I first heard about Izakaya Sora on social media and knew we had to check it out. We went on a Sunday right when they opened at 5pm and were able to grab a table right away. For our drinks, we got the lychee martini and yuzu honey highball which we loved. We ordered a few small plates, including the Hakkaido Potatoes which we loved! Amazing flavoring. We also got the Japanese street corn which was okay but we wouldn't get it again. As for skewers, we got the Tiger prawn which had great flavor. We loved the wagyu filet mignon. We also tried one of the chicken skewers. Overall we had a great experience and amazing food. It is added to our date night rotation. read more

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A very intimate, high energy Japanese tapas bar with fantastic cocktails and rare Japanese Whisky. The menu is diverse yet retains a constant theme throughout all dishes. I highly recommend starting with the chicken thigh skewer dipped in a sweet and savory Tare sauce. There are many standard skewers like chicken breast, Wagyu beef tenderloin, and Tiger Prawn. Each skewer comes with its own little sauce. There are also more adventurous skewers. For example, the crispy chicken skin is so aromatic and bursting with flavor. The drinks are beyond creative. I enjoy their Lychee Martini and Sapporo on draft. They do offer a very nicely curated cocktail list. The Shiso Smoke is definitely a hit with the herbaceous and Smokey flavors. The other half of the menu is Sashimi-style dishes with creative sauces and other shareables. The window seating is prime real estate. It's truly romantic to be able to dine on the streets of downtown Laguna Beach. This is definitely one of the coolest experiences you can have in Laguna. read more

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Came here a few nights ago and tried a couple of things: the cabo salmon, the chef's recommendation of the Hokkaido potatoes, the shio chicken negime skewer, the tsukune parmesan and tare skewer, the tsukune oroshi skewer, the salami ume shiso skewer, and the sasami suzu kosho. To start the potatoes were very delicious and the sauce paired tastefully with it! It also came with a generous amount of prosciutto! The cabo salmon was cooked in a way its seared on the outside and still chewy on the inside which I also enjoyed! It was paired with a tangy sauce which I loved! All the skewers were very delicious and my favorite that stood out was the parmesan and tare tsukune, and my partner's favorite was the tsukune oroshi! Overall everything had rich and prominent flavors. The staff was also very nice and came to check on us throughout the meal and after we finished. I saw some reviews complaining about portion size and taste, but it seems like they may not have known what izakaya is, to me everything was delicious and I would come again to try more when I'm in the area again! read more

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It's crowded and lovely and fun here tonight, 9/26/26 and we are excited to be out in Laguna on a warm Saturday evening! I called earlier to make sure they have gluten free options and they do! I made my reservation on Yelp! We met chef Sora and he is open to suggestions on how to improve the menu. We gave him our feedback which was mixed. The standout dish is bluefin tuna with avocado and truffle. The chicken breast yakitori is bland and I don't recommend. We were sober tonight but the cocktail menu looked delicious! They have a full bar so drink up. The price tag is about $100 more than it's worth. Would I come back? Yes but I know what NOT to order now. read more

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Went here for Sunday dinner at 5:30p before seeing pageant of the masters. Plenty of seating so sat right away. Service started off ok but as the night progressed our server forgot about our table as it the guy didn't come back to check on us even though the place wasn't busy. I will not be coming back as the food portion was small with a high price tag and taste was average read more

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How lucky am I? I was visiting the area and wanted to try a new place within walking distance from the beach. I saw people mentioning Sora and I love izakaya so I tried to do a walk in. The place had two open window seatings on each side of the door and was filled when I went on a weekday. I sat at a table in the middle but a window seat opened up and they were able to accommodate me right away. The place feels like you're a guest in their home and was v intimate. Bc I was wandering that day and wanted to try other places as well, I only ordered a few things from each section to try out the menu. The cocktail of choice was the violet garden bc I love sweeter drinks. It was a soft cocktail that I was able to enjoy while eating. Mixed well 8/10 They were out of the yellowtail ribs :/ the server gave me a detailed explanation of the menu and some recommendations so I tried the baby scallops and they were definitely baby sized. Would recommend. I also love the yakitori: wagyu and hearts were on the menu but held back from ordering more. Both servers took their time to check up on me and talked about the surrounding area for things to do bc I was just visiting. They asked if I wanted a second round and as tempted as I was, I decided to get the crème brûlée to end the night. Left no crumbs But seriously I would come back here again to try every yakitori piece and sides to share. It's a cute date night or special occasion type of place. Alsoooo thank you Soto for stopping by. He asked how everything was and told me they just opened two weeks ago and they don't have an izakaya spot in this area. I was happy for him that they were so busy during the week but also had time to make conversation with everyone. I wish you the best and will definitely come back soon :) read more

