/ Osaka Food / English
Your First Drink at a Yakitori Restaurant: Draft Beer or Highball?
Draft beer and the whisky highball are the usual first drinks at a yakitori restaurant in Japan. Here is what each one is, the Japanese phrases to order them, Yakitori Senkichi's listed prices, and options if you do not drink alcohol.
Written by Koetsu Co., Ltd.
At many yakitori restaurants in Japan, the staff ask for your drink order soon after you sit down, often before you have chosen any skewers. Knowing your first drink in advance makes ordering easier. This guide explains the two most common choices, draft beer and the highball, how to order them, and what to pick if you do not drink alcohol.
Why the drink order comes first
In Japanese izakaya and yakitori restaurants, it is common to order drinks first and choose food while they are being poured. The well-known phrase toriaezu nama ("a draft beer to start") comes from this habit. If you have not decided yet, it is fine to say sukoshi kangaemasu ("I'll think for a moment") and order after looking at the menu.
What nama biru (draft beer) means
On a Japanese menu, nama biru usually means beer poured from the restaurant's tap. Some places also list bottled beer separately. The brand and glass size differ from restaurant to restaurant, so if you want to know, ask nama biru wa dono meigara desu ka ("Which brand is the draft beer?").
What a highball is
Suntory's customer centre describes a highball as whisky topped up with soda water, a kind of cocktail, and notes that it goes well with food. For making one at home it suggests about one part whisky to three or four parts soda, but the strength of a restaurant highball depends on the restaurant.
| Draft beer | Highball | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Beer poured from the tap | Whisky topped up with soda water |
| How to ask | Nama biru hitotsu onegaishimasu | Haibōru hitotsu onegaishimasu |
| Worth asking | Brand and glass size | Which whisky, and whether it can be made lighter |
Drinks at Yakitori Senkichi
When we checked the Yakitori Senkichi Minamikyuhoji official site on 5 October 2026, it listed draft beer at ¥550, highballs at ¥480, sake from ¥600, shochu from ¥500, wine from ¥550 and soft drinks from ¥350. It also mentions a free drink with reservations from 17:00 to 18:00. Prices and offers can change, so please check the menu when you visit.
The taps in the photo carry labels for draft beer and highballs; many restaurants serve both straight from a tap. Either one goes easily with yakitori, so simply choose the one you like.
Useful phrases
- Nama biru hitotsu onegaishimasu: one draft beer, please
- Haibōru futatsu onegaishimasu: two highballs, please
- Sofuto dorinku wa nani ga arimasu ka: what soft drinks do you have?
- Omizu o itadakemasu ka: could I have some water?
- Okawari onegaishimasu: another one, please
If you do not drink alcohol
In Japan, drinking alcohol is prohibited by law for anyone under 20. If you are driving or not feeling well, choose a soft drink too. Starting with a soft drink is perfectly normal at a yakitori restaurant.
For alcohol-free options, see enjoying yakitori in Osaka without alcohol. For sake and shochu, see ordering sake with yakitori and ordering shochu with yakitori.
After the first drink
Once your drinks are ordered, pick a few skewers. Starting with two or three per person and adding more later helps you avoid over-ordering. For cuts and salt versus tare sauce, see our guide to ordering yakitori in Osaka.
Yakitori Senkichi Minamikyuhoji is in Minamikyuhoji-machi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka. Its official site lists opening hours of 17:00 to 22:30, with some irregular closing days. For reservations or to check how busy it is, please call 06-4256-3135.
