Izakaya Issa

Hands down best izakaya (heck, best overall restaurant) in the whole Liberdade neighborhood. And I don't mean this lightly. There's beauty in simplicity and this restaurant proves it. Every dish we ordered packed a unique punch which left us speechless, and are well worth the price. The Karaage was perfect. Not greasy at all, very crunchy and juicy, the ginger didn't steal the show nor was it absent from the flavour. It just made the chicken shine even more. Tyampon (which I had) had a really rich and complex flavour, I had to contemplate life with each bite because it was just that good. The service was also great, everybody was really friendly and answered all of our questions with patience. Depending on how big your group is and what time you arrive, you may have to wait in line for a bit before you enter. You have the option to either sit at a table or at the counter. I suggest the counter since it's easier to order and you can chat with the lovely people that work there (plus, if you sit at the right end you will always be smelling the wonderful foods from the kitchen nearby). All in all, you can't go wrong here, I'm sure you won't regret it!

It's a pretty chill place once your inside, and staff look after you. I would say that the line outside and waiting for a table can be long and also gets messy. Make sure when the owner, who is super kind, comes out and asks for your name, pay attention. Someone can take your place. Other than that, it's a good izakaya! Arrigato.

I rarely give good reviews. But as I sit here now, a simple American in liberdade, I must say this is the most authentic experience I’ve had in Sampa to date. Phenomenal Japanese fried chicken, curry, and tamago. Great vibes, lots of Japanese whiskeys. Highly recommend if you need a break from Itaim for something more authentico.

Terrible service. I do not speak Portuguese so my partner who is Brazilian relayed a question I have about a dish I was going to order. The couple in front of us, whom we shared a table with, had already had their order taken and pretty much finished with their meal, while we struggled because the (we assume the hostess, she is of older age and has different uniform than the rest of the staff) kept leaving us mid-order or hurried us, or told us that a specific dish is "just a drink", suggesting us to order something else (it's an ochazuke). It took us 3 attempts for her to successfully place an order for us since she kept abandoning us, and we were even helped by the couple in front of us to place an order for the drinks because the old lady kept leaving before we even finished talking. It was terrible. Food finally came, we asked for something to be taken out of my partner's dish and they failed to deliver that request. When brought to another staff's attention, she sighed of the thought that the food has to be remade, and my partner hesitantly said that it's okay there is no need to remade it. We had lost our appetite and the last dish never came, we finished what we could eat and just left. They insisted we take the last dish with us on our way out and we refused, one of the kitchen staff chimed in and said "that food is cold anyway". That just means our last dish has been sitting out cold and was never delivered to us. We came here to check it out due to the high amount of positive reviews but honestly, I don't think they care about respecting customers, especially if you do not speak Portuguese. Take your business elsewhere, the food is not that good either for all the trouble we went through.

My partner and I spent a fantastic evening here. We felt like being back in Japan. Great food in an unpretentious and very welcoming atmosphere. We would love to return!

Amazing food and lovely people! The sautéed mushrooms were absolutely divine (a must have!)

DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT Their treatment of customers is absurd and disrespectful. We arrived as a couple. A third friend joined shortly after. They refused to let us take a table, saying they would only accept us as a group of five. The doorman was totally disrespectful, bordering on aggressive. There are plenty of better eating options in the neighborhood.

Walked in at 7pm and sat at the bar with two people. Great customer service and one person spoke English and they had an English menu. Would recommend the Takoyaki and thinly sliced pork! The gyoza had a good unique texture that was different from the states. The Pork Ribs presentation caught us off guard but the broth was amazing!

An Izakaya is first and foremost a neighborhood bar that serves drinks and bar food. This place did a great job making me feel welcome, offering me a menu in English as we greeted. There were certainly plenty of Japanese speaking customers mixed in with Portuguese. And I, the odd tourist, felt right at home. The bamboo shoot and shitake mushroom appetizers were delectable. The chicken broth ramen was insipid. The Gyukatsu Kare (breaded fried beef with curry sauce over rice) was better, but not the ultra crispy panko planks I've had in some places. Maybe it was because I ordered it at the end of the night. The Brazilian brewed cold sake was really good. Could hardly tell the difference from Japanese sake. But, the highlight of the dinner of Sanma Shio--grilled pike mackerel with sea salt. Inexpensive for Sanma, uber fresh, grilled crispy so that you could crunch up the head and tail! The service was prompt, efficient and very warm. Even the owner came by to chat several times. Arigato gozaimasu! Obrigado! Thank you.

