Bar Goto
Cocktail Bar$$$$
Lower East Side, New York
The folks at Bon Appetit Magazine and Time Out New York like this place. Would you agree?
"The Shochu cocktail, the umami Mary! Get the miso wings."(7 Tips)
"... Mary, before 11pm: Sakura martini, after...$10 Sapporo and a house shot 🍻"(6 Tips)
"upscale Japanese izakaya style cocktails from a Pegu club alum"(4 Tips)
"Small, intimate bar with great cocktails and tasty okonomiyaki."(6 Tips)
See what your friends are saying about Bar Goto.
By creating an account you are able to follow friends and experts you trust and see the places they’ve recommended.
orSign up with email
103 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- cocktails
- good for dates
- pegu club
- trendy
- restaurants
- (15 more)
Sort:
- Popular
- Recent
From the Pegu Club team, inventive and tasty cocktails with very solid izakaya bar food. Miso fried chicken and the okonomiyaki traditional were great.
Upvote8Downvote
Josephine SonAugust 1, 2015Amazing new Japanese cocktail bar in LES. Totally sexy vibes and the drinks are amazing. I'm in love with the Far East Side! Great date spot too.
Upvote1Downvote
Natalie VFebruary 5, 2017Okonomiyaki is so good! We liked the carnivore one a lot. Wings and celery are also great. The sake nectar cocktail and Yuzu calpico are my favs. BF likes the sazerac and jersey kilt.
UpvoteDownvote
OMG - love this place. Gorgeous space, owner formerly at Pegu. Amazing cocktails, great food and wonderful staff. I will be back!! Get the grilled cheese and the fries - not your typical, delish
Upvote1Downvote
Melissa YuFebruary 25, 2018chicken wings, okonomiyaki and octopus were tasty eats. Cocktails: LES and a cold brew rye were my fav.
Upvote1Downvote
Jen RiosNovember 17, 2017Love! Great for food and drinks. Small and intimate setting not too quiet but still buzzing. Bar and tables are usually full early. The staff is attentive and friendly which is a big plus for me.UpvoteDownvote
Eddie POctober 27, 2018Good cocktails, nice ambience. They have pretty good bar food/small izakaya type dishes here but not really a dinner spot. But a good place to have "dinner" if you want to focus on drinking.
UpvoteDownvote
TingAugust 13, 2016Nice date place. Space has intimate 2 person tables, decor is not overly romantic. Enough background noise to drown out the awkward silences while still being quiet enough to hear the other person.
UpvoteDownvote
Jaclyn RFebruary 3, 2019Great cocktails served in unique glassware. Really nice and accommodating host to make sure everyone could get in and not wait outside in the cold. Get the drink served in a boxUpvoteDownvote
Charles EspinalApril 11, 2022Damn good chicken wings. Careful, they are spicy! I had a great experience here. It’s small and intimate. Good for a pit stop around the city.Upvote1Downvote
The miso wings are insanely good... Dare I say the best chicken wings in the city? Yep.
Upvote1Downvote
Sherry WangMay 6, 2016Get the matcha drink. The burdock fries and okonomiyaki (the meatiest option, can't recall the name) were delicious. Umami mary is great too— good flavors but not like a meal like other bloodiesUpvoteDownvote- S. FanOctober 31, 2015This is he perfect combination of #izakaya and #cocktail den. Only one drawback - the music. Too loud and totally misfit. Get sakagura martini and the pickles!
UpvoteDownvote 
s vJune 7, 2017(Thrillist tip) Dessert-y Rum Oshiruko, made w/ red bean soup & dark rum, served on crushed ice w/ mochi ice cream... chicken wings here are required eating. can’t go wrong w/ the sesame celery.UpvoteDownvote
Ross WSJanuary 16, 2017Kenta Goto of Pegu Club fame is behind this New York venue. Expect easy Japanese food, craft cocktails, and a thoughtful selection of beer, wine and sakeUpvoteDownvote
Bradley KayFebruary 19, 2017Good drinks menu, though more limited than most high quality cocktail bars. Tilts towards Japanese ingredients (yuzu, sochu, calpico). Amazing wings and okonami-yaki.UpvoteDownvote
Rudy ValentaJune 10, 2016Kobu Celery - fresh spears of celery, salted kelp, sea same seeds and red shiso flakes. Perfect combo with a cocktailUpvote1Downvote
Jason SuNovember 5, 2023Amazing Japanese bar on the LES. Great staff. Favorite bar in the cityUpvote1Downvote- The Shochu cocktail, the umami Mary! Get the miso wings. Absolutely my fav new place in town.
Upvote4Downvote 
Susie YinAugust 22, 2015Gobo fries and miso wings to emulate Asian-American tastes, every cocktail is a great blend of Asian flavors. Gin lovers get the sakura martiniUpvoteDownvote
Connie ChiuJanuary 15, 2018Great drinks and Japanese appetizers. The staff is fantastic! $11 for a beer and shot. The okonomiyaki is a bit too heavy with sauce.UpvoteDownvote
Time Out New YorkOctober 5, 2018In the absence of distractions, focus directs to the well-lit bar, where Goto effortlessly stirs his Far East–whispered creations, drawing on his Japanese heritage. Read moreUpvote1Downvote
BettyJanuary 27, 2016Seriously amazing place! Came for the hot toddy on a cold day, and Chris did not disappoint. Kobu Celery, Miso Wings will be in my dreams for days.UpvoteDownvote- Alexandria McGrathJune 26, 2018The sake-and-gin Sakura Martini, garnished with its namesake cherry blossom, or the Improved Shochu Cocktail, delivered in a masu, or sake "overflow" box, are choice spirit-forward picks.UpvoteDownvote
- F. BastardNovember 29, 2016Stylish, charming and low key cocktail spot. The shiso and yuzu-based cocktail (I forget the name) was refreshing and unusual in all the right ways.UpvoteDownvote
Hailey Heewoo KimSeptember 16, 2015the Far East Side cocktail was very refreshing - loved it! also recommend the bar snacks - the chicken wings and fries were addictingUpvoteDownvote
KatAugust 17, 2016Fail safe option for cocktails downtown without doorman drama and in a cool space. Think Angel's Share-style cocktails but without the line of out-of-towners waiting for a table.UpvoteDownvote
Jeff WooJanuary 17, 2016The cocktails are great but I came for the wings and wings I will come back again for!
