Cat-Themed Cafe in Osaka (Nakazakicho)

Ah, cats. If you can’t tell how much I’ve written about them on this blog already, then let me tell you that this girl loves them. (They don’t exactly love me back though, but story of my life, right?) And I can tell that a lot of you love them as well!

I wrote about this cafe eons back, but I want to make sure I properly archive it here on this blog for the future. Because who knows? This is definitely my dream cafe, and definitely a concept I would love to be an owner of someday. If only I had the cash… sigh.

Anyway, I came across this cafe while randomly strolling and looking for a place to rest.

It is tucked into a neighborhood just northeast of Umeda Station. It’s completely walkable from that area if you are able, and many young folks who visit this neighborhood filled with cafes and artisan craft stores actually do take the leisurely stroll. Otherwise, many people also take the Tanimachi Line towards Dainichi Station just one stop to “Nakazakicho Station”.

It doesn’t really matter what exit you take, but most of the cafes are lined north of the station.

Though I believe the scenic route is around exit 1 & 2. One of them takes you south down a shopping street - the wrong side, but also the correct side if you are looking for a delicious Malaysian noodle restaurant and a few other cheap & popular eats in the area. There’s also a place that sells deer curry rice very close to the exit, if that fancies you. Definitely worth exploring, and I definitely will write about that Malay restaurant someday - but that’s not our destination today.

Today I want to take you to Tea Room Uriel, a cat-themed cafe with all things cats… but has no cats.

If you love cats and love being in a space that feels like your grandma’s living room, but is highly allergic to cats - this might be the place just for you!

And also great for people who love tea with dry fruits, tea snacks or maybe need a place for lunch - this place is amazing for that too.

Look at that exterior with the cats! I guess I lied when I said there were no cats. Just… you know, no fluffy ones. Ones that make people allergic. Let’s head inside!

I don’t know about you, but this definitely looks (it absolutely was) cosy!

There is a second floor sitting area if the first floor is full, though it really isn’t a very big cafe. I’m not sure how popular it is as it is tucked away from the main streets of the neighborhood where most people are, but when I was there around 2pm on a weekday, most of the seats were occupied (with social distancing in mind, so not all the seats were packed). But seeing how this neighborhood is generally a popular hangout spot, I wouldn’t bet on it being without a queue on weekends.

But if you are in the area, definitely see if you can snag a spot to relax!

Of Fruit Teas & Cookies

Well now of course, let’s talk food. As I briefly mentioned before, this cafe serves lunch sets and tea sets.

I didn’t partake in the lunch set, but the gentleman enjoying the cafe by himself next to me did. His order looked like a set with a few selected small dishes accompanied by rice, like a bento. It looked pretty delightful and healthy. I also saw some ladies order omelet rice. I wouldn’t say the selections are vast, but if you do want to fill your tummy, it is possible.

Otherwise, if you are looking for an afternoon tea snack or just some drinks, the cafe offers some ordinary cafe drinks like coffee and lattes. But I think the selling point here is their fruits tea.

Choose a base tea when you order (mostly black & green teas), and add a selection of 3 fruits/herbs into the tea.

Each box below tells you how much many pieces of each item you can take to put in your teas. As you can see, they have a pretty good selection of fruits, and even floral notes too!

If you fancy a snack, you can also order your drink with some cookies:

Once you finish your order at the counter and made your selection, give the cookies and fruits back to the servers. Take a seat anywhere in the cafe and wait. They will delivery your tea to you and instruct you on how best to prepare your tea.

Underneath the cat cover is your teapot. You have to fill the water yourself, and the water station is nearby. I really like this system, because even though they don’t mention it as the most ideal way to enjoy your tea, I personally like to refill my pot. The dry fruits and base tea had so much flavour that it would have been a waste not to go for seconds!

So now, just enjoy your tea, the atmosphere and your company (if any).

Here’s a couple more photos of the decor before we go:

I absolutely adore this angel wings cup. It’s so beautiful.

I love this hanging light too. The vibe is perfect for this kind of thing.

Anyway, let me know if you’ve been to this cafe and tell me your experience with it in the comments below! Until next time!