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Man oh man you gotta come here. Now this is a total date night spot not a place I'd bring my teenagers because they focus on quality vs quantity but it was great. Started off with the Sake flight which was a great way to sample their Sakes. Then we got the truffle tuna which is an absolute must get. It was so good with the Black Sea salt. We also got the grill omakase. Which included 5 skewers. We got the chicken, chicken wing, eggplant, filet and shrimp. All were delicious. We also got the local albacore which was OK not my favorite. Finally got the scallops, filet and of course the lamb chop. Again all cooked over charcoal and cooked perfectly. I gotta say this place had a super fun vibe and some seriously delicious food. I'll be back and you should most definitely go here! read more

Izakaya Sora - Truffle Tuna - Izakaya Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

I decided to check this place out while in Laguna Beach this weekend. They had a DJ playing some great music and the vibe was great. The service was actually amazing, and the food was some of the most flavorful I've had in a long time. The plates are made for sharing and getting the most for your money. I ordered the Albacore Sashimi, Yellowtail Ceviche Tostada, Albacore Tataki, Ono Delight and a Lychee Martini. Everything was so fresh and delicious I was actually really blown away. Great job Izakaya Sora, can't wait to come back and try some more stuff! read more

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This little place really is just a sliver of a restaurant, however, Saturday night it was packed with personality. We sat at the very front of the restaurant which had four chairs. Very nice as it was extremely hot Inside the restaurant otherwise. " plus you get to watch all the activity in Laguna Beach" We enjoyed many many of the dishes. The garlic edamame was probably my favorite. The chicken and Wagyu skewers unfortunately lacked any kind of bold flavor. I love a good crispy rice, unfortunately, this one was a little bit smaller than a tater tot, and again no dynamic flavor. There was a salt content on most of the dishes that was higher than normal, especially for fresh fish. The lychee martini was on point. We were so excited to try this new Japanese restaurant in our neighborhood. We felt a little underwhelmed. We would love to come back in a month or so and see if perhaps, number one: portion of the skewers should be four all the way across, not just the chicken. Our Wagyu was only three. Number two: the overall size of every dish needs to increase by at least 10%. As a diner, we want to be excited and satisfied not underwhelmed, and dare I say hungry when you leave. read more

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Had a chance to try this new spot out in Laguna and it did not disappoint!! Me and the hubby got shareable Japanese apps and they were DELICIOUS. Uniquely Marinated chicken thigh skewers that were so juicy and soft.. cooked to perfection. The seafood options we tried were TO DIE FOR. Their ceviche is unlike anything I've ever tried and tossed in a really delicious sauce giving it a twist you'd never get from a Hispanic restaurant.. Probably the most amazing thing were the oyster/clams...they were seasoned with the most delicious spices and vinegar...I've never had them do festive tasting and weigh so much flavor depth! Such a unique menu here.. will definitely be back! read more

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Such a good night at Izakaya Sora in Laguna Beach The HeavenSake was beautiful -- soft, delicate, with a floral aroma that lingered on the tip of my tongue. The raw selection was exactly my kind of food: fresh, clean, and beautifully presented. But the Madai Crudo absolutely stole the show for me. So delicate and refreshing -- I actually preferred it way more than the Madai Sizzle. Oysters, crudo, sake... definitely my kind of heaven. Will be back. read more

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We had excellent service from the staff when we dined one early evening. We enjoyed the many yakitori and robata yaki items on their menu and it was all very flavorful and satisfying. However, the raw fish selections were not up to par as the presentation was rather skimpy for the price. read more

