Went to celebrate an anniversary and had an excellent experience! The food is fantastic, the space and ambience is really lovely, and the price point while expensive is commensurate with the dish construction and quality of ingredients you get (fish flown in from Japan that same day). We loved that the restaurant operates as a not-for-profit, donating proceeds to fight food waste. I’ll be recommending to friends for an upscale date night or a special celebration.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
boya li
The restaurant has a beautiful setting and the service was pleasant. However, the food really didn’t match the price point. Many dishes were quite salty, and the ingredients felt rather basic for the cost. Overall, the flavors were disappointing, especially considering it’s a Japanese tasting menu. The chef didn’t introduce every course, which made the experience feel less special. Also, be sure to arrive on time — all dishes are served together, and if you’re late, you may miss some courses.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Jerry Zhang
it was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marco Vienna
Each course was memorable, and I highly recommend the beverage (almost entirely sake) pairings. My partner and I split one pairing, and each pour was plenty to share! As a wine lover, I was astounded by how well each sake paired and the depth of flavors. Ikigai does a phenomenal job, in Japanese fashion, of highlighting single ingredients while adding many layers of complexity in each bite. Don't hesitate to converse with the chefs and somm, they were delighted to provide more information on each dish and drink.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Strassberg
It’s haute cuisine without the haute conceit!
It is an unforgettable experience. They serve a delicious 12-course Kaiseki-inspired menu, each dish beautifully presented. We started in the garden with a welcome tea and our first course, then we were moved inside to the bar seating for the rest of our meal. It is a curved table, seating only fourteen, and so this creates an inviting and intimate experience where we are the audience and the chefs take center stage. We could observe final preparations and the staff announced and explained the details of each course.
The whole experience was warm, fun, lively, and friendly. It’s the finest dining imaginable - the finest I have ever experienced! - but without the usual stuffiness and snobbery you get at similar high end restaurants.
This is indeed a very special and very different restaurant, a welcome wonderful disruptor in the fine dining space.
I plan to return again and again whenever I visit New York.
(I love too that they are a not-for-profit and the proceeds go towards fighting food insecurity. Also they give you a gorgeous set of chopsticks as a keepsake.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Panita Chanrasmi-Lefebvre
came here for my birthday and it was simply divine. from the food to the warm service and the drinks (!!) it was honestly one of the best meals/nights I’ve had in NYC in the last decade. everything was so good and made with care and love and i can’t wait to go back again to try a different season’s menu. and the fact that all the proceeds go towards a great cause in the end makes this a place worth revisiting for sure. 10000/10 thank you so much to the team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
maciek macak
Ikigai – Fort Greene, Brooklyn Birthday Kaiseki with Polish soul
My incredible wife surprised me with a birthday dinner at Ikigai, and I’m still floating somewhere between Fort Greene, Kyoto, and Łódź. This isn’t just a meal, it’s a meditation on purpose, place, and the quiet joy of watching masters at work.
Chef Rafał Maślankiewicz, a fellow Pole with a pedigree from Masa and Eleven Madison Park, leads a serene 12-seat chef’s counter tucked under a nondescript townhouse. Ikigai operates as a nonprofit, with every dollar going toward fighting food insecurity. Yet the experience rivals the city’s finest.
The journey begins in the back garden with milk bread, chrysanthemum, beet, lotus, and a chilled tea that tastes like a breeze through a temple courtyard. Then guests are ushered into a semi-circle around the chef’s table where the choreography begins.
Each dish is a quiet revelation. Chawanmushi with corn, aged cheese, truffle - velvet with a funky wink Shima Aji with sudachi, shiso, buttermilk - bright, bracing, buttery Wagyu Tartare with cucumber, nori, dashi - aka zimne nóżki for the soul Special Tartare with ikura and Ossetra caviar - rich, briny, and celebratory Saba with tomato, basil, amazu - summer in a single bite Unagi with kinome, rice, maitake - earthy, smoky, transcendent Okinawa Potato with black garlic, red cabbage, banyuls - a moody, fermented masterpiece Tamagoyaki with black truffle, jidori egg, brioche - decadence meets restraint Kegani with sungolds, haricot verts, yuzu - delicate and sunlit Knedle with mochiko, black sesame, ume - knedle ze śliwkami i śmietaną reimagined as a dumpling duet between Japan and Poland
Throughout the evening, Chef Rafał and his team narrate the experience with quiet precision, offering gentle guidance and invitation, rather than instruction on how to approach each dish.
The staff are extraordinary, gracious, intuitive, and quietly joyful, making every guest feel like they belong in the rhythm of the evening.
The nonalcoholic pairings were thoughtful, balanced, and quietly celebratory.
