Mar 24, 2013 - 1 min read

Kita Horie and Yotsubashi

Osaka Shinsaibashi's genteel Upper West side

Community writer

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Old family owned shops in quiet side streets give Kita Horie a genteel grace just moments from Shinsaibashi and Dotobori

Open the door to a night cap at the Vtres Vegetarian snack and wine bar in Kita Horie

Nothing is greater than friendship at Kita Horie just west of Shinsaibashi

Taking the indoors outdoors in this casual jazz bar in Minami and Kita Horie just west of Shinsaibashi

Saigon meets Osaka chic in this retro cafe paying tribute to the exotic tropical climes of Vietnam

Flamango Cafe and Bar is grungy and chic in equal measure

Every night, as the tourists gasp at the larger than life street theater that is Dotonbori, the residents of Kita Horie greet the evening in a more intimate and subdued manner. Long a home for designers and long term expatriates, these folk know and treasure the genteel cafes, piano bars and galleries that dot each street corner, much like the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York. Each street has its own surprises, and if you are starting from Toyoko Inn Nishi Shinsaibashi, you can easily stroll around in any direction.