The izakaya is a genuinely central institution in Japanese social and food culture — closer to a British pub in social function than a typical restaurant, but with its own distinct format and etiquette worth understanding before visiting.
What an izakaya actually is
An izakaya is a casual Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food, typically small, shareable dishes ordered progressively throughout the evening rather than a single main course — the format is built around extended, social drinking and eating together, closer in spirit to tapas-style dining than a standard sit-down restaurant meal with one ordered course per person.
How ordering actually works
Rather than ordering a complete meal upfront, izakaya dining typically involves ordering a few dishes to start, then continuing to order additional items throughout the evening as the group eats and drinks — this progressive, shared ordering style is central to the format and genuinely different from how a lot of visitors are used to ordering at a standard restaurant.
Common izakaya menu items
- Yakitori — grilled skewered chicken, a near-universal izakaya staple
- Edamame — steamed soybeans, often one of the first items ordered as a light starter
- Karaage — Japanese-style fried chicken, a common shareable dish
- Sashimi and small seafood dishes — varying by establishment, often featuring whatever's fresh that day
The otoshi tradition worth knowing about
Many izakaya serve a small starter dish automatically upon being seated, called otoshi — this isn't a free appetizer but rather a functional cover charge, typically small and unavoidable, worth knowing about so it doesn't come as a surprise when the bill arrives, since it's standard practice rather than an error.
The social function beyond the food
Izakaya visits are closely tied to Japanese work culture specifically — after-work izakaya gatherings with colleagues are a genuine, common social ritual, functioning as an important, semi-informal social bonding occasion in a lot of Japanese workplace culture.