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Izakaya Toribar

4.2 (218 reviews)
Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
Updated 2 months ago

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IZAKAYA TORIBAR ATMOSPHERE

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Okonomiyaki
Clara S.

Still a great spot for some sake, yakitori, and okonomiyaki. I especially loved their bacon asparagus yakitori, short rib yakitori, and their kawa yakitori.

The yakitori cooking station
Mark F.

This place has a nice vibe, similar to what you might see in Tokyo at a yakitori bar but a little more elevated and less smoke. The menu is relatively simple, and not as much variety as you might want from a place like this. Also, I don't love that you have to order 5 orders of the kushikatsu. It ends up getting a little pricey. Ultimately, I got 5 kushikatsu and 4 yakitori, seaweed salad, and salmon onigiri. The yakitori was pretty good. Well cooked, could've used slightly more salt, but all of the yakitori was good, with the tebasaki (chicken wing) being the best. The beef was good but a little chewy. I was a little disappointed with the kushikatsu. They didn't have any katsu sauce or hot yellow mustard. The shrimp was tiny. I probably wouldn't get it again. The onigiri was good. There was some seasoning on the rice that made it flavorful. The service was good, they were very attentive. It would be a great for a big group to come but was pricey for just me visiting. All in all a decent, if not great, yakitori and kushikatsu bar.

Yuelin L.

Came in with decent expectations -- left frustrated. Toribar has a warm vibe at first glance, but from the moment the club-level music kicked in, things felt off. Cocktails tasted like canned mixers, and most food arrived suspiciously fast. The skewers, especially the chicken skin, were dry and brittle, with none of the smokiness or texture you'd expect. Felt more like frozen pre-cooked items thrown into a fryer. Even the karaage was tough. $100+ for three people and we left still hungry. Not returning.

Cyrus A.

Loved the food and the vibes at this Japanese izakaya. Great spot for a low key date or casual food and drinks with a few friends. The meals here are very shareable. True to form, the food comes out mostly on skewers, and it's a good idea to order a wide variety of items from the menu. The grilled veggies, fried mochi, and various meats were all delicious. Depending on the skewer, many items are under $10, so it's also a pretty cheap meal by NYC standards. Definitely worth checking out!

Alison A.

Such a fun spot! The skewers were so good, and well flavored. I especially liked the takoyaki here! Definitely a good spot for groups esp if you can make it for their happy hour

Brianna G.

Got a recommendation for this spot from a friend who spent years in the midtown east area, and it is definitely a hidden gem. It definitely gets busy at dinner time but we were able to grab two seats at the counter. This was actually perfect because we got to watch them cook the food right in front of us! I got a lychee martini, which was really good! Here's all the small plates we ordered - short rib (we had to order seconds, this was to die for) - gyoza - chicken breast w scallion - king oyster mushroom - asparagus - zucchini This is the perfect place if you're looking to try a bunch of different dishes or share with a group!

Jamie L.

I order a ton of food so you don't have to. Skip the Kushikatsu (fried skewers). I tried one of each, and they were overly breaded. The scallop was especially dry. However, the yakitori is a must-try! The shishamo (smelt) was delicious, though a bit too salty. I loved the chicken wings, drumsticks, skin, thighs, and gizzards. My top picks were the enoki wrapped in pork belly, king oyster mushroom, and short rib--absolutely amazing! Avoid the grilled squid; it was dry and tough. Don't bother with the chicken karaage, the sauce was mid. I'm usually not a fan of Toppokki, but this was hands down the best I've ever had--spicy, chewy, and delicious! You can't go wrong with the Gyunabe, a sliced beef stew. It's so comforting! They only allow you to sample the sake if you purchase the entire bottle.

David M.

Small, busy space in a typical basement restaurant of an old pre-war walkup. Service was excellent here! Sat at the bar and the waitress asked if it was my first time there. Must have been written on my forehead, rightfully so. Told her it was and asked her to just bring me some of their best items. She asked how hungry I was so she could bring me the right amount. Three cocktails, numerous delicious small bites, and other treats later I was very content. Worth the price of admission.

Tako Wasabi
Allen L.

