Our favourite place in the city. Run by people passionate about food, knowledgeable about Sake/Spirits, and happy to go into detail about all of it. Can't recommend this place enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Min
Walk-ins only, head there a little before 6pm for a seat. The warm potato salad is the standout item. The flavours and texture of the dish are outstanding!
Gratuity is applied automatically and there is a fee for paying with credit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Warm Potato Salad
Moaraj Hasan
Place is great vibes but massive disparity in the size of the everything on the menu, the sandwich is big and filling and the sweet potato or shrimp are very tiny, all the food is amazing, but get there early I mean like 6:30 if you want a seat or around 9:30 for a second seating
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Xx Xx
Overpriced and they demand you to tip.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Bredgy L.
Follow @bredgyeats for more food photos!
Sakai Bar creates an unforgettable fusion of flavours that both respects and elevates traditional Japanese ingredients. Starting with the showstopper, the Hambagu Steak was nothing short of indulgent - its panko crust shattering with the lightest bite, revealing a juicy, velvety interior bursting with beefy aroma. Each bite melted into umami richness, deepened by chives, onions, and a tangy demi-glace that strikes the perfect contrast. Binding everything in creamy decadence is a blend of grated white cheese and gooey egg yolk oozing into the mix, and after each bite, my anxiousness grew, knowing this experience wouldn’t last nearly as long as I wanted it to. Then, the Chicken + Morels are simply executed with fine-dining finesse. The Mennonite chicken, pan-roasted in cast iron, arrived with a blistered, glassy skin and juicy, tender flesh. The soy butter jus beneath it shimmered with richness and a deep umami, soaking into the mizuna greens and plump morels. After this, no supermarket chicken will ever be the same. Backtracking, the anago sunomono was a refreshing prelude that elevated the rest of the experience. Grilled anago carried a mild sweetness and a whisper of char, accompanied by crunchy cucumbers dressed in a bright vinegar sauce. The fluke tartare, quiet yet full of intent, dissolved on the tongue with a gentle chew to lend out its subtle sweetness and sesame oil dressing. Sheets of nori accompanied the texturally varied bite, bulked out with cucumbers, shallots and scallions. Grilled to impeccable tenderness, the surface crisped just enough to give way to a succulent, almost springy interior. A sweet dashi soy broth pooled beneath, hugging the meat in an elegant umami glaze that elevates the robust bovine aromas. Sweet white onions added texture, while a dab of wasabi sparked heat and lifted the richness. To end, the silky panna cotta carried a creamy, slightly boozy and floral sake kasu aroma. A tangy clementine curd and vibrant Cara Cara orange segments brought acidity and brightness, cutting through the cream.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jinsu Ha
This restaurant adds an undisclosed 18% tip while still prompting for a tip on the machine. The servers did not state anything about it and only disclosed the 2.5% charge for credit, which is already much higher than normal. Truly disappointing experience.
Service: 1
Marie L.
Update: changed the chef and the staff. We were all disappointed in our last experience, found it pricier and less tasty. We didn’t like that they force the service fees AND charge you fees for credit card now.
One of our favourite place in the city. Went twice and can’t wait to go back. The place is low key but has so much to offer! Each plate is a bomb of flavours and quite unique. We enjoyed every little plate we shared but our favourites were tartare, tonkatsu and I can’t say enough of the yakiudon. What a surprise, the texture and taste blew our mind! Desert is exactly like I like: sweet and salty. Great service. Fabulous sake. A must!
M N.
Great food and lovely staff, love the ambiance. Portions are very small for the price. Beef tongue and buckwheat dessert were phenomenal
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Mark Hong
Very disappointing experience. This restaurant automatically adds an 18% gratuity, even for a table of two, and then tacks on an additional 2.5% credit card fee. For that kind of mandatory tip, you’d expect excellent service, but our server was just average at best.
We only ordered four dishes and the total was over $90 for per person, yet the portions were small and we left still feeling hungry. On top of that, the food took a long time to come out.
Overall, it was overpriced, slow, and not customer-friendly. I would not recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
VV Chen
Very disappointing experience. This restaurant forces an 18% gratuity, even for a table of two, and then adds an extra 2.5% credit card fee on top. The server’s attitude was average at best — definitely not the standard you would expect for an automatic 18% tip.
