Restaurant in Osaka, Japan
Consistent French, serious sourcing, 12 seats.
agnel d'or has held a Tabelog Bronze Award every year since 2017, making it one of Osaka's most consistently recognised French tables. The 12-seat counter delivers a producer-driven menu where French technique meets Japanese seasonal sourcing — and where the all-in dinner cost of roughly JPY 35,000–40,000 is backed by nearly a decade of peer validation. Lunch is the better entry point at a fraction of the price.
If you're choosing between agnel d'or and HAJIME for a French dinner in Osaka, the question is really about scale and approach. HAJIME delivers a theatrical, high-concept experience at the leading of the price tier. agnel d'or is quieter, more intimate, and grounded in a producer-first philosophy that has earned it consecutive Tabelog Bronze Awards every year from 2017 through 2026 — nine consecutive years of recognition from Japan's most data-dense restaurant rating system. That kind of consistency is harder to fake than a single accolade. Book it.
Opened in August 2013 in Nishihonmachi, Osaka's Nishi Ward, agnel d'or has spent over a decade building a French menu shaped by the relationships the kitchen maintains with Japanese producers. The premise is specific: French technique applied to ingredients sourced through direct producer relationships, with consommé built from vegetable and fish essences and fermented elements made in-house. This is not French cuisine imported wholesale from a European template. The sourcing choices are the menu, which is why the food reads as seasonal and Japanese even when the methods are classically French.
The room itself reinforces the philosophy. Curved earthen walls finished by a plaster craftsman and serving ware developed in collaboration with contemporary ceramic artists give the 12-seat space a considered, handmade quality that distinguishes it from the more polished hotel-style French rooms elsewhere in Osaka. The Tabelog listing categorises the location as a "hideout," and that framing is accurate: this is not a high-visibility address, and the intimate counter format means the experience is absorbed differently from a larger dining room. A sommelier is on hand, and the wine program is described as one the kitchen takes seriously — sake is also available for those who prefer to stay closer to Japanese pairings.
Dinner runs JPY 20,000–29,999 per head at listed prices, though review data suggests actual spend trends toward JPY 30,000–39,999 once beverages and the 10% service charge are included. Lunch, available Wednesday through Sunday from 12:00–13:00, comes in at JPY 8,000–9,999 listed (review data suggests closer to JPY 15,000–19,999 all-in). Tuesday dinner-only operation means the restaurant runs six services per week across two meal periods , a tight schedule for a 12-seat room. Smart casual dress is expected; sandals and shorts are specifically flagged as unsuitable. For comparable French dining in Japan that similarly prioritises producer relationships and seasonal sourcing, akordu in Nara and Goh in Fukuoka are worth knowing. For the French-kaiseki intersection in a Western context, Le Bernardin in New York City and Atomix in New York City offer a useful reference point for how deeply sourcing-led tasting menus can go at comparable price levels.
The restaurant reopened with a refreshed look in March 2024, so the physical space is in its current iteration. It was also selected for Tabelog French WEST "Tabelog 100" in 2021, 2023, and 2025 , a separate designation from the annual Bronze Award that reflects sustained recognition within the western Japan French category specifically. Both the annual award and the 100 Best listing running concurrently signal a venue operating well above the noise floor of Osaka's French dining scene. For broader planning, see our full Osaka restaurants guide, our Osaka hotels guide, and our Osaka bars guide.
Reservations are available and the booking difficulty is rated easy relative to Osaka's most competitive tables , but with only 12 seats and two seatings per lunch service (12:00–13:00) and one per dinner (18:00–19:30), availability does move. Tuesday is dinner-only; Monday is closed. The restaurant accepts VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, electronic money, and PayPay. No parking is available on-site. Awaza Station (Chuo Line or Sennichimae Line, Exit 1) is a 5-minute walk away, making it direct to reach from central Osaka without a car. Private room hire is not available, but private use of the full restaurant is bookable for up to 20 people. The space is non-smoking throughout. For the full context of what's around the restaurant, our Osaka experiences guide and Osaka wineries guide are useful for building a broader itinerary.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| agnel d'or | — | |
| HAJIME | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| La Cime | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Taian | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Fujiya 1935 | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
A quick look at how agnel d'or measures up.
The menu is set-course French built around producer relationships and Japanese fermented ingredients, so there is no à la carte selection to navigate. The kitchen shapes the menu around seasonal sourcing, which means the experience changes depending on when you visit. Come expecting the chef's choices rather than your own, and the format rewards that surrender. Dinner runs ¥20,000–¥30,000 per person based on listed pricing; review-based averages run closer to ¥30,000–¥40,000.
Book as early as possible. With only 12 seats and a single one-hour-and-thirty-minute service window per session, tables go fast despite the venue not being as difficult to secure as Osaka's hardest-to-book counters. Reservations are available online, which helps. For weekend dinners or special occasions, two to four weeks ahead is a reasonable minimum; for a specific date, book the moment it opens.
Smart casual is explicitly recommended by the venue. The dress code specifies avoiding sandals and shorts, so collared shirts, trousers, and clean shoes are appropriate for dinner. The space is described as stylish and relaxed rather than stiff or formal, so you do not need a jacket, but treat it as a serious dinner reservation rather than a casual night out.
For a larger-scale, theatrically ambitious French experience, HAJIME is the direct upgrade in Osaka. La Cime offers a contemporary French-Japanese approach with strong critical recognition. Fujiya 1935 takes a more experimental route with a long track record. If you want Japanese haute cuisine instead of French, Taian and Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama are the reference points. agnel d'or sits between neighbourhood seriousness and destination dining, which is a distinct position none of the above replicates exactly.
Lunch is the better-value entry point. Listed lunch pricing is ¥8,000–¥9,999, versus ¥20,000–¥30,000 at dinner, and review-based averages suggest actual spend at lunch runs ¥15,000–¥19,999. The kitchen and sourcing philosophy are the same at both sittings, so lunch lets you assess the restaurant before committing to a full dinner spend. Lunch is available Wednesday through Sunday; Tuesday is dinner only.
Yes, with the right expectations. The 12-seat counter, sommelier service, and a wine list the venue describes as a point of pride make it a good fit for a birthday or anniversary dinner for two. There are no private rooms, but private buyout of the full space is available for up to 20 people, which makes it usable for a group celebration. Tabelog users most frequently cite it for dinners with friends rather than formal corporate entertaining.
No specific dietary accommodation policy is documented in the venue data, which is common for tightly structured set-menu French restaurants. Given the fixed-course format and reliance on specific producer relationships, significant dietary restrictions may be difficult to accommodate. check the venue's official channels via the listed phone number (06-4981-1974) or through the online reservation system before booking if restrictions are a concern.
Tue 18:00 - 19:30
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