After many months of intending to visit, we finally dropped in at Izzy's for an early dinner on a Thursday night. This cocktail and handroll spot might be one you miss if you are just driving by and not in the local Ardmore scene, and that would be a catastrophe, as it is unique and delicious. This bar has impeccable Japanese ambience with high, light wood ceilings and a quiet atmosphere. It offers exclusively high-top table and bar seating, but still feels elevated. This is one of the best sake menus I have seen in the area, including domestic production, and also offers Japanese beers and a very delicious cocktail list featuring sake-forward offerings. Sake served generously with the cedar box tradition. Specials are available daily and warm food from the menu seems to be prepared next door at Ripplewood (same ownership). Handrolls were bright and fresh using clearly high quality, fresh ingredients. We also enjoyed a Branzino collar. We'll definitely be back, and will try to be early again to get good seating (spots fill fast, as you'd expect!) read more

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An easy contender for the best bar & restaurant in Ardmore! From the first moment that I stumbled upon it on the way to a dinner and just had to grab test cocktail, to the most recent time where I splurged on all the sushi and bao bun noms; Izzy's has been a place that never disappoints! It's called Izzy's because at its core it's a casual Izakaya where you can enjoy sushi, bao, drinks, and more without even needing a reservation (https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2025/05/28/izzys-cocktail-bar-izakaya-ardmore/) four nights a week. But its all a passion project from the Ripplewood team that does all that with a good fusion twist that yields very little confusion. Your old fashioned might come with an aged dark rum instead of a whiskey, your salmon hand roll might be the perfect lox bagel without the bagel, and your bao bun might come birria taco style, and all of the above are absolute serendipity! The menu does shift regularly enough to the point where you'll find at least one new favorite among old staple with each visit, and you also want to be prepared to find out about specials and get spot-on recommendations from the welcoming staff. For cocktails I've immensely enjoyed their versions of dark & stormy's, olde fashioned's, the Last Word (https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2025/06/19/izzys-ardmore-last-word/), and then some. But they also have a weel rounded selection of Japanese whiskeys, and you best believe that they have Hitachino Nest beer! For food I've enjoyed the following; Salmon Philly Handroll - The perfect lox bagel without the bagel comes with sushi grade salmon, creme fraiche, and everything bagel spice in a seaweed wrap. Hokkaido Scallop Handroll - the perfect buttery scallops with an umami bomb speak for themselves! Miso Soup - You haven't had miso soup until you had this freshmaker version that perfectly serves two. Hands down the best version I've ever had! Nigiri - All the nigiri, all of it is good! Spicy Cucumbers - the perfect chilled vegetable to share with the table with a bit of spice and flavor that rivals my belove Han Dynasty and Dan Dan versions! Birria Bao Buns - Somehow the best queso free birria I've had might not come with a taco?! My favorite seat is the window booth that overlooks all of downtown Ardmore. But my second favorite is standing so I can play a free game of pinball! read more

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Service is really friendly and it's a nice, intimate date spot. I had thought there would be a larger dinner menu, but this is really a cocktail bar with a few bites. My mistake. The drinks are very good and the food is very good, but if you make a dinner out of the food it gets expensive very quickly. I'll be back for either pre- or post-dinner drinks! read more

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Great service. Fun cocktails. Yummy sushi. Just don't go in thinking it's dinner. Tiny portions of beautifully-prepared food. I like the atmosphere but find the barstools uncomfortable. read more

Izzy's - This is TGIF! Chai Crimes & Misdemeanors - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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I had the privilege and honor to spend this past weekend with my bestie and she knows how much I love sushi so we checked out Izzy's. The ambiance in here was so cool and cute. I think what this world really needs is more cocktail bars. The drinks here were the perfect combination of delicious and strong. We tried almost half the menu (my only mild complaint is the small food menu) and everything was delicious. Would highly recommend the crispy tofu bao buns and the salmon hand roll read more

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Absolutely loveeee the vibes at Izzy's! Cool, creative cocktails and lots of little dishes perfect for sharing. The bartenders are very personable and great with recommendations. I know it may sound basic but get the edamame, it's cooked PERFECTLY and has the perfect amount of yuzu salt. Highly recommend Izzy's! read more

Izzy's - The "Money Talks" & "Barry Allen" - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Omg the pottery bowl that holds the citrus fruit and the ceiling work really caught my eye! These chefs continue to impress with food you didn't know was possible on the mainline. Detail and honor. I wonder if they know or get along with the team at Ripplewood, another fav, just down the block!! Shout out to James and top notch bartenders the lot of em. read more

Izzy's - Pottery from the artist - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Neighborhood vibe, friendly staff, creative and tasty cocktails. The Whose Blues and Juxtapose were both fantastic. I'm also a fan of the citrusy-salty edamame. Recommend! read more

