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This sake speakeasy bar is a nice casual spot for some good sake near St. Marks. The interior is dimly lit, casual, and reminiscent of izakayas in Japan. I got a bottle of sake, some takowasa, and their sake (red bean) manju. The sake was pretty solid, and I think that overall they have a good variety and selection of sake. And, both the takowasa and sake manju was alright and good to enjoy as we drank the sake. Vibes in here were good and relaxed.
Chaotic and cramped. The sake wasn't too bad though and the drinks are pretty cheap. It's a loud fun environment.
Cute vibes, cheap prices, on service, eh drinks. Shochu wasn't cold and was eh. Highball wasn't good. Takoyaki was ok.
Hidden away downstairs is a grungy looking bar when you first enter, it's like a messy hard rock looking interior. Then you're led further into the actual bar space which is a dark but pleasant dimly lit space. There are specific Japanese touches like the woodwork around us that made the ambiance very delightful to be in. Drinks menu was fairly good and tasted very nice. Great to be with some friends to laugh, chatter, and play games. Restrooms are located near the outer space and a bit small so be mindful when using them.
If you didn't know about this place, you'd easily pass by it without noticing. As you walk downstairs into the doors, it feels like an underground, hidden bar that you find in the alleys of Japan. The space is dark and dingy, but a fun spot for a small group of friends on a night out drinking. As a sake bar, they have a huge list of sake to choose from. We opted for a sweeter sake and got the Moromi sake in a 16oz mini pitcher ($42) to share amongst 5 of us. The little metal pitcher was a bit difficult to pour out of though, but this was good for just some light drinking. I'd recommend just getting an entire bottle for a fun time. Also got an order of the Fried Purple Potato ($9), which was such a tiny dish. The fries were limpy, so not the best drinking snack. Overall, chill spot to hang out with a group when in the neighborhood.
Decibel is a speakeasy-styled Sake bar with wide sake range, great vibes, and tasty small bites. We ordered the sake flight (blue bottle, yoshinosugi, and red maple). I'm no sake connoisseur but the blue bottle was just a tasteless clear spirit. The third was fine but the yoshinosugi was delicious, offering an intense, broad spike at the end of the sake tasting spectrum. We also ordered the umeshu soda which was great -- strongly recommend. I wish I also tried the sake tini! We eventually got hungry and the okonomiyaki slapped soooo hard (a savory pancake of fried cabbage; "pancake" does not do the medium service, and the consumption experience is great).
A perfect place. We sat at the bar and got a lychee martini and something sake cocktail. The lychee was between and savory and sweet but very light. It's indescribable.
4.5 stars, rounding to 5. Absolutely love the vibes here! I recently visited Japan and Sake Bar Decibel truly reminds me of the back alley izakayas there. The interior is charmingly cluttered with Japanese lanterns and lots of scribblings on the wall. Since it's a small space, you might need to wait a while if you have a large party. Groups of 2-4 are the sweet spot. It's also super loud and dark (adds to the dive-y izakaya vibe). They offer a variety of delicious sakes. There's something for everyone, from sweet to dry. If you're not looking for traditional sake, they also offer pitchers of lychee martinis (super easy to drink).
Super cool place with crazy cool dingy basement vibe. The place has a bit of mystery to it and it got me instantly excited. The seating is a bit cramped specially if you go in a smaller group. They have a great options for sake, needless to say. We tried nigori. The carafe is actually a small bucket which made it pretty unique though I did miss my ceramic ware. To be honest we just did drinks there so my review is limited to the vibe of the place and the drinks. Reason for 3 stars is coz I had concerns with the hygiene levels. The restroom was gross, it was an excruciating experience to use it. Since the place is so dark I got concerned with the general cleanliness. I know most people prefer overlooking this but since I am a germaphobe this really matters. However won't take away from it the spunk and wackiness it offers. Do visit it for a unique experience.
Dark, dingy, and a bit grimy - perfect izakaya vibe. Food was definitely fresh, and service speedy. Go-to spot for a chill night.
