This is one of the best izakaya restaurants in Manhattan, and it keeps bringing me back time after time. The moment you walk in, you're instantly transported to Japan. The décor features light natural wood and bamboo, creating a warm, authentic atmosphere, with an impressive collection of sake lining the wall. The food is outstanding. We started with the seasonal soft-shell crab, which was incredibly fresh and fried to perfection. The daily sashimi special was exceptionally fresh, and the salad was light and refreshing. The must-order Wagyu beef, served on a hot stone, simply melted in our mouths and was unforgettable. Every dish was beautifully prepared, and I enjoyed every single bite. The impeccable service was the icing on the cake. The staff was attentive throughout our meal, making sure we had everything we needed without ever being intrusive. I absolutely loved the entire dining experience and can't wait to come back again! read more

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We had a really delicious dinner at Sakagura. Some of the real highlights were: - the cucumber salad - the eggplant, which was absolutely to die for - the black cod The Otoro sashimi was also really good. Definitely melt-in-your-mouth quality. The hot udon soup was fine but nothing too special. The hamachi was very good but be aware that it is the hamachi shoulder on the bone, not hamachi sashimi. I tried a sake that is made from red rice, which was really delicious, and my wife had a sauvignon blanc, which was also really good. This is a fun place to try a bunch of Japanese small plates in a nice setting where the tables are not too crowded and the noise level is very reasonable. read more

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Beautiful decor and warm welcoming attentive service from the time we walked in to the moment we left. We came for my friend's birthday, and it was a nice place to celebrate. The sake menu was quite extensive. The food was delectable - we had the octopus, eggplant, black cod and the Japanese friend chicken. The eggplant was amazing!! The portions were a bit small for the price. All in all, it was a very nice experience. read more

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Speakeasy vibe japanese restaurant. A lot of options on the menu and everything was great! Definitely recommend the chicken karaage -- sauce was delicious and chicken was perfectly crispy. Fish was all fresh too read more

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Sakagura is perhaps my favorite restaurant in New York City. For the full experience, you really want to go at night to enjoy the sake and small dishes, but they have amazing lunch specials. This entire plate was $18 read more

Sakagura - Fried chicken/udon lunch special - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Came here for a team lunch around noon on thursday, and were seated quickly with a reservation. It was surprisingly busy for a weekday lunch, but the lunch specials do seem to be a great deal. The restaurant gave speakeasy vibes, and had very nice ambiance and decor. I ordered the kaisen don with an iced oolong tea. There wasn't anything spectacular about the tea, but the fish in the kaisen don was very tasty. However, I do think you can get fish of similar quality elsewhere in the city for cheaper. Overall, good vibes and food, but wouldn't pay for a meal here with my own money. read more

Sakagura - Kaisen don - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

*This review is only for the food (we did not order any alcohol).* Extremely pricey for what you get. Food was tasty but portion sizes were tiny. For 5 people, you basically have to order 2 of every dish to make sure everyone has enough. Great ambiance for a date but I wouldn't come for a random dinner. read more

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I came here with pretty high expectations and overall, the food was actually pretty good. We had a couple different sashimi dishes and some uni, and both were fresh and really enjoyable. Also had the black cod which was good. It was me and a friend and we also ordered bottle of Sake. I also tried the A5 Wagyu. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. I've had A5 Wagyu in Japan before and it was noticeably more tender and flavorful. I've even had regular high-quality steaks that impressed me more than this one. It wasn't bad at all -- just not on the level I expected, especially for the price. That's probably my biggest thing here: it's expensive. The food is good, but for what you're paying, it feels a bit overpriced. One thing I did notice is that none of the staff seemed to be Japanese. I believe the owners are Japanese, but since the restaurant promotes itself as Japanese, I expected more of that presence in the overall experience. At the end the waiter gave us a shot of sake on the house(we did spend a lot for 2) but that was a nice touch. Overall, good food and a nice spot -- just be prepared for the price, and maybe don't go in expecting the same Wagyu experience you'd get in Japan. read more

