Nishideria

The story

Nishideria: Naniwa Italian in Osaka – Michelin-Recommended Italian Cuisine

Naniwa Italian

At Nishideria in Osaka, chef-owner Masaaki Nishide calls his cooking “Naniwa Italian.” The name is a declaration of intent: Italian technique and sensibility applied to the produce of Osaka, a city with a deep broth culture, seafood from Osaka Bay, and a mosaic of heirloom vegetables and fruits from small local farms.

Nishide grew up in Higashiosaka and began cooking at 18. After training at luxury hotels including the Ritz-Carlton Osaka, he became executive chef for an Italian restaurant group with locations in Japan and abroad. In 2017, he opened Nishideria to pursue a single-minded idea: to let the character of Osaka express itself through Italian cooking.

The kitchen works closely with nearby growers. Nishideria has a formal contract with JA Osaka and farms such as Sasaki Farm in Higashisumiyoshi, where more than fifteen varieties of Italian vegetables – kale, fennel, treviso, arugula, cavolo nero – are grown using organic fertilizers and groundwater. Nishide visits the fields each morning to judge harvest timing. The restaurant commits to buying everything the farmers produce.

A signature dish reimagines takoyaki as “Zeppole alla Osakano” – Italian in technique but unmistakably Osaka in flavor, with the familiar octopus-ball bite that makes diners smile.

Nishideria was listed in the Michelin Guide Recommended for 2026. The recognition reflects not just the cooking but the restaurant’s philosophy: that a restaurant can take responsibility for the full cycle of food – growing, cooking, serving, and building a team. Every staff member is given a “Real Name” inspired by football players, a sign of the trust that runs through the operation.

The tasting course, priced from 12,000 yen for thirteen dishes, changes with the seasons. Spring brings young burdock from Yao and bitter Osaka fuki; summer delivers Kema cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, white corn, and basil from city farms. The menu is not listed online – the kitchen prefers to respond to what arrives from the fields that morning.