Sake Bar Hagi Reviews

Frequently find myself in this neighborhood and Saki Bar Hagi always comes up in searches. The problem is getting there BEFORE the line. We went last night (Saturday) at 6 and there were lots of open tables. By 7:22 there was a short wait. Although the place is known for late night drinking and eating... you might want to try it out for a pre-show meal. Food was amazing. Except for the octopus balls (I don't understand this dish), but I'm not a fan no matter where I try them. Eggplant, fish (I didn't order so I don't know what it was) with miso sauce, shrimp tempura....all good. Kim chee with pork - was life changing. I never liked kim chee before - but this was unbelievable.

This place in hidden in the midst of the bustle and chain restaurants of Times Square. The menu is huge, with enough options that having been there a handful of times I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. Plentiful Japanese beer (or Sake if that's your thing), and incredibly good food. What more could you ask for? Maybe some more tables, because if you're not there when they open expect an hour or so wait. Thankfully you can put your cell number on the list and go get a drink and they will call you when your table is ready. When in NYC, do not miss this place!

The food is great, also the service and the location. Go there around 6 and put your name in the waiting list, and go to enjoy times square, about half an hour or an hour you will be seated and enjoying HQ food! Love miso sauce and sesame ice cream!

Must try the Tuna Sashima Salad - a good size lunch salad, super fresh w/sesame dressing. Tacoyaki was only so-so. Grilled Ika Teriyaki was fantastic...reminded me of the street vendors in Japan. Great for sharing...Extensive menu so that you can taste many dishes.

We visited Hagi before our show at Radio City Music Hall. The layout of the place is unique and we felt like we had entered a bar somewhere far from the United States. The food was slightly eccentric and all tasted very good. Almost ashamed to admit that we had to order a second round of the mozzarella cheese tempura. The chicken skin skewer was also worth trying. Whether you are visiting New York for the first time or live a few blocks away this place seemed like a great option.

Sake Bar Hagi is one of those small, easy to overlook, basement restaurants you always seem to hear about in New York City. The entrance is right next to two other street level Japanese restaurants and is easily missed. I visited around 10pm for a late dinner. The menu was extensive with many appetizing Japanese dishes. I settled on the Aburi-shimesaba (Seared Marinated Saba Mackerel) and the Kushi Mori A Set (Tori, Bara, Washu Beef, and Shishito Peppers). The mackerel was fresh and well marinated and the meats in the Kushi Mori Set were tender and flavorful. The shishito peppers were fresh with a light smoky and spicy flavor. The restaurant also had a nice selection of sake and the typical selection of Japanese Beers (Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi, etc.)

A small place no reservation possible. But once you're seated you have Time to choose between delicious gyoza, sashimi and japanese drinks. Il is just perfect I loved everything about this restaurant. The cooks and waiters are japanese and you feel like you're in a special place. Sashimi just melted on the tongue. A must go

So disappointed. Came here last night after Anthony Bourdain mentioned it on his TV show maybe 8 months ago. He's usually spot on. Sorry, but this place is NOT worth the wait, or even if there wasn't a 30-60 min wait. There wasn't a single food dish we ordered that was memorable. Good sake, but that's it. The portions are very large - totally Americanized too large. The ridiculous photos on the menu are so tacky touristy. Why do I need a photo? It's written in English, and there's nothing unusual that you can't figure out. But honestly, for people to say this is the BEST Japanese they've ever had???? They obviously haven't ventured out much. What a shame. I was really looking forward to a real gem of a little restaurant, but instead found a place in tourist central recommended by someone I usually respect, with typical blah food. Even the duck yakatori lacked flavor. Didn't detect any sauce to enhance. Just a piece of meat in a stick. We ordered I think 9-10 different apps, salads, yakatori and entrees (too bad we didn't know there servings were so big, we would have ordered less), and nothing was impressive. Not even the sake grilled salmon. We ate I think 1/4 of it. I love salmon. Even the salmon sashimi was cut so large, you had to bite in half, which is not the proper way to eat sashimi. I won't be back. What was I thinking??? Nothing good near Time Sq can exist. Too bad.

Cool place, crowed people, great service and awesome food in certain Japanese style. Hanging with friends and late night food.

We come here every time we are in the city. We love it here. I enjoy the okanomiyaki, a calpis sake and anything they make on a stick. It is very authentic and takes me back to when I lived in Japan. The beer and food is amazingly priced for NYC.

When we think about Japanese food, the first thing that comes to mind is sushi. Whenever I tell people that I went to a Japanese place, they assume we had sushi. But when I tell them that we ordered the chicken skin rolls, ramen, wasabu octopus, pickled white radish daikon, or deep fried oyster, they are surprised. As was I the first time I came to this NYC establishment which piques both your food as well as your cultural senses. I give this restaurant a 5 out of 5 because you can try anything you want here at a moderate price. You can have your sake, your Sapporo, your edamame, but you can also enjoy unique foods that you would not elsewhere. In terms of the overall experience outside of the amazing food, there is somewhat of a wait time and you have to put your name down on a list and be called when your table is ready (unless you come when they just open). There is also a small wait time between the time you order until you get your food, but it is worth the wait.

Terrible service and undercooked clams and borderline chicken. My wife and I went out after seeing a show on broadway and thought to try this place out. DON'T GO THERE!!! We left under the recommended tip to reflect our poor experience and we felt we were pressured into increasing this when questioned by the staff member. Terrible experience!!!!

This place serves good food and drinks at very reasonable prices. The only thing is that it can get quite noisy inside. But f you don't mind the noise level, or are used to noise, then this place is great! Peach sake and beef short ribs are highly recommended. The gyoza is a little oily though. But overall, I'd definitely come back here.

When you're looking for a little bit of everything Sake Bar Hagi is a great find. A little underground sake bar offers an izakaya style menu with small portions to try and share. It's a small restaurant but they work fast to turn tables so the wait isn't bad. They stay open late, too!

I came here after I read a review about the place from Anthony Bourdain. Me and my boyfriend love Japanese food but we can't find any place that has good authentic Japanese food until we found this little jewel. Every time I'm in New york I always try to go eat at the bar, even though they open very late. But the food and wait are definitely worth it. I haven't tried everything there yet but what I have already tried is the Takoyaki balls, the Okonomiyaki, their agedashi tofu, their croquettes, their fried chicken gizzards,and some of their pasta dishes (can't remember which ones but they were also very good) I think that's all that i can remember but everything I've tried was extremely good. If you're ever in NYC and need a late night snack, definitely go check out this place.

If there weren't so many great reviews, we never would have tried it. The restaurant is not fancy at all, but very authentic and serves great, delicious dishes!

We come here whenever we're in NYC. Best izakaya we have had. Must haves include the beef tongue and chicken gizzards. Service is always fast and attentive!

Technically we had been to the one on the 46th st. First of all, we tried to order something on their special menu, they didn't have those, not sure if we went there too late? 11:30pm... Then we ordered shrimp tempura and spiders roll, which made me feel sick about it. Tempura sauce is tasteless, spiders roll is awful, rice was way much and breaking apart. Quality is totally not worth the 3 stars honestly. Only dish is fine which was the cheese tofu, I think this was the most easiest dish for the chef.

The food here is legit. Excellent Japanese bar food. Some much to choose from. Don't be fooled by the entry or get lost finding it. You need to walk downstairs to get to it. Find it you won't be sorry

We were in NYC on business and we were looking for a place to eat near our hotel. We wanted ethnic food and we came across this place from the YELP reviews. We read that there is always a long line to get in. This was a Sunday evening and when we go there we were seated right away. This is a small place, so we can see why there would be a long wait. Also because it is a small place we could see what our neighbors were eating and it looked darn good!! We order some appetizers, beers and a main dish. Everything was excellent. We will definitely come back again and hopefully it will be on an off night again.

This place is great. It is a small hole in the wall restaurant, but the food is delicious and the saki was perfect!

Don't go here if you are gluten intolerant! The staff was very clear with us that they can not accommodate this need.

Great location. Good atmosphere. Varied selection. All was terrific. As you order, be sure to watch the prices as table cards recommend some sakes that are very costly.