Lychee Martini was much weaker than I thought. No effects at all and we all ended up ordering another drink. The Yuzu Soda was actually pretty good and I'm glad that the waiter recommended that to us. Takowasa is another favorite. My friends put me on it tonight and I have to say it has an interesting but addicting taste to it. Should def try if it's your first time.
Very authentically Japanese. It's a small, dark and crowded little basement bar in the East Village, there is often a line but if you've been to Japan this whole vibe will feel incredibly familiar! It is very much on the louder side, so you'll have to shout to hear one another, but the atmosphere is great and they have a very extensive sake collection.
This sake bar is a hidden gem and is located underground. You might miss it walking down the street. I went with a group of 4 on a Friday night around 9 pm and we were seated within 10 minutes. They have a huge selection of sake and the waitress was very informative. We went with a bottle of the Tengumai and it was smooth, earthy and had a pleasant nutty flavor. It was super easy to drink. The ambience is gritty and edgy with years of stickers and writing all over the walls.
8 months ago
Super dope interior vibe and ambiance. The sake bottle I got with my friend was pretty good. Would definitely come back here when I'm on the east side. read more
I loved the noisy, bustling atmosphere paired with the busy decor. I got the lychee martini which tasted mostly just like sake. I would recommend this place for an affordable drink and fun atmosphere. Just know they don't play much music! read more
This sake speakeasy bar is a nice casual spot for some good sake near St. Marks. The interior is dimly lit, casual, and reminiscent of izakayas in Japan. I got a bottle of sake, some takowasa, and their sake (red bean) manju. The sake was pretty solid, and I think that overall they have a good variety and selection of sake. And, both the takowasa and sake manju was alright and good to enjoy as we drank the sake. Vibes in here were good and relaxed. read more
Hidden away downstairs is a grungy looking bar when you first enter, it's like a messy hard rock looking interior. Then you're led further into the actual bar space which is a dark but pleasant dimly lit space. There are specific Japanese touches like the woodwork around us that made the ambiance very delightful to be in. Drinks menu was fairly good and tasted very nice. Great to be with some friends to laugh, chatter, and play games. Restrooms are located near the outer space and a bit small so be mindful when using them. read more
If you didn't know about this place, you'd easily pass by it without noticing. As you walk downstairs into the doors, it feels like an underground, hidden bar that you find in the alleys of Japan. The space is dark and dingy, but a fun spot for a small group of friends on a night out drinking. As a sake bar, they have a huge list of sake to choose from. We opted for a sweeter sake and got the Moromi sake in a 16oz mini pitcher ($42) to share amongst 5 of us. The little metal pitcher was a bit difficult to pour out of though, but this was good for just some light drinking. I'd recommend just getting an entire bottle for a fun time. Also got an order of the Fried Purple Potato ($9), which was such a tiny dish. The fries were limpy, so not the best drinking snack. Overall, chill spot to hang out with a group when in the neighborhood. read more
Decibel is a speakeasy-styled Sake bar with wide sake range, great vibes, and tasty small bites. We ordered the sake flight (blue bottle, yoshinosugi, and red maple). I'm no sake connoisseur but the blue bottle was just a tasteless clear spirit. The third was fine but the yoshinosugi was delicious, offering an intense, broad spike at the end of the sake tasting spectrum. We also ordered the umeshu soda which was great -- strongly recommend. I wish I also tried the sake tini! We eventually got hungry and the okonomiyaki slapped soooo hard (a savory pancake of fried cabbage; "pancake" does not do the medium service, and the consumption experience is great). read more
10 months ago
A perfect place. We sat at the bar and got a lychee martini and something sake cocktail. The lychee was between and savory and sweet but very light. It's indescribable. read more
3 months ago
7 months ago
7 months ago
4.5 stars, rounding to 5. Absolutely love the vibes here! I recently visited Japan and Sake Bar Decibel truly reminds me of the back alley izakayas there. The interior is charmingly cluttered with Japanese lanterns and lots of scribblings on the wall. Since it's a small space, you might need to wait a while if you have a large party. Groups of 2-4 are the sweet spot. It's also super loud and dark (adds to the dive-y izakaya vibe). They offer a variety of delicious sakes. There's something for everyone, from sweet to dry. If you're not looking for traditional sake, they also offer pitchers of lychee martinis (super easy to drink). read more
