Harajuku Izakaya Restaurant

The food is great

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pan-Fried Pork Gyoza

This was my first time visiting Harajuku and I loved it. The friendly host seated us right away. The food was delicious and arrived in perfect timing. Our server was fantastic and recommend the most delicious sake. I will definitely be back!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love coming here for ramen and the best poke in town. Cocktails are original and the place is so fun! Service is exceptional.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegan Creamy Ramen, Tuna Poke Bowl, Roll

amazing food. best japanese in whistler

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very bad service, Bad attention in the place. Unfriendly staff.
My son from Oequeño had a piece of bread in his hand and they took him out of the restaurant to the street in the -4° cold. We had to go back because we had already ordered the food. Now I understand why this place is empty.
Very spicy and very fried food. There are other better places very close.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 1

This used to be my favorite restaurant in Whistler, and I’ve tried most of them. Unfortunately, it has completely changed. What was once a fun izakaya-style dining experience has shifted to a plain, Japanese pub-style menu.

The food is still good, but the charm is gone. Many small dishes, which were perfect for trying a variety of flavors, have been replaced with slightly larger portions at double the price. This change takes away one of the best aspects of the restaurant: the ability to try several dishes in one sitting. Now, you’re limited to ordering one or two, and the variety just isn’t there anymore.

To make matters worse, our experience with the service was terrible. Our server appeared unprofessional—possibly even under the influence—forgetting orders, bringing dishes at wildly different times, reaching across only inches from my face while I was eating to grab empty glasses, and failing to handle simple requests like an extra glass. She also made an awkward conversation about tipping culture while we were calculating the tip, which was uncomfortable. On top of that, there was constant upselling, making the experience feel more like a sales pitch than a meal.

The restaurant also implements an odd policy of offering only 10 portions of certain dishes, seemingly to create artificial demand and hype. It’s an unnecessary and frustrating gimmick that detracts from the overall dining experience.

We gave them the benefit of the doubt and still ended up ordering a variety of dishes to taste the new menu, ending with bills in the $60-$100/person range. You can probably have dinner for less here, but we wanted to sample the menu.

While the food is still decent, it’s not enough to justify coming back. I used to visit this place every time I came to Whistler, often bringing friends and recommending it to others. Sadly, that won’t be the case anymore.

Such a good vibe! Super friendly and professional service, the food was so tasty and served at a really good paced. They are fast! Alvaro, I believe the GM, you rock!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

If you read reviews and they say the food is mediocre- just trust it. My partner and I were disappointed even though other reviews mentioned that issue.

The service was as mediocre as the food. There was a line by the door and 2 waiters didn’t even acknowledge us until the hostess arrived late. They won’t even open you a served can of beer, leave alone pouring it into your glass.

Disappointing is what it is.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 2

Happy there were gluten free/celiac safe options!

The ambiance was great, lots of great drink options & open late! Would have liked a few more options for gluten free so giving 4/5 bit would recommend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Harajuku Izakaya is amazing! Great drinks, delicious food, and a cozy vibe. It’s weird to say, but I really loved their Hokkaido rice—so flavorful and unique. Definitely worth a visit!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

First time coming here and had the best experience! Our server Sydney was so lovely, she had great recommendations and we were well taken care of. Highly recommend the sake margarita and the brussels. Can’t wait to come back 🥰

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Service was nice, friendly and attentive.
Foods was good 😊 , however the ramen was bit salty. But it's fine. We still enjoyed it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The food at this restaurant was quite good. We enjoyed their $30 3-item meal and some ramen. There are many reviews that say you can also order ramen from their sister restaurant next door, but note that the waiter said this would be ending in December.

The service at this restaurant was terrible. We waited about ten minutes after being seated to be asked about drinks. We were already ready to order drinks and food. All of our food came out at different times. Waiters were all over the place, walking quickly past us but none checked in for the duration of our meal. We had to flag down our waiter at the end of our meal, after being finished for ten minutes to ask for the bill. It about another 10-15 minutes to get the bill and be able to pay.

Overall, I don't think the food was good enough to justify the awful service.

Wheelchair accessibility: Not accessible

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 1

Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts

The takowasa is a revelation. Good food and good service here.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The place is beautiful! The service is amazing! The food is pricy and bland. Too bad.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 4