solid 4 stars for food 5 stars for service, ambience and cleanliness came here twice within a few days, most definitely would come back again. read more

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Loved my experience at Sake Bar Hagi. Arrived with no reservation and was seated promptly. The atmosphere is fun. They played Japanese pop music and had some really interesting decor throughout, including lights and a record wall. The food was incredible! Some of the best gyoza I have ever tried and well made sushi. The bathroom also kept the fun theme going with a pac man sequence in the tiles. Service was good and prices were affordable for the quality of food. A very authentic Japanese restaurant. read more

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Came here on a friday evening around 10:10 PM. It was somewhat busy, but we were the only ones waiting in the line. A table opened up right after we got there, so we were seated almost immediately. It did get much busier by the time we left around 10:50 PM. We ordered some raw octopus, takoyaki, and a glass of sake. The sake was served in a shot glass inside a wooden bucket, and both were filled to the brim. The food and drinks themselves were good, but nothing super memorable to me. It was a nice and classy atmosphere, and the bill came out to be $50 total. read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Sake - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Sake Bar Hagi in New York is a great place to eat after going to the theater. It's located right across the street, which makes it very convenient. Overall, the atmosphere is warm, cozy, and perfect for spending time with your partner. The food is authentic and stays true to Japanese flavors, which we really appreciated. The service could use a few adjustments, but nothing too unusual considering the cultural style of hospitality. One issue we experienced was with the billing -- we wanted to see a breakdown of the charges, but unfortunately we were only given the final total. We tried several times to explain this to the server, but he seemed more focused on having us pay the final amount rather than providing the detailed receipt. Still, it's an affordable spot with great food and a nice vibe, especially for a casual dinner after a show. read more

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Ambiance feels like you're actually in Japan. Food and service A+ Saki was very good read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Amber Jack Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Nice izakaya in midtown. It's a casual bar, but the music is a bit loud. We had the fried oyster, monkfish liver, yellowtail jalepeno roll, Sizzling pork belly with garlic scapes/bean sprouts and mentai pasta. The pork belly comes out on a sizzling hot plate and goes well with the vegetables. It might have been a tad too hot because a lot of it was burnt. The fried oysters were nice sizes and crispy. The mentai pasta and monkfish were both nice and creamy. If you come before 630 PM, they have happy hour drinks, $5 beers and $7 high balls! Service was nice and quick. Will return to try other things. read more

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A NYC staple--this is my first opportunity visiting this location of Saki Bar Hagi, I last went a few times post-covid while they were over by 40-something streets and 8th Avenue, this location is closer to their original basement location in Times Square from a while back. Entering the space, a casual izakaya setup greets you--dark wood seating and ceiling, exposed cement pillars and a full bar along the right wall of the restaurant. A swath of wall covered in Japanese vinyl album covers, the type of slightly kitschy Japanese local flavor that you see in small izakayas in Japan. Booths and tables available mostly for 4-6, though some tables can be pieced together for larger parties, the entire restaurant probably seats around 70-80 people. Food is the star here and they serve a large menu of traditional favorites like grilled yakitori, Japanese kara-age fried chicken and squid, some sushi/sashimi, donburi, katsu, curries, udon and ramen, and a lot more. While nothing mind-blowing they make Japanese comfort food done right. This latest visit I came late to join friends and only had the agedashi tofu $8 and deep fried battered baby octopus $12 both were tasty and fair portions. The octopus was crunchy and the spicy aioli added a very mild heat. Tofu was also battered and served with chopped scallions, dried nori, daikon puree. My friends ordered a shoyu ramen $16, takoyaki $10, some yakitori skewers, the salmon and ikura bowl $24 and yakisoba $16. We all enjoyed the food and staff was great about checking in, refilling water, etc! read more

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As much as I have loved going here, I must say that the recent price increases make Hagi no longer a worthwhile place in midtown. The food is still great, but most items have increased their prices significantly. The mentai pasta has gone from 11 to 17 dollars. The Salmon avocado roll has gone from 7 to 9.5 dollars. The atmosphere is great and the Happy hour deal is good too and all, but this price hike does not seem justified all things equal. I would understand if the portion size increased but that's not the case either. Shout out to Mae, she is great! read more

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Seriously the cutest decorated Japanese restaurant in the city. It's music themed throughout the entire place even in the bathroom. The place is pretty big and good for larger parties because they can push tables together. The waitstaff was super friendly and not intrusive at all when checking on you. The lunch special was a good size. It came with soup and salad. read more

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Great service! Very close to the Gershwin Theatre so a good place to stop for a drink.

