The menu is deceiving, it says sushi and ramen are available. They are not. Drinks were amazing but the food was average.
Georgia
The vibes are amazing! I would say it's a bit expensive. Between two people we spend $100 and were still hungry after wards.. we did split a ShakeShack burger on the way home. But it was still nice and we enjoyed our time there. I would say 1 and done for us though. If they had Ramen upstairs, my rating would be higher.
Patalia
Love the restaurant. The kitchen was backed up so it took a while to get food. The wait staff was very apologetic and very nice. The management also apologetic and nice. It's a great place - I'm sure it was just an off night.
Caitlin
Ambiance was fantastic. Everything else was terrible. Although there are only about eight things on the menu and the sushi is “DIY”, it still took 45 minutes to get our food, and one item we ordered was never delivered at all. The bartenders and servers were polite and friendly, but extremely slow and inattentive, and they repeatedly argued with each other in front of customers. Overall, this place would be great if the service issues were fixed!
Charlotte
Whoa The new menu is really unusual and very good. Chicken thigh and shitake skewers. HAND ROLLS FOREVER bth tuna and salmon. ANd the Salmn Miso. FAB, Mule was delicious TERRIFIC. Bringing a Japanophile by as soon as can.
Timothy
The food was delicious however the portion sizes are a little small for the price. Great service, great atmosphere.
Howard
I've dined at Daikaya many times over the last 10 years, including as recently as June 2025, and it was always a favorite. Unfortunately, as of November 2025, the experience has changed dramatically. The food menu has been overhauled, and the quality has dropped significantly. The menu is now much smaller and no longer includes sushi rolls, only a single small salmon handroll. The miso glazed salmon was unexpectedly fishy, and longtime favorites like the beef skewers have been removed entirely. The chicken hot pot rice was the only non–small plate option remaining, and it was bland with tough, chewy chicken. Overall, the restaurant feels like a shell of its former self, and I left hungry and disappointed.
Graham
We got confused because the name of the reservation has both restaurants on it, but it's only for the Izakaya and they don't serve the same food
Patricia
The food and the service were amazing. The menu could be enhanced as it was notes we expected. More sushi items and ramens. Our server was excellent and very detailed with the food items.
My favorite ramen place. I always get the spicy miso with veggies. The noodles are perfectly chewy, the broth is so flavorful, and the charred veggies are a perfect combo to a great bowl of ramen. Not many tables. The service is fast and friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Xavior
The food was pretty good, but not the best value for the price point. While our waiter was excellent, he was clearly over tasked and needed support
No
I have been coming to the Izakaya upstairs for about eight years, and it has always been one of my favorite spots. The atmosphere is still perfect, and the drinks remain solid, but unfortunately the food menu has taken a big step back.
After their recent rebranding, the menu was cut nearly in half, and most of the dishes I loved are gone. They have kept a few staples like the grilled avocado and some skewers, but the fun and shareable small plates, especially the onigiri, have disappeared. That one especially hurts since you cannot really find it anywhere else in D.C. besides the cozy little Hana Market on U Street.
Now I find there is not much left I can or want to eat, and even the new additions miss the mark, like the “shake fries,” which sound cute in theory but end up being messy and out of place. I truly wish they would bring back some of the classics that made this place special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Po Hsun Su
Don't come if you are looking for Japanese ramen.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Gyula Planky
I got the Sapporo style ramen, and I must say Daikaya was a real disappointment. It was about as authentic as Dr Pepper being a real doctor. The broth tasted like it was recycled or something and the service was lack luster. 2/5
The menu is deceiving, it says sushi and ramen are available. They are not. Drinks were amazing but the food was average.
The vibes are amazing! I would say it's a bit expensive. Between two people we spend $100 and were still hungry after wards.. we did split a ShakeShack burger on the way home. But it was still nice and we enjoyed our time there. I would say 1 and done for us though. If they had Ramen upstairs, my rating would be higher.
Love the restaurant. The kitchen was backed up so it took a while to get food. The wait staff was very apologetic and very nice. The management also apologetic and nice. It's a great place - I'm sure it was just an off night.
Ambiance was fantastic. Everything else was terrible. Although there are only about eight things on the menu and the sushi is “DIY”, it still took 45 minutes to get our food, and one item we ordered was never delivered at all. The bartenders and servers were polite and friendly, but extremely slow and inattentive, and they repeatedly argued with each other in front of customers. Overall, this place would be great if the service issues were fixed!
Whoa The new menu is really unusual and very good. Chicken thigh and shitake skewers. HAND ROLLS FOREVER bth tuna and salmon. ANd the Salmn Miso. FAB, Mule was delicious TERRIFIC. Bringing a Japanophile by as soon as can.
The food was delicious however the portion sizes are a little small for the price. Great service, great atmosphere.
I've dined at Daikaya many times over the last 10 years, including as recently as June 2025, and it was always a favorite. Unfortunately, as of November 2025, the experience has changed dramatically. The food menu has been overhauled, and the quality has dropped significantly. The menu is now much smaller and no longer includes sushi rolls, only a single small salmon handroll. The miso glazed salmon was unexpectedly fishy, and longtime favorites like the beef skewers have been removed entirely. The chicken hot pot rice was the only non–small plate option remaining, and it was bland with tough, chewy chicken. Overall, the restaurant feels like a shell of its former self, and I left hungry and disappointed.
We got confused because the name of the reservation has both restaurants on it, but it's only for the Izakaya and they don't serve the same food
The food and the service were amazing. The menu could be enhanced as it was notes we expected. More sushi items and ramens. Our server was excellent and very detailed with the food items.
It’s OK ramen, reliable place w good service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
My favorite ramen place. I always get the spicy miso with veggies. The noodles are perfectly chewy, the broth is so flavorful, and the charred veggies are a perfect combo to a great bowl of ramen. Not many tables. The service is fast and friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was pretty good, but not the best value for the price point. While our waiter was excellent, he was clearly over tasked and needed support
I have been coming to the Izakaya upstairs for about eight years, and it has always been one of my favorite spots. The atmosphere is still perfect, and the drinks remain solid, but unfortunately the food menu has taken a big step back.
After their recent rebranding, the menu was cut nearly in half, and most of the dishes I loved are gone. They have kept a few staples like the grilled avocado and some skewers, but the fun and shareable small plates, especially the onigiri, have disappeared. That one especially hurts since you cannot really find it anywhere else in D.C. besides the cozy little Hana Market on U Street.
Now I find there is not much left I can or want to eat, and even the new additions miss the mark, like the “shake fries,” which sound cute in theory but end up being messy and out of place. I truly wish they would bring back some of the classics that made this place special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Don't come if you are looking for Japanese ramen.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I got the Sapporo style ramen, and I must say Daikaya was a real disappointment. It was about as authentic as Dr Pepper being a real doctor. The broth tasted like it was recycled or something and the service was lack luster. 2/5
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
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