Izakaya in Saitama Prefecture! 20 recommended spots by area that are easy to drop by casually

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Sake to Robatayaki Unari is an izakaya (Japanese pub) located in the basement of a building, about a 3-minute walk from the west exit of Omiya Station. It mainly serves Japanese food made with fresh ingredients sourced for that time of year.

The space has a calm Japanese-modern feel. There are counter seats where you can watch the cooking, as well as table seating for groups.

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The owner, who also honed his skills at a fresh fish shop, serves dishes made with Special seafood and a dish called kamo seri-nabe (duck and Japanese parsley Hot Pot), a Hot Pot built around duck and seri (Japanese parsley).

The food is seasoned to pair well with alcohol, and every dish has a good reputation for being tasty. To finish, the rice cooked in a kama (iron pot) comes highly recommended.

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The owner personally visits breweries, mainly in the Tohoku area, that make Japanese sake and stocks the ones he likes. You can also drink rare Japanese sake.

They also offer a wide range of shochu, from ones with a strong sweet potato character to fruity ones, and they seem to have options that are easy to drink even for shochu beginners.

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"Nihonshu to Sosaku Kobachi Ryori GOKURi Omiya Ten" is an izakaya located about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Omiya Station. You can enjoy Japanese sake and creative Japanese cuisine.

The space is luxurious, with Japanese-style interior touches. If you make a reservation, you can also use a Private room suitable for groups and families.

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They source fresh ingredients that are best in that season and serve them in a variety of dishes.

Their specialty is dishes made with uni (sea urchin). You can enjoy the natural sweetness and ocean flavor of uni as it is, or paired with meat or rice, so you can try all kinds of uni dishes.

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Another feature is the wide selection of Japanese sake, including rare Japanese sake from around Japan. Since you can order in small amounts, it is also fun to compare a few different kinds.

For people who want to try many kinds of Japanese sake, the "Nomikurabe Plan" with 10 or more varieties is also recommended.

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FISHMAN KITCHEN is an izakaya (Japanese pub) about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Omiya Station, and it focuses on seafood dishes.

The space has a calm feel that also works for a meal with someone special. There is also counter seating, where you can enjoy eating and drinking while chatting with the owner.

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Multiple reviews say you can enjoy extremely fresh sashimi (raw fish slices) here. They list seasonal seafood on the menu, so why not check it out when you visit the restaurant?

The sashimi assortment is also popular for including lightly seared seafood, letting you enjoy comparing about five kinds with different flavors and textures.

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Seasonal vegetables and citrus fruits are sourced directly from production regions outside Saitama Prefecture as well. A dish of whole deep-fried sawagani (freshwater crabs), small crabs, is also popular.

The restaurant offers a Special selection of Japanese sake, shochu, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. A course with about seven dishes and All you can drink is also well received.

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This restaurant is on the 3rd floor of a building along Minami Ginza-dori, about a 2-minute walk from the East Exit of Omiya Station. It is an izakaya where you can enjoy Italian food centered on seafood.

The space is inspired by the Mediterranean coast. It also has tiled counter seats and stylish Private room seating.

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The signature menu item is the salmon rare katsu (lightly fried salmon cutlet). It is salmon coated in a thin batter and fried in oil. This dish is enjoyed with tartar sauce made by mashing boiled eggs yourself.

They also offer dishes with a crispy coating, such as shrimp and oysters, so you can enjoy both the colorful presentation and the great taste.

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They also have a good selection of craft beer and wine based cocktails. There are also low alcohol and non alcoholic fruit flavored drinks.

One reason for its popularity is the many menu items that are fun to look at too, including colorful drinks and beautifully plated dishes.

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Yakitori Kara-age Highball Omiya Ten is an izakaya on the second floor of the Omiya Rakuun Annex, a commercial building right in front of the east exit of Omiya Station, and it focuses on dishes made with Special selected chicken.

The space is bright like a cafe. On the first floor, there are counter seats where you can watch the grill area cooking yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), and on the second floor, there are table seats.

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They use Daisen-dori (Daisen chicken), raised in the rich natural surroundings of Tottori Prefecture. They cook only fresh chicken that was dressed that very morning.

Their yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) is skewered and grilled, then seasoned with either salt or tare sauce depending on the cut. It is well liked for its juicy finish.

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The Kara-age made by cutting the chicken into larger pieces, seasoning it, and deep-frying it in oil is also popular. The “Shiko no Shoyu Kara-age” is a rich and savory dish that makes the most of the soy sauce flavor.

They also offer a course with about 10 dishes and All you can drink, making it a good choice for group meals.

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Toro Masa Omiya Ten is an izakaya located about a 1-minute walk from the East Exit of Omiya Station, inside the covered shopping street called Ichibangai.

