BAR GOTO

"The Lower East Side is full of bars perfect for people who either want to forget that they just graduated or drink until they forget that they’ve been out of school for eight years. Bar Goto is not one of those bars. This is a tiny, beautifully-designed, relatively quiet Japanese spot where real, live Adults can congregate over fancy drinks and small plates (the wings are top-tier)." - katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg

"We’ve ended up at Bar Goto multiple times while waiting for tables elsewhere on the Lower East Side. And every time we do that, we remember that this Japanese cocktail bar has great cocktails, and satisfyingly sticky miso chicken wings. The next time you need a drink before going elsewhere, come here, order a Bar Goto martini with pickled green tomato, those chicken wings, and okonomiyaki. And then maybe just skip out on your original dinner plan." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah

"Kenta Goto opened this Lower East Side izakaya after years of bartending at the trailblazing Pegu Club, which closed in 2020. The veteran bartender serves a list of eye-opening cocktails highlighting Japanese flavors and spanning all tastes; they start at around $17. Bar snacks, like the chicken wings and okonomiyaki, are great, too." - Eater Staff

"This Lower East Side izakaya is best known for its cocktails — Pegu Club vet Kenta Goto opened the place — but it also serves one of New York’s best bar food menus. The miso chicken wings are drenched in thick miso and studded with black sesame seeds and scallions. The result is crispy, spicy, and dreamy. The wings are also on the menu at Bar Goto’s Brooklyn outpost, Bar Goto Niban." - Eater Staff

"Encompassing just 600 square feet, Bar Goto replicates the feeling of drinking in a tiny Japanese pub, of which there are millions spread through the country. Somehow owner Kenta Goto fit 40 seats into that diminutive space, decorated with warm wood, and here the Pegu Club alum serves a short list of cocktails made with Japanese ingredients (think dashi and sakura blossoms) that reflect his time in both New York and Tokyo. To soak up the booze, there are top-notch bar snacks like okonomiyaki and ume (plum) vinegar octopus." - Kat Odell