The space itself is a masterclass in understatement. Different textures of wood, soft lighting, and music so subtle I didn’t notice it until the final course. Even the chopsticks, green and gold and gifted to each guest, feel like a civic honor
Ikigai isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a love letter to craftsmanship, community, and the kind of birthday that makes you believe in miracles again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cheryl Saidi-Johnson
This was a true dining experience. From the moment we were at the door of the restaurant, we had to ring a bell to enter. Felt like a speakeasy. We were seated in a Japanese garden to experience our first dish as well as a cold tea. After this, we were transferred to the chef counter; where there were only 12 seats. The food was very subtle and understated, yet you could see the immense amount of work that was input into the creations (i.e. the tiny flowers carefully placed, the duration of dishes from start to finish and the suggestions on how we should enjoy the dish). To top it off, it is a not for profit and knowing the profit goes to food waste makes it the cherry on top!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jared Garvin-Joseph
Polish Japanese fusion, gotta love NYC. This place is incredible. Flavors are off the charts and the drinks+ sake paring are fantastic. As I write this I'm regretting it because I want to keep this place my secret.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Philip Yam
5-star service, beautiful ambiance, unforgettable taste and quality. Arguably the best food in NYC!
Beautiful space with exceptional tasting menu and sake pairing. Andrew and the rest of the serving team were especially welcoming and unpretentious, which made the evening as fun and relaxed as it was uniquely delicious. Thank you so much for all of the special touches. Also special thanks to Dan, who was particularly responsive coordinating our reservation. We hope to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
God's power Osayande
Great work 👏
Nisha Modi
Innovative, delicious dishes, thoughtful service, beautiful atmosphere, and an incredible mission. I particularly enjoyed the beef tartare, chawanmushi, and sweet potatoes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jackie Gordon Singing Chef
Lovely! This was a perfect birthday dinner celebration. The staff is gracious an inviting from the second you ring the doorbell. The space is beautiful although the enclosed garden was a little bit hot. I'm glad it wasn't hot or out and I'm sure it would be perfectly cozy in the winter.
The food was beautifully presented, deeply delicious and thoroughly explained. Even the chawanmushi, which looks deceptively plain, was a delicate swirl of flavor layers.
We had 12 courses and never felt rushed.
Would highly recommend for a special occasion meal.
Plus, it's a nonprofit, so they're doing good work in the food world!
Marnie Williams
Not only is Ikigai our favorite sushi spot in Brooklyn, it’s also a not-for-profit, with all proceeds going toward fighting food insecurity. On our visit most recently, we heard their proceeds have helped save 200,000 lbs. of food in the last year. Each visit has been nothing short of excellent. The dishes are so thoughtfully prepared and served, each detail is purposeful and the flavors are incredible. We’ll definitely be back for more soon!
Went to celebrate an anniversary and had an excellent experience! The food is fantastic, the space and ambience is really lovely, and the price point while expensive is commensurate with the dish construction and quality of ingredients you get (fish flown in from Japan that same day). We loved that the restaurant operates as a not-for-profit, donating proceeds to fight food waste. I’ll be recommending to friends for an upscale date night or a special celebration.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The restaurant has a beautiful setting and the service was pleasant. However, the food really didn’t match the price point. Many dishes were quite salty, and the ingredients felt rather basic for the cost. Overall, the flavors were disappointing, especially considering it’s a Japanese tasting menu. The chef didn’t introduce every course, which made the experience feel less special. Also, be sure to arrive on time — all dishes are served together, and if you’re late, you may miss some courses.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
it was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Each course was memorable, and I highly recommend the beverage (almost entirely sake) pairings. My partner and I split one pairing, and each pour was plenty to share! As a wine lover, I was astounded by how well each sake paired and the depth of flavors. Ikigai does a phenomenal job, in Japanese fashion, of highlighting single ingredients while adding many layers of complexity in each bite. Don't hesitate to converse with the chefs and somm, they were delighted to provide more information on each dish and drink.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s haute cuisine without the haute conceit!
It is an unforgettable experience. They serve a delicious 12-course Kaiseki-inspired menu, each dish beautifully presented.
We started in the garden with a welcome tea and our first course, then we were moved inside to the bar seating for the rest of our meal. It is a curved table, seating only fourteen, and so this creates an inviting and intimate experience where we are the audience and the chefs take center stage. We could observe final preparations and the staff announced and explained the details of each course.
The whole experience was warm, fun, lively, and friendly. It’s the finest dining imaginable - the finest I have ever experienced! - but without the usual stuffiness and snobbery you get at similar high end restaurants.
This is indeed a very special and very different restaurant, a welcome wonderful disruptor in the fine dining space.
I plan to return again and again whenever I visit New York.
