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Guide · Japanese food

What to order at an izakaya, one round at a time.

An izakaya is a Japanese pub where the food is as serious as the drinks: small plates ordered a few at a time over a long evening. The ordering has a rhythm — drinks first, quick plates, grilled things, something fried, and a bowl of rice or noodles to close. Here is that rhythm, twenty dishes to know, and the manners that make it smooth.

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In short

At an izakaya, order drinks as soon as you sit down — draft beer is the classic first round — then small plates a few at a time and share them all. Start with edamame and a quick cold dish, move to yakitori, karaage and gyoza, and finish with a “shime” of rice, onigiri or noodles. Expect a small appetizer, the otoshi, which is charged instead of a cover. Say “kanpai” to start, pour for each other, and do not tip in Japan.

Checked

The rhythm

Order in rounds, not all at once.

  1. Drinks firstOrder drinks as you sit down, before you study the menu. Draft beer for the first round is standard; everyone has a drink of some kind.
  2. The otoshi arrivesA small appetizer appears without being ordered — otoshi in Tokyo, tsukidashi around Osaka. It is charged per person instead of a cover charge.
  3. KanpaiWhen everyone has a glass, clink and say “kanpai” to start the night.
  4. Quick, cold platesEdamame, a cold tofu, a salad or sashimi — things that come fast.
  5. Grilled and friedYakitori and tsukune, karaage, gyoza, agedashi tofu. Order a few, eat, order a few more.
  6. Finish with shimeClose with something filling: onigiri, ochazuke, fried rice or noodles.

For two

A first-timer order for two.

  • Round one: two drinks, edamame, and a small plate of salmon sashimi.
  • Round two: five skewers of yakitori (mix salt and sauce) and karaage.
  • Round three: gyoza or agedashi tofu, and a second drink.
  • To close: one onigiri each, grilled if they have yaki onigiri.

For a group

For four to six people.

  • Same rounds, bigger plates: a sashimi platter, a yakitori assortment, two orders of karaage.
  • Add the fun ones: takoyaki, okonomiyaki and a plate of kushikatsu.
  • Something soft between the fried things: tamagoyaki and hiyayakko.
  • Shime for the table: yakisoba or udon to share, or ochazuke for anyone who wants a light finish.

Cheat sheet

Twenty izakaya dishes, in one line each.

Common izakaya dishes and what they are
What it is
EdamameSalted young soybeans in the pod — the first thing to order
HiyayakkoChilled silken tofu with ginger, spring onion and soy
SashimiSliced raw fish; order a mixed platter for a group
Potato saladJapanese-style, creamy and chunky — an izakaya staple
YakitoriChicken skewers grilled over charcoal, with salt (shio) or sauce (tare)
TsukuneChicken meatball skewers, often dipped in egg yolk
KaraageJapanese fried chicken with lemon and mayonnaise
GyozaPan-fried dumplings
Agedashi tofuFried tofu in a light, warm dashi broth
TamagoyakiRolled, slightly sweet omelette
KushikatsuBreaded, deep-fried skewers of meat and vegetables
TempuraLight battered prawns and vegetables
TakoyakiOctopus balls with sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes
OkonomiyakiA savoury cabbage pancake with sauce and mayonnaise
Grilled fishOften mackerel (saba) or a fish collar, with grated radish
Miso soupOften ordered near the end
OnigiriRice balls; yaki onigiri are grilled with soy — a classic shime
OchazukeRice with tea or dashi poured over it, a light shime
YakisobaFried noodles, a filling shime to share
UdonThick wheat noodles, in broth or stir-fried

At the table

Izakaya manners.

  • Everything is shared. Plates go in the middle; order for the table, not for yourself.
  • Pour for each other. When bottles are shared, people top up each other’s glasses.
  • Order as you go. Adding a few dishes at a time through the night is normal; the bill is added up at the end.
  • The otoshi is not a mistake. It is the izakaya’s table charge, served as a small dish.
  • Calling staff. Say “sumimasen” (excuse me), or press the call button if there is one.
  • No tipping in Japan. Abroad, follow local custom.

Keep it

Four rounds, one evening.

Izakaya plates arrive in waves, so the table never looks the same twice. Snap each round in PlateDiary: every skewer plate and bowl is cut out into a save, and because they share a place and time, they group into one moment at that izakaya. Add who came on the companions row. For more Japan, see what to eat in Japan.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. Wikipedia — Izakaya
  2. MagicalTrip — How to enjoy izakaya like a local (updated December 2025)
  3. Islands — Japanese izakaya etiquette for first-time visitors (October 2026)

Questions

Questions people ask.

What do you order first at an izakaya?

Drinks — usually a draft beer — as soon as you sit down. Then quick plates like edamame and something cold, before grilled and fried dishes.

What is the otoshi charge at an izakaya?

A small appetizer served without being ordered (called otoshi in Tokyo, tsukidashi around Osaka). It appears on the bill in place of a cover charge.

What is shime at an izakaya?

The dish that closes the meal: rice, onigiri, ochazuke or noodles such as yakisoba or udon.

Do you tip at an izakaya?

Not in Japan, where tipping is unnecessary. Outside Japan, follow the local custom.