Takahachi

I was a regular here way back in the 1990's, when Ave A was genuinely still edgy and Takahachi was a little secret place off the beaten path for excellent sushi with great vibes and a reasonable price. So happy they are still here even though the neighborhood has really changed. Still a great urban oasis for well crafted sushi that has retained its soul.

Was on the way to meet up with a few friends down the street and had some time to kill before they would arrive, as well as a need to get some food to combat the drinking I'd be doing later on in the night. Takahachi caught my eye from its unique recessed entrance reminiscent of the mouth of a cave, with large glass window panes. The view from inside - while facing a brick wall across the street - is still quite open. The service was prompt and timely taking freshly finished plates as new dishes arrived. I ordered their Age Shishito, their Tatsuta Kawari Age and their "Amazing Sushi" special. The shishitos were quality, with only one pepper being a bit too small for my liking. That's not to say that small fry wasn't full of flavor, I just wanted more! The Tatsuta Kawari Age was the loser of the visit. The description reads "Ginger flavor fried chicken" which sounds amazing - but that's about all it does well. On first bite, you'll be looking for that ginger taste - you'll also be doing that through the rest of the bites as it won't be found here. The frying was bland, as if they opted to go with a tempura batter and zero seasoning for the chicken. I had to squeeze the lemon provided as well as dunk other pieces into soy sauce to add a bit of anything to these chunks. The "Amazing Sushi" special was pretty good! The award ceremony would go 1st place to the Tuna with cilantro sauce, 2nd place to the Yellowtail belly with jalapeno sauce and third to the Salmon belly with avocado and "spicy" mayo. My reasoning is personal, and you will probably have your own rating for these three pieces. I personally don't enjoy an imbalance of creamy that over powers any spice in a dish and unfortunately that's what I got with that Salmon. Price wasn't bad for the experience and I would probably come back here for a quick bite on the way back from the bars.

My favorite restaurant in the city. Excellent value, kind and friendly people working there. Great layout and feel to the place. Food is consistent, I’ve never had a bad meal in 30+ visits. There is a reason it’s been open so long and is consistently busy.

Few Japanese restaurants have an authentic Japanese feel to me these days, but Takahachi had me feeling like I had just teleported into a lowkey family run sushi place in Kyoto. 7/5 for the ambiance. I have yet to find Sushi in East village that blows me away, so I was excited to try this place based off the ambiance alone. I STAN a good seaweed salad, but this one really missed. It was 4 different types of seaweed and you pour the dressing on yourself, idk it just really didn't do it for me. I hadn't been that let down since John Frusciante left the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2007. However, the sushi plate for 2 truly restored my hope for Takahachi. At $59, it was a great portion size and the fish was fresh. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fish. The only miss on the plate was the shrimp nigiri, but I don't understand how people actually like shrimp nigiri. I just firmly believe it doesn't belong with pieces of QUALITY nigiri. Anyways, I WILL be back. My new goto sushi spot in EV.

Been coming here since day one. My parents used to bring me here every Sunday as a kid. Best Japanese joint in LES. After moving abroad for 15 years, this was my first stop upon returning to NYC. The chef curated a beautiful platter of nigiri for us. Been dreaming about the fried green tea ice-cream for the last decade, and the chef made it specially for me despite it no longer being on the menu. Even better than I remember. Big love.

This used to be my go to sushi spot but I won’t go back after my last meal there. There was a HAIR and a small fish bone in my salad. I was only offered free ice cream and a new salad to make up for this huge, unsanitary problem.

Excellent tofu salad that was very refreshing. The black cod was delicious with a great crisp to it. But the star of the night was the crispy shrimp in a spicy mayo sauce. It was the perfect amount of sauce not to overwhelm the shrimp. I topped it off with a nice big bottle of Sapporo. Highly recommend the shrimp.

This was my first time eating sushi, and my sister recommended this place. The atmosphere is minimalistic with dining areas to accommodate both small and large groups. We picked a variety platter, and I found some that I have deemed my favorite, like the eel roll. The cost was affordable as I was able to order food to bring home.

The establishment was small but well managed. We ordered the seaweed salad, edamame, pumpkin tempura, and a bunch of rolls. The sushi was good and the prices were reasonable. Servers were quick as well.

It's been awhile dining here. Thought I'll check in since other nearby places weren't open during off hours. Pro- Great service. Decent sushi. $1 green tea Con- Tiny portion for price charged Very expensive nowadays. For large roll, they serve less cut up pieces and the raw sushi filling was their leftovers!!! Probably will pass in future

Great, affordable place for sushi in the East Village. The staff is always very kind and friendly and it's a very no frills, straight to the point place. Would recommend!

Few Japanese restaurants have an authentic Japanese feel to me these days, but Takahachi had me feeling like I had just teleported into a lowkey family run sushi place in Kyoto. 7/5 for the ambiance. I have yet to find Sushi in East village that blows me away, so I was excited to try this place based off the ambiance alone. I STAN a good seaweed salad, but this one really missed. It was 4 different types of seaweed and you pour the dressing on yourself, idk it just really didn't do it for me. I hadn't been that let down since John Frusciante left the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2007. However, the sushi plate for 2 truly restored my hope for Takahachi. At $59, it was a great portion size and the fish was fresh. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fish. The only miss on the plate was the shrimp nigiri, but I don't understand how people actually like shrimp nigiri. I just firmly believe it doesn't belong with pieces of QUALITY nigiri. Anyways, I WILL be back. My new goto sushi spot in EV. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

I have already lavished praise on this establishment. I write again to highlight the tempura. I specifically wish to call out, positively, the light batter, just right. I also have a warning, not a negative one. They offer it a la carte. I figured each order was one. It is two. I got twice what I bargained for. As they say, a good problem to have. Although I eat here because it is directly above a jazz club I frequent, I commend it more generally.

Very good food, seems very affordable at first glance but the portions are quite small when they come out. Try and get a few items to share. We loved the pepper tuna appetizer, and the sushi is wonderful. It does come out in waved, so not everyone will have all of their food at the same time. Just eat and enjoy! There was a wait, even on a weeknight so be prepared. Very limited selection of drinks, but still fun!

Very delicious. My cousin ordered for us and we had many rolls and my favorite was the miso cod. It was so tender and melts in your mouth! The service was excellent. The waitress was standing close by our table for most of the dinner and kept double checking to see if we need anything. The meal was $170 for five people. Not including the tips. I think that's the ongoing rate... It's definitely higher than what we are used to in California. But this is New York and in a big city. So you have to pay extra for quality

Went for dinner tonight - sushi tasted decent, but portions were comically small. The special rolls (marked as "big rolls") are only 5 pieces, most of it consisting of rice. I've never seen a special roll that's less than 6 pieces, usually they're closer to 8. We also ordered the tuna tartare which genuinely could not be more than 2 inches in diameter. We spent $85 between two people, no alcohol, and left hungry. The prices seem reasonable at first glance, but for the quality and crazy small portion sizes i would recommend splurging a bit more somewhere else with larger, higher quality rolls.

Not great. This is average quality fish. Didn't get sick but left a lot on the plate because some of it just wasn't tasty.

It was my first time in NYC and we stopped here out of a craving for sushi. We got there shortly after they opened, 5pm. The ambiance was comforting, the host was friendly, service was attentive, and the sushi was delicious. I recommend 10/10! Ps: Miso soup was great and only $3! :)

My local sushi joint for 25 years. When I leave New York for extended periods I have to come here as soon as I get back to feel back at home. Don't let the no-frills fool you. The sushi is some of the best and most authentic in the city. The goma ae and brocolli rabe goma are superb as is the kinpira. The seafood soup on a cold day hit just right and of course, all of the sushi is melt-in-your-mouth amazing. My favorite roll is the Winter Roll and one of these days I want to try their soba soup but it's hard when delicious sushi abounds. Highly recommended!

I was looking for a sushi spot in east village and this was the highest rated so I had great expectations for it. I got a table right away however they were a bit understaffed and there was a big wait to get the order in and receive it etc. I wanted sashimi so I ordered a miso soup to start, salmon wasabi and an order of toro with a side of rice. It was overpriced and small portions. I ended up ordering a yellowtail roll because the sashimi wasn't enough food for me. It felt like they had given me the leftovers of their fish. Even in the roll the yellowtail was almost nonexistent and was mixed in with a weird sauce to cover up the fish taste. I paid $50 with tip for tiny pieces of fish. What. A. Rip off.

HONESTLY, for the price, this blew me away but WARNING, i am not a sushi expert don't come at me. what we got: sushi for 2 (5/5 TOTALLY RECOMMEND FOR TWO PPL): ok so overall, the fish was SOSOSOSOSOOSOS fresh and soft. it was not fishy at all and i'm super picky with raw fish (i don't get raw fish often since i am so picky. also, with all the sushis, the seaweed tasted stronger but was REALLY good the salmon nigiri was SO good, one of our favorites. it was just so light and soft and delicate and melted in our mouths. the california roll was BOMB. i think they make it with fresh crab? you know how most california rolls douse the imitation crab with a BUNCH of mayo? this doesn't have ANY and you can really taste the crab. also the avocado was so soft and fresh. orange roll was probably our FAVORITE because it was just so refreshing and the tempura bits made it so good. also, the salmon inside was SO SOFT. those were the most memorable ones hehe. the tuna tasted the fishiest, but not too fish! the hamachi was imo, SUPER creamy and the shrimp was REALLY fresh overall, RECOMMEND hehe

It's my go-to for affordable sushi and Japanese food. Chef is a staple in the East Village and the staff are all very polite and accommodating. I typically get the Octopus with Wasabi Stem, Kikusui Sake, Sushi platter, and some Uni or Chu toro. Their Udon and hot dishes are great too and easy on the wallet.

I've been coming here since the 90s. Hands down was the best place to come for food, service with a smile and great environment. I have to say what's disappointing is that I've noticed the portion sizes get noticeably smaller before the pandemic. But it's tougher to see just how much smaller they've continued to get since coming back here regularly since the pandemic has subsided. The price has significantly increased as well. I hope they can adjust because its a shame to see this place go under.

I've been wanting to come back to this place for a while now. The last time we came here was about 3 years ago, before the pandemic. So, we were psyched about returning. We had the Sashimi Set (3 pieces of salmon, 3 pieces of tuna, 3 pieces of albacore tuna, 3 pieces of snapper and 3 pieces of octopus), Sushi for Two (16 pieces of nigiri sushi, orange roll, California roll with 2 miso soup) and Spider Roll (fried soft shell crab, shredded daikon, tobiko, lettuce and Japanese mayo). Everything tasted great as usual. But, the portions were smaller than what we remember. The sashimi set wasn't on the menu and I remembered that we ordered it in the past. So, we asked about it and they had it off the menu and made it for us. Again, it was surprisingly smaller and double the price than what we had in the past. I guess the pandemic affected everything and this place, included. We will eventually return back. Glad we came back after the pandemic!

Awesome service. Loved the sushi!!! Reasonable prices & no reservation usually needed

First time ordering from here. Got the sushi plate to go. Was pleasantly surprised. Will definitely go back.

There was a wait for a table of two on a Monday evening. Our table was ready in about 30 minutes or so. It wasn't a big deal. Once we were seated, we waited another 10-15 minutes to get water and put our order in. I feel bad for leaving an average review for the service as they were busy, but it made for a pretty undesirable/awkward dining experience. I don't think I've waited that long after seating to get water and to place an order. They may not have the staff to meet their usual indoor customer demand but to include take out as well as outdoor dining folks, I'm not surprised that they were slow. The food itself was decent. We liked the shishito peppers, the hamachi jalapeño as well as the sushi dinner for two. But I am a little scared to try this place in person again.

I went in after a long time (maybe a few years) and I wanted to try. Personally, I feel that they have dropped in terms of value and quality. Ambiance: Same as usual, I feel that the tables are still cramped together and not enough space to enjoy the meal. Food: 3/5 There were only 6 pieces of a special roll and that was such a surprise to me! I feel that normally there would be at least 8 pieces, but maybe things have changed. Even with the 6 pieces, I felt that the tempura was soggy and wasn't as fresh either.i

I have been going to it for 30 years, never disappointed! The only downside is that it's so popular a line forms and it can get crowded, but good for them, their efforts result in success.

Food, service,taste wise,ambiance, HAMACHI JALAPENO:fresh yellowtail, good amount of dressing. Orange Roll:even though sizes were not even can be eaten joyfully.

Great East Village sushi spot! Got this great platter and got a taste of everything. The service was great, the fish was fresh, and it was a cool atmosphere. The prices are really fair too! Def would recommend if you're in the East Village and need a sushi fixing

Takahachi did it again. Odered the sashimi platter and it was so fresh and amazing. This restaurant is my go to for sushi. The management and the staff always accommodate if they can. Will recommend to all.

Came here on a Wednesday night and was seated immediately. We ordered the octopus in wasabi special appetizer, which was raw. It had a really strong wasabi taste and the texture was kind of slimy with a slight crunch. We also ordered a variety of sushi and special rolls which were pretty average. Toro - was an interesting bright pink color. Was tender but didn't have much flavor. Scallop - was also pretty tender but not very flavorful. Uni - decently creamy and melt in your mouth. The best of the sushi's we ordered. Both special rolls were pretty average. Couldn't really taste the spicy tuna or salmon in them. This is a pretty average sushi place. You won't get food poisoning from eating here but you also won't be blown away. For the price point, I expected the quality to be better.

Stopped by 30 mins before close for a quick bite and now I can't wait to go back. We had a selection of rolls and they were ALL tasty. This is an unassuming spot but definitely worth checking out.

Takahachi! A beast of a sushi restaurant tucked away in the streets of FiDi. I came here on a Tuesday evening around 8:30pm for dinner and had no issue getting a table for 4. The sushi dinner for 2 was full of fresh fish and definitely worth the money. The Bee Movie roll was surprisingly good, and I enjoyed the ambience. I'll be back!

TLDR: super yummy and good quality for a decent price! This was one of the first sit down sushi restaurants that I've been to since the pandemic started and I loved the experience and the food. I would give this restaurant a solid 4/5 stars! The service was super kind/accommodating and the food was delicious! The portions were HUGE and the quality of the fish was very fresh. It was very comfortable to dine here and every party was spaced out well. There were plastic partitions between each group and sanitizer at every table. I recommend getting the sushi combo for 2 - its a huge portion and super inexpensive especially by NYC standards. This is a great place to hang out with friends and have a drink or two plus some delicious sushi

This has become our go-to sushi spot. The prices are very reasonable despite the fish quality being amazing. They don't take reservations so expect a wait on weekends. Get the Superman roll --so yummy with fresh mango!

Not super impressed with the quality that we received. I thought the nigiri would have more substantial pieces. We had dinner around 9:30pm on a Sunday night. We ordered the sushi for two (16 nigiri and two rolls) and online it says $59 but we were charged $68. It was okay because, we received some sashimi but I don't believe that's what we asked for. We live in the area but overall decent sake, decent food (tuna was excellent) and good vibe although a little cramped in the corner but not somewhere we'll be revisiting anytime soon. If you're looking for higher quality I'd suggest elsewhere!

When my sister and I walked in, it seemed like an average sushi spot. We ordered 6 rolls. Not only did the server make a rude remark about the amount of food we were eating, but I also got food poisoning later that night. The only thing I ate that was different from her was an eel avocado roll. Overall bad experience :(

Sushi was fresh and tasted great. We did the Person 2 option for dinner and one special chief rolls and that filled us. Service was outstanding. Love the beer special here as well.

This is my one of favorite Japanese restaurants along with Nippon located midtown East. I usually come to this place when I have out of town friends and tonight was the case. I took my French friend and all appetizers including octopus, black cod, agedashi tofu, seaweed salad were great then sushi set $29 came out as very bland. I did not bring this to my out of town friend's attention but after we headed out, I found he felt the same way. We went in the restaurant around 5:10PM so not sure why this sushi set was not fresh enough... Manager or store owner, do you have any answer for this?

Very nice cutle little place with very friendly staff. Sushi is good, and I think decently priced. I really liked the special rolls, gyoza was ok, and edamame were edamamme. We went on a Monday without any reservation and had no issues getting a table. They take cards.

This has been a go to place whenever my girlfriend and I want to get sushi. As of 11/14/2020, you are able to sit indoors or outside in their curbside seating. We decided to sit indoors since it was kinda cold. All the tables were spaced out and separated by plastic barriers. We ordered our usual chirashi bowls which come with miso soups. The chirashi has ~6 different kinds of fresh fish (with about 3 pieces each), shrimp, and tamago. The sushi rice was soft with just the right amount of vinegar. The staff were friendly and aware of water refills. Jack the sushi chef knows what he's going and is outgoing and great to talk to if you're sitting at the bar. The only downside is that street parking is limited in the area but that hasn't stopped me from driving out from Queens whenever the cravings hit. 5/5

We had the crispy tuna with ships leaf appetizer. This was a bit disappointing considering it was also recommended by the server. The tuna was in a crispy batter and doused in the sauce so it was no longer crispy anymore. If the sauce was on the side, I might have enjoyed it a bit more. We also ordered the sushi platter for 2. I think the amount was good enough for two people. We enjoyed the sushi combo. Overall, the staff was friendly and we did not have to wait too long to be seated for a party of 5. We went on a Friday night and it was a very bustling scene. I didn't take pictures because I was so hungry!

Don't let the Avenue A location put you off. The food here is spectacular! The decor/ambiance (inside) is pretty basic but fine. The bathroom is quite a hoot (maybe not the kind of place you'd want to bring your parents? ;-) It seems by looking at the bathrooms, that Takahachi was a punk bar in a prior life. But yeah, back to the food. Excellent! I got miso soup (very delicate and not overly-salty like some places).... chilean sea bass (delish)...which came with a bowl of white rice (perfectly clumped but not 'sticky' or overcooked)...a piece of yellowtail and unagi (both, sublime). Will definitely be back here.

DISAPPOINTING!!! They must have changed owner. The quality of sushi went down tremendously. Sushi for 2 at $59 is OVERPRICED, worst than some of the takeouts I have had from the grocery store. Tempura with shrimps and vegetables had gone downhill. The presentation of food is way below average. Will never go back!

They raised the price for the early bird special. I was here 6 months ago and it was $21. I came here yesterday and was charged $25. The quality is still the same. It still taste really good. It comes with sushi or sashimi, miso soup, salad with wasabi vinegar, rice, tofu, 1 fried dumpling, 3 meat sewer (2 of them were meatballs and 1 is meat with asparagus) and okra. Last time they had the shisito pepper but that has been replaced with okras. The sushi was 3 pieces of nigiri-shrimp, tuna, and white fish with 6 pieces of tuna maki. Sushi was fresh. After the meal was dessert. I had the green tea and it was very nice and creamy.

Good spot for a quick sushi dinner with street-side dining during these COVID times. We ordered the Hamachi jalapeno ($16), Agedashi Tofu ($7), Yellowtail ($6), Loco Roll ($13) and the Orange Roll ($12). For what you get (in terms of quality and quantity) it was average-think they should give bigger portions for their dishes. You get 6 pieces for the smaller rolls (makes out for $1 per piece) which is fine, but the specialty rolls you only get 5 pieces for $12-13. The Hamachi Jalapeno was okay, Orange roll was a little fishy...think the Agedashi Tofu was the best thing in my opinion. With tip, for a $73 dinner I was still hungry, so I stopped at a pizza spot to grab a slice on the way back!

Solid sushi spot as our original plans fell through. Quality of everything was great but I wish the menu could have had some more variety. The biggest surprise of the night was the seaweed salad. It wasn't the seaweed salad one would normally get at a sushi restaurant. This was 4 different seaweeds served with dressing on the side. It was fine but definitely came as a surprise and not a pleasant surprise. We ate it but didn't love it. I think the server should inform the customer (Granted the customers are not Japanese and are used to standard seaweed salads) that the seaweed salad is different from what they're used to and explain what it's like. The salmon ngiri was like butter and the special roll with tuna, avocado, and mango was delicious.

Service is AWFUL... they will seat you at the sushi bar and eon't respond to you unless you order though the waitress... why seat at the bar??? The smell is bad enough to go elsewhere and on top of that every nigiri is only ONE piece, so turns out to be twice as expensive. The fish is already precut so... fresh?

food was avarege. plum wine supposed to serve with ice. was looking for sake kama , they got salmon dish comes with rices and nodles too much side less salmon. also rock shrimp has broccoli, i would prefer pay more get what i want exactly. at all not bad , place was clean service was ok

They used to have the sushi sashimi plate for two but now they only have the sushi for two.. Quality of sushi was still really good but crazy how much the price has gone up the last time I was here. Before it was $48 and now its $58. I really hope they bring back the sushi sashimi plate for two because that was well worth the cost and a great dining experience. But my bf was still raving about the salmon and tuna so I still recommend getting the sushi for two :)

Great sushi at an affordable price. Best sushi value downtown. This is a real hidden gem

Went for dinner on a weeknight and it was busy but we were seated right away. Had the tempura udon and some special of the week roll including lettuce, tempura flakes, and tuna. Had the crab shumai to share. My favorite thing was the shumai, then the roll, then the tempura udon. The roll was good but small. Tempura was topped on top of the udon and turned soggy. Should have had it on the side so it'd stay crispy. It was a good meal with good service but I would go to other places for udon or sushi.

Lately, I've swung towards the "meh" end of the sushi spectrum, which is a shock when I used to eat it all the time and had to Google the risks of mercury poisoning. I chalk it up to the fact that generic sushi can be found basically everywhere in New York and the charm of a good old-fashioned Philadelphia roll has worn off. But I highly recommend Takahachi's early bird special. For $21.50, you get soup, salad, ice cream, and a tray of your choice of sashimi and sushi, four skewers, and a variety of appetizer-portion eats. I would have preferred a more exciting array of sashimi than the standard yellowtail, salmon, and tuna cuts. I also would have liked another veggie skewer rather than three meat skewers and the salad was a few notches below basic (literally lettuce and cucumber) but I'm not complaining too much at the price point. The appetizers were also a little too oily (one fried gyoza topped with spicy mayo, another small piece of fried calamari). It doesn't look like much food when the chefs are putting together the tray. I was all set to moan and complain about the portion sizes but the joke's on me because I felt good and satisfied after. Space is extremely tight inside, especially if you choose to sit at the bar. I always prefer the bar seats over a table, especially if you're with just one other person, but I couldn't really move without jostling my friend or the person next to me. The bar is also good for when you're dining solo and just want to grab some quick sushi. Our waitress was very sweet, even though utterly slammed, and hot tea is on the house. Overall, a good sushi restaurant in the neighborhood but not one I would actively seek out.

Waited an hour for our food. Sushi bar seemed understaffed. Sushi is of decent quality, but portions are small and food is overprice.

YUMMY SUSHI!! I got the 007 Roll with no spicy mayo and one piece of the salmon nigiri. The tuna in the 007 roll was some of the softest tuna I've ever had and it tasted so good with the avocado and the rice with the roll. I also appreciate how they have sriracha sauce here bcuz adding that on the roll made it SO MUCH BETTER. The salmon on the salmon nigiri was to die for. It was so soft and it broke apart so easily in your mouth. You could say it melted in your mouth. For both fishes, I am so glad they did not have a fishy flavor because I hate the fishy taste. I also ordered a fried chicken and I thought that it was delicious but it was just soggy? It wasn't too crunchy maybe because there was ginger sauce poured on it so maybe the sauce should be requested to put on the side. Otherwise the flavors were all there. One of the best sushi restaurants I've ever been to. Pretty affordable compared to other top quality sushi restaurants. My grandparents got some other food and they said they loved it too. ONE NOTE IS THAT THEY DON'T TAKE RESERVATIONS AND IT WAS BUSY ON A MONDAY NIGHT... so plan accordingly and be prepared to wait because the restaurant is pretty small. (They also have a really nicely decorated bathroom. I love the edgey vibe of it.)

Yummy sushi. Went here the other night with my bf and got the sushi for two. It's a great tasting platter because you get two of each kind of sushi, plus two rolls. I really liked the EV roll, it had a lot of flavor and the crunchy shrimp tempura is always a plus. It was the perfect amount of food for us too! Our new go to sushi place.