Great ambiance and a fun place to visit. Staff were really friendly and welcoming. NYC vibes in downtown Albany. I won't be back, though. Prices are very high for what you get. The menu is only available on your phone and you have to order and manage your bill on your phone too. I don't want to sit on my phone at a restaurant. Further, most of the food menu had no descriptions of what was in the food. Only good aspect is if you are dining out in a group you can all manage your own bill. Functionally, I understand this allows the restaurant to operate with less staff. Corn ribs were $9 for what appeared to be a single ear of corn. The aioli was very good but the corn was mealy and the flavor wasn't great. The omelet wasn't an omelet (I expected the Japanese style omelet where you cut in and the inside is like soft scrambled eggs. This was just an undercooked frittata. Slimy, no seasoning and the egg white was still clear. The peas in the rice were hard and dry. I would have complained but no one asked how the food was or whether we needed anything. Cocktails were fine but not worth almost $20. If you have money to burn and are looking for a place to chill w friends, order multiple drinks/apps after work, this is a good option. It's relaxed and fun, and the food is probably great if you're drunk. But otherwise not worth a trip. read more

My first visit to Izakaya was the week they opened so I put off writing this review until I could visit again once they've settled in a bit and worked out some kinks. Things were quite different when I went back -- most notably a much more paired down menu and QR code ordering. The menu during my first visit had so many meat-free options and most all of them were delicious. My party loved the potato croquettes and mushroom risotto, both things I was sad to see eliminated from the current menu. The deliciously smokey and spicy corn ribs remain, as do the perfectly cooked scallion pancakes and onigiri. During my second visit my partner and I had the Omuraisu, omelet with ketchup-fried rice, which we really enjoyed. It has a nice deep flavor different from any other fried rice we've had in the area. The meat-free options that remain are great, but I do wish they would've kept some of my original faves. My one note about the food is that they use togarashi veryyyy generously on a lot of the dishes, which for someone who doesn't love spice can get very overpowering and uncomfortable. The cocktail menu really shines here. The drinks are expensive, but well made and balanced. I tried several, but the Between Two Palms cocktail made with pandan liquor is the standout for me. I enjoy the ambiance, having to walk down into the basement, through The Vault, and then entering into a bright and minimalist Japanese theme makes you feel like you are tucked away from the world for a while. Izakaya is definitely a great addition to Downtown and I'm looking forward to my next visit! read more

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This place is so cool! Located underneath the well known venue, 60 State, there are two new and chic Japanese restaurants. You are escorted to the basement, through The Vault, and brought to what can be best described as a speakeasy or bunker. The space is gorgeous, beautifully remodeled, it's a brand new experience for Albany. And don't worry, they have WiFi. This visit we tried Izakaya Kinko, but I will definitely be back to try The Vault. Both are Japanese with The Vault being a steakhouse menu. The tables, seating and vibe were great. Service was also amazing. We arrive at opening since they don't have reservations and we had the place to ourselves. This gave us time to chat with the staff and ask about the space and the menu. The cocktail menu is very exciting. I had a unique old fashioned with sesame washed bourbon, a delicious melon and gin drink, and the cutest little juice box of sake. They take great care with each drink and the server was very knowledgeable and gave great suggestions. They offer different tasting options, but we decided to go with ordering a few dishes. We tried the octopus, onigiri and pork spring rolls. The octopus was my favorite dish, simple but so flavorful. The fresh wasabi was perfect with the octopus. The spring rolls were tasty, albeit a little burnt on the plate. The onigiri was extremely spicy without any note on the menu saying so. We actually said something and they took the plate, but we neglected to check if we were charged, so that's on me! We each got a main as well, my sister got the pork katsu dish and I got the pork belly dish. I loved mine, the pork was so tender and the sauce was the perfect glaze. It was served with a mixture of roasted radishes and potatoes, which was a surprise in every bite because they looked exactly the same. My sister got the katsu, it was good but a little lack luster. The pork was pretty thick and kinda dry, we were expecting more of a pounded pork vibe. This place is super new and we had a great time. There were a few kinks, but the whole experience was so awesome, I will definitely be back. read more

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I don't like to try new restaurants right away but everyone had been talking about it so we had to go! The space was definitely unique being below ground in a former bank vault. The seating is also interesting as they have normal tables as well as chabudai seating. (Ladies - avoid the short skirts just incase you end up at one of those!) We tried an assortment of dishes as izakaya restaurants are more about lingering over drinks and dishes than sitting for a full meal. My favorite was the pork and leek goyza. The pork was very flavorful. The Chilean sea bass was good but the presentation was lackluster considering the price point. I'd love to see this over black rice or served with some colored vegetables to make this dish really pop. The service was attentive and asked for feedback on the dishes as they continue to evolve the menu. read more

