Chef and Italophile Daisuke Yamane has a thing for a particular bridge that spans the Arno River in Florence: the Ponte Vecchio. While the famous Italian bridge may or may not ring a bell, you'll more than likely recognize it from a photo: a centuries old whimsical multi-story bridge with houses and shops built into it. The bridge also has a starring role in the 1986 film "A Room with a View," occupying much of the aforementioned view.
Yamane is an Osaka native who has been awarded a cavaliere (knighthood) by the Italian government for his work in promoting the culture of Italy — especially its food — in Japan. His culinary company takes its name from the Florentine bridge and he's bequeathed the name to each one of his upscale restaurants dotted across Osaka.
Echi Ponte Vecchio a Osaka, to give it its full mouthful of a name, opened with the renewal of Osaka Station back in 2011. At its core, it's a pizza and pasta restaurant, but your local, cozy pizzeria it is not. Located on the 10th floor of Osaka Station, it looks down on, and out over, the city.