Sake Bar Hagi is pretty average across the board, but the environment is nice and it's an easy neighborhood go to. If I didn't live close by, I doubt I'd eat here nearly as much as I do. The sushi is not super fresh, which is the main reason I can't rate it higher. On the upside, the dumplings are really good. The chazuke is okay, and my wife is a fan of their Hagi Dog. Overall, it's a solid option if you're nearby and want a casual, comfortable spot, but it's not somewhere I'd go out of my way for. read more

Fresh ingredients, authentic flavors--perfect for chatting with close friends.， will come again read more

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Super affordable and great drinks -- great place to go with friends or a casual chat! Vibes are friendly and classic, not too formally upscale!!! I'd come again to debrief life with a friend over snacks and a sour! I got the beef tongue served in a bed of cooked onions (meh, was kind of tough and wouldn't get again), fried squid legs (YES so good - would get again!! 1000% like a better calamari), mentai pasta (pretty good), and omurice (sweet and ketchup heavy - which I like in omurice) Now for drinks: Yuzu sour: VERY good - light and refreshing with a strong clean yuzu taste- I would get this again Lychee sour: also great with a mild lychee taste The sours complement the heavier food so well We also got one of the shochu and I did not like it but that's because I don't like vodka and shochus are taste like watered down vodka (but cleaner)! Not for everyone but you might like it if you can appreciate the taste of alcohol (not me)! It doesn't have a burn down the throat but the taste of alcohol is strong on the tongue! Overall: elite vibes! GREAT drinks! Good food! read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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My friends and I stumbled onto this place after a show and thank god we did. Theres not many late night options in this area surprisingly. Service was attentive and food was delicious. Highly recommend their curry croquette, yakisoba, and edamame read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

We had an 8pm saturday broadway show so we decided to eat here for dinner. We arrived around 6pm and we we're seated promptly. There menu had a lot to offer and their prices were reasonable. Food was super delicious and filling. Will def be back! read more

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great Japanese spot in midtown! had cool Japanese music playing in the background & had an extensive menu. We were seated immediately on a Friday night, food was great & id definitely recommend this spot for a date read more

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terrible experience. Called to make a reservation. No English. Got to the restaurant. No reservation but we seated unfortunately. Call me crazy but with "Sake Bar" in the name I thought it might imply they had a good selection of sake. Wrong. All bottles of good sake were out. Only by the glass and carafe. Onto the food... Just bad. Heavy greasy tempura, tasteless skewers with big chunks of meat that felt microwaved. Avoid this place at all cost. Tourist trap near Times Square and theater district. read more

My favorite izakaya in New York City. We were told about this place by friends who go to the city often. They're also in the restaurant business and I trust their palettes. We try to get there early as it can get packed, but they are also open late for those late night munchies (2am on Friday and Saturday!). We enjoy their spicy friend chicken, sliced beef tongue (yum!), and grilled octopus. They also have my favorited canned sake- Funaguchi Kikusui. It's easier to find in NYC but not in Florida, but be warned it has a pretty high ABV. It's worth the wait, if there is a long. I can't wait to go back again! read more

Amazing restaurant! Enjoyed some hot sake on a cold winter night. The Ramen was delicious, not too salty. The sauce that came with the pork dumplings was out of this world. Service was very quick. The music was interesting, hip hop and dance music but we ate around 10pm and it might have been an appeal for a ginger crowd. Be sure you know how to eat with chopsticks because there wasn't a fork in site. read more