One of my memorable experiences here was seeing Jimmy O. Yang and Awkafina a few tables down from us. With that detour down memory lane aside, I really like coming here as a casual spot to grub on meat skewers and appetizers, while drinking some beers. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but I'd suggest to you the Tako Wasabi, Chicken Karaage, and Chicken Thigh with Yuzukosho. They open late, with Friday and Saturday closing at 3 a.m. Perfect place to stop by, if you're out late and find yourself stumbling around midtown.

Chicken Thigh with Yuzukosho ($4.50) + Chicken Breast with Scallion ($4.50)
Risa H.

Great Izakaya in the midtown area! The kitchen is viewable behind a glass wall which is cool - you can sometimes see the fire explode when they are cooking the skewers! Vibe is great - they play good music and the lighting is perfect - not too bright and not too dim. My favorite skewer here is the Chicken Meatball ($6) and the Chicken Thigh with Yuzukosho ($4.50). I always get the Pork Belly Okonomiyaki ($20) and the Tako Wasabi ($10). They have happy hour during the week till 7PM with $5 Kirin Beers in a nice cold mug. They are open late which is nice - seating can be limited during peak hours and the tab builds up easily, but it's still a solid spot that I come back to often!

Inside. Small intimate seating.
Gretchen B.

Overall a great experience. We were trying to get into another izakaya in NYC but the line was so long we decided to give Toribar a chance. Situated downstairs from the street we ducked in and was greeted with the welcoming irrashiamasse in Japanese. It was not very busy when we got there around 5pm just in time for happy hour beer and select drinks. We ordered skewers and small plates all very delicious. Service was good! Place filled up rather quickly and they also have street level seating outside in a tent.

Sweet Potato Fries
Victoria K.

This was more of a 3.5 star experience, but I ended up rounding down. We arrived pretty early, around 6pm, and there were a lot of tables available on a Tuesday night. But as we continued eating, the tables filled up. I don't have anything particularly awful to report; it was really just that we felt the food was just okay across the board. Nothing stood out to make me feel like this was a place that I have to come back to or recommend to other people. However, again, that's not to say the food was bad. We had a great and filling meal here. I just don't know what I'd tell you to get if you came here. We saw a lot of reviews recommending the okonomiyaki, so we got it. I found this one to be much more soft and borderline soggy than others I've had before that have been crispier (which is what I prefer). I also felt the yakisoba lacked some flavor. The one thing I found here that I haven't seen anywhere else is the mochi wrapped pork. SUPER interesting flavors and textures that was different from anything I've tried before.

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3 months ago

Pretty solid yakitori with good service. Dark but not too dark. Generally fun but not rowdy.

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Izakaya Toribar Reviews in Other Languages

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Izakaya MEW

Izakaya MEW

4.3
(3.3k reviews)
1.1 mi
$$

There's a reason why people have willpower for the hours-long wait here on weekends. There are many…read morerestaurants with lines that I can't say are worth waiting on, but this restaurant is worth every minute and every ounce of energy left for the wait. I've taken a lot of friends here over the course of 10 years, and without fail, every one of them has walked out mindblown--and why wouldn't they?! The wait times have gotten better over the years (probably because people are waiting for the restaurant next door), but the food and drinks here are still top-notch. Staff is always great, and they all work so efficiently. I am generally a fan of izakayas, but there are very few that offer plates that are designed to be shareable, and this is one of the reasons the food here is so enjoyable in a small group setting. I am obviously biased and think they can do no wrong, but some of my staples that have stood the test of time: Kimchi cream udon, avocado tofu salad, salmon sashimi tacos, and the kani cream croquettes. I was so excited when they opened an outpost in Flushing years ago, but sadly it shuttered during COVID. It is definitely small and there is always going to be a wait, so don't be those people who come in with a huge group during prime time because they like to move (getting customers in and out) very fast.

I've been coming to Izakaya Mew for years and it's still great! The food is solid and the ambiance…read moreis that of a casual bar/izakaya. It can be a little tricky to find as it has a small door on the street level and is located down a flight of stairs on 35th. They have a variety of drinks such as frozen kirin beer and Japanese inspired cocktails. For food, they have a large variety of Japanese classics from sushi, skewers, fried dishes, and noodles/rice. My favorites here are the Omu Soba which has some tasty noodles inside and the salmon don which has some sashimi and sauce over rice!

