Izakaya Restaurants near Berkeley, CA

“Pretty good food. I think we will go back“

“I was craving something warm to eat close to midnight and I found this place. I was with my Japanese roommate, and he himself said this place did give off an Izakaya vibe. Most of the food items offered here I've tried elsewhere, so I ended up getting the sukiyaki, which was to my liking.

We did feel a little out of place, as the servers seemed primarily focused on a larger group, who they appeared to be friends with. So we felt a little forgotten throughout most of our time there, also considering that it was not that busy as we did leave a little before they closed.“

“I'm super appreciative of any vegan restaurants in the Bay Area. It's a myth that this area has a lot of veg places. There are actually very few, so I cherish the ones we have. I first went to the Honolulu location and liked it a lot. The Berkeley location smells weird. It's a small, LOUD restaurant where diners are so close together that you hear everyone's convos and smell their perfume. There is a roll they light on fire that smells like butane all through the small restaurant. So that's a bummer. The food is good. The seating is uncomfortable and it's just too loud to be fun or relaxing. It's hard to get the servers attention. The starters often come after the rolls, even when we asked for apps to come first. The view outside is of garbage cans lined up and trash. So... Could be a lot nicer of a place.“

“EDIT: I felt its necessary to make the amendment that, although walking in without a reservation was a thing previously, we've now had multiple visits where we've stood at the counter for 2 hours never to be seated.

You can still eat the whole menu there, but its generally very crowded.

Getting reservations seems to be catered towards friends, or some type of mysterious system, as we no longer have been able to get a reservation even weeks in advance. The food is still the same.

Original Review: I can’t believe that I haven’t left a review for Ippuku; this is as close as you can get to a Tokyo alley izakaya, from the sasami raw chicken special menu (to do for), to the epic yakitori, to the massive shochu selection.

By far one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in the Bay Area, we’ve been here a good 30 times over the years and it has never once changed at all, thankfully!!! Never want it to change, it does everything so well.

Hokkaido squid, chicken oyster, chicken tartare, agadashi tofu, crab croquettes, these are some favorites.

Make a reservation if you can, but otherwise we often walk in and are seated within an hour. Fun to hang out at the bar and wait.“

“Super delicious 👍 I never eat Japan food super good like this before.“

“very good salmon and gyoza. the sashimi were very fresh“

“Amazing food and service! Sake is the best!“

“I can’t believe I never wrote a review for this place. Walked in you just feel like you went back to Japan. The decoration inside is so cute. The service was very fast attentive. The food came really fast too, and you can tell that they are fried chicken were freshly fried. We also got a cup of drink and it was also pretty good. They have a good selection of Japanese wine too. The sesame dessert we got at the end was so cool and we really loved it. It truly feels like you went back in Japan and go to Izakaya. I would definitely recommend here.“

“We stopped by after a graduation ceremony and had a wonderful experience. From the moment we walked in, we felt genuinely welcomed. The food was absolutely fabulous—flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented. We also appreciated the selection of alcohol-free mocktails, which were creative and delicious. The atmosphere was warm, calm, and peaceful—a perfect setting to relax and celebrate. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a welcoming and serene dining experience.“

“We arrived on a Friday at 5:30 PM. There was a short line, but the place was already packed. There is an outdoor seating area and indoor sitting area. The food came out pretty quickly. My favorite dish is actually the sashimi appetizer because the fish was super fresh and delicious. Other dishes we got was the tamago, the hot soba with the shrimp tempura and the hot soba with the duck. Everything was extremely delicious. A little pricey, but expected for Bay Area prices. Food was good overall so I would come again! No parking lot but street parking was easy to find.“

“My family has been dining here every couple weeks since it opened 3 years ago. The owner Paul always greets us and does some special things for the kids: salmon sashimi in bite sized pieces and steamed tofu. Our favorites are negima, the local halibut nigiri, agedashi tofu (I would argue best in the city), grilled butter fish, and okra. All washed down with Echigo lager and our favorite sake Drunken Whale. Highly recommend for a casual but delicious meal“

“Overall it was normal food.
I had high expectations because of the good ratings, but it was a bit more disappointing than I expected. However, when I revisited it, it was different.
I think it’s worth looking forward to the different types of food~^^“

“We had the most wonderful dinner tonight at Noren Izakaya! Everything was fantastic from start to finish! From the service to the cocktails to the variety of food, to the dessert! Japanese yakitori and grilled street food and even sashimi! My new favorite! A must if you live or are visiting San Francisco! Oh! And tonight is not the night to skip dessert! 😘“

“Great fried chicken, and my friends food truck is there!“

“Bento boxes were great, so many options to chose from. Would definitely go back.“

“Good ramen is easy to find. Great ramen is harder. And finding excellent ramen at reasonable prices in downtown San Francisco is a rarity.

This is the ideal spot for lunch or dinner and a hot bowl of noodles. The pork was deliciously juicy, the egg was cooked to perfection, and the Tonkotsu broth was very flavorful.

Service was quite good and attentive in both the upper and lower levels. Can recommend.“

“在美國的日本味道，這是算不錯的“

“The food is fabulous, the staff is fabulous. It was a wonderful experience. If I lived here I would go back.“