outstanding meal and sake selection. thank you chef Miura and the entire Yopparai team for making our night so special.
angelica
We went here with kids and they are fascinated with how the aesthetic of the food, it made them want to try something different (not just mac n cheese 😂).
Frederik Bort
The food was amazing and the staff is really friendly and attentive
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Bourke
Excellent dining experience. Pricey but great food and excellent ambiance. Get a reservation in order to get a tatami mat booth otherwise you have to sit at the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stevie T
One uni cut into 5 slices... Where are the gold flakes?!? The $62 Yopparai Special Chirashi isn’t worth it. 5/10 It contains very little fish (mostly cheap, lean tuna and salmon) and only a small amount of uni. I’d pay a maximum of $32 for this. A photo from two years ago showed a much more generous portion of fish. I wouldn’t recommend coming here: the recession has clearly hit this place, and the dining room is uncomfortably warm. Also, avoid the $35 Pork Belly Hot Pot had 6 thin slices of pork, and the broth had no salt. 2/10
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Kyle Liu
Positive: atmosphere. Negative: portion. Ok so this place is cute, good for an intimate date night or a place to grab a drink and bites after a full dinner, but not a good place if you want a fulfilling dinner. Izakaya with a steep price tag for dishes with portions that are small for ants. The place has a bar and Japanese style traditional tatami booth (shoes off), so pretty unique and a good place to have a conversation. This place is for someone with a tiny appetite or come hang out already full. We ordered a bunch of items from the menu, and each average costs about $25, but the portion for each was astonishingly small. We ordered the fish hotpot and we got literally five pieces of trout and a little bit mushrooms and watercress ($35). Oden tasted very good, but that small bowl (5 kinds) costs $21. Other food items all tasted alright, nothing special. We ended up spending over $100 per person, and had to go to another place to get more food because all of us were still hungry. So again, don’t come here if you want to get full, unless you want to spend over $250 per person. Good for a first date or business talk where you don’t expect to eat much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
ケン
Forgot my card here, hope you kept it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alana W.D
So many great dishes at Yopparai. Some of my favorite dishes (not depicted) were the nigiri, kakuni, and chicken meat ball w/ egg. 🥹 I also enjoy the comfortable seating positions you can take on in the booths!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sandy
Elevated izakaya with delicious and meticulously prepared authentic Japanese food. Pricey but very enjoyable
itzelenaho
Yopparai, a hidden gem in the Lower East Side brings an authentic Japanese izakaya experience to New Yorkers. The intimate space features traditional tatami mat seating creating a cozy and transportive atmosphere for both sake lovers and food enthusiasts. Their exquisite menu is of authentic Japanese flavors from delicate to comforting to exciting items. Pair them with sake and enhance all those flavors. Dessert is just as delicious with traditional tastes. Whether you're after a unique date night or an immersive taste of Japan, Yopparai delivers an unforgettable dining experience.
After falling in love with the izakayas in Tokyo and Kyoto, I was excited to find this place. The dishes, particularly the specials, are wonderful and authentic. However, I found the prices to be expensive in relation to the portion sizes. I would have loved to try so many things if each appetizer were cheaper. The sake on the other hand was well selected and affordable.
vivi Chanle
I was really looking forward to dining at this Japanese restaurant again, especially because of the unique tatami seating and beautifully styled interior. I had visited once before the pandemic and enjoyed a pork hot pot that left a great impression.
This time, however, I came to celebrate a friend’s birthday and was honestly disappointed. The prices were very high—over $500for four people—and none of us felt full afterward. The food was just average, and unfortunately not to my taste.
It’s a beautiful place, but with the current pricing and food quality, I don’t think I’ll be coming back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Yuri P
The vibe and food presentation are both stunning! The seafood donburi, named after the restaurant, is truly impressive—I’ve never seen such a generous serving in all of New York. It’s packed with fresh sashimi and delicious rice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chong Gu
Food was decent but overpriced. Went with 4 friends and it was more than 100 per.
