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Sake Bar and Japanese Restaurant$$$$
Turtle Bay, New York
Has a stamp of approval from The Wall Street Journal and New York Habitat
"... fried chicken, and black sesame creme brulee!"(7 Tips)
"Great, authentic Japanese food."(7 Tips)
"down to the basement of a Midtown office building and you’ll"(5 Tips)
"lunchtime trip to Japan and order the Lunch Tasting Course"(4 Tips)
216 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- Japanese food
- healthy food
- good for dates
- desserts
- pork belly
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Mark KupasrimonkolMarch 23, 2015Great date spot. Great food. Finish the meal with uni soba. Eat it lady and the tramp-style and marry that girl. (Cc: my wife). Unrelated, the sake barrel bathrooms have awesome Japanese toilets.
Untapped CitiesJanuary 18, 2018This hidden gem can be found in basement of a Midtown office building. Their extensive list of 200+ imported sakes (categorized by region) offers guests a modest taste of traditional Japanese cuisine. Read more
My new $11.50 lunch special faves w/ a side of hot or cold soba & pickles: Kaki Fry Don (fried oysters & tar-tar sauce w/ cabbage over rice) & Tataki Don (scrambled egg & minced chicken over rice)
Marc SchneebergerApril 14, 2019Everything. From the sake, to the environment to the food. Specially if you are a uni addict get the unisoba. Best cold unisoba in the city by far!
- Marc SchneebergerDecember 23, 2018If you have in your mind to eat izakaya and drink amazing sakes at a very decent price do not think it twice, this is the place to be. Unisoba is a must!
Morgan McKeeFebruary 20, 2018Asian tapas with a reasonable price tag in a divey place. Sake program is great, and you can go for a taster if you’re a sake newb. Grilled squid, pork belly and any noodle dish are musts.
Elizabeth BursteinAugust 31, 2022Amazing authentic japanese. Delicious cloud sake 14, toro, uni, miso cod, and tofu. Black sesame and yuzo mochi. Expensive but good!
Renaud #July 24, 2017Skip the appetizers, order some grilled meats or black cod, and sake. We enjoyed the Miyazaki beef cooked on hot stone 👍🏻
Kyulee SeoSeptember 26, 2016You must get there early to have a chance for their specials, and don't skip out on their girly cocktails!! They are really special and yummy!!!
Brian StraussFebruary 4, 2019Good luck finding the place. Amazing and affordable sake menu. Food menu is delicious Japanese tapas but all over the place price wise. Skip the stone cooked beef, indulge in noodles and sashimi.
Lori LuoAugust 10, 2014This "hidden in the office basement" restaurant serves an excellent array of sake and spirits, as well as Japanese bites. The buta kakuni (pork belly) and chicken karaage are standout plates.
KateDecember 28, 2023Came for lunch - had the half udon, chawan mushi, and hamachi sashimi. All were delicious and would love to come again soon!
Ernesto GutierrezMarch 8, 2022Great sake selection to pair up with some good food. The Japanese village ambiance certainly adds to the charm of the place. My only gripe was the emperor tea flan dessert
Sung HwangFebruary 14, 2016Never failed to please. Authentic hidden gem found 5 years ago and still a regular. Must get onsen tamago (for uni lovers), hirame ponzu, gyusuji miso nikomi among many dishes you can get.- If ur in a hurry, Sakagura's "Kiosk"-lobby level-sells their signatures in bentos & bowls for less: grilled cod w/ asstd veggies; mixed veggie curry w/ beef; soba salad; chirashi; rice balls, etc.
- Jonathan SnookJuly 16, 2018Had the lunch tasting menu with sake pairing. Wonderfully tasty sake. Sashimi, soba, tempura was fantastic. Could've skipped the beef. Black sesame ice cream was perfect.
Ina LiDecember 8, 2016Chill, delicious Izakaya spot with great selection of drinks and small plates. Three people for food and drink ended up $260
Mike the ElderJanuary 2, 2019One of the beat izakayas in the city. If you’re into Sake you’re in for a ride. Friendly service in a room that takes you back to Japan. Food is yummy. Kampai!
Eric TashDecember 14, 2014Come with a group. It's akin to Japanese tapas so the plates are small. Everything we ordered was superb and I highly recommend getting a bottle of saki for the table!
Roula HannaSeptember 25, 2016Ah-mazing food....had many plates including the wagyu beef hot stone, the fluke sashimi which were delicious. Try the drop sake tasting.
ChenyuDecember 28, 2012Love the coffee jelly - great dessert for those who prefer less sweet desser. Black sesame brûlée is a must-have!
AmateurConciergeOctober 3, 2015Like being transported to Tokyo at this hidden gem. The taro and vegetable tempura and egg custard with shrimp and chicken were highlights.