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Nowadays Sake Bar Hagi announces itself as a bit of retro throwback, but considering they have been around since the mid 80s this is no gimmicky new comer. The Tokyo Izakaya vibe with retro sound system about the place, vinyl records on the wall and the firmly Gen-X music playing in the background (A couple of Depeche Mode tunes during our visit? TYVM I don't mind if you do). They have a solid happy hour which the waiter encouraged us to take advantage of since we were in a little before 6:30 on a Saturday. I managed to order a couple of Sapporo drafts before the cut off. The food is pretty extensive ranging from sushi to ramen to yakitori - there are bound to be dishes to please everyone in the group. The food was solid - perhaps not the very best versions, but they all hit the mark. The salmon tacos were a special - they were less tacos and more spicy chunks of salmon piled high on a tortilla chip. The ankimo was a good sized portion with nice thick slices of monk fish liver. The Kushiyaki Set B did the job with some decent skewers. My hope is they continue on for another 40 years because this place is a go to when I am in the Theater District. read more

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Stopped by before a show. It was crowded but didn't have to wait. It is decorated aesthetically well with older media and sound systems, with the music to go with it. Loved the vibe. The service was attentive and friendly, without being overbearing. The Ankimo melts in your mouth! It is a little salty with the ponzu and fish roe, though the scallion helps balance it out. The Grilled Rice Ball (Yaki Onigiri) with Spicy Cod Roe was perfectly crispy on the outside. The glaze (soy sauce?) is flavorful, but overpowers the spicy cod roe a bit. I mostly tasted the glaze with just a hint of spiciness. The Rice Ball with Spicy Cod Roe had fluffy rice and a decent amount of spicy cod roe inside. It could use a little more salt though. The Kushiyaki Set B was half plain meats, and half marinated or salted meats. The plain meats were nothing special, wish there was at least some salt like the pork belly. The Salmon Taco looked good, though small in portion. They were towards the end of Happy Hour, but the waiter made sure we got our drink orders in before it ended! I personally don't drink much alcohol, so I opted for the Oolong Tea (iced). This was brewed pretty strong, which I enjoy, but lightened with the ice, if you like a weaker tea. The Hagi Dream had a wonderful coconutty cream, a little sweetness from the mango pudding and a black tea cake base all decorated prettily with bits of gold foil. Overall great vibe with decent food in the theater district. Prices are reasonable as well. read more

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Delicious cocktails, fun ambiance, friendly and quick service, all in a convenient location. We really enjoyed the Bosu cocktail. The only reason we're giving 4 stars is because the tables and chairs were all uncomfortable and there weren't enough vegetarian options marked. read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Entryway at night - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Wow really loved this place. Can't even call it a hidden gem because we saw Wicked right next to it! Everything was fresh and dangerously hot. We also had the spicy tuna over fried rice, and the Melting Salmon roll. Exquisite. The service was amazing, had several servers approach the table to make sure we had been taken care of. Definitely will come back read more

One of the few affordable yet yummy spots in midtown. Friendly staff, chill ambiance- perfect little izakaya spot. They have your classic bar food, along with ramen, to nigiri sushi to rolls. I usually stick to their izakaya selections, such as the hamachi kama and takoyaki. read more

Service - 4/5 prompt efficient service. No frills. Perfectly fine. Ambiance - 4/5 weeknight was very lively and popular. Nice decorations. Music was regular pop or 80s. Hard to talk since it was pretty loud. OK for friends but not a date. Food - 1/5 the homemade gyoza was standout dish. Big chunks or meat and shrimp. Thin skin and very hot on the skillet. Omusoba and the sprouts were decent. Tuna tataki was very small thin portions. Very light seasoning. Squid legs were ok. Came with a spicy mayo. Sprouts with pork belly was ok. Good flavor is a little oily. Kushiyaki set B had chicken, beef, shrimp, pork belly. Most of it was was dry, lukewarm, and overcooked. The first beef tongue we got was cold and overcooked. We sent it back and the second dish we got was a bit better but far worse than many other beef tongue dishes around the city. I never send things back it was just that bad. We had high ball, a draft beer, and a shochu hi round. Glasses were fairly small and drinks were pretty weak. Value - 1/5 the two of us had 6 drinks and 7 dishes. Out the door with tax and tip was more than $200. Not a great value for 2 people on a regular night out. read more

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Used to be a cool bar. Staff is superficial - not real anymore. It's just a money hungry generic New York Times bar now. The food is overpriced and bland. Boring vibes. Touristy. Fake. read more

