HOW TO IZAKAYA

How to Enjoy an Izakaya

No rules to fear — just a few customs worth knowing.

An izakaya is Japan's version of a tavern: a place built around drinks, with food ordered in small plates to share (or not share). It is not a restaurant with a set course, and it is not a bar with a drinks-only menu — it sits happily in between. If it is your first time, the five steps below are genuinely all you need.

Step by step

Your first izakaya night, in five steps

1
Order a drink first. When you sit down, the staff will expect a drinks order before food. The classic first call is a draft beer — many locals literally say “toriaezu bīru” (“a beer for now”). Highballs and lemon sours are the other standards. Not drinking alcohol? Tea and soft drinks are completely normal orders.
2
A small dish arrives: that's the otoshi. Most izakaya serve a small appetizer you didn't order, tied to a per-person cover charge (explained honestly below). Treat it as the first snack of the night, not a mistake on the bill.
3
Order food a little at a time. Izakaya dishes are small and arrive as they are ready, not in courses. Order two or three plates, see how you feel, order more. At BEEF KITCHEN STAND most small plates run from ¥109 to ¥658, which is exactly what this style is for: try a little of everything.
4
Call out when you want something. There is no hovering waiter. When you want another round, catch an eye and call “Sumimasen!” (“Excuse me!”). It is not rude — it is how the system works, and staff are listening for it.
5
Ask for the bill — no tip, ever. Say “Okaikei onegaishimasu” (“The check, please”). Pay at the table or at the register, depending on the shop. There is no tipping in Japan, and prices are displayed with tax already included, so the total is exactly what the menu adds up to.
Honest prices

The cover charge, explained straight

The one thing that surprises visitors is the cover charge (otoshi). Since “tourist trap” stories in nightlife districts are real, here is exactly how it works — at least in our taverns.

At BEEF KITCHEN STAND

The cover charge is ¥438 per person, tax included. In return you get all-you-can-eat edamame — it is on your table the whole night, refilled as you go. It is charged once per person per visit, it is printed in this guide and on the menu, and nothing else is added that you didn't order.

Cover
¥438 / person (tax incl.), with unlimited edamame
Steak
Signature bifteki ¥319 (tax incl.)
Plates
Small plates from ¥109 (tax incl.)
Wagyu
Wagyu small plates ¥658 (tax incl.)
Tip
None. Not expected, not accepted as custom.

Other taverns set their own otoshi, usually a few hundred yen with a small appetizer. The fair rule anywhere in Kabukicho: if a place cannot show you its prices — on a menu, a sign, or a website like this one — before you sit down, choose another place. Every shop in this guide has its prices or typical budget in the open.

Phrases

Six phrases that carry the night

Point at this table if pronunciation fails you — the Japanese text is what the staff will read.

Say thisJapaneseIt means
Kanpai!Cheers!
Nama-bīru kudasaiA draft beer, please
SumimasenExcuse me (to call staff)
Osusume wa?What do you recommend?
Okaikei onegaishimasuThe check, please
Gochisousama deshitaThank you for the meal (say it as you leave)
Good to know

A few last things

Going solo is normal

Counter seats exist for solo guests, and ordering alone draws no attention at all. Small plates mean one person can still try five different dishes.

Reservations: often optional

Walk-ins are the default for casual taverns, and some tiny alley shops take no reservations at all. For groups — or a Friday night — booking ahead helps; our banquet courses with two hours of all-you-can-drink run ¥3,300–¥6,600 including tax.

Smoking rules vary

Each shop sets its own smoking policy, and it can differ even between neighbours in the same alley. Check the sign at the door, or ask the staff with a gesture — they will point you right.

Carry a little cash

Big chains take cards without trouble, but the smallest yokocho stalls can be cash-only. A few thousand yen in your pocket keeps every door in the alley open to you.

The legal drinking age is 20

In Japan you must be 20 or older to drink alcohol, and shops may ask for ID.

Ready to go? See the 13 places in this guide, or plan a bar-hopping route through the alleys.

Back to the guide Bar-hopping in Shinjuku