Izakayas Explained: What to Order, How to Act, and Why It’s the Best Way to Eat in Tokyo

What is an Izakaya?

Izakayas. Walk through almost any Tokyo neighborhood after dark and you’ll hear them before you see them: the clatter of small plates, the hiss of a grill, the sound of a table settling in for the night. That’s an izakaya — and if you haven’t made one the centerpiece of your Tokyo evenings yet, you’re missing one of the best meals the city has to offer.

Think of an izakaya as Japan’s answer to a tapas bar. The format is almost identical: you order small dishes as you go, they keep arriving at the table, and the night has no particular end time. It’s one of the most social, most delicious, and most underexplored ways to eat in Tokyo.

The Experience

Izakayas run on a rhythm that’s worth understanding before you sit down. The moment you’re seated, a small hot towel (oshibori) arrives to clean your hands — that’s your cue that things are about to get good. Almost every table in Japan opens with “toriaezu nama” — “a draft beer for now.” It’s less of an order and more of a ritual. Say it and you’ll get a nod of approval. Of course, izakayas offer plenty of non-alcoholic options too.

From there, the evening unfolds in rounds. You order a few dishes, they arrive, you eat, you order more. There’s no set menu to work through, no pressure to order everything at once, and absolutely no rush to leave. Izakayas are designed for long nights and good company, and the staff expect exactly that.

What to Drink

Beer is the default opener, but the drinks menu goes well beyond it. Highballs — whisky and soda, usually served tall and ice-cold — are everywhere and pair brilliantly with grilled food. Shochu is worth exploring if you haven’t: a distilled spirit that comes mixed with hot water, soda, or on the rocks. Shochu is often used in "chuhais" - dangerously delicious fruit drinks that come in flavors like lemon, lime, and apple.

Sake (or nihonshu in Japanese) rounds out the main options, served either warm or cold depending on the type. Most izakayas also offer a rotating selection of seasonal drinks and house specials — when in doubt, ask what’s good. Soft drinks are plentiful as well, from ginger ale to orange juice.

What to Order

This is where the tapas comparison really earns its keep. The approach is the same: start with a few things, see what lands, keep going. Here’s a reliable starting lineup:

Edamame — always. It arrives fast, costs almost nothing, and gives you something to do while the real dishes are on their way.

Karaage — Japanese fried chicken, lighter than most Western versions, usually served with a wedge of lemon and Japanese mayo. One of the great izakaya staples.

Yakitori — skewered grilled chicken in various cuts, from thigh (momo) to skin (kawa) to the prized neck meat (seseri). Order several rounds.

Tamagoyaki — a rolled Japanese omelette, slightly sweet, cut into thick slices. Simple and quietly brilliant.

Agedashi tofu — silken tofu, lightly battered and fried, served in a delicate dashi broth. A good test of any izakaya’s kitchen.

Sashimi — fresh sliced fish, usually a small selection. Quality varies by izakaya but is almost always respectable.

Japanese potato salad — sounds unremarkable, is surprisingly great. Creamier and more carefully seasoned than what you’re used to, often with cucumber and a touch of sweetness.

Grilled whole fish — typically mackerel (saba) or sweetfish (ayu) depending on the season. Eaten whole, bones and all if you’re feeling brave.

Ochazuke — green tea or hot dashi poured over rice with various toppings, traditionally eaten at the end of the meal as a gentle closer. The izakaya equivalent of a digestif.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

Izakaya etiquette is relaxed by Japanese dining standards, but a couple of things go a long way. It’s customary not to pour your own drink — pour for others and let them pour for you. When someone raises a glass for a toast, the word is kanpai.

And if you see a small dish arrive that you didn’t order, that’s likely the otoshi — a small appetizer charge that functions as a cover fee. It’s standard practice, not a mistake.

Which Izakaya in Tokyo?

The spectrum runs wide. Chain izakayas like Torikizoku or Watami are affordable, reliable, and easy to navigate with an English menu — a perfectly fine entry point. But the ones worth seeking out are the independent spots: a six-seat counter run by one person, a smoky yakitori-ya tucked under the train tracks, a standing bar where the menu is handwritten on the wall and nobody speaks English but the food is extraordinary. Those are the places that stay with you.

Tokyo has no shortage of memorable meals. But an izakaya night — the small plates, the cold drinks, the table that fills up slowly over two or three hours — is something close to the city at its best. It’s the kind of eating that’s hard to plan and easy to stumble into, which is exactly why having a local guide doesn’t hurt.

If you want to experience izakaya culture properly — with someone who knows which door to walk through — our Tokyo food tours include izakaya stops that go well beyond the tourist trail. [Explore our tours here]