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Underground speakeasy vibe izakaya and Japanese restaurant! Love the lunch special at this place. We did not order it this lunch visit but we had the bara chirashi and the ikura salmon don for lunch. The seafood was plentiful and impressive . I am going to give five stars because I got what I need when I needed it but I will say that there is a lag time to find staff from time to time but it is such great food. The service works for the place. Check out the large sized bathrooms which look like large sake containers. Definitely worth a visit and tell the front desk that you are going to the restaurant when you walk in. read more

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A hidden restaurant underneath the basement of an office building. I came here with my colleague who recommended the daily lunch special for $18. On Thursdays, you get a small bowl of udon accompanied with rice and fried chicken tenders. Very satisfying, there were other things on the menu too if you want to order à la carte. read more

Sakagura - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I was curious about this subterranean Japanese restaurant ever since Jamie W and I made an aborted attempt to dine here last year as they were closing. It's just a block away from our hotel of choice when we come to Manhattan, so on our most recent trip, I was proactive enough to make a reservation for the evening we arrived for Jamie's birthday weekender. We knew we had to pass by a security guard and walk down to the basement to get here. The space was on the dark side, a bit tonier than most izakayas I've been to, but then again, it's Midtown East. We decided to share four dishes, but first we needed to quench our thirst. We've decided to decrease our alcohol intake, so we just ordered a couple of $4 Diet Cokes. We were surprised to be charged for water, $9 for "Izumi MTN Water". First up was the $9 Ankimo, a couple of slices of steamed monkfish liver with grated daikon, wasabi, seaweed, and ponzu sauce (Photo 9). Ankimo is my favorite so no complaints. Next was the $16 Dassai Sakekasu-Miso Dengaku, a thick slice of grilled eggplant seasoned with sansho pepper, sake kasu, red miso, sake, and mirin and topped with carrot chips and nori (Photo 8). This was pretty tasty, and we were wishing they provided two slices. Things went a bit south with the entrees. Conveniently separated into two pieces, the $29 Gindara Yuan Yaki was not quite succulent enough. The grilled black cod a bit arid despite the yuzu soy sauce (Photo 7). The biggest disappointment, however, was the $25 Hamaichi Kama because the simmered yellowtail collar was bone dry despite the addition of soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, and burdock (Photo 10). The best ones are tender despite the intense heat from the grilling. Dessert gave us an ending high note with a generous slice of the $14 Black Sesame Cheesecake festooned with fresh berries (Photo 6). Definitely an evening of almost-hits and near-misses. FOOD - 3 stars...good appetizers but overshadowed by overcooked entrees AMBIANCE - 4 stars...a bit clubby but nice SERVICE - 3 stars...kinda automatic TOTAL - 3 stars...might focus just on the smaller plates if there's a next time RELATED - Hungry in NYC? Here's my collection of bars and restaurants l've patronized and reviewed: https://yelp.to/FQHzGuImA2 read more

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A friend invited me here. This place is amazing. Incredibly easy to miss as it is inside of what looks like an office building. Typical city style parking, so good luck with that. You have to see the small'ish sign to even know it's there. You walk in & tell security that you're going to the restaurant. Then you go down a typical office building lobby hall to some stairs and have to go down the stairs. Once down there everything changes into a Japanese themed lounge. Great vibes, friendly and knowledgeable staff, amazing food. This place is a vibe, the kinda place you bring people who will appreciate good food in a unique environment. It's a if you know...you know type situation. We had the Buta Kakuni, Gindara Yuan Yaki, & Crab Roll special (sorry, I don't remember the name). Drink wise from Sake: Meiri Shurui, Whiskey: Yamazaki 12. AMAZING! The Meiri Shurui was so good we ended up getting a whole bottle. Worth the stop, just don't miss it. Grades: Buta Kakuni:A+ Gindara Yuan Yaki: A+ Crab Roll Special: B+ Meiri Shurui: A++ Yamazaki 12: A read more