(I love too that they are a not-for-profit and the proceeds go towards fighting food insecurity. Also they give you a gorgeous set of chopsticks as a keepsake.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
came here for my birthday and it was simply divine. from the food to the warm service and the drinks (!!) it was honestly one of the best meals/nights I’ve had in NYC in the last decade. everything was so good and made with care and love and i can’t wait to go back again to try a different season’s menu. and the fact that all the proceeds go towards a great cause in the end makes this a place worth revisiting for sure. 10000/10 thank you so much to the team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ikigai – Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Birthday Kaiseki with Polish soul
My incredible wife surprised me with a birthday dinner at Ikigai, and I’m still floating somewhere between Fort Greene, Kyoto, and Łódź. This isn’t just a meal, it’s a meditation on purpose, place, and the quiet joy of watching masters at work.
Chef Rafał Maślankiewicz, a fellow Pole with a pedigree from Masa and Eleven Madison Park, leads a serene 12-seat chef’s counter tucked under a nondescript townhouse. Ikigai operates as a nonprofit, with every dollar going toward fighting food insecurity. Yet the experience rivals the city’s finest.
The journey begins in the back garden with milk bread, chrysanthemum, beet, lotus, and a chilled tea that tastes like a breeze through a temple courtyard. Then guests are ushered into a semi-circle around the chef’s table where the choreography begins.
Each dish is a quiet revelation.
Chawanmushi with corn, aged cheese, truffle - velvet with a funky wink
Shima Aji with sudachi, shiso, buttermilk - bright, bracing, buttery
Wagyu Tartare with cucumber, nori, dashi - aka zimne nóżki for the soul
Special Tartare with ikura and Ossetra caviar - rich, briny, and celebratory
Saba with tomato, basil, amazu - summer in a single bite
Unagi with kinome, rice, maitake - earthy, smoky, transcendent
Okinawa Potato with black garlic, red cabbage, banyuls - a moody, fermented masterpiece
Tamagoyaki with black truffle, jidori egg, brioche - decadence meets restraint
Kegani with sungolds, haricot verts, yuzu - delicate and sunlit
Knedle with mochiko, black sesame, ume - knedle ze śliwkami i śmietaną reimagined as a dumpling duet between Japan and Poland
Throughout the evening, Chef Rafał and his team narrate the experience with quiet precision, offering gentle guidance and invitation, rather than instruction on how to approach each dish.
The staff are extraordinary, gracious, intuitive, and quietly joyful, making every guest feel like they belong in the rhythm of the evening.
The nonalcoholic pairings were thoughtful, balanced, and quietly celebratory.
The space itself is a masterclass in understatement. Different textures of wood, soft lighting, and music so subtle I didn’t notice it until the final course. Even the chopsticks, green and gold and gifted to each guest, feel like a civic honor
Ikigai isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a love letter to craftsmanship, community, and the kind of birthday that makes you believe in miracles again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was a true dining experience. From the moment we were at the door of the restaurant, we had to ring a bell to enter. Felt like a speakeasy. We were seated in a Japanese garden to experience our first dish as well as a cold tea. After this, we were transferred to the chef counter; where there were only 12 seats. The food was very subtle and understated, yet you could see the immense amount of work that was input into the creations (i.e. the tiny flowers carefully placed, the duration of dishes from start to finish and the suggestions on how we should enjoy the dish). To top it off, it is a not for profit and knowing the profit goes to food waste makes it the cherry on top!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Polish Japanese fusion, gotta love NYC. This place is incredible. Flavors are off the charts and the drinks+ sake paring are fantastic. As I write this I'm regretting it because I want to keep this place my secret.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
5-star service, beautiful ambiance, unforgettable taste and quality. Arguably the best food in NYC!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Beautiful space with exceptional tasting menu and sake pairing. Andrew and the rest of the serving team were especially welcoming and unpretentious, which made the evening as fun and relaxed as it was uniquely delicious. Thank you so much for all of the special touches. Also special thanks to Dan, who was particularly responsive coordinating our reservation. We hope to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great work 👏
Innovative, delicious dishes, thoughtful service, beautiful atmosphere, and an incredible mission. I particularly enjoyed the beef tartare, chawanmushi, and sweet potatoes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely! This was a perfect birthday dinner celebration. The staff is gracious an inviting from the second you ring the doorbell. The space is beautiful although the enclosed garden was a little bit hot. I'm glad it wasn't hot or out and I'm sure it would be perfectly cozy in the winter.
The food was beautifully presented, deeply delicious and thoroughly explained. Even the chawanmushi, which looks deceptively plain, was a delicate swirl of flavor layers.
We had 12 courses and never felt rushed.
Would highly recommend for a special occasion meal.
Plus, it's a nonprofit, so they're doing good work in the food world!
Not only is Ikigai our favorite sushi spot in Brooklyn, it’s also a not-for-profit, with all proceeds going toward fighting food insecurity. On our visit most recently, we heard their proceeds have helped save 200,000 lbs. of food in the last year. Each visit has been nothing short of excellent. The dishes are so thoughtfully prepared and served, each detail is purposeful and the flavors are incredible. We’ll definitely be back for more soon!
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