Bar Sou at Dotonbori, Osaka

Long-running Namba bar offering top-shelf spirits and quiet conversation since 2002.

Bar Sou, whose name is written with the character for "storehouse", is a small Namba bar that has been pouring drinks since 2002 from a second-floor room in the Sister Building. The eight-seat counter, with four more at the back bar, is built for unhurried conversation and careful cocktails rather than volume. Opening hours run 6pm to 2am, closed Sundays, and the room promises what its site describes as top-class time, space and atmosphere. The drinks list spans spirits, cocktails and a small food selection, with the kind of attention to detail that rewards repeat visits. For a quietly excellent nightcap removed from the Namba crowds, Bar Sou is a dependable, long-established choice.