We ordered only four dishes and the bill came to over $90, yet the portion sizes were small and we left still hungry. On top of that, the food took a very long time to arrive.
Overall, it felt overpriced, slow, and not customer-friendly. Would not recommend.
Came to the restaurant before closing got there at 9:25 I traveled from Richmond hill with my girl who has been dying to come to this restaurant just to be denied at the door being told they closed early today. Mind you when I searched it up the day before because I’m very ocd with my timing… it said they closed at 10pm and I clearly showed up before closing and I was refused service at the door the restaurant was busy so not even sure why they would close early.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Polina Dubik
Food was incredible, thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Morgan Poteet
Such a cozy and friendly spot with a delicious and unique menu !!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brittany Tilstra
Food was delicious. Vibes were immaculate. We sat at the bar and received excellent service from Kyo. This place hits all the right notes. I felt transported back to Osaka, thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
BSJ Parker
I recently visited Sakai Bar in Downtown Toronto and tried several dishes along with a highball and beer. The bar is known for its extensive selection of drinks, sake, and spirits, and it delivered a cozy ambiance with an authentic Japanese atmosphere.
For food, I ordered the Potato Salad, Katsu Sando, Cold Soba with Oyster, and Beef Tongue. While the flavors were generally good, the portion sizes were extremely small for the price. I understand that smaller portions are common in Japanese cuisine and fit the bar-style dining experience, but here they felt excessively small given the cost. I would recommend coming after a meal if you are mainly looking to enjoy drinks.
The Potato Salad was my favorite as it offered a unique and creative mix of mashed potatoes, daikon radish, and ikura that worked beautifully together. The Beef Tongue was decent, though it seemed to be made with mid-quality cuts. The Katsu Sando was disappointing because the tenderloin was not tender at all and contained noticeable sinew, making it difficult to chew. The Cold Soba with Oyster was also underwhelming in both portion and flavor, so I would not recommend it.
One major issue I had was with the 18% gratuity. It was noted in small print on the menu but never mentioned verbally, and when the bill arrived, the payment machine still prompted for an additional tip. This practice felt misleading and left a negative final impression. If an automatic gratuity is going to be included, especially for bar seating, it should be clearly communicated to customers.
Overall, Sakai Bar is worth visiting for its drinks and atmosphere, but I would not consider it a full dinner destination.
Our favourite place in the city. Run by people passionate about food, knowledgeable about Sake/Spirits, and happy to go into detail about all of it. Can't recommend this place enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Walk-ins only, head there a little before 6pm for a seat. The warm potato salad is the standout item. The flavours and texture of the dish are outstanding!
Gratuity is applied automatically and there is a fee for paying with credit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Warm Potato Salad
Place is great vibes but massive disparity in the size of the everything on the menu, the sandwich is big and filling and the sweet potato or shrimp are very tiny, all the food is amazing, but get there early I mean like 6:30 if you want a seat or around 9:30 for a second seating
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Overpriced and they demand you to tip.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Follow @bredgyeats for more food photos!
Sakai Bar creates an unforgettable fusion of flavours that both respects and elevates traditional Japanese ingredients. Starting with the showstopper, the Hambagu Steak was nothing short of indulgent - its panko crust shattering with the lightest bite, revealing a juicy, velvety interior bursting with beefy aroma. Each bite melted into umami richness, deepened by chives, onions, and a tangy demi-glace that strikes the perfect contrast. Binding everything in creamy decadence is a blend of grated white cheese and gooey egg yolk oozing into the mix, and after each bite, my anxiousness grew, knowing this experience wouldn’t last nearly as long as I wanted it to. Then, the Chicken + Morels are simply executed with fine-dining finesse. The Mennonite chicken, pan-roasted in cast iron, arrived with a blistered, glassy skin and juicy, tender flesh. The soy butter jus beneath it shimmered with richness and a deep umami, soaking into the mizuna greens and plump morels. After this, no supermarket chicken will ever be the same. Backtracking, the anago sunomono was a refreshing prelude that elevated the rest of the experience. Grilled anago carried a mild sweetness and a whisper of char, accompanied by crunchy cucumbers dressed in a bright vinegar sauce. The fluke tartare, quiet yet full of intent, dissolved on the tongue with a gentle chew to lend out its subtle sweetness and sesame oil dressing. Sheets of nori accompanied the texturally varied bite, bulked out with cucumbers, shallots and scallions. Grilled to impeccable tenderness, the surface crisped just enough to give way to a succulent, almost springy interior. A sweet dashi soy broth pooled beneath, hugging the meat in an elegant umami glaze that elevates the robust bovine aromas. Sweet white onions added texture, while a dab of wasabi sparked heat and lifted the richness. To end, the silky panna cotta carried a creamy, slightly boozy and floral sake kasu aroma. A tangy clementine curd and vibrant Cara Cara orange segments brought acidity and brightness, cutting through the cream.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
This restaurant adds an undisclosed 18% tip while still prompting for a tip on the machine. The servers did not state anything about it and only disclosed the 2.5% charge for credit, which is already much higher than normal. Truly disappointing experience.
