The rising popularity of izakayas in Singapore is no surprise, especially with Singapore’s growing bar scene that sees drinking holes in all forms and themes.

An Izakaya is essentially Japan’s equivalent to a Spanish tapas bar where you get to dine and drink under one roof. The answer to the woes of the Japanese working class, Izakayas are seen as a haven where people can go to after work to enjoy a tipple, snack on some food and unwind with their mates.

Whether it is an ice-cold beer you crave or something a little more punchy, here are 10 Izakaya bars in Singapore for you to unwind, get fed or simply to drown out your sorrows.

#1 EN BAR

Previously known as En Grill & Bar, En Bar—located along Mohamed Sultan Road—is a contemporary bar and lounge where you are greeted with a selection of Asian and Western tapas and a neat range of Japanese alcohol such as Sake Shochu, Awamori, wines and spirits.

If you are keen on trying something new, do approach their bartenders for a unique cocktail concoction!

#2 FIVE IZAKAYA

Besides their enticing S$5 beer promotions, FIVE Izakaya is a pretty solid place to catch up with friends or colleagues over some yummy grub. Alcohol never runs dry here but perhaps one of the more underrated qualities of this long-time establishment is its food.

From bar bites to authentic Japanese fare, their food offerings are massive.

5 Changi Business Park Central 1, #01-66/67
Changi City Point
Singapore 486038
Tel: +65 6604 8255
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 12am
Sun: 3pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Expo

Photo credit: IZAKAYA 95

#3 IZAKAYA 95

Despite being tucked all the way at The Punggol Settlement, Izakaya 95 is worth a visit.

The izakaya dishes out a wide variety of tasty Japanese food which includes yakitori and did we mention the happy hour promotions that happen all night long? You get to enjoy drinks from S$9.50 onwards!

3 Punggol Point #02-05
The Punggol Settlement,
Singapore 828694
Tel: +65 6384 1132
Mon to Thu: 5pm – 12am
Fri: 5pm – 1am
Sat: 1pm – 1am
Sun: 1pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Punggol

#4 IZAKAYA NIJUMARU

Nestled on the second level of Cuppage Plaza, Izakaya Nijumaru is possibly one of the oldest Japanese eateries around—we’re talking about over 3 decades! From the old-school interior to the wall murals, Izakaya Nijumaru is bound to have you reminiscing your times in Japan.

This cosy eatery serves up an extensive range of Japanese food at really affordable prices. Drink choices are limited but rest assured that thirsty tipplers will still be able to get their fill of sake.

5 Koek Road, #02- 228796
10 Cuppage Road
Tel: +65 6235 6693
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sun: 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

#5 JINZAKAYA

A hidden gem with pretty affordable food, JINzakaya is known for its wide range of grilled delicacies, including everyone’s favourite yakitori. Crowd pleasers include their juicy grilled chicken thigh, tender pork belly slices, and fresh scallops wrapped in bacon—all of which go incredibly well with an ice-cold beer.

Drinks wise, one can choose from more than 10 different types of sake, shochu and beer.

Connexion at Farrer Park
1 Farrer Park Station Road
Owen Link, #01-08/10
Singapore 217562
Tel: +65 6443 1173
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Park

#6 MO’MOR IZAKAYA

Nestled in the cosy enclave of Tanglin—right on the outskirts of the bustling Orchard district—this contemporary establishment fuses Japanese and European elements together to present a stunning menu featuring mainly tapas and grills.

Other than being aesthetically-pleasing, the quality of their food is also top-notch and go perfectly well with in-house tipples.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn 3 miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

56 Tanglin Road
#B1-01 Tanglin Post Office
Singapore 247964
Tel: +65 6463 8080
Sun to Thu: 10am – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 1am
Sat: 10am – 1am
Nearest Station: Orchard

#7 NEON PIGEON

This quaint Japanese fusion restaurant located along the restaurant-laden Keong Saik Road brims with cool indie vibes that just scream out at you as you walk by—and we’re not just talking about the literal neon pink pigeon at its doorway.