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Been here a handful of times since they reopened but I probably wouldn't return again for a variety of reasons. I can't get used to the new atmosphere which is both obnoxiously loud compared to their prior spot and no longer looks like a unique spot looking like a generic restaurant with izakaya food. Even without the ambiance issues, the new menu removed a bunch of the dishes from their old menu which were better. In terms of what I'd probably recommend, they have a pretty good Assorted Kinoko, an alright Ochazuke, and a very solid Chu-hai/Chūhai but the rest of the menu just isn't nearly as good anymore. The original location was my favorite Japanese restaurant in NYC at that point (and would still be up there now after trying a good 50 more places) and now it's just an average izakaya. Oh how the mighty have fallen and then some. read more

Had dinner here with two friends. Food was fine and our server during the meal was friendly. We tipped 20%, thinking everything was cool. But less than five minutes after they took our checks, a male waiter came over, interrupted us mid-conversation, and rudely told us we had to leave. "You're done eating, you can't do this here." We weren't loud. We weren't loitering. I was just showing a quick sleight-of-hand trick I've been working on--and boom, kicked out. What made it worse? There were open tables. No one waiting. I took a photo on the way out at 10:14 PM--proving we were there under two hours and not taking up needed space. We sat down at ~8:45 PM) It was clear they wanted us out the second we paid. I've never felt so disrespected after leaving a tip. This isn't hospitality--it's hustle. Definitely won't be back. read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Great place for after a show but you have to hurry to get in before they close the kitchen. The agedashi tofu is really good here, it's a must have if you like tofu. Everything we order is always great! We come here when we are in town and see a show. Service is great. They always check if you need anything and clear empty dishes as soon as they are empty. read more

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Wow! What a fun suprise whole in the wall spot in the theater district. Came in for a happy hour and saw that they had a live band that performs soft japanese jazz on Mondays & Tuesdays. Food and drinks were all fairly priced for the city. Food was nothing special, but still really solid. What makes this place special is it's whole vibe. Japanese records hung up on the wall, Kill Bill posters, Pacman machines, and live music! Such a fun spot. $6 beers and sake for their happy hour! Will be back read more

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Ambiance (5/5): I loved the appeal of the very themed Japanese culture including the anime posters, trinkets, and Japanese background music. It reminds me of the restaurants when I visited in Japan. Service (5/5): There was only 2 parties when I came in on 12pm on a Friday. I was serviced quickly. Food (2/5): They have an amazing lunch menu with most items discounted. I stopped in after I saw their signage outside. Their drinks looked great but sadly could not partake during the workday. I ordered their Tsukemen (special dipping noodle) for $15. The noodles were cooked perfectly to a nice chewy bounce, chilled and good portion. The whole soft boiled egg was too well done and not marinated. The seaweed pieces were stale. The broth was not like usual Tsukemen dish, which is typically saltier, richer with a thick consistency (than that of regular ramen). Therefore, the thinned out broth did not stick to the ramen and fell short. The broth tasted great though. The dish came with 2 very thin slices of pork, which was flavored beautifully but not much fat or sized portion. The spicy version includes a huge helping of a chili sauce (tastes like siracha but not the same) at no extra cost. read more

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Perfect place to get dinner before watching a Broadway show. We were able to get seated without a reservation around 5:45. It was packed inside and had a lively atmosphere. I think there was a live band setting up when we arrived. The menu is fairly big with plenty of options to choose from if you want to try a variety of food. If you're indecisive like me, I suggest planning your order in advance as I sat there for a while, just looking over the whole menu and debating what to order. The karaage was fresh and steaming hot. It wasn't super crunchy, but it wasn't soggy either. It was more of a soft crunch, which I didn't mind as the chicken was very moist but not super flavorful. Adding the lemon and chili powder made it taste much better. The crunchy spicy tuna roll was good. My only complaint was that there was too much mayo for me. But that was an easy fix, I just scraped some off. The omu rice was decent. It had a lot of onions and the chicken had a lot of tendon, which I don't like. It's kind of telling that the dish still had some omu rice left when we finished eating. My favorite was the karaage. Overall, I would rate it a 3.5 because of the omu rice but rounded up since I would give this place a try again and order new things, given the extensive menu. read more

