Izakaya in York

We first visited Izakaya about 9 months ago. We absolutely loved it. We have said several times since, we must go back. When we discovered it was closing, we were extremely sad. I am so glad that we booked on for the last opening day. Everything about the evening was just perfect. The service- friendly and personal. The food was simply delicious, really thought through and the flavours impeccably matched. I'm so pleased to hear that the staff are reinventing the wheel with a new concept. Thank you for having us (we were thrilled to be the last customers you served ) and we can't wait to see you in your new venture.

Best meal out I've had in ages! Took my partner here for a date night and the food, ambiance, cocktails, and staff were fantastic. I wish I could go every day me and my partner can't stop talking about how much we enjoyed it :) thank you to the staff for making our evening so amazing 🤩

Highly recommended by friends - and it didn't disappoint! A treat for my wife's birthday. We had the 10 course taster menu. Beautifully served, with a clear explanation of the dishes. Food was varied, well prepared and delightful and the whole place has a lovely ambiance. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for, and we will definitely visit again!

What can I say but wow. From the moment we walked into the restaurant until we left we were blown away. This is a Japanese / Yorkshire themed restaurant. Make sure you go for the pairing wine as you will not be disappointed. From the first course to the last I could not fault anything. The staff were knowledgeable and we even got to talk to the boss. We would definitely recommend.

We were very much looking forward to trying out Izakaya; something different on the York food scene entirely. Unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark. We had the winter tasting menu and paired drinks: - Firstly and positively drinks pairings were very tasty, and with a fantastic addition of sparkling sake. - portion sizes were very small compared to other tasting menus especially relative to the price of £75pp, and the supplementary £8 for a disappointing single deep fried fried oyster which didn’t taste great. - whilst some dishes did pack a punch (Mackerel dish was good), the rest of the menu felt imbalanced and was a real let down: the chocolate sauce on the venison was completely overpowering, the yakitori chicken was accompanied by cranberry and a sauce which didn’t work well, the famed ramen dish had a little amount of broth which wasn’t as remembered as the broths from when the restaurant was at Spark. And for a Japanese inspired tasting menu to not feature a single rice dish or rice at all? It was a menu that read better than was served. - the service was rushed initially, and then very spaced out, especially by the time desert courses came round. We were told repeatedly that this was ‘the first time they’d served the winter menu’ and it unfortunately showed in both the cooking and the service. I did feedback at the end of the meal but the staff didn’t seem very interested in offering any validation of what I’d said, other than I was thanked for giving some feedback. Overall, a sadly disappointing experience of an idea that we really hope succeeds.

Wow!!! An amazing evening, with the best food I have had in York. The staff were excellent throughout and the owner was on hand to check in too. This is a must for any foodies!!!

This has to be be the No1 spot for tasting in York!!! By far the best restaurant in York I have been too. If your ever in York add it to your to do list!!!!

Absolutely fantastic tasting menu. Incredibly attentive staff and all very knowledgeable about the food and drinks they were serving. Not the cheapest by any stretch of the imagination but it was more of an experience than a meal. Cannot recommend enough.

Food OK, cocktails not very interesting, when I was asked if I was enjoying mine, I said I wasn't very happy, but no interest showed in relation to that. Decor was quite nice but zero atmosphere, as there was only one other couple there. We were pushed to having a side dish, which we didn't really want. The price was extortionate in relation to other restaurants in York, which are far better (Skosh, for example) and there was also a service charge on top of the bill. This is what I call a 'wannabe' restaurant but I don't wannabe there again.

We booked for a Friday lunch and were met with a warm and friendly welcome. The restaurant is quite small and there were only two other tables occupied but the ambience was nevertheless comfortable and relaxed. Service was prompt and the food excellent. The larger tasting menu is not available at lunchtime, so we had the three course menu, which had unusual choices, was tasty and beautifully presented. Our only complaint was that the portions are quite small and we could easily have consumed more of everything! With drinks, the cost was probably at the higher end of recent lunches we have had in York but we felt it was reasonable value. We will be back to sample the evening menu soon!

