Highest quality sushi in Philadelphia with plenty of other Japanese dishes that are universally outstanding.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chirashi Bowl
Drew Wnuk
Staff are very knowledgeable about food allergies.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex R
The food here is absolutely incredible. Just next level sushi that makes you not want to eat sushi from anywhere else. That RICE is just perfect. Also if you're lucky enough to snag a spot at the Omakase then you're in for a REAL treat. :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Tao
Izakaya is wonderful, everything is delicious and the fish quality is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Jacob Cohen
Royal Izakaya is in a class of its own. My wife and I have come for dinner a few times, but this past week we did the Omakase for the first time, and it was truly an incredible and unique experience.Jesse is front and center with just 8 people in this intimate setting, and you can tell he enjoys the interaction with the guests, as well as getting a chance to explain each offering.Every single bite that we had was a mouth watering experience.I can’t say enough good things about this place. If you get the chance to go - GO!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Damon Cottman
I can not begin to explain the excellence of the evening I had here! It's a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Travis Dixon
Incredible food. Great atmosphere, for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cassie Venditti
Favorite spot in Philly. Amazing food, service, and atmosphere. I have yet to have a sushi roll better than their guac roll. I love bringing people here - never had someone not enjoy. Couldn’t recommend more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert DeSante
We arrived around 9:00 and asked for a two top, which they said would be a 90 minute wait. An hour and 15 minutes later we were sat at the bar, which was fine, though a table would have been cooler. The staff were all super nice. The worst part was the food and the lack of food, since many, MANY options were sold out. Not to mention, after ordering and receiving the Tonkatsu Sando - a highly anticipated item - it was quickly whisked away before we even had a chance to taste it. Apparently something was wrong with the dish, and just when we were about to ask for a replacement, we were told that was the last one, and offered a comped chicken skewer instead. All in all, the best thing were the pork gyoza and cucumber sushi rolls, which is pretty disappointing considering the variety of items we tried (chashu bun was too mayo heavy: dripping, wagyu steak was bland/not seared/gristly, chicken skewers were super sweet). We wanted to try - but were unable to due to the restaurant being out - the carrots, the burdock root, the curry dumplings... the Tonkatsu Sando... Drinks were also good, their bartenders did a great job with everything but the Yuzu Spritz which tasted like hubba bubba. Overall the evening was disappointing at best, not worth the long wait, and certainly not worth the imposed lack of menu options. Hopefully Royal Izakaya will get a better idea of how much stock to be prepared with, especially like... carrots? =\
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Izzy Moriguchi
This review is about the izakaya dining experience, not the fancy omakase course.When I walked into the restaurant, I was surprised because it didn't look like a typical Japanese restaurant. Instead, it felt more like a cozy Philly pub, but with soy sauce on every table.They serve authentic Japanese small plates, similar to what I enjoyed back in my hometown in Japan. It's different from the usual Americanized Japanese places in Philly, and I'm happy to find a spot that serves genuine Japanese food.The service was excellent and quick. The prices were fair, especially considering the nice location.However, the wait time was quite long (over an hour), which makes me unsure if I'd come here often. It would be great if they had a reservation system. Right now, you just show up, give them your number, and wait for over an hour. When we went on a Saturday at 6:30 pm, they said the wait would be 2.5 hours, but it ended up being only 1.5 hours. They sent a few updates about the wait time, but it was still hard to plan what to do nearby.
Saw your Bon Appétit YT spot. Man, I want your food. It's definitely a reason to visit Philly.
dylan lloyd
Yummy fish
Kevin V
This is the izakaya to check out in Philly. The vibe is relaxed, the food is fresh and reasonably priced, and the staff are friendly. Besides other staples, I had the sourdough okonomiyaki. It isn’t authentic to a region but it maintains the essence, meaning it’s worth it. With drinks, paid a very reasonable $25 pp.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Rebecca Cooper
Awesome food and great drinks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wagyu Beef with Uni, Sushi, Royal
Justin Anderson
Royal is a staple for me. The omakase with Jesse is a blessing . Tuna guac my favorite item on the menu, always have to get that.
