First look: Patina Osaka wows with fabulous artwork and effective eating

Osaka, Japan, is having a second. It is at present internet hosting Expo 2025, in addition to a strong roster of annual occasions and celebrations. However the metropolis and its close by neighbor of Kyoto are additionally experiencing a luxurious lodge increase. That is why we designated the encompassing Kansai area as considered one of our high locations for 2025.

Among the many causes we have been excited to get to Osaka this 12 months, specifically, was the April opening of the brand new Patina Osaka, simply the second outpost from this rising, art-focused luxurious lodge group (the opposite one is within the Maldives and just lately joined Marriott Bonvoy as a member of Design Motels).

We had the prospect to remain on the Patina Osaka shortly after it began welcoming company. This is all the things it is advisable to know in regards to the expertise.

First impressions

“I can not consider there wasn’t already a lodge right here!” I mentioned to myself as I gazed out the home windows of the Patina Osaka’s Twentieth-floor foyer. And I saved repeating it to myself all through my two-day go to.

That is as a result of the modern glass tower that homes the lodge is located simply throughout the road from the town’s most well-known landmark, Osaka Fortress, with its unmistakable inexperienced copper roof and surrounding park, which bursts with coloration throughout cherry blossom season. The truth that no different lodge has occupied this prime place till now could be merely astonishing.

That distinctive sense of place can be suffused all through the Patina’s design thanks each to the beautiful citadel views the lodge affords company from a lot of its rooms and public areas and subtler nods just like the bed room headboards molded from washi paper to resemble the boulders that kind the citadel’s foundations and the striated Setouchi stone wall on the lodge’s ground-floor entrance, which alludes to the layers of historical past that encompass the lodge, together with the close by ruins of Naniwa-no-Miya Palace.

And whereas the lodge’s inside design pays homage to conventional Japanese crafts (suppose: shiny wooden paneling, black tiling and tatami matting), the atmosphere is decidedly up to date as properly, due to the lodge’s distinctive assortment of artwork.

The items on show embody a salvaged ship motor normal right into a flower vase, an intricate gold-leaf mural depicting each historic and present road scenes of Osaka and a video wall by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Makino depicting the altering seasons within the metropolis.

The architecturally beautiful spiral staircase between the nineteenth and Twentieth flooring, which options washi paper borders hand-dipped in indigo dye to resemble the whorling waterfall from a classical Japanese silkscreen, is a reminder of Osaka’s moniker as “Metropolis of Water.”

The general impact is like stepping right into a palimpsest of the town’s previous and current, however at all times with the silhouette of Osaka Fortress within the background.

The rooms

The 221 lodging at Patina Osaka vary from 538-square-foot deluxe rooms to the top-shelf 2,508-square-foot Patina Suite, which has a totally geared up kitchen, a eating room, a toilet with a non-public steam room and sauna and even its personal DJ turntable and state-of-the-art sound system.

My nook junior suite clocked in at a powerful 807 sq. toes. Simply contained in the door, there was just a little sitting space wherein you possibly can take away your outside sneakers.

The center portion of the room was occupied by a dwelling space full with a low sectional with built-in facet tables and a two-seat desk lit by a dangling flooring lamp and set towards the window. There was a 65-inch flat-screen TV mounted on the wall as properly.

The minibar was stocked with native snacks, a collection of Japanese and worldwide spirits, different drinks, a Nespresso machine and a ceramic Japanese tea set.

The bed room was big and felt like a separate room unto itself. There was a tatami-upholstered recessed window seat offering a pleasing perch for morning or afternoon studying.

The king-size mattress was wearing silky grey Frette linens with a toffee-colored leather-based headboard and good-looking darkish wooden paneling that framed the sculpted washi paper panel behind it. There was one other wall-mounted TV in right here, too.

Subsequent to the mattress was a midcentury-inspired armchair and ottoman, however I most well-liked heading straight out to the balcony to absorb the citadel views whereas having fun with my morning espresso on the cushioned chaise lounge.

Again towards the entrance door, the spalike rest room was completed with a mixture of darkish grey stone tiling and light-weight wooden paneling and held two vanities and sinks with copper fixtures.

The glassed-in suite contained an outsized soaking tub, an overhead rainfall bathe, an onsen-style bathe stool and a hand-held showerhead for good measure. The lodge shares full-size Bamford merchandise for company to make use of throughout their keep. My favourite function was the stone wall, although — one other allusion to Osaka Fortress’s basis.

Eating

The Patina Osaka has a number of eating places starting from a high-end teppanyaki grill to a hyper-seasonal, principally plant-based eatery.

P72

Japan has 72 micro seasons, therefore the identify P72, which doubles as chef Antony Scholtmeyer’s culinary laboratory.

Be part of him for a tour of the restaurant’s patio backyard, the place he’ll level out half a dozen various kinds of mint, myriad different herbs, springtime strawberries and tangy kumquats among the many vegetation he and his crew of cooks are rising. That fennel root he pulls up out of the earth would possibly simply find yourself in your plate for lunch, tenderly braised after which completed with a crunchy tempura crust.

Among the many different signatures are a seasonal vegetable terrine with pickled veggie “charcuterie” and a Hokkaido potato soup with smoky, dehydrated eggplant and potato-skin powder.

Earlier than you get too absorbed by the meals, nevertheless, remember to look up on the dramatic 171-foot sculpture suspended from the ceiling. Molded from tree bark and reclaimed wooden, the set up is supposed to evoke a root construction — each a reference to P72’s plant-focused menu and the connection of previous to current.

The restaurant is at present open each day from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m., with plans to open for dinner as properly. Set menus vary from $38 to $84 per individual.

