Sakagura

06/06/2008 Posted by Dior46

I was a little weary at first because to get to the restaurant, you need to go into an office building and then down the stairs toward the basement level. Upon entering the building, the security guard was standing there making out with his girlfriend. Not that it had anything to do with the restaurant but it gave me a bad impression. After entering the restaurant, I felt better. The decor is very cute and everyone is very polite and friendly. It is a tapas type place and it is usually shared among those sitting at the table. I have been here twice and I have not been disappointed yet. Everything I ordered was pretty good. Some better then others but nothing that I disliked. It is expensive considering the portions are very small. They are also known for their sake, and they have a huge selection to choose from. I would definitely recommend this place, it has delicious food and great service.

Pros: Great food and service

Cons: None

12/22/2007 Posted by foodaddict39

The uni pasta is out of this world. I've been to this place numerous times and everytime before I go, I call to make sure that they have fresh uni. Even if you don't get the uni pasta dish, try the uni anyway. You'll be shocked how fresh and delicious it is.

Pros: The freshest UNI

Cons: none

11/16/2007 Posted by justaddwater

The selection of nihonshu (sake) at Sakagura is amazing. I think there were over 200 on the menu. They carry all the super premium labels, as well as some very good but obscure ones. The food is not bad either, but it's about what you'd expect for the price. I only order a la carte. Japanese dinner combos aren't my thing. The fresh/raw items are so-so, but dessert was surprisingly good. I defintely recommend this place if you are in the mood for sake.

Pros: Best selection of sake in NYC, knowledgable and professional service

Cons: Raw menu items are sub par

10/08/2007 Posted by nealr2000

I had to try the place after seeing Tony Bourdain feature it on "No Reservations". My wife and I dropped in on a Saturday evening, and after a 10-minute wait, got seats at the bar. We know nothing about sake, but took our chances on a couple of different ones at the mid-price level. We ordered some different appetizers and they were delicious ... particularly the spicy roe. This place is amazing. You can live in New York all your life and never know places like this exist. It's half the fun to walk into the lobby of this generic Midtown office block, walk down the stairs that look like your heading to the loading dock, and then walk into Sakagura. You have left New York and are now in Japan! I have two things on my to-do list. 1. Either do some sake research, or get a dining companion who knows his/her way around a sake munu. 2. Go back to Sakagura when I've done number 1.

Pros: Ambiance

Cons: Noned

09/02/2007 Posted by charkleroad

.My husband and I ate at Sakagura yesterday before a show. When they called in the afternoon to confirm, we informed them about the show. We would only have 45 minutes to eat. The caller said they would try their best. After we were seated at the bar, the waitress said she knew we had to rush and she would try her best to get us out of there on time. The dishes we ordered were delicious. The staff was friendly. The atmosphere is unique. It made us feel we were in Japan. They got us out on time. It was a good experience

08/14/2007 Posted by gkao007

To find a restaurant that carries over 400 sakes in Tokyo is a rarity. To find one in Manhattan is just mind-boggling. This place is great! It's like a little hidden Sake / Pub where you go down this staircase, through some bamboo fenced up broiler room and into what I like to call Shangri-La. I'll say it again,400 different sake to choose from.

Pros: Nothing else like it

Cons: Nothing else like it

08/06/2007 Posted by hankinnyc

My brother and I dined on a Sunday night. We had reservations for 7:30 but it was nearly empty when we arrived so we opted to eat at the bar. When we left at 9:30 there wasn't an open table. Fortunaltely, bro had eaten here several times before and had a few favorites dishes to suggest from the menu. I am not initiated to Japanese food beyond the average sushi bar, so I was a litlle overwhelmed by the food and sake menus. Our waitress/bartender was very knowledgable and offered several choices of sake in prices ranging from $6 to $23 a glass. We eached tried several of the less expensive suggestions. We had several different dishes including chicken meatballs, steak, root vegetables, sushi, and our favorite, beef tongue (doubled-up on this one!) If you don't go crazy on expensive sake, the tariff is quite reasonable. I'll definitely return with my wife!

Pros: Attentive service, professional, authentic ambience.

Cons: Menu can be a little overpowering to the un-initiated.

05/22/2007 Posted by f8jbo

loved this restaurant. Good atmosphere. good food. great service clean nice good best sushi bet sashimi loved it

04/23/2007 Posted by willis69

I'll assume you know about the "discreet location", but the food is not conventional Japanese. There's a large choice of tapas style dishes so this is a good place for "snacks" but one can easily make a meal of it too, as we did. The food quality ranges from good to excellent, and should provide choices for even those looking for more conventional food. After reading reviews here, I was bracing myself for a hefty bill, especially knowing what some upscale Japanese restaurants can charge in Manhattan, but it's actually quite reasonable. Despite being in midtown, the place didn't really start filling up until after 7pm, and when we left it was packed so you may want to make a resv'n as it looks like even the bar seating was reserved. Net-net, I'd go again.

03/16/2007 Posted by gailrosen1978

I was actually in this building with my husband when I saw the sign for a Japanese restaurant I am not into the raw food but my husband is. We had a delightful dinner and my husband was very pleased with the service. He thought it was a strange location, in the basement, but the food and atmosphere was great. We will stop by when we are in the area again.