This cozy, mood-lit Japanese pub serves up tantalizing small plates and fresh sushi, creating a fun vibe that's perfect for sharing with friends.
"James Beard award-nominated chef Jesse Ito’s Queen Village destination is a two-in-one deal. In the front, you’ll find a hip izakaya with skewers, sushi, and Japanese beer, but Ito’s coveted omakase experience ($300 per person, service included), which helped launch the omakase mini-renaissance the city is currently enjoying, is an intimate affair — just eight seats — where chefs lavish you with impeccable seasonal seafood. The izakaya doesn’t take reservations, but you can order takeout and delivery online; the omakase bar accepts reservations on Resy." - Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme, Ernest Owens
"A Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia known for its sushi and izakaya-style dining, featuring chef Jesse Ito." - Melissa McCart
"Dining at chef Jesse Ito’s sushi and izakaya restaurant Royal Izakaya is a must for Philly locals and visitors alike. Every dish — whether in the form of a roll, gyoza, or katsu sandwich — is made to Ito’s exacting standards with the highest-quality ingredients. Diners can do takeout and delivery, or walk in for dinner. The restaurant also has an exquisite omakase bar that you can book online. Good luck getting a reservation: It’s one of the hardest to get in the city." - Eater Staff, Ernest Owens
"At $300 a person, Royal Sushi Omakase is the most expensive sushi omakase experience in Philly. It’s also the best. The Queen Village spot, located in the back of the restaurant's Izakaya, serves 17 courses of technically flawless fish. You might eat buttery Spanish bluefin tuna topped with osetra and non-nigiri dishes like lightly fried icefish in a salty broth that normally goes with agedashi tofu. If you like a certain sake, the servers will write down your preferences for next time. You won’t get this level of technique or service anywhere else in town. Good luck getting in." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"Royal Sushi & Izakaya two distinct moods. In the izakaya section, you can sit in a booth and watch anime, pay as little as $4 for a beer, and eat things like chili beets covered in miso or pan-seared pork gyoza. But when you want to have a night where you're catered to like Oprah’s favorite spaniel, try their 17-piece omakase menu. It includes things like Washington state kumamoto oysters and their chutoro caviar–a mix of fatty Spanish bluefin and Osetra caviar. Each option works for different occasions, but they’ll both give you a memorable experience." - candis mclean, alison kessler
