Bar Goto

I’m not sure why this place is so many good review. It was just average Japanese izakaya. maybe a bit more quiet. My boyfriend assistant found this place at magazine. I was so expecting about this place. Okonomiyaki (japanese pancake or pizza) was good but nothing impressed me. Menu was not so much so we couldn’t order many kind of food. maybe i should use this place only for drink.

Loved this place. The space has the Japanese quiet and understated décor. Their cocktails are subtle but well balanced and beautifully crafted. Far east side, melon ball, matcha punch were all amazing. Sakura martini was beautiful (i just wasn’t a fan of the particular sake in it). I was suspicious about the melon ball but the staff explained it to me (I love it when the staff knows and can answer all my questions) and I’m glad I got one because I want it again.
And they have delicious and hearty food! They are mostly japanese comfort food but improved versions. Okonomiyaki (various kinds), gobo fries, and their miso wings are SO good! We literally licked off the sauce on the miso wings. (We’re classy people)
I adore this type of places where the quality of food and drinks speak for themselves. No need for flashy décor or thumping music. Staff is also knowledgeable and excited about what they serve. A total gem.

Let’s start with miso wings and end with matcha cocktails. What else does a person need from a Japanese cocktail bar besides ambiance.

I came here with a friend a few months ago for a pre-​dinner drink before our reservation at Noreetuh. One drink turned into three and we had to scramble out of there just to make our dinner reservation. We sat at the bar and had a lovely conversation with the bartender, who made some really great suggestions. My favorite drink was the Golden Chrysanthemum, which introduced me to my new favorite liqueur called Suze. I actually went out and brought a bottle, and now I add it to all of my cocktails.
My friend and I finally made it back to Goto recently to try the dinner menu. I was a bit sadden that the Golden Chrysanthemum was taken off the drink menu, but in its place, there were some other amazing drinks to try and we were not disappointed. See below for the drinks and food we tried here:
Far East Side — my favorite drink here, it is so light and refreshing, with just a hint of sweetness from the Elderflower liqueur
Umami Mary — OMG, this is what a bloody mary should taste like, it really lived up to its name, the umami flavors were bursting here. I used to think that no one can top the blood mary at Prune, I was wrong, Goto has the best one hand’s down.
Melon Ball & Apricot — I think they are both new drinks, both were delicious, the flavors are not as complex as the previous two, but I really love how the apricot flavor came through so strongly in its namesake drink
Kobu Celery — this is going to sound silly, but this is the BEST celery I’ve ever tasted! I don’t even like celery, and I probably would’ve never ordered it. My friend got there first and ordered the dish while waiting for me. I am so glad she did, because it was like a little flavor bombs exploded in your mouth. The seaweed, sea salt and sesame oil balanced so well with each other. If you only get one dish here, please heed my advice and get this one!
Miso Wing — the second we saw our waiter bring out an order of wings for the table next to us, we knew that we had to order this dish as well. The little wings stacked against each other were so tempting. I personally thought the wings were a bit too spicy for my taste, but I really love how well they were cooked, with the perfect amount of crispiness and stickiness.
Gobo French Fries — I’ve never seen burdock roots cooked this way before, and it is pretty ingenious. The accompanied pepper and sea salt went extremely well with the fries.
The Classic Okonomi-​Yaki — My friend has never had okonomi-​yaki before, which is pretty surprising as she is a huge fan of Japanese food. I am glad that her first taste of okonomi-​yaki is this dish, although it will probably ruin the others for her. It is well seasoned, and a perfect balance between the sauce, dough and toppings. They put the flakes on the side, which diminish the fun presentation of them «dancing» on top of the dish. But that’s a minor quibble, as you can easily put them on yourself.
Our waiter was great, he was attentive without being intrusive. He made great recommendations, and did not rush us after we finished our food. As I mentioned above, we sat at the bar during our first visit, and loved our interaction with the bartender, who gave us a brief history of how the bar came to be. Overall, this is a great place to stop by for a drink or dinner. Don’t be surprised if you end up having a lot more drinks than you expected, they are so delicious that you can’t just stop at one!

