The Best Sake Bars in NYC

These are some of the best locations to enjoy this traditional Japanese spirit.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

There are certain things all New Yorkers are always trying to figure out. Where to go and what to do at any given time is one of those things. If and when the question of going to a sake bar arises, there's no need to whip out your Yelp app, filter by rating and location, choose your destination, and pray for a good time. You don't have to be that clueless. New Yorkers are lucky to have so much to explore when it comes to the sake game, but here are the best rice wine spots this city has to offer. Learn it, live it, drink it—no app required.

Sake Bar Satsko

Where: East Village
Atmosphere: Unpretentious
Website: satsko.com
What to order: Sakegria and Pork Belly Watermelon Salad

Satsko is the only spot on this list where “sake bombing” is acceptable, however looking pass the surface, this isn’t such a bad thing. Hip-hop bumping through the speakers, this sake bar aims to shift the focus back to what bars are about—fun. Sakegria is a fun twist on sangria is a mix of sake, plum wine, red wine, and seasonal fruit. It’s as smooth as it is dangerous going down. The Pork Belly Watermelon Salad is deep fried pork belly, barely ripe watermelon, and pickled ginger. Both are a must.

Akariba

Where: Williamsburg
Atmosphere: Serene
Website: zenkichi.com
What to order: Fishermen’s Shooter

In Williamsburg, there seems to be a direct correlation between how big your sign is and how cool your bar is. In Akariba’s case there is no sign—meaning this oyster bar / sake hangout is very, very cool. Built around a tree that sprouts up in the middle of the bar and towers above the space’s long skylight, Akariba is the first sake and raw bar of its kind. Small plates and seasonal oysters accompany their rotating sake menu. The space is intimate and lends itself nicely to savoring a quite night in a neighborhood that has now become a nightlife destination. The Fishermen's Shooter includes oyster, uni, quail egg, dashi, and yuzu pepper.

Azasu

Where: Lower East Side
Atmosphere: Casual
Website: azasunyc.com
What to order: One Cup Ozeki and Chicken Karaage

Newly opened by the owners of Yopparai, Azasu has everything Yopparai has but it's more laid back. The food is fast, casual and satisfying. The space is big enough for large gatherings, and the sake collection is as accessible as it gets. Azasu also offers New York’s largest array of cup sake—individually packaged jars of sake called Ozeki which are typically found in vending machines throughout Japan. (That's right, vending machines with alcohol. Book your one-way ticket to Tokyo now.) Some might call these the 40-ounce of the East. But hey, what’s more New York than making the low-brow, high-brow? The Chicken Karaage is sake and ginger marinated chicken. It's the perfect, peppery fried chicken to rival any in the south.

Yopparai

Where: Lower East Side
Atmosphere: Traditional
Website: yopparainyc.com
What to order: Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold and Wasabi Zuke

It usually feels a bit seedy to huddle on the stoop of an anonymous Lower East Side tenement while trying to buzz into a place that means “drunkard” in Japanese. However when buzzing into Yopparai, the 30-seat apartment turned elegant sake speakeasy, seedy is the last thing that comes to mind. Here, true die-hard sake purists will experience the finest and most extensive sake menu curated by in-house sake sommeliers. The husband-and-wife owners have truly created a fine dining experience that mimics the best of the best in Japan. If you feel like living large, try the Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold, the sake President Barack Obama drank when he visited the Michelin-starred Sukibayashi Jiro from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. This wonderfully balanced sake comes with a flake of gold in the bottle. Legend has it that good luck comes to the one that gets the gold flake in her glass at the end. Also try the Wasabi Zuke, which is chopped wasabi with sake lees (rice leftover from sake production).

Sake Bar Decibel

Where: East Village
Atmosphere: Tokyo chic
Website: sakebardecibel.com
What to order: Daruma Masamune and Takowasa

As one of the first sake bars in New York, Decibel has reigned as the supreme of underground cool since 1993. Unmarked dingy metal stairs lead you down to a small speakeasy covered in graffiti that will remind you of a time when the East Village’s burgeoning art scene was similar to Bushwick’s today. The space is intimate, perfect for newly minted couples, friends catching up, and late night party goers looking to soak up some excess alcohol with Decibel’s traditional Japanese snacks while keeping their party going—with a little help of some amazing sake. Try the Daruma Masamune. Traditionally, popular opinion dictates that the fresher the sake the better. However this unique vintage blend has undergone an aging process that gives its natural sweetness an undeniable depth of flavor. If you're looking for a snack, order the Takowasa—raw, chopped octopus with enough wasabi to clear your sinuses for the rest of allergy season.

Sakamai

Where: Lower East Side
Atmosphere: Stylish and classic
Website: sakamai.com
What to order: Tamagawa and Egg on Egg on Egg

If you love all things egg, look no further for here you can order a small bowl of Caviar (egg) nestled next to some Uni (egg) on top of scrambled eggs (egg). Sakamai was birthed from the new Lower East Side. Eight years ago, this place that would have been considered too pretentious because of its “young professional atmosphere." It maybe a little pretentious, but it's also damn good. The service and food are impeccable. Come Monday nights when they offer an extensive off-the-menu selection of affordable "artisanal" brewed sake. The Tamagawa has hints of blackberry and nuts with just the perfect amount of acidity. This sake is extremely approachable and yet complex. For you egg lovers, you must get the Egg on Egg on Egg.