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Franklin St (1)
Canal Street (J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, 6)
Canal-Church Sts (A, C, E)
Mon-Thu. 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Trick Or Treaaaaat...
The trick part is that they're changing management ?!
Quite frankly, after an hour of wondering around on Halloween night, I would have gladly rated any place with drinks and a seat close to 5 stars - but on top of allowing me to get my drink on, Tokyo Bar actually deserves a high rating..I'm just a little sad that the night I found out about the place was also their last night. When we arrived, everybody in our party of 10 were ready to party, and we ended up having a fantastic night here - the space was comfortable, and there was plenty of room for everybody.
The decoration, of course, something everybody mentioned, is a treat. From the pop art on the ceiling to the girly, princess themed bathroom, you could tell that a lot of effort was put into this place......
the new management better be good!
I wish I had gone here when I'd first read about it, because apparently it is closing as off Halloween 2009. RIP Tokyo Bar! I liked it a lot--great music (not jazzy, even though it's part of B Flat), unpretentious atmosphere (though prob the nicest izakaya type of spot you could ever find in NYC), and the food was really good without being expensive. I had the Berkshire sausages, the raw salted octopus, the wasabi shumai, the grilled vegetables, and a scoop of sake ice cream and green tea ice cream (which was intense...I'd never had ice cream that tasted so much like hamachi before). I also had their only nigori sake, which was good and was served in a wooden box. Very friendly staff as well.
Try and check it out before Oct. 31, 2009! I may go again to try some other dishes...
Extremely disappointed.
We came here because 1, we were Downtown; 2, Yelp had good ratings and most importantly -- 3, we had a http://Restaurant.com certificate.
It is a very unassuming place; we almost walked right past it. The interior is decorated with anime/Manga wallpaper and you would think that would make it sort of childlike and whimsical but it's actually kind of cool.
We sat down and were presented with menus. I showed the guy (maybe the manager?) the certificate and he tells me that they don't take that. Then I realized that someone else had the same issue too -- so either Tokyo Bar is seriously milking this "mistake" or they are just deceiving their customers, both of which I don't really like.
We order deep fried gyoza, sashimi, Tokyo fried rice and pork belly. Whoever said the pork belly was good has never had real Japanese pork belly. This was seriously just thick slabs of marinated bacon. Gross. The fried rice was made out of sticky rice, which is beyond my comprehension... sticky rice?! Gross. There were also cherry tomatoes. We just came back from Japan this past January and there is NO WAY this is "homestyle" Japanese food. Probably the only passable thing was the sashimi and you can't REALLY mess up on raw fish that you just have to cut.
The food is really only passable, but this is a nice place for a date. Quiet and in a quiet neighborhood. Food is only ehh though, so you may want to stick with just drinks.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I was looking forward to having dinner here again since I thought their menu was innovative and the decor was fun. Due to the current economy, this restaurant was forced to shut down (so the sign on the door says). *wipes away tear* I was forced to eat at a pizza place down the street instead :(
Where else are you going to find this eclectic mix of un-pretentious Japanese pop-art, homestyle cookin', and awesome drinks?
The staff is ridiculously nice, and when I spotted some chai liquor on the top shelf of the bar, I asked the bartender to make me something using it that tasted good. I downed two of his concoctions and they were delicious. I really like the atmosphere and attention to detail. When my cocktail was served, it was in a chilled glass and the mixer was turned and shaken three different times to get every ounce of liquid out. The drinks sounded amazing--I wanted every single one of them. I wish I wouldn't have gone here after dinner so the drinks might have taken more effect and I could have tasted the food.
They also have daily specials. The day we went, Koshihikari was the special beer and the special drink was frozen alcoholic calpico with a few different flavors (I chose the lychee). They also had a pork belly special on the menu.
The place wasn't that crowded, but we went really early, around 8 or 8:30. This is a really great place for any crowd, not just those that want a drink, like comics, or want Japanese food.
