The best Japanese izakayas in Singapore to get your weekend buzz on

In Japan, the nightly pilgrimage to the nearby izakaya for after-work drinks is a rite of passage for every up-and-coming salaryman (and often, overachieving, guidebook-toting out-of-towners).

The descent into dank basements, the jostling for tiny tables, and the pall of smoke mixed in with sizzling grilled meats and fizzy lemon sours — these are all part of the charm, and almost a necessity for the best and most memorable izakaya experiences.

Thanks in part to the Japanese diaspora here, the izakayas we get in the Lion City are no less authentic — sans the indoor smoking. Here are some of the best Japanese izakayas in Singapore, each offering its own set of innovative bar bites and craft tipples.

Barrel Story of Hibiki

Japanese whisky giant Hibiki broke new ground with the opening of its first overseas establishment, Barrel Story of Hibiki, right here in Singapore late last year. The izakaya’s setting within a 1920s heritage building strikes a stark juxtaposition against its distinctly modern sensibilities.

The a la carte menu offers imaginative takes on izakaya favourites, veering from beef tongue tsukune and chicken wings stuffed with gyoza to a wood-fired catch of the day flown straight from Japan.

Don’t miss out on the brand’s love letter to local chicken rice — and of course, all the Hibiki whisky and cocktails your heart desires.

Find out more here.

Moga

Moga at the Pullman Singapore Hill Street hotel styles itself as a “modern Japanese izakaya with attitude”. We don’t disagree — only at Moga will you find sharing platters of the umami-rich and charcoal-kissed set against a delightfully inventive cocktail programme inspired by Japan’s modan gaaru (modern girls), or moga for short.

Star tipples in the current globetrotting menu include a Korea-inspired number of Belvedere Vodka tempered by green apple soju, green apple vermouth, green apple cordial, and shio liqueur, along with a boozy caffeine bomb of a dirty matcha impregnated with Vietnamese coffee, nusantara coffee liqueur, and Monkey Shoulder scotch.

Find out more here.

Robata Akari

When Robata Akari landed on Duxton Hill last year, the izakaya and its crown jewel, an irori grill, quickly found themselves on Instagram foodie feeds across the island.

It’s hardly a surprise — the traditional sunken hearth demands attention at the very centre of the open kitchen, creating conversation even as it lends a smoky char to fresh seafood without robbing it of its natural succulence.

The fatty blackthroat sea perch is only available in highly limited quantities, so we’d recommend making reservations. 

Find out more here.

Toku Nori

Love the izakaya experience, but don’t quite love the classic fare you get at these watering holes? Head to Toku Nori for a slice of The Big Apple in Telok Ayer.

The name of the game is speciality handrolls — a favourite in New York City’s Japanese izakaya — made heavy and photogenic with everything from torched foie gras and shiro miso-accented engawa (flounder fin) to an over-the-top mix of wagyu, uni, and caviar. Get them with a curated sake pairing programme, or a selection of rotating cocktails.

Find out more here.

Momoya

No list of best izakayas is complete without a visit to Singapore’s Little Tokyo. Don’t let the grungy, no-frills confines of Orchard Plaza fool you — stay the course, and you’ll be duly rewarded with gems like Momoya, a bijou izakaya solely devoted to Kyushu’s honest-to-goodness Oita cuisine.

Regional specialities like the chicken tempura are a must, as are the handmade, oversized onigiri and heartwarming hotpots.

Find out more here.

Hiyaki

Introducing someone new to the izakaya scene? Hiyaki is about as complete an experience as you’ll get in Singapore.

The menu is as extensive as any consummate joint in Japan, with yakitori, sashimi, sushi rolls, and even shades of chuka ryori (Japanese-Chinese grub) with a rib-sticking unagi fried rice. In other words, everything you need for a laidback meal with friends and colleagues in a suitably convivial setting.

Find out more here.

Kaya

If there’s only one spot to save for date night, make it Kaya at The Standard hotel. It serves jazzed-up izakaya flavours and an extensive sake list handily sorted from dry to sweet in a gorgeous, greenery-draped dining room.

No jostling for elbow room here as you sup on eye-catching signatures like crispy tuna throat dressed with wasabi salsa verde and snow crab donabe dotted with ikura and uni creme.

Find out more here.

The Public Izakaya

Given the size of most of Singapore’s best and buzziest izakaya spots (read: tiny), it’s never easy to score last-minute seats.

If you need a spot for impromptu client-meetings-turned-suppers, The Public Izakaya always delivers — especially since they’ve just opened their third boozy hangout spot in Keppel. 

Head to any one of them for a consistently delicious selection of izakaya fare and an equally wide range of shochu, sake, and other Japanese spirits.

Find out more here.

Hearth Irori & Oden Izakaya

While Hearth Irori & Oden Izakaya’s irori might not be as visually striking as Robata Akari’s huge centrepiece, the fellow grill specialist makes up for it with a wider range of friendly bar bites, including, as its name suggests, a pretty moreish array of oden.

You’ll need something to munch on as you wait for the seafood to cook slowly by radiant heat anyway, and that’s all part of the process at this watering hole. Psst, their three-course lunch set, which includes irori-grilled fish, appetisers, dessert, and iced tea, offers legendary value for a business luncheon.

Find out more here.

Nikomi 253

Get a taste of bona fide izakaya flavour at new kid on the block Nikomi 253 in Shenton Way, where you can tuck in to beef liver sashimi while standing at the bar counter.

Seats are, of course, available for diners looking to settle their sake-filled bellies with bracing stews, tableside monjayaki, and other unpretentious izakaya turns.  

Find out more here.