Came for the drinks, stayed for the vibes. This place popped up on my Instagram and I decided to check it out. It's tucked away in a pretty obscure location, I almost missed the entrance lol. The interior is exactly what other Yelpers say it is-- it feels like a small basement turned bar, as someone's little passion project. It's pretty small, and seats maybe only 12 with some standing room. There's only the owner making drinks, so expect to wait if it's a busy night. I came on a Saturday night, and the owner's friend was actually DJ'ing that night, always super cool to watch a DJ spin some vinyls for the night. The drinks are alright, they've got novel ingredients to make some fun craft cocktails. I'd go back if I'm ever in the area! read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

stumbled across this newly opened japanese bar that's right across from tomi jazz! we ordered the green grape martini, some plum wine, edamame, and sausage. their wine selection was really good, but service can be a bit slow given there's only one bartender. the space is very small and crowded so i recommend going when it's earlier. overall immaculate music and atmosphere. read more

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As a fan of all the sister bars, I finally ventured out to Yakuni after dinner in the area. This speakeasy bar is hidden downstairs under the Sammy's sign. It's a small but vibey space filled with Japanese sake, beer, and cocktails. I ended up going through three rounds here with Lazy Milk ($21), Spichee Seasonal ($22), and Don't Drink Coffee ($21). I enjoy the creativity in the cocktails here, although I wasn't crazy about Lazy Milk. My favorite is the Matchet Baker though, which I've had at their other locations. This one is possibly one of my favorite cocktails ever. If you're a matcha lover, this is THE ONE. Amazing spot to bring a friend or date. Since it's so tiny, I'd only recommend coming here in a group of 2 (maximum would be 4 and ideally not during a busy hour). read more

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I love this. It was actually a crazy experience coming in here having already been to their sister spot, Steight, because this is literally a mirror image. I had no idea until I looked them up on instagram. I guess it proves i know what i like! Their matcha cocktail with oat milk is so delicious. I struggle to want to try other things because I like sticking to it. The vibes here are insane (positive). Records playing, stained glass lamp shades hanging all around, small and dark and crowded. It's great. I love it. read more

Absolutely loved this bar. Very cool vibes and great drinks. The chocolate mint drink in particular was mind blowing and delicious. Considering how great this place is it wasn't that crowded at all for a Saturday night. read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

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Yakuni is a great Japanese bar in Turtle bay, and located under the Sammy's sigh (it's a bit hidden and took us a second to find it). As a sister bar to Steight in Chinatown, it offers some phenomenal Japanese cocktails in a nice intimate setting. I tried their coffee cocktail as well as their oolong one and both were amazing. The bartender was so friendly and fun to talk to. Amazing service, ambiance, and drinks. Will be coming back. read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

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Holy moly, what a vibe Yakuni has. I really enjoyed my experience here. The bartenders are super chill and the space is intimate. Much like bars in Japan, this one is cozy and pleasantly cluttered. They have a variety of sakes, so there's something for everyone. The custom cocktails are also great. If you want some of the more popular ones, I recommend coming a bit earlier in the night both to get a seating at the bar and to make sure the custom cocktails don't run out. Overall will be back to try more :) read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

A Sunday night looking for a place to have a cocktail. This popped on my insta & is close to where I'm staying. It's very small, quaint. Bartender súper nice & his drinks were delicious! Nice vibe. read more

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Got here when it basically opened, glad I did because this is one of the more new and hype places in NY. AMBIANCE: Parking: You're in Midtown.... good luck. You're not too far away from the E and M subway. Seating: Bar seating, maybe for 12 people total. Vibes: Welcome to Midtown East! A mix of a residential urban neighborhood with a calmer feel of the city. The spot itself is pretty hidden, you do head down a half stairs then open up a door to a dimmed bar. Nothing too flashy, simple lit, great hi fi blues music, Japanese art and a wall of alcohol. Nothing too fancy, so need to dress up if you can't. Great place to wine down, enjoy a drink, and listen to some good music. FOOD: MaCHET Baker (Recommend) Heavenly! Smooth, earthy, nutty, and relaxing. Sweet/Umami - Junmai Sake, matcha, earthy genmaicha, oatmilk, and genmai rice. The icing on the cake is that Chet Baker was playing in the background. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! Friendly and a great delivery that contributed to the aura/presentation of the drink TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5. Awesome! Good selections, wonderful drinks, and pleasant vibes. It felt like a sharp contrast from experiencing the hustle and bustle of New York, to something calm and relaxing. I've had a lot of matcha drinks in my life, this is certainly a memorable one! TIPS: * Come early for a calm enjoyment. This place can get packed! read more

Yakuni - Wooo! - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

Yakuni is a charming 18 seat cocktail bar located in a basement. No reservations are accepted. I had an Oolong Peach Drink and a special off the menu drink that had no name. Both were exceptional! We also shared some cheese. My friend had a plum wine which was out of this world. The space is super tiny but the vibes are on point. The bartender Jed was awesome. So kind and a master at his craft. Highly recommend stopping in to this chill spot for unique cocktails 10/10 read more

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Loved the environment - small basement bar that was a bit dim with good lighting and music that set the ambiance. The drinks were very creative albeit a bit pricey ~$23 for a cocktail. I got the peach drink, and it was tasty. It was busy but they were attentive read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

