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Eat · Namba / Dōtonbori

Kani Dōraku Dōtonbori

かに道楽 道頓堀本店Namba / Dōtonbori, Osakalast order: unknownmixedJapanese

Crab course menus under the moving crab sign: reserve for dinner; lunch sets are the walk-in option.

Open11:00–22:00typical, check
Per person¥3,500–5,000 (≈ US$25–35)2026 estimate
Best timeweekday luncheasiest walk-in
BookingReserve ahead Warning
  • Under the moving crab sign
  • Book dinner
  • Lunch sets are the value entry
  • Order: Crab course
  • Tables and stools
  • Walk-in window: weekday lunch
  • Queue risk: dinner without booking
  • Menu with prices on Voykit

Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.

Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
  • Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
  • Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.
  • Kansai ↗ICOCA is the default IC card; Suica works too.
  • Osaka ↗Osaka stands on the right side of escalators (Tokyo stands left).
Usually 11:00–22:00
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Map & directions
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From where I am

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Plan

Open now, when you can walk in, what to order

Go now?

Open?

Usually 11:00–22:00

Typical hours: check on the day.

Busy this hour

Estimate by hour below

Easiest walk-in

weekday lunch

Reservations

Reserve ahead

Paying

Cards taken

Per person

¥3,500–5,000 (≈ US$25–35)2026 estimate · check

Directions (opens Google Maps)What to order ↓

Walk-in windows

weekday lunch: highdinner without booking: risky
  1. 11:00, calm
  2. 12:00, moderate
  3. 13:00, moderate
  4. 15:00, quiet
  5. 17:00, moderate
  6. 18:00, busy
  7. 19:00, very busy
  8. 20:00, busy
Quietest around 15:00 Busiest 19:00Estimate for an ordinary weekday. Taller bar = busier.

Tip

Format

Crab restaurant under the moving crab sign on Dōtonbori, with private rooms including tatami (check)

A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.

Menu and prices

2026 estimate
  • Crab lunch setかにランチThe value entry to the restaurant.¥3,500–5,000 (≈ US$25–35)if hungry
  • Crab dinner courseかに会席Sashimi, grilled, tempura and hotpot of crab.¥7,000–15,000 (≈ US$50–110)if hungry
  • Crab hotpot (kani-suki)かにすきBest in winter.¥6,000–10,000 (≈ US$45–70)if hungry
  • Grilled crab leg, street stand焼きがにSmall for the price; eat inside instead.¥1,000–2,000 (≈ US$7–14)skip

2026 estimate per person.

Build your order

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2 people

  • Crab lunch set

    かにランチ

    ¥3,500–5,000 (≈ US$25–35)

    Contains (from menu notes, check): shellfish

    0

  • Crab dinner course

    かに会席

    ¥7,000–15,000 (≈ US$50–110)

    Contains (from menu notes, check): shellfish, wheat

    0

  • Crab hotpot (kani-suki)

    かにすき

    ¥6,000–10,000 (≈ US$45–70)

    Contains (from menu notes, check): shellfish

    0

  • Grilled crab leg, street standskip

    焼きがに

    ¥1,000–2,000 (≈ US$7–14)

    Contains (from menu notes, check): shellfish

    0

Food and drink

Nothing picked yet.

Menu prices are 2026 estimates (check the board or menu on the day).

Split the bill 2 ways

Pick dishes to see each person's share.

Unlike in the US, no tip is expected here. Local custom: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table. Tipping calculator

Pick at least one dish to make the full-screen list.

Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).

On the ground

How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking

How to order

  • Book dinner online or by phone; walk in for weekday lunch.
  • Choose a set course; staff explain each crab dish and how to crack the legs.

Tipping

Unlike in the US, no tip is expected here.

Allergies and diets

  • NoVegetarian · Crab in every course.
  • NoVegan
  • NoHalal · Mirin and sake in the cooking.
  • AskGluten-free · Soy sauce and tempura batter contain wheat.
  • NoShellfish allergy

Paying

Cards taken

  • Cards accepted (check).
  • Many small places are cash only; the sign at the till shows accepted cards.

Booking

Booking
Reserve ahead
Reservations
Taken
Note
Reserve for dinner.

Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).

Map and nearby

Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it

Kani Dōraku DōtonboriKani Dōraku DōtonboriHōzen-jiDōtonboriTsūtenkakuShitennō-jiKukuru Dōtonbori (takoyaki)MizunoKuromon MarketKushikatsu Daruma (Shinsekai)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

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Directions
From where I am

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Nearby places

Eat nearby

More detail

Everything else we know about this place

How to order here, in full

How to order here

The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.

  1. 1Book dinner online or by phone; walk in for weekday lunch.
  2. 2Choose a set course; staff explain each crab dish and how to crack the legs.

No shared language? Tap dishes in the order builder below and show the waiter the full-screen list in the local script. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.

