居酒屋 · Japanese Pubs

Tokyo Izakaya Guide: How to Drink and Eat Like a Local

Where to drink, what to order, and how to navigate the lantern alleys without getting lost

IzakayaDrinkingYakitoriLocal food

The izakaya is the most important Japanese restaurant category to understand as a foreign visitor. It is not a bar — there is no drinking without eating. It is not a restaurant — there is no eating without drinking. It is the social space where Tokyo's working population spends its evenings, and the food is some of the most distinctive in the city. Skewers, share plates, beer, sake, and a few cheap drinks: that is the formula, and it is why izakayas exist on every block.

This guide covers the types of izakaya, what to order, the etiquette around the otoshi cover charge, and the best neighbourhoods to try one for the first time.

What Is an Izakaya?

An izakaya (居酒屋) is a Japanese pub-restaurant — literally "stay-drink-shop". The combination matters: in Japanese drinking culture, food is part of the experience, not an afterthought. Bars without food (called "bars" or "shot bars") exist but are a smaller category.

Common izakaya features:

• Share plates: small dishes meant for the table to share.
• Drinks ordered first: usually beer or highball to start, then food.
• Otoshi: a small obligatory appetizer that arrives before you order, costing ¥300–¥500 per person. This functions as a cover charge — a frequent surprise for first-time foreign visitors.
• Open until late: typically 17:00–24:00, sometimes later. Last orders 30 minutes before close.
• Standing or sitting: seated at tables or counters, or standing at "tachinomi" standing izakayas.

Types of Izakaya

Chain izakayas (cheap, English menus, low risk)

The major chains have English menus, photo menus, and predictable food. Ideal for first-time visitors or large groups.

• Torikizoku: the famous ¥360 (now ~¥390) yakitori chain. Every item is the same flat price. Founded in 1986, now hundreds of locations.
• Watami: larger chain with extensive Japanese-and-Western menu. Widely available and tourist-friendly.
• Kushikatsu Tanaka: Osaka-style fried skewer chain. Beer + skewers for under ¥2,000.
• Isomaru Suisan: seafood izakaya with grill-it-yourself shellfish at the table.
• Niku no Mansei: beef-focused izakaya, slightly more upscale chain.

Independent neighbourhood izakayas (more authentic, harder menu)

The smaller standalone places are where Tokyo locals eat. Often cash-only, often without English menus, and often with the best food. Look for shops with handwritten menus on wooden boards (osusume — recommendations) outside.

Tachinomi (standing izakayas)

The cheapest tier. You stand at a counter, order from a paper menu, and don't sit down. Drinks ¥200–¥400, food ¥200–¥600 per item. Tachinomi alleys exist throughout Tokyo and are where you find the most local atmosphere. Crowded, fast, fun.

What to Order

Drinks

• Nama-biiru (生ビール): draft beer. The default starter. ¥500–¥700 for a large mug.
• Highball: Japanese whisky + soda water, served tall. Suntory Kaku is the standard. ¥400–¥600.
• Sake (nihonshu): specify atsukan (hot) or hiya (cold). ¥600–¥1,200 per glass depending on grade.
• Shochu: Japanese spirit (rice, barley, or sweet potato). Often served on the rocks or with hot water (oyu-wari) in winter.
• Chu-hai: shochu + soda + flavour (lemon, grapefruit, ume, etc.). ¥400–¥600.
• Umeshu: sweet plum liquor, served on the rocks. Approachable for non-drinkers.
• Soft drinks (oolong tea, mizu): always available. Ordering only soft drinks at an izakaya is uncommon but not rude.

Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers)

The most-ordered izakaya food. Each part of the chicken is its own skewer.

• Momo: thigh meat. Most popular.
• Negima: thigh with green onion between pieces.
• Tsukune: minced chicken meatball, often with raw egg yolk dip.
• Kawa: chicken skin, crispy.
• Sunagimo: gizzard. Chewy, surprising, popular with regulars.
• Reba: liver.
• Hatsu: heart.
• Bonjiri: tail meat — fatty and rich.
• Kashira: pork cheek (technically not chicken but on most yakitori menus).
• Choice of "tare" or "shio": sweet soy sauce glaze, or salt only.

Other classic izakaya dishes

• Edamame: salted soybean pods. The default starter alongside beer.
• Karaage: Japanese fried chicken. Usually 5–6 pieces with lemon and mayo.
• Agedashi-tofu: deep-fried tofu in dashi broth.
• Hijiki: simmered seaweed-and-vegetable side dish.
• Tako-wasa: raw octopus with wasabi.
• Motsuni: simmered offal stew. Cheap, warming, an acquired taste.
• Oden (winter): hot-pot ingredients in dashi — daikon, eggs, chikuwa, konjac.
• Gyoza: pan-fried dumplings.
• Yakizakana: grilled fish (saba, hokke).
• Onigiri or rice (final dish): traditionally ordered at the end to "soak up" the drinks.

