Great vibe, great food. Sat at the bar. Asked for a dry sake and kinda got a sweet one instead. Not horrible but not great. Food was delicious though! Esp the tuna and the salad. Fried chicken thighs were also good but could have been crispier. Service at the bar was a little slow. Would still recommend for a nice dinner
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
sebastien marrow
great food, great drinks, great ambience. haven't been to this place since before the COVID lockdown and wanted to take my recently divorced friend here as a special birthday treat. who doesn't love a hidden restaurant behind a nondescript door, it's exciting and exactly the type of thrill I wanted to give my friend.unfortunately, and I say this as a hospitality professional of 10+ years, it was the worst service I have ever experienced in my life and I most likely will not be back. the server spent her entire time at the pass giggling with the bartender + chef. and yet somehow also wasn't there to take the orders they put up for service in any type of reasonable timeframe, to the point where the bartender + chef were taking orders to tables themselves. she didn't clear a single item from tables and it all fell upon the busser who I doubt was tipped out appropriately given the extent of the work he was doing.my partner owns a restaurant nearby that's been operational for about a decade now and we were just absolutely flabbergasted, she said it was the only time she's had to put her hand up to get any sort of attention from a server (this was after a wait time of 20+ minutes to put in our second drink order). we saw this to be the case for other tables as well, no checking in, and empty glasses accompanied by blank stares waiting for an interaction from the server. we never tip less than 20% and we tipped 10% and may or may not have slid the busser some cash, that's how bad it was. we also saw this particular server take the wrong food to a table and realize it after the fact only to take it back to the pass and then take the exact same dish to the correct table. gross.the food and cocktails were great. if I had to nitpick I'd say the karaage was a bit soggy for what that dish is supposed to be. but for the price point, service shouldn't fall by the wayside. disappointing to say the least.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Steak for Two, Miso Clams, Karaage
Julia Moore
I was very impressed with this place. The vibe is lively and cozy, the food is great (we ordered the pickled plate, karagge chicken, raw scallops, shishito peppers, veggie curry, and matcha cake flambe), and the service was excellent. Our waiter --I'm sorry, I don't remember your name! Curly hair and circular glasses -- was so good at accurately describing everything on the menu. He did not lead me astray once. Oh and the cocktails! My god. So original and delicious. If you're a fan of complex, original cocktails, go here. Highly recommend this place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Benjamin
This place is ? Secret entrance, Mighty Mighty cocktail, all the food, aesthetic,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Asif Ali
Excellent customer service! The Hamachi was my favorite and the potatoes are pretty good too, I’d just ask for extra seasoning. The karaage was okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kasra Vkln
Good food in a nice speakeasy restaurant. Tried the peppers and fried chicken with cloudy sake. They were all pretty good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonkatsu, Karaage
Selina Ang
Karaage, Nasu Age, Kamo Soba, and Ikura Don were fantastic, along with elevated cocktails.
Thomas Southworth
I hope you see this and book it (run). What matters the most is Karasu’s longevity as “the” beautiful neighborhood restaurant that it is. Karasu has always treated me with nothing less than stellar service and food, accompanied by rotating menus and meaningful friendliness. Thank
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jina P.
This speakeasy restaurant is hidden at the end of the hallway at Walter's so it can be difficult to find. The space is somewhat small but the ambience is quite nice and feels like a good date spot. In terms of service, everyone was nice but the food did take some time to come out. The oysters and the katsu sandwich on the happy hour menu were great and reasonably priced. That said, I was highly disappointed with the Ikura Don dish. It was mostly rice with a drizzle of soy sauce and very few pieces of raw salmon. It felt a bit salty at times and was honestly way too overpriced for what it was. The karaage was tasty but again felt overpriced for the portion. Overall, the food and atmosphere were great but I don't think I would return for the food. It just didn't feel worth it for the high price point. That said, I may return for the happy hour menu and drinks.
We had reservations and were promptly seated. I read reviews prior to booking this restaurant so maybe I had high hopes but I thought the service was really lacking. There were 4 open tables and this is a tiny restaurant so it definitely wasn't slammed. Lots of times our drinks were empty. The server completely forgot about one of our dishes. We gave her two cards to charge the bill and she charged only .02 cents to one bill and all of it to the other, why wouldn't she charged it 50/50? As we were closing our bill she let us know we basically needed to leave because there was another reservation. I would say my 3 stars is mostly because of the cocktails, not the food and definitely not the service.
la. nskey
Finally made it here after being on my “want to go list” for years and it did not disappoint. The cocktails were delicious.Their take on the margarita with lychee and Black Sea salt was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Richard Lewis
Awesome authentic Japanese gastro pub hidden just like in Japan. Also, may be the most authentic whiskey, highball since I was in Kyoto and Tokyo. The machine is from Centauri and creates the perfect carbonated soda for the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonkatsu
Nicole S.
Meh, nothing too special. Would I come back? Probably not, but the ambience is nice and the whole speakeasy thing is cool....maybe for drinks.My friend and I split the udon and the steak; the udon was vegetarian and kinda reminded me of pizza without tasting like pizza. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. The steak was also just ok, which was disappointing. I've had $100 steak before, and this one just wasn't worth the price tag. I don't mind blowing money on food, but I didn't love anything I ate that night.I will say though, the service was good and they were really polite when my friend and I were running late. We appreciated that they called us asking how late we'd be rather than cancelling + charging the cancellation fee.
Amie X.
fun speakeasy bar in the back of Walter's. we got the Always Sunny and the Sabrosa - both drinks were strong and the bartender was extremely nice. the ambiance made it a great spot for an intimate date. there was great decor as well!