Fantastic teppanyaki and other Japanese food - small Plate experience . I've been to Japan almost 20'timed since 1980 and this so the closest to classic Japanese teppanyaki I've had outside of Japan . Every dish is delicious and unique . Service is great and animated -ambiance is simple and understated . And you can watch the chef grilling the meats and seafood over wood coals in a small steel "BBQ" . read more

Food, service, ambience all a 5 star. Chef Sota is amazing. Order one of everything. You will leave happy and already looking forward to your next visit. read more

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Such a fun new spot in Laguna Beach! The vibe at Izakaya Sora is amazing, especially on Saturday nights when they have a DJ. Great music, great energy, and just a really happy place to spend the evening. What made the experience even more special was the hospitality. Chef Sota and his wife are incredibly warm and welcoming and really make an effort to connect with everyone. That personal touch makes you feel like more than just another guest. The food is fresh and delicious, the drinks are great, and the whole place has such a positive energy. You can tell a lot of heart went into creating this restaurant. Definitely a new Laguna Beach favorite! read more

Izakaya Sora - Mango, cucumber, pomegranate salad - Izakaya Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

100/10! Sota is back with this new concept in Laguna and it couldn't be better! We tried a few dishes and they were all amazing. Loved the chicken skin & filet mignon yakitori - mouth watering! Great atmosphere, perfect location & a must try if you're in Laguna! read more

Izakaya Sora - (Took a couple bites first) but so good! - Izakaya Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Atmosphere was great on a Saturday night and the servers were attentive. The food was just okay. The yakitori and actual Japanese items were good but nothing special. I didn't care for any of the "fusion" items, not because I don't like fusion foods, but because they just weren't very good. For the price, I would look elsewhere. read more

Agree with other reviews, food is good but the portions are small for the price. My friend and I each ordered a drink, the chef's selection of 5 skewers and shared a small dish of mackerel. The bill came out to over $170+ for the two of us. I don't think the value is there. read more

Izakaya Sora - Izakaya Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Extremely disappointed with the management at Izakaya Sora. We had a confirmed reservation for Saturday night, only to have it abruptly canceled by the restaurant. When we called to find out what happened, we were told they decided to completely shut down operations for the night to take the staff out to a company event somewhere else. Completely going the restaurant to go to another event at another venue is crazy. Doing so by blind-siding paying customers and ruining their Saturday night plans on 24 hours' notice is incredibly unprofessional. In a town like Laguna where weekend reservations fill up weeks in advance, this is a terrible way for a new business to treat the local community. Unreliable management." read more

Celebrated an anniversary dinner here the other night. We were super impressed and happy with the food and the service. Every dish was delicious, and it's the kind of place I would want to return to try the rest of the menu (pork belly and chicken thigh skewers were my favorites). Servers, hostess, and the chef went out of their way to ensure we were all good, and we got two dishes on the house since we were celebrating. The dj was also a really fun bonus. We'll be back next time we come down to Laguna! read more

I was so excited to see Chef Sota open Izakaya Sora in Laguna Beach after loving Sota in Corona del Mar, and it exceeded my expectations. The menu is a beautiful mix of Japanese and coastal-inspired dishes, and everything we ordered was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. Every plate was as beautiful as it was delicious. The atmosphere is warm, stylish, and welcoming, and the service was excellent. You can really feel the passion and attention to detail in everything they do. I'm so happy Chef Sota brought this concept to Laguna Beach. I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu. Highly recommend! read more

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This was PHENOMENAL! We got so many different things off the menu and each bite was amazing. Very authentic, kind staff, great vibe, highly recommend! read more

Such a needed addition to Laguna Beach! Wonderful location right on Beach St. We went for their soft opening and were pleasantly surprised on how wonderful the food and service was considering it was their first night. Chef Sota is AMAZING we tried a bunch of different items but really enjoyed the yellowtail ceviche. Drinks were outstanding as well! I'm so glad there is a Japanese tapas place in the area now. So unique and fun! read more

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SORA is becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Laguna Beach. The food is excellent, and they also have a variety of sake and Japanese whisky. If you like Japanese Yakitori, you have to try theirs! So tender and juicy!!! They also have izakaya-style appetizers, which I love. Highly recommend you try it when you are in Laguna near the main beach area. read more

Menu of sushi is negligible. Do not come here expecting a full sushi menu. They only serve cold sake , yuck

My new favorite in town. Everything was fresh and amazing flavors. So different than ask the other sushi places. Crispy rice tuna, hamachi crude tostada, scallops, hama jala were all our favorites. The bluefin truffle avocado was over the top good especially with a sip of sake! So unique ! read more

We swung by this place while in the area. Within a few minutes, we were struck by how many people were obviously regulars. Well, the amazing food and great service are clearly why. There wasn't a single dish that wasn't great. The robata, which is a focus of the restaurant, was competitive with some of the best robata I had in Tokyo. The negima was spot on, and the lamb was some of the best lamb I've had in years. The sashimi was great (we tried the Madai), as were the miso eggplant and Hokkaido potatoes (perfectly cooked soft potatoes with the best creamy sauce and a soft boiled egg on top). Highly recommended; and I'll certainly come back when I'm in the area again! read more

Best authentic Japanese sushi! The service was great , very fast and attentive. I love the aesthetic of the restaurant very beautiful and traditional. Rachel was very attentive and a great host and Sota is an amazing Chef! If you want to experience delicious authentic sushi, this is definitely the place. If you go in I definitely recommend getting the Sota Pop, delicious! read more

Food interesting and delicious Service helpful And it's in Laguna Beach We will be back read more

We were excited to try this new spot, but the experience fell short. Service was the biggest issue -- our waters sat empty most of the meal with no refills, and staff seemed to be rushing around without really checking in on our table. I ordered fish and asked for rice on the side, but it never came out. I brought it up twice, and both times I was brushed off -- no one seemed to care enough to actually fix it. We also ordered a salad, which was a joke -- just a couple of tomatoes and a small scattering of pomegranate seeds. Barely counted as a salad, let alone worth what we paid for it. The food overall was just okay, nothing that stood out. Combined with the portion sizes, it didn't feel worth the price. For a new restaurant still finding its footing, I'd hoped for more attentive service at minimum. read more

Excellent vibe, food and service! We were at the grand opening. So fun! Watching the owners Sota and Rachel open up the saki barrel to celebrate their new venture was incredible to get to experience with them. The tapas were to surprisingly good! We will be back. read more

This place is not worth the money. I left leaving completely unsatisfied and like I wasted all my money. Everything tasted weird and was such small portion size while being expensive. The kyuri was watered down and flavorless, the bluefin truffle was not good and really small, the crispy rice was hilariously small, the potato had a weird flavor. The yakitori was ok but really small and not worth the money. Overall everything was small, exspensive, and weird. 2/5 read more

So happy this restaurant came to Laguna! The concept is new to Laguna Beach and the food was delicious. The prawn skewers was a stand out. Mussels, oysters, potato dishes, fried chicken, filet skewers, and chicken skewers all had amazing flavor. We went during the soft opening and we had great service. I was sad to hear that some customers struggled with the service after the grand opening. I hope they can sustain the amazing service we had during the soft opening. The cocktails are yummy (Lychee martini and Strawberry cloud martini). We will return to see how things are after the Grand Opening! read more

So happy to have this spot in town, we loved sota in CDM and his new place is equally as good. On problem is trying to decide what to get, my wife an I ordered 15 different items all of which were great, the atmosphere is awesome, we will be going weekly read more

Was ok. Expensive for what it is. Service was ok. When food is coming out and have to chase someone down for utensils was underwhelming. We tried some skewers and fish and decided to move on. Think it would realistically be 350 or 400 bucks to fill up at this restaurant witch seemed like a little much for the experience read more

Highly recommend this new Japanese Tapas restaurant in Laguna Beach. Attended the soft opening on the first day. The small plates were amazing. The beautiful cocktails were well thought out and brought a special ambiance to the occasion. I will definitely be heading back for the Grand Opening!! read more

Absolutely the best, most tender salmon. And the lamb lollipop was flavorful and tender. Corn appetizer special flavors

LOVED it! Welcome to Laguna! They have a DJ on SATURDAY nights! AND they are open to 11PM. LOCALS please support! xx

We were so happy to see Sota at his new restaurant! We enjoyed our favorite Sota pops! We loved the grilled meats as well! We can't wait to go back! read more