How to order at an izakaya without feeling lost

Izakayas have become popular far beyond Japan, offering a casual way to spend an evening with food, drinks, and good company. They’re not quite restaurants and not quite bars, but something in between. The atmosphere is lively, with conversation flowing as small plates and tall drinks move steadily across the table. If you’re new to the style, though, the order of things can feel unfamiliar at first.

An izakaya visit moves with its own tempo, guided as much by the people at the table as by the menu. Food is meant for sharing, and dishes arrive in no particular order, ready when the kitchen sends them out. Drinks usually start together, but after the first round, everyone can follow their own pace. The night stretches slowly, with flavors layered in step by step rather than all at once.

Understanding that rhythm makes the whole experience easier to enjoy. The menu becomes less overwhelming, and the customs feel like part of the fun rather than a test. Once you see how each piece of the evening fits together, ordering at an izakaya feels less like a challenge and more like slipping into a tradition built for relaxed, lingering nights.

Begin the night with a drink

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An izakaya evening usually opens with drinks, and taking part in that first order helps ease you into the flow of the night. Beer remains the most common choice, arriving in tall frosty mugs with a generous head of foam, though plenty of people choose highballs, a mix of whiskey and soda water that feels crisp and light. When glasses are raised and the cheerful call of “kanpai” echoes across the table, the meal shifts from waiting to shared experience, creating a sense of togetherness before food even reaches the table.

The toast is about the gesture, not the contents of the glass. Sake and shochu often appear alongside beer and highballs, while menus usually make room for non-alcoholic options like oolong tea, fruit juices, or fizzy sodas. Clinking a glass filled with soda water carries the same meaning as one filled with sake. It signals that you’re part of the group and ready to let the evening unfold naturally.

Once the first round has been enjoyed, ordering becomes more flexible. Some guests stick with beer while others explore sake varieties or try a house cocktail, and nobody worries about keeping pace with the rest of the table. After the toast, the table feels settled, and ordering food becomes part of the flow.

Notice the small appetizer

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Not long after you’ve placed your first drink order, a small plate will usually arrive at the table without you asking for it. This is the otoshi, a tiny appetizer that comes as part of the dining custom. It might be a bite of simmered vegetables, a piece of marinated fish, or a little serving of something seasonal from the kitchen. The portion is modest, but it’s meant to welcome you, keep you from sitting empty-handed, and cover a small seating charge all at once.

Many first-time visitors wonder if it was sent by mistake, since it isn’t listed among the items on the menu. Once you understand that it’s a standard practice, though, it feels like an introduction to the kitchen’s style. Some izakayas change their otoshi daily, while others rotate through a handful of favorites, so it can become something regular guests look forward to as much as the drinks. It’s not a course in the traditional sense, but more of a starting note that eases everyone into the meal.

Treating the otoshi as part of the experience makes the evening feel less puzzling. Instead of worrying about whether you ordered correctly, you can take it as a signal that the meal has begun. It buys you a little time to scan the menu, talk over options with your table, and decide how you’d like the night to unfold.

Order gradually throughout the night

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Izakaya dining isn’t meant to be planned out all at once. Most groups ease in with a few small plates, saving the rest of their choices for later in the night. Plates arrive as they are ready, so the table slowly fills with food instead of being crowded all at once. This makes the meal feel less formal and more like a conversation, where new flavors show up just as the drinks and chatter are settling in.

Common openers include simple snacks like salted edamame, crisp pickles, or a plate of sashimi. From there, skewers of chicken or pork might follow, then fried items such as karaage chicken or tempura vegetables. Heartier plates like grilled fish or simmered stews are often ordered later, once the group has settled in and everyone is ready for something more substantial. Each choice builds on the last, and there’s no rush to get everything on the table at once.

Pacing the meal this way also gives you room to notice how the group is responding. If a dish disappears in seconds, ordering another round makes sense. If everyone slows down, you can shift toward lighter plates or move directly into something warming like soup or noodles. This back-and-forth creates a meal that feels like it’s shaped by the table itself, not by a rigid plan made at the start.

Look out for house specialties

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Beyond the standard menu items, many izakayas highlight a few dishes that showcase what the kitchen does best. These specials are often written on chalkboards, printed on slips of paper, or tucked into a smaller menu that changes with the season. They might feature fresh seafood, a regional cooking style, or a unique preparation that regulars come back for again and again. Spotting these offerings adds an element of discovery to the meal, giving you a taste of something you might not find anywhere else.

Asking the staff for guidance is not only acceptable but encouraged. Servers usually know which plates are worth trying that evening and can point you toward the dishes the kitchen takes pride in. This might be a plate of sashimi caught that morning, skewers brushed with a house-made sauce, or a warming stew that feels perfect on a cold night. Trying one of these recommendations connects you to the personality of the izakaya, since every establishment has its own specialties that set it apart.

Paying attention to these details often changes the shape of the evening. A table that begins with light snacks might suddenly shift focus when a platter of seasonal clams or a fragrant grilled fish arrives. Specials become the centerpiece of conversation, and sharing them gives the meal a sense of occasion. These unexpected finds often linger in memory long after the night is over.