If you’re looking for a true izakaya experience during your stay in Takayama, look no further. We came in for a late dinner around 10 or so, and had an amazing time. Delicious food, great drink selection, and super friendly service. They don’t have an English menu, so we used Google translate to get the idea of dishes and ordered based off that. Every single thing we had was delicious- seriously top notch food here, and izakayas are my jam. The staff was really kind and we enjoyed speaking with them - the chef/owner lived in Canada for a few years and spoke great English. My recommendations: -the seared saba (mackerel) sashimi, with shiso leaf and wasabi -karaage(fried chicken) nanbanzuke (sweet and sour vinegar sauce) -nori (toasted seaweed) French fries -namazake (unpasteurized sake)

Friendly staff with amazing food. We were having a hard time finding a place to eat in Takayama at night. They are either closed or fully booked. Glad to find this restaurant that opens later in the night. They don't have an English menu, but you can use Google to translate the menu (see attached img if you need help). The chef can speak English. We ordered lightly pickled Chinese yam (wasabi), which opens our belly. Love this one surprisingly as I am not a great Wasabi eater. The. We have fried garlic gizzard, beef skirt steak grilled, shimeji cheese, and shrimp avocado cheese. They also serve small side dishes (beef + salad). It was such a great meal. I would recommend all the dishes we got. But if you need to pick one, I would say the wasabi yam as it's unique.

Mixed feelings. We came because of the good reviews and in fact enjoyed very much our food, specially the spicy noodles. But BE AWARE, they give you a very small and not very tasty appetizer for which they charge 850 yen per person. They do not tell you the appetizer has a cost (it looked as a welcome gift). The cost was 40% of our bill. After discussing this with the chef he agreed to remove this from our bill. Again, the food was very good and we were going to give 5-stars…

Super friendly place. We met some locals while dining and had a great time. The owner/staff were most pleasant and offered several suggestions. We had the Japanese salads, the oysters, the sweet sour fish and sauted intestines. All were good, but I would not order the oysters or intestines again. Great, cold draft beer.

A wonderful find! Delicious karaage chicken with a light sauce that was both sweet and sour, grilled bacon with mustard and mayonnaise and totally amazing mackerel sashimi lightly grilled. And a great green salad with crispy fried wonton skins for a tasty crunch. Such a lovely chef with great English and very helpful staff.

Small restaurant but one of the best I tested in Japan. The homemade tofu (fried or in a bowl) is excellent and I suggest everyone to try it. The staff is just amazing and provide excellent piece of advise in pour choice. Definitively a good place to eat.

This place deserves 5 star rating. Must order list - the sesame tofu / fried chicken/ beef steak. Even the appetitzer was fantastic!!

Lovely small restaurant with very good food we especially liked the beef. The staff was extremely nice and the atmosphere was chilled and welcoming.

Cosy Izakaya with nice finger food. Great service from the owner and his waitering staff.

Excellent izakaya with a great owner. The food was delicious and so reasonably priced. Loved the spicy tofu as well as the fried squid. We also tried various well-chosen sake.

Hidden gem off the tourist path. Staff was great and recommended some good dishes.

This place is amazing! It is tucked away in an alley. The owner is so friendly and is very modest about his English skills but speaks it perfectly. There is only a Japanese menu but he can recommend some dishes for you. We had the Japanese salad, chicken karaage, beef steak and the sesame tofu (which was insanely good and unique). Highly recommend!

Location is extremely close to Takayama Station. I ordered the "ピリ辛坦々うどん" (Piri Kara tantan udon) and Agedashi Tofu, it was absolutely delicious. The staff here speak great English and are very welcoming. Would visit again, 10/10.

It’s hard to find an open restaurant at Takayama after 8:00 pm, but this restaurant it’s amazing by the food and the kindness from the owners. The site and the sake are so warm that I forgot the cold of the winter outside. They even offered us a delicious squid salad. The chef speaks English.

If you look for fried dishes, this is the place. We ordered fried chicken, bacon grill, fried tofu, seasonal tempura. All delicious! No english menu but google translate work fine.

The food was good and the place nice. However, they served us a really small appetizer costing half of the bill ( equivalent to 2 dishes + beer) without informing that this will have cost. Any sense at all 🙄