Izakaya Kinko - The menu cover - Izakaya Near Me - Albany, New York

This is only a review for drinks! The dining room was extremely full Saturday evening at 9. The hostess brought us to a high top table that had a Japanese designed partition. We ordered a Sapporo draft and a 3 swords cocktail. Wow the 3 swords was phenomenal . The garnish was a cute melon cut out. The flavor was melon and yuzu. This is going to be a great addition to the State Street landscape in Albany! read more

Izakaya Kinko - Intro in menu - Izakaya Near Me - Albany, New York

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Came in here with friends on the second night of their soft opening. We came in a little late after the Workforce Challenge run at the Empire Plaza, so a couple of us were still in running clothes, but the staff were very welcoming. Everything on their menu sounds amazing and if I could I would have ordered it all. As it is, our group was able to get a nice assortment of dishes and all of it was very tasty. However, the Matcha Lavender Creme Brulee was fantastic and was the perfect way to treat myself after my 3.5 mile run! The servers were all very helpful and pleasant. I look forward to coming back to try more things! read more

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This was at soft open, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. I love Izakayas and have been in Toronto, Tokyo, and Vancouver, and the menu of this one was very promising. While not quick, think at least an hour for in and out, the portions are generous and the food tasty. Really cute booths, tables, bar seating, and fake trees. It really has a lot of promise if they can figure out the service speed. read more

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We saw this newly opened Izakaya place on Instagram and came without hesitation on a rainy Saturday night. Parking was super easy along the street. The front desk was really far away from the actually seating area, but we really enjoyed the experience of walking the entire way and witnessing a retired bank-vibe restaurant. We got seated at the bar, which is perfect for my priority-the drinks. Got the second cocktail with Yuzu, it is really refreshing and I like the fact they did not add a lot sugar syrup to make it too sweet, but the alcohol content to me feels nearly zero. The sparkling sake-Bijofu was awesome, it had some lychee taste at the end to me. Their edamame had a cool concept, which is pouring homemade chili oil on top of it. While it does add flavor but I had to say it is a bit too spicy. And the portion was surprisingly on the small scale. The Chawanmushi is absolutely awesome! What I had before at other places always had seafood in there so I was a little bit unsure about this one, but they indeed made it super flavorful, jiggly, and soft-highly recommend. The yakitori party was had a small portion too with three skewers. The flavor was nearly perfect except it can be a little less salty. The Karei Raisu with beef was an absolutely highlight of the night, with well balanced flavor, super tender and chewy beef chunks and awesome potatoes with the drinkable curry sauce. The overall decoration is really cool and the vibes are great. We do wish they have a dessert menu but maybe next time they will. Looking forward to try more things on the menu and more sake next time. read more

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Amazing service and elegant atmosphere. I enjoyed a wonderful time at this elegant Japanese restaurant in the core of Downtown Albany. read more

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Food tasted great, drinks were amazing, and the service and ambiance were both perfect! My only issue is that the skewers I got were extremely disappointing. The flavor was there, and I am aware that Izakaya portions can be small, but I was definitely not satisfied by the serving size. read more

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Please save your money and go to other Asian restaurants. I understand it's an izakaya which offers small plates, but I've seen better portion sizes at other places that have the same concept for a better price. I was excited to visit this place, so my expectations were high given all the good reviews so far; however, it was extremely underwhelming. The appetizers were overpriced for the taste and amount that was served. We got the chicken skewers, which were $14, and there were only 2 sticks with only 5 small pieces on them. It's quite ridiculous to pay for tiny pieces of meat that were a bit salty. The Tako Wasabi was decent, but again, the cuts served were so slim to the point it blended into the plate, also $14. For bigger meals, the Dango Jiru only contained 3 dumplings in such a large bowl. They were flavorful, but the broth was nothing special. Cold noodles were okay, it also didn't taste like anything, even though they came with sauce. The Oyako Don was probably the only thing that saved the meal because the chicken was flavorful and the portion was huge. But the most ridiculous part of the meal was Buta No Kakuni, which only came with three small slices of pork and a bowl of rice, and it was $24. That was the most robbed I felt. I have no problem paying for expensive meals, but I would ask the server for entrees that have bigger portions and skip the appetizers entirely. Service was decent, and food came out at a decent wait time. The interior was nice, too, but this place seems more for aesthetics. BIG NOTE: Given the fact that my initial Google review was removed, I suspect they've been removing other reviews that critique their place, though I understand how getting these types of reviews must feel. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I genuinely hope that they know that's the only way you can improve, offer customers a better experience, and customers can still go see for themselves. This is simply how I felt regarding my experience. read more