Right then, let's go tonight.

Osaka is all about talking

An Osaka night often starts at the counter of a standing bar. Shoulder to shoulder, a conversation with your neighbour begins with "what did you order?". Finish work in Umeda, bar hop in Tenma, drift down to Minami for one more. Drinking without pretence, cheaply and happily, is what makes Osaka Osaka.

Takoyaki, kushikatsu, okonomiyaki. This is a city that loves to eat, so "want to grab food?" counts as a proper invitation. It is a shame that on dating apps everyone suddenly gets so formal.

Rather than swapping messages for days and never meeting, send a quick note to someone going out tonight and go straight for a drink. YesTonite is an app for meeting people the Osaka way.

Friday and Saturday are the busiest. Plenty of people grab a drink after work on weekdays too, and in Osaka as well the usual plan is to call it a night by the last train. At weekends Minami stays crowded until late.

Where Osaka goes out

• UmedaThe heart of Kita. From the tops of station buildings to the bars under the tracks, handy for meeting up or a second round.
• TenmaCheap, tasty standing bars and izakaya packed around the Tenjinbashisuji shopping street. A classic bar-hopping spot.
• FukushimaOne stop from Umeda, with lots of small, stylish bars. Popular after work.
• Namba and DotonboriNeon, riverside views and street food. All the buzz of Minami in one place.
• Ura-NambaThe back streets of Namba, crammed with small izakaya and bars for drinking your way around.
• AmerikamuraWest of Shinsaibashi. A young area full of vintage shops, clubs and live music venues.