The Best Izakaya Restaurants in Japan

The rice is topped with so much salmon roe that some of it spills over the rim in this luxurious dish, available only at dinner time! Many kinds of sake and shochu are available, and the fruit wines and liqueurs and shochu cocktails featuring fresh lemon and grapefruit that 多摩センター　居酒屋 customers squeeze themselves are popular. Akasaka Marushige has a large selection of food and drinks, and is full of life as soon as it opens. There are always 40 kinds of sake available here, 80 kinds of shochu, as well as secret drinks that aren't even on the menu!
You can enjoy stewed dishes such as motsuni, beef tendons, and beef cheeks, as well as a wide variety of creative dishes. Inside the stylish bar-like interior where you can feel the warmth of wood, there are counter seats on the first floor and table seats on the second floor. There are many types of alcohol, and the lineup of wine is particularly substantial. A restaurant where you can enjoy high-quality food at an affordable price.

Izakaya is a small restaurant like a gastropub, where you can casually enjoy drink and food. The izakaya competition around Ueno Station, and the stretch leading to Ameyoko shopping street in particular, is fierce. However, this four-year-old joint has done a good job at elbowing itself into the spotlight with low prices and a classy look. The Japanese word izakaya (居酒屋) is made up of three kanji with the meaning, in order, “stay-drink-place.” A spot to grab a drink, settle in, and get comfortable. Some izakaya have a call button on the table to get the staff's attention to place an order.
Even the french fries here feel a little fancy, with toppings like Mimolette cheese and cumin that set them apart from the plain chips that you get at regular izakaya. Kin no Kura is very popular as the guests can enjoy delicious food and drinks at reasonable price. If you can spare a few extra hundred yen, have the sashimi set for a crash-course in the difference between lean, medium and fatty tuna. Note that Kanoya is both an izakaya and a namesake kushikatsu (deep-fried skewer) restaurant next door – on the left as you look at it; ask for the izakaya if you’re unsure. Japanese dining like a hideaway quietly nestled in the back alley of Yushima.

This classic Japanese pub is the place to go for the quintessential izakaya experience. It’s tiny, filled with smoke, and offers cheap snacks and small plates catering to the 9-5 working crowd. Best for cheap drinks, English menus and groups, these chains are great for an easy evening. To avoid getting overwhelmed by the huge number of establishments on offer in Tokyo, Japan Experience recommends five izakaya to visit if you'll be spending some time in the Japanese capital... We love the concept behind this new izakaya in Kita-Senju, which is something between a pan-Asian eating house and cocktail bar. Everything is delicious, but the key is not to let your eyes grow bigger than your stomach, or you’ll end the meal feeling like you never want to see tuna again.
This restaurant offers seasonal Japanese cuisine and drinks in exclusively private rooms with a quiet, refined atmosphere. These private rooms can accommodate parties from 2 all the way up to 62. The diverse menu features sashimi, grilled fish, tempura, karaage, and rice dishes, but the standout choice here is a well-balanced course. Small dishes, grilled and fried items, and sushi are some of the things you will enjoy with this highly satisfying course.
Known for that famous Kill Bill scene, Gonpachi is a popular izakaya with surprisingly affordable prices. The Edo-era themed restaurant will take you out of the 21st century and into Japan’s aesthetic heyday, complete with lanterns, street scenes and crowds. Hopefully somewhat less eventful for your visit than the scene that made it famous, you’ll be surprised by the decent drinks prices and average to good food. Previously awarded a Bib Gourmand for its affordable but exceptional quality, Sasagin offers a variety of carefully selected nihonshu. While the sake menus are available in English, the food specials are not, but ask for the hosts for osusume and you’re sure to get something delicious. Located in Yoyogi-Uehara, you’ll escape the crowds of inner-Tokyo for a more sophisticated evening of drinking.

The popular monkfish hot pot is delivered fresh from Aomori Prefecture. In the store where jazz flows, you can feel the warmth of wood and relax. You can enjoy dishes made with fresh fish and special junmai sake that brings out the original flavor of rice in the quaint restaurant that has been renovated from an old Japanese-style house. The simmered alfonsino directly from Shimoda is a gem with a deep taste of the broth. There is also a private room on the second floor that can accommodate up to 30 people. Both the exterior and the interior are filled with the atmosphere of a hideout, and the interior is fully equipped with counter seats, private rooms, and semi-private rooms.
Along with wine, the alcohol menu consists of beer from 18 countries, , and more. Not only is the food amazing, but the prices are reasonable, too. This is a Western-style izakaya focusing on Italian and French cuisine. They have a collection of wines from all over the world, and the menu is rich in wine cocktails.

Bottles range from biodynamic vino like the Calcarius Orange Puglia Falanghina from Italy to local sparkling wine produced by Hitomi Winery in Shiga prefecture. Wine by the glass goes for around ¥715 while a bottle hovers at around ¥3,690. Love those Totoro-shaped cream puffs from Shiro Hige’s Cream Puff Factory?
While drinking is a big part of an evening out at an izakaya, there’s also a constant stream of dishes. It’s hard to classify the food other than “generally goes well with alcohol”. In fact, the menu can be so diverse that it can be a chance to try new dishes. Kagurazaka Yamasemi is a 2-minute walk away from Ushigome-kagurazaka Station. This is actually a soba restaurant whose white wood structure gives off a Japanese feel.