What to say

In EnglishSay or showSounds like
This one, pleaseこれをくださいkore o kudasai
How much is it?いくらですか？ikura desu ka
Can I pay by card?カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka
Where is the toilet?トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka
Excuse me / Sorryすみませんsumimasen
Thank youありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu
The bill, please.お会計をお願いします。—

Extras, condiments and what costs extra

  • Kushikatsu sauce is shared: one dip per skewer.
  • Tell staff about allergies in writing; soy sauce contains wheat and dashi contains fish almost everywhere.

Paying and tipping

Unlike in the US, no tip is expected here.

  • Cards accepted (check).
  • Tipping: Not done; staff will return the money.
  • Many small places are cash only; the sign at the till shows accepted cards.

At the table

  • Eat at the stall or its bench in Kuromon and Dōtonbori; carry rubbish to the next bin or back to the stall.
  • At okonomiyaki counters staff often cook for you; ask before you flip it yourself.

Price and paying

Typical spend
Lunch ¥3,500–5,000 (≈ US$25–35); dinner ¥7,000–15,000 (≈ US$50–110) per person
Paying, diet and allergies

Paying

Cashyes
Cardyes

Major cards (check).

IC cardsome stalls

Check.

QR walletsome stalls

Check.

Diet and allergies

Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.

  • Vegetarianno

    Crab in every course.

  • Veganno
  • Halalno

    Mirin and sake in the cooking.

  • Gluten-freeask

    Soy sauce and tempura batter contain wheat.

  • Shellfish allergyno

What is in the dishes

  • Crab lunch setかにランチshellfish
  • Crab dinner courseかに会席shellfish · wheat
  • Crab hotpot (kani-suki)かにすきshellfish
  • Grilled crab leg, street stand焼きがにshellfish

Read from the menu names and notes; recipes vary and cross-contact is not tested. Check with the kitchen.

Make an allergy and diet card for Osaka →

Who it suits, booking and the kitchen

Who it suits, booking, closures

goodCouple — Private rooms for a special dinner.
goodGroups of 5+ — Rooms for groups; book.
okKids — Children's sets may be offered (check).
cautionSolo — Course menus suit two or more.
How to book
Online or by phone; the hotel can book.
How far ahead
2–7 days for dinner; longer in winter and holidays
No-show / cancel fee
Cancellation fees may apply (check).
Dress code
Smart casual; shoes off in tatami rooms.
WhenStatusNote
Weeklycheck before you goOpen daily in most years (check).
Hour by hour, with queue times

Quietest listed hour: 15:00 (quiet).

  1. 11:00lightlittle or no wait
  2. 12:00busya short wait is possible
  3. 13:00busya short wait is possible
  4. 15:00quietlittle or no wait
  5. 17:00busya short wait is possible
  6. 18:00heavyexpect a line
  7. 19:00packedexpect a long line
  8. 20:00heavyexpect a line

Desk estimate; weekends and winter one level higher. Not live data. No line length is on file, so waits are in words.

Comfort, facts and cons

Hygiene and comfort

Seating
Tables and stools
Kids
kids' menu: ask · stroller: caution · Private rooms help with small children
Access
step-free: check · Multi-floor restaurant with a lift (check); some rooms are tatami

Facts

Reservations
Taken — Reserve for dinner.
Capabilities
food · seated_rest
Getting there
Dōtonbori, Namba · ~5 min walk

Cons

  • Priced for occasions; some rooms are tatami.

Deep dive

Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from

Questions and answers

Questions and answers

answered by Voykit editors · dated
Is it good value?

You pay for the occasion and the room; lunch sets are the better value.

Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk

Do I need to book Kani Dōraku?

For dinner, yes; weekday lunch is usually walk-in.

How much is dinner?

About ¥7,000–15,000 (≈ US$50–110) per person for a course (2026 estimate).

Are there tatami rooms?

Yes, some rooms are tatami with shoes off; ask for table seating if needed.

Answers come from Voykit editors, not from other travellers.
If it is closed or full

Nearby alternatives

walk minutes · estimate

If it is closed or the line is too long

Go to Mizuno, about 1 min on foot (straight line × 1.3); no reservation needed.
  1. Kukuru Dōtonbori (takoyaki)2 min walkTakoyaki nearby.
  2. Mizuno1 min walkOkonomiyaki cooked at the counter on Dōtonbori: queue before opening or mid-afternoon; seats are chairs at the griddle.
  3. Kuromon Market9 min walkMarket for a standing lunch: go 10:00–12:00; many stalls close by late afternoon; eat at the stall, not while walking.

Places without an authored walk are ranked by straight-line distance × 1.3 at 5 km/h (3 mph).

All places to eat in Osaka, with filters →

Used as a seated rest node in Osaka in 4 days.

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Directions
43 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
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