Having wanted to visit here for some time, I was absolutely blown away. Any reviews referencing portion size or inference of being too expensive are complete nonsense. Every course from start to finish was decadent, flavour enriched and beautifully presented. The beef, truffle and gouda first course set the precedent for what was a rich, luxurious menu where every single mouthful packed in incredible flavour. The A5 wagyu was amazing, and the pork sando brilliant. We loved the drinks pairing option that really refreshingly wasn’t your standard wine pairing. We got sake, IPA, red, white, dessert wine. It’s a real treat that did not disappoint, the portion sizes were perfect, the staff were lovely, welcoming and humble. The decor is clean, simple, stylish modern Japanese. We genuinely felt transported away from York for a few hours in the best way. We can’t wait to visit again once the seasonal menu changes. Thank you!

I've been wanting to visit this restaurant for months and it did not disappoint. The food, cocktails and service were amazing. I will definitely be returning very soon.

This was the first time I've ever tried a tasting menu, and it was the perfect introduction. Reasonably priced and really friendly and informative staff. Great balance between a relaxed setting and indulgent food. Couldn't recommend more highly!

We went for my friend’s birthday- it was a delightful experience for the palate; some fresh courses, some rich and intense. I particularly enjoyed the beef with truffle soaked Gouda. We were well looked after, the staff were attentive and friendly. Reasonably priced for a tasting menu of high quality. Great food, great service, great ambiance. Would recommend.

Emailed to book a table but did not hear back after several days and so telephoned to book. We were told over the phone we would need to come for 7.30 due to the sittings for tasting menu. That was fine - we were planning a very rare and supposed to be special night out. When we arrived at the restaurant just two days later they had no record of our booking at all. Plenty of empty tables but of course the kitchen only plans as much food as is booked for so we were sent away. They really didn’t seem to care that they obviously had an idiot answering the phone that week. We won’t ever try to go back since you can’t guarantee you have a booking despite speaking to them in person on the phone.

Honestly the best place to eat in York, the food is so tasty and very different to anything else in York. The atmosphere is lovely, the staff are super friendly and helpful. This is a must visit for anyone who enjoys good food in a...

Can not vouch if its authentic Japanese cuisine as I haven’t had it before. What it is, is really tasty, high quality food. We originally booked for the taster menu but as this was withdrawn for a Thursday night, we finished up selecting from the...

I visited Izakaya for my birthday with some friends, it was my first time and it did not disappoint. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was so good and friendly. We will definitely be returning, we all had a great time and were...

Amazing food, excellent service- attentive and converse, with a really well presented and designed interior. We’ll be back for dinner!

Fantastic - amazing food, drinks and atmosphere. Great value for money. Would recommend the omakase menu

We were stuck in an alley hiding from the rain and saw this place. Went in. Amazing and welcoming staff, lovely beer and fantastic food. Very reasonably priced as well. Would highly recommend, great little venue.

Amazing food, a festival of flavours. Very atmospheric. Reminded me of Japan. The service was excellent. Would come again in the future.

Dinner last night (15/07/23) was absolutely fabulous !! A great find, we were in York for 4 days and this was probably our favourite meal. Can't wait to go back. Staff all so knowledgeable and friendly.

Amazing food with great service and lovely decor! We will definitely be back, our new favourite spot in York!

Very enjoyable meal. Wonderful flavours, perfectly balanced. Very much enjoyed. We had the summer tasting menu. Enjoyed every meal, there is a little bit of something for everyone palate.

We went to Izakaya last weekend to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and it did not disappoint. The restaurant was relaxed, spacious and had lovely decor. As massive foodies and lovers of Asian cuisine we were excited by the whole menu! The food was absolutely...

In York for the weekend and someone recommended Izakaya as I love Japanese food. Fantastic, need more places like this around the country, really relaxed, quaint atmosphere. Had a good selection of the lunch menu and everything was brilliant. Consistent flavours, lovely crockery. Everything is...