It's not bad... We went here at night and to be totally honest we didn't feel that great about the relative safety of the neighborhood we were in. It felt a bit sketchy. Something to keep in mind if you're considering going here and you're a visitor. Other than that, the food is pretty standard izakaya fare- not that much of a Brazilian influence from what we could tell. And we're very familiar with the genre (tons of these in the NYC) so we knew what to expect. The food is pretty tasty and the service was pretty good. The restaurant kinda feels like you walked into someone's kitchen which is pretty interesting. But overall we've actually had much better Japanese food. So there's that. But not a bad option if you're looking for something completely different in São Paulo.

I was told the best Japanese food could be found in Liberdade and this was a great place to get it. Very local, friendly joint with authentic food, drinks and tatami mats. I felt like I was transported back to Tokyo and getting a beer with my friends. Several older businessmen in the back were speaking on Japanese and the sights and smells were all reminiscent of Japan. Had to start off with a highball to get rehydrated and ordered a variety of small dishes including agedashi (this is my litmus test for Japanese restaurants-if they can do this well, the rest of the food is usually very good). It came out hot, slightly crispy with plenty of gingery broth and a covering of chopping green onions. It also came with a piece of roasted eggplant in the broth which was a surprise since we also ordered nasu (eggplant). Okonomiyaki was excellent with a variety of seafood and toppings, just as filling as we hoped. She even made sure we weren't allergic to seafood before we ordered it. I wish I knew there was a yelp bottle we could have had a free shot from! Maybe next time we make it back out here.

Everybody knows that Sao Paulo is the best city to eat great Japanese food outside Japan. I always had great experiences eating at Izakaya Issa, one of the best Japanese food I have already had (different from te sushi-sashimi we are use to). I have never been in Japan, but I heard that Izakaya Issa is very authentic and traditional. The ladies working there are always very friendly, and Dona Margarida Haraguchi, the owner, is so sweet and conversationist! The star dishes from the place is the octopus balls (really creamy and well-flavored) and the ramen!

I think we need to bring some balance in the ratings. Environment ...weird, food: average to simply ok. Nothing exceptional. It can't be the highest rated place in the area! All the next days I had exceptional food in São Paolo. I was misled by the ratings. Of course it was extremely cheap so at least it was a low cost experiment

We had a lovely time at this delightful restaurant. It is small but very cozy. There is bar seating for approx 10-12 people. There four booths that are set low. You remove your shoes and sit comfortably. The meal was delicious. The best part for us was that they had American menus and the waitress spoke English.

Izakaya Issa was decent. The prices were relatively high, and I would say the value for money isn't exactly the best here. Still, the ladies that work there were extremely nice and helpful. The atmosphere was also very authentic Japanese, but I wouldn't say it's the same for the food I've had. It's not not up there on the list of places I'd recommend, but it's a decent place for a late night bite if you're ever in that situation.

Nice, small restaurant. If you are looking for sushi, this is not the place. They specialize in traditional cooked Japanese food. A very unassuming exterior (kind of hard to find), but delicious food, and a very friendly staff. Definitely worth a stop.

Everytime I take someone new to Izakaya Issa, I usually hear: "there's something special about this place". And there is - this small japanese bar (aka. Izakaya) is not trying to be the hip place of the moment, so it feels home -- well, your japanese home. Izayakas are built around drinks and snacks, so keep up the style and ask yourself a bottle - even if it's only beer - and the day starters, usually a four-type-combo that change daily. They're small and individual, so take your time and do not rush! Afterwards, go for an Okonomiyaki, the japanese pizza, and enjoy the bonito flakes moving over it, looking like they're alive. Still hungry? Some Takoyaki will do it. Izakaya Issa accepts credit cards, and you'll probably need to arrive early. Other than that, enjoy your travel to Japan!

A really really small Japanese restaurant in Liberdade. It has the feel of an old traditional bar in Tokyo with plenty of Sake on the walls and the 'grandma' behind making the meals. Lots of small snacks on other as well other main dishes such as lamen and noodles. The food is freshly prepared in the traditional Japanese way and I would have to say the best lamen I have had in Sao Paulo so far. The meat with nice and tender while the egg was soft boiled and runny. The other options are also very tasty but I'll be back for the lamen.