P.S. I love going to legit Japanese places and being able to use my quickly dwindling Japanese. ^_^ *aka* LEGIT place!
I live in the area and I once DJ there for a party. It's a very good casual place to meet a buddy or to start the night. Best kept secret: B-Bat downstairs.
If you like Japanese Pop Art and Japanese food, this is the place to go. The atomosphere of this restaurant/bar is toally like u walked in to some crazy surreal manga world.
I had the Omuraisu, which is an omelette over ketchup rice w/gravy sauce on it (one of the top Japanese comfort food). Well, what can I say? It was damn good!!
For guys, don't forget to check out the restroom.
I recently got a msg asking me the following~
Q: What did you eat?
A: Omurice, Hambaagu, and Tatsuta-age. I also hear the kaki-fry is pretty good. Everything is really large portions so you can share. I usually do not like fried things, but they did such a good job making it a crispy delight! None of the soggy mush that we encounter at some restos.
OH and the drinks are subliiiiime~! I asked the bartender (also the manager) to recommend a strong but light drink, and got the "moment's notice" - sake + umeshu + yamamomo = my new favorite drink. They also have frozen calpico shochu drinks which are a favorite with anyone and everyone.
And dont forget to check out B-Flat (the lounge downstairs). Very chill, good sake as well as any other type of alcohol -- choose your poison, bc they have every kind. ;)
Hope that answers your question. (^_^)v
LOVE IT. the vibe, the decor, the friendly staff, the food, EVERYTHING is so great. no complaints,… Read more »
One of my absolute favorites in Tribeca--Hello Tokyo!! Forget the food--this place has the best interior design ever--I could stare at the double meaning adult anime all day! It starts to get weirder after a couple bottles of sake too! --The only throw off is the New Orleans themed pictures on two walls--what!?
Likewise, the food is pretty tasty here, everything I have tried has been good--Some typical Japanese foods and some fusion-
They have great cocktail list--some very unique mixes, all of them strong and good!
I have to say I love the bathrooms--Unisex & equally as decorated as the dinning room--very Hime/Princess styled with adult themed anime as well! Love the kitty sinks!
This is such a fun, hip, place great to honestly bring anyone!! I'm sure you will have a great time!
I can't believe this place has been there for 2 years and I've never heard of it until recently. My dear yelper friend recommended me this place and it sounded very interesting.
I came here with few friends and it was absolutely LOVELY.. the DECORE OMG!!! you are not going to find another place like this in the city. the wall was designed with all japanese animations characters.
As far as food goes. I order typical toyko fried rice. it was very good.. I order watermelon martini..it tasted very fresh and good as well.
The thing I love about this place the most is TYPICALLY place like this you need to wait hours after hours but it's not packed at all.. get table right away..
Good for date/group!!! WILL COME BACK ASAP!!
Oh hello. Did I fall into a comic book?
This place is adorable. Decked out manga-style, you truly feel like you are in some kind of parallel universe.
The kind where lots of really cute girls with big eyes, flowy hair and inappropriately short sailor-inspired school girl outfits reside.
This was my first venture into the downtown area (at least where alcohol was concerned) and I must say I LOVED it.
The service was great and the sake was deadly.
I wasn't sure if it was due to recession or because we ordered them out of sake...the owner was attentive and even threw in a free bottle at the end.
They had a tapas style menu and although I didn't eat, my friends who did said it was good. It was great for a large crowd and very clean, fun and reasonably priced.
Suki Desu Tokyo Bar.
stick to the drinks over the food. i mean the small plates are good, but really not great. it's comfort food, so lots of fried stuff.
the atmosphere is nice, changing neon lights on the ceiling, funky bathrooms, overall japanese cartoonish.
give it a try if you're in the area. i just wouldn't go for dinner.
