Café-restaurant and tourism hotspot located on Dotonbori's shop street a block from the canal. Dishes include takoyaki, yakisoba, deep-fried skewers ("kushikatsu"), vegan cutlet rice bowls ("katsudon"), fried gyoza dumplings and more. Cold Shio Ramen is available from June 2025. Open Mon-Sun 11:30am-10:30pm. Public holidays have Sat-Sun hours.
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1F Nakaza Blvd, 1 Chome-7-21 Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Japan, 542-0071
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 07 Oct 2025 by pivotbase
Update business info -
Added by pivotbase on 31 May 2024
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Featured Review
tknasir
Points +20
Great Osakan Cuisine - Edit
Really great Osakan cuisine! One of the troubles of being vegan in Japan is the lack of options and as lovely as some of the other vegan restaurants we tried were, they had lots of burgers and not as much “traditional” cuisine. Having just had a tour guide tell us about all this traditional Osakan food that we couldn’t eat, we found out that pretty much all of it was served here! Can’t speak highly enough of it, so nice to not have to miss out on any of the culinary culture just because we’re vegan! Also has really friendly staff who speak great English and an easy to use online order/menu system in English!
Read morePros: Traditional food, Friendly staff, Central location
VeganRia🫶🌱🩷
I went to Pivot with my family and... OM-SQUEE IT WAS SO GOODDDDDDDDD, we all shared a chicken cutlet, vegan gyoza, curry rice, french fries, standard takoyaki, maipo eggplant, and salted bread. The chicken cutlet was so good that we ordered 2 more servings. Next the vegan gyoza, it was perfect if you tried the soy sauce and red chili oil on top. Then we tried the curry rice and it was SOOOOO delicious 😋. The French fries were crispy on the outside and soft like a pillow on the inside. Next the takoyaki which I ordered, it was so good it was hard to believe it was vegan. All the workers were so kind🩷
Read morepivotbase
Thank you very much for visiting our restaurant. We truly appreciate you putting into words what we have strived to achieve! We learned that some tourists visiting Japan are unable to fully enjoy their meals due to dietary restrictions. With this in mind, we opened our restaurant in the popular Dotonbori area of Osaka as a place where everyone can enjoy traditional Osaka cuisine. We are delighted that so many guests have already visited us.
Read moreThank you very much for your wonderful review, and we sincerely look forward to welcoming you back.
Guest
367 Reviews
First Review by feebz1986
Garlicfriend
Points +58
Amazing - Edit
This place was absolutely delicious!! I loved the vegan Takoyaki and ended up getting another order of it and it was a nice peaceful place to eat dinner in such a busy beautiful town. The staff was also incredibly friendly.
Read moreGuest
CharlieRogers
Points +24
Great vegan food and friendly staff - Edit
Has a very diverse range of Japanese food to try
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-08-11
Guest
beckpa
Points +20
Gutes essen. Super Lage - Edit
Das essen war super vorallem die Ramen.
Read moreGuest
siannyd
Points +39
Great authentic lunch - Edit
Vegan cafe. Open and airy cafe. Very nice multi lingual staff. Very clean. Food was great, small menu but hits the spot! Lots of drinks options too. Much more neutral calming decor to the Osaka streets! We had cold ramen, cutlet, rice and soup. All delicious, fresh and not greasy. Please come and visit!
Read morePros: Good food, Lots of drinks options, Very fresh food
Guest
rayanT
Points +251
Amazing food and beer in the heart of Dontobori - Edit
Large selection of beet and drinks. Everything we had tasted great.
Read moreGuest
ViciWestside
Points +19
Essen gut, Service besser!😊 - Edit
Das Essen ist lecker, Preise entsprechen europäischen Standards. Die Kellnerin war sehr zuvorkommend, sympathisch und hat uns Tipps für unseren weiteren Urlaub gegeben.😊
Read moreGuest
MrJHill
Points +122
Good food, low price, small portions - Edit
Food was great and well priced but the low price comes with small portion sizes - we had four items from the menu, could have had six
Read moreGuest
DanielaCavallaro
Points +276
Vegan octopus!! - Edit
Wow the octopus balls are definitely interesting I had no idea what I ordered at first as they looked appealing - they are mimicked very well and the soy mayo is probably the best mayo I’ve ever had if they sold this - definitely would have bought some to take back home (maybe an idea for them) highly recommend the staff and owner is so friendly. It’s so lovely supporting businesses doing their best for the planet 🌍
Read moreGuest
MrOsco
Points +46
Todo muy bueno, cantidad y precio correcto - Edit
Platos mejor que las fotos y atención muy amable
Read moreGuest
saaturn
Points +46
Great selection! - Edit
Had cold shio ramen which hit the spot given the crazy summer heat. Had a variety of food, and the staff were so friendly!!
Read morePros: Food, Service
Guest
RiddhiArora
Points +13
Great service, yum food - Edit
Food is great, and friendly staff.
Read moreGuest
flat1984
Points +18
Große und gute vegetarische Auswahl - Edit
Es gibt viele japanische Speisen in vegetarischer und veganer Variante, sonst schwer zu finden. Gyosa, Ramen, Salate, Tempura und vieles mehr.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-07-29
Guest
andyjng
Points +5885
Best Lunch Spot in Osaka - Edit
Pivot was a life saver while I was in Osaka for a few days. My friends and I would wind up in Dotonbori for lunch everyday and we came here not once, not twice, but three different times because it was so good.
Read moreThe staff would greet us warmly each time and checked to make sure we knew this was a vegan restaurant. Sad that they have to do this each time but I guess it helps erase any upsets from people who don't realize they're dining plant-based.
