How to Enjoy an Izakaya in Tokyo: Ordering, Drinks and Manners

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Practical guide

An izakaya is a Japanese pub where you order many small dishes to share with drinks. It is one of the most fun and social ways to eat in Tokyo, and you will find them near almost every station. Here is how it works, from the small dish you did not order to paying the bill.

How an izakaya works

• Staff greet you with irasshaimase (welcome) and show you to a table, a counter seat or a room where you take off your shoes.
• Soon after you sit down, a small dish called otoshi arrives. Tokyo’s official guide explains that it is usually charged per person and is generally not optional, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) describes it as a small dish that doubles as a table charge. It shows on the bill. This is normal.
• Order drinks first. Many people start with toriaezu biru, “a beer for now”.
• Order a few dishes at a time and share them, then keep ordering as you go. To call staff, use the call button or the tablet if there is one, or raise your hand and say sumimasen.

What to order

Dish	What it is
Yakitori	Grilled chicken skewers. Choose salt (shio) or sauce (tare)
Karaage	Japanese fried chicken
Edamame	Salted soybeans
Sashimi	Sliced raw fish
Tamagoyaki	Rolled omelet
Ochazuke	Rice with tea or broth poured over it, often eaten at the end

Want to know more Japanese dishes before you go? See Japanese food to try in Tokyo.

Drinks

• Beer is the classic first drink.
• Highball: whisky and soda, very popular.
• Sour (sawa): shochu with fruit juice and soda, such as lemon sour.
• Sake and shochu: ask the staff for a recommendation.
• Non-alcoholic: soft drinks and oolong tea are always available.
• The legal drinking age in Japan is 20.

All-you-can-drink and courses

Nomihodai means all-you-can-drink. According to JNTO, these plans usually last a set time of one to two hours, and you can order as much as you like from a set part of the drinks menu. Tabehodai is all-you-can-eat. Both often come as a set course for groups. On busy nights, some izakaya also set a two-hour limit for every table.

Manners

• Wait until everyone has a drink, then say kanpai (cheers) together.
• It is polite to pour drinks for others and let them pour for you.
• No tip is needed: Tokyo’s official guide notes that service is already included in the bill. See tipping in Japan.
• To pay, say okaikei onegaishimasu (the bill, please). Some izakaya take payment at the table, others at the register by the entrance. Splitting the bill by item can be difficult, so be ready to split evenly.
• Watch out for touts on the street who offer cheap drinks. Choose a place yourself and check prices before you order.

Where to try an izakaya in Tokyo

• Shinjuku: Omoide Yokocho’s tiny yakitori counters by the West Exit, and the bars of Golden Gai. See Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho.
• Shinbashi: where office workers unwind, with alleys of izakaya and standing bars. See our Shinbashi guide.
• Ebisu: Ebisu Yokocho is a popular place for dinner. See our Ebisu and Nakameguro guide.

Go with a local guide

Nervous about ordering on your first night? An izakaya tour takes you to a few places with an English-speaking guide who explains the menu and the manners. On Klook, these two evening tours were rated 4.9 out of 5 when we checked:

• Shinjuku: a 3-hour izakaya and bar crawl around Omoide Yokocho, Golden Gai and Kabukicho, in English or Japanese.
• Shibuya: a 3-hour local bar and izakaya crawl in the evening, guided in English.

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More food tours and cooking classes: Tokyo food tours and cooking classes.

Smoking

JNTO notes that smoking is not allowed in most restaurants and bars in Japan except in designated areas, though some small bars may still allow it. Look for signs at the entrance. See smoking in Tokyo.

Ending the night with a song? See karaoke in Tokyo.

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