Damn… that was top tier.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great vibe, great food. Sat at the bar. Asked for a dry sake and kinda got a sweet one instead. Not horrible but not great. Food was delicious though! Esp the tuna and the salad. Fried chicken thighs were also good but could have been crispier. Service at the bar was a little slow. Would still recommend for a nice dinner
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
great food, great drinks, great ambience. haven't been to this place since before the COVID lockdown and wanted to take my recently divorced friend here as a special birthday treat. who doesn't love a hidden restaurant behind a nondescript door, it's exciting and exactly the type of thrill I wanted to give my friend.unfortunately, and I say this as a hospitality professional of 10+ years, it was the worst service I have ever experienced in my life and I most likely will not be back. the server spent her entire time at the pass giggling with the bartender + chef. and yet somehow also wasn't there to take the orders they put up for service in any type of reasonable timeframe, to the point where the bartender + chef were taking orders to tables themselves. she didn't clear a single item from tables and it all fell upon the busser who I doubt was tipped out appropriately given the extent of the work he was doing.my partner owns a restaurant nearby that's been operational for about a decade now and we were just absolutely flabbergasted, she said it was the only time she's had to put her hand up to get any sort of attention from a server (this was after a wait time of 20+ minutes to put in our second drink order). we saw this to be the case for other tables as well, no checking in, and empty glasses accompanied by blank stares waiting for an interaction from the server. we never tip less than 20% and we tipped 10% and may or may not have slid the busser some cash, that's how bad it was. we also saw this particular server take the wrong food to a table and realize it after the fact only to take it back to the pass and then take the exact same dish to the correct table. gross.the food and cocktails were great. if I had to nitpick I'd say the karaage was a bit soggy for what that dish is supposed to be. but for the price point, service shouldn't fall by the wayside. disappointing to say the least.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Steak for Two, Miso Clams, Karaage
I was very impressed with this place. The vibe is lively and cozy, the food is great (we ordered the pickled plate, karagge chicken, raw scallops, shishito peppers, veggie curry, and matcha cake flambe), and the service was excellent. Our waiter --I'm sorry, I don't remember your name! Curly hair and circular glasses -- was so good at accurately describing everything on the menu. He did not lead me astray once. Oh and the cocktails! My god. So original and delicious. If you're a fan of complex, original cocktails, go here. Highly recommend this place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is ? Secret entrance, Mighty Mighty cocktail, all the food, aesthetic,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent customer service! The Hamachi was my favorite and the potatoes are pretty good too, I’d just ask for extra seasoning. The karaage was okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food in a nice speakeasy restaurant. Tried the peppers and fried chicken with cloudy sake. They were all pretty good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonkatsu, Karaage
Karaage, Nasu Age, Kamo Soba, and Ikura Don were fantastic, along with elevated cocktails.
I hope you see this and book it (run). What matters the most is Karasu’s longevity as “the” beautiful neighborhood restaurant that it is. Karasu has always treated me with nothing less than stellar service and food, accompanied by rotating menus and meaningful friendliness. Thank
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This speakeasy restaurant is hidden at the end of the hallway at Walter's so it can be difficult to find. The space is somewhat small but the ambience is quite nice and feels like a good date spot. In terms of service, everyone was nice but the food did take some time to come out. The oysters and the katsu sandwich on the happy hour menu were great and reasonably priced. That said, I was highly disappointed with the Ikura Don dish. It was mostly rice with a drizzle of soy sauce and very few pieces of raw salmon. It felt a bit salty at times and was honestly way too overpriced for what it was. The karaage was tasty but again felt overpriced for the portion. Overall, the food and atmosphere were great but I don't think I would return for the food. It just didn't feel worth it for the high price point. That said, I may return for the happy hour menu and drinks.
Restaurantji Recommends
We had reservations and were promptly seated. I read reviews prior to booking this restaurant so maybe I had high hopes but I thought the service was really lacking. There were 4 open tables and this is a tiny restaurant so it definitely wasn't slammed. Lots of times our drinks were empty. The server completely forgot about one of our dishes. We gave her two cards to charge the bill and she charged only .02 cents to one bill and all of it to the other, why wouldn't she charged it 50/50? As we were closing our bill she let us know we basically needed to leave because there was another reservation. I would say my 3 stars is mostly because of the cocktails, not the food and definitely not the service.
Finally made it here after being on my “want to go list” for years and it did not disappoint. The cocktails were delicious.Their take on the margarita with lychee and Black Sea salt was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Awesome authentic Japanese gastro pub hidden just like in Japan. Also, may be the most authentic whiskey, highball since I was in Kyoto and Tokyo. The machine is from Centauri and creates the perfect carbonated soda for the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tonkatsu
Meh, nothing too special. Would I come back? Probably not, but the ambience is nice and the whole speakeasy thing is cool....maybe for drinks.My friend and I split the udon and the steak; the udon was vegetarian and kinda reminded me of pizza without tasting like pizza. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. The steak was also just ok, which was disappointing. I've had $100 steak before, and this one just wasn't worth the price tag. I don't mind blowing money on food, but I didn't love anything I ate that night.I will say though, the service was good and they were really polite when my friend and I were running late. We appreciated that they called us asking how late we'd be rather than cancelling + charging the cancellation fee.
fun speakeasy bar in the back of Walter's. we got the Always Sunny and the Sabrosa - both drinks were strong and the bartender was extremely nice. the ambiance made it a great spot for an intimate date. there was great decor as well!