Luv Wine Namba at Dotonbori, Osaka

Approachable high-end wine bar in Namba pouring premium bottles by the glass at friendly prices.

Luv Wine has styled itself as Japan's most approachable wine bar, and the Namba branch lives up to that promise by pouring bottles that would normally cost over ten thousand yen for around 1,800 yen a glass. Founded in Tenma in 2006, the brand rotates its selection weekly by country, offering four reds, three whites and a sparkling so that a year of visits becomes an impromptu wine education. The food menu is built to complement the pour, with a popular beef roast made from cuts of Japanese black wagyu, house-made pizzas and a long-running shrimp mousse that pairs neatly with a glass of bubbles. Bottles are sold at retail price plus a modest margin, an unusually honest approach for the trade. For anyone curious about wine but wary of stiff formality, Luv Wine Namba is a welcoming entry point in the heart of Minami.