Izakaya Restaurants near Fort Lee, NJ

“Awesome atmosphere and music ….and the food is a “10” out of “10”!!! Delicious !!!!! The octopus is a definite must have!!!!!“

“It was a cool place great food and atmosphere“

“Konban is an izakaya-style restaurant located in Chelsea with a sophisticated vibe and wooden interior. They even have a zen courtyard garden smack in the middle. It is so calming to sit by the window and enjoy the meal with that view. My boyfriend took me there and the intimate atmosphere made it a perfect date night spot.

Their tonkatsu, corn ribs and corn ice cream has taken the social media by storm. Every dish came in a small portion but exquisitely crafted. Even the complimentary starters (cherry tomato with yuzu cream cheese, yuzu sparkling drink) were memorable.

The restaurant gets really packed on weekends. Make sure to get a res at least a week in advance to secure a table (it isn’t as competitive as before!).

＊Katsu Tenderloin $15 ***
I picked tenderloin instead of loin as I prefer my pork to be more meaty and less fatty. The tonkatsu sauce was thick, rich and sweet, easily my fav one among the three. Truffle salt was aromatic and addictive. Wasabi didn’t really match well imo.

＊Sabazushi (Mackerel Sushi) $19 ***
My first time trying Mackerel Sushi and this one blew my mind. The mackerel was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The ginger and shiso were appetizing and they added so much flavors to the sushi. I am still dreaming about it.

＊Konban Corn Rib $13 **
Everyone recommends corn ribs from konban. You won’t be able to stop eating it after your first bite. The corn cheese powder tasted like doritos.

＊Eggplant Agebitashi $15
Served with toasted baguette slices, the eggplant agebitashi has a western spin with a mix of parmesan cheese and pork ragu sauce.

＊Mazemen $17
The mazemen was made of their housemade flat noodles, spicy pork, almond butter, scallion and butter. Thought it would taste like dan dan noodle but it was different. The texture was creamier and thicker.

FYI I didn’t get the viral corn ice cream at last. It looked cute but I heard from the other table that the white chocolate part was very sweet.“

“A delightful small cozy place, with a varied menu. Everything we had was top-notch delicious!! This one gets 5 stars from me“

“The food was absolutely delicious. We went for dinner. I got the bibimbop and my husband got Malaysian noodles. The staff and owner are super great and cordial. The service was fast and efficient. The overall ambiance was very pretty as well.
We would definitely come back and try their brunch menu which apparently boasts items from the owner who is a baker as well“

“Ended up here accidentally on a layover: Hands down, the best ramen I’ve ever had (springy, slurpy perfection), amazing cocktails (if you like gin the Japanese 75 is a must try!), and whatever the whipped cream, creme brûlée’d banana dessert was tasted like heaven. I even ordered another tonkotsu ramen to go (all the way to Florida) to bring back to my fiancé. They separated all of it, packaged it so it wouldn’t leak, and wrote directions on specific timing for heating up each item! Very impressive service. I’ll be back again!“

“Great ramen and tempura. Very friendly staff and good sake.“

“Ramen is good ! Soup is good not so oily Yakitori good with Asahi Beeru !“

“Fun spot!“

“great atmosphere! super friendly staff.“

“I wouldn’t call Katana a dive bar, but on a Tuesday night it felt like a great neighborhood bar. Relaxed atmosphere. Was surprised at how small it was but that added to the chill vibe. I bet on a Thirsty Thursday and the weekend that all changes, but the bartenders and the craft cocktails will be just as great.“

“Great sushi! Great ramen!“

“Traditional omakase menu, very affordable and no tipping policy. They have a late night menu as well. Both times I visited, we had already eaten earlier and didn't want to order the full omakase. Each time the bartender was kind and asked the chef if he could prepare a 3 dish course for us, and the chef kindly agreed. Each dish was excellent--traditional Japanese cuisine. Next time, I will definitely try the full menu or go after 11pm for the late night menu.“

“I highly recommend Toriya.
Delicious authentic yakitori with so many options it's hard to choose.
They also offer larger plates and smaller appetizers as well. I had their seafood okonomiyaki which was wonderful.
The drink menu is wonderful offering a good selection of Japanese beers, soju, and a very extensive and well crafted sake menu.
Also I was seated immediately despite dropping in at a prime time on a Friday evening.
The ambiance is very nice, well decorated with excellent choices in music that is not overly loud.
The staff were all lovely and very attentive as well. Truly top notch all around.