The recipes here take on a modern twist and are sure to intrigue as well as delight. There is also a curated menu of artistic cocktails that pair beautifully with their outstanding nosh.

1 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089109
Tel: +65 6222 3623
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

#8 SHIROKANE TORI-TAMA

If you’re a fan of grilled skewers—or more specifically, yakitori—then this outpost of the Tokyo-based Toritama group is one to visit. Choose from a selection of over 20 chicken parts—all grilled to tender, smoky perfection.

While you soak up the aromas, feel free to knock back a cold one or even a sake.

11 Unity Street,
Singapore 237995
Tel: +65 6836 5680
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

#9 SHUKUU IZAKAYA & SAKE BAR

Tanjong Pagar may be home to quite a number of izakayas but perhaps one of the standouts is Shukuu Izakaya & Sake Bar. This traditional Japanese restaurant exudes a laid-back vibe that nicely complements the Japanese fare served here.

Along with its remarkable service and accessible location, this spacious restaurant is perfect for large groups—time to round up the entire office!

8 Stanley Street
Singapore 068727
Tel: +65 6327 9240
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Sat: 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

#10 SHUNJUU IZAKAYA

Located along Robertson Quay, Shunjuu Izakaya is a riverfront izakaya that serves up mainly skewers and outrageously affordable sake.

With an incredible variety of 70 grilled skewers and just about 60 different kinds of Japanese sake to choose from, every visit remains a refreshing experience!

30 Robertson Quay
#01-15 Riverside View
Singapore 238251
Tel: +65 6887 3577
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11.30pm
Sun: 12pm – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning / Clarke Quay

It is tucked at a corner on the second level of Cuppage Plaza and you wouldn’t otherwise walk past it unless you were particularly looking out for it. The nondescript outlet has been around for three decades. We actually only discovered it about seven years ago but it has since remained as a favourite of ours whenever we want a simple, affordable Japanese meal in Orchard Road.

Izakaya Nijumaru is one hidden gem (literally) in Cuppage Plaza.

But if you find it, we say you walk right in and treat yourselves to a good Japanese meal. You’d be pleased to know that the prices are very reasonable and the menu is comprehensive.

Izakaya Nijumaru will have you reminiscing your times in Japan. The traditional setting—complete with dim lights, counter seats, seasonal menu handwritten in Japanese and plastered over the chef’s counter, fortune cats and beer taps—instantly made us feel like we have stepped into a Japanese izakaya. No frills, no pretence; Izakaya Nijumaru’s ambience hits all the right spots.

Then, there is a huge menu with many Japanese favourites that will spoil you silly. Set lunches start as low as S$9 for an Omelette Egg Rice to S$25 for an Unagi Bento Box complete with sashimi and miso soup.

For the in-betweens, go for the Buta Shioyaki Set (S$13), Deep Fried Pork Fillet (S$13) or Tendon (S$13). We are crazy about tempura bowls and the Tendon here didn’t disappoint. An assortment of prawns and vegetables served atop Japanese rice, this hearty bowl is something we’d return to Izakaya Nijumaru for.

The most value-for-money set and the one we loved most is the Nijumaru Bento Box (S$21) that comprises sashimi, grilled saba, pork belly, tempura and miso soup. The pork belly, in particular, was super flavourful and the grilled saba was fresh and sweet.

There is a concise sashimi moriawase selection, a series of simmered dishes such as Chawan Mushi (S$5.50) and Oden (S$9), and a whole page of grilled items (think xxx and xxx).

Japanese food wouldn’t be complete without a good beer or whisky and over at Izakaya Nijumaru, the beverage list is pretty well-curated in their own rights, too.

Izakaya Nijumaru
5 Koek Rd, #02- 228796, 10 Cuppage Rd
Tel: +65 6235 6693
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sun: 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

It’s amusing to watch the rate at which restaurants in Singapore open and close, so it was partly out of curiosity that we decided to visit Tamon Izakaya (214 East Coast Road) which has survived the test of time and influx of competitors to stay in operation for 18 years.

