I've eaten here around 4 or 5 times between September 2025 and October 2026, so I can confidently say this place is fantastic. The ingredients are always fresh. I'm especially impressed by the quality of the salmon. The interior design and decor are fun and exceptional in quality, making it feel like real thought went into the design. The servers and staff are friendly and get the job done quickly. If you plan to visit I recommend making a reservation because it's usually busy, although they've been accommodating when I have walked in without a reservation. read more

Absolutely yes, recommend! Amazing food that stays with you, just so fresh and flavorful, and that you want to order again as you are finished. I was literally sad to leave. Unique decor, very authentic, and staff were absolutely the best! read more

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Came here on a thursday peak dinner time with no reservations and had to sit at the bar. so make sure you make reservations if you care about that! The service was decent. The food was good but not amazing. The best dish I got was the tuna tataki. The skewers are too pricey for what it is. The spicy udon and takoyaki was good. The ambiance is cute. It's like you're tucked into a real japan restaurant! The menu was quite big, and I would come back to try more dishes. It's just a little too pricey for my liking. read more

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Tried this Izakaya for the first time, food tasted pretty good, was a bit pricey. Vibe and decor of restaurant was nice. Service was good. read more

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Everything I had here was really good! We ordered: * potato croquette (exactly what I imagined) * gyu tataki (very good) * negi momo skewer * sagari (beef sirloin?) skewer * scallop skewer * oyster king mushroom skewer * pork neck skewer * sushi combo (but tbh next time I would just get the 6pc chef choice b/c the california rolls were just ok, all the nigiri were very good tho!) * salmon lover set (the salmon sashimi was so fresh! a little too much spicy mayo on the rolls but I forgive it) I would definitely come here again if I'm in Toronto! read more

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Everything was delicious, service was friendly and efficient, we really loved the ambiance too!! read more

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This was in the city so we had to find parking and luckily found a spot after circling around the block. Parking was free after 9pm. We had a heavy lunch so weren't hungry until later so the late evening dinner worked out for us. Upon arrival a bouncer stood at the stairwell of the entrance for two different locations so we walked past him to get to the door for the restaurant. We didn't make reservations so we waited about 15 mins for a seat. The place is t really kid or large group friendly. However, it was so worth going to as a late night date out. My husband and I ordered several options of yakitori and paired with really good beer. My favorite was the pork belly. The coconut dessert was surprisingly refreshingly good as well. read more

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Food here is incredibly delicious, but it's a bit pricey, and the portions are quite small. We had dinner on Sunday and had to wait about 30 minutes for our table. The interior is cozy and atmospheric, and the service is both fast and polite. read more

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Overall good and delectable. However, as is the case with many restaurants, I have simply had a better spicy salmon roll elsewhere.

I pretty well-decorated Japanese Izakaya in the Toronto downtown area. Good vibe, great food, and a nice place to catch up with friends. We ordered the Sapporo Polar Beer and it was fun having it. Paired up well with tori karaage, shrimp tempura, and the grilled beef tongue. We also ordered an Izakaya Set A. Ended up with an order of ramen, and avocado roll. Sounds like a lot of food but we all know Izakaya is not that filling. It was alright and the point was to enjoy a long dinner with buddies in a fun and trendy environment within downtown Toronto. Good servers and cute-looking. Pretty busy. Making a reservation is well recommended. read more

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kintaro izakaya is a welcome reprieve on a rainy day with its quaint interior, chill atmosphere, and extensive food and drink menu. my partner and i ordered the charcoal grilled skewers, saba shio (pan fried mackerel), japango roll (california roll with torched salmon and scallops), and oden soup. i ended up favoring the chicken skewer over the beef skewer because it offered a better bite and flavor. we paired our food with the first kiss (strawberry infused shochu, ginger ale, and calpis) and the polar beer (sapporo topped with a swirl of icy beer. we skipped dessert since we enjoyed some hojicha/matcha soft serve from the nearby cafe MATCHA MATCHA earlier. read more

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Food: 3 Stars Service: 4 Stars Ambience: 3.5 Stars Fill Factor: Satisfied While looking to try out some new places instead of always frequenting the same restaurants I found this place while looking for something like Zakkushi. I was excited to try the place out but did it meet my expectations? Read on to find out. I tried to order a different items than I usually do just so I get to try a variety of items. In terms of skewers I ordered the set A and a bunch of random ones such as the chicken skin, mochi cheese bacon, karubi, among others. The skewers overall were decent but nothing really stood out and it did not quite satisfy that craving. I also ordered the tori karaage, ebi mayo, and una don. I think overall my favourite was the ebi mayo and it seemed popular as many tables seemed to be ordering it as well. I also offered a polar beer but probably should have just saved my additional 3 bucks (over the regular Sapporo) as I didn't find it any more refreshing with the icy beer swirl. Service was good considering how busy it got and our food for the most part arrived fairly quickly. Oh I almost forgot but there was a 1.5 hour seating limit when we were there so do keep that in mind. All in all I enjoyed this visit to Kintaro. Good food, good service not much to complain about. read more