Vegetarian options: Numerous vegetable only Yakitori options as well as vegetarian friendly large plates.“

“Best Filipino Fusion, Try the Cebuano Longganisa. Perfect“

“Cute neighborhood authentic ramen place! The line outside made us originally avoid going, but their efficient process moved everyone quickly without a long wait. Lively inside but you can still have a conversation. Service was genuine & friendly.“

“I love the atmosphere and the customer service they provide! The food was good and differently one of my favorite place to eat in New York city!“

“Our dinner at Minato was amazing! I was truly impressed by the ambience and serenity of the garden area, with beautiful lighting and a fountain. The staff was incredibly kind and informative as they fielded all of our questions, and even were open to adjusting our order based on our preferences.

Highly recommend the assorted fish flight and salmon flight, and the teas which came in beautiful pots!!“

“Wonderfully eclectic place with phenomenal cocktails. Do both experiences (Sip & Guzzle) if you can when you book there. Highlights for me were the chicken, the wagyu sando, and the milkshake. Wagyu old fashioned was also very very tasty.“

“I had an amazing experience at this Thai restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious full of rich flavors and beautifully presented. But what made my visit truly unforgettable was the service. Yui and Best were my servers, and they were incredibly sweet, attentive, and caring throughout the entire meal. They made me feel genuinely welcomed and taken care of. I can’t thank them enough for their kindness. I’ll definitely be coming back again soon!“

“An absolutely gem in the hit & miss Times Square area.

The sushi is inventive flavorsome and seriously generous , the sashimi a cornucopia of the freshest fish of all colors sliced extra thick.

Great value for what you get with outstanding , friendly and attentive service.

I can’t wait to go back!“

“I don't often write reviews but I had to for Sozai. The food is incredible, the vibes are amazing inside and the service is wonderful. You can't go wrong with any of the dishes! And I also love the bar area in the back if you were just going for a drink, but I highly recommend eating here as well.“

“Food is amazing every time“

“最高でした！ 日本でもここまでの居酒屋は無いと思います！“

“I came here for dinner with friends and we all enjoyed it! The interior of the restaurant is cozy and we got a booth seating. Service was fairly quick, and staff was friendly.

We ordered a variety of dishes: the cucumbers, kaisendons (the mini and uni ones), the squid, the chicken and meat assortments, chicken karaage, and okonomiyaki. Everything was delicious. My friends loved their cucumbers and mini kaisendon, while I loved their squid and uni kaisendon. The skewers were delicious and juicy, and I highly recommend trying their assortments. Definitely one of my favorite izakayas in the city, so far.“

“One of the best dining experiences I have had in NY. The food was so fresh. The service was beyond exceptional. The portion sizes were perfect. The servers also gifted my Fiancé and I some whiskey tastings on the house! If you manage to make it out there, ask to be served by Henry!“

“super cool vibe and gets better as the night goes on. located in chelsea market but not hideously touristy which is nice. enter on 15th st. serving great cocktails and asian inspired cuisine. the toro hand rolls were a highlight. i got the sweet potato cocktail (sorry i forget the name) but if you like negronis you’ll love it. it’s giving tokyo record bar. highly recommend in a weekday hangout with friends or even a date.“

“ニューヨークで超落ち着く日本料理屋さんです。最高でした！日本の皆様にもぜひ紹介したいです！“

“I tried the cold ramen at Wanpaku and it was such a unique experience—unlike anything I’ve had before! I expected it to be more like cold dipping soba, but it actually felt closer to a poke-style ramen with cuts of salmon, tuna, cucumber, octopus, ikura, etc; on top of ramen noodles and then you pour the sauce over the dish yourself — mixed with the radish, seafood/mint topping, it was really refreshing and flavorful.

The ingredients could have been a bit fresher, but overall I enjoyed the nice interior, the food was refreshing, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Definitely worth trying the cold ramen for something different!“

“I just discovered this place after returning from Japan so, im going to be abit more critical on the food.

We started with spicy crab meat, It was the imitation crab meat, which was to be expected for the price.

Then my girls had the corn cheese, it was pretty good.