This was our second visit to Izakaya and it has levelled up! After enjoying the small plates on our last visit, this time around we had the Summer OMAKASE Tasting Menu. Once again we were greeted with a warm welcome and our coats hung for...

I don’t normally write reviews, but thought I should for Izakaya because it could be somewhere where I would go again. I’ll start with the positives; the food was good, well presented and tasty. The restaurant had a relaxed yet cool vibe and had an...

First time visit last night - 13/5. Had the surprise and delight of the dehydration menu with paired wines/sake/beer. Knowledgeable and friendly team which added to a terrific over mall experience. The mackerel or the lamb were the winners of the meal, a tough call...

The menu consists of 17 tapas-like dishes mainly @ £6-8 arranged in five categories, eg cold, fried and bao buns. You need about four dishes per person. We had pretty much the whole menu between the three of us and were underwhelmed. The dishes are...

We happened upon this new restaurant accidentally. Very much enjoyed the entire Omakase tasting experience. The wait staff were very friendly and engaging and attended to food allergies. The food was flavourful, amazing and fun. The ambiance was beautiful and thoughtful even down to the...

Great experience knowledgeable staff. Food was the best contemporary Asian food there is to offer so many flavours and skills shown here, the wine pairing was expertly crafted to accompany each dish can't wait till next menu in summer will definitely return!

We ordered one of each from the menu to share and a couple of oysters to begin each, now don't get me wrong most of the food was tasty with some different flavours, but the oysters were disappointing, smallest oysters I have ever had and...

Service was exceptional, decor was spot on and the food speaks for itself. Interesting flavours and just an all round great experience

Lovely experience having dinner here, food was delicious especially the beef cheek bao, service was excellent and very attentive, It’s really nice to have something different in York.

I have to say that the whole experience we had at Izakaya was tremendous. We were after a more relaxed date night but still wanted to have great food and taken care of, and so we booked Izakaya after it was recommended to us. We...

Been wanting to try this place for a while and we were blown away. I came here for a weekend lunch with my partner. We were greeted with a warm welcome upon arrival and our coats were taken and hung for us. The service was...

We have been excited to visit Izakaya and it didn’t disappoint. Everything was absolutely perfect. The staff, the setting and the food was all the perfect combination of relaxed but special. We particularly enjoyed the lamb dish, and the rhubarb mochi. Thanks so much for...

Such beautiful food and a lovely experience. To start the waiting staff were incredible hosts and catered to the diners need. This may be a fine dining restaurant but there is not a pretentious feel. It feels cosy and welcoming. Dress up or come in...

The food was absolutely incredible, the different styles in which the food is prepared is absolutely amazing. The it was the perfect amount of food for two with some incredible cocktails! The cauliflower was absolutely phenomenal and the beef rib was to die for. Will...

How does this place have so many positive reviews? Portions were ridiculously small and most courses of our meal were tasteless. I’d advise you avoid it until they do some serious rethinking of the menu and serve better food. Terrible experience.

I decided to go to this restaurant because of the great reviews, but I'm here to write this negative review. The quality was bad the dishes did not leave me satisfied at all.The dishes that were presented to me could have been prepared by my...

Myself and partner recently visited. We were so excited to try but left very disappointed. We had the tasting menu and where assured we would have a delightful culinary experience, this wasn't the case. We only enjoyed 3 of the dishes with 2 being completely...

We have rarely eaten Japanese food, so took advantage of the York Restaurant Week to have a lunchtime snack at Izakaya. In general the location was nicely furnished and the staff were helpful with our enquiries about the food options. However, when we arrived we...

We went to Izakaya for my husbands birthday and had the 8 course tasting menu. Every dish was beautifully presented and every mouthful was utterly delicious - who knew tofu could be that amazing! I am coeliac and the chef went out of his way...

Every course on the 8 taster menu was fresh, original and showed a flair for both taste and presentation. The head chefs Michelin training and love for Japanese food really shines through.

First of all we made the mistake of going for 5 courses… you must go for 8 courses the food is amazing! The staff including the head chef are attentive and knowledgeable they personally come and describe the dishes. OMG the food is WOW WOW...