This Japanese eatery sits no more than 30 people, but we liked that tables were spaced sufficiently far apart to allow privacy of conversation. The restaurant was fully packed on a Saturday evening despite the horrors of parking along East Coast road, but we hear that business is quiet during lunch.

We each got a complimentary dish of tamago. We weren’t expecting much from a dish that had been prepared beforehand, and it served its purpose of giving us something to nibble on while waiting for our orders.

But the wait didn’t take long anyway; our first dish of Salmon Mentai Maki ($15) came within minutes. We were delighted to see generous slivers of flame-torched salmon, still pink and raw on the underside that came topped with a dollop of tangy, creamy mentai. This itself was good enough for us to distract us from the under-seasoned rice.

Skewers supposedly take centre stage at Tamon. Among those we tried, we enjoyed the Shishito or Japanese green pepper which was bursting with juices despite being charred to a crisp. The Gyu Maki Cheese ($5) was also an ingenious creation with tender beef slices encasing a delicate filling of gooey, almost mochi-like cheese. The Beef Karubi ($5) and Chicken Thigh with leek ($3) were average, but what disappointed was the Chicken Liver ($2.80), which came across as dry and hard.

Our favourite dish turned out to be the Pork Belly Stew ($10). Contrary to what its name would have you believe, this was surprisingly light on the palate. We loved that it was was chock-full of sukiyaki-style pork slices, stewed onions, carrots and potatoes that had soaked up the intense flavours of the broth. This was comfort food at its best and we’d have been happy spooning this over mounds of rice.

Instead, our carbohydrates came in the form of an oyako don ($15) which was really nothing more than a tummy-filler. A rather unfortunate way to end the meal as this was bland and unexciting.

As izakaya meals go, it’s easy to chalk up a hefty sum from ordering ala-carte. We can’t help but notice offerings at Tamon are much less refined that what we Singaporeans have been spoilt by. Though we weren’t won over by the food, we were thoroughly impressed with the service, which was prompt, personal and yet unintrusive. The service staff came by time to time to check on our needs and not once were our glasses of tea left empty. Perhaps therein lies the secret to surviving as a restaurant in Singapore for so many years.

Tamon Izakaya
214 East Coast Road
Tel: +65 6346 6667
Daily: 11.30 – 2pm, 6pm – 10pm

Words and photographs by Sarah Lim

For more recommendations, read our Guide to Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

If you are like me, always craving for Japanese food, you need to make a trip down to Shunjuu Izakaya – a restaurant that is known for its sumiyaki (Japanese charcoal grill).

It is easy to walk past Shunjuu Izakaya, located along in Robertson Quay, an area packed with good restaurants and eateries. But once you have been there, chances are, you will be a regular.

Shunjuu Izakaya is rather similar to Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar – another of my favourite Japanese Izakaya – and though the charcoal grill menu is not as comprehensive, it offers other choices like sashimi, fried food, rice and noodles.

Most of the items at Shunjuu Izakaya are reasonably priced, and in addition, it has value for money set lunches. You can get the sashimi set for $22, while the chicken teriyaki rice bowl goes for $23. Other options include tempura udon ($19) and oyako don ($16).

When we were there for lunch, we had the gindara don ($23) and grilled chicken skewers set ($19) – consisting of chicken fillet stuffed with plum and basil, chicken meat balls, chicken wing, and chicken with leek – from the set lunch menu. Besides that, we also ordered a portion of salmon sashimi ($17) from the ala carte menu. Everything was done to a high standard, and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Shunjuu Izakaya is a place that I can see myself coming back. Don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

Shunjuu Izakaya
30 Robertson Quay
#01-15 Riverside View, Singapore
Tel: +65 6887 3577
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm

Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar is a Shochu speciality izakaya at The Gallery Hotel that is known for serving yummy charcoal-grill skewers.

If you are searching for a great after work spot for food and drinks with friends, check out Satsuma at Robertson Quay. It is certainly a place I can see myself frequently whenever I feel like having Japanese food.