Jesse AngelinoJanuary 15, 2015Gem in the city.Food is out of this world.Fun drinks available with top notch service.And the best in Japanese desserts to date.Really fun to try and find too!😍- New $11.50 daily specials from 9/2-10/3/14. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy! =)
Mary PhamAugust 27, 2014Come for lunch if possible. Great food and affordable prices! Otherwise dinner is always great, too (just much more $$$$). Onsen tamago is a must for you umami lovers.- DinaApril 24, 2014A secret restaurant hidden inside the basement of an office building. Great, authentic Japanese food. Everything is delicious. Extensive sake list. Reservations essential.
- New $11.50 daily specials from 3/3-3/28/14. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy! =)
Hannah HanNovember 19, 2014Seems like the chef changed since 2-3 yrs ago, the food definitely tasted different although still decent. Daikon salad, onsen tamago, kakuni, black sesame creme brulee are my all time faves.
ninaSeptember 7, 2012This charming izakaya is hidden in the basement of an office building. Dinner is great, order anything! And save room for black sesame creme brulee.- New $11.50 daily specials from 4/7-5/2/14. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm). Enjoy! =)
R KMay 12, 2014Walking into Sakagura, hidden deep in the basement of a midtown office building, is like walking into a dream. The food is unbelievable: try everything, drink liberally, and stay late.
Haneen 💍December 4, 2018Nice hide-away japanese restaurant. Very nice hosts and great service. Food is Tapas style! Eggplant with three types of Miso 🤤🤤- New $11.50 daily specials from 1/6-1/31/14. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy! =)
- New $11.50 daily specials from 11/4-11/29/13. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy! =)
- New $11.50 daily specials from 9/3-9/27/13. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy! =)
- New $11.50 daily specials from 7/1-8/02/13. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy!;)
Lillian CheungMarch 12, 2015All around really solid Japanese food 👌🇯🇵 love the black sesame creme brûlée and chocolate soufflé desserts, but the soy sauce ice cream is kinda weird
Chloe MaDecember 4, 2013This hidden restaurant is one of the most authentic Japanese food in the city! Get the seaweed salad, Gyutan Yawaraka Ni (beef tongue) and sea salt chocolate sorbet!
- New $11.50 M-F lunch specials (1/4-2/1/13. *Changes monthly). They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy!;)
Mihnea MiculescuMay 3, 2011Step 1: order sake (just ask the waiter to recommend something). Step 2: Definitely get some Stewed Diced Pork. Step 3: For desert, go for the Black Sesame Creme Brulee. Step 4: Now you can die happy.
Amy RobertsonMarch 21, 2016Enter through the office building. Walk past the front desk and take stairway F downstairs. Hidden and worth the journey
Shelley ChenOctober 17, 2014So many types of sake, good food too! It's downstairs in an office building but it's not hard to find.
Alice AlyssJuly 18, 2015Nice food nice environment. The beef stew is the best, each chunk of beef is packed with flavour.
Sandra LloydAugust 20, 2010Great for lunch. Great for dinner. Great desserts. Really fresh, good quality food. Best lunch deal around. This is one of my favorite restaurants, hands down.
The Wall Street JournalJune 16, 2010Try one of the daily lunch specials, which are made in limited quantities of 30 orders or less. Diners with room for dessert may want black sesame crème brulee or coffee Jell-O. Read more
New York HabitatDecember 2, 2011Amazing sake selection and the authentic food is great for a quick, casual lunch. We recommend the onsen tomago, sakagura special, and black sesame ice cream.
Claude HarrisonSeptember 6, 2014Get a real NYC experience. Back of the building, down industrial looking steps, past the eerily lit janitor's closet... yeah, that's it. Sakagura. Not a sushi bar. Izakaya; and it is phenomenal.- New $11.50 daily specials from 5/5-5/30/14. *Changes monthly. They have limited quantities so get there early (before 12pm to be safe). Enjoy! =)
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Sakagura was founded in 1996 and has become one of the top sake bars in the United States, attracting countless sake lovers. When you visit our unique location in the basement of a Midtown East office building, you’ll understand why we have earned the nickname “hidden jewel.”
Open until 11:00 PM (Show more)
- Mon–Thu
- 11:30 AM–2:30 PM
- 6:00 PM–Midnight
- Fri
- 11:30 AM–2:30 PM
- 6:00 PM–1:00 AM
- Sat
- 6:00 PM–1:00 AM
- Sun
- 6:00 PM–11:00 PM
(212) 953-7253
Features
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. American Express & MasterCard)
Outdoor Seating
No
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Parking
Street
Restroom
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Lunch, Dinner, Dessert
Drinks
Full Bar
See More
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