Always excited to try out cocktails with an Asian flair (and in this case, Japanese). Loved the selection, especially the matcha cocktail (it has been a while since I last visited, can’t remember the name).
We shared four cocktails and all tasted awesome and were sufficiently boozy. Also ordered some bites. The okonomiyaki and wings were really yummy. My friend could not stop raving about the sauce on the wings!
Unfortunately the place is quite small and crowded, would’ve liked a bit more space!
Need to come back again soon.

Great drinks and food, place is trendy but small. Definitely not for a big group of friends but for a quick drink with a friend or casual date.

Cute little spot in Lower East Side.
Refreshing cocktails and delicious okonomiyaki. Loved the Gobo fries (burdock)! yummm.

Our server was amazing. He was so outgoing and ready to explain everything I had questions about. The drinks they offer are highly unique– I got a shochu made from sweet potatoes and it was surprisingly good!
The food is served in smaller portions and is better for appetizer or a snack than an actual meal. Two of us ordered the Miso Wings (amazing), the Okonomi-​Yaki: The Carnivore (average) and the Gobo Fries (pretty good) and were left a little hungry, but overall very satisfied with the experience.
If you’re looking to mix up drinks and small bites, I would definitely recommend Bar Goto.

4.5 Stars that are rounded up to five. This is one of the best cocktail bars in NYC… really. The unique quality of the drinks, the vibes, the variety of food — Bar Goto deservedly makes its mark on the NYC cocktail scene.
As with any NYC spot, if you’re sitting at the bar, be prepared to be in close quarters with those around you (it can be a prime date spot if you come in at the right time). If you can snag a table, you have more room and can spread out.
My friend and I sat at the bar, directly in front of the bartender’s line of view. He was a lot of fun and made sure that we had everything that we needed. He also was so knowledgeable about the food and cocktails.
I had the Rum Oshiruko and it was one of the most unique (and strongest) drinks that I’ve had to date. It was actually a red bean soup with equal parts rum and served with Mochi ice cream on the side. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it. It was basically a cocktail version of dessert.
I highly recommend checking out Bar Goto. It’s something that is so special and worth the wait.

Came here last night with a group of 4 for drinks. The place was very average as far as drinks went. None of us were blown away with our cocktails that had a 15 dollar price tag on them. The service was very friendly and helpful though. We were sitting at a table for 2 and they gave us the table next to us to make it a 4 person as soon as the patrons next to us left inside of giving it to another party! It was very thoughtful of them. The atmosphere inside is elegant and dark — definitely a cool place to go on a Friday night. I wish I hadn’t had dinner beforehand because all the food looked delicious. I wish we liked our drinks more because we left after 1 round instead of spending more time there.

A Korean friend recommended Bar Goto to me for their chicken wings («best wings in NYC»). So my friend and I decided to pay a visit to this cute nice small place on a weekday evening. When we walked in around 7:00pm, it was about half full.
We got topsz glow for drinks and ordered miso wings, GoBo fries, and fisherman’s okonomi-​yaki (seafood pancake). All of them are well made (both presentation and taste) with quality materials. The portions are reasonable for small party (2 – 3) to share. The miso wings is my favorite. Covered in flavorful miso based sauce and scallions, the wings are very tender and juicy inside too. I just wish they have a spicy miso flavor too! Fisherman’s okonomi-​yaki is less flavorful but the seafood items inside are tender and fresh. Gobo fries are the most healthy version of fries I had so far because Gobo is reputed to help lower cholesterol and clear toxins from body system. It comes with two spices on side — spicy powder and wasabi powder that both add a nice kick to the fries.
I would recommend this place for small group gathering for comfortable Japanese bar food and drinks. (I also heard Turntable Chicken Jazz has good wings too. I will try it out and let you guys know which one I like better!)