Izzy's - Menu March 2025 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

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Our 3rd time at Izzy's. Heartbroken to say, after 2 amazing visits, this one was awful, Sat 5/16. One fabulous element of our previous visits was the incredible bartenders - knowledgeable and super friendly/helpful with great vibe. This time - we had a woman who was outrageously gruff, impatient, arrogant; she made us feel from the first moments that she didn't like us, that we had done something wrong or had offended her somehow. All our inquiries about the cocktails were met with condescension and impatience. she was awful. We almost left; my wife had to step outside a few times, she was getting so upset. Huge, huge bummer/buzzkill for our date night. We are devastated - loved Izzy's, picked it for our date night out, then were met with this horrible person at the bar - who is she? Why was she there?? Hard to imagine we'll go back now. Super bummed. And couldn't help but notice - other times we were there, definitely had to wait, place was packed with hour long wait. This time - plenty of seats on a Sat night the whole time we were there. Something happened, something changed. Is it this one bartender? HUGE BUMMER. read more

I walked in with modest expectations, figuring this suburban sushi spot might play it safe...good enough for the neighborhood but unlikely to rival the heavy hitters in Philly or New York. I was wrong. Very wrong. The quality was striking from the first bite: pristine Hamachi, pillowy bao buns, a decadent wagyu roll, and miso soup that delivered real comfort rather than filler. The cocktails were crafted with just as much care, and the vibe struck that sweet spot between relaxed and lively...fun without trying too hard. The soundtrack? Spot on. Service leaned a little slow, but considering the bartenders were juggling the bar and tables, it's forgivable. What lingered was the food, the atmosphere, and the sense that this place deserves more than a passing glance. We'll absolutely be back. read more

Was so excited to check out Izzy's'!! The vibe of the restaurant is so cute, they definitely pay attention to detail in terms of decor, cocktail glasses, menu design, etc. The highlight for us was the cocktails. Every cocktail is so unique and perfectly curated. The matcha-tini was our favorite but we also loved the Pandan Express for something more citrusy. While the hand rolls were generous in size I felt they slightly lacked in flavor and were quite salty and a bit over priced for what they are. Hopefully they offer more options in the future, I'd be willing to give it another try! We did love the bao buns, the pork belly wasnt too fatty and the shrimp was a big fave! The bartenders were all so friendly, we'd definitely go back for cocktails and a quick bite. read more

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Portions are terrible ($15 for one piece of average sushi), nothing on draft, despite being one of three people in there I was only asked one time in an hour and a half if I wanted anything (which was when I sat down) and had to get the bartenders attention every time I finished a drink. She was extremely rude and condescending and I won't be going back. The whole place feels like a poor attempt at making an American Japanese bar where they can charge the most money instead of focusing on just making good drinks and food. My mother is vegan and told our server that and they still served her bao buns, something they later admitted had milk and honey. This is a place not focused on quality or giving you a good experience but rather to sell you a product even if they have to lie to you to get you to buy it. read more

Never have I experienced such an arrogant, self righteous server who had no interest in sharing what seemingly is supposed to be a carefree fun vibe but instead was a downright miserable experience. Would recommend to stay as far away as possible if you are looking to enjoy a fun night with friends, drinks and positive energy! You will not find it at Izzy's. read more

Barkeeps know their shit! Great booze selections and the food is not to be overlooked! It's small so come Early to get your spot! read more

Don't go here if you're hungry. Portions are tiny (could barely feed a hamster) and way overpriced. I ordered some kind of sushi roll, literally one piece for $16 and my girl got fried chicken bao buns. The chicken was as big as my thumb and also $16. Food took too long to come out given how small the portions were. Drinks were alright, ambiance was nice. Food needs to be improved to justify the price. read more

Wow! Ardmore just got a little bit cooler! Intimate bar with small plate Asian bites and excellent cocktails. The staff was super engaged and boy were the cocktails good. The food too! Don't show up late since there's a wait list for a bar spot but do chat with the bar keepers ~ they know their shit and the drinks are solid! Not on the menu bit ask for a mai Tai read more

Came here for an early dinner and we were able to snap a couple of the remaining seats at the bar. We got in just in time for happy hour and tried a sampler of hand rolls, some spicy cucumbers and the birria buns from the regular menu. Everything was great. It is a limited menu and not inexpensive as others have said but it was very solid and we'll be back. Definitely didn't feel we were in the burbs in a refreshing way. read more

Don't waist your time, extremely rude and unprofessional staff who seemed like they wanted to be surrounded by their fraternity brothers and not run a business. Turns out, this is a kiddie city place that I really wanted to like, however there are so many great spots in Ardmore but this isn't one of them... read more

A really fun izakaya (tavern) in Ardmore. Really great sushi hand rolls and a very deep list of sakes and Japanese whiskeys. The bartenders are knowledgeable and fun. You should know it's a limited menu and a small place and not inexpensive. You probably should expect to wait on weekends especially as they don't take reservations. I suggest either getting there early or late, or days prior to the weekend, but I think it's something special for the Main Line. read more

The person behind the bar was incredibly rude. We walked in to check the place out and seeing 10+ open seats at the bar we walked towards the seats. The man behind the bar abruptly yelled that there was a wait list. When we asked if that was true for just drinks he responded "for everything!". It's a complete shame because this place looks lovely inside. But I will never return or recommend it bc the first experience ruined it for me. read more

Excellent ambiance, well-prepared food, and a knowledgeable and friendly staff make this Japanese-style cocktail bar a wonderful and welcome addition to the Main Line. More fun than your average Ardmore hangout. read more