Totally stumbled into this place after a screening of a film. There were lots of people on the wait list but since I was alone, they let me right in. Its basement setting and "casual and more like real Japan" I can see how the owner tried when he opened, but it's very dated in unimpressive way while felt dirty. It's got all the basic menus- gyoza and karaage for Americans who come to places like this only to eat Chinese or sashimi and yakitori for non Japanese Asians who don't know better(most of the patrons, nothing wrong with it), or staple comfort food for fresh off the boat Japanese. It's not bad to have a Japanese owned(?) casual dining not quite Americanized in the middle of touristy Times Square without having to go to east of Grand Central. It's not authentic but not fake either. I would come here well instead of tourist traps in the area(why do people go to Apple Bee's and TGI Fridays they can get essentially anywhere in the world, for much more $) but definitely not to make a trip all the way here just for this and few avenues walk away are Hell's Kitchen and Midtown East- much better dining options.

I had a few tapas sized appetizers mainly from a grill. I liked only a half of what I ordered. I would recommended the place for late night dining.

I did go to Japan as a child, and do not remember the quality of the food. Living here in SFLA I do go to the local Japanese Restaurant, but Hagi is the best I have ever had here in the states. The quality of the ingredients, the preparation and the price better than what I have available here locally. Anthony Bourdain is so right about this place close to Times Square and Radio City Music Hall.

A colleague and I ate here on our first night in the city. It was an easy walk from both of our hotels. The food was great, not overpriced, and my drink was delicious! I will definitely eat here again even though there are thousands of choices in the city.

Found this on Yelp and figured it would be a good place to drown my sorrows of not getting a Hamilton cancellation ticket. With $4 draft pints of Sapporo, it is good for that, but come with an appetite. It's like a Japanese tapas bar in a college bar atmosphere. The service was quick and friendly once seated (at 7:30pm on a Tuesday there was a 20 minute wait for a single seat; I saw a group of four be told they would wait an hour- they take your cell# and call you). The food was fresh and tasty. I had soft-shelled shrimp (5/5), yakitori (Plate A) 4.5/5, and wasabi shumai (3.5/5). Go with others to get many plates to share!!

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night. As expected there was a long wait, about an hour. We ordered a few dishes to share based on review recommendations: the octopus balls, chicken karage, agedashi tofu, omusoba, and an eel with rice special. I liked the octopus balls and eel. The karage was a bit soggy under the weight of the radish and in the watery sauce it came in. The omusoba had too much ginger and soy sauce (a bit too salty). Our waiter was a bit odd and he rolled his eyes to the side when the couple next to me asked him to change one part of their order after he just finished taking it and was walking away. That same couple, who were not from the US, was later told by the waiter when he saw them trying to looking something up on their phones but weren't getting signal (the restaurant is in a basement): 'We don't have wifi here because we want people to talk and not look at their phones.' All in all, the food was ok though not out of this world, and a bit overhyped. Would probably try other places before coming back. I would give 3.5 stars at most, and was somewhat turned off by the service staff that night.

We stopped in here for a small lunch and ended up over-ordering as always. The octopus balls were a-ma-zing as was the yellow-fin tuna on the sashimi plate. All melt in the mouth stuff. They also have Asahi beer on draft which is the perfect way to wash it all down. Simply delicious food despite it being right in the tourist area. If you want good sushi in New York, go here.

Sapporo and Kirin on draft. Full bar. They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait. We waited 30 minutes on a Saturday at 730pm. It is well worth it. We sat at the bar. The ramen was delicious. The broth was white with delicious dots of pork fat floating on the top. The pork in the ramen was full of flavor and had a good meat to fat ratio. The veggies were crisp and the ginger was added in just the right amount. We also had the pork belly skewers which were very good. The yellowtail collar tasted fresh and was nicely seasoned and flaky. The menu had various authentic Japanese dishes. I would go out of my way to eat here.

I saw this on No Rservations...it was everybit as good asthe tv show made it out to be. The Yellowtail Collar was something I wouldn't have known to order, but thanks to Tony...OMG YUM!! It was SO SO SO good! As were the yakitori pork belly and chicken skins. And the wasabi dumplings, though next time I might request more wasabi. The waiter was beyond kind and helpful, and helped us pick out just the kind of sake I was looking for. I look forward to my next visit. It's casual and relaxed, with a fee low key tv's placed around. Not "fine dining" but oh SO FINE!

Love this restaurant, been going here for the last 8 yrs and it never fails me. Service have changed a little bit but the food and sake selection are always remarkable.

Would give 0 star if I could. Worst dining experience. Food was mediocre. Our server was rude and with an attitude. He charged 18% of mandatary tip for a party of 3. When I called and argued that it was very rude to post such mandatary tip on our check, the owner did not recognize the disrespectfulness at all and was quite sarcastic by saying "are you from New York City? Have you dined in New York City? It's quite normal here". After I pointed out that I've lived in the city for almost 5 years, and I dine out almost every other day, but have hardly seen a mandatory tip for a party of three unless from some Michelin 3 star, which is completely on a different level from a saki bar, the person simply answered "I don't see it as an issue at all. Some servers just do that". To me, it's not the tip amount that mattered. It's the fact that it's mandatory and they took it for granted and not caring their customers shows how disrespectful they are. Will not dine there any more.

Delicious food, good prices and fun/quirky atmosphere. Don't be put off by the strange/unattractive entrance...we almost skipped it and would have definitely regretted it! Recommended place to eat if in the Times Square area.

First you see the simple door. Then you head down the dark little stairway. You might hesitate but trust me it's worth it to keep going. Great food, great atmosphere, and a nice selection of sake. We had dumplings, tempura veggies and soft shell crab, noodles, and the best rice ball and red bean paste dessert. It was a great end to our week in New York.

Once you find it and get a seat it begins, the atmosphere in there is amazing, buzzing and constantly busy, but the service was still excellent. And the food, even better. Very reasonable and good quantities of it, two people can eat for under $35. Very tasty.

Where in the world would you find flavored saki? Japan - I'm sure they have it there, Too bad, my friend who just came back from Japan didn't find it there - she found it in Sake Bar Hagi, NEW YORK! She and I enjoyed our bottle of Saki - Lychee flavored. You can't go wrong in their menu choice, everything is yummylicious! Yes, it's a hole in the wall and noisy - the food and the flavored saki more than make up for it!

This is a great izakaya hidden in midtown Manhattan. Came here after a concert at Radio City. It is one of the restaurants in the area that's open late. The atmosphere was like a typical neighborhood izakaya in Japan where you can stop by for some snacks & drinks. They had counter seating as well as small tables for groups. The food here was really good. We had the deep fried takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakitori set, fried oysters, dumplings, onigiri & ramen. We washed them down with some chuhai & beers. Everything was delicious & surprisingly cheap!

It was a one hour wait, super busy and small, but worth the wait. Would definitely go back. Food was delicious and authentic snd reasonably priced.

I just came back from NYC, and saw this littel gem on an episode of No Reservations (with Anthony Bourdain). It's very close to Times Square, but as soon as you enter this underground restaurant, you'll feel like your're in Japan! I loved it, it's a very tight space, and usually crowded, but it's a great place to watch sports on the flat screens, drink sake & beer, and taste some great Japanese izakaya food. They have a variety of skewered meats, and great sides. I had the chicken gizzards, pork guts (thats how it's listed on the menu), chicken skin, chicken and the garlic rice. To the unititated, some of that may sound abnormal, but I promise it's great. They have standard meats as well. The menu is in Japanese and English, the staff is efficient and helpful for those of us who do not speak Japenese. Try it, you'll love it.

Found this place online and had to try it! Long line and non reservation but that added to the experience! Mixed tables and close quarters with others but we enjoyed that sort of dining! Food was fantastic and amazing value. Had a fantastic night there and would recommend to others! The only thing that let it down was being dragged to the side at the end on the way out and being demand to give more of a tip than we provided which is pretty rude and not what we expected from a place like this! That put a downer on the whole experience!

