Izakaya Guide: Seating Fees, Ordering Rhythm, and Dining Etiquette
Izakaya types, otoshi seating fees, drink-first ordering, two-hour all-you-can-drink math, private rooms, smoking rules, and payment phrases.
An izakaya is the default adult group-meal format in Japan, but it does not work like a Western bar. The bill can include otoshi, drinks often come before food, and all-you-can-drink only makes sense after a quick calculation.
Shop types and budget
Large chains such as Torikizoku, Watami, Shirokiya, Hananomai, and Tsukada Nojo are the safest first stop. They often have 50 to 200 seats, picture menus, clear prices, and a budget around ¥2,500 to ¥3,500 per person. Torikizoku is known for mostly uniform ¥390 pricing (raised from ¥360 in May 2025).
Independent izakaya usually cost around ¥3,500 to ¥6,000 per person. Menus can be handwritten in Japanese, otoshi can be ¥500 to ¥800, and the sake or shochu list is often better.
Kakuuchi is a standing-drink format attached to a liquor shop. Draft beer can be ¥300 to ¥450, a glass of sake ¥350 to ¥500, snacks ¥100 to ¥300, and the whole visit can end at ¥1,000 to ¥2,000. Shinbashi, Kanda, Kita-Senju, and Ueno have many old-school examples.
Otoshi and first drink
After sitting down, the staff usually asks お飲み物は？ before food. A small dish called お通し arrives before or around the first drink. It is not free. It works like a seat charge, usually around ¥300 to ¥500 per person.
Refusing otoshi is possible in some casual shops but not guaranteed. Allergy, religious restriction, or a course plan should be mentioned at reservation. If the menu or course says お通し代込み, the fee is already included.
The normal opening is とりあえず生で, meaning “draft beer first.” Draft beer is around ¥500 to ¥600 in many shops and ¥350 to ¥450 at cheaper chains. Highballs and sours are often ¥400 to ¥500.
Ordering rhythm
Order in waves instead of ordering everything at once. First are drinks. Second are light starters: edamame ¥300 to ¥400, cold tofu ¥350 to ¥450, sashimi assortment ¥800 to ¥1,500, and karaage ¥500 to ¥700.
After the first round, order main dishes and another drink. Yakitori can be ¥150 to ¥250 per skewer or ¥800 to ¥1,200 for a set of 5. Grilled fish can be ¥800 to ¥1,200, kushikatsu ¥150 to ¥200, and agedashi tofu ¥500 to ¥650.
The last order is shime, a closing carbohydrate. Ochazuke is around ¥500 to ¥700, onigiri ¥250 to ¥400, zosui ¥600 to ¥800, and egg-over-rice ¥350 to ¥500.
All-you-can-drink math
飲み放題 usually means a 2-hour drink plan. In central Tokyo, ¥2,500 to ¥3,200 is common; regional cities can be around ¥2,300 to ¥2,800, and premium plans with sake or whisky can reach ¥3,500 to ¥4,500.
If beer is ¥500 to ¥600, the plan breaks even at 4 to 5 beers. If highballs or sours are ¥400 to ¥500, it takes 6 to 7 glasses. Many adults drink 4 to 6 glasses in 2 hours, so light drinkers often save money by ordering separately.
Last order, L.O., is commonly 30 minutes before the end. Some plans exclude premium beer, junmai sake, or better whisky, and 食べ放題 is usually priced separately.
Rooms, smoking, and payment
Private rooms, 個室, are common in chain shops for groups of 3 or more, sometimes with a room charge around ¥0 to ¥500. 掘りごたつ and complete private rooms need earlier booking at popular shops.
Since the April 2020 Health Promotion Act changes, indoor smoking is restricted in many restaurants. Staff may ask whether non-smoking seating is fine. Some shops still have heated-tobacco rooms or smoking areas.
Useful phrases are すみません to call staff, お会計お願いします for the bill, 個別会計お願いします for separate checks, and クレジット使えますか？ for card payment. Small independent shops can still be cash-only, so carrying ¥4,000 to ¥8,000 per person is safer.
Source: MHLW: Passive smoking measures, Torikizoku menu.
Useful terms
- お通し: small starter and seat charge
- 飲み放題: all-you-can-drink plan
- 個室: private room
- L.O.: last order
- お会計: bill payment