Kin Gin

The food here is exceptional, with every dish made from high-quality ingredients that truly stand out in terms of freshness and flavor. The service is equally impressive—friendly and attentive. The room is astonishingly beautiful, with elegant décor and a warm ambiance that makes dining here feel special. It’s the kind of place where the setting enhances the overall experience, making it memorable from the moment you walk in.

Walked in with a friend at 7:30pm on a Tuesday night and we were seated immediately. Chic, elevated ambiance and bar — this is housed at the bottom of the new Rivington Hotel. Brussel sprouts and clams were delicious. Also enjoyed the karaage. Service was fantastic — very attentive and detailed (i.e. my friend had a gluten sensitivity and they were able to recommend all the dishes she could eat safely). Enjoyed the Japanese fusion dishes, unfortunately didn’t get a chance to try their expansive cocktail menu. Cute place for a date or catch up with girlfriends.

Fantastic Japanese food with a 5 star finish. The hammachi was out of this world. Eggplant and tuna under glass was also incredible. Only slight disappointment was the fried chicken, the breading needed seasoning and the curry sauce seemed like it came out of an HP bottle. Service was some of the best I've experienced in the city. Shout out to Kevin who was knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive but not smothering. The design with the soaring dining room in the back is very uplifting and makes for a pleasant dining experience. Loved the unique beer collection.

A great new spot in a beautiful atrium space in a LES hotel. Fun modern izakaya menu with delicious dishes of every kind. Preferred the small plates to the entree size ones we ordered. Staff was very nice, just maybe working out a few kinks from opening.

The pork jowls, saba, and sweet potato crème brûlée were the highlights of the evening. The restaurant itself is truly beautiful and spacious.

The food is technically correct but sterile, tasting more of high prices than inventive flavors. The small portions look even tinier in the airy (but also sterile) space and none of them warrant the high sticker price. The highly recommended tuna tartare was unremarkable and came with chewy, bland pieces of seaweed. Ocean trio was just fine, but lacked umami, the very thing it promised to deliver. The plate that packed the most punch was, surprisingly, corn, which was a bit spicy sweet and smoky. But the $85 steak was fatty and uninspiring. The dessert lacked flavor as well. We got the strawberry pistachio tart and it tasted like nothing, as did the shaved ice. The service was warm and it attentive but overall the restaurant was a disappointment.

Chef Tony Inn does it again! Opening 4/25/24! Go try the innovative Japanese dishes! These are the must haves: HOTATE Scallop, basil, frozen grapes, tomato water, hanaho MEKYABETSU Crispy Brussels sprouts, butterscotch miso, almonds CRISPY MIMIGA fried pig ears, ichimi spice, shungiku, mayo, cucumber GOMA-AE Endive, fennel, radicchio, toasted sesame sauce *SAKA MUSHI dashi-steamed clams, spicy miso, fresh ginger, house-made milk bread *ZUKE TONTORO Miso-cured pork jowl, roasted peanuts, pickled daikon, miso glaze Must have both of these desserts: *SOY SAUCE TIRAMISU *KAKIGORI

By all measures, Kin Gin should be insufferable: It's a hotel restaurant, executing a Japanese concept (seafood-forward items), with multiple market price items and cocktails that go up to $35. And yet, it's anything but. Let's start with prices, because that will be the trip up here for many. I paid $85 for market priced king crab legs on my visit and I have to say, as someone who once lived in a Japanese fishing village known for their (Matsuba) crab, those king crab legs were the best I've had in 18 years. Huge, wonderful medallions of crab meat that was so fresh and enjoyable that I almost insanely ordered another serving. Even on the non-MP side of things, expect to pay $20-40 for raw bar items and small plates. That's likely to put some off, but when you consider the quality--such as with the Uni/Scallop/Ikura -heavy Ocean Umami--it starts to feel like an amazing value (I also would not be surprised if the Ocean Umami jumps from $32 to $40+ based on the value it is). On a non-seafood note, we did the Yaki Uzura which, while my favorite prep of quail I've ever had, felt considerably less exciting than the seafood and the nasu dish we got was great, easy, saucy Japanese eggplant, but again felt a little like a runner-up dish compared to the crab, roe, and scallop fest that was our seafood. Service was strong, if a little overly attentive. As Grub Street reported, Kin Gin is a restaurant that is firing at all cylinders without being packed yet and without TikTok gimmicks, which is amazing. The downside is a lot of bodies in need of something to do and at times it was a little funny how often we were checked in on, but there are certainly worse restaurant sins. A special callout to the bar staff (who I chatted with before my meal) for being accommodating on a special drink request and also just generally pleasant to chat with--I perhaps unfairly overindex on restaurants based on their bar staff (in a front-of-front-of-house way) so I'm always happy to see that part of a restaurant's ecosystem working well. Which brings me to the beverage menu. I went for their $35 Spirit of Mushin because why not, and was pleasantly surprised to receive an exquisite dirty martini -esque drink with a bevy of garnishes and a side car refill a la Saxon + Parole. Definitely not a session drink, but a special occasion or night ender bev for sure. I didn't dip much into wine (but what I had was good) and was also surprised by the amount of amari on hand, everything delivered in good-to-great glassware. Overall, the cocktail menu reminded me of a classier, more classic take that I haven't seen as much of these past few years, so I was pleased to see that flame kept alive. I do think there's an opportunity to partition the space a bit, especially if they continue to face filling tables. The food is great, the drink is great, but there's a feeling like the space is being set as a big, buzzy, overpriced hotel restaurant when it could possibly be 2-3 spaces, including an intimate ZZ's Clam Bar -esque raw bar, a cocktail den, and a main dining area. That could allow for private events and more of a "This place feels buzzy!" vibe without needing to have 70 butts in seats. Right now, I'm telling couples to make this a date night spot and singles to make it a 2-3 dishes at the bar spot, and I think if you remotely like quality, fresh, well-presented seafood, you should beeline for Kin Gin immediately. I'll happily be back and if the team can steer me towards anything as luxuriously wonderful as the king crab legs, I'll be happy as a clam.

The food here is exceptional, with every dish made from high-quality ingredients that truly stand out in terms of freshness and flavor. The service is equally impressive—friendly and attentive. The room is astonishingly beautiful, with elegant décor and a warm ambiance that makes dining here feel special. It’s the kind of place where the setting enhances the overall experience, making it memorable from the moment you walk in.

Walked in with a friend at 7:30pm on a Tuesday night and we were seated immediately. Chic, elevated ambiance and bar — this is housed at the bottom of the new Rivington Hotel. Brussel sprouts and clams were delicious. Also enjoyed the karaage. Service was fantastic — very attentive and detailed (i.e. my friend had a gluten sensitivity and they were able to recommend all the dishes she could eat safely). Enjoyed the Japanese fusion dishes, unfortunately didn’t get a chance to try their expansive cocktail menu. Cute place for a date or catch up with girlfriends.

Fantastic Japanese food with a 5 star finish. The hammachi was out of this world. Eggplant and tuna under glass was also incredible. Only slight disappointment was the fried chicken, the breading needed seasoning and the curry sauce seemed like it came out of an HP bottle. Service was some of the best I've experienced in the city. Shout out to Kevin who was knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive but not smothering. The design with the soaring dining room in the back is very uplifting and makes for a pleasant dining experience. Loved the unique beer collection.

A great new spot in a beautiful atrium space in a LES hotel. Fun modern izakaya menu with delicious dishes of every kind. Preferred the small plates to the entree size ones we ordered. Staff was very nice, just maybe working out a few kinks from opening.

The pork jowls, saba, and sweet potato crème brûlée were the highlights of the evening. The restaurant itself is truly beautiful and spacious.

The food is technically correct but sterile, tasting more of high prices than inventive flavors. The small portions look even tinier in the airy (but also sterile) space and none of them warrant the high sticker price. The highly recommended tuna tartare was unremarkable and came with chewy, bland pieces of seaweed. Ocean trio was just fine, but lacked umami, the very thing it promised to deliver. The plate that packed the most punch was, surprisingly, corn, which was a bit spicy sweet and smoky. But the $85 steak was fatty and uninspiring. The dessert lacked flavor as well. We got the strawberry pistachio tart and it tasted like nothing, as did the shaved ice. The service was warm and it attentive but overall the restaurant was a disappointment.

Chef Tony Inn does it again! Opening 4/25/24! Go try the innovative Japanese dishes! These are the must haves: HOTATE Scallop, basil, frozen grapes, tomato water, hanaho MEKYABETSU Crispy Brussels sprouts, butterscotch miso, almonds CRISPY MIMIGA fried pig ears, ichimi spice, shungiku, mayo, cucumber GOMA-AE Endive, fennel, radicchio, toasted sesame sauce *SAKA MUSHI dashi-steamed clams, spicy miso, fresh ginger, house-made milk bread *ZUKE TONTORO Miso-cured pork jowl, roasted peanuts, pickled daikon, miso glaze Must have both of these desserts: *SOY SAUCE TIRAMISU *KAKIGORI

By all measures, Kin Gin should be insufferable: It's a hotel restaurant, executing a Japanese concept (seafood-forward items), with multiple market price items and cocktails that go up to $35. And yet, it's anything but. Let's start with prices, because that will be the trip up here for many. I paid $85 for market priced king crab legs on my visit and I have to say, as someone who once lived in a Japanese fishing village known for their (Matsuba) crab, those king crab legs were the best I've had in 18 years. Huge, wonderful medallions of crab meat that was so fresh and enjoyable that I almost insanely ordered another serving. Even on the non-MP side of things, expect to pay $20-40 for raw bar items and small plates. That's likely to put some off, but when you consider the quality--such as with the Uni/Scallop/Ikura -heavy Ocean Umami--it starts to feel like an amazing value (I also would not be surprised if the Ocean Umami jumps from $32 to $40+ based on the value it is). On a non-seafood note, we did the Yaki Uzura which, while my favorite prep of quail I've ever had, felt considerably less exciting than the seafood and the nasu dish we got was great, easy, saucy Japanese eggplant, but again felt a little like a runner-up dish compared to the crab, roe, and scallop fest that was our seafood. Service was strong, if a little overly attentive. As Grub Street reported, Kin Gin is a restaurant that is firing at all cylinders without being packed yet and without TikTok gimmicks, which is amazing. The downside is a lot of bodies in need of something to do and at times it was a little funny how often we were checked in on, but there are certainly worse restaurant sins. A special callout to the bar staff (who I chatted with before my meal) for being accommodating on a special drink request and also just generally pleasant to chat with--I perhaps unfairly overindex on restaurants based on their bar staff (in a front-of-front-of-house way) so I'm always happy to see that part of a restaurant's ecosystem working well. Which brings me to the beverage menu. I went for their $35 Spirit of Mushin because why not, and was pleasantly surprised to receive an exquisite dirty martini -esque drink with a bevy of garnishes and a side car refill a la Saxon + Parole. Definitely not a session drink, but a special occasion or night ender bev for sure. I didn't dip much into wine (but what I had was good) and was also surprised by the amount of amari on hand, everything delivered in good-to-great glassware. Overall, the cocktail menu reminded me of a classier, more classic take that I haven't seen as much of these past few years, so I was pleased to see that flame kept alive. I do think there's an opportunity to partition the space a bit, especially if they continue to face filling tables. The food is great, the drink is great, but there's a feeling like the space is being set as a big, buzzy, overpriced hotel restaurant when it could possibly be 2-3 spaces, including an intimate ZZ's Clam Bar -esque raw bar, a cocktail den, and a main dining area. That could allow for private events and more of a "This place feels buzzy!" vibe without needing to have 70 butts in seats. Right now, I'm telling couples to make this a date night spot and singles to make it a 2-3 dishes at the bar spot, and I think if you remotely like quality, fresh, well-presented seafood, you should beeline for Kin Gin immediately. I'll happily be back and if the team can steer me towards anything as luxuriously wonderful as the king crab legs, I'll be happy as a clam.

incredible service and hospitality. food was a solid 10/10. cute vibe and great place for dates or even just a nice drink. will continue to come back!

Everything about this place is fantastic! We had Hasad as our server (along with assistance from the rest of the staff) and Sarah, the GM. Would recommend just about every dish and every cocktail on the menu. Much thanks to everyone who made our evening better! Best. E

Kin Gin had a great ambiance. The decor was very modern, it looked so cute inside. The food was delicious as well, but I felt the raw bar was quite disappointing and overpriced. The ocean umami was super salty. The Hamachi had 4 small slivers, and a bit fishy. My favorite dish was the SAKA MUSHI: Dashi-Steamed Clams, Spicy Miso, Fresh Ginger, House-Made Milk Bread. The flavors melted together and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the dish. I would go back to kin gin in the future, however I'd just skip the raw bar.

Kin Gin is a new modern izakaya restaurant located on the first floor of the Hotel on Rivington. While I enjoyed their dishes, there weren't any wow factors for me and the flavors were comparable to other similar places. Started off with the Hamachi, which featured very fresh fish along with 2 sauces. One was a citrus avocado and one a white sesame, both of which provided nice additional flavors. The crispy pig ears were super thinly sliced and fried very nicely! Very crunchy and appropriately seasoned. The eggplant had a great texture - not too hard or mushy and not too oily either. For mains, the mackerel was solid. Served as a whole fish, it was lined with a nice miso pasta. Meat was tender. Again I really enjoyed my meal, and flavors were up to par with the NYC Japanese food scene, but I couldn't provide any justifications for their pricier dishes. Staff were polite. Pacing between dishes was appropriate and surprisingly no logistical hiccups for a newly opened restaurant. The vibes were more upscale for sure but weirdly playing pop/hip pop music. The decor with green/salmon colors and gold accent with dim lighting served as a nice backdrop.

A fun new spot serving up Japanese eats tucked into the heart of the LES -- they're located right inside of a hotel, and the ambiance is really nice. It was fairly easy to make a reservation for a larger party and the food is all great to share. The real standout for me was their raw bar -- between the Hamachi, KG Tartare and Amberjack Sashimi... I really cannot pick a favorite. The drinks were also really thoughtfully crafted, with my favorite being the Golden Seams! Nothing really super memorable from the small bites part of the menu, but I'd definitely come back for literally anything on the raw bar.

Trying another new restaurant in lower east side. It's inside the Rivington hotel. I love the pink velvet couch chair and sofa seats at the dining area. The food is good and the service is attentive and very friendly. The crispy pig ears is very interesting and worth to try! The dessert menu is very creative and delicious too. Please don't forget to ask for special flavors sorbets of the day. There's some flavors it could surprise you!

Kin Gin has been on my list for a while, but waited for it to get going before making the trek to Rivington Street. In the old Cafe Medi space, across the street from Economy Candy, I was shocked to see that it was virtually empty. While there were some hits -- great cocktails, a few good plates, awesome desserts -- there were lots of misses. Run by Table One Hospitality which focuses on hotel restaurants, the misses were largely down to management. Attentive but not effective service, courses coming while the previous one was being consumed and a wine list that did not show much depth, just to mention a few. The general manager is doing a good job with what she has been handed, but Kin Gin will remain empty unless they up their game.

Excellent happy hour! We had absolutely delicious oysters for $1 each, cocktails for $10, and furikake popcorn for $3. Everything was super clean, customer service was perfect, and bartenders Brandon and Chris were a VIBE. Highly recommend.

Wow!!! What a great addition to LES food scene. The food was absolutely amazing, very well curated and the flavor is just perfect. Our favorite main dish is the dry aged whole mackerel. The Miso Zuke Hijiki is a must try, a week later I'm still thinking of that dish. Last but not least please save yourself some space for dessert and try the sweet potatoe crème brûlée. Thank me later. Service is top notch. Can't wait to come back soon! Kanpai!!

the quality for the price is kinda ridiculous for everything we had here. We ordered a quail that was super super small for 40-50$. And for that price you expect like a good piece of quail. But nah it tasted like it was fresh out of being frozen for months. you know the taste of frozen meat that's been sitting there for ages? Exactly. we paid 550$ for this meal and was terribly disappointed. The only thing that we ate that was decent was the mackerel & the pig ears & clams. We also ordered a "sweet potato creme brûlée" sounds unique right? What they pulled up to the table with was a 16$ piece of sweet potato that they mushed the middle a bit. Threw on some sugar and torched it. never again. For this price, so much better restaurants available in NYC. Bangkok supper club, moono, oiji mi, etc. the only thing they got going is the aesthetics of the restaurant itself. but sadly that's not enough to make me come back here a second time or recommend it to anyone else.

Kin Gin uses the space of Hotel on Rivington, we enjoyed the beautiful interior. All service staff are nice and attentive, and shoutout to Jim who was super helpful and friendly. Raw bar items are thoughtfully made, the two desserts (shiso basil sorbet and sweet potato crème brûle) work with simple concepts and are both delicious. Will go back mostly for the raw bar items and hope to try a wagyu dish.

This is truly one of the most incredible meals of my life! If you love Japanese food, this is the place! This Chef is bringin it in such an impressive way. The food is prepared with such thought and love. Not only is the presentation amazing, but the flavors were incredible! for a special as it was, I was pleasantly surprised with the pricing as well. The design and ambiance were very nice and romantic. I wish I could give it 10 stars!

Loved Kin Gin. Already planning our next visit since we couldn't order everything we wanted to try. Really liked the Ocean Umami raw scallop dish and the whole mackerel entree. Highly recommend!

This restaurant is located inside of a hotel so at first you wouldn't expect the service and cuisine you are about to experience by first glance, but I must say that this restaurant is an understatement. The food is superb along with the service and the architecture in the restaurant. They served some of the best Wagyu beef that I have had in my opinion 10 out of 10.

This place just opened and they're off to a great start. Food and drinks are awesome and worth a trip. We tried a few of the cocktails and all were excellent and worthy of a photo. The food was delicious. Get the crab, it comes with all the sauces for dipping. Check this place out!