Struggling to find a bar for a drink after a morning of sight seeing around Osaka, we stumbled by accident on “Pizzaria Bar Napoli”:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pizzeria-Bar-Napoli-%E5%BF%83%E6%96%8E%E6%A9%8B/297629887040177 and asked if we could just have a drink. The staff were welcoming and accommodating and we sat up at the bar and shared half a carafe of white wine. The garlic smells wafting from the nearby open kitchen made us feel hungry and we decided to share garlic bread and spicy salami.
The menu had tapas (around ¥380 or £2.50), small dishes (¥500 or £3.30) as well as pizzas and pasta (some with a Japanese twist). We decided to return that evening.
On arrival, the restaurant was empty and as we had the choice of seats, chose a booth with plain wooden table.
The wine was good value at ¥2500 and we shared a comforting Mama’s potato gratin topped with melting cheese, salad and a diavolo pizza with the spicy salami we’d enjoyed earlier in the day. There was a huge list of extra toppings which could be added to any pizza and you could also have a half and half pizza. The menu said in English there were set meals but the list of options was only in Japanese.
The restaurant busied up during the night and this is when we really noticed that smoking is still allowed in restaurants (and there is no separate area). As well as diners, lots of people were just coming in and having cocktails and drinks and this created a lively atmosphere.
Despite its relative size, three men ran the entire place: a white shirted chef the barman with a red shirt and black-clad waiter. They worked really well as a team and it was interesting watching them help each other out.
We were struggling to get the bill and a young man on a nearby table saw our frustration and managed to attract the waiter’s attention. He could see us trying to count our loose change and when we found we were a ¥10 short, he made up our shortfall.
We couldn’t have asked for more: good service, great food and helpful fellow diners.