Service: 1
Update: changed the chef and the staff. We were all disappointed in our last experience, found it pricier and less tasty. We didn’t like that they force the service fees AND charge you fees for credit card now.
One of our favourite place in the city. Went twice and can’t wait to go back. The place is low key but has so much to offer! Each plate is a bomb of flavours and quite unique. We enjoyed every little plate we shared but our favourites were tartare, tonkatsu and I can’t say enough of the yakiudon. What a surprise, the texture and taste blew our mind! Desert is exactly like I like: sweet and salty. Great service. Fabulous sake. A must!
Great food and lovely staff, love the ambiance. Portions are very small for the price. Beef tongue and buckwheat dessert were phenomenal
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Very disappointing experience. This restaurant automatically adds an 18% gratuity, even for a table of two, and then tacks on an additional 2.5% credit card fee. For that kind of mandatory tip, you’d expect excellent service, but our server was just average at best.
We only ordered four dishes and the total was over $90 for per person, yet the portions were small and we left still feeling hungry. On top of that, the food took a long time to come out.
Overall, it was overpriced, slow, and not customer-friendly. I would not recommend this place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Very disappointing experience. This restaurant forces an 18% gratuity, even for a table of two, and then adds an extra 2.5% credit card fee on top. The server’s attitude was average at best — definitely not the standard you would expect for an automatic 18% tip.
We ordered only four dishes and the bill came to over $90, yet the portion sizes were small and we left still hungry. On top of that, the food took a very long time to arrive.
Overall, it felt overpriced, slow, and not customer-friendly. Would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Came to the restaurant before closing got there at 9:25 I traveled from Richmond hill with my girl who has been dying to come to this restaurant just to be denied at the door being told they closed early today. Mind you when I searched it up the day before because I’m very ocd with my timing… it said they closed at 10pm and I clearly showed up before closing and I was refused service at the door the restaurant was busy so not even sure why they would close early.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Food was incredible, thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a cozy and friendly spot with a delicious and unique menu !!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was delicious. Vibes were immaculate. We sat at the bar and received excellent service from Kyo. This place hits all the right notes. I felt transported back to Osaka, thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I recently visited Sakai Bar in Downtown Toronto and tried several dishes along with a highball and beer. The bar is known for its extensive selection of drinks, sake, and spirits, and it delivered a cozy ambiance with an authentic Japanese atmosphere.
For food, I ordered the Potato Salad, Katsu Sando, Cold Soba with Oyster, and Beef Tongue. While the flavors were generally good, the portion sizes were extremely small for the price. I understand that smaller portions are common in Japanese cuisine and fit the bar-style dining experience, but here they felt excessively small given the cost. I would recommend coming after a meal if you are mainly looking to enjoy drinks.
The Potato Salad was my favorite as it offered a unique and creative mix of mashed potatoes, daikon radish, and ikura that worked beautifully together. The Beef Tongue was decent, though it seemed to be made with mid-quality cuts. The Katsu Sando was disappointing because the tenderloin was not tender at all and contained noticeable sinew, making it difficult to chew. The Cold Soba with Oyster was also underwhelming in both portion and flavor, so I would not recommend it.
One major issue I had was with the 18% gratuity. It was noted in small print on the menu but never mentioned verbally, and when the bill arrived, the payment machine still prompted for an additional tip. This practice felt misleading and left a negative final impression. If an automatic gratuity is going to be included, especially for bar seating, it should be clearly communicated to customers.
Overall, Sakai Bar is worth visiting for its drinks and atmosphere, but I would not consider it a full dinner destination.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Warm Potato Salad
Loading...