I went here late night after some party in the area. Mainly for a last round and a snack. I recall the decor was suppose to be bright neon lights, but maybe turned it down because it was late. It's actually a cool space since there was like 12 of us to hang out. But, I can't fairly say on the food for only having tried the fried oysters.. they large and battered well. So, I'd recommend this place as a dive for now.
Like Camilla C said, you feel like you've walked into a comic strip when you come in here. Awesome decor, clean bathrooms, DJ playing music quietly enough that you can actually have a conversation with your friends.
For some reason it was really hot inside when we came here on a Friday night. We had originally planned to go to B-flat, but they were full and we didn't want to try to wait for a table. The drinks, in a 4/4 consensus, sucked. We ordered one sake, one Pink Lady, one other sugar cane/rice sake, and a Safe Sex on the Beach. The box sake looked nice but had too many competing flavors, the Pink Lady tasted kind of like cough syrup and had a shriveled strawberry in it, the cold sake was tasteless but incredibly strong, and the Safe Sex on the Beach tasted purely on pineapple juice. We had to ask twice to get water while we saw everyone else getting it automatically.
We ordered a squid legs, a sushi thing that I didn't try, and homemade ice cream--red bean and green tea. That came out right away. The red bean tasted like red bean, but the green tea just tasted bitter and not very green tea. Squid legs were good, hot, but took forever to come out, and I didn't try the sushi. Our server was attentive if remarkably hard to flag down, and it seemed like he just sort of left us to our devices. He had no problem adding peach juice to the Safe Sex on the Beach, although it really just tasted like he'd added peach-flavored water to it.
Basically, go for the food, ambience, decor, but stay away from the drinks.
Fantastic food and beverages conceived by an unrestrained imagination.
I stopped in Tokyo bar while I waited for my roommate. We were slated to do my inaugural martini run (I'm not a martini man quite yet but I'm getting there) but I arrived early. That was fine. The weather was mild, I had some smokes and I do love sake so I when two strangers held the door for me, I walked in. I figure the path of least resistance is God's way of saying "over here, stupid."
My new friends and I sat down and I quickly asked for one of the oversized sake menus. The thing about sake that has always made me fall for it? The bottles and menu are so large that I feel like I'm in a giant's basement, raiding his liquor cabinet. I found the Wakatake on the menu and ordered a glass which was really a box.
One of the ladies I'd sat down with was visiting from Japan and her friend was her American tour guide. There is a great sense of pride when a New Yorker gets to tell a visitor about his/her city. It's the sort of emotion I think can only be found in Parisians. So, when Kiumae (totally taking a guess on spelling here) said she'd not had pizza on her stay and would only be here for another (dig this) six hours I protested. I told her friend Kate to get this girl to Stromboli but first, take some of this sake with you.
If I lived in the neighborhood, I would make this place a regular (weekly) spot. The problem I had with it was the price of the sake. At $11 a box for Wakatake, this can't be a normal stop. But, if you've got a moment and are in the 'hood I say stop by, you might make a new friend.
Also, the floor to ceiling Manga sketches of Japanese girls in and out of the bathroom are worth the trip alone.
I was pleasantly surprised when a friend brought me here for a post movie dinner and drink. I'd read about the place in some blog or magazine some time ago, but never thought to actually search for the place myself.
The decor was wholly what I expected of a place that tries to recreate the Tokyo experience from a Western point of view. That's not to say it was in-authentic, but I don't think it would be mistaken for an actual bar in Tokyo. I did like how the comics on the wall reacted to certain spaces. There was a word bubble that read "The bathroom is here" which hovered over the kitchen _next_ to the bathroom, but A for effort. The live DJ and super comfortable seats made up for any design qualms I have though.
The service was definitely authentic Japanese. Our waiter was attentive and constantly offering up recommendations in a very earnest, 'I'm happy to help' way.