Photos
Dining area
Dining area
Volcano Roll and Chikaten Roll
Volcano Roll and Chikaten Roll
Scallop Uni Butter Skewer

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Scallop Uni Butter Skewer
Izakaya Seasun

Izakaya Seasun

4.2
(131 reviews)
1.5 mi

We got the beef sukiyaki and the wagyu beef tartar/sashimi combo. For some reason they were sold…read moreout of the Wagyu beef tartar but it was available in combos. The sukiyaki was good with nice thinly sliced beef. We ended up ordering more beef slices too. I really liked the sweet sukiyaki broth and the raw egg and dipping sauce that came with it complimented it nicely. The Wagyu beef tartare was my favorite. It was seasoned really well and paired deliciously with the salad and ponzu sauce. The salmon sashimi was a little thin and nothing special. You can tell this place specializes more in beef! Food came quick. They have an electronic menu that you can order and call the server with which was nice. Place is dimly lit and intimate.

Came here on a wednesday evening at 7 PM with a reservation for 2. It wasn't too busy and had a…read morevery classy interior. You order on a screen at each table, and they are very quick to bring out your food. We shared the beef sukiyaki and the spicy seafood jjamppong. I really enjoyed the flavors of the ingredients with the broth of the sukiyaki and the egg dipping sauce. It looks like it comes with a lot of meat, but be aware that it's only a layer of sliced beef on top of a bunch of bean sprouts. The spicy seafood jjamppong was spicier than we were expecting. I liked the bits of seafood that it came with, as well as the vegetables and roe. Both dishes had very large portion sizes and were great value. They also gave us some free pineapple with condensed milk for posting a photo of our food on an instagram story.

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Relaxed ambience.
Relaxed ambience.
Spicy pork with cheese (@joeynht)
Spicy pork with cheese (@joeynht)
Crispy, golden, and packed with flavor! Our shrimp tempura is light, crunchy, and dangerously addictive!

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Crispy, golden, and packed with flavor! Our shrimp tempura is light, crunchy, and dangerously addictive!
Konban

Konban

4.4
(466 reviews)
2.1 mi

Everything we tried was honestly amazing--nothing missed. The service was great too. Portions were…read moregood, and every bite was super enjoyable. The ube tiramisu was a standout. I'm not usually an ube fan, so I wasn't expecting much--but they told us it was just added to the menu and we were some of the first people to try it. After one bite, I literally said "wow" out loud. My friend even laughed because I never react like that unless the food is really good. Overall, everything we had was a solid 10/10. Would definitely come back!

For a friend's birthday dinner, we went to konban, which she apparently has been visiting every…read moreyear for her birthday the past three years. The interior is minimalistic with a japanese feel through the zen garden. For drinks my friend and I had the sayonara which I enjoyed, but she thought was too strong. We ordered family style, sharing the corn ribs, zucchini, butter scallops, ebi tempura, pork katsu, mazemen, ube tiramisu , and corn ice cream amongst four people. The ube tiramisu was free since we wrote a google review for the restaurant. Everything was delicious and the zucchini was surprisingly good as well. The pork was so tender. the ebi tempura were huge, and the mazemen was thankfully not spicy. However, the scallops could've been more tender and we we were all unimpressed with the ube tiramisu. Overall, I would come back and would definitely recommend konban! Get the corn ribs, zucchini, pork katsu, and corn ice cream! My friend did notice that some menu items changed from her previous visit (instead of the zucchini they had the eggplant in the past)

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Restaurant interior
Restaurant interior
Pork katsu
Pork katsu
Corn ribs