YEAY great food!!! We were looking for Asian food quite late around Times Square and found this one. That's a nice place ! Really clean, and food is delicious, really fresh and tasty. Had some gyoza and sushi and was not disappointed even if I am really picky with sushis !!!

a gigantic colourful menu, not easy to decide what to order and so we took a few dishes we thought we'd like. All kinds of flavours and no nasty surprises ;-) Prices were Ok. Good sake of course, my wife even had sparkling sake, didn't even know it existed. Very good Sapporo on tap, also. We had to wait some 10 minutes to be seated so no big deal ...

We were quite happy to see there was room for 5 at almost 11pm on a weekday. Pages and pages of simple dishes, many catering to very Japanese tastes and some daily specials; the small eel bowl was quite generously served. Had a few other daily specials and enjoyed them. Saké very fairly priced, esp when one pays 10-15 dollars for a glass of wine almost anywhere nowadays. Also had a bottle of shochu likewise fairly priced. Perhaps I would not wait out on the street 30 min but if there's a table I would not hesitate to come back. No problem with the service.

The place is kind of hard to find with only one small door, but when you go downstairs into the restaurant you find a lively place full of people and nice food. We had to wait for quite a while, but it was a Saturday night so it was ok. We ordered several different dishes and shared, and they were all really good and decently priced. The staff was helpful and the service was quick and smooth. Over all a really good experience!

This restaurant is though to find, you must down the stairs then there is a door, behind that it is the restaurant. It is a pleasant surprise. The prices are cheap for the food's quality. I have eaten a lot of dishes and all have been amazing. The Hagi is a simple restaurant, but with a delicious food and kind customer service. Defititely i will come back.

No way ever again step foot in the dungeon of scary food. Don't bother if you know better. Save your time & money And definitely go elsewhere for good food. Not this one! It should remain in the dungeon and get rid of the key for good.

Excellent Japanese food in a relaxing atmosphere. There is a wide variety of dishes that are perfect for sharing. The gyoza came sizzling on a griddle. The soft shell crab was heavenly. They used to be on 46th St.

I visited Sake Bar Hagi twice in the last week, and if I lived in NYC there is absolutely no question that I would be a regular. The food was fantastic, the prices reasonable, and if I have any complaints it is just that if you go at the wrong time, the line to get in is up the stairs and out the door. We asked for a good sake recommendation to suit the food we were ordering, and were pointed to Azure Sake. I was a bit hesitant at first (not the most Japanese sounding name) but it was spot-on, and that has become one of my favorite sakes. The hamachi collar was cooked perfectly, the tsukune the best I have tried in a long time, and all in all we had a couple of wonderful evenings at this establishment. Do yourself a favor and give it a try! We really enjoyed ourselves, and I highly recomend th

Went here pre theater for dinner and it did not disappoint. Go early and make sure your entire party is there so you can be seated. Lots of small plates good sake selection and reasonable prices at this down below the street level sake bar. Good specials as well and decent service very fresh seafood

Hagi offers delicious Japanese food with plenty of options. They are in a great location. All menu items are delicious- try the duck for a juicy treat. Their tempura pizza is also surprisingly delicious. Enjoy and do not miss out.

This is a place that locals go to, it is always hopping and very fun. Located in the basement, small location, usually a wait but they will take your cell phone number and call you when table is ready. The menu is extensive, all kinds of dishes to share with the table, excellent drinks and beer. Fun spot to go to after a Broadway show, you feel like you are away from Times Square and with a local crowd. Staff is always friendly and helpful, they seem happy to be in this high energy place.

you'd walk right by if if you're not careful. Chicken skin skewers please! In fact everything on a skewer! Beer all around. A great place for late night snacking with friends, and it's kinda near times square so you know all the trains stop there. Yes Bourdain stopped here, and yes you should get everything on a stick. You won't regret it.

This is a good place, but go early -- roughly when they open -- they fill up fast. I liked the hamachi sashimi and the eel appetizer Oshinko Moriawase. Wide selection in sake.

Kind of Hidden midtown spot just north of Times Square, open only for dinner. I've been another time and was in the mood for for early dinner, so hit it up just as they were opening and well ahead of the crowd. If you don't know about this place, it is very easy to walk past the entrance, as it is located downstairs from another Japanese restaurant. It's pretty small with room for a few tables and seats at the bar. I ordered a glass of sake this most recent time and tried two dishes which I hadn't tried before at other places which were pretty good. First I had fried burdock root chips, which were thinly sliced and coated with Panko (?) and came out without that greasy feel, you can get with some deep-fried foods The bowl was pretty large, not quite the individual portion size that I expected, but glutton that I am, I made the best of things and almost finished them off. I also ordered this beef, cabbage and sprout dish (I'm blanking on the name), which was good as well. The menu here is pretty extensive, so it's best to go with a group to try more things.

Dined here last night with a group of friends. We started with a pitcher of Sapporo Beer and Black Edamame, Steamed Pork Dumplings, and Deep Fried Eggplant. For main courses we shared Sautéed Shrimp, Japanese Style BBQ Chicken and Pork Belly, Garlic Skewers, Pan Fried Noodle Bowl, Asparagus & Enoki Mushrooms wrapped with Bacon paired with Sake. The servers were friendly, prompt, and courteous, great atmosphere - very lively. It was a magical evening, highly recommended!

Tight and cozy quarters in the basement. If you have massive baggage of the material kind, you may be hard pressed to fit into your seating. Needs an overhaul when it comes to finishes, but more importantly, if you've come for the food then you won't be disappointed. Very good food that isn't entirely authentic but pretty close and delicious nevertheless. Portions are just right. Some of our dishes had an excess amount of sauce, though that is probably a matter of preference. Friendly staff, which I noticed was doing their best to accommodate a party next to us that had unreal demands: "I can't eat flour. Or soy sauce. Bring me noodles, without anything but the noodles. Unless they are made with flour. And chicken teriyaki with a side of rice. Without vegetables. Or the chicken." I would not have been as patient, but alas that's why they are in the business, and I am not. There is also a typical two-hour max sitting time, but food comes quickly.

Just off Times Square this small basement sake bar offers a wide range of Japanese bar snacks as well as plenty of upscale sakes (also wine and beer if you must). We dropped in early one evening and just managed to get the last two free seats in the place, which probably holls no more than 30 to 40 people. We weren't there for dinner but to try some different sakes, washed down by what could be described as Japanese tapas, including grilled squid, various types of fish (not sushi) and kimchee (yes I know it's Korean but a lot of Japanese restaurants serve it). The place was crowded, lively and by the time we left there was a line up to get in. The overall experience felt like a quick trip to Tokyo - loads of fun!

You'll be drinking/eating along side other foodies and chefs who appreciate the late kitchen hours here. For those unfamiliar with this kind of place, it serves Japanese "tapas" (think street food). Go with a few friends and get hot sake, a pitcher, and a bunch of dishes to share. This was my go-to when I lived in NY. And it remains at the top of my list of places to return to whenever I visit. Thanks guys and see you again!

Nice izakaya with very reasonably priced food. As izakayas go I'd say that this one is average. Don't come here expecting to be blown away (unless you've never been to an izakaya before), but you'll get a warm reception, comfort food and alcohol. This restaurant is quite small and the waiting time can be long. Their second branch on 46th street and 9th avenue is a lot easier to get into and also takes reservations, although it feels somewhat more sanitised and loses some of the gritty basement atmosphere of the original outlet.

Very similar to student Izakaya bar/restaurants we have visited in Tokyo. Lively good atmosphere and reasonably cheap just off Times Square. The place is tatty which fits with its image but the food whilst good is not excellent, although the kimchi fried rice was very good. Izakaya Mew is much better.

Great food and a really fun atmosphere. This place is a must if you are near time square area and want something different. I liked the calamari, pork belly, and tuna collar. Lots of fun!!

My wife and I visited this place after seeing a broadway show. It was a suggestion of my son, who used to live in NYC. First finding this place is kind of a challenge. A door between two other Japanese restaurants. If you thru the door and see steps leading down then you found it! The wait took only 30 minutes (no reservations here) but was worth it. This is a really cool place. Small plates and plenty of sake. My son told me to get the sake box, which I did. I won't tell you what that is but try it, it was a blast. Staff was very helpful with both the food selection and sake selection. I definitely recommend this place!

