I thought half star reviews were allowed... It's Smokey as…read morehell in this place. And they put alcohol in my friends na drink. Big oopsie. But it's good for a specific style smoke drink to start night off and bounce elsewhere.

Yikes. It was a red flag seeing that it was pretty empty when we dined here and it was really easy…read moreto get last minute reservations. I haven't had a bad meal in NYC in a while so I was disappointed how bad it was here. To start off, SERVICE...the two people waiting on us were really dry lol. They seemed to hate their jobs. The drinks were great. Food, not so much. I was so confused on what the actual cuisine here was but everything didn't taste good whatsoever. But what struck me the most is when we mentioned this to the waiter as he came to clear our plates, he just softly chuckled and moved on. Didn't seem to care about our opinions..didn't try to make it right...nothing!! I would never come back here and don't recommend it either!

Katana Kitten is so satisfying. Just a few minutes from the subway, we walked in around 5:45 on a…read moreFriday worried we might find a wait, but to our pleasant surprise, they sat us at the bar immediately with no issues. I hate having to leave your name and wait with no clue if you'll be able to eat there or should get food somewhere else, so that alone might have ruined the experience. I would stop here first but have a backup plan, and if you can get seated quick, this place is 10/10 on food and 10/10 on drinks. The decor is stellar as well. Lot of movie posters for American movie classics but in Japanese. Very fun. Even Ahnold made the walls. For food, we shared the nori fries and popcorn chicken. We made the fries deluxe, which more than doubles the price, but you get it topped with a curry sauce, bacon, and fried egg. These fries are a meal unto themselves. So delicious and filling. Really amazing. Fries elevated to a surprising degree. The chicken is solid, too. They serve it in a fun movie theater style popcorn dish. The food was way more filling than we expected, so those two dishes were enough for two of us to share and leave full and happy. The drink list is quite large and unique. My standout is the hinoki martini. It's a gin/vodka martini with a little sake and sherry added to balance it, and it is perfectly balanced. The flavors are spot on, and they serve it in a playful box of ice with sides of olive and onion for you to choose your own garnish. This is one of the best martinis I have ever had. Worth the visit alone. I had to sample another, so I went with the sour cherry crush. It is a slightly sweet, slightly tart whiskey based drink. Very refreshing. I can't decide if I enjoyed the food or drinks more. For a place that is on the list of best bars in the world, you never know what you're going to get. And this spot is so chill and welcoming. All the staff we encountered were attentive and nice.

This is a fun spot with a great vibe, and the ambiance is easily the highlight of the experience…read more The cocktails were well made, but I found the menu a little limited. I would've liked to see a few more citrus-forward options that aren't bitter. My favorite was the Ichigo Fizz, and I'd definitely order that again. We also tried the cucumbers, which were good but nothing that really stood out. The biggest disappointment was the service. Our bartender wasn't particularly friendly, and it took away from the overall experience. I'd come back, especially if I could get a table and try more of the food, but I left feeling like the service didn't quite live up to the atmosphere.

My sister and I came on a Sunday evening after watching a show. We made reservations ahead of time…read morewhich is highly recommended especially if you don't arrive at opening. They have a happy hour during their opening hour for limited wine and cocktail options. The restaurant has sit down tables on the left and bar table seating on the right and some special private rooms in the back. We opted for the bar table because we like high stools and were planning on just getting drinks. Upon seating, we were provided the happy hour and regular menu and were asked if we wanted sparkling, still, or tap water. After reviewing the menus, we decided to try one of the specialty cocktails instead of something on the happy hour menu since they were more unique. However, we could not decide which to get as there was a huge variety! Luckily, the bar tender came to help! We told him what kind of cocktails and flavors we normally liked and he provided his recommendations and explanations on each type of drinks. I got the Bee-Bop which is one of their top drinks that won an award. It consists of brown butter washed barr hill, lemon, grapefruit, honey caramel tuile, and egg white. It's a very unique flavor and considered one of the lighter cocktails. My sister got the Princess Mononoke which consists of siete misterios, derrumbez, ancho pepper kabosu, agave, yuzu kosho, and shichimi rim. It spicy and reminds me of a margarita. Of course, after getting our drinks we realized we actually need some snacks. The bar tender highly recommended the Radagon Chips. It came pretty quickly and it was devoured even quicker. We had to another another one. It's basically sliced lotus root sprinkled with the house curry salt. My sister and I were a bit hungry so we decided to try one of their larger bites. I was stuck between the carpacio and croquette and my sister chose the croquette. The Kani Cream Croquette comes with 2 pieces and is absolutely delicious. It's filled with snow crab, mushroom cream and a tartar sauce dipping. Absolutely melts in your mouth. Then, the bartender recommended another bite which is the Wagyu Toast. It's Tokachi beef with house made tonkatsu sauce, shiso, parmigiano-reggiano, and milk bread. It comes with 2 pieces and it's sooo good. Will definitely be back to try more light bites and drinks. And amazing service!! FYI - There are two unisex restrooms in the back for customers.

Came to celebrate my birthday and we were easily able to make a reservation for about 8 people on a…read moreweeknight. It's very cute inside and perfect for a date night. There are lots of fun cocktails that were presented very well. The food is pretty solid (think Japanese food with a fun twist) although definitely on the pricier side. The servers were very attentive and everything came out relatively quickly.

TLDR: cozy Japanese bar…read more Small place with limited seating. Good food and solid drinks. Not the most expansive menu but it does the trick. Would definitely come here again!

Small dark feel. The service was great, really great! Just came for a couple drinks and some…read moreappetizers. The tempura shishito peppers were a good snack, not spicy at all. One thing I did not like was the smell, but got over it quickly. Great place to stop and there was a wait, locals spot and locals feel.