Jessica Shu
Authentic and good quality, but the prices are high. Cheapest beer is $11 Sapporo. I think Sapporo price helps me benchmark a lot against different Japanese restaurants and this one of the highest
outstanding meal and sake selection. thank you chef Miura and the entire Yopparai team for making our night so special.
We went here with kids and they are fascinated with how the aesthetic of the food, it made them want to try something different (not just mac n cheese 😂).
The food was amazing and the staff is really friendly and attentive
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent dining experience. Pricey but great food and excellent ambiance. Get a reservation in order to get a tatami mat booth otherwise you have to sit at the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One uni cut into 5 slices... Where are the gold flakes?!? The $62 Yopparai Special Chirashi isn’t worth it. 5/10 It contains very little fish (mostly cheap, lean tuna and salmon) and only a small amount of uni. I’d pay a maximum of $32 for this. A photo from two years ago showed a much more generous portion of fish. I wouldn’t recommend coming here: the recession has clearly hit this place, and the dining room is uncomfortably warm. Also, avoid the $35 Pork Belly Hot Pot had 6 thin slices of pork, and the broth had no salt. 2/10
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Positive: atmosphere. Negative: portion. Ok so this place is cute, good for an intimate date night or a place to grab a drink and bites after a full dinner, but not a good place if you want a fulfilling dinner. Izakaya with a steep price tag for dishes with portions that are small for ants. The place has a bar and Japanese style traditional tatami booth (shoes off), so pretty unique and a good place to have a conversation. This place is for someone with a tiny appetite or come hang out already full. We ordered a bunch of items from the menu, and each average costs about $25, but the portion for each was astonishingly small. We ordered the fish hotpot and we got literally five pieces of trout and a little bit mushrooms and watercress ($35). Oden tasted very good, but that small bowl (5 kinds) costs $21. Other food items all tasted alright, nothing special. We ended up spending over $100 per person, and had to go to another place to get more food because all of us were still hungry. So again, don’t come here if you want to get full, unless you want to spend over $250 per person. Good for a first date or business talk where you don’t expect to eat much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Forgot my card here, hope you kept it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So many great dishes at Yopparai. Some of my favorite dishes (not depicted) were the nigiri, kakuni, and chicken meat ball w/ egg. 🥹
I also enjoy the comfortable seating positions you can take on in the booths!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elevated izakaya with delicious and meticulously prepared authentic Japanese food. Pricey but very enjoyable
Yopparai, a hidden gem in the Lower East Side brings an authentic Japanese izakaya experience to New Yorkers. The intimate space features traditional tatami mat seating creating a cozy and transportive atmosphere for both sake lovers and food enthusiasts. Their exquisite menu is of authentic Japanese flavors from delicate to comforting to exciting items. Pair them with sake and enhance all those flavors. Dessert is just as delicious with traditional tastes. Whether you're after a unique date night or an immersive taste of Japan, Yopparai delivers an unforgettable dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
After falling in love with the izakayas in Tokyo and Kyoto, I was excited to find this place. The dishes, particularly the specials, are wonderful and authentic. However, I found the prices to be expensive in relation to the portion sizes. I would have loved to try so many things if each appetizer were cheaper. The sake on the other hand was well selected and affordable.
I was really looking forward to dining at this Japanese restaurant again, especially because of the unique tatami seating and beautifully styled interior. I had visited once before the pandemic and enjoyed a pork hot pot that left a great impression.
This time, however, I came to celebrate a friend’s birthday and was honestly disappointed. The prices were very high—over $500for four people—and none of us felt full afterward. The food was just average, and unfortunately not to my taste.
It’s a beautiful place, but with the current pricing and food quality, I don’t think I’ll be coming back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
The vibe and food presentation are both stunning! The seafood donburi, named after the restaurant, is truly impressive—I’ve never seen such a generous serving in all of New York. It’s packed with fresh sashimi and delicious rice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was decent but overpriced. Went with 4 friends and it was more than 100 per.
Authentic and good quality, but the prices are high. Cheapest beer is $11 Sapporo. I think Sapporo price helps me benchmark a lot against different Japanese restaurants and this one of the highest
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