We'd enjoyed a series of great Nordic-style meals on our trip to Copenhagen and then Oslo. But, on our last night with our granddaughter in Oslo, we craved a change from all those delicious steamed-in-cream muscles, tasty baked salmon and classic smoresbords. Izakaya fit the bill. In fact, it may have ended up being the best meal of our week-long trip. Yes, as you've read and can see from other Yelpers' photos, it's teeny tiny inside. But, when you get lucky and get seated, it's nice and cozy. You certainly aren't merely one 2-top in a long boring row of tables that's for sure. There's no sign outside but because it has a distinctive look on the exterior (see photos of the heavy grillwork on the windows) you really can't miss it. A Yelper's description of 'Japanese tapas' is right on the mark, tho this is a bit of mixed metaphor. Dishes (especially the last two below) are relatively small. Maybe four dishes will do for two people but you'll likely end up as we three did: wanting a bit more. We started with the Gyoza. Definitely delicious and served piping hot. Next was Bang Bang Ji - shredded chicken, julienned cucumber, and a spicy sauce. Good and a nice prelude to the Mazemen. Our hands-down favorite of the night was the Mazemen, broth-less ramen with a delicious sauce, oil, and toppings. Especially delicious with the egg (poached?) mixed in. Had we immediately ordered another three more bowls of this wonderfully tasty dish I doubt if there'd have been much of an objection! Okonomiyaki - a savory pancake. Good. We didn't want to leave without a bit more. So, we ordered the Senmaizuke, pickled turnip and chili with a sweet, tangy vinegar marinade, and the Shiitake no fukumeni, mushrooms simmered in a sweet and savory broth. Both of these relatively small dishes were quite delicious - but really would have tasted best as early appetizers. The Kirin beer really hit the spot. Service was quick and efficient. Pacing was fine with no rush despite the line that had formed in the little foyer. YELPER HINT: if you're stuck in the line but thirsty, you can go on in and stand at a small (2 ft. wide) open section of the bar and order/pay for beers (not sure about their cocktails) and then re-take your place in line. In short, Izakaya could - and likely will - provide your tastiest, most interesting and perhaps even your most delicious meal in wonderful Oslo. read more

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It was closed for the summer when I went there in late July to find some dinner. A bit hard to find but never got a chance to eat there.

Truly a gem. Fantastic Japanese Street Food. Friendly and helpful staff in a casual and welcoming environment. Looking forward to my next trip to Oslo... read more

Very nice! Vibe, mood & ambience par excellent! A definite go-to when in Oslo. Oh yes!

I found the analogue myspace... Read all about it ... this is a bar that nails it without the 'up close and personal' bollox of the rest of the in crowd Oslo locations Normally Oslo on a weekend is a human tsunami in all the 'place to be seen' bars. Reach for your backpocket and you are more likely to find your hand wedged in someone else's shorts/panties/lunchbox/ (delete as appropriate). OK, i get it, some people like the bar contact sport thing but i am more of a 'hey get your face out of my space' bloke so when I got the invite here and knew it was not on the hotspot radar i was keen to give it a go. I was not sure what to expect but more than happy with what i found. If anything this is more like those keller bars you get around Prague old town. You know ... a gated opening between two buildings and a wooden door just out of sight. Step inside, watch the step down and then all of a sudden you are below ground level and there are openings into different nooks and crannies with long wooden tables and benches for you to park your Maß (wiki it). The people here deserve credit for the toil they put in. If there was an award for perpetual motion then they are contenders. They were also good enuff to knock up an 'off menu' sampler for us because there was so much to choose from that we couldn't decide. What we got was Dim Sum, Edamame, skewered chicken meatballs, shiitake mushrooms, Korean pancakes & a tapas style potato. Asian fusion at it's best. We washed all this down with numerous bottles of sake and gallons of mendokusai which is so close to a caipirinha i challenge you to tell the difference. I was reluctant to write this review as I don't want everyone rushing here so keep it quiet OK ... i like myspace read more