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Corn ribs
Kazumi Popup

Kazumi Popup

4.3
(17 reviews)
2.0 mi

Kazumi is a lovely pop up restaurant with an intimate space and attentive service. The menu is…read moresmall but every dish is wonderfully designed with unique flavor pairings. Half of their menu is vegan-friendly. Spoiler alert: they will open a permanent location in June/July! *Chicken Karaage*** This chicken karaage was TO DIE FOR -- the caramelized sugar lemon on the side took it to a whole new level. The boneless chicken was so tender and juicy with a thin deep-fried batter. The meat was extremely refreshing after squeezing the lemon and dipping in honey mustard sauce. * Handrolls - Salmon Yuzu, Tuna, Yellowtail** Y'all need to order their handrolls! The sashimi piece was thick and long enough to cover the vinegar rice. It would be a pain to pick which handroll I like more. They layered up the flavors of each piece with house sauces, shiso leaf, fried leek, avocado etc. Wish they would add a handroll set in the future. *Pork Cutlet Curry The curry was a blend of shredded meat, mashed potatoes, tomatoes and grapes (yes grapes!). The pork loin cutlets were crispy and not heavily breaded. The meat was a bit dry, yet it was cut in thin slices so it didn't bother me much. I found the multigrain rice even more enjoyable than white rice with its crunchiness. *Matcha Crème Brûlée** WE LOVED THIS. Matcha flavor is strong. The caramelized top and creamy matcha custard complemented really well. Trust me, their crème brûlée is the best dessert to finish off your meal. *Vegan Matcha Cheesecake This cheesecake was homey and light. Matcha flavor was tasteable but not very strong. The raspberry compote added a nice touch to it. I liked the crunchy biscuit layer on the bottom. *Yuzu White Peach Sparkling *Virgin Green Tea Mojito Their Japanese-inspired mocktails were great and not too sweet (very rare for mocktails). Very refreshing to drink along with your meal.

A cute neighborhood spot for casual lunch. The restaurant is very small, 4-6 tables, but it's cozy…read more The menu is simple and no fuss which I liked not being overwhelmed with options. Starting off with the Agedashi Tofu: Three pieces of tofu in tsuyu sauce. Light and crispy, with a savory but not too salty broth. It came with fried enoki mushrooms. Some grated radish would've been a nice touch. Chicken Karaage: This was my personal favorite. The chicken pieces were tender and juicy, while crispy on the outside. The portion came with a decent amount of chicken which was shareable between three. Shoyu Ramen: Not a standout dish, but seeing as it's not specifically a ramen restaurant, it was standard! Not amazing but not bad. Pork Cutlet Curry: As someone who loves Japanese curry, this hit the spot! Warm flavorful curry with crispy tonkatsu. However, I think it would taste better served with fluffy white rice! Also I think it was served with a side of grapes which was seemed odd unless it's a new food trend I'm unaware of. Overall, would definitely come back! They seem to do fried foods well, hopefully they can introduce tempura or a katsu sando would be amazing.

Photos
Indoor is very nice
Indoor is very nice
Kazumi Popup
Matcha creme brulee

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Matcha creme brulee
Towa

Towa

4.3
(141 reviews)
1.6 mi
$$$

Wonderful experience for our group to celebrate a birthday dinner! First this restaurant is very…read moreunassuming, simple doors that take you to the open sushi chef counter followed by small tables in the back. The restaurant was full at the counter however only a few tables in the back. Our server was often always standing next to our table, attentive and observant with our needs. I really liked that we had the option to get as many omakases as we wanted and/or order as many a la carte menu items. Many Japanese omakase restaurants do not allow this! And I never understood this either. We ordered 3 omakases to share amongst 2 people, and then a ton of a la carte dishes to share. Which were such a beautiful compliment to our omakase dishes. We got the "O" which was a 9 course meal with some cooked and raw options. From the a la carte menu, we ordered the chicken karaage, agedashi tofu, hamachi kama, clay pot rice with salmon and roe, sukiyaki noodles, 2 different rolls (tuna and salmon) and of course the uni taster (which were 3 different kinds of sushi from California and 2 from Hokkaido). The agedashi tofu was the worst amongst our group for a weird texture, definitely did not feel like tofu. The best dishes were the uni taster, chicken karraage, and hamachi kama all from the a la carte menu. And from the omakase, definitely the sushi platter (which were 10 pieces of sushi) and the soba noodles were so amazing! The sushi rice here were so delicious! This is how you can tell a authentic sushi restaurant vs not. Overall, definitely recommend and absolutely order a la carte to get a full tasting of the dishes.

Great value for food here!…read more We were able to get a last minute reservation and this place did not disappoint! We both got one of the course sets and it left us full, the price was definitely worth it for quality sushi with different variety of fish and dishes. Would love to come back and try other courses as well! They also have a counter with omakase it seems.

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Towa
Tofu skin with sea urchin
Tofu skin with sea urchin
Shrimp ball

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Shrimp ball

Izakaya Toribar - tapasmallplates - Updated June 2026

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