The menu is huge – you can get anything from the typical pork belly ($5), chicken wing ($7) and chicken liver ($4), to stuff like quail eggs ($4), silver cod ($15) and lamb chop (19). We did a quick count, and there are more than sixty items under the charcoal-grill section.

On top of that, Satsuma also has other categories like cold dishes – salmon and avocado tartare ($20), tofu salad with Japanese dressing (12); hot dishes – dried puffer fish ($16), ox tongue stew ($12), octopus with garlic butter ($20); sashimi – salmon ($17), assorted raw fish platter ($49); and deep fried items – mozarella cheese with sauce ($12), and soft shell crab ($12).

During lunch, it has several good value sets that are mostly priced under $20. We shared a mixed grilled rice set ($22) which came with five skewers: mushroom, unagi, meatball, chicken with leek, asparagus roll with pork. In addition, we also had two sticks of cheese rolled with pork ($5), and ox tongue ($9). Everything was good, but in particular, I loved the unagi and ox tongue.

Satsuma at Robertson Quay is known to be very popular at night, so imagine our surprise when we went there during lunch and it turned out that we were the only customers in the restaurant.

If you like charcoal-grilled skewers, Satsuma is definitely the place to go. And of course, given that it is a Shochu speciality restaurant, you cannot leave without having a glass of the popular alcoholic beverage.

Satsuma Shochu Dining Bar
1 Nanson Road
#01-10/#02-10 The Gallery Hotel
Tel: +65 6235 3565
Weekdays: 12pm – 2.30pm
Sun to Thu: 6pm – 10.30pm
Fri to Sat: 6pm – 1am

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One of the best parts of my job is discovering new hidden gems. After having a good meal at Yakitori Emmau, I am happy to introduce it to you as I feel that it is one of the few restaurants in Orchard that is worth checking out.

Yakitori Emmau at level four of ION Orchard is the second franchise of the Japan’s No. 1 Izakaya restaurant.

For Mother’s Day 2012, it is offering a special Collagen Tori Nabe set menu for 4 pax at only $120. The set comes with Caesar Salad; assorted Sashimi platter; Kushiyaki (skewers) platter; Tori Nabe soup which has a generous serving of ingredients; and the Enmaru Roll.

Like mentioned in my Guide to Mother’s Day Dinner, the set menu definitely has more than enough food for a family of four, and at just $30/pax, I think it is a fantastic deal.

We started with a Caesar salad, which I am not a fan of. I was slightly disappointed that they did not use Wafu dressing for the salad.

We quickly moved on to the enmaru roll (actual portion is twice the size) – an assortment of fresh sushi on a maki roll. Everything was like what you see in the photo – beautiful.

Before we could finish the maki roll, we were distracted by the assorted Sashimi platter (actual portion is twice the size) – which consist of maguro, salmon, kanpachi, mekajiki, and amaebi. It’s really difficult to concentrate when you have a plate of gorgeous sashimi in front of you.

From left to right: Minced ball with plum, chicken tight with leek, enoki bacon, pork with asparagus, beef with radish.

My favourite was the enoki bacon. It was juicy and succulent, and I simply loved the combination of mushroom and bacon. The beef with radish was equally outstanding. After finishing the five skewers, I took a quick glance at the normal ala carte menu. Most of the skewers — priced between $3 to $7 — are generally quite good. I’d come back for yakitori.

We wrapped up our lunch with the tori nabe soup, which came with a generous portion of ingredients, cooked in a rich and refreshing broth.

The interior of Yakitori Emmau is East Village-esque. The very feeling of dining in a Japanese restaurant in NYC. I also like the fact that most of the service staff are Japanese. They have decent food at acceptable prices. I will definitely drop by if I want a quick meal in town.

The Mother’s Day promotion at Yakitori Emmau is available during lunch and dinner, and it runs for the entire month of May.

Yakitori Emmau
2 Orchard Turn
#04-11 ION Orchard
Tel: +65 6636 7282
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

Ciki and I were bar-hopping after our dinner at Ippudo Ramen, and before going to our second stop at Orgo Bar, we decided to have some snacks at Tomo Izakaya, Esplanade Mall.

