Izakaya guide: ordering, cover charges and your bill

JGO! editorial team — WEBMARKS Inc. (Fujisawa, Kanagawa)

An izakaya is a place to enjoy food and drinks. For a first visit, check the seating charge, choose a drink and some dishes, add more as you go, and follow the restaurant's checkout process.

You do not have to order the whole evening at once. GO TOKYO describes small dishes and additional orders, making an izakaya useful when your group wants to decide gradually. Tea and juice also appear among its options for people who do not drink alcohol.

The point that often surprises a visitor is otoshi: a small dish that some restaurants include with a seating charge. It can arrive before you order. Ask about the charge when choosing a restaurant, rather than assuming that everything brought to the table is free.

For a first visual introduction, TabiEats presents Izakaya 101, while Tokyo Cheapo offers a beginner's guide. The food and setting help you picture the experience before choosing an actual restaurant.

1Izakaya guide: choose the restaurant and seating

Izakaya range from independent businesses to large chains. GO TOKYO describes conventional tables and chairs as well as floor seating and low seats. Some restaurants ask you to remove your shoes. If the seat type matters to your group, ask before committing to the table.

Start with the details your party needs: a chair rather than floor seating, a menu you can read, or a location that fits your return journey. Compare those details on the individual restaurant's page. A chain's published instructions can help you prepare; an independent restaurant needs the same practical checks at its own venue.

A chain with published ordering instructions can make a first visit easier to plan. Torikizoku, for example, documents its touchscreen languages and counter payment process. That provides a concrete example to follow without assuming that every independent restaurant uses the same equipment.

Opening times, closures and booking rules belong to the selected restaurant. Read the branch page before making the journey. The same applies to cancellation terms, the route home and the seating needs of a family or someone with limited mobility: a chain's national menu does not answer every branch-level question.

2Izakaya guide: understand otoshi and your budget

Otoshi is a small dish connected with a seating charge at some izakaya. GO TOKYO describes this practice; it does not mean every restaurant charges it. Torikizoku explicitly says it does not charge for otoshi, seats or late-night service.

Ask a direct question before sitting if the charge affects your choice: “Otoshi wa arimasu ka?” means “Is there otoshi?” Follow by asking the amount. A different restaurant's policy is not a reason to assume that an offered dish can be refused without a charge. Clarify the restaurant's own terms before ordering.

At Torikizoku, the official ordering guide lists food and drinks at ¥410 including tax, checked on 2026-11-04. The following arithmetic uses that published item price. These are example orders, not set menus or a required minimum.

Source for each price: Torikizoku ordering guide, checked 2026-11-04. An item is the menu's serving unit; do not read these totals as a promise about the number of skewers in every dish. Add any extra orders to your own bill as you go.

Kyota Ko introduces the charge in What is Otoshi?. Use the explanation alongside the particular restaurant's published policy, because this is precisely where restaurant practices differ.

3Izakaya guide: order food and drinks

Start with dishes your group wants to eat, rather than a list of everything an izakaya might serve. GO TOKYO's examples include yakitori, fried chicken, edamame and pickles. Small portions and additional orders let you adjust the meal after seeing what arrives.

When ordering for a group, agree which small dishes you intend to share and ask staff for plates if you need them. If ingredients matter to someone in the party, check the specific dish before ordering; a dish name alone may not explain its ingredients. For another restaurant format with separately selected servings, see the conveyor-belt sushi guide.

Torikizoku describes yakitori made with Japanese chicken, prepared on individual skewers, with sauce and salt seasoning options. Its menu also includes rice dishes, desserts, fried chicken and yam cooked on an iron plate. Read the item description before choosing: the category name alone does not tell you every ingredient or serving detail.

1. On Torikizoku's touchscreen, choose a language you can read.
2. Open the food or drinks category and read the item and price.
3. Choose the quantity shown by the screen and review the selection.
4. Add further items through the touchscreen when you want them.
5. Use the call button if there is a problem with the order or screen.

“Kore o hitotsu, onegaishimasu” means “One of this, please,” when you are pointing to an item. For a food question, show staff the item on the menu so both of you are discussing the same dish. Do this before ordering if an ingredient matters to you.