I yelped sushi and came across this restaurant. It was a great choice. I ordered a avocado crab salad from lunch menu along with sushi. It was the best salad ever! Fast service too!

This one is worth going to. Great food, excellent selection of sake and some good Asian beer as well. Service was terrific and when my wife spilled half her glass of sake, they refilled it with no additional charge. I'd go back anytime.

This joint is in the basement and has the feel of a real Japanese sake bar. The food was good, well priced, with acceptable service. I liked that they had Japanese beers as well -- we ordered a large and it was HUGE! Location is really close to Times Square, and made for a nice cozy dinner.

Ate a great dinner at this place, several things on the menu to combine with friends. Everything we had was really tasty! Best plate of food was the fried chicken with lemon, and the baked eggplant, yum! Will definitely come again, like the atmosphere.

Absolutely loved this place. Our concierge recommended it and it was my favourite New York restaurant. Buzzing, friendly and down to earth. The food is great and very good value. Will be back next time I'm in the city.

My whole family went for 3 days visit in NY and was recommended by our friends. They have a lot of different varieties and we love the food and the taste.

This is a cool little good value izakaya hiding in a basement. It is busy because food is good and relatively inexpensive. Be prepared to wait around 6-8pm but worth it. If you have lived in Japan this place will bring back memories of places like Andy's in Yurakucho.

we have eaten here many times but the quality of the seafood has gone way down. Based on what we ordered last night, tuna sashimi salad the tuna wasn't fresh, tough and tasted metalic, scallop special and the scallops were tough and chewy. The noodles which were cooked inside an omelet were covered in BBQ sauce and mayo. This is not the quality or style of food for NYC. we used to love this place but it's gotten too popular and i don't think they care all that much since the young crowd still goes.

We went to the Sake Bar after the theatre, expecting to go there and have to wait in a line, we were lucky enough to walk in and get the last two seats. Located close to Times Square on 49th, between 6th and 7th Avenue, it was probably the best food we had in New York. Just make sure that you go downstairs when you get to the restaurant as there is also another Asian restaurant, on the street level, that shows the same address. It was busy when we arrived, but the staff were so good. Service was excellent, fast and the food hot and delicious. The wasabi dumplings are delicious, but will be ready for them to blow out your sinuses if you pop the whole dumpling into your mouth!! The atmosphere is very lively, everyone seems to have a great time. It was great people watching. The staff were also very good in helping us make decisions on what to order. If you love japanese fusion food you will love this place!

Can't say enough about this place. One of my favorite places to eat in the city. Made infamous by Anthony Bourdain, this basement sake bar is where the late night crowd consists of chefs, cooks and waiters from nearby restaurants already closed for the night. Eat where the chefs eat!! Sounds like a good, logical idea, no? :) You usually have to put your name and number down as it is a small place and very popular with all ethnicities (not only japanese). Hagi is much like a japanese "tapas" food bar where everything is around $8-$12 at most, where some are right off the grill and others are from the kitchen. Tons and tons of favorites and yummy delights! Beef Tongue, Tontoro, False Albacore, Chicken Gizzards, Chicken skins, Wasabi Shumai, Fried rice with spicy cod roe, Skate wings, Uni ($8!) and some of the best, thickest slices of Hamachi sashimi you can find. Also get the Hamachi Kama (grilled yellowtail collar) and be merry. Not a huge sake drinker so I won't even touch that, but the Sapporo and Kirin pitchers are plentiful and cold! Cheers!!

I am hesitant to write a review of this restaurant because it is already way too busy! This is not your usual Japanese sushi joint. You are not going to find California rolls here. You are going to find some fresh, authentic, and traditional dishes. Get ready for octopus balls, soft shell crab, yakatori, great eel, etc. The service was very good considering how busy they were. My Mom would hate this place! But we LOVED it! Open late late late --- and it is very reasonably priced --- and expect a wait!

Great night out with friends. Very good sake selection. Menu is full of classic Japanese bar food made for sharing. The service is quick and efficient but they never try to hurry you out the door. They get busy from 5 and seem to stay that way into the night, so you may have a bit of a wait. Worth it.

cheap eat

Blink and you will miss it (and we did!) Visiting NY on family trip and this was our first dinner spot. Every bite was absolutely delicious. The staff was wonderful. Great price for NY as well.

Downstairs and into a modest space jammed with eager eaters! Service was quick and efficient at 6pm. Perfect pre-dinner show~ We ordered fried oysters, Hamachi yama, hamachi/ and tuna sashimi. All fresh and fragrant. Worth the wait if there is a line.

After eating pizza and all the other regular foods typical from this city we were all so glad and enjoyed our huge dinner..even though the wait was long it was worthwhile. The salads, fresh tasty good tuna an yellow fin...rice and tempura nice as well superb the wasabi dumplings. Beer by pitcher...all in all great place great price! Will come again

Really enjoyed this meal sitting at the bar. Friendly service and atmosphere. Great flavor combinations. Try the pork belly with sprouts and beans.

Came by here b/c of my friend's recommendation and it started out great, really enjoyed the sashimi which came first (the mackerel and the spicy tuna). And then it went downhill. The hagikko ramen came next and was medicore. then the suki yaki and the seafood pancake was just terrible especially the seafood pancake (which is my favourite in hapa restaurants) - it was mushy and did not taste great. So will I come back? Maybe for the raw food but definitely not for their cooked food (even though apparently on the menu they are highly popular/recommended)

This place had some great feedback and was also featured in Tony's "No Reservations". Since Tony mostly has a great taste, we decided to have some beer, food and fun here. It's located not far away from Times Square. It's underground, so be sure you take the correct entrance. We loved this place so much, we came here twice on hour one-week stay in NYC. The first time we got a seat right away, the second time we waited 45 minutes (totally worth it!). This place is just awesome. It's packed, it's noisy....it's FUN! You really feel like you left NYC and went to Japan...and that only a few blocks away from all the tourists. The crowd here is mostly Asian and local. Another reason to come here! Grab some japanese beer while you study the huge menu. We ate a lot of different dishes here (see the pics!). And I can tell EVERYTHING was delicious! Great authentic japanese food! There are dishes for beginners (like noddles with chicken) or tougher (but great) choices like the rice balls with octopus or the fermented beans! The service is super-friendly and fast. Time's flying here....eat and drink like there's no tomorrow. We had lots of fun. I've been in NYC a couple of times. But this is pretty much my new favorite place to hang out and have fun in this city! Highly recommended! Wanna know more about my trips? Click on my profile or visit: route66traveler.jimdo.com

This was one of my fav 'hole in the wall' japanese comfort food. I have been patronizing this place over the last 4 summers before the food quality went down south. I took a break and tried it again 2 weeks ago and it appears that their food quality is back on track. I would recommend the spaghetti with fish roe and also the the bean sprouts stir fried with kimuchi and pork belly.

too busy, but it's because it is cheap and so good. the lenth of the menu is appropiated. careful, it is difficoild to find, it is donwatairs

I tend to like my Japanese restaurants in sparkling clean locations and it is not exactly the feel when you arrive at Sake Bar Hagi but do not worry, behind the facade is a pretty cool place. Friendly location with some pretty cool fares. Everything i had was fresh and tasty. It was a great late dinner option around Time Square.

I've read the recent reviews about how Hagi is not 100% authentically Japanese, but you rarely see 100% authenticity in another country. What Hagi offers is reasonably priced Japanese-style small plates of food, late night dining near the touristy part of town. I used to live close to Hagi and would go there often, as well as restaurants on 9th avenue. It is always crowded and is an alternative to the chain restaurants you find near Times Square. If you are in the area, want some small plate, and are okay with the wait, then give it try!

The restaurant was full when we came but when I told the waiter that I wanted to introduce my friends to Japanese food they managed a table for us. The personel were very friendly and the food (okonomiyaki) great. The restaurant offered several varieties of sake as well.