Order strategy: beer first, edamame and a couple of cold/quick items right away (otoshi arrives, then your first food). Yakitori takes 5–10 minutes to grill, so order a round early. Add more rounds as you go. Plan to spend ¥3,000–¥5,000 per person for a satisfying izakaya meal.

The Otoshi Surprise

The single most-confusing aspect of izakayas for foreign visitors is the otoshi (お通し), pronounced "oh-toh-shee". A small dish — pickled vegetables, simmered seaweed, a small cold tofu — arrives at your table within a few minutes of sitting down, before you order anything. It is not free. Each person at the table is charged ¥300–¥500 for the otoshi, which appears on your bill as "table charge" or "seat fee".

The otoshi is universal at independent izakayas and standard at most chains. Refusing it is theoretically possible at some places, but normalizing it is easier than fighting it. Treat it as the cover charge — typical of any sit-down evening dining in Japan.

Best Izakaya Neighbourhoods

Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho ("Memory Lane")

The most-photographed izakaya alley in Tokyo. About 60 tiny yakitori-and-beer shops in a single block, behind Shinjuku Station West Exit. Smoky, atmospheric, expensive for the level (¥4,000+ per person). Worth one visit.

Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho ("Drunkards' Alley")

A hidden two-block alley behind Shibuya Station East Exit, lined with around 40 tiny bars and izakayas. Higher-end clientele than Omoide, more cocktails. Hardest part is finding the entrance.

Ueno Ameyoko

The market street under the JR tracks doubles as an izakaya district from late afternoon. Cheaper than Shinjuku, with a more working-class vibe. Standing tachinomi from ¥1,500.

Shimbashi salaryman alleys

Just east of Shimbashi Station is the densest concentration of after-work salaryman izakayas in Tokyo. Loud, smoky, classic. A genuine local experience.

Yurakucho under-the-tracks

The brick arches under the JR lines between Yurakucho and Ginza host a row of izakayas that have been serving for 70+ years. Andy's Shin Hinomoto is the famous foreign-friendly one with English menus.

Ebisu Yokocho

An indoor "alley" of about 20 small izakayas under one roof, near Ebisu Station. Clean, lively, easier for first-time visitors than the older outdoor alleys.

Nishi-Azabu and Roppongi backstreets

The high-end izakaya neighbourhood. ¥6,000–¥10,000 per person. Yakitori specialists like Tori Shoki are at this tier.

Etiquette

• Pour for others, not yourself: at a group table, take the bottle and pour drinks for the person opposite, not yourself. They will pour for you. This is the single most-noticeable Japanese drinking custom.
• Kanpai before drinking: say "kanpai!" (cheers) before the first sip, with eye contact and glass tap.
• Smoking: Tokyo restaurants are now mostly non-smoking by law (since 2020), but older izakayas may still allow it. Look for a no-smoking sign at the door.
• Sharing: dishes go in the middle of the table; everyone takes from them with the back end of their chopsticks (not the eating end).
• Tipping not done: service is included; leaving cash on the table is unusual and may be returned.
• Paying: at most izakayas, pay at the counter when leaving, not at the table. Ask for the bill ("o-kanjo onegaishimasu") and the waiter will bring you a slip; take it to the register on the way out.

How to Read an Izakaya Menu

Many neighbourhood izakayas have menus only in Japanese. Useful Japanese:

料理 (Ryori)Food

飲み物 (Nomimono)Drinks

本日のおすすめToday's recommendation (read this section)

季節 (Kisetsu)Seasonal

Universal phrases:

• "Sumimasen!" — to call the waiter.
• "Eigo no menyu arimasu ka?" — "Do you have an English menu?"
• "Osusume wa nan desu ka?" — "What do you recommend?"
• "Kore o kudasai" — "This one, please" (with pointing).
• "O-kanjo onegaishimasu" — "Bill, please."

First-Time Izakaya Strategy

If this is your first izakaya visit and you don't speak Japanese:

1. Start with a chain: Torikizoku for yakitori, Watami for variety. English/photo menus, no surprises.
2. Order beer first, accept the otoshi without complaint, study the menu.
3. Order edamame + 4–6 yakitori skewers + 1–2 share dishes for two people.
4. Order in waves, not all at once. Add a second round when food slows.
5. Finish with onigiri or rice if you want a "proper" ending.
6. Pay at the register on the way out.

Once comfortable, move on to a neighbourhood standalone. The food quality usually steps up significantly, and the prices rarely change much.

Practical Tips

• Cash is still common at small izakayas. Card works at chains.
• Last orders 30 minutes before close. Don't arrive at 23:30 expecting a long meal.
• Reservations: rare at chains, sometimes essential at popular standalones — ask your hotel concierge.
• Group size: izakayas handle 2–6 people well. Larger groups should call ahead or use a chain with private rooms.
• Vegetarian options are limited but possible — edamame, agedashi-tofu, hijiki, plain rice. Ask "niku nashi" (no meat) for clarification.

Pair with Tokyo Nightlife

The izakaya is one slice of Tokyo eating-and-drinking culture. See our Tokyo Nightlife Guide for bars and clubs after the izakaya, and our Tokyo Food Guide for the full menu of Tokyo dishes.