The menu was filled with dressed up comfort food. I had the omu rice, which was damn good, I could not put down my spoon. It was one of those meals that I wish was presented in two small servings: one to chow down because it so good, and the other to slowly savor. We all ended up getting the same "Tokyo Mojito" to drink, which wasn't memorable taste wise, but certainly overpriced. The green tea souffle, however, was worth the trip.
the interior is a little tokyo with all the neon. music is a little too loud though for a restaurant. more like a lounge with some simple food.
the food is basically home style comfort food. oma rice is savory and delicious. tokyo rice is very good version of fried rice. house special chicken is moist and yummy.
I wasn't crazy about the food, but it's not because it wasn't delicious, it's just not my type of comfort food. For what it is, I think the food is great and I love the futuristic, underground club feel about it. The comic strip walls, and the pink, Japanese soap opera and Hello Kitty inspired bathroom area really tickled my senses...
I would go back to drink and to show my friends something new. Unfortunately, I don't crave that type of food or else I'd probably hang out there all the time.
I would however love to come back if this place hosted some type of theme party where everyone has to wear day-glo bobs and rollerblades.
I love how committed the restaurant is to their theme though, the coasters, business cards, and even matchboxes were custom designed to match the comic strips on the walls. I love that type of attention to detail.
4 stars for the decor, 3 stars for the food because I'm not crazy about American, Italian, Japanese, and French fusion.
We went on a super mellow night. I think there were only 5 people in there (aside from the waitstaff) the entire time. The sake list and food were solid. I was happy to discover that they have the kind of sake out of vending machine and it was delish!
Oh man I'm so glad this place exists!!!
The restaurant is located in a long, high-ceilinged space that is typical of Tribeca, but the decor fits right into the little Japanese joints of East Village. It's a weird combination, but that's okay cos it's casual and comfortable and ultimately, I'm here for the food.
The menu is typical east-meets-west Tokyo food ie: hamburg steak with fried egg, spaghetti with cod roe, Japanese curry, salmon steak etc. The food somehow reminded me of the casual, Tokyo-fare I had for lunch every Sunday with my brother at my favorite Cafe Mami in Boston.
The service is great. Our waiter was Japanese and he was earnest, got our orders down pat and filled our ice waters diligently. The food came pretty quickly and they were all so tasty. Don't get me wrong though, this is not gourmet fare, it's a very casual, mish-mash style of food and you're definitely not going to find sushi nor izakaya-style yakitori here.
For appetizers, the pancetta and spinach salad was great, steamed mussels were really fat and juicy and cooked perfectly, fried chicken (dark meat) was very very tasty and the chili-mayonnaise that accompanied it had some real kick and the grilled spare ribs came in 3 big hunks that were tender and yummy.
For entrees, the omu rice was the true winner. It wasn't presented in the traditional way ie a crescent-shaped package of omelette-wrapped rice. Instead it was a bed of Japanese rice fried with ketchup, chicken and some beef stock and then topped with a wide, plain omelette. It was so tasty, the rice was packed with flavor and the egg was so silky and smooth. It was heavenly!!! Other entrees were quite good too such as the Tokyo beef stew (very flavorful but portion-wise, it didn't have much meat) and the minced beef steak (normally aka hamburg steak), which was served sizzling on a cast iron hot plate.
Desserts were just as good. We had the green tea parfait and the green tea souffle. The parfait came with bits of cornflakes which was such a great idea and was the perfect complement to the green tea ice cream and whipped cream. The souffle was something I liked very much because it wasn't as eggy and runny as most souffles I've tasted and I like its more cake-like consistency.
Overall, I had a great great time here. It's definitely a casual place and somewhere that you would be just as happy ordering takeout from or to just get together for a good, very casual meal with a few close friends.
I'm a big beer guy, I would come here any day just for drinks, the draft beer are always fresh with a crisp taste. The decoration is on the spot. It's like you enter a Japan pop world. The food is good; I recommend the chicken wings with the spicy sauces.