Super cool place with crazy cool dingy basement vibe. The place has a bit of mystery to it and it got me instantly excited. The seating is a bit cramped specially if you go in a smaller group. They have a great options for sake, needless to say. We tried nigori. The carafe is actually a small bucket which made it pretty unique though I did miss my ceramic ware. To be honest we just did drinks there so my review is limited to the vibe of the place and the drinks. Reason for 3 stars is coz I had concerns with the hygiene levels. The restroom was gross, it was an excruciating experience to use it. Since the place is so dark I got concerned with the general cleanliness. I know most people prefer overlooking this but since I am a germaphobe this really matters. However won't take away from it the spunk and wackiness it offers. Do visit it for a unique experience. read more
Lychee Martini was much weaker than I thought. No effects at all and we all ended up ordering another drink. The Yuzu Soda was actually pretty good and I'm glad that the waiter recommended that to us. Takowasa is another favorite. My friends put me on it tonight and I have to say it has an interesting but addicting taste to it. Should def try if it's your first time. read more
3 years ago
Very authentically Japanese. It's a small, dark and crowded little basement bar in the East Village, there is often a line but if you've been to Japan this whole vibe will feel incredibly familiar! It is very much on the louder side, so you'll have to shout to hear one another, but the atmosphere is great and they have a very extensive sake collection. read more
This sake bar is a hidden gem and is located underground. You might miss it walking down the street. I went with a group of 4 on a Friday night around 9 pm and we were seated within 10 minutes. They have a huge selection of sake and the waitress was very informative. We went with a bottle of the Tengumai and it was smooth, earthy and had a pleasant nutty flavor. It was super easy to drink. The ambience is gritty and edgy with years of stickers and writing all over the walls. read more
AMBIENCE | We loved this spot! It's a smaller bar in the basement of a building in East Village and has a grunge-y, dark, speakeasy vibe. The graffiti and stickers on the wall all seemed to be personalized, which added to the atmosphere of the spot. The music is pretty loud, so be warned if you aren't into that type of vibe for a bar! DRINKS | We just came for drinks, so I don't have much to say about the food. For the price, the drinks are really worth! Most of the drinks are really strong... My favourite was the plum wine. The drinks averaged around $10 each. SERVICE | There are a lot of servers and there doesn't seem to be a designated server for your party. We were served by a variety of different servers, but they were all nice and provided good service. VERDICT | Great place to pre or come to with a group of friends. read more
3 years ago
Most other spots along St Mark's were already closed. I stumbled upon Decibel by surprise. Upon entering i was greeted by the aroma of Kewpie. And Suddenly found myself in an alternate dining room... This is definitely the place you come to for Drinks. The food menu was definitely built around that. I ordered the Kara Age which reminded me more of a Chicharron de Pollo sin Hueso. Which in hindsight would have kicked ass with a side of Plain Curry. My budget was two beers. But the Sake list, extensive. Enticing. I never been to Japan. But couldn't help but to admire the decoration of Japanese things and stickers all over the place. At the very least, it was a nice place to just finally sit down for a few and rest my feet after a long day. Especially considering the hour (already past midnight). Upon exiting, the sign behind the metal staircase brought me back into reality. It was as if i had teleported into another dimension for a moment. And it was awesome. read more
We were always curious about what is the queue for whenever we passed this place. So we decided to get closer to the door to find out that it was a Sake bar. Since we hate queuing, we made a reservation one Saturday night for dinner. The guy at the entrance will only let you in at your alotted time. We were also told that the maximum stay is an hour and a half. After we checked in we followed the guy to the narrow staircase leading to the basement. It was very dark and the tables are so close to each other, devoid of any private conversations whatsoever. All the dishes and drinks came in disposable containers. We started with Sake Tini and Lychee Martini, we prefer the lychee flavor but we decided to stick with a noncocktail Sake to accompany the food. We then ordered the following dishes to share: 1. Takowasa; raw octopus with wasabi sauce 2. Kurobuta sausage 3. Wasabi Shumai; we found it a bit spicy for our liking 4. Takoyaki; octopus balls 5. Karaage; fried chicken with spicy mayo 6. Meguro no tataki; seared bluefin tuna loin All the dishes came in a timely fashion, we just had to wave to our server to order something. few dishes stood out like the Karaage and seared tuna. I did however have some concerns over the safety here and the place is way too dark to enjoy a meal. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