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Portions are so insanely small and prices are so high. The only thing that tasted above average was the karaage. We also got some edamame some super small dons, some agesan tofu, and other dishes. Nothing was a standout and everything was bite size. The interior is super nice though. It was a bit difficult to find the entrance as it's in the basement of a seemingly non restaurant building. read more

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Basement level Japanese spot recommended by someone who came for dinner. Grabbed a weekend dinner reservation and came early but they were able to seat us which we appreciated. Service was polite and prompt through the evening. We were given the heads up that it'd be tapas style so got five dishes and was good enough for us. Generally speaking everything was good with my favorite being the tuna and udon. Definitely on the pricey side (particularly the eel bowl which to be fair does say it's mini/small size but it is truly very very small). Ambiance was intimate and dimly lit. Probably good for dinner dates though there were groups as well and not too loud so you can have a conversation. read more

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The main attraction of this place is the sake - the food comes in small portions and it quite pricey. But the sake is good and the ambiance is very dark and moody. Our waiters were very attentive and gave us a lot of insight into the different sake offerings that they have. We ordered a Dassai Blue Flight and the Assemblage Flight - both of us prefer sweeter drinks so the Dassai Blue was our favorite. The karaage was juicy and crisp, the sea bass nigiri was good, and the yuzu udon was tangy. Overall, a good place to catch up with a friend over sake. read more

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A gorgeous restaurant with a cozy vibe and delicious food. The restaurant is located in the basement of a building. I was so impressed with the setting of the restaurant: lovely decorations, warm chatter, and dim lighting. The waiters were speedy and helpful when recommending dishes. And the food was scrumptious. I couldn't believe how fresh the sashimi tasted. The mini dons were a nice bite as well. Definitely a fancy spot - it was such an incredible dinner! read more

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First impression of the location is kinda of mysterious as it was located in a sort of an office building basement. You will be stopped by the security guard asking about your intention. You will be directed to the basement. It's a chill feeling with dark lights and an authentic Japanese feeling. I loved the wine barrel concept as the restroom. Service was excellent and you will have full attention at anytime. They were friendly and polite. Food wise - unable to comment much since my friend doesn't have much appetite. We had special fatty tuna which was delicious and fatty for sure. Another dish was Sashimi Moriawase which I personally find to be disappointed and plain Jane. Don't feel the sashimi freshness and I definitely had much better elsewhere. Drinks - ordered DASSAI BLUE FLIGHT - 3 kinds / 50ml. For sweet sake lovers. Overall I love the ambiance and atmosphere. Could be a date night or besties night. Price is definitely on upper end. I'll need to go back for the entrees someday. read more

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Had a lunch on Friday afternoon. Great Japanese menu selections of all kinds including sushi and soba noodles and sake which is very much comparable with restaurants in Tokyo. Especially their house made fresh soba noodles. For the lunch time, they have a several lunch set which is thoughtful and great prices. Their servers were very attentive and comfortable throughout the meal time. I must comeback for dinner soon. read more

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Honestly the food was good but the waiter (Manuel was his name I believe) tried to hustle us when ordering the special. He told us the tuna collar special which came in small medium and large for 30/40/50 and we ordered the small. Then when the bill came he charged us for the medium hoping he'd bilk us out of an extra 10 dollars. The receipt didn't even indicate what the 40 dollar charge was for. It wasn't an honest mistake, you can tell by his tone of voice and body language that he got caught. Make sure to check your bill carefully at this restaurant. read more

Wanted to try Sakagura again. We sat at the counter and ordered small plates. The bartender/server was very nice. We had the sake tasting. We both liked it. We had the cucumber salad. Very good Sashimi 3 types: salmon, yellowtail and tuna. Top quality fish Hotate carpaccio. Very good Seaweed salad: I liked it. He didn't Edamame was good 2 rice bowls. Salmon and eel. Fair at best Glad we tried it again. Not sure we would return. read more

