Paris · Izakaya · a la carte
Workshop Issé
JapaneseSakeIzakayaJapanese GroceryBentoFine Japanese2nd arr.Opéra
Founded in 2004 by scholar and sake connoisseur Toshiro Kuroda, Workshop Issé combines a curated Japanese sake boutique with an intimate izakaya — now steered by Sumiko Kuroda and celebrated by Le Fooding.
- Price
- ¥¥¥
- Area
- 2nd arr. (Opéra / Quatre-Septembre)
- Since
- 2004
- Chef
- Sumiko Kuroda
- Owner
- Sumiko Kuroda (formerly Toshiro Kuroda)
Plate № 33
About
Workshop Issé was founded in 2004 by the late Toshiro Kuroda, a Japanese scholar, translator, and impassioned sake specialist who spent decades in France building one of Europe's most respected Japanese food and sake operations. His boutique assembled artisan sake from small Japanese producers, rare condiments, and traditional grocery items virtually unavailable elsewhere in Paris. Famous chefs visited to discover his sake selections. Since Toshiro's passing, Sumiko Kuroda — cordon-bleu-trained and his partner — continues the mission, running the wood-clad épicerie and the adjacent izakaya-style restaurant. The lunch menu (weekdays only) is a short daily selection; dinner at Bis features izakaya-style sharing plates, sushi, and a sake list that repeatedly earns superlatives from Le Fooding and Paris food writers.
Why it's on Washoku Guide
- An unparalleled sake list assembled over two decades — including unpasteurised and extremely rare junmai varieties — is alone worth the visit.
- Le Fooding calls Workshop Issé a 'temple' of Japanese savoir-faire; few Paris restaurants carry this level of cultural authority.
- The only Paris izakaya where the sake selection rivals what you would find in specialist Tokyo shops.
Boutique open during business hours. Lunch (weekdays) is limited — arrive by noon. Dinner at Bis (Tue–Sat) requires reservation. Only 10 tables.
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