I went on a school night, so it was pretty quiet with only the bar seatings full. Drinks were mostly sake based. As I'm having a dry November, I asked for a mocktail and they said they have a grapefruit spritzer which was perfect for me. The music is quite loud, so if you plan to do some talking it'll be a bit of shouting amongst others trying to talk. read more

I hate this place. I really just do. (I gave myself some time to put this together, if at all, to see if I was being reasonable-and came to the conclusion that had I read this before coming in, I could have had that evening back.) Really dingey looking, as though you are in a makeshift teenager's basement pad decorated by generations of incohesive flea market hand me downs. Dark. Cramped. Aggravating music. 'Mostly pre-batched cocktails', said the bartender, which STILL took FOREVER, during a not-busy time. Ignore all the wording on the menu about 'handcrafted'. Really really excruciating and exhausting for a place which seems to consider itself so high and mighty. Really stuffy in there, no air circulation. Also totally dirty, had to ask twice to have the bar area in front of us cleaned; kept asking for napkins and never got any. Very sparse food menu, which includes chips on the wall pole, a la the gas station mini mart. I truly have no idea why anyone comes here or would want to stay. Really excessively expensive and unpleasant, and frankly, really annoying. Especially the bartender, who I think belongs in somewhere NOT NYC, and/or at a head shop, he is SO slow-paced in EVERYTHING. Unless you are a teenager just trying to get away from your parents in someone else's dank basement. Please note: I was in no rush whatsoever. I just couldn't stand anything about here, let alone the slowness of the bartender. Kind of like someone on a cramped sidewalk who keeps passing you on their phone the entire time, but forces you to slow down/go around yet again. Another note: I was REALLY EXCITED to try this place. We do NOT mesh. read more

Glad we got to check out Masa Sans newest space! Like each of his spaces, it's a smaller bar space, only one bartender, but an absolute vibe. Ben was awesome and took care of us. The cocktails we got were next level and we would absolutely be back here again. It honestly felt like we stumbled into a bar in a Yokocho in Japan. read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

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Saw the sign as I was walking by. Loved the vibe. Space is tiny; if you come at the wrong time you may end up standing but people don't seem to care. Both of the bartenders were attentive and were able to guide me through my exploratory ventures. Drinks were great! read more

The bartender was super chill and knowledgeable! Cocktails were creative and strong, would def go again

Really enjoyed our time here. We made a reservation and thoroughly enjoyed the cocktails. It really did remind me of a speakeasy in Tokyo. The sake tasting was excellent and the bartender went through a thorough explanation. 5 stars!! read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

Super slow service, bartender is taking long time, lots of ingredients were gone, no host, small space. I get that they are trying to replicate the vibe of a Tokyo small bar, but the lack of communication, unfriendliness, and the bartender taking his sweet time doing stuff really killed everything. The drinks themselves are decent, less alcohol, more on the creamy/fruit side. There are bunch of sakes you can sort of just point at and order, but I just can't stand the bartender making drinks at the pace of 10 min per...it seems like artificially building up a crowd of disgruntled people. read more

Hidden underneath all the lights of 53rd St., in the basement of a large building, Yakuni is quite reminiscent of the bars found in Piss Alley, Japan. Small and cozy, seating for about 10 people. The cocktails are incredibly creative using various ingredients from in and around Japan. The two cocktails I enjoyed that were crafted were the creamy banana and the Jed's dead. Both outstanding in their own different ways. has a bit of a romantic vibe, but is also good for the solo imbiber. read more

super excited to have come to this place on its date of soft opening. the bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable about the drinks. it was cool just to watch them create these various drinks. this place is unassuming on the exterior, a few people from the street had even followed my group as they saw us all going down these stairs that seemed to lead to a laundromat and were confused where we were all going, only to be pleasantly surprised by where they ended up. the interior is super vibey and cool, a quaint little spot very dimly lit with cool decor including a record player. the ma-chet baker drink was delicious, and came in a beautiful little matcha bowl. the bartender garnished the drink with a brown rice flaky topping called genmaicha that provided an interesting textural and flavor aspect. the peach oolong punch was DELICIOUS, it tasted almost just like a lovely peach tea, you could barely taste the liquor (dangerous lol). on a friday night around 8pm, this place was poppin, it was a good thing we made a reservation in advance i'm happy we came and wish success for this place, which i'm sure will come very easily! read more

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Oh man I'm nervous to review this place because I want to keep it as my own little secret. What a great little spot to have a great cocktail, socialize and enjoy vinyl records. I returned from Japan not long ago and this place brought me back. Hit this place up for a drink and then go to Lucky Cat for some great spicy ramen. read more

I love the bars intimate ambiance! I had two cocktails, two sake, and some chips. They don't serve food, so I'd recommend coming after dinner. The service was exceptional, and Ben's cocktail creations are truly a highlight, so creative and delicious! Definitely a spot worth visiting for a relaxed night out (: read more

Yakuni - Melon cream soda and ginger something cocktail - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here with my friend who loves sake and he was impressed with their selections and recommendation. The bar tender was knowledgeable and even gave us a mini review of each sake we tried. It is a true hole in the wall, we had to go to the restaurant upstairs to as for directions. Very cosy so get a reservation if you can or come early! read more

Yakuni - Speakeasies Near Me - New York, New York

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A moody, underground vibe meets a killer music selection, flickering candlelight, and thoughtful service. The curated sake lineup is a joy to browse--even before the first sip. Perfect for spending a fun, laid-back evening with friends. read more

wonderful new sake bar with super unique ambience and an amazing selection of sake plus cocktail. Service is impeccable!