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I've been here twice now. It's a bit hard to find the first time because it's in an office building. You walk pas the guard and then head downstairs to what looks like a sketchy stairwell to the basement and the restaurant is in the basement. The dishes are more tapas style than anything but you can share them with another person. I think the larger meals are like the udon soup dish and possibly the oysters but you can order multiple dishes and share it. They are pricey but they taste wonderful and fresh. This is also a busy place and a reservation is recommended. The two times I went I saw some business meetings and also some large family gatherings. So it's a versatile place where you can have just 2 people or 10. I recommend the sake flight. It's a good way to taste different styles of sake and they don't give you tiny amounts...at least not to me. I don't remember now which ones I got but there is a floral one that is my favorite. Service is a bit slower here but other than that the food is amazing and I would return anytime. read more

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*I later learned that these guys were involved with providing financial assistance to the people affected by tragedies in Japan, I am glad to have contributed to this effort by eating at this establishment.* A good friend took me here for lunch, it was a gift in celebration of a special event. Thank you friend! I had examined the menu prior to heading over here, and I realized that it was not the type of Japanese place that I usually frequent. There were no rolls, etc. However that is not to say they don't have a good selection of food, but if you are not familiar with a traditional Japanese menu, then examine it before hand. I had a mixed seaweed salad as an appetizer that I shared with my friend, it was pretty good. Very good actually with the sesame dressing, we both enjoyed it. As the main course I had cold soba dish. This dish was also quite tasty and good. My friend had salmon, and she insisted that I try it, so I tried a decent size chunk and it was very good. I'll have to try a proper serving at some point for myself. She also tried a sweet sake type drink, I tasted it, not really my thing though. She liked it. This was a pretty good place, I'm glad I tried it, and thanks again to my yelp buddy for introducing me. read more

Stopped by for lunch - downstairs, very busy, and they ran out of the lunch special of the day.... Tried the duck curry and it was a rich, flavorful (but very salty) dish. The tempura was done very well, though, slight and not oily at all. read more

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Dined here many times, usually for work lunch. Easy to make a res on resy. I enjoy their soba the most (hot or cold depending on the weather), typically the tempura. Colleagues have ordered the soba or udon, sushi apps. I've also tried their chawanmushi and enjoyed it. Service tends to be good/quick so you can be in and out in 1-1.5 hours depending on the size of your party and whether you order apps. Tucked away in an office building, not the best wifi, they offer wifi. Cute bathrooms/design. read more

Excellent. Sets the bar for Japanese food. Hard to find - you have to know where you're going. But will be rewarded by the find.. read more

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Atmosphere: - cool, looking pods as toilets - Very Japanese vibe with wood everywhere -I recommend the booth Food: -Excellent presentation and taste -Extensive sake menu and you can even do a sake flight -The cucumber salad, Shishito peppers for the win -Bento boxes very pretty, looks very fresh Service: -Told the lady who took my order that I was vegetarian and she gave me a lot of options -Attentive read more

Went here for lunch. Was pretty busy. Loved the lunch mackerel. Cooked perfectly. Service was good as well. read more

Sakagura - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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My boyfriend surprised me with dinner here for our anniversary and he did so good! The ambience was so nice, it's located in a basement that lowkey gave speakeasy vibes and felt cool but cozy at the same time. The service was amazing, the waiter was an expert and showed us how to eat everything for maximum enjoyment. For drinks, we tried a strong shochu that we chased with a sweet yuzu sake, which balanced each other out. To start off our meal, we got the tako wasabi and tuna tartare. Both were high quality for seafood and there were so many layers of flavors and elements that worked well together, the tuna tartare had a dashi jelly that was especially insane. I also tried soft shell crab by itself for the first time and I'm such a fan now, they fried it so well in karaage style and the meat was still tender and juicy. The wagyu dofu was a great finish, the broth and shichimi really pulled the dish together and I was reminiscing about it on the subway earlier. They also gave us plum green tea sake for our anniversary and it was literally the best sip of alcohol I think I've ever had - so smooth and not too sweet. Extra shoutouts for them replacing my drink when I spilled and the heated toilets. Would love to come back to try other dishes! read more