My partner and I were in New York for a few days and decided to have dinner at this restaurant after reading all the great reviews. We had high expectations...the food was great however the attitude of the staff member/waiter that served us was horrible. This I must say has been the worst experience I have ever encountered to date in a restaurant. The staff member did not provide us any service beyond taking our order and taking our empty plates away, no conversation was initiated and my partner and I actually felt as if we were being rushed out of the restaurant when he took our plates away and provided us the bill when we had not requested it. We still had 2 full glasses of beer remaining from our pitcher and there were empty tables around the area (the place was not full) when the bill arrived we left a tip however not the full 18% guide that was recommended. The waiter was not happy with this and came back saying "you have not met the 18% tip mark" and again placed the bill tray back onto the table without asking if there was anything wrong with the service for feedback purposes. I believe in tipping when great service is received and in this case they did not appear to care for the reason in the lack of service however only cared that they had not received the full monetary value of their 18% tip. We felt bullied and harassed into providing a higher tip as did many previous diners in previous reviews. Again the food was great however the experience overall was horrible.

The first thing that greeted us in this basement eatery was the smell of bleach - but that may be a good sign as it shows the place is cleaned often. The service was fast, and the place filled up by 6 pm. We started with the salmon sashimi, which was fresh, followed by pork belly, beef and grilled chicken sticks. The meat was tasty, though a little on the tough side, especially the pork belly. The gyoza was excellent, as was the fried oysters and the pork and kimchee fried rice. We ended with fried pancakes and green tea ice cream, which was delicious. There are a lot of Asians, including Japanese, who frequent this eatery, so the food standards are high and authentic.

Had a variety of food and sake here. Staff is friendly. The deep fried frog legs and soft shell shrimps were delicious. Other daily specials were good too. We also had some of the yakitori and there were ok but a bit of the dry side. They didn't taste bad though. Also had the veggie tempura and they were okay although not 100% crispy. Do not order the gobo chips (burdock fries) at the end. They are extremely oily but I guess they go well with alcohol and should be consumed as an appetizer. The sauce/mayo that goes with it was awesome. Large selection of sake... Could be intimidating but random selection worked out well.

So I lived in japan and every time we come to NYC we have to go here because it is authentic and has street food that I can't find elsewhere. The Gyoza are soo good. Love the Okanomiyaki (A japanese savory pancake). And the skewers are amazing. Top it off with a Calpico cocktail and I am in heaven.

Not that I'm an expert on authentic Japanese dive bars and isakaya joints, but I imagine that the good ones must resemble Hagi. Hard to find, cramped, very noisy but the beer and the food are ridiculously cheap for NY. A gigantic menu to choose from, considering how small the place is. We had a great time, and it's just steps from the Times Sq theater district. Check it out.

It is easy to miss this place but it would be a mistake to. There is a large sign out front but below it is an inconspicuous door that leads downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs is another door which opens to the restaurant. Give your name to the host and you will be seated in order. They are open late, until 3:00 AM so it is great for after a show. The tables are all crammed together. If you come in a large party they will just put you at tables that are all together. If there are just two of you, the person on your right or left will be a total stranger with their date or group. It is loud. The service is excellent. If you are a neophyte, don’t be afraid to ask questions, how do I order, how do you eat this, etc.? Any waiter will happily answer your question but don’t monopolize their time too much, the place is much too busy and they are flying around all over the place. There is a comprehensive sake menu with wines of every flavor and temperature. There are many Japanese beers both on tap and by the bottle. A pitcher of Kirin looked so good I almost ordered it but I kept to sake. We ordered sake immediately and at the same time Yellowtail Collar. The collar is a cut from the shoulder area of the fish where the fin is attached. It is mostly bone containing nooks and crannies of delicious fatty tuna meat. Hear they roast it. Chopsticks are extremely useful in eating the collar because they can pick out the small pieces of meat between the bones and skin. Most of the time when I see Asian families eat they usually center their meal on some type of noodle dish. We did the same. All the choices appeared to be delicious. We had shumai and several other dumpling items along with our noodles and quantities of sake. If you are a Japanese food aficionado, don’t miss this place. It is not your average sushi bar.

Hagi is an excellent izakaya. Good drinks and typical Japanese bar food choices. The menu is quite vast and encompassing, so you'll definitely be able to find something you'll enjoy eating. The yakitori are generally good options. Go for an early dinner, or lines may form.

Real traditional Japanese food ! I just came here and it was full of Japanese so I thought : " this is really authentic ! ". Here I discovered the warm Japanese dishes and honestly this restaurant , excluding Japan, has been the best Japanese restaurant in my life . It's simply the best

My girlfriend Jody has brought me here to this restaurant during our visit to New York City last Autumn and I just have to come here the next day again. I love the atmosphere of the restaurant, it is under the street (gives me the feel of being in Japan), packed with people (which give good vibes for me personally) and serve extremely good takowasa and sunigamo. A perfect mix for Sapporo. I still dream to go back NYC just for this restaurant and will be ordering its Sake next time. This is by far a memorable restaurant for me in NYC. Love the food!

As I was by myself I sat at the bar and the lady working the bar couldn't have been nicer. I was able to get a good view of the kitchen as they were operating and the smells coming out of there were truly tremendous. I felt really welcomed here even though it was a bit cramped. Very authentic flavors, and great drinks reasonably priced. This spot goes into my perpetual New York City line-up.

It was so unbearably terrible restaurant I've ever. This is my 2nd experience to go to this restaurant, but I didn't remember at first what I already had. But, once I drunk the Sake, the experience reminded me clearly. Because the sake had BAD smell, was very dilute with too much water etc. All dishes are AWFUL!! It's NOT Japanese food at all. Almost customer were not Japanese, they could not judge whether the dishes were Japanese or not. However, they can't pull the wool over my eyes. Because I'm Japanese. I realized it's a Chinese-Japanse restaurant. Chinese owner is pretending they are providing Japanese food. Because people think Japanese food is trustful, and expensive. Don't use this restaurant if you don't want to waste your money and time!! You should not misunderstand about real Japanese food!!

The fried rice with fish roe was good but the deep fried softshell crab tasted very fishy and was not pleasant. Sat at the bar and it was a mess looking at the stuff under the counter. Place can be cleaner. Service was good.

Our visit to Hagi was a simple one, it wasn't planned but our friends wanted to meet us there. So we went to meet them here on Easter Sunday for dinner. The restaurant is in the basement, but no problem, you'll find it. Of course it was crowded. If the reviews are good, the place is crowded. Luckily we got a table right away but more people kept coming in. We ordered octopus wasabi, tentacle squid, clams, kama, yellowtail sashimi, chilly shrimp, frog legs, etc. Gosh, there were too many of them, couldn't remember them all. So I tried everything. If you love Japanese food, you'll love them all. We enjoyed dinner with our friends. So much better to enjoy with friends who love Japanese food like us. We don't mind going back to this place, it was extraordinary oishi! *:) It's right in the heart of Times Square, so for all the tourists in the world, be there or be square. Service is ok, no complaint. They hire very diverse employees - it's cool! Enjoy!

The best place for oriental food in Manhattan...complete with authentic beverages. Nothing is watered down, thinned out...this is the real deal. I became Ramen drunk. We shared 3 dishes and left very little in the bowls. OMG just think plates of food for $6, $8...etc. Value does not mean quality. This is such good food...you will want to hide out in your hotel room binging but DON'T. In my opinion, this is a good eat in place for the soups and ramen.

we found this place after looking for reviews in TA! different japanese dishes, very traditional , not just sushi but a great variety of other delicious dishes

Really great - lots of completely legit Japanese hits on the menu, prices are pretty reasonable and INCREDIBLY so when you think of how close to Times Square (I almost typed Shibuya!) you are. A really fun place to get some food and booze it up.

The Sake Bar opens at 5:30pm, if you're late - you will have to queue up. The restaurant has only 50 seats and they fill up quickly. The food menu is extensive, so is the Sake menu. We enjoyed a pre-theatre dinner and the value for money is excellent.

My husband and I came here after seeing a Broadway show and it was one of the places that was open and also not too far from our hotel. I'm really happy that we decided to eat here. I'm a big fan of Japanese food and I was very satisfied with our meals. I had the sukiyaki, my husband had the yakiudon, and we shared a plate of takoyaki. For dessert, we had black sesame ice cream with flour cake and red beans. They were all very delicious. The sukiyaki and takoyaki, in particular, were excellent. In addition, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was laid-back and relaxing. We'll come here again on our next trip to New York.