Went for a early Friday night evening meal and opted for the small plates rather than the set menu because we wanted to try things that weren't in the set menu. We ended up ordering one of all the individual and small plate options (10...

Table of 2 for a Saturday lunch, beautifully presented board of 5 dishes in a perfectly designed dining space. Staff were wonderful and attentive, an oyster allergy for one of us was easily substituted with no fuss at all. A wonderful experience, lovely drinks, spectacular...

We had dinner at Izakaya and were totally impressed with the food and service. The flavours were amazing with some very interesting combinations. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for fine dining with a difference.

Had a phenomenal Sunday lunch at izakaya. The food was divine (I loved the cucumber and Daikon salad but honestly couldn't pick a favourite dish, everything was divine!) everything was beautifully presented down to the smallest detail. Thestaff provided wonderful service and I cannot wait...

The staff were really helpful and friendly and knew exactly what to recommend in way of cocktails. Food was amazing can not recommend more.

We were recommended to go here by friends and it did not disappoint. Chef selection was great and the fried chicken was the best I’ve had. 10/10 would highly recommended

Honestly one of the nicest meals we’ve ever eaten in York. The food and drinks were amazing. Excellent service and lots of knowledgeable information about the food and cocktails. The atmosphere was so laid back. Can’t wait to visit again.

First visit last night, so looking forward to it but sadly despite good flavours, too many other factors left us feeling so disappointed during the meal and after. If any of the staff had asked if things had been okay at the end of the...

Took our staff here for post Christmas dinner. Absolutely superb food, great selection of beers and drink and excellent service. I would recommend trying everything on the menu which is what we did. Brilliant

We've just come back from having dinner at Izakaya and we enjoyed it so much that we wanted to tell everyone. The setting is intimate and calm, and the menu full of flavours. Our highlights were the diakon chilli coriander bao and the tempura cauliflower,...

The menu at Izakaya is very diverse and lots to offer the chef was very helpful with our specific requirements and made an effort to come and reassure us personally before we ate which was an unexpected lovely touch! we had a selection of dishes...

Very very small food portions. One dish preserved duck consisted on one duck wing 😳 in fact every portion was small. It was pointed out we would need three dishes each but you would be hungry after that! The bao buns were stodgy and under...

How is this not the first/best recommended restaurant in York! Absolute perfection, will be back in a heartbeat. Food was full of flavour, cooked to perfection, staff knew their menu and gave us great recommendations, stunning atmosphere. Highly recommend trying each dish - you won't...

Family trip for lunch. Lovely Omikase boards, super tasty tofu and pickles. Try the eel crisps. It was a shame it wasn’t busier considering the volume of people in town. Must return for cocktails soon as they looked great.

Professional staff. Cozy dining area. Authentic Japanese food. Do not expect them to be like Wagamama or yo sushi. They are so much better and niche. They catered for my special requirements and gave great accommodations. we had a 2 hour meal there and we...

We went for dinner at Izakaya on only its second night of opening, and had a genuinely faultless experience. Staff are warm and friendly, the presentation of the food and restaurant as a whole is immaculate, and the background music sets the right tone without...

My wife and I were visiting York for a short break and we were looking for somewhere for lunch. We stepped into Izakaya on a whim as the menu looked great. The atmosphere in the restaurant is lovely, it's quite an intimate setting and the...

Excellent meal at Izakaya last night. We were greeted warmly upon arrival and sat in a cosy area which felt intimate but not too much so. We asked for the chefs choice of dishes and I have to say I was blown away! The steak...

Service was amazing from the moment we walked in. I think the price was completely reasonable. We had bar snacks and 3 small dishes, a cocktail and sake all for £45 each. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the service was outstanding. I will definitely...

Interesting experience - never had Japanese food before, although I reckon these dishes were an interpretation of, or inspired by, rather than out and out authentic. It was their soft opening week and we shared 6 small plates from a pescatarian menu, some of which...

Amazing first Visit,wow outstanding food and amazing cocktails.The launch taster menu demonstrated the skill of the chefs. amazing.