iiie : The Bottom Line
iiie ticks all the right boxes for a craft beer bar and then some. It’s one of those places where if you haven’t heard about it, then you probably will go in with low expectations. But then you come out and find out that you’ve had such a good time you’ve forgotten to take pictures for a certain write-up. I would strongly recommend coming to iiie for a couple of beers and then taking some back with you.
iiie : Background
So I didn’t know about iiie until a friend (Thanks Leif!) pointed it out to me on a message on Facebook. I wasn’t too sure about it as he raved about it being “the best bar in Osaka” – and there are plenty of bars in the area that would like to have a word or two about that. But I was in the area after some axe throwing fun and in the mood for another beer or several.
iiie, which in Japanese is written as イーエ, and means “good house” as I thought it was going to with its Romaji writing. The idea behind the bar is for people to enjoy the place and come back over and over. Again, I am not sure about that and probably my head was a bit hazy from the night. iiie opened in November 2023 and is located in the Shinsaibashi area of Osaka, about a 5 minute walk from the Shinsaibashi station and Yotsubahi station.
iiie : Atmosphere & Interior
As you walk downstairs, first and foremost, before careful of the steps – they may not cause problems on the way in, but on the way out, they could be pretty lethal if you’re not careful. As you enter iiie, you’re greeted by a large open area of tables and pamphlets, and it does look pretty much like a bottle shop to takeaway. However, there are tables at the back of the bar that you can sit and drink at. The main area is used for a gallery and live events, such as DJ sets, though on the day I went, it was pretty quiet inside.
There’s space for around 15 people in the back of the bar, with some low comfortable seating, and the front of the store is standing room only. There is also a segregated area for smoking, though I couldn’t tell well it was due to the excellent ventiliation inside iiie. iiie has no table charge and also has some free wifi.
iiie : Beer & Tap Information
iiie has 20 taps of craft beer, and apparently 300+ different cans of craft beer, with both consisting of domestic and imports. In terms of taps, there was a strong leaning towards IPAs though some non-IPA styles were available. The beers come in two sizes: medium (330ml) from ¥750 and large (470ml) from ¥1,100 with prices including tax. There is also a three beer tasting flight of three 150ml beers for ¥1,500, and iiie also does takeaway beers of the beers on tap for an extra ¥50 – quite cheap.
In terms of the fridges, as mentioned there are 300+ differents beers in the fridges that can be drunk in-store, for a corkage fee of ¥200 per drink – regardless of size – or can be bought to takeaway instead. There’s lots to choose from in the cans, so you could easily pick up a few, and take to a local park. Just saying.
iiie : Food & Menu Information
Apparently iiie does have some food on offer but on the day I went, the kitchen wasn’t open and there wasn’t anything available. The menus do have some English on them, just enough to order the drinks and food, but the descriptions and detailed information is in Japanese only.
iiie : Bar Details
- Open : Weekdays 16:00 – 23:00 Saturdays 14:00 – 23:00 (L.O 22:30) Sundays & Holidays 14:00 – 22:00 (L.O 21:30)
- Closed : –
- Happy Hour : –
- Phone : 06-6224-0609
- Homepage (in Japanese) : –
- Social Media : Instagram
