakes are made in-house every day. The tea list runs to about 40 varieties from England, France and India, so there is plenty to explore beyond a standard breakfast blend.
Opening hours run from late morning to early evening, with slightly earlier opening at weekends and on public holidays, and the tea room closes over the Obon and New Year holidays; check the website for current times before you go. Seating upstairs is limited and the building is small, so queues are common at weekends and in the afternoon. Arriving at opening time, or on a weekday, gives the best chance of a table without a wait, and of a window seat.
It suits couples, friends meeting for tea, solo travellers who want a quiet pause and anyone who loves historic architecture. Because the building is small and the tea room is upstairs, those with pushchairs or limited mobility should call ahead. Taking cakes away from the ground-floor shop is a good alternative if the tea room is full.
Kitahama Retro is a minute's walk from Kitahama Station on the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line. Across the bridge, Nakanoshima's rose garden, the riverside paths and the island's museums make a natural continuation, and the surrounding Kitahama streets have other cafes and early twentieth-century buildings worth a look.
Kitahama Retro FAQs
When was the building built?
In 1912, as the head office of a securities brokerage; it is now a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
What is the speciality?
British-style afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones and cakes baked in-house daily.
How many teas are available?
About 40 teas from England, France and India.
Where is the tea room?
Upstairs; the ground floor is a shop selling cakes and tea.
When is it closed?
Over the Obon and New Year holidays.
Is there a view?
Yes, the upstairs windows look over the river towards the Nakanoshima rose garden.
Is there usually a queue?
Often at weekends and in the afternoon, so arrive at opening time or visit on a weekday.
How do I get there?
Walk one minute from Kitahama Station on the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line.