1 year ago
5 years ago
New to New York, but Decibel is a cozy bar that makes you feel right at home! Ambiance: Cozy underground bar with dim lights. Very Japanese hole-in-the-wall vibes. The bar was pretty crowded, but we could hear each other fine enough to have conversation over some great food and drinks. Drinks: We had a the Lychee cocktail pitcher and the Kiminoi Brewery - 'Emperor's Well' Yamahai Junmai Sake (720ml). Both were great. The Lychee cocktail comes with a cup full of fresh lychee as well! Food: Too many small dishes to name, but the wasabi shumai was memorable. Tasty and the wasabi HITS. Our friend who never had wasabi said it was just at the top of his tolerance. Any more and he said it would have been way too overpowering. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Nice speakeasy for sake, they have a very extensive sake menu to choose from (hot and cold). I like the speakeasy vibe. The bar can get very crowded during busy hours, so I recommend making a reservation, otherwise if you do get in they will cap you with a 1 hour time limit. read more
Love this spot.. moody and grunge vibe. All the snacks we got were super tasty and came out piping hot. Veggie dumplings were my favorite. I would order sake bottles over mixed drinks... but everything is so reasonably priced you can try it all! Staff can be a little hard to wave down but very efficient and helpful once you finally get their attention. read more
7 years ago
I feel like knowing Decibel exists makes you like a pro bar hopper in NYC. This non-descript hole in the wall, grungy sake joint is located nearby Cha-an and Sakagura, and the only sign that tells you that there's a sake bar is a dimly lit "on air" light since this is a basement joint. The actual store front is quite small, with a small bar with four seats, but behind the faux-velvet rope tucked away is a much bigger bar with far more tables and seats. It's a bit hard to find Decibel, but its sure is fun to be able to introduce your friends or a date to such a hidden gem. Think hidden bar, dive bar, and speakeasy vibes meshed into one joint. The vibe here is infectious - its an underground, hole-in-the-wall gem with lots of Japanese memorabilia, old sake bottles, a cat-good-fortune-statue, and of course graffiti plastered all over the walls. This place is packed though so be prepared to be rubbing shoulders to your stranger neighbor who's sitting at the bar next to you. There's a massive selection of sakes, going from your basic 8 dollar a glass to upwards of a couple hundred for a whole bottle. I think there might be at least 100 different types of sakes served here, all divided in their menu based upon their different filter level and styles. For most sakes, you can choose either going for a glass, costing about $8-15 each, or go for a bottle which can go as low as $30 to as high as $100 depending on the specific bottle and volume. Server was more than happy to walk us through the various options, because looking at their sake menu it was incredibly overwhelming. I'm not the biggest sake aficionado, but we ordered the Dewazakura at 300mL, which was about ~$30 a bottle and was fantastic for my table. Great bottle of sake, with hints of lush, cherry flavor and was really aromatic and smooth. It came chilled so that really made it much smoother. Service was a tad bit slower here, but you never want to rush a sake bar experience, especially something as secretive, intriguing, and sexy like that of Decibel. Fantastic spot to bring a few friends, or impress someone on your knowledge of the bar scene in NYC. Great drinks and vibes, and highly recommend everyone to come check it out. read more
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More info about Sake Bar Decibel
240 E 9th St
New York, NY 10003
East Village
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(212) 979-2733
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http://www.sakebardecibel.com
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Are kids allowed to eat there?
Every time I've gone in, they've checked ID so it seems it's 21+ like most bars.
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