Authentic Izakaya
in New York.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

Wasan group's Bushwick izakaya helmed by chef-owner Kakusaburo Sakurai, blending sake mastery with an eclectic Japanese menu.

New York's pioneering Japanese speakeasy, reopened in West Village in 2023 with 27 craft cocktails and the original cherub mural, walk-in only.

Tokyo-born bartender Kenta Goto's walk-in LES cocktail bar serves Japanese-inspired cocktails, sake, shochu, whisky, and small plates.

Kenta Goto's Brooklyn outpost in Park Slope pairs Japanese cocktails with sake, shochu, and izakaya small plates, including Shochu Sundays.

East Village's beloved second-floor Japanese teahouse, established in 2004 by Bon Yagi, offering matcha shaved ice, homemade mochi, and world teas.

A yakitori izakaya and omakase counter from Japan's Futago Group, serving lunch and dinner daily in the former Soba Totto space near Grand Central.

A beloved West Village Japanese dive bar by James Beard Award-nominated bartender Masahiro Urushido, known for its Toki highball machine and inventive Japanese cocktails.

A Japanese-run East Village institution since 1985, specializing in Fukuoka-style pork intestine hotpot, sukiyaki, and sake alongside traditional sushi.

A hidden tachinomi speakeasy inside Kei, serving Japanese whisky, sake, and cocktails curated by Michelin-recognized Chef Akira Hiratsuka.

A Japanese matcha cafe sourcing its tea directly from Harima Garden in Kyoto, renowned for vibrant soft serve and traditional desserts.

Manhattan's premier all-you-can-eat Japanese wagyu shabu-shabu restaurant, offering four AYCE tiers featuring Miyazaki A5 and Australian M9 beef.

The flagship NYC outpost of Japan's revered Minamoto Kitchoan wagashi brand, offering exquisite traditional Japanese sweets at its 5th Avenue store since 2024.

A beloved East Village Japanese street food counter serving fresh takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and yakisoba — one of the last purist specialists of its kind in New York.

An authentic Japanese bakery at Japan Village and Industry City in Brooklyn, baking shokupan, curry pan, and matcha pastries in the tradition of Tokyo's neighborhood bakeries.

Chef Tomoko Kato's acclaimed Williamsburg patisserie offering a French-Japanese dessert tasting menu at a 13-seat open counter, alongside take-out pastries and cakes.

East Village institution serving DIY shabu-shabu and sukiyaki with premium wagyu at your table for over 30 years.

Brooklyn's beloved Japanese-Jewish fusion izakaya by Japanese co-chef Sawako Okochi, famous for Matzoh Ball Ramen.

Japan's Kobe-Osaka tonkatsu specialist comes to Hell's Kitchen with sous vide pork and A5 wagyu katsu.

Two-floor sake and cocktail bar from Japanese bar maestro Shingo Gokan, ranked among the world's 50 best bars.

Daytime Japanese café and nighttime cocktail bar by the Shalom Japan duo, specializing in onigiri, bento, and Japanese-inspired sandwiches.

Park Slope's destination izakaya helmed by Japanese chef Kakusaburo Sakurai, offering sushi, ramen, creative small plates, and an extensive sake program.

Murray Hill's Japanese-owned izakaya where Tokyo Ichiban Foods operates an in-house fish market, live tuna entertainment, and daily happy hour from open to 7pm.