Torikizoku says its kamameshi rice takes about 30 minutes to prepare, checked in the ordering guide on 2026-11-04. Order it early if you want that dish before leaving. This cooking time is not a recommended duration for the whole meal or a guarantee about other dishes.

Howzit Japan covers the process in How to Order and Enjoy at an Izakaya. NihongoDekita with Sayaka presents izakaya conversations, useful for hearing phrases associated with the setting.

4Izakaya guide: drinks plans and table manners

Nomihodai means a fixed-price drinks service for a set period, as described by GO TOKYO. It is a separate offer from ordering individual drinks. Before choosing a plan, read the eligible drinks, duration, final-order time and participation requirements on that plan's own menu.

Compare the plan with the drinks you actually want. An individual-drink menu and a timed package should not be treated as interchangeable simply because both are offered by an izakaya. Ask staff to explain the plan before ordering if its conditions are unclear.

Ask whether everyone in your party must choose the plan, when the last order is taken, and what the restaurant's conditions say about drinks left unfinished. Those details are not established as universal rules in the sources for this guide; use the chosen plan's own terms.

Torikizoku's menu describes about 50 drink choices, including beer and wine. GO TOKYO also identifies tea and juice for people who do not drink alcohol. Choose from the actual menu rather than assuming that visiting an izakaya obliges everyone to order alcohol.

If your group has dietary requirements, use the halal food guide to prepare questions for the restaurant. Confirm the specific ingredients and preparation with the venue before ordering.

Follow the restaurant's instructions on shoes and seating. At Torikizoku, the ordering guide asks customers not to bring outside food or drinks. If you need help, use its call button. These are specific instructions you can act on, rather than a reason to copy every behavior shown in a busy dining-room video.

Japan by Food introduces table manners and key phrases. Pair this visual introduction with the rules of the restaurant you enter.

5Izakaya guide: finish the evening and pay

At Torikizoku, take the bill binder to the payment counter. The official ordering guide identifies this as the checkout process. An empty table or a completed touchscreen order is not the final payment step.

Before leaving your seat, check whether your party is waiting for another dish. This matters particularly if you ordered the rice dish with a longer preparation time. If something seems missing, use the call button and show staff the relevant order rather than assuming it was cancelled.

For an independent izakaya, ask where to pay and whether your requested payment arrangement is available. Split payment, accepted methods and receipt requirements are questions for the actual restaurant. Decide how your group will settle before reaching a busy counter.

Questions before your first visit

Does every izakaya charge otoshi? No. GO TOKYO describes it at some restaurants, while Torikizoku explicitly says it does not charge for otoshi. Ask the restaurant you choose rather than relying on a universal rule.

Can I order without alcohol? GO TOKYO includes tea and juice among options for people who do not drink alcohol. Check the actual drinks menu and any conditions of a package before choosing it.

Do I need to order everything together? GO TOKYO describes ordering additional dishes during the meal. Start with what you want and use the restaurant's ordering method when you decide to add more.

Where do I pay at Torikizoku? Its official ordering guide says to take the bill binder to the payment counter. Keep that final step separate from placing an order on the touchscreen.

Can I book a particular branch? Torikizoku's menu and store-search route leads to online reservations. Open the selected branch and check its availability and terms before relying on a booking.

Japan Forward presents a guide to izakaya hopping, adding a post listed for a Chinese-language audience to the dining perspectives above.

Save the chosen restaurant, its opening information and your route home before the evening starts. A good first visit is straightforward: understand the charges, order what you want, add food at your own pace and finish the bill at the correct counter.

For another way to plan a meal while travelling, see the bento guide.

Related guides

Akihabara Guide: Anime, Electronics and Planning Your Visit

Aomori Nebuta Festival: Dates, Seats and Haneto Guide

Arashiyama Guide: Bamboo Grove, Bridge, Temple and Trains

Asakusa Guide: Senso-ji, Station Exits and Local Walks

Atsuta Jingu: Shrine Access, Museums and Prices

Awa Odori Festival: Tokushima Dates and Tickets

Open in Google Maps

Suggest a correction to JGO!