The interior is designed with a fishing boat theme, creating a casual and lively atmosphere. They also have fully private rooms and Semi-private room seating.

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They offer a great selection of very fresh seafood, with about 20 kinds including staples like tuna and salmon as well as seasonal fish.

The sashimi assortments, such as the "Tairyo-mori" and "Goshu-mori," let you fully enjoy plenty of seafood packed with flavor and shipped direct from the production regions.

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This place also puts a lot of care into its lemons. The otoshi (small appetizer) served first comes in a large lemon-shaped dish. They also offer more than 30 kinds of lemon sours, made with distilled spirits, lemon, and soda water.

You can enjoy everything from very tart lemon sours to smooth lemon sours made with honey or yogurt.

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KICHIRI Omiya WEST is on the 8th floor of a building in an easy-to-reach location, about a 1-minute walk from the west exit of Omiya Station. The restaurant features a space inspired by a designer apartment.

It has a stylish interior. They also offer terrace seating with a resort-like feel and spacious Japanese-modern Private rooms.

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What sets this place apart is that you can casually enjoy yoshoku (Japanese-style Western food) dishes, wine, and fruit cocktails in an izakaya-like atmosphere. You can order the food either as a course or a la carte.

The popular choices are roast beef and steaks where you can choose the grade of meat. They also serve dishes made with truffles and foie gras.

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The dessert menu is also extensive, and you can enjoy an assortment of cake and ice cream, as well as parfaits.

If you make a reservation for a special occasion, they also offer a service that adds a message to the dessert plate, making it good for a surprise too.

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Urashima is an izakaya (Japanese pub) located about a 10-minute walk from the west exit of Urawa Station, the gateway to Urawa, along Shiyakusho-dori Avenue.

Inside, there are lively counter seats and table seating where you can relax. It has a hideaway feel and seems like a comfortable place to spend time at a leisurely pace.

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The menu focuses on sashimi (raw fish slices) and grilled dishes made with fresh seafood delivered directly from Toyosu Shijo (Toyosu Market) in Tokyo.

The sashimi uses fish with the rich umami that comes from being in season. It is cut on the thick side, so diners say it is satisfying to eat and very good.

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The specialty here is robatayaki (charcoal-grilled seafood and vegetables), with fish, shrimp, vegetables, and more grilled over charcoal. The surface gets nice and fragrant from the charcoal, while the inside stays moist and juicy.

There were multiple reviews saying the place feels homey and the staff's service is pleasant.

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Wasabi Izakaya Anazo Urawa Ten is a Japanese-style pub centered on wasabi dishes, about a 5-minute walk from the west exit of Urawa Station, with many dishes served with wasabi (Japanese horseradish), a spicy condiment native to Japan.

Look for the green sign with a picture of wasabi on it. The first floor has counter seating, and the second floor also has table seating where you can relax.

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Wasabi grown in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, is shipped directly to Saitama. Fresh wasabi (Japanese horseradish) is known for its nice heat and aroma.

A signature dish is the “Kuroge Wagyu roast beef with freshly grated wasabi.” The fat of the roast beef softens the heat of the wasabi, making it easy to enjoy with a clean finish.

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In addition to the classic dishes that serve sashimi with wasabi (Japanese horseradish), they also offer gyoza and sausages made with wasabi. Alcoholic drinks with freshly grated wasabi mixed in are said to have a sharp, punchy heat.

You can also try grating the wasabi yourself with a special grater, and enjoy its spreading aroma.

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Waura Sakaba Honten is an izakaya located about a 4-minute walk from the west exit of Urawa Station, on the west side of Urawa Isetan. The shop mainly serves Japanese sake.

The interior has a calm wa-modern atmosphere, and it is said to have counter seats that are easy to use even when dining alone, as well as box seats with sofa seating.

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Among the wide range of Japanese sake, they stock more than 70 kinds with a focus on Junmaishu made using only rice, rice koji, and water.

A tasting set that lets you compare three kinds of Japanese sake with different flavors, aromas, and colors is also popular. It seems you may also come across some rare labels.

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The food menu mainly features flavors that pair well with Japanese sake. They also offer original dishes, including fresh sashimi sourced daily and combinations of fruit and cheese.

A popular menu item uses Matsusaka-gyu (Matsusaka beef), lightly grilled and enjoyed with ginger and green onion seasoning.

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Tsuriyado Sakaba Madzume Urawa Ten is an izakaya on the second floor of a building beside the bus rotary just outside the East Exit of Urawa Station, in a spot with excellent access.

The space has a casual Japanese style interior. Inside, there is a large fish tank, where they keep the fish alive until just before cooking. They also have Private rooms available for 2 people or more.