I have been to this place twice and both time were excellent! I like almost every dish I ordered. Also like the sakes recommended by the server. Food was so good. Reserve a table if you could. It always gets crowded at night.

They have a very large menu of izakaya style food and an equally impressive menu of sakes. Their selection of yakitori isn't quite as extensive as some other izakaya style restaurants (like the Izakaya resturants on St. Marks Street), but the menu is definitely large enough to make you want to come back and try the other dishes. However, the things that we ordered left us underwhelmed. Here is what we tried: - The raw squid with wasabi (takowasa): pretty good and very refreshing with the daikon radishes. - Grilled hamachi collar: This was pretty tasty and had a good amount of hamachi. - Chicken Karage with ponzu: This was surprisingly delicious. The ponzu was a nice light addition to the karage. - Fries with fish roe: Really just fries, you couldn't taste the roe. - Pork okonomiyaki: Overdressed with sauce so you couldn't really taste anything but the tonkatsu sauce. - Tantan-Yaki-Soba: Nothing that special, and again too much sauce that made the dish very salty. - Grilled squid with teriyaki sauce: The squid was soft and tasty and not too over sauced this time. The service was friendly and efficient, I would probably go back and give this place another try and pick some other dishes.

The restaurant is small and cosy. The food was ok as I don't take raw fish. Had ramen and pork ginger don. The waiters were friendly enough to deserve a good tip, overall, it was a nice establishment but nothing to shout about.

On a recent trip to NYC I checked this place out for the second time and I'm glad I did. Last year I went for the first time with a colleague who is in Japan all the time and she told me that Hagi was like being in Tokyo. I love this place, cozy, low-key and the food is so good. Next time in NYC, I will go again.

My man Tony failed us this time. Although there were a couple of good dishes (wasabi siu mai), the rest was disappointing. The yakitori's were tasteless. Cold sake was only cool. Worse of all, the atmosphere didn't even feel Japanese. Check out Yakitori Totto if you want good skewers.

We came here one evening for a late dinner and it did not disappoint. A little izakaya that reminds me of Guu Garlic in Vancouver. Food was decently priced, and came out quite fast. Food tasted very good, and large selection of sake. We asked our server behind the bar what he would recommend, and the guy seated next to us was adamant on this bottle, so we went with his recommendation. It was an expensive bottle but tasted very good. Not your rubbing alcohol sake. There are also flat screen's around, and as it was oscar sunday that evening, they were showing the oscars. When Ang Li won for best director, the crowd went wild as everyone was predominantly asian, which was quite neat!

Sake Bar Hagi stands as one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Located directly in Times Square, but hidden at basement level, Sake Bar Hagi offers authentic Japanese cuisine at economical prices. Great spot for friends or sharing a family style meal with a date. The restaurant offers a variety of sake and beer pairings with their wide menu of choices. The Mentai Pasta, Green Tea Udon Noodles and Seafood Pancake are excellent.

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants in New York. Always full during meal hours. Please be ready for long queu but the delicious meals worth the wait!

Delicious from the drinks to the food to the mochi ice cream. Well you really can't go wrong with mochi ice cream lol. But the calpico alcohol drinks were delicious. My friend had the peach flavor and husband had the lychee flavor. Ugh, they were so good that I am still remembering their flavors 2 days later lol! My green apple flavor was just okay though. We ordered so much food since the prices were very reasonable. I ordered the Kushi Mori A Set, Rice Ball (spicy cod roe), and a croquette noodle bowl. They were all very flavorful and filling. The place was small but I really liked the ambience. I wish I lived nearby so I could go to this place again and again.

This is about 10-15 min east from the Marriot Marquis and on 49th street. The restaurant is situated between two other Japanese restaurants. My kids thought it was cool that we had to go below street level or as they stated "underground". We arrived early in order to finish dinner before the Lion King at 8 pm. The restaurant was full but there was room for us. There is a bar. The restaurant in terms of style and design felt like it was right out of Tokyo. Intimate but full of hustle and bustle. Service was prompt. The food got to us quickly. The portions were generous and tasty. The prices were reasonable compared to other restaurants in Times Square. In fact this restaurant and its food represents great value! I ordered mixed tempura over rice. The tempura was crispy and not thick or doughy. The vegetables and shrimp were tasty. The rice was Cooked properly. My son ordered garlic fried rice with chicken. The chicken was tender and the garlic did not overpower it. My daughter ordered mixed sashimi and kim chee fried rice. The sashimi melted in your mouth and tasted fresh. My only Issue was with the Kim chee fried rice-it was overly spicey but then again it's Kim chee fried rice. Overall an excellent restaurant and value.

It's a good choice to dine in Midtown. Me and my husband loved the food and drinks. The only problem is that the waiter did not appreciated the amount of tip we gave and demanded more. It was unpleasant and not very polite.

I'm a New York City tour guide who spends a lot of time in Times Square. I think Sake Hagi Bar is one of the gems of the neighborhood. Sake Bar Hagi is located downstairs in a basement on the south side of W 49th St between 6th and 7th Ave just a few steps east of 7th Ave. Above Hagi at street level are Iroha and Saporro creating a Japanese culinary row next to the Times Square's Superdry Store. Hagi is small and always crowded. It's populated by Japanese transplants to NYC and a few lost tourists. The decor features small lacquer tables and stark cement walls with people's names scratched in them above a base of polished waInscoating. An intimate bar sits to the right side of the entrance. Sounds of feverish Japanese conversations emanate from the underground establishment. Dozens of tapas sized appetizers with beer and saki are on the menu. My favorite. Ice cold Sapporo on tap in a monster 33 oz glass with sausages and spicy mustard.., Only $15.50 and in Times Square! Next time I'll try the small eel bowl for $16.00 The entrance to the stairs leading down to Hagi Sake Bar is nestled between Iroha (upstairs) and Paris Hair & Nails. Just east of Saporro and Superdry.

The location near Times Square was a big plus. I read some of the previous reviews and just laughed. A lot of times these review trolls are from other competing restaurants..lol..not that uncommon... My friends and I stopped by relatively late, after a show, but were pleasantly surprised to get seated almost immediately. The restaurant is not huge, but large enough. I would have to say that this was the most delicious Japanese food that I have had to date. I especially liked the green tea layered desert cake..that was incredible. We found this place through another reviewer site. About those reviewer sites..we had also gone to a highly rated Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, and their food was just ordinary, mediocre, and nothing better than whatever is located down the street from you. I won't name that place, but my friends and I waited about half an hour for Mc Blah type food.We were really amused to see various pictures of movie stars and other celebrities on the wall. Sake Bar Hagi is the real deal however, and definitely worth every bite.

Small restaurant with tight seating but that’s what you can expect in NY and especially around Time Square. Staff was friendly and attentive and the food was amazing, decent portions meant to be shared like tapas. Highly recommend the takoyaki, bbq eel over rice (I love you and can eat you forever), and sake sangria.

This place has good Izakaya - japanese style tapas. You'd think dinner would be cheap looking at the prices but after ordering 3-5 dishes per person it adds up. The food is good, the beer is plentiful and the location hidden in the basement keeps the tourists of times square away. Will be back for sure!

I really enjoyed feeling like I had stumbled upon (ok, with the help of Yelp) this little lower level Sake house -- most of the patrons were New Yorkers and it was obviously not their first visit. Small line on a week night. Everything I had, especially the specials like spicy fried chicken were great. Service and atmosphere is young and fun. Glad I went.

Looking for some late night food and drink near Times Square on a Thursday night, and boy, did we find it! Service til 3 am, and full of authentic Japanese people and food and drink. Got an awesome Asahi dark beer that I've never seen anywhere outside of Japan before and a giant bowl of tonkotsu ramen that absolutely hit the spot for late-night hunger. Have paid much more for much less. It is indeed hidden at a basement level and it's worth going down and checking out!!

Ok a little extreme, but every time I am in New York we visit this place, make sure you go to the restaurant under the street. The a la carte specials they have are incredible. Nothing like it anywhere else we have been in the states. The sake list they have is wonderful and isn't limited to two or three options like most places. The staff is very friendly, there is typically a waiting list so dont be surprised if you have to wait for a table, its worth the wait. Also make sure to order several small dishes so you can sample all they have to offer.