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One of my favorite spots in the neighborhood! The food is great, the prices are great, the drinks when I do get one are great, staff members are quick, and overall it's just a great spot. I have tried a couple things off of the menu now and nothing has ever been bad. On certain days of the week there is even live music playing which is very vibey. If you follow Sake Bar Hagi on Instagram they also post the daily lunch specials which are a good deal and often have a variety of items. They also have quite a large drinks selection and I've never been to happy hour here but even without HH, the drinks are quite affordable. Tonkotsu Ramen - I got the tonkotsu ramen this time around and I'm usually a low key ramen "hater" because it's often times way too salty and heavy for me but the ramen I got was just perfect! Not too salty or too heavy and the pickled veggies plus bean sprouts gave a fun crisp crunchy element. The egg and pork were also cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth. read more

Sake Bar Hagi - Tonkotsu Ramen - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I came here last year on my birthday and it was the best restaurant I ate at on my trip to New York. That Salmon Don was so good i still think about it to this day! Sadly I forgot the name of this place, so me and my boyfriend spent the whole day today looking for it! I'm so happy to finally have found it because I plan to come back and eat here again when I have a chance to go to New York! read more

I remember this place being really good especially for its unagi don circa 2016, when it was still at the old location down in the basement. Popped by on a whim for dinner and was rather disappointed. The fried chicken gizzard was way too heavily battered. The umaki eel roll was only half covered with thin slices. The beef yakiniku was bland and too oily. The tempura pizza was literally battered and fried plain pizza with some tomato sauce... No complaints of the service though! read more

Dinner before Wicked (which is right across the street - really from this place.) We were looking for something good and not too heavy, and Sushi fit the desire. We'd been walking around, looking for dinner, and spotted this place. We decided to try it. Good choice! We started with drinks. My Sapporo beer was - $4. In New York. My wife had their Toki Highball, which was very bright and sparkly on the palate. From there, we went for a decent Sushi / Appetizer combo. The appetizer was Gyoza, which was served on a really hot (burn you hot - they warn you) plate with a nice, spicy plum sauce. Yum! The first two orders of sushi were the Oshizushi, which was a salmon sashima, and a Salmon avocado roll. Both were served with copious amounts of ginger and wasabi and were very good. They were so good, we added another order of the Crunchy Spicy Tuna - the triple crown of sushi. These rolls were also good. Looking around the place, and there are records on the wall. There is a Japanese Max Max poster behind the Sushi bar, and other Japanese movie posters and record sleeves on the wall. I saw some Anime stuff mixed it - it was very interesting. Head for the bathrooms, and it shifts to a Pac Man theme. See the pictures below. The bathrooms were clean and well kept. If you are waiting, you can play a quick game of Pac Man - they have one of the 1Up units in the back between the bathroom doors. There is also a Pachinko machine on display, but while it was lit, it didn't have any balls to play with. Summary: Eye Candy: Check Good food: Check Good drinks: Check Very VERY reasonable prices for downtown Manhattan: CHECK. Also, a lot of locals eating here, so you have a local gem which provides good food and good service. FIND THIS PLACE. read more

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Very solid spot, open lateish. Big tasty portions of omurice YUM. I love the decor with cute little vinyls covers of japanese music albums as well as the music playing in here read more

Sake Bar Hagi - omurice - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Immaculate vibes for a midtown eatery! This is allegedly the city's first izakaya. It has a divey, vintage 90s aesthetic and huge menu. Very accommodating to different diets, my favorite was the cod roe pasta and okonomiyaki fried in a small cast iron. Also I think the meal was $25 per person, shockingly inexpensive! Will definitely be back to try more of the menu! The service was great and we loved the ambiance! read more

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Such a cool Izakaya place. Bar tender was a gem. Huge sake collection. Great food as well. Transported to Japan feeling.

Scam alert. We were seated. Food ordered -good service and food so far 20 min in that was until a mean woman different from whom sat us came and demanded we buy more food because it was a $25 *per person* minimum place. Mind you it's 11pm and the place is half empty. And two friendly people had helped us prior to this interaction. We ordered another round of drinks and even after that she demanded we buy more. How embarrassing total scam. Avoid this place at all costs!!! read more