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When an order comes in, they take live fish from the fish tank and prepare it using a special method called shinkeijime (a Japanese nerve spiking technique), so you can enjoy sashimi with rich flavor and fewer off notes.

The selection of fish changes from day to day, but they bring them to Saitama alive from production regions all over Japan.

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They are also particular about their maguro (tuna), and the “Honki no Toro Tekka Maki” is a sushi roll packed with plenty of maguro. It gets good reviews for being rich and tasty.

For highballs, made by mixing distilled spirits with carbonated water or tea, they have a system called “Don-yasu.” People say the more you drink, the better the price gets.

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Hakata Itowokashi Kawagoe Ekimae Ten is an izakaya on the 4th floor of a building in the entertainment district, about a 1-minute walk from the East Exit of Kawagoe Station. Even while in Saitama, you can enjoy specialties from Hakata (a district of Fukuoka), Fukuoka Prefecture.

The atmosphere is chic and calm. They also have Private rooms for parties of 2 or more.

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One of the signature dishes is Hakata yasai-maki kushi (Hakata vegetable-wrapped skewers). It is made by wrapping vegetables such as lettuce and cherry tomatoes in thinly sliced pork, skewering them, and grilling them.

Because they are served on skewers, they are easy to eat even while drinking alcohol, and they are said to have a nice balance between the fresh juiciness of the vegetables and the fat of the meat.

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In Hakata style, you can enjoy motsu-nabe (offal Hot Pot) and choose either miso or soy sauce flavor. They simmer fresh beef innards, Horumon, and vegetables in the soup, so you can enjoy plenty of vegetables too.

It is also recommended to finish the soup with ramen after you have eaten all the ingredients.

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Yoshimura Kawagoe Ekimae Ten, a hideaway style izakaya, is in an easy to access location about a 1-minute walk from the East Exit of Kawagoe Station, and it has many Private room options and a calm atmosphere.

The Japanese modern space has a floor for large groups and Semi-private room seating. They also have fully private rooms with doors for extra privacy.

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The restaurant offers a wide range of menu items, including fish dishes made with fresh seafood and meat dishes made with cuts sourced from a contracted specialty butcher.

The signature dish is the “rea aji furai (rare fried horse mackerel).” They coat horse mackerel that is fresh enough to be served as sashimi in batter and deep-fry it, locking in the fish’s rich flavor beneath a crisp texture.

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Many of the dishes are seasoned to pair well with alcohol, and it is also recommended to enjoy them with Japanese sake from Saitama Prefecture.

For the final rice dish, the takikomi gohan (seasoned rice cooked with ingredients) made in a Clay Pot is popular, as is the “tai chazuke (Sea Bream ochazuke),” where Sea Bream sashimi is placed over rice and enjoyed with dashi poured over it.

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Amiyaki Irori to Donabe Koedo no Koshitsu Izakaya Iroridori Kawagoe Ekimae Ten is an izakaya located in the Crea Mall shopping street, about a 3-minute walk from the East Exit of Kawagoe Station.

It is on the second floor of a building, and the interior is centered on Private rooms and Semi-private rooms. There are also Private rooms for small groups.

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At the center of each table is an irori (sunken hearth) built with a bed of ash so you can grill over charcoal. One of the highlights is being able to grill the ingredients yourself over charcoal.

They are known for yakitori made with Special selected branded chickens from around Japan, as well as seasonal fish and shrimp grilled right in front of you, letting you enjoy the aromas and the sound of the charcoal starting to crackle.

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The rice cooked in a Clay Pot is also popular. Since they cook it together with rice, chicken, fish, and dashi, you can enjoy rice filled with rich umami.

They also have several popular menu items, including potato salad and tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) made with added dashi, and the drink menu is extensive.

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Kiyose Ryori Danpo is a restaurant about a 3-minute walk from the west exit of Kasukabe Station, where you can enjoy Japanese food made with ingredients unique to each season.

Step through the old folk house-style entrance and you will find an interior with traditional Japanese decor. The kitchen has a kamado (traditional cooking stove), and the counter seats are recommended for anyone who wants to watch the food being prepared.

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The "tennen sengyo moriawase (assortment of fresh wild-caught seafood)," sashimi carefully prepared from fresh seafood that changes daily, is said to stand out for both its beautiful presentation and great taste.

Centered on fish that are at their best in that season, you can enjoy many kinds of seafood. They also have a wide selection of Japanese sake, which pairs well with the fish.

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The specialty here is rice cooked in a kamado (traditional stove). They light charcoal in the kamado and cook rice from Saitama Prefecture in a large kama (iron pot).

Onigiri (rice balls) made with freshly cooked rice are also perfect to finish off a night of drinks. You can also enjoy simple, gleaming white rice called ginshari (white rice).