Barin

Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. for dinner and weekends from 11:30 a.m. till 3 p.m. for lunch, Barin is Patina Osaka’s teppanyaki effective eating restaurant with simply 10 counter seats, 16 desk seats (in cubicles the place you possibly can take a better take a look at that gold-leaf mural, which was impressed by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s tearoom in Osaka Fortress), and a six-person personal eating room.

Meals right here begin with savory bites like slow-cooked Akashi octopus, sesame tofu and simmered black wagyu beef earlier than easy preparations of fresh-caught fish and seafood over seasonal greens. The meal culminates with succulent cuts of scorching, exquisitely marbled Kuroge wagyu beef served with accompaniments like umami moromi soy sauce, freshly grated wasabi from Izu, garlic chips and charcoal salt.

For those who nonetheless have room, the garlic rice with pink sakura shrimp from Suruga Bay is hearty and satisfying. Don’t be concerned, dessert will likely be one thing gentle like Kochi melon with fig ganache.

Prix-fixe menus begin at $90 for lunch and $178 for dinner.

Inaki

Basque delicacies in considered one of Japan’s culinary capitals? It won’t make sense on the outset, however as soon as you agree into the crimson brick-tiled eatery with overhanging floral artwork installations and unparalleled citadel views, then tuck right into a menu of Basque dishes ready with Japanese elements, the image comes extra into focus.

Menus embody staples like iberico ham croquettes and pan con tomate, plus smoky ajo blanco soup, tortellini with creamy foie gras filling and contemporary herbs, and mouthwatering iberico pork pluma ready on the roaring Josper grill with celery foam and apple gastrique. Set lunch and dinner menus vary from $49 to $132 per individual.

Visitors may also get pleasure from each day breakfast right here, together with an in depth buffet of contemporary fruit, house-cured chilly cuts, crostini and house-made pastries, plus a la carte dishes like omelets made to order and conventional Japanese set breakfasts with grilled contemporary fish, pickled greens and miso soup.

Inaki is open each day from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to three p.m. and 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Sonata Bar & Lounge

Sonata is the guts of the lodge, and music is on the coronary heart of this swanky all-day lounge and sultry cocktail bar. Adjoining to the reception space, the lounge includes a panoramic outside deck overlooking the citadel park, a high-top bar on the heart of the motion and comfortable lounging vignettes, together with a non-public room with a complete wall product of 60 classic audio system jigsawed collectively.

You may typically discover workers members standing on the DJ sales space spinning among the 600 or so albums curated for the lodge by the proprietor of the classic music retailer Isandla.

Simply as thrilling because the music, although, is the collection of inventive cocktails impressed by the final time the town hosted the Expo in 1970. The New Trunk Line, for example, is a reference to the bullet prepare and will provide you with an analogous thrill to dashing down the tracks due to its heady combine of varied Japanese whiskies, yuzu, lime, coconut water and plum liqueur ($20).

Sonata is open Monday by means of Friday from 2 to 11 p.m. and from midday to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Nijiri

Bathed in pure gentle from double-height home windows and surrounding that spectacular white-and-blue staircase, Nijiri is the lodge’s hushed however informal tea room up on the nineteenth flooring between Barin and Inaki. It’s open from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. each day, and reservations are required.

Facilities and repair

• Employees members usually provide outings reminiscent of guided morning walks within the park surrounding Osaka Fortress and meditation classes within the lodge’s 66-foot indoor pool.
• Positioned on the fourth flooring, the lodge’s 15,000-square-foot wellness advanced features a health heart geared up with the newest Technogym gear.

• The spa has six remedy rooms and gives a full menu of companies incorporating Oskia and Bamford merchandise, in addition to high-tech experiences reminiscent of cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and infrared sauna classes.

• The lodge will quickly debut a 10-person personal occasion area referred to as the Listening Room that was created in collaboration with Brooklyn “sound sculptor” Devon Turnbull.
• Curious to be taught extra in regards to the lodge’s design and artwork assortment? Basic supervisor Ellen Franke usually leads excursions for company showcasing each.

Location and logistics

Patina Osaka is situated centrally within the metropolis, simply throughout the road from Osaka Fortress and its surrounding park. To get right here from Kansai Worldwide Airport (KIX), it takes about 45 minutes and prices round $70 through a ride-hailing service. By prepare, it takes about 80 minutes and prices $8 to succeed in the lodge from the airport.

For those who’re arriving in Osaka by prepare, the Shin-Osaka Station is a 35-minute, $3 metro trip away. Or, you possibly can journey by taxi or ride-hailing service from the prepare station to the lodge; that choice takes quarter-hour and prices about $10.

As for the remainder of the town, together with the intense lights of Dotonbori and the purchasing streets of Shinsaibashi, it is solely about 10 minutes away by automotive and likewise simply accessible by public transport. The lodge gives complimentary shuttle service to the Morinomiya and Tanimachi stations, too.

What it prices

Nightly charges on the Patina Osaka begin round $550. The lodge doesn’t at present take part in a serious loyalty program. Your greatest guess is to e book immediately for any packages or specials the lodge may be providing.

Accessibility

The lodge’s entrances and public areas, in addition to visitor flooring, are all wheelchair-accessible and have no-step pathways. Elevators even have buttons inside attain of wheelchair customers. The lodge has rooms in keeping with Individuals with Disabilities Act requirements, however as with every journey plans, name forward to make sure you can e book a room that meets your particular necessities.

Backside line

The Patina Osaka feels concurrently ultranew and prefer it was at all times meant to face the place it now does within the historic coronary heart of the town. By means of design, artwork and delicacies, the lodge connects company to the colourful tradition of the encompassing metropolis, and its elegant eating places present an appetizing counterpoint to Osaka’s well-known road meals. Throw within the palatial rooms with postcard-worthy citadel views, and that is actually probably the most thrilling new inns not simply in Osaka, however in all of Japan.

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