This wonderful restaurant in the East Village of New York is one of my fav places to dine. I came…read morelast year and enjoyed the experience so much! I HAD to return this year on my trip this past May. The ambience is cozy and nice. Cool dimly lit basement seating is where our party of 6 began our tasty journey of spectacular food! We chose 10 or 11 dishes but ended up canceling one of them because we were as full as a beached whale. Great food coma would hit soon after dining. Each of the dishes were unique and seasoned as well as so delicious. Service was great. Our server was excellent. He was very busy but was cordial and helpful with recommendations. Shout out to him! Our party had a great time of fun, food, and fellowship. Bathrooms were adequate. Stairs going down to the basement were a tad challenging with my arthritic hip but all In all it was worth the temporary pain for some of the most delish food I have eaten. If you live in or near the East Village, go check them out. If I return to New York, I will definitely return. Food was crazy good!

Ok we got a lot of things here and we like some and disliked the others:…read more1. The duck has a weird smell, I didn't like it at all. 2. The fried artichoke is very delicious, but the prosciutto above is just too salty 3.taro gnocchi is 100000/10 it's so good, so fluffy and sauce is amazing. 4. The eggplant lasagna is very good too! I think the chef team should think about how to decorate a dish more, it's always the same leaf. I'm ok with it, it's just very boring, and the dishes are not cheap.

This place deserves a Michelin star. The claims and razor…read moreclaims played around with Thai sauce and had a spicy kick to it. The chicken was made as an imitation "fish" it was bananas!!! Loved the eggplant, esp when you eat it with the mint and heirloom tomatoes. This Kiko x Fish Cheeks collab was amazing. Words cannot describe

Incredible vibes and good food. Really cute space and a nice spot for a date night or a girls…read morenight. The sweet potato coquettes were probably my favorite dish of the night. The white peach and rainier salad was primarily just fruit (not so much green), but the peaches were perfectly sweet and it was refreshing. Malfadine was creamy and loved the texture of the noodles. Koji roasted red dragon carrots were sweet and delicious. My hojicha highball was excellent, although I'd say it's predominantly yuzu, I couldn't taste the hojicha. I also love that they give you chopsticks (which, yes, I used to eat my malfadine).

So happy I finally tried this spot! We sat outside and it felt like we were in Europe…read more The martinis and food were great! Wish the steak was a lil bigger but it was cooked perfectly.

Le Dive was a nice stop before a show. The atmosphere is cozy and cool, with that relaxed, hip…read moreenergy that makes it easy to settle in even for a quick visit. The staff were also really accommodating and kindly let us move seats so I wasn't sitting directly in the sun, which I appreciated. The food was great for such a quick stop. The charcuterie board was an excellent value, with a generous amount of meats, pickles, and olives, all of which tasted fresh and flavorful. The fries were also quite good: thin, super crispy, and perfect with the mayo on the side. We kept it simple with a beer and an Aperol spritz, both refreshing and exactly what we wanted before heading out for the night. Overall, a brief but really enjoyable experience.

What a cool experience. From the outside, the location isn't that noticeable but when you walk in -…read moreyou get to see why there's a beauty in that. There isn't too much seating inside and seating is limited but it keeps it a very curated experienced. There were two people manning the table and helped instruct us through the courses. Overall I love how they multiple different menu options (spirited, low ABV, or non-alcoholic). We decided to get a mix of the non-alcoholic and spirited. Even though they were different the drinks didn't differ that much and they still tasted great. The liquor they use is sweet and tastes great. The bites were definitely memorable and I love how there were protein options which made me feel full. They also started us with a light gazpacho. Food wise - I love the jammy eggs and the chicken fried chicken. After our timing ended we went to Bar 7 in the back to continue the drinking and that was great, also super low key. Will be back for a cool experience again!

I've had my share of sushi omakase experiences but this was my first time at a cocktail omakase! I…read morehad a great time with creative drinks, interesting bites, and friendly staff. We picked from one of our three menus (spirited, low ABV, or non-alcoholic). For $55 per person, we got a total of 5 drinks (4 drinks, 1 soup) with accompanying small bites for most of the drinks. 1- Started off with the Yokoso, a hot mushroom/veggie forward broth with a strong peppery flavor. Definitely was able to taste the smoked salt and perfect to start the night. 2- The Ember Highball was probably one of my favorite drinks of the night. The smokey cedar wood flavors were prominent and complemented the strong lapsang souchong tea flavors and sweetness of the plum soda. This was paired with a jammy egg that was just a tad overcooked 3- I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes nor tomatillos, BUT I actually liked how refreshing and sweet this drink was - especially with the hints of lemongrass. This was paired with a miso baked clam that I found on the saltier side. I nevertheless did like the miso sauce and the breadcrumbs. 4- My Bamboo Tonic was slightly too strong for me, but my partner's Sushi Sazerac from the Spirited menu was very intriguing. After the initial citrus notes faded, it was almost like drinking sea water, with a seaweed forward taste. This course was paired with a crunchy sweet potato latke with a tasty tofu cream and yuzu-wasabi tobiko. 5-Lastly, the Kogashi and Grain was another highlight for me since I liked the tea and citrus combination. The genmaicha and the lime/pineapple flavors balanced each other out. My partner's Mizunara Negroni indeed featured the woody flavor. This last drink was paired with their super crunch chicken that was crunchy and well-seasoned. Staff were very knowledgable and friendly. Pacing between drinks felt appropriate. I also wanna give a shoutout to their beautiful cups and pottery! It definitely adds a nice little touch. The only major feedback I have is that I wish they had tissues or napkins available with their cocktails/food because the condensation and crumbs can get messy. I am interested in coming back as well as to check out bar 7, their walk-in only bar serving a different Japanese-inspired drink/food menu!