Then the yakitori assortment came out, i thought this was the best dish of the entire dinner. We each took pieces from each type, the only ones I didnt have a chance to try was the beef. Everything else was pretty good and very flavorful. Just got to watch out for the tomato one, it exploded in your mouth and the juices were burning hot, wasn't expecting that.

The next thing that came was the volcano and dragon roll. The volcano was really done well as it had real crab meat this time, which I was surprised with 😮. The dragon roll was kind of soso. I didnt like the sushi rice as it was very sticky.

The next thing that came out was the sashimi assortment, we got a small as the kids didnt really help us with it. They only like the typical salmon and tuna,they ignore all the other whitefish. We also got the handroll to me it wasn't anything to write home about.

The last thing was the wagyu beef sushi, I was really looking forward to this one and it came so late, right before we were all pretty stuffed. The same thing happened when we were in Japan and it was the best wagyu ever, I told my wife I would go back to Japan just for the waygu sushi...lol.

Ok so back to Jersey, this one was ok. It had more flavor of the burned sides and not enough beef flavor, also the ac was cranking so cold that this thing was already cold by the time it reached our table, it really killed it. I was really disappointed with it.

Overall the ambiance of the restaurant was nice, but the cold temp and high prices didnt hit the mark for me. For the price and 45 min drive... I wont be making the drive again. Our total bill including a 20% tip was about $290“

“The beef bibimbap is amazing.“

“A place styled as an izakaya specializing in kushiyaki, Ai Ki Ya is a decent spot for night grub in the area if you aren't craving Chinese or Korean food to go with beer. The restaurant decor is fun and the back has a dark feel with neon lights. The front is more well lit.
The staff are prompt and bring the menus as soon as you sit. They take orders and are pretty responsive to being waved over. Food takes a bit to prepare since kushiyaki is usually more gently grilled than something like American barbecue.
The food is good and they have a very good variety of choices of skewers and even food off the skewer. They have skewered offal, which was good but everything unfortunately did not feel hot enough when it reached my table. The mochi was a fun treat in particular, though it was more stiff than I expected and not that tender. Overall, the vegetables were probably the best part, especially the shishito peppers. Prices per skewer are fair considering the local restaurant competition. It can feel pretty pricey since you pay per skewer, of course, so it's recommended you order some bigger things to stomach as well.
Overall, not a bad place to try kushiyaki if you want to just try it.“

“I was here a couple weeks ago. Very welcoming and friendly. I came here by myself sat at the bar. The attention to detail was there, the bartender was great with information on Japanese whiskey and cocktails. The dessert was blew my tastes bud away.“

“My brother and I came for the Izakaya Prix Fixe dinner while visiting from Canada. Absolutely a wonderful time.
The food was great, the eel was probably my favorite dish. I dug the decor, like the dBA monitor on the wall.
We had looked at the vinyl selection prior but it truly was a joy to decide something on a whim and guess the other guests music choices. I could probably go on for ages how wonderful the team is for indulging my brother and I! Much love to both Davids and Denandus (sry for spelling).“

“Heno Heno is one of my favorite low-key spots in Hell’s Kitchen to wind down after work. It’s a cozy, local Japanese izakaya that feels like a hidden gem. I usually go for the fried fish cake with cheese inside.. crispy on the outside, gooey and savory inside. The rainbow roll is fresh and satisfying too.

Nothing fancy, but that’s exactly what I love about it. Just good food, a quiet vibe, and a welcoming, neighborhood feel. Perfect for solo dinners or a relaxed catch-up with a friend.“

“最高でした！ 日本でもここまでの居酒屋は無いと思います！“

“Been coming here since it's opened. Worth the visit if you're in the area. Donburia and this became my go to diner place after work if I'm feeling Japanese.
I hope they can change their TikTok song playlist. Makes me do more take outs than dining in.“

“Super yummy food, especially loved grilled chicken thighs, veggies & kimchi & happy hour drinks were refreshing and unique. Cool location with edm music. Wait staff helped us order, which was great because our family with teens was new to this cuisine. Fun night out!“

“Had dinner here last night around 8, the waitress who attended me was great! She explained the menu to me and recommended many excellent things! She was very nice and not condescending at all like some waitresses in Williamsburg. I really look forward to coming back to try new things from the menu. Thanks for the friendly service!“