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I came with a friend for dinner on a Wednesday night. We had a reservation for 8 PM and even though we arrived on time they still made us wait a bit before we were seated. When we were finally taken to our spots, the seats were pretty small and crowded. Service itself was wonderful. There was always someone around to bring food by quickly, fill your water cup and get you anything you need. My friend and I split a few dishes: -5 KINDS: ASSORTED SAKE NO SAKANA: There was a good amount of items. I liked all of them except the chestnut which was way too sweet. They also gave just straight chunks of cream cheese which was unexpected. KAWARI TOFU: They give you a really big chunk of tofu, the flavor was good but a bit too heavy. SABA SHIOYAKI: Flavor of the Saba was great but it was a bit on the drier side unfortunately. GYU TAN DAIKON: Mm this was a great dish! The flavor of the braising liquid was delicious and the tongue was soft and perfectly cooked. I also really liked the daikon on the bottom since it sucks up all of the braising liquid and was perfectly soft. -DASSAI SAKEKASU-MISO DENGAKU: Really nicely cooked. The eggplant flavor was so good and so soft. The miso paste sauce had a nice sweet hint but I it veered on slightly too sweet with certain bites. -TAMAGO YAKI: Well cooked Tamago and great flavor. - HOT INANIWA UDON: The udon they have is a thinner knife cut version. Though it was simple it was very tasty and the warm broth was quite soothing. Additionally, at the end of our meal, because it was my friends birthday they also brought us out a giant bowl of green tea ice cream which was very nice of them. All in all, a tasty meal that is a bit pricier but was a nice experience. read more

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Nice ambiance, but certainly expensive for what you get. Don't be fooled by the section titled "mains" -- the waiter clarified that they are more like tapas. My friend ordered a more expensive item (the eel over rice) which was bigger though. I got the maguro zuke don (tuna over rice) and although it was good, it was as the waiter explained quite small. Maybe the size of a kids meal, enough if you're not that hungry. I also tried the dashi egg omelette which was pretty good. A great place to go if you're not the one paying! Otherwise there are many other almost/equally as good options in the city for a fraction of the cost. We ended our meal at a pizza place down the street. read more

Sakagura - Maguro zuke don (tuna rice bowl) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Overall very solid place. Love that they offer sake flights! My fave dishes are the uni ikura onsen tomago, and the beef tongue. The matcha tiramisu is also so good! Unfortunately the black cod is way too salty, and probably was marinated for too long, so that was a bit of a disappointment. read more

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LOVE this place. the food is ALL delicious only negative is now the kitchen closes at 10:30 so hard to RUN over there after a show. last seating is like 10:15pm. Decor: modern, clean, pretty with cherry blossom inaniwa udon is unique and yum butaniku pork is so soft and the sauce is yum (get some rice and put it on the rice) The waiter offered rice but I was trying to be healthy and declined, but regretted my decision. Hamachi kama yum read more

Sakagura - 1 of 3 pieces of butaniku with mustard on side Tamago yum - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

A solid choice for Japanese in midtown. We love coming here, the service is always good and the food quality is consistent. The only thing I hope they can improve is their ventilation - you can smell strong whiffs of oil sometimes (I guess from deep frying). They have many kinds of food, dinner is tapas style plus some larger dishes and noodles and rice dishes as well. I love the variety, and the prices are reasonable - nothing is outrageously expensive. read more

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I recently went to Japan, my experience at Sakagura remind me of an authentic Japanese restaurant. In Tokyo, we went to a lot of restaurants in basements/ in multi use buildings - very similar to how Sakagura you go down the staircase of a building lobby and then transported to Japan. They had an excellent selection of sake. The food felt very authentic. Plenty of options for me as a pescatarian. I loved the rice bowl that came in the case iron pot. The service was fantastic. They were so attentive in a way I'm not used to. If I removed my glass of water from one side of the table to another, someone would immediately come by to clean up the condensation. read more

Sakagura - Sansai rice - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Fantastic speakeasy-style design izakaya! Ambiance was great-- it really transported me to an izakaya in Japan! Service was fast and good, and the sake list was great. We ordered 2 dishes to share: - Sashimi: 7/10 (decent sashimi but portion sizes were way too small) - Udon: 9/10 (loved the thin noodles and the soup was very flavorful) read more

The restaurant is located in the basement of an office building so it's the not the easiest place to find. They offered a coat check which I found rare and fancy but extremely helpful. The atmosphere was amazing with date night vibes and aesthetically pleasing to dine in. Because it was so dim, the pictures of the food were pretty dark. The food was on another level of one of a kind. For appetizers, the gindara yuan yaki is a grilled black cod flavored with a hint of sake. When asked the waiter about the sauce, she went to ask the chef who shared that the cod is soaked in sake and then grilled with a yuzu soy sauce. Next, the tori karaage was incredibly hot and crunchy. It was paired with a koji matcha mayo sauce that was unique. Finally, I ordered the hot inaniwa udon that I fell in love with. The udon was uniquely thin and the soup had a yuzu flavoring. So delicate and delicious that I've never tried anywhere else. I would definitely recommend trying these dishes and I can see myself coming back again! read more

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My boyfriend and I returned for dinner (celebrating our anniversary) and sat at the bar again. We tried: + Mentaiko onigiri (cod roe) + Fresh oysters + Grilled black cod + Grilled Yellowtail collar + Tuna with whipped yam + Tamago + Medium fatty tuna The cod and the yellowtail were my favorite dishes. They also comped us a white chocolate cheesecake for our anniversary, which was a really nice touch! It was fantastic. As always, they just have the best service here... that really makes it 5 stars for me. Shoutout to manager Alex for making our evening special. read more

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The experience starts before you even get there. As a literal underground restaurant, from street level you would barely know its there. You enter through what seems like a private building and down an industrial staircase, and not until you cross the threshold do you see the amazing atmosphere of the actual restaurant. You enter this sake bar with tables and booths along the walls and in the center and you immediately forget that you're in an NYC basement. You feel cool when you go. But atmosphere can only go so far. The food and drink is what matters the most. Starting with the food, the plates are elegant, high quality, and delicious. Definitley try the sashimi when you're there, they provide a great variety of fish to taste. Don't sleep on the other menu items either, the pork belly, eel, beef, even fried chicken all felt like must-haves. For the drink, I'm not a sake connoisseur by any stretch, but the staff were very helpful in helping me make a selection. You don't have to drink to have a great time at Sakagura (I went with members of my extended family which included children), but this is a good place to visit if you're looking to get into sake. Great atmosphere, great food, great service, the only thing to watch out for is that it is fairly pricey. It's not in my regular rotation, rather it's the perfect spot for a special occasion. read more

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RATING: 8.3/10 PRO TIP: stopped by here just for a drink and appetizer. What a vibe. Transports you to what feels like a Japanese bar and a HUGE list of sake that the bartender is really great at helping you decide what you might go for. The food we had was solid. The sake was delicious - I'm a fan of unfiltered sake. We ordered a few appetizers as well - EBI This was awesome because they were like little shrimp meat sandwiches served warm and the bread was actually fried lotus root which has a wonderful somewhat starchy and subtly dense texture, nicely salted and with the japanese salt (do not forget it) it is quite the delicious salty bite. HAMACHI love yellotwail, and enjoyed this warm appetizer dressed with citrus. Nothing to really write home about but it was pleasant. May have to come back to try their entrees/sushi. They have a large menu for both drink and food. FINAL CATEGORY: GREAT (terrible / bad / ok / GREAT / excellent) read more

Sakagura - Hamachi grilled - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Omg, what a gem. I was going to consider hotel food as I was tired, but I figured I'd go check out the neighborhood. What a welcome surprise! Food was excellent and the bartender was amazing. I'd definitely eat here again and take people. Loved it!!! read more

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