Izakaya - Sampler Menu (see review) - Bars Near Me - Oslo, 03

Pretty chill place in the middle of Oslo. Love the cool atmosphere, the casual feel, and the good food. Would definitely be back! If you come in with a group of more than 2 or 3, be expected to wait for a bit to find a seat. Otherwise, you'll just try to squeeze in between others.:D read more

Izakaya - Bars Near Me - Oslo, 03

A Japanese gem in the heart of Oslo. Right next to St Olav's place, you'll found an intimate and cosy restaurant full of look-like Japanese medieval tapestries and ink illustrations. This peculiar ambiance attracts an arty and bohemian fauna that will savour Japanese delicatessen in the early evening and ends-up with sake the rest of the night. I even tasted there an excellent nuoc mam beer. read more

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If you're looking for a place to bring your hip friends visiting from London, Berlin or other cool European capitals, bring them to Izakaya - they'll feel right at home ;) Izakaya is tucked away down in the basement of a nondescript building in St Olavs gate, and there is nothing but the sign on the door to signify that a japanese restaurant is hiddem inside. Inside, there are a few communal seating tables, a bar and plenty of kitchy japanese posters. All of this of course amplifies the hipster vibe. I started with one of the many exciting cocktails on the menu, with ginger and sweet basil - it did not disappoint. The menu has a rather small selection of dishes which are meant to be shared (i.e. the format we usually know as tapas). It must be noted that the service at Izakaya needs to improve - the two japanese girls that waited on the tables spoke neither good English, nor Norwegian, and the food took a very long time to arrive. One of the waiters seemed not to understand what we were saying at all, and could not answer any questions about the menu. If the staff had been nice, I could have said that the communication issues only made the experience more authentically Japanese, but sadly, they were not. However - the food was excellent. We were first served Bang Bang Ji - cold shredded chicken in a creamy sesame sauce - which I thought was the best dish of the night. Next, we were served Korean spinach pancakes with dipping sauce. I had expected these to be outstanding, and was a little disappointed, but they were salty and tasty all the same. The soba noodle salad with walnuts was excactly as acidic and fresh tasting as I like it to be, and the shiitake mushrooms fried in butter with ponzu sauce were just delicious. The chicken meatballs with sweet teriyaki sauce and mustard were perhaps the least exciting dish, and could have done with more seasoning. Next time, I will definitely try the pork goyza (dumplings), which seemed to be very popular with the other diners. We finished the meal with two more cocktails (the amaretto and cardamom one stole the show) and a black sesame ice cream served with a drizzle of dark syrup. I would definitely urge anyone to try the ice cream, even though it might seem a bit weird to our western tastes (but then I love all things sesame). The bill came at 821NOK for 3 cocktails (98NOK each), one ginger beer, 5 dishes and 2 ice creams, which is definitely ok, allthough it would probably not have been enough food for big eaters, as some of the plates are very small. However, I would say that the best way to approach eating at Izakaya would be to relax with drinks and good company, and order dishes as you feel like it, as opposed to having everything at once. It is a perfect place to hang out with with friends, have some exciting nibbles and feel like the hippest kids in town ;) read more

Cool concept and cool place! I went here with a huge group of friends/coworkers and we really enjoyed ourselves! I didn't pay for anything, so I have no idea what kind of prices we are working with here...but nevertheless, the food was good. And that was all that mattered to me. We ordered slews of small courses (which is, after all, what they specialize in). I ate a peanut sauced chicken, some delicious type of egg something or another, sesame ice cream, and many other things. It was all well-prepared and well-presented. The dishes actually were appropriately seasoned and spiced. This place was charming and certainly a place I'd head back to in a heartbeat. read more

Probably my favorite restaurant in Oslo. I felt like being in New York City in one of the speak easy bars and that's something that's not easy to find in Oslo. First of all its a place not very visible from the street. You need to know it exists. Once you step in, you come to a really cool ambience, full of people. It's a quite small restaurant, with a tiny bar and few tables. No fancy furniture is found, instead they have benches and beer barrels for chairs. Cool artsy pics on the walls and everything points to Japan. The people working there were very fast, and helpful as the service should always be. We went there at 21:30 to a full place and we were seated into a table with other people in order to be served. The food was delicious. I liked the idea of Japanese tapas and the fact that the menu is short and authentic. No sushi, no rice or noodles. Just authentic plates from Japan that were all amazing. Definitely a place to visit while in Oslo if you like hip and chill places. read more