The Japanese casual dining restaurant has an original outlet at Clarke Quay, and they serve a variety of small dishes together with Japanese beers and sake.

Izakaya is a term referring to a Japanese drinking establishment that’s focused on drinks, but like many bars, serves food so that you will not drink on an empty stomach.

Besides the branch at Esplanade, folks working in the Marina Bay area will also be happy to know that they have a new sister restaurant – Akari Dining & Bar – at Marina Bay Link Mall.

Looking at Tomo Izakaya’s menu, the dishes are standard to any usual Japanese restaurants – Sushi ($8-20), Sashimi ($18 upwards), Makimono ($4.5-12.5), Kushiyaki ($5-12/skewer), Agemono ($7.5-18), and Udon/Soba ($10).

As we already had dinner, we ordered mostly skewers like Okura Bacon ($7) and Enkoi Bacon ($8.5), as well as Tori Karaage ($10). The food that we ordered was decent, nothing exceptionally fantastic, but good enough to go along with our sake.

A good place to hang out with colleagues after work for drinks and a simple dinner. Tomo Izakaya at Esplanade also has an ala carte buffet lunch (12pm – 2.30pm daily) for $23.8++, which includes around 25 to 30 items like sushi, sashimi and others. I’d probably drop by to try the buffet when I am craving for Japanese food.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn 1 miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Tomo Izakaya
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-09 Esplanade Art Centre
Tel: +65 6333 0012
Lunch: 12pm – 2.30pm
Dinner: 5pm – 11.30pm

3A River Valley Road
#01-04 Clarke Quay
Tel: +65 6336 0100
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 3am

For more recommendations, please read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

Update: Taira Izakaya is now closed

Izakaya is a casual Japanese bar where you can enjoy food with drinks. It reminds me of Spanish Tapas Bars, and one of the best things about such dining concepts is that you get to try so many different food.

Located at Holiday inn Singapore Orchard City Centre in Cavenagh Road, Taira Izakaya is the perfect place to go after a long day of work for some light snacks and drinks.

The Japanese drinking bar has a pretty comprehensive menu and the items are reasonably priced. You can find sashimi ($15-20 for 5 pcs), sushi ($3-12/pc), maki ($5-12 for 6 sushi roll), grill items ($5-25), skewers ($$2.5-5/stick), and tempura ($5-12).

Izakaya food is slightly more substantial than tapas, and they are meant to be shared. It is probably a good idea to go with a group of friends so that you can try more food.

We started with the California Roll ($10). The gorgeous sushi roll was utterly delicious, and we finished it very quickly. Needless to say, we were tempted to order a second helping, but we decided to try the Spicy Tuna Maki ($12) instead.

While waiting for the Maki to come, we had the Salted Grilled Unagi ($16), Yakitori ($2.5) and Enoki Bacon ($2.5). My dining companion is a big unagi fan and she thought that the one that we had was nothing special. Given that there are so many yummy choices like teriyaki grill cod, grill kurobuta and miso grill king prawn amongst the Yakimono selection, we probably wouldn’t order the Unagi again.

I thoroughly enjoyed Taira Izakaya’s bacon wrapped mushroom – it was extremely juicy and tender. The Chicken Skewer, on the other hand, was run-of-the-mill.

And of course, the must-have Salmon Sashimi ($15 for 5 pcs). What can I say? 5 pieces are definitely not enough. The Karashi Tuna Roll came last, and it had a spicy kick. Both of us agreed that the California roll was better (or at least we liked it more), and I definitely want to try the Chopped fatty tuna roll ($12) next time.

All in all, Taira Izakaya offers simple and delicious Japanese food. It is worth mentioning that we were the only locals there that night. If you have been to Taira Izakaya before, do check out Izakaya Nijumaru at Cuppage Plaza, Orchard Road.

Tell me, which is your favourite Izakaya in Singapore?

Singapore Food Blog Review
Taira Izakaya
11 Cavenagh Road #01-16
Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Tel: +65 6836 5298

For more recommendations, read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore