Izakaya Toribar

"This dark, smallish basement restaurant in Midtown East feels more like a sake den in the East Village, and it’s open until at least 1am every night (and 3am on the weekends). You can get small plates like chicken karaage and gyoza, but the main reason to come here is the yakitori. Most of it costs around $4, and you can specify how you want each skewer seasoned (with salt or tare). Our favorites are the straightforward chicken thigh with scallions, and the roe-filled smelt, but save some room for the scallop and quail egg kushikatsu." - willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim

"Izakaya Toribar offers a range of traditionally grilled yakitori and golden fried skewers. Its kushikatsu menu includes lotus root, shrimp, and quail eggs, each with crispy breading. Toribar also does wondrous things with  pork belly, using it to wrap asparagus, enoki, and cubes of mochi, delivering a medley of textures in each respective skewer. Catch the action through the window that peers out onto the grill." - Caroline Shin

"Midtown East has no shortage of excellent izakayas, and Toribar, with its big smoky grill and basement sake den setting, is one of our favorites. It’s especially great if you like to customize your skewers, because you can choose between salt or tare on every bite. Get some chicken thigh with scallions, and smelt stuffed with fish roe, then move on to juicy chicken karaage and teppanyaki to soak up your choice of Japanese draft beer or sake." - will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore

"When you step into this dark, smallish basement restaurant in Midtown East, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a sake den in the East Village. You can specify how you want each skewer seasoned (with salt or tare), which you can’t do at most yakitori places. Our favorites are the straightforward chicken thigh with scallions and the roe-filled smelt, and be sure to save room for the deep-fried scallop and quail egg kushikatsu." - team infatuation

"When you step into this dark, smallish basement restaurant in Midtown East, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a sake den in the East Village. Try to snag one of the five seats that are less than a foot away from the grills. (There’s a thick glass partition so you won’t leave smelling like smoke.) This place has small plates like chicken karaage and gyoza as well as Japanese hot pot and teppanyaki, but the main reason to come is the yakitori. Most of it costs around $4, and you can specify how you want each skewer seasoned (with salt or tare), which you can’t do at most yakitori places. Our favorites are the straightforward chicken thigh with scallions and the roe-filled smelt, and be sure to save room for the scallop and quail egg kushikatsu." - Kenny Yang