If you’re looking for somewhere to eat or drink in Tokyo, an izakaya is the place to go.
Izakaya are often translated as “Japanese pubs”, but they can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
In some, you might be seated on tatami flooring in an open space, while others might have you seated at a counter, watching the cooks and bartenders.
But wherever you go, an izakaya is all about the combination of great food and great drinks.
Shibuya, home to the famous Scramble Crossing, is always a lively and popular spot to spend an evening out in Tokyo.
There are tons of izakaya to choose from, so to help you know where to go, here we’ll take a look at five Shibuya izakaya serving typical Japanese food (AKA washoku).
万作 渋谷ヒカリエ店 / Mansaku Shibuya Hikarie
If you are looking for an easy option to try shabu-shabu (thin meat cooked at the table with dipping sauce) alongside a good selection of Japanese drinks, "万作 渋谷ヒカリエ店 / Mansaku Shibuya Hikarie" may just be the spot for you.
While it might seem strange at first that this restaurant is located inside a Hikarie mall, you might be surprised at the quality of Japan’s mall restaurants!
The only difference is that they are a lot easier to visit.
At "万作 渋谷ヒカリエ店 / Mansaku Shibuya Hikarie", their specialty is Miyazaki cuisine.
Miyazaki is one of Japan’s southern prefectures, and is known for its pork, beef, and exotic fruit and vegetables.
Of course that means there is a lot of southern food to try at "万作 渋谷ヒカリエ店 / Mansaku Shibuya Hikarie", such as Miyazaki Black Beef Shabu-Shabu, Miyazaki Chicken Nanban (fried chicken with tartare sauce), and even their homemade Miyazaki-style soft tofu.
It wouldn’t be an izakaya without some alcoholic drinks to accompany the food though!
At "万作 渋谷ヒカリエ店 / Mansaku Shibuya Hikarie", you won’t be surprised to know that there is an array of Miyazaki drinks to match the food.
This ranges from simple cocktails made with Miyazaki tea or the southern citrus “Hyuganatsu”, to special Miyazaki shochu (spirit distilled most often from sweet potatoes) and fruity liqueurs.
菜な 渋谷マークシティ店 / Nana Shibuya Mark City
Another gem in one of Shibuya’s malls is "菜な 渋谷マークシティ店 / Nana Shibuya Mark City".
This warm and inviting space is decorated with elements of traditional and modern Japanese styles, and specialises in a modern take on Kyoto dishes.
The menu at "菜な 渋谷マークシティ店 / Nana Shibuya Mark City" is highly seasonal, with a variety of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes to choose from.
One of the easiest ways to make the most of the huge selection is to opt for one of their pre-set course meals, which can also be combined with an all-you-can-drink option.
The dishes range from salt-grilled salmon to sesame and avocado fried tofu, with a good mix of fresh salad-like dishes and comforting fried food.
The food is accompanied by a wide selection of drinks, including soft drinks, wines, fruit liqueurs, and sake from around Japan.
The wine list is unusually long for an izakaya, with options by the glass and by the bottle, as the modern twists on the food are better suited to wine accompaniments than other washoku might be.
There are also a number of seasonal fruit-based drinks for something sweet.
"菜な 渋谷マークシティ店 / Nana Shibuya Mark City" is a particularly good option for a date night or an elegant evening with groups of up to 16, as there are private seating options as well as more casual tables and counter seats.
芋蔵 渋谷 / Imozo Shibuya
Following along the theme of regional food, "芋蔵 渋谷 / Imozo Shibuya" specialises in Kyushu cuisine.
Kyushu is Japan’s southernmost region, encompassing every prefecture from Fukuoka to Okinawa, including Miyazaki.
In terms of food, "芋蔵 渋谷 / Imozo Shibuya" offers a range of Kyushu specialties, with dishes like Hakata pork fried noodles, Pollack Roe Teppanyaki, and even basashi (horse sashimi).
But their pride and joy is their motsu nabe (offal hotpot).
If you are not used to offal cuisine, this is the place to try it, as they have spent years perfecting their recipes to bring out the umami flavours and combine them with a variety of vegetables to bring the southern flavours to Tokyo.
But something that Kyushu and southern Japan is particularly well known for is their shochu, a spirit most commonly made with sweet potato.
The izakaya has over 100 different types of shochu, mostly from different areas around Kyushu.
These pair especially well with the flavours of Kyushu cuisine.
There is also sake, soft drinks, beer, and a variety of unique shochu cocktails.
"芋蔵 渋谷 / Imozo Shibuya" has an aesthetic bar look, with its array of shochu lined up behind the counter, and has counter, table, and booth seating.
楽蔵うたげ 渋谷駅前店 / Rakuzo Utage Shibuya Station Store
Rather than focussing on a specific regional cuisine, "楽蔵うたげ 渋谷駅前店 / Rakuzo Utage Shibuya Station Store" chooses to put its efforts into a type of cuisine called yakitori, meaning skewered, grilled chicken.
"楽蔵うたげ 渋谷駅前店 / Rakuzo Utage Shibuya Station Store" takes care to provide enough selection that you can easily adjust the experience to the occasion, offering a variety of course options at different price points, as well as different types of seating, including private booths.
All within Shibuya Station itself.
Their yakitori dishes are made with specially selected Daisen-dori chicken, known for its excellent balance of fat and flavour.
In Japan, it is typical to try an array of different parts of the chicken when eating yakitori, but by ordering a-la-carte, you can easily try one skewer of something without committing to an entire plateful.
Outside of their chicken dishes, their menu is highly seasonal, with delicious meat, fish, and vegetable options ranging from sausages and chips to rolled egg omelette.
"楽蔵うたげ 渋谷駅前店 / Rakuzo Utage Shibuya Station Store" also takes pride in their drinks, offering an extensive list of beverages specially chosen to be the best accompaniment to their food.
There are shochu and sake from all around Japan, as well as whiskeys, wines, beer, cocktails, and soft drinks to choose from.
Spend an Evening Exploring Shibuya
With its shops and entertainment always open late, Shibuya is a great place to explore and get a sense of Tokyo nightlife.
With all these restaurants and izakaya, there’s no reason you have to limit yourself to just one!
Written by Cassandra Lord
After studying Japanese at university, I moved to Japan in 2018 to experience Japanese culture first-hand.
It wasn’t long until I developed an interest in Japanese cooking, and now I’m always experimenting in the kitchen, cooking anything from okonomiyaki to goya chanpuru.
That all started in Tokyo, so the city will always have a place in my heart, but now that I live in a more rural area, I have fallen in love with small towns and regional cuisine and culture.
I want to continue exploring and experiencing Japan as much as I can.