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Isomaru Suisan Kasukabe Nishiguchi Ten is an izakaya (Japanese pub) in an easy-to-reach location, about a 1-minute walk from the west exit of Kasukabe Station.

Inside, the space is decorated with big catch flags and lanterns that bring to mind a fishing town, and you can enjoy a seafood barbecue on the grill set at your table.

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Their specialty is hamayaki (grilled seafood), where you grill fresh seafood yourselves and enjoy it hot off the grill. They offer a set with scallops, squid, and shrimp, and you can also order crab, sazae (turban shell), and other items A la carte.

When you grill seafood fresh enough to eat as sashimi, it takes on a great aroma and extra savory flavor. Part of the fun is grilling it just the way you like.

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The menu centers on seafood dishes, and they also serve sashimi and sushi. Their popular aji fry (fried horse mackerel) features thick cuts of horse mackerel coated in batter and deep-fried.

They are open from daytime until late at night, and one of the highlights is that you can drink even from the daytime. At lunchtime, you can also have seafood Rice bowls and set meals centered on fish dishes.

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Sake to Meshi Aoi is an izakaya (Japanese pub) about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Koshigaya Station, where you can enjoy creative Japanese cuisine and alcoholic drinks.

The interior is said to be a bright, modern space centered on white tones. It has an atmosphere that makes it easy to stop by even on your own, and if the tables are joined together, it can also accommodate groups.

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This place is perfect for Japanese sake lovers, almost like a Japanese sake bar. They also carry popular Japanese sake labels from around Japan that can be hard to find.

They take great care with how they store their Japanese sake, so you can enjoy it in a fresh, just-opened state anytime. If you ask the staff, they will also tell you their recommendations.

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You can enjoy dishes made with fresh vegetables sourced from contract farmers in Saitama Prefecture and fruit shipped directly from production regions outside the prefecture.

Their specialty is a dish of freshly fried horse mackerel. Besides Japanese sake, they also offer wine and other drinks, and they also seem to have a good lineup of dishes that pair well with alcohol.

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Torihira is a yakitori restaurant in Soka, on the southeastern side of Saitama Prefecture next to Adachi City in Tokyo, near Dokkyo University.

This locally loved spot is said to have counter seats where you can watch the yakitori being grilled, as well as zashiki (Japanese tatami seating) where you can take off your shoes and relax.

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The main menu features yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) made with a local chicken called Benifuji from Ibaraki Prefecture. The yakitori comes in many different cuts, and people say every skewer is grilled to a fragrant finish.

The sasami (chicken tenderloin) also comes in variations such as a spicy mentaiko (pollock roe) flavor and a wasabi flavor with a sharp kick.

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Besides yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), they offer a wide range of dishes that go well with alcohol. The sashimi made with the day's recommended fresh fish is also well liked.

They also have meal options such as kamameshi (rice cooked in an iron pot), made by cooking chicken or seafood together with rice. You can also add All you can drink and have a Banquet.

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Hamayaki Kaisen Izakaya Daisho Suisan Asakadai Minamiguchi Ten is an izakaya near Asakadai Station that focuses on seafood dishes.

The interior recreates a banya (fishermen's work hut), the kind of base fishermen use while working, making it just right for casual drinks in a lively atmosphere.

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Inside, there is a fish tank, so the fish and shellfish are exceptionally fresh. They also offer a full menu of dishes prepared after the ingredients are taken straight from the fish tank once you order.

The popular item here is hamayaki (seaside-style grilling), which you grill yourselves on a tabletop stove. It seems part of the fun is grilling as you enjoy the aromas of shellfish, fish, and kani miso (crab innards paste).

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Because they stock fresh shellfish, you can also enjoy kaisashi (shellfish sashimi). They also serve premium shellfish such as abalone.

The alcohol menu is extensive as well. Since they are open from lunchtime, you can also stop by for drinks while having lunch.

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"Sakaba Watanabe" is an izakaya located about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Kawaguchi Station.

It is in the basement of a building and seems to have a hideaway-like atmosphere. You can enjoy creative dishes that blend elements of Japanese cuisine and French cuisine, along with Japanese sake, wine, and more.

They have a wide selection of Japanese sake and wine. For Japanese sake, they also seem to have recommended menus for each way of drinking it: at room temperature, chilled, or warmed.

For wine, they stock bottles Special selected by the staff sommelier and wine suppliers, and you may even come across some rare wines.

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It seems many people order the course menu, and they will also accommodate requests for specific dishes. If you book in advance, they can avoid ingredients you do not like.

They also serve Japanese dishes made with foie gras and truffles, and there were several reviews saying that every dish was delicious and made them want to come back for more.