Authentic Izakaya
in New York.

Owner-chef Shin Takagi from Nagano runs this East Village Japanese street-food counter — karaage, okonomiyaki, and fried chicken bowls from a cook with 30+ years in Japan's food culture.

A Hell's Kitchen izakaya on Restaurant Row that replaced Sake Bar Hagi 46 — owner Tomo Morikawa serves yakitori tapas and Japanese small plates with late-night hours.

An East Village restaurant that operates as a Japanese coffee bar by day and a sake-and-small-plates izakaya by night — a rare dual-format concept since 2013.

A Cobble Hill izakaya serving Kyoto-style obanzai tapas and daily housemade tofu, founded by Japanese co-owner Masaru Fukuda in 2007.

The Long Island City outpost of Brooklyn's beloved Hibino, serving Kyoto-style obanzai tapas and fresh housemade tofu.

A late-night izakaya on Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights open until 2 AM, beloved for karaage, garlic soy steak, and mentaiko pasta.

A Michelin Bib Gourmand izakaya near Grand Central — Izakaya Futago (formerly Soba Totto) serves a packed lunch of spoon sushi, yakitori, and spicy fried chicken.

A Japanese craft-beer and izakaya gastropub on Ludlow Street — owner-chef Kio, with a fine-dining background, pours 50+ Japanese craft beers alongside yakitori and karaage.

A large basement izakaya in the Koreatown corridor on West 35th Street — opened in 2013 by Hand Hospitality with Japanese partner Keisuke Oku, seating 150.

A lively Flushing izakaya with private box seating, late-night service until 2 AM, and an extensive menu spanning yakitori, wagyu, and uni.

An izakaya gastropub in NoMad described as the first to use that term in New York — owner Moku serves Japanese skewers and small plates with Happy Hour on weekday evenings.

A new LIC izakaya on Vernon Blvd offering Japanese street food — takoyaki, mentaiko pasta, curry katsu don — with a cocktail bar and happy hour.

A basement Midtown East izakaya on East 56th Street — The Infatuation calls it one of the best in the city for its big smoky grill and underground sake den.

The most izakaya-ish izakaya on St. Marks Place — Kenka serves offal yakitori, cheap beer, and very late hours for a raucous, authentic East Village night out.

A lively Astoria izakaya from a Momofuku Noodle Bar alumnus, known for yakitori skewers, okonomiyaki, and ramen.

A Lower East Side izakaya on Clinton Street serving Japanese small plates and sake in a casual neighborhood setting.

The Chelsea outpost of Ootoya — a publicly traded Japanese chain founded in 1958 in Yokohama, serving traditional teishoku set meals in a clean, unfussy setting on West 18th Street.

Ootoya's Union Square location — the Japanese teishoku chain from Yokohama, serving traditional set meals on East 11th Street since 2012.

The East Village outpost of the Raku izakaya group — handmade udon, Japanese street snacks, and a casual atmosphere on East 6th Street since 2016.

Raku's newest Midtown location on Ninth Avenue — the same handmade udon and Japanese street snack menu from the Raku group, opened 2024.

The SoHo location of the Raku izakaya group — handmade udon and Japanese casual dining on MacDougal Street since 2016.

New York City's first and most celebrated sake bar — Sake Bar Decibel, open since 1993 in the East Village, pioneered Japanese underground bar culture in America.

A Williamsburg robatayaki izakaya from chef-owner Jiro Iida, formerly of Aburiya Kinnosuke — binchotan-grilled meats and seafood, a Bib Gourmand holder.

A Williamsburg udon izakaya from Makoto Suzuki, the Japanese restaurateur behind Bozu and Brooklyn Ball Factory — a neighborhood staple since 2010.

A Court Square Japanese restaurant and bar in LIC serving ramen, yakitori, and omakase sushi, with DJ nights and karaoke.

A Murray Hill izakaya on Third Avenue — Shuya serves Japanese small plates, yakitori, and sake in a casual neighborhood setting since 2016.

A cozy izakaya-cottage on 50th Ave in LIC with a sake bar, open kitchen, and a menu spanning ramen, sashimi, and poke.

The Izakaya NYC's East 6th Street location — Yudai Kanayama's Japanese-owned izakaya serving traditional small plates and sake in the East Village.

A spartan 18-seat East Village izakaya founded in 2015 by Sapporo expat Yudai Kanayama — focused, Japanese-owned, and built for serious drinking and eating.

A Midtown East jazz-izakaya where live music plays every night — owner Ken Mukohata opened this basement venue to the public in 2010 after its history as a private Japanese members' club.

A 30-seat upscale sake izakaya on Clinton Street — owner Gaku Shibata from Tokyo brings long-term Japanese chefs and a curated sake-pairing menu to the Lower East Side.

New York's most serious sake-bar izakaya — 260 sake varieties in a subterranean Midtown East basement, open since 1996 under the TIC Restaurant Group.