Highest quality sushi in Philadelphia with plenty of other Japanese dishes that are universally outstanding.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chirashi Bowl
Staff are very knowledgeable about food allergies.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food here is absolutely incredible. Just next level sushi that makes you not want to eat sushi from anywhere else. That RICE is just perfect. Also if you're lucky enough to snag a spot at the Omakase then you're in for a REAL treat. :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Izakaya is wonderful, everything is delicious and the fish quality is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Royal Izakaya is in a class of its own. My wife and I have come for dinner a few times, but this past week we did the Omakase for the first time, and it was truly an incredible and unique experience.Jesse is front and center with just 8 people in this intimate setting, and you can tell he enjoys the interaction with the guests, as well as getting a chance to explain each offering.Every single bite that we had was a mouth watering experience.I can’t say enough good things about this place. If you get the chance to go - GO!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I can not begin to explain the excellence of the evening I had here! It's a must!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Incredible food. Great atmosphere, for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Favorite spot in Philly. Amazing food, service, and atmosphere. I have yet to have a sushi roll better than their guac roll. I love bringing people here - never had someone not enjoy. Couldn’t recommend more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We arrived around 9:00 and asked for a two top, which they said would be a 90 minute wait. An hour and 15 minutes later we were sat at the bar, which was fine, though a table would have been cooler. The staff were all super nice. The worst part was the food and the lack of food, since many, MANY options were sold out. Not to mention, after ordering and receiving the Tonkatsu Sando - a highly anticipated item - it was quickly whisked away before we even had a chance to taste it. Apparently something was wrong with the dish, and just when we were about to ask for a replacement, we were told that was the last one, and offered a comped chicken skewer instead. All in all, the best thing were the pork gyoza and cucumber sushi rolls, which is pretty disappointing considering the variety of items we tried (chashu bun was too mayo heavy: dripping, wagyu steak was bland/not seared/gristly, chicken skewers were super sweet). We wanted to try - but were unable to due to the restaurant being out - the carrots, the burdock root, the curry dumplings... the Tonkatsu Sando... Drinks were also good, their bartenders did a great job with everything but the Yuzu Spritz which tasted like hubba bubba. Overall the evening was disappointing at best, not worth the long wait, and certainly not worth the imposed lack of menu options. Hopefully Royal Izakaya will get a better idea of how much stock to be prepared with, especially like... carrots? =\
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
This review is about the izakaya dining experience, not the fancy omakase course.When I walked into the restaurant, I was surprised because it didn't look like a typical Japanese restaurant. Instead, it felt more like a cozy Philly pub, but with soy sauce on every table.They serve authentic Japanese small plates, similar to what I enjoyed back in my hometown in Japan. It's different from the usual Americanized Japanese places in Philly, and I'm happy to find a spot that serves genuine Japanese food.The service was excellent and quick. The prices were fair, especially considering the nice location.However, the wait time was quite long (over an hour), which makes me unsure if I'd come here often. It would be great if they had a reservation system. Right now, you just show up, give them your number, and wait for over an hour. When we went on a Saturday at 6:30 pm, they said the wait would be 2.5 hours, but it ended up being only 1.5 hours. They sent a few updates about the wait time, but it was still hard to plan what to do nearby.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Saw your Bon Appétit YT spot. Man, I want your food. It's definitely a reason to visit Philly.
Yummy fish
This is the izakaya to check out in Philly. The vibe is relaxed, the food is fresh and reasonably priced, and the staff are friendly. Besides other staples, I had the sourdough okonomiyaki. It isn’t authentic to a region but it maintains the essence, meaning it’s worth it. With drinks, paid a very reasonable $25 pp.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Awesome food and great drinks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wagyu Beef with Uni, Sushi, Royal
Royal is a staple for me. The omakase with Jesse is a blessing . Tuna guac my favorite item on the menu, always have to get that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5