Ordered Beer(Sapporo), Uni and some sticks. The pork yakitori stands out! Everything was great except for the meatballs. It lacked flavor. Come try it!!!

I love this place, it is a People Watchers Heaven. It also has fantastic food for a very reasonable price. Do not leave until you have had at least one order of the Wasabi Dumplings, you will be in for a palate tantalizing treat. It is a little hard to find and late night you will have a bit of a wait. Do not settle for the restaurant Topside, the real deal is in the basement.

Who would have thought I'd find a nice izakaya in the theater district? Well, it's here. However, if you want a seat, don't come too late. I showed up at 6:30 once and got the last seat in the place (at the bar) because I was by myself. The bartender was great though, and I loved the various yakitori goodies I got, especially the chicken gizzards. The ginkos were very nice, as was the mushroom. The potatoes were the least tasty, but still nice. On another occasion, my mother had a very rich ramen full of seafood and other tasty tidbits, while I enjoyed a luscious piece of grilled miso salmon and codfish pickled in sake lees. The servers are pleasant and fast, so it's a great pre-theater stop.

Pros: - a good sake selection; - prices were reasonable Cons - the food! - the takoyaki was mushy - yellowfish was not de-boned and lacked flavor - okonomiyaki was pure dough and overcooked Recommendation: come for the drinks, don't bother w/ the food - it's really sub-par. If you're looking for food - go to midtown east or St. Marks.... lots of options.

We went to Sake Hagi based on a friend's recommendation and were very impressed. It's a popular, crowded place with a vast selection of sake (and other beverages) and fabulous and reasonably priced food. We had Japanese cucumber salad, assorted grilled meat and pork belly pancake (we're on vacation!) and all were exceptional. Highly recommended to anyone who likes this cuisine.

Located downstairs of Iroha Restaurant (sharing the same street address), Sake Bar Hagi is one of those places that many locals know about. Walk down the narrow stairway adjacent to Iroha, and you will find a crowded, boisterous Izakaya filled to the max, and probably with a 30-minute wait time! It is casual and definitely loud. Food was great, and service was fast, once you were able to flag down a server rushing by delivering drinks and food to the many patrons. Overall, it was a fun experience with delicious Izakaya-style small plates and lots of beer and sake for all. If you are looking for a romantic Japanese dinner, this would not be the place. But if you are out with friends looking for a late-night snack -- and if you have time to wait in line for a table -- then give this place a try!

My party of four waited about 20 minutes to be seated and immediately ordered a pitcher of beer (which came promptly). We order multiple steamed, fried, and seared plates. Everything came out hot, delicious, and cooked perfectly. I've spent time traveling in Asia and I was blown away at how spot on some of my favorite flavors were. Try the fried dumplings, roasted garlic (on a stick), and chicken garlic fried rice. To top it all off this place is so reasonable priced. Our party, with alcohol and more food than we could eat, was only 80$! I'm absolutely hitting this place up again.

After a day of walking NyC and seeing the sights we were looking for a drink and then dinner near Times Square. Used google maps to locate Sake Bar Hagi on 49th. Japanese beer in big 33 oz handles were great. Duck hot pot all round added to a great evening. Tables and bar area available. Overall very good food and service.

The food is great, a busy place but worth the wait, i strongly recomend this place :) will defenetly eat here Again the next time i'm in new York!

This restaurant is cool and, being one flight down from the street, is almost hidden and has an insider / local / almost James Bond type of vibe to it. For those that have found out about it, it is very popular. It is quite authentic Japanese with dishes that are not commonly found in the USA. There is a large menu with lots of choices. Service was good. We liked it.

The best meal in NYC. A little hard to find but once you do, you will be in heaven. Pitchers of Sapporo, meat skewers, japanese pancakes. You name it, we ate it. Unbelievable valu. Come here and you won't be disappointed.

Good authentic japanese food at a very good price. 50$ for four people. This restaurant is truly a gem. They don't take reservations, though. Arrive early (the restaurant opens at 5 pm) or expect to wait a couple of minutes (45, the last time we were there). But it's worth the wait.

Food was good but the staff very rude we had left a tip but on our way out we was confronted by a member of staff not even our waiter asking if we was happy with the service!, I said yes he asked for more money for a tip then it was embarrassing he was very aggressive with his tone too I just gave him more a walked off but it spoil the our night never go there again

Good food!! It was crowded even at 9pm but worth the wait. Great cause it opens till late so can drop by after Broadway. Thought the ramen was ordinary but the others(raw octopus, teriyaki squid, tempura) were good.

I've been to Japan for two months, and the experience at Hagi was brought me right back to those times. The bar has plenty of good sakes, ales, and what is more rare, good Shochus!! (recommended, ask for a Yokuchawari). It's somewhat of a crossover between an Izakaya (jap. tavern) and a sushi bar. All around a delicious meal and wonderful atmosphere.

I was sitting down at a 3 seater spot with a friend .. the host wearing blue with glasses told me to get up because it's for a 3 people space .. as soon as my friend and I got up.. the same host placed a party of 2 on the same spot which they claim it was for a party of 3 only !! There were only 2 people not three !! .. so I asked to speak to a manager .. the manger with a pony tail spoke to us in a condescending tone.. and he did no help with the situation, therefore, I feel that they were being irresponsible to their offensed customers with no remorse. I feel as though preference to the couple that dresses more formally and assume that they would spend more .. I work around the area, so I was a repeating customer go there every other week with my colleagues. they just lost our business and as we were walking out, they even patronized us. Unforgivable!

This is a neat little izakaya not too far from major tourist areas. It is crowded and busy but still well worth it. Avoid the raw fish (if you want sushi go to a true sushi place, there are several near by) but enjoy the rest of their expansive menu. Their sake menu is also unlike any I've found with the exception of Bar Decibel. The orange flavored sake was a real treat, definitely try it.

I ordered their daily special which was Uni Gyu Don (sea urchin beef with rice) tonight for dinner. The urchin was brown on the edges, leaking water, and smelled like some sort of fermented product. If you know what bamboo shoots smell like, it smelled like that. I made a comment about the uni to 2 of the restaurant's servers (one server and the other was the manager or owner) and they adamantly told me that uni was supposed to be like that. They said that because uni isn't in season in NYC (questionable already!) so the uni they are serving is from Chile (where a lot of farmed uni is from) . They even said they checked the whole batch and all is it smells of this fermented/bamboo shoots/bad cheese smell. Regardless of location, uni should be buttery and should not have such a rancid smell and fecal taste. They did not charge me less or offer to remake Gyu Don or anything. Bad food bad service. I guess I should have known better and ordered their carbonara at this Japanese establishment.

This place is so freakin' good! It was our first night in NYC and wanted some good food. We walked here in the snow and couldn't have been more pleased! Our server was very friendly and informative. He offered us a tasting of sakes and gave us his personal recommendations on the menu. Everything we had was delicious. You have to get the Wasabi Pork Dumplings and the bacon wrapped asparagus! We must have ordered 6 orders of the dumplings! You won't go wrong if you come here! We will recommend this place to others traveling in NYC and will definitely come back on our next trip!

I have traveled a bit and been to Japan but I can easily say this was probably the best Japanese restaurant outside Japan. I love Japanese food and I do go a lot in London where I live but Hagi was excellent. Japanese food is either very expensive and good or very cheap and poor. This is a excellent food with very reasonable pricing. Would love to go back one day!!!!

We were lost for a minute when we went into a similarly named restaurant at street level. It did not look or smell appealing. The Sake Bar Hagi is down a narrow dark set of stairs. It's a pretty small place, but was packed. We found a place to eat at the bar. We had the pork belly, an order of dumplings, and frog legs (my mom's request) and a pitcher of Kirin. Topped it off with green tea ice cream. Total bill was $35. Food was authentic and very yummy. If you get the green tea ice cream, skip the one with rice balls and sweet red beans. The beans were good, but the rice balls were like eating a cotton ball soaked in paste. Ick.

We had a great time with cheap beer especially being by times square and they have a whole menu of fun items to order while drinking with friends.

