Whilst dealing with this hot and humid season in Osaka, we all need a moment to sit in an air-conditioned café and enjoy a sweet treat. Doing a quick online search, it is easy to find a variety of cute sweets in Osaka, but vegan options can be much more elusive. However, there are just as many seasonal sweets you can enjoy, guilt-free, with a bit of guidance. Café culture in Japan is amazing and varied, but many places can be difficult to access because of reservations and limited opening hours. In this article, I will discuss three of my favorite vegan sweets shops in the Osaka area and how to access them.
VeganCafe Sister
Address: Naniwa Building, 102 1 Chome-5-15 Bakuromachi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 541-0059
Hours: Irregular Hours, please refer to their Instagram
Matcha Cake and Strawberry Tart from VeganCafe Sister – Photo Credits: Candy Collins
VeganCafe Sister is a small café located in the Chuo Ward of Osaka and is a bit of a walk from major landmarks like Osaka Castle, but a worthwhile visit, nonetheless. I’d recommend stopping by Nakanoshima Rose Garden before heading a bit further south to visit the café.
The shop consists of a few indoor seats as well as a small outdoor patio and they have a small, refrigerated case full of the most beautiful little cakes and tarts. Every month the café offers different sweets based on seasonal flavors and whatever fresh fruits are available. They operate on irregular hours and no reservations are taken. I recommend checking their Instagram to see the monthly schedule, as well as visiting a bit earlier in the day to enjoy the full pick of sweets. Please be aware this café is cash only!
On my most recent visit, I enjoyed a strawberry tart and matcha cake. The strawberries were both sweet and fresh and paired perfectly with the vegan whipped cream and slightly salty tart shell. The matcha cake was amazingly decadent but not too rich. Their sweets are all topped with gold flakes and fresh flowers, which give them an extra bit of flare.
Canelita Sweets
Address: 1 Chome-14-22 Minamihorie, Nishi Ward, Osaka, 550-0015
Hours: 6 days a week, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Regular holiday is Monday)
Strawberry Vanilla Donut and Latte from Canelita Sweets – Photo Credits: Candy Collins
Canelita Sweets is a vibrant bakery and café located near the Shinsaibashi and America Mura areas of Osaka. However, it sits a bit on the outskirts of the busy streets, flanked by high-end hype stores and other specialty cafes. The bakery offers doughnuts, cakes, cookies, and even ice cream during the summer! This café also has a very international feel to it, with fifties music playing over the speakers, Japanese-inspired sweets like matcha donuts, and a quaint seating area with a barn window view of the park across the street.
Canelita Sweets has a standardized schedule (with Monday being a regular holiday) and is open a fair bit later than other cafes. Not only do they release seasonal desserts, but they also update their available sweet options almost weekly! It’s worth regularly checking their Instagram to see what is in stock.
Being my most visited café in Osaka, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy a lot of their menu items. I recently stopped by earlier in the day to enjoy a “brunch” vanilla strawberry donut and a soy latte. The doughnuts here are yeasted, so they aren’t too heavy or oily and many of them have interesting flavors and fillings. I’ve also been lucky to try a variety of their cakes which are fantastically made. I’m excited to be able to enjoy their donut and ice cream combos again this summer.
Ocha Ohana Montblanc
Address: 15-22 Futabacho, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0829
Hours: Irregular Hours, please refer to their Instagram
Strawberry and Citrus Parfait from Ocha Ohana Montblanc – Photo Credits: Candy Collins
Last, but certainly not least, is Ocha Ohana Montblanc. This café is the coziest and most beautiful shop on the list, but it is quite a bit further from central Osaka city. Ocha Ohana Montblanc is located in Ibaraki, Osaka, a city situated in the northern part of the prefecture. If you are planning a day trip to Kyoto or are simply in the mood to explore a new area, this café is a must-stop. The café has a beautiful seating area with a ceiling full of dried flowers, and cozy low tables and cushions.
You can enjoy sweets here, as well as lunch sets that feature a seasonal pasta or salad. Everything served is extremely beautiful, and the owners put a high level of artistry into each part of the meal. However, the highlight of the shop is definitely their seasonal parfaits. The café has extremely limited and ever-changing hours, so it is best to check their Instagram for opening times and make a reservation through the link in their bio. One reservation can accommodate two diners. Please be aware this café is cash only!
I try to visit this café monthly, as their parfaits and lunch sets change around the end of each month. During my most recent visit, they were featuring a strawberry and citrus parfait that was to die for. Each parfait comes with a detailed sheet that explains all the ingredients and flavors included. If there is one place you should make an effort to visit outside of Osaka City, it is Ocha Ohana Montblanc.
I hope you enjoy checking out these three delicious vegan Osaka cafes, and supporting local vegan businesses in the area so they can keep doing amazing work! Remember it’s always useful to check café Instagrams for seasonal stocks and opening hours so you are never out of the loop. And trust me, you don’t want to miss out on these delectable treats. Let’s all have some sweet and ethical treats this summer.
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