Super hipster feeling. Swedes will feel like they're back in Södermalm. You would't even be able to find the place if you didn't know about it or focus in on the hanging japanese lamps in the small windows when you walk by on this out of the way street (thanks Yelp). We nearly went right by it. Nice place to come with a small group and have some drinks and some light food. They had surprisingly good Japanese beer! Not your typical lagers but really nice IPAs and a good porter that had a really unique lighter taste. We had a nice time here, I would recommend it as a chill bar atmosphere. read more

Good atmosphare, but the foods are bit boring. Since I am from Japan, I expected more for their menu. The varieties of alkohol are pretty good, but of course the price is very high. Also the place gets crowded very quick, and have no resavation system. It is difficult to make plans for meeting up with friends. read more

Perfect for a night out with friends or a date. It's more a bar than a restaurant serving all kinds of Japanese/Asian drinks and beer. They also have a kitchen serving a variety of small Japanese dishes which are all super tasty and delicious. Oslo is not spoiled with places like this one, which makes it even more special. The location is small, crowded and buzzing on a Friday or Saturday night, so you should get there before 8pm on the weekends if you want to sit down while you eat. read more

One of my favorite places in Oslo. The food they serve is mostly small plates. I have tried everything several times now and kind of wish they would switch up the menu a bit. Go there anyway and don't forget to drink Japanese plum wine! They have some really nice savory pancakes and a seaweed salad that I'm obsessed with. read more

I tried coming here on a Saturday at 19:30 big mistake! Very very busy. And for good reason. So I made a point to come here on a Monday at 18:00. Genius. Pure genius. We ordered two Mendokusai. Not sure exactly whats in it, but its kicked my colds butt to the curve and I was grateful for that. We split Ede-mame, Gyoza Dumplings, Chijimi a Korean pancake, and 2 orders of Tsukune a chicken meatball! AMAMZING. I'm thrilled I was able to find this place and enjoy it, however now I wish it was still a secret. I can only understand now that I've been there why its so popular. The interior is funky and small, tables long and inviting. The service was cute and kind. I love it here. I wish they would adopt me. Feed me everyday. But for now Monday's will just have to be my secret night to enjoy this gem with close friends and sake :) read more

I feel right at home here. Wonderful Japanese expat community who hang here and get to practice their Japanese! Fantastic cocktails, inspiring decor and great small bites. The crispy gyoza with folded bottom crispy bit on top reminded me of Japan! read more

First you have to try to find this place, and once you do you'll wanna come back. This is a great little Japanese place. Although it's small and kinda worn-down, it has such a friendly and nice atmosphere, and they serve delicious and tasteful authentic Japanese/Asian plates. I've tried almost everything on the menu and nothing let me down - although the gyoza's were a little less tasty than the ones I make at home. Service is friendly and fast. I definitely recommend it! read more

If you come here you have to try everything on the menu. We did and "WOW" it was so good. It's hard to find good japanese food in Oslo but this is clearly the best. I'm just waiting for them to serve ramen. Oh and don't forget the sake! read more

Izakaya - Bars Near Me - Oslo, 03

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Really hip place in the basement of an older building. The flavors are authentic and the atmosphere is cozy and private. Prices are ok and I would absolutely visit again. My personal highlight was the black sesame ice cream at the end. read more

I like this place :) this is a cool and easy place to grab some nice japan food and drink beer and Sake

Found this place completely by accident. Has a hipster tilt but I found the crowd to be chill. I really was digging the super relaxed ambient atmosphere. Had a drink and was shocked by how reasonably priced it was. This is a super cool spot to hang out at and I will most surely be making a stop the next time I am in Oslo. read more