Fair price in NYC with very good japanese food in simple and small place (small door downstair). Fresh and taste sashimis, dry tempuras and delicious and hot soups as "missô shiru" and "udon". We ate combo sashimi, grilled salmon, shrimp tempura and "Ten don " and they were delicious and taste. The attendence was very nice. Around $25.00 per person including tip.

Really good all around, lots of choice and variety on the menu. Onigris are huge but tasty. Arrive early, it was full on a Saturday at 5:30pm but service is quick and efficient so tables turn quickly.

Like many, we went there because the reviews were good and it said it was like a traditional Japanese small hole in the ground, where food is often amazing. Both of these assumptions were wrong. I lived in Japan. There was none of the politeness nor friendly welcoming attitude here, zero. Service was unemotional, unwelcoming. Everyone simply was existing to get there job done and go home. As for the food, it was average at best. Nothing was fresh. Shrimp tempura was off. Yakitori was ok, certainly nothing I'd desire to try again. Sticky rice ball with fish roe was quite disgusting. Avocado salad near zero in terms of any unique taste. The only real positive thing I can say is that the Sapporo draft was good and the price reasonable. I am at a loss as to who write the 5 or 4 star reviews. They cleary have never been to Japan.

It was 10pm in NYC, and I was craving Japanese comfort food. I originally found this place though Yelp and noticed that it had over 1000 reviews with 4 stars. I checked the menu and did not see the typical Japanese food that most would expect. Don't come here if you are wanting spider/California rolls or eclectic sushi rolls...there are none here. You find all of the other stuff that makes Japanese food so great from pork belly skewers to deep fried squid legs to ramen. It's just really good food. As you are walking up the front entrance, you will see 2 other Japanese restaurants right next door so don't get confused. This place is not on the street level, you will open a door and take the stairs down one level and that is the entrance. Enjoy.

Wife and I dropped by after searching on Trip Advisor for good eats. Ended up waiting for 30-minutes after drop-in reservations... And ended up eating at the bar. Food was good, wife says it's authentic Izukaya and you feel like you might be in Japan. Place is run down especially the restrooms. We smelled a leaky sewer pipe or something stanky while eating our food and drink.

We happened upon this place at 10pm on a Thursday and it was quite lively and busy. Had a 30 minute wait but it was worth every minute. The atmosphere was fun and not touristy at all. The food was amazing and the bar tender was great! Not a single complaint and cant wait to eat here again!!

We were sent here from a friend that used to live in the city and after doing some research found it recommended by Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. He grew up in New York so I trust his judgement. From the sidewalk there are two doors right next to each other. Pick the one in the left that goes down a flight if stairs. Write your name and phone number on the list (although when we were there they said their phone wasnt working and to stick around). They had every table filled up around eight on a Sunday night. We waited about twenty minutes. Bring cash. For three people we ordered tuna sashimi, pork dumplings, pork belly and bean sprouts (omg so good), tempura shrimp, sweet fatty pork and a glass of sake for 35 dollars!! Great value. It's definitely a local secret. I'm pretty sure we were the only tourists there. Since it is so busy, waiters tend to run around, but they are very knowledgable.

Been here a few times now as its near the office. It's simple with a large menu and well priced. There can sometimes be a wait but it was short this time. The curry meatballs were quite nice as were the squid legs. The seaweed salad and green salad were both very refreshing. I did not care for the bonito sashimi but the okonomiyaki was good as always. The hamachi kama was good but I've had better. Solid meal and go to place for a pre or post theater bite.

This is a great place to grab some super authentic Izakaya near Times Square. Came for dinner at 8 pm and the place was packed but managed to get seat at the bar. Entrance can be a little confusing as it is right next to a ramen house and another Japanese restaurant, and one would have to take the stairs down into the basement. Ordered the soft shell shrimp, sauteed squid legs, garden salad, yakitori duck and quail eggs - all very good and well done. Diners are tightly packed so definitely not for a quiet intimate dinner! I'd guess about 50% of the customers are Japanese which is a testimony to the quality - and hardly any tourists. Very reasonably priced.

Went after a show, got there around 9p and waited about 10-15mins. Place is not too big, and was packed. Wife got the yellowtail salad and I got the assorted sashimi appy- good portions and we both enjoyed it. Wife got the unagi meal and I got the kimchi ramen with spicy oysters. We both enjoyed those too. Finished it off with the green tea cake which was good. Didn't try sake. Would come back and would recommend, but try to come during off-hours if you can or you'll wait. Definitely not a romantic spot, but would be fun with friends. Value is good to excellent for Times Square.

My friend and I waited for one hour in a cold winter night at this hidden gem in the middle of Time Square's basement, but the wait was well worth it. We ordered a couple Japanese tapas and a small bottle of sake. The place was bustling and the food was authentic Japanese, something that I am always quite particular on. Overall a great experience and will definitely come back.

The food is excellent. Fresh and tasty! Many choices..the price list is on point, so one can try many dishes...friendly staff it was a fun evening.

I had dinner at Sake Bar Hagi with a friend who lives locally. The place really is bustling - a long line of people waiting for a table. We waited some 45 minutes for a table before finally getting in. I had the sukiyaki udon and my friend had the gyudon with sea urchin. We also shared a stewed pork belly dish and a salad. Food was very good. Atmosphere is wonderful and service is pretty good considering how chaotic it all seems! A great spot for a casual dinner.

We stumbled across this place which is subterranean and easy to miss. Once you find it, you will go downstairs and walk through the entry door. Now you must write your name on the "list" (like a Dr's office) and wait. There are usually tables available and if not, the table appear to turn quickly. Sit at the counter if you can as the guys back there are very personable and cool. It is tight quarters, LOUD and fun. Don't be scared away when you first look inside. You will miss a great experience if you walk away. You will quickly settle in and forget about all the Malay. The Sake list is one of the best in the city and the staff is well versed in it. there are also daily Sake specials and flights. The food menu (vast) is comprised of Sushi, Sashimi and many excellent cooked items. I would class most of it as Asian/Japanese comfort food with the caveat that it is better than most. it is cooked perfectly and is not a greasy mess. The Sashimi cuts are out of this world ( try the Yellow Tail). We had several small plates and bottle of sake for under $60.00! Big pluses are service, food, location and the scene. They are also open late...Check them out for a great adventure!

Sake Bar Hagi is a hit or miss. Sometimes it takes great. Other times it is underwhelming. Just not consistent in terms of food quality or service. I’ve had the okonomiyaki, takoyaki, multiple skewers, grilled teriyaki squid, buta kimchi itame, miso eggplant, shrimp shumai, fried shrimp, fried chicken gizzards, etc… They are overall decent, not amazing. Perhaps Yakitori Taisho (on St. Marks in East Village) is just cheaper, better and more fun. I think Hagi definitely caters to the midtown after work crowd, so they probably don’t have to try as hard to keep their service or food at a certain level since St. Marks isn’t around the corner to get better things… Overall, it is a decent izakaya and a small haven from the rest of midtown so if you decide to join, make sure you head downstairs, otherwise you are at a random different restaurant…!

Thanks to all the other TA's for the info on this place. Would never have found it otherwise. Had a selection, including the sardine salad, amazing. Would definitely recommend.

This is a very vibrant restaurant and seems to be busy regardless of the time you arrive. The drinks are very reasonably priced and the sheer variety of food is excellent and entertaining. The staff is friendly, but it can be somewhat difficult to get their attention... The sake service is authentic, adding to the ambiance. Great Find and easy to get to being right off of 7th.

Sake Bar Hagi had all the right ingredients for fun, dive restaurant. You would walk right by it and not notice this hidden gem. If you dared to look down the stairs you'd notice a line of anxious diners all wanting to get in. The restaurant had a mix of regulars and tourists in the tiny space. I sat at the bar, looked at the menu and was stumped what to order. The bartender was extremely helpful and recommended something that wasn't on the menu. I'm not sure what it was except it was served in a pottery pot, delicious broth (spicy) with tofu, chicken, and vegetables. Will definitely need to come back the next time I'm in NYC.

Amazingly authentic food and very affordable. Definitely high on my lists of spots to stop in NYC. And they have tempura pizza!!