They offered a variety of lunch specials that are very Japanese and Osaka friendly, such as takoyaki, curry sets, noodles, and more. Each time we came here, we always ordered their Katsu Curry Set (¥1800) which included a salad with every order. The curry was fire and the katsu pieces really tasted like their counterparts. We always left feeling extremely satisfied and ready to take on the rest of the day.
The takoyaki here wasn't anything exceptional so I'd probably skip that unless you really wanted to try their veganized version.
Fortunately, the restaurant never got too busy while we were there except on the weekend. I'll definitely be making a stop back here again if I'm in need of a good vegan lunch deal in the heart of Dotonbori.
Guest
mxijyx
Points +518
cool to have the option - Edit
I mean it’s really nice to have an inexpensive vegan bar like this but i must admit the takoyaki were not anything I could recommend. Appreciate the idea and cute flag though!
Read moreGuest
Chiara Cassandra
Points +346
Typical local food in a vegan key - Edit
I liked to have the opportunity to try food from Osaka! Ramen was by favorite
Read moreGuest
HanneMR
Points +99
A must try!! - Edit
We loved this place! We traveled to Japan for the first time, and wanted to taste as much of the Japanese cuisine as possible, but without meat (vegetarians). At this place they had a rich menu with many types of veganized Japanese dishes - from various ramen soups (cold and hot) to yaki soba, gyoza, curry, ton katsu, takoyaki and more, as well as ice cream and various desserts. Alcohol service and good virgin drinks. Nice host. The place is located in the middle of the most exciting part of Dotonbori! It is open both day and night. We ate here three times in four days - a perfect "go to" restaurant as we found it a bit difficult to find restaurants that satisfied everyone's needs. Here even the one meat eater in the traveling companion was very happy with the food! After a week in Tokyo and a week in Kyoto, he said that the curry and tonkatsu here were some of the best he had eaten on the trip!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-07-12
Pros: A variety of Japanese food on the menue, Staff is very pleasant, Location
Guest
vegantripjapan
Points +51
A Rare Chance to Enjoy Osaka’s Soul Food—Vegan Style - Edit
At PIVOT BASE in Osaka, you can enjoy a fully plant-based take on Japanese classics—from local favorites like takoyaki and kushikatsu to nationally beloved dishes such as ramen and tonkatsu. Their extensive selection of desserts and drinks also showcases the variety and richness of vegan cuisine.
Read moreWhile this spot is listed as “all vegan” on HappyCow, there have been reports that some food or drink items may contain non-vegan ingredients. If you’re concerned, it’s a good idea to confirm details with the staff on site before ordering.
Pros: Vegan versions of takoyaki, kushikatsu, ramen, and, Great variety of vegan sweets and drinks, Casual and accessible atmosphere
Cons: Some reported inconsistencies in vegan labeling, Need to confirm ingredients with staff on-site
Guest
theVeganLauriane
Points +148
Best try of Osakan type cuisine - Edit
Just a few minutes from the famous Glyco Sign, came twice today and I had all the osakan specialities I had longed to try!
Read moreEverything was utterly delicious and the staff was nice !
They don’t take cash FYI.
Had a wonderful time 😁
My special favorite : the Red bean Dorayaki with vanilla in it !! Just pure pleasure for my palate 😋
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-21
Guest
ameliaclayton95
Points +16
Delicious ramen - Edit
Great mix of vegan food! Ramen is particularly good, and extremely friendly service. The location is right in the heart of Dotonburi so highly recommend
Read moreGuest
kickitoldskool
Points +128
Banging - Edit
A GREAT vegan restaurant. Lots of choice and very tasty dishes.
Read moreI had the ramen and it was really nice. I tired the Takoyaki and while it was nice it wasn’t for me.
Veggie gyozas were delicious and my friends had a great curry and yakisoba.
Service was good, but be warned there is no toilet in the restaurant.
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-17
Pros: Great choices , Tasty food, Good ramen
Cons: No toilet
Guest
dwells
Points +2664
Would’ve been good had I not been badly burnt by underdone takoyaki - Edit
Popped by here a week or so ago and had the large order of takoyaki. The ones that were fully cooked were pretty dang good and I enjoyed them. However, a few of them were clearly underdone with the batter still molten, and they must have been served immediately after leaving the fryer without being given any time to rest and cool.
Read moreAs a result, I bit into one and the gooey inside stuck to the roof of my mouth and burnt it badly enough to cause the skin to delaminate and my mouth to be sore for several days. Ouch.
Guest
Laurenish
Points +13
Pivot Base - Edit
Great and friendly service, some of the best we've had on our trip. Order on phone and pay by card only. Nice range of food, what we ordered was nice. No meat on the menu at all.
Read moreGuest
TheRealVegan
Points +79
Heerlijk - Edit
Vriendelijk personeel en echt heerlijke gyoza. De ramen was ook lekker.
Read morePros: Goede service, Lekker eten
Guest
sunnygaur7
Points +15
Glad I got to try Takoyaki and Kushikatsu as a Vegetarian - Edit
Every thing we ordered was delicious and properly vegan.
Read moreWe got the Takoyaki, which we loved. My wife eats meat and she really loved it too. The Kushikatsu was very very good.
Guest
taschaontour
Points +85
Very good food! - Edit
I had a small dish (rice balls and miso soup) and it was absolutely delicious!
Read moreGuest
Jirong
Points +33
素食章魚燒和素食拉麵 - Edit
素食拉麵好吃且湯頭很濃郁😋
Read more第一次吃到素食章魚燒覺得很特別，比起軟軟的口感，好像更期待裡面的麵糊酥脆一點！
Guest
Kattepatat
Points +162
Nice takoyaki - Edit
Very nice to have a vegan restaurant at the Dotonbori! Takoyaki tasted good and it's fun to try such a traditional dish. Not my favorite food, but apparently it tastes very similar to the non-vegan version :)
Read moreGuest
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