UpvoteDownvote
EileenSeptember 23, 2017If you like creamy, sweet drinks, get the hojicha milk punch. Kyoto old fashioned is similar to alcohol tea. LES was easy to drinkUpvoteDownvote
Joseph AkbrudAugust 10, 2015Upscale and intimate izakaya featuring delicious bites and Japanese influenced cocktails.
UpvoteDownvote
Rebecca LitovskySeptember 9, 2015Love the Far East Side cocktail that features sake, tequila, and a shizo leaf. Delicious.
UpvoteDownvote- ElisaNovember 18, 2018Main appeal here - innovative cocktails. Not a lot of food options, just bar snacks that are pricey. Classic okonomiyaki was good.Upvote1Downvote
MarcApril 26, 2019Thrillist Top 5 Wings NYC: garlicky wings drenched in salty, earthy miso & sprinkled w/sesame seeds. Crispy enough to make noise; spicy enough to give lips a slow burn. An order will be small amountUpvoteDownvote
Erin MerchantDecember 23, 2021This place is sexy like a Louis Vuitton leather jacket. No bad cocktails, only sultry vibes. Try it all.Upvote1Downvote
Leah HammerschlagApril 2, 2016The wings are worth it- super unique and delicious, the cocktails are tasty though not mindblowing at $15. Wonderful service and ambiance.UpvoteDownvote
Henry BridgeSeptember 30, 2015Great cocktails and wings. Celery app is unexpectedly good too. The okonomiyaki is tasty but super heavy – would recommend splitting.Upvote1Downvote
Bruce HomerMarch 17, 2017Impecable cocktails! Drink as art! The decor is beautiful. Need to try the food next time - looks great!UpvoteDownvote
Michael ConstantineDecember 29, 2015The bar is aesthetically appealing with a dark and romantic feel. The cocktails are very good and has a great presentationUpvoteDownvote- Caroline SchulweisAugust 27, 2015Before 2pm: umami Bloody Mary, before 11pm: Sakura martini, after...$10 Sapporo and a house shot 🍻
UpvoteDownvote 
Christine HaFebruary 29, 2016Amazing cocktails: Yuzu fizz, umami Mary, matcha & Sendai with half & half. Cool ambience but tiny with no Rezzes. Food is meh. 🍸🍹🍶UpvoteDownvote
AmateurConciergeNovember 7, 2016The miso wings are great. They're quite small and easy to take down. Great sauce to meat ratio!UpvoteDownvote
Rafi RomeroMay 20, 2017the Far East Side was really good. Both Okonomiyaki(? - Japenese omelettes) were also excellentUpvoteDownvote
Kim PhamJanuary 5, 2017Cosy little Japanese bar. The specials are super interesting. Perfect for date night.UpvoteDownvote
Jason ChuangJuly 30, 2015They have a few kinks to work out service wise, Sakura martini and yuzu calpico fizz were a little disappointing. Far East Side and matcha milkshake were greatUpvoteDownvote
Anastasia SmolinaJanuary 11, 2019Very interesting Japanese cocktails with Calpico, matcha, sencha, wasabi, and more. Fun vibe!UpvoteDownvote
284 Photos
Foursquare © 2025 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
Bar Goto
245 Eldridge St (btwn E Houston St & Stanton St)
New York, NY 10002
United States
New York, NY 10002
United States
Open until Midnight (Show more)
- Tue–Thu, Sun
- 5:00 PM–Midnight
- Fri–Sat
- 5:00 PM–2:00 AM
(212) 475-4411
View menu on http://bargoto.com/aboutus
Features
Credit Cards
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Music
Yes
Food & Drink
Drinks
Beer, Full Bar, Cocktails
See More
You might also like
- 9.1
"Get the Thai curry and Waldorf salad cocktail and save room for their classic chicken fried sandwich! They make a real effort with the their unique drink varieties."
Elvis Rodricks - 8.4
"The house cocktail (The Jungle Bird) is a refreshing mix of tiki and Campari. The crispy rice bites were delicious and made for a nice snack. Service friendly too."
Matthew Ferguson - 9.1
"Amazing gem tucked away with perfect cocktails for all. Enjoyed everything they made. And highly personable staff."
John Duarte
Places people like to go after Bar Goto
- 9.2
"Their Manhattan is one of the best I ever had. Very cozy speakeasy."
Filip F. - 8.5
"One of my favorite bars, great cocktail, whiskey, and draught list. Great for big groups and awesome service."
Russell Hirschorn - 9.0
"Wonderful friendly staff, with great recommendations. Impressive selection across single malts, Japanese varieties, as well as blends, armagnacs and cognacs"
Christianna Hay
Appears on 1,856 lists
Bon Appétit City Guide to New York
Created by Bon Appetit Magazine
31 items • 279 followers
America's Best New Restaurants 2016
Created by Bon Appetit Magazine
50 items • 351 followers
Created by Kim Pham
48 items • 62 followers
