The Hearth
Otaku Bar Review
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Rating /5
Review
A bar dedicated to board games, TRPG and "Nerd Shit" in general. I found this almost by accident. I was in Caoff Discovery when I suddenly remembered the existence of Bar Trek, and googled it to make sure it was still around / in Osaka / not a dream I'd had. Anyway, I found that, but I also found this place was about 3 streets away from me, so I had to go and check it out!
It's run by an Irish gaijin, and was filled with Frogs and Yanks, so it's a gaijin watering hole, with all the simpering that entails. They have one of those "colonised" Palestine-looking LGBTQIA+*URP flags hung up right next to the door. Not in my name. In fact, I was genuinely surprised when the master said he was married to a woman!
Anyway, that aside we had some amusing chats about "nerd shit", like the fact I was only just out when my cousin introduced me to Eve, let me make a character and ship on his profile, and urged me not to make anything "too gay". My hot-pink phallic-as-possible "USS Pink Projectile" is probably still on the Eve servers somewhere.
As this is a bar dedicated to board games etc, they have a TON of games along one side you can play. I mainly just sat at the bar, so didn't really check out the list, but they have the predictable Catan, with various expansions, and various other ones. I'm sure people who are actually into board games will recognise the names. Imported from the UK / US too, it seems, so they're in English. Probably.
Also, anybody who is into fictional cartography is going to love the bog!
Prices are pretty good, as bars in Japan go. Not the cheapest, but "themed" places never are. A lot better than many of the other bars on this list, though!
Getting There
This 'uns a sod. In the vicinity of the giant shotengai near Namba subway station (and very far from Namba JR station!). Down a narrow alley, look for a tiny chalkboard-looking sign for Baffi Barbara Bar. Go inside that building and up to floor 4.
Details
No cover charge (it seems). ¥600 for a Heartland, ¥1200 for a Magners, from circa ¥800 for craft beer (I had the last one he had that particular night, a decent dark IPA) plus numerous cocktails, softs, milkshakes and alcholic milkshakes. Plus a signature cocktail called Natural 20. I need to get back and have a proper sesh here, is what I'm saying.
"Everybody needs to be out by 11:45", I was told. Last orders circa 11:00 - 11:15.
In Conclusion
Well I had a good night. Go with mates (or make new ones) and play the games. Or just down them cocktails and get plastered while talking nerd shit.
Useful Stuff
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