yakuni

Amazing hidden gem! The owner has two other speakeasy’s in the city and this one is just as good! The interior is beautifully decorated, the music (jazz vinyls) is immaculate, and the drinks!! The curation of specialty sake and plum wine is not easy to find outside of fancy Japanese restaurants. Definitely worth a trip to midtown just to experience the bar. Feels like you’re brought to a pocket of Tokyo where locals drink. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great cocktails and phenomenal spicy sausage! Oh and some really good sake too.. service was a bit slow - felt bad for the lone bartender trying to serve up all the drinks to the packed house. Anyhoo, definitely recommend the place.. chill vibes and good drinks.

A hidden gem tucked away in the heart of the big apple. It has an exclusive, almost secret vibe that makes it feel truly special. The space is just the right size cozy and comfortable and it’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger at for hours. The location is underground and a bit tricky to find, but that only adds to the charm and makes discovering it even more rewarding. Since it’s newly opened, it’s currently only open on weekends with limited hours, so be sure to check in advance!

This intimate midtown bar brought me back to my first visit to Tokyo in 1991. The staff is friendly, the sake and creative cocktails are superb, and the old-school jazz on a retro record player sets the mood. The bar man is generous with ideas and information. The bar is below sidewalk level which adds to its speakeasy appeal. I had the most delicious cocktails there. Excellent escape from midtown grime and noise.

Came during the soft opening and was attended to by Masa. Great service from Masa despite pulling full service by myself and a constant full bar. Looking forward to the official opening and the team he will bring in. Drinks were great and the alcohol was masked very well. Some may feel they want their alcohol hitting at the first sip, but I prefer it this way over the "dry taste" after having one or multiple cocktails. Favorites were Oolong Punch and Owner's Lemon Sour. It is possible the speaker was set low. When I was there, the crowd was louder than the music but given the loudness you can still have a conversation within your own space. I would like to hear the music playing as it is on vinyls and record player. Reservation may be required in the future. There were many walk-in's but since it was a one man team during the soft opening, there was no one checking reservations. First come, first serve seating at the moment. Seating may be reduced in the future as well. There was not enough space between seats to slide your legs in comfortably.

Tucked away like a well-kept secret, this bar radiates a cozy yet electric hipster charm. The atmosphere strikes a perfect balance—lively enough to keep you energized, yet intimate enough for meaningful conversation. The music curation is spot-on, blending eclectic beats with soulful classics that elevate the entire vibe without overpowering it. What truly sets this place apart is the crowd—genuinely friendly, effortlessly cool, and always down for a good chat. It’s one of those hidden gems you almost don’t want to share, but can’t help raving about. A true go-to for late-night talks and low-key nights that still feel special.

Great drinks and amazing atmosphere! I recommend the Yuzu Highball cocktail but the sake selection is extensive. The owner and bartenders are all incredibly friendly and welcoming.

Located just across from Tomi Jazz, Yakuni is a hidden gem—an ideal Japanese speakeasy for skipping the crowds and enjoying a relaxed night with friends or a low-key date. Great selection of sake and cocktails, plus a very cool and chill bartender/owner who adds to the vibe!

A moody, underground vibe meets a killer music selection, flickering candlelight, and thoughtful service. The curated sake lineup is a joy to browse--even before the first sip. Perfect for spending a fun, laid-back evening with friends.

wonderful new sake bar with super unique ambience and an amazing selection of sake plus cocktail. Service is impeccable!

Got here when it basically opened, glad I did because this is one of the more new and hype places in NY. AMBIANCE: Parking: You're in Midtown.... good luck. You're not too far away from the E and M subway. Seating: Bar seating, maybe for 12 people total. Vibes: Welcome to Midtown East! A mix of a residential urban neighborhood with a calmer feel of the city. The spot itself is pretty hidden, you do head down a half stairs then open up a door to a dimmed bar. Nothing too flashy, simple lit, great hi fi blues music, Japanese art and a wall of alcohol. Nothing too fancy, so need to dress up if you can't. Great place to wine down, enjoy a drink, and listen to some good music. FOOD: MaCHET Baker (Recommend) Heavenly! Smooth, earthy, nutty, and relaxing. Sweet/Umami - Junmai Sake, matcha, earthy genmaicha, oatmilk, and genmai rice. The icing on the cake is that Chet Baker was playing in the background. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! Friendly and a great delivery that contributed to the aura/presentation of the drink TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5. Awesome! Good selections, wonderful drinks, and pleasant vibes. It felt like a sharp contrast from experiencing the hustle and bustle of New York, to something calm and relaxing. I've had a lot of matcha drinks in my life, this is certainly a memorable one! TIPS: * Come early for a calm enjoyment. This place can get packed!

Super slow service, bartender is taking long time, lots of ingredients were gone, no host, small space. I get that they are trying to replicate the vibe of a Tokyo small bar, but the lack of communication, unfriendliness, and the bartender taking his sweet time doing stuff really killed everything. The drinks themselves are decent, less alcohol, more on the creamy/fruit side. There are bunch of sakes you can sort of just point at and order, but I just can't stand the bartender making drinks at the pace of 10 min per...it seems like artificially building up a crowd of disgruntled people.

super excited to have come to this place on its date of soft opening. the bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable about the drinks. it was cool just to watch them create these various drinks. this place is unassuming on the exterior, a few people from the street had even followed my group as they saw us all going down these stairs that seemed to lead to a laundromat and were confused where we were all going, only to be pleasantly surprised by where they ended up. the interior is super vibey and cool, a quaint little spot very dimly lit with cool decor including a record player. the ma-chet baker drink was delicious, and came in a beautiful little matcha bowl. the bartender garnished the drink with a brown rice flaky topping called genmaicha that provided an interesting textural and flavor aspect. the peach oolong punch was DELICIOUS, it tasted almost just like a lovely peach tea, you could barely taste the liquor (dangerous lol). on a friday night around 8pm, this place was poppin, it was a good thing we made a reservation in advance i'm happy we came and wish success for this place, which i'm sure will come very easily!

Really enjoyed our time here. We made a reservation and thoroughly enjoyed the cocktails. It really did remind me of a speakeasy in Tokyo. The sake tasting was excellent and the bartender went through a thorough explanation. 5 stars!!