They call it 'japanese comfort food'. The food is a blend of American, Italian and French. They have roasted smoked duck breast salad, tuna carpaccio, tartare, grilled bershire smoked sausage, pastas with japanese ingredients, and tokyo omu rice.
There is no sushi boat for 2 dont ask for it.
Drinks: shochu, wine beer, frozen cocktails with option of alcohol, coffee with option of alcohol, tea, virgin specialty drinks, and specialty mixed cocktails.
Tokyo Bar is so much fun. It's a great little spot in between Chinatown & Tribeca, serving Japanese comfort food and a lovely drinks menu (don't miss the shiso mojito). The walls are painted in manga style with neon embellishments, and the vibe is laid-back. There's usually a DJ spinning at night -- very fun.
This was a place I just wandered in after working out. I ordered the japanese curry because it sounded the healthiest and it was excellent. The seaweed salad was seasoned to perfection and the Hoegarden beer went down perfectly. It was so good I almost ordered another plate.
The service has always been good, the staff helpful, and the food great
I just adore this place; maybe because I'm easily seduced by ambiance. Great for anyone home sick for Tokyo- this place really does have the Japanese comfort food available in Tokyo's many internet cafees and subway joints. I LOVE the cocktails especially the Pink Lady that features peach, white wine, milk, and strawberries. I also love the teas- especially the hot chai with whipped cream. The tapas dishes are mostly great. My first time here I was a bit disappointed with the menu and found the burger beef steak disappointing. But as the menu changed the quality improved along with the options. Mushroom pasta is another good choice. For dessert I tried a green tea souffle- I am not a fan of green tea except when it's the actual tea- but this souffle was delicious- fluffy consistency, perfect flavoring... great hang out spot!!
Walking into Tokyo Bar, I felt as though I had entered a comic strip... as if I was in a color version of A-Ha's "Take on Me" video or something. There are some cool Japanese comic drawings on the ceiling and walls, even in the bathrooms, accented by neon letterings. I definitely dug the ambiance... it made me immediately want to order some sake, which is exactly what I did. They have a decent selection of sake, shochu, and cocktails (my friend's lychee frozen martini made with calpico was very good... though I highly doubt there's much alcohol in there).
The dinner menu features a somewhat confusing mish mash of grub, esp the kind that goes well with alcohol. Some items are Japanese-influenced, others more American- or Italian-influenced. I guess it's fusion... but on a more comfort food level. Whatever you want to call it, most of the dishes didn't quite work for me. We started with several apps... steamed mussels (eh), tuna tartare (double eh... boring... should've objected to ordering this), chicken liver & tomato crostini (OK... tasted like liver / pate i'd get at a buffet table at a fancy table), and fried chicken (it's fried... how can it be bad!). For the main meal, my friend and I decided to split a pasta dish (long pasta with salmon & cod roe... not bad but much better at Oh! Taisho) and the seafood Tokyo curry (which was slightly better than curry that comes in the box... and pretty skimpy on the seafood & veggies). The best parts of dinner was the few bites of a friend's omu-rice (fluffy egg and well flavored rice inside) and the dessert (green tea creme brulee).
Given that I rarely go to Tribeca and there is better Japanese snack spots nearby (EV - St Marks) at a better price, I doubt I'll be going back to Tokyo Bar. Still would like to check out the downstairs bar area though, B Flat. So, if I'm back and have a late night craving for some A-ha flashbacks or some omu-rice, that'll probably be my best chances of coming back here to eat.
Went to Tokyo Bar since it was right above B Flat (I love that place) for dinner with a friend. Read that it was known as "japanese comfort food." Didn't find it comforting (Nooch is still my fave, hands down for comfort food...umm what else says comfort but noodles?!) Food was mediocre. Had some beef dish with a side of rice. Drinks were decent priced. Nothing to special. The decor was interesting. Reminded me of a cafe I went to when I was in Moscow, but that was about it.
Most awesome Omurice, EVER. Pricey sake though.
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Category: Japanese
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