Izakaya

Went here for the first time as a party of 5 and we all were very impressed with the whole experience. Beautiful and tasty food, very attentive and friendly staff that explained the menu very clearly. The atmosphere is classy but nice and chill. Pictures show the chicken thigh yakitori (starter), the tonkotsu ramen (main), cucumber and daikon salad (side) and the cold dressed noodles (side). Will definitely be returning here again. :)

Dined at Izakaya last night overall a very enjoyable experience. The staff were very professional, attentive and welcoming. It’s a very small restaurant which makes it more exclusive and a much better dining experience. The food itself was perfect for a tasting menu very tasty and delightful. Every mouthful was a bomb of fantastic Asian Japanese flavours. My only very slight criticism of the menu was the Wagu beef it’s was a supplementary £50 extra - an extra I was more than happy to pay but I really did think it could be little larger in presentation and more of the beautiful meat. I recognise it’s an expensive cut of meat but for the diner I felt it was a little over priced. But what was presented was stunning and delightful and tasty I just wanted more of it on the plate. Overall an excellent experience and would recommend to fellow diners, family and friends 🙌🙏

It's easy to do fusion; slam together multiple cuisines and hope for the best. It's difficult to do it well, but Izayaka have managed it fantastically, serving up innovative and well executed dishes fusing the principles, styles and flavour combinations from Japan with thoughtful touches of modern British (with an emphasis on local Yorkshire produce). Served with care and love in an environment that evokes minimalist Japanese aesthetics yet retains a warm cosy feel. Top marks, guys. Looking forward to the Winter Omakase already!

An absolute diamond of a find! The food is imaginative and a very high standard, the service is attentive and very pleasant and the setting is chilled and informal, but classy. Lunch menu was great and not too much to eat midday. We will be booking the evening tasting menu based on the high quality lunch. Local seasonal produce and decent cocktails make this place somewhere to return to.

Really fantastic food, beautiful but understated decor and presentation. I was a little concerned about my range of choice being a vegetarian, but in fact this was no issue at all because the options were all just delicious and I’d certainly recommend vegetarians visit. My only two criticisms—which are relatively minor— was 1) the choice of music, which felt a bit out of step with the vibe of the restaurant. Ambient music might be better suited! and 2) There was a couple that came in looking for a seat and I couldn’t help notice they were refused fairly unapologetically due kitchen capacity— which I understand, but I thought the refusal could have been done a little more politely. Overall, could not fault the food and the hard work of the chefs, really just wonderful. Just a few minor things needed to smooth out to make it perfect!

Wow! Izakaya you did not disappoint. 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 second to none all the way through. We ordered 6 small plates. The first dish we tried was the karage chicken with yuzu and honey - wow this was amazing! Strips of battered chicken with the most delicious sticky glaze, and a tasty dip to accompany. We’d just about mastered using the chopsticks at this point and this definitely gave us something to talk about and we enjoyed embracing the use of traditional utensils. Next, I tucked into the sesame noodles, a generous portion garnished with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion. Initially sceptical about them being served cold, this was quickly dismissed when I tasted them, delicious! Soon followed was the chicken meatball skewer and the chicken thigh skewer, served with an egg dip. Both were delicious, tender and full of flavour. Lastly, we tried the beef cheek bao bun. The beef was tender like pulled melt-in-the-mouth beef and the bun, perfectly soft. The black garlic and oyster emulsion just kicked it up another notch. The ambience of the restaurant was relaxed and zen with quiet music playing. I was in awe of the earthy interior decor too! Contemporary with an eclectic mix of Japanese touches like the bamboo light shades and willow. We will certainly be back. Thank you Izakaya, for such a lovely dining experience.

Everything about this place was amazing. All the staff were really friendly and knowledgeable, the setting is cosy but stylish. All the food was incredible - we ordered one of each vegetarian option to share between two, which was plenty. Every dish was exceptional, full of flavour, and we tried ingredients we'd never heard of before. Reasonably priced considering the quality. Cannot recommend enough!

The tasting menu was absolutely divine; excellent presentation and the ingredients carefully considered in every dish. The staff were very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Cannot wait to try the rest of the menu and cocktail selection. A new, wonderful place to eat in York with a great twist on authentic Japanese cuisine.