If you’re visiting Japan and like trying out local food and drink, visiting an izakaya is an unmissable experience.
Often referred to as a “Japanese style pub”, an izakaya is a bar that serves alcohol and a variety of food to go with it.
Styles of izakaya can vary greatly, as some of them might invite you to sit on the tatami mat flooring, others might be spacious with western seating, and others still might only offer counter seating.
But what they all have in common is a love for good drinks and good food!
Some izakaya specialize in certain food or drink, and many offer all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-drink courses, which usually give you a time limit but no order limit.
It’s not uncommon to find various seafood dishes and fried sides at an izakaya, as well as speciality sake and drinks.
Here, we’ll take a look at five popular izakaya in the Ikebukuro area towards Tokyo’s northwest.
As they’re all in the same area, you could even do some izakaya-hopping – that is, if you can bear to leave any that you enter!
大馬鹿地蔵 池袋西口店 / Obakajizo Ikebukuro West Gate
First on our list of Ikebukuro izakaya is "大馬鹿地蔵 池袋西口店 / Obakajizo Ikebukuro West Gate".
This spacious izakaya is best suited for groups, and even has multiple separate rooms that you can hire out to enjoy your drinks without distraction.
The private rooms are available for groups as small as two people all the way up to groups of 120, so rest assured your party will be well catered-for.
Aside from its group-focused facilities, another reason that this izakaya is a popular choice is because it offers a “one-coin all-you-can-drink plan”.
This means that you only need to pay ¥500 for a full hour of bottomless drinks from a menu of 60 different varieties, including sake.
Once a month, they even do a special event where, for two days only, different types of sake from across Japan are included in the all-you-can-drink plan.
As for the food, "大馬鹿地蔵 池袋西口店 / Obakajizo Ikebukuro West Gate" prides itself on its seafood and sashimi in particular.
It gets its fish fresh every day from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Market, bringing in a huge variety of different fish and seafood to use in their dishes.
This is not only limited to their extravagant sushi platters, but is also used in their variety of seasonal arrangements that you can order a-la-carte, or as a full course meal of six to eight dishes.
魚や 池袋店 / Totoya Ikebukuro
One of the first things you’ll notice about "魚や 池袋店 / Totoya Ikebukuro" is the great sense of atmosphere that the izakaya creates.
You’ll step out of the busy streets of Ikebukuro and into a bright and welcoming space lined with bamboo and lanterns.
This izakaya is a great option no matter the size of your group, as all seats are in private booths from two to 120 people.
Despite its luxurious atmosphere, one of the great things about "魚や 池袋店 / Totoya Ikebukuro" is its very reasonable pricing.
One of their popular menu items is their course meal which comes with a three-hour all-you-can-drink plan for a total of just ¥4,000 per person.
While at many izakaya it is common to limit guests to only two hours of seating, this three-hour plan allows you to eat and drink at your own pace.
Whether you get one of the course plans or choose to order individually, you’ll be treated to a delicious array of washoku (traditional Japanese food) and fresh seafood and sashimi.
One of their most popular menu items is their “uni-giri” which is like a large sushi piece with fresh sea urchin.
Of course, this is all accompanied by a fine selection of Japanese and western drinks, and "魚や 池袋店 / Totoya Ikebukuro" takes pride in its Washoku and sake pairings, which are carefully selected to fit both the seasons and the ingredients.
御影蔵 池袋 / Mikagekura Ikebukuro
"御影蔵 池袋 / Mikagekura Ikebukuro" has a more classic izakaya atmosphere to it, with a choice of regular seating, private booths for 12 to 24 people, or counter seating where you can see the chefs in action.
The restaurant has deep wooden tones and simple décor which put you at ease while also focusing your attention on the food and drink in front of you.
One of the reasons for "御影蔵 池袋 / Mikagekura Ikebukuro"’s popularity is that it offers Kiku-Masamune sake, which is a speciality sake from a brewery with over 350 years of history behind it.
They take special care to prepare the sake to the optimum temperature, and it is said to be a good sake to try even for beginners to the drink.
Alongside this high-end sake and a few other drink options is an excellent selection of seafood and washoku cuisine, made carefully with the seasons in mind.
To move with the seasons and keep everything fresh, the menu is constantly changing and much of it changes daily.
From fresh sashimi and edamame to tempura and sirloin steak, it’s hard not to feel pampered as you look down at the city from 14 floors up.
えんざ 池袋 / Enza Ikebukuro
In the welcoming atmosphere of "えんざ 池袋 / Enza Ikebukuro", you can choose to sit at usual western tables, or at the fusion seating area on floor cushions, and get comfortable while you explore the varied menu featuring fresh fish and local dishes you may not have tried before.
While "えんざ 池袋 / Enza Ikebukuro"’s menu features a number of more local dishes such as motsu nikomi (offal stew), there are also plenty of familiar options too, like fresh sashimi.
This variety is what makes the izakaya a great option for travelers in Tokyo, as you can try more adventurous menu items while also having sashimi easily available.
Something that is well worth a try is their yakitori (charcoal-grilled chicken skewers), as there is a sense of familiarity and something uniquely Japanese at the same time.
The menu changes with the seasons, the fish is brought in fresh every day, and their specially selected drinks menu brings it all together.
Choose from their variety of beers, cocktails, and sake, or treat your party to a course meal with a 2.5-hour all-you-can-drink plan for just ¥5,000 each.
雑草庵 池袋 / Zassoan Ikebukuro
"雑草庵 池袋 / Zassoan Ikebukuro" has something a little different up its sleeve: It specializes in Hiroshima food and drink.
Not only is Hiroshima known in Japan for its delicious cuisine, but it is also known for its sake, and more recently, beer.
"雑草庵 池袋 / Zassoan Ikebukuro" strives to bring this delicious cuisine to Tokyo from Japan’s west in the freshest form possible, having its fish delivered straight from the source every morning.
This allows you to try delicious seafood like Hiroshima oysters, sardines, and even puffer fish without having to leave Tokyo.
It’s not just fish though, as there are also noodles, fried dishes, salads, and stews, as well as a famous Hiroshima specialty, okonomiyaki (thick and filled savoury pancake).
Something that the sake and alcohol fanatics will also appreciate is the dedication to offering customers Hiroshima-produced beverages.
You can sample special sakes in tasting sets, try out regional shochu (distilled alcohol made with ingredients other than rice), or even try one of the Hiroshima specialty wines.
You’ll be spoilt for choice with all these regional options, so to make things easier there is a course menu with an all-you-can-drink plan for ¥4,400 each, allowing you to experience the full spectrum of Hiroshima’s delicious delights!
Exploring Tokyo’s Izakaya Scene
Hopefully this has given you a good idea of where to go in Ikebukuro to try out a Japanese izakaya.
Although the concept may seem unfamiliar, once you start ordering and get to try out the delicious food and drink on offer, you’ll soon realize why they’re so popular!
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.