We were in town and found this place on TikTok. We couldn't wait for authentic Japanese food. The decor had us feeling like we were in Asia. Make sure you have reservations and you're on time. The restaurant was packed it. The menu was overwhelming so we got the set they had along with chicken and Ramen. The Ramen was delicious, I wish I could have more. We wanted to go there twice the weekend we were in town but there was no way we could've gotten last minute reservations. I wish I could have some now. read more

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Love the vibe here! If you're looking for a traditional Japanese Izakaya (Tapas) place that serves amazing food, this is the place! It can get a bit pricey as you'll likely over ordered with so many choices. We definitely ordered too much for the four of us. Almost all the dishes were perfect except for Tsukune (chicken meatballs). I was so looking forward to this dish but it tasted like a regular meatball...not tender or flavourful. I guess I'll have to go back to Ju Izakaya for this or Japan! But I still gave this visit a perfect score as all the other 10 dishes (Beef Takaki, Chashu don, Ika yaki, grilled stuffed chicken wings, fried oysters, and more) were perfectly done! Another amazing dinner here! Highly recommended. read more

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Reminds me of Tokyo every time we go. Great teppanyaki, the polar beer is fun, but only if you're a fast beer drinker lol. Very authentic and tasty. read more

Been here a few times and always love the vibe. Perfect spot to grab a drink with friends and enjoy some tasty dishes. The matcha plum wine on the seasonal menu was sold out this time, but I'll definitely be back to try it. read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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First thoughts.. wow, am I entering a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant? The interior design was very appealing to the eye and made me feel as if I entered a portal to another country (Japan to be precise) The service was incredible! Very attentive staff and I had allergies so they informed me of the ingredients for special rolls. Next was the scrumptious sushi! The fish tasted fresh and melted in my mouth. Thank you for a wonderful experience at your restaurant! Definitely revisiting when I return to Toronto! read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Chef's choice - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Kintaro Izakaya is one of the coziest spots in the city with a warm, inviting atmosphere. Their menu offers a wide range of delicious options--slightly pricier than some izakayas, but still reasonable overall. Be sure to try the polar beer (shown in my video), but don't remove and reinsert your straw or the ice mixed with the carbonation will make the drink overflow. We ordered meat skewers, karaage, takoyaki, miso soup, and a side of rice, and every dish was fantastic. Service was also fast, making the dining experience smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommend it. read more

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The skewers are the best part but their Aburi salmon also v good! The staff are Japanese and food is authentic. read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Incredible skewers. The beef and chicken with Negi was awesome. - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Cute. Authentic atmosphere with good food. I would eat here again and recommend there are some stairs you need to get up read more

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So so food quality.Need more than two small dishes for each person.. But nice mood for hot sake in winter.Good sushi roll but pricy.. read more

Definitely a good experience except only 2hrs max Food: Maguro Tataki - so good and flavourful Tori Karaage - I liked it but it needed sauce and not just what a considered to be side mayo Okonomiyaki- it was good Set A & B - they were both quite delicious. For me, I think it was nice that they were able to separate to pork from everything else. That level of service was appreciated Kimchi Yaki Udon - one of my favourites. It was a lot, rich in flavour and the kimchi was not over powering The place is definitely a miss if you don't know what you're looking for especially in the area but sooo good read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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3.5/5, +.5 for service This place was good, but I wouldn't say excellent. There were a few too many misses with some dishes, but the ones they hit they did an excellent job in. The water pump was interesting, at least I had it on my table where you can pump your own water. No need to ask for a server (unless you ran out of water in that pitcher). Tsukune - Nope. Beef was overcooked for my liking. Maguro Tataki - Love it! Lightly seared properly. Ika Yaki - Love it! There's that strong ika taste that tasted with the food. Japango Roll - Love it! I'm a sucker for aburi rolls. 3 kinds sashimi - I got salmon, tuna, and torched butterfish for my 3 kinds. It was good overall. Oden soup - Meh. Nothing special. Service was good here. Would I come back? They have a pretty extensive menu to allow me to consider coming back, but I'll probably avoid the grilled items next time. read more

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If you are looking for authentic Japanese food ＆ drink experiences (like good sashimi, sushi, Asahi beer, or sake) this is not a place to go, but if you want to enjoy a casual Izakaya experience, then it is an OK place. We had - Chicken Karaage - Deep fried Soft Shell crab - Beef tataki - Sashimi (Salmon & Hamachi) - Beef tongue skewer With Asahi Superdry, warm sake, and a few cocktails. Their deep-fried foods were good though the Karaage was a bit dry, with a lot of small pieces. Soft shell crabs had good meaty parts, and I liked them. The beef tataki was ok but the sauce was mysteriously sweet - I expected that tataki to come with sauce with a hint of sourness. I found the sashimi pieces were too thick, ignoring each fish's unique delicacy. I did not like their presentation of sashimi with "thicker the better" thinking. I expected that each fish be cut at an appropriate thickness to maximize the unique character, and the hamachi could be better if it was thinner with more slices. But I should not expect such delicacy in this casual Izakaya-like place. I wanted the Asahi to be served chillier. It lost hoppiness and crispness when it was served. Their warm sake was not served at the appropriate temperature - under-warmed, and losing the alcohol punch. Overall, this place does a good job to recreate the Japanese Izakaya atmosphere, giving patrons a good personal space to enjoy chatting with friends. read more

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Came here based on a recommendation from a friend. I'd definitely recommend making a reservation since this place fills up pretty quickly. The place has a very cozy vibe, with pretty dim lighting making it somewhat intimate for some good convo. Their menu, as with many other izakayas offers something for everyone. Ordered the takowasa ($9), tori karaage ($15), ebi mayo ($15) and mochi bacon ($7.5) along with the nama grapefruit ($12) and yuzu soda ($15) cocktails. Personal favorites were the ebi mayo and mochi bacon. The ebi mayo was actually very well done, large prawns with a bit of spice. Probably wouldn't get the karaage again since it just lacked flavour (even with the mayo). But everything else was pretty average. Jack of all trades kind of place. Strictly on food it'd be 3 stars but the cocktails I thought were really nice, light and easy to drink, making it a 4 star for me. They didn't really mix it when it got to the table but after a stir the flavors are great. Highly recommend both the cocktails! There's a handful of izakaya places in Toronto so it might be a while till Kintaro makes it back on my radar but solid place overall imo :) read more

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Kintaro Izakaya is one of the more underrated izakaya bars in Toronto and they deserve more hype for the quality food and service! They offer a menu with Japanese classics such as Chicken Karaage, Tuna Tataki, and Sushi to remakes of favorites such as their pork belly and Tuna Avo Tartare! The sake menu is quite extensive in both a cold and hot option, depend on the weather! In addition, they have a good lineup of drinks and beverages to enjoy with friends for a night out! Reservations are highly suggested as this place fills up fast! I cannot wait for my next visit! read more

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Came here for a bite yesterday and was seated in their covered back patio. We didn't have a reservation but the restaurant filled up pretty quickly around 6pm on a weekday. We got the tebasaki gyoza skewers (stuffed chicken wings - each skewer comes with 2 wings), a mixed skewer Set A, takoyaki and some drinks. The food was pretty good, nice crispy takoyaki and the skewers had a nice charcoal aroma and cooked well. I found the scallop skewers to be overcooked and the cheese on the chicken and cheese skewers wasn't melted. I recommend the pork belly and stuffed chicken wings though, those were definitely the favourites. Service is nice and friendly. read more

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Ran into this spot serendipitously, and had a good night. They have such a wide selection of skewers that have that fantastic smokey flavour. We got the Set B skewers, kimchi noodle and tori karaage. The skewers were definitely the highlight, my favourite were the beef and pork belly. They were cooked to perfection. The kimchi noodle was surprisingly big, I felt that it has room to grow as a dish. Finally, the karaage is some of the best I've had, very crispy on the outside while being juicy and succulent on the inside. Overall a good meal and would come again to try other skewers! read more

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Amazing food and the best service. High quality Izakaya at a good price. Doesn't get any better! read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Just two of us. We are it all! - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I always expect Izakayas to be loud and boisterous, but Kintaro is quite an elegant and cosy place for your Japanese pub fix. We came on a weekend night without reservations, and put our name down on the waitlist. The waitress warned us it would be a 40 minute wait, but was so many bars around it was easy to grab a drink while waiting. At about the 45 minute mark, we got a call and headed over. We were seated in their lovely oatio in the back, and proceeded to have plate after plate of delicious food, all wash down with some sake. I would highly recommend the adventurous to start with the takowasa, beef tongue, chicken hearts, and chicken skin. For those looking for more usual cuts of meat, the tenderloin, chicken with green onion and mochi bacon was delightful. read more

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came here while visiting toronto on a short trip, and it did not disappoint. highly recommend getting the torched salmon roll. the server was really nice as he came with a magic card trick and a little surprise joke, it made the experience much more entertaining and worth while! read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Decided to come here after seeing their polar beer floating around IG. I love the vibe here, most seatings are booths (very tiny ones, so it's great for 2 but super tight for 4 people) but the set up looks like a pub in Japan! The servers were also very attentive as well! My bf and I decided to try their Aburi sushi, Gyu tataki (lightly seared beef) , beef tenderloin skewers, pork neck skewers and oysters karaage. Overall, I found the prices to be a little steep as all the dishes were average and nothing to run home about. My least favourite being their Gyu tataki. Pretty much flavourless. The only flavour came from the onions that the beef was sitting on, but the meat itself had no flavour. 2/5. My favourite would be their oysters karaage, the batter was a bit too thick for my liking however, the flavours were good especially when mixed in with their house made mayo. 3.5/5 The polar beer float was definitely the highlight for me, it was Sapporo topped with a swirl of icy beer. Very unique, very delicious, can't go wrong with Sapporo! Probably won't get this every time, because at the end of the day it still just taste like a regular Sapporo... just colder. But I think it was worth the experience. 5/5 Overall, come here for a chill date with friends for their drinks and the vibe but don't expect much from their food. read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Polar beer - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Food was good but outside vibes were sassy, in a kinda good way if you are into it. Soo young is hawt but its impolite to stare.

Wonderful Izakaya that's an appropriately priced and well executed rendition of the small plate format. Ended up getting 8 small dishes that were all incredibly flavorful. The hot honey Citron tea was also a wonderful unexpected surprise. read more

In my opinion, this is the best Izakaya in the Toronto area. There are really interesting miscarriage that are cut over charcoal and really get that smoky flavor that is true to Japan. TLDR way better than Kinka for toronto Izakaya. I found a sushi to be superior quality in so many other restaurants that specialize in sushi. The nigiri pieces had quite generous serving, and I would even consider it almost 2 pieces of another restaurant. There is a large selection of drinks and beers as well that really brings through the Japanese Izakaya. If it's on there, we can expect 30 to 40 minute wait , but if you plan ahead, you will be able to get a reservation. Also very limited for seating for large groups as most spots are for 2-4 people read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Got the - Chicken Karaage ($15) - Kimchi Udon ($15) - Agedashi Tofu ($10) - Seafood Yakisoba ($18) - Mackerel ($12) - Eel Don ($18) Pros: - Vibey - Food is tasty - Service is pretty good - Large variety of food options Cons: - 90 minute seating limit and they will kick you out - Doesn't take AMEX - Loud - Dark read more

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Food was good, kinda pricey, but the service was great! Good atmosphere overall. I wasn't aware there was a back section patio. read more

Kintaro Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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great food & atmosphere. however, not the greatest for large groups (10+). we booked for 10 and i noted we may have 1-2 more. they mentioned their biggest table fits about 12, i said ok, however, we dont mind sitting at 2 tables side-by-side as we didnot want to be squished. with that being said, imagine being stuffed into a tiny square table that would comfortably fit 5-7 ppl, except they knowingly stuffed 11 of us into a tiny spot. we were sitting knees, thighs, hips, elbows, arms and practically just body to body, like a can of sardines. then they gave us flat warm beers. we had next to zero space to comfortably eat, as some of the guests had to sit back and away from the group/table - and holding their plate!! this was the most awkward birthday for my friend and everyone. it was our first time comimg here but probably the last as the overall experience was not great. we also brought a cake to which when i asked our server about, she had no idea???? i guest the hostess didnt even communicate that with the team. our server did do a fantastic job of frequently clearing the table of empty plates/cups; that was very important as i had mention how small the table/space was. i understand their space is limited, but my suggestion for servicing larger groups would be: 1. please dont shove everyone into that tiny corner. it was ridiculously uncomfortable and going to the bathroom was such a chore because half the table would have to get up/get out and repeat when you come back! 2. add a small extension or side table with 2-3 chairs. this would have solved everything!! please look into getting additional chairs/small table 3. we were seated almost 15 minutes into our reservation booking due to the fact that the previous reservation before ours, was still eating/drinking. i would suggest a) inform your table of the time limit before they sit. b) give them a 'last call' order when they have 30 minutes left. c) be proactive and bring their bill about 10-15 minutes at the end of their seating time. 10-15 minutes is plenty of time to bill out, bus the table, and re-set it for your next reservation. ive worked in an izakaya before so i do understand how a little hectic things can be. the important thing is "team communication". hostess should relay any remarks of the current reservation to the server of the section. thank you kintaro! read more

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Made a reservation for 20 people for a birthday and they gave us the entire back patio. We showed up with more people and they were able to accommodate them with tables in the front. Food here is delicious! The skewers were flavourful and meat was juicy. They have a wide menu selection and lots to choose from! Service was amazing, even though we were loud and chaotic. Would def recommend this place! read more

Food was authentic, taste was all their proper flavour profiles in their respected dishes tasted as they should have. Service was solid, definitely will be back. read more