4.5−5 stars. Wavered between physically tapping 4 or 5 stars but settled on the latter because the service here is just impeccable.
Located on the somewhat dead Elridge St., this place is a gem. We went around ⁹⁄₁₀ pm on a Friday night and it was not too crowded. The space is small and intimate but they cleverly have shelves that you can stand by-​there is even a compartment that you can put your coat in! We started off there but promptly got moved to bar seats as soon as they opened up, which we really appreciated.
I always love sitting at the bar because you get to see the bartenders in action. Bar Goto’s are experts. Not just in whipping up amazing drinks and being crazily good at multitasking, but also in being attentive. The entire night I never lacked in drinks, napkins, water, or food. If you even so much flashed a glance at one of the two bartenders they just always seemed to know what you needed.
We started off with the Yuzi-​Calpico Fizz (DELICIOUS-​gin based, very fruity and refreshing) and the Plum Sazerac (VERY strong-​tastes kind of like a fancier Manhattan). Throughout the night though we were enticed by a mouthwatering aroma that kept wafting our way. When we realized it was the miso chicken wings we finally caved and ordered them. Phenomenal value: for $ 11 we got a heaping pile of wings. They were sweet and sour (a tad bit too saucy for me)-solid!We finished with the Topaz Glow-​plum wine mixed with some other hard alcohol. It was strong but well balanced.
Overall I really like the atmosphere here: dark and intimate without being too crowded-​great for a date! I wish they had a bigger cocktail menu and that the drinks tasted a bit more complex. I also thought the chicken could have been done a little better. But the service really can’t get much better and overall I really liked this place!

I came to Bar Goto specifically for its cocktails. I know the food here is supposed to be good as well, but I didn’t have any. I just had the one drink, because the acoustics in this place is *terrible* — it’s loud and awfully hard to hear your partner having conversation even just across the table. The sesame matcha drink is served in a little teacup that led me to first exclaim: that’s a tiny portion for $ 15. While the drink is stronger than I had expected, it’s still not Death & Co-​$ 15/​cocktail strong. The matcha and vodka worked exceedingly well together, and the creaminess from the half and half cut the pleasing bitterness as well.
There was a gin-​based yuzu drink that I tried that I found much too sweet.
The cocktail menu is really interesting, with lots of Japanese touches — yuzu, sakura, matcha, etc., so I’d be interested to try their other offerings sometime, maybe on an off peak hour.

I think I made the mistake of ordering food here, the cocktail I had was OK but the food was extremely lacking and on the pricier end. The place itself looks trendy and nice, but it kinda felt like a shack in the middle of no where, the location was like in no man’s land. I am sad that I am disappointed in this place since I am a huge fan of Pegu Club and the owner spent a number of years working there. The restaurant is also very tight, I felt like I had to squeeze by everyone to get to the bathroom.
The drink:
Far East Side– Sake, Tequila, Shiso, Elderflower, Lemon & Yuzu Bitters. This drink was pretty refreshing but tiny. It was served in this little dainty glass and there wasn’t much to drink. I felt I should have drank it with my pinky up.
The food:
Miso Wings– Chicken wings, roasted black sesame, scallions, spicy miso sauce. This dish shocked me with disappoint, I thought this was going to be a clear winner but I really didn’t care for this dish. First, the size of the wings were unusual, they were either skimpy little chicken bits or gigantic wings. The flavor was off for me as well, the first bite kinda took me aback, it kinda made my face pucker, it was weird. It was sweet and salty at the same time and the wing was over fried and dry. I didn’t care for the taste nor the execution.
Tako Sashimi– Blanched fresh octopus sashimi & wakame seaweed, chili-​miso sauce & house-​blended wasabi soy sauce. It’s kinda sad how the best part of this dish was the soy sauce… The soy sauce was actually really great, everything else, not so much. The octopus was tender enough but really had zero flavor, the addition of the wasabi and soy helped a little but not much. The chili-​miso sauce I thought was kinda weird, it had a baby kick of heat then disappeared instantly, I didn’t think this added much to the octopus. The seaweed was unusually salty for me. One plus, the container it was server in was pretty cool, it looked like a giant square drinking sake box.
GOBO French Fries– Fried Japanese Burdock Roots, Shichimi-​Pepper & sea salt. We got hoodwinked into ordering this thinking they were actually fries, these were not. They were Burdock root and the flavor was just OK, it kinda had a eggplant taste and feel but the «fries» really lacked any kind of appeal. They were a little chewy, salty and not a adequate bar snack at all, good thing the portion was minuscule. It was so unappealing, we kept trying to get our other friends to finish the dish.
Okonomi-​Yaki (Savory Cabbage Pancakes) All served with house blended Okonomi-​sauce, Kewpie mayo, dried bonito flakes & pickled red ginger
— The Classic– Pork Belly, Rock Shrimp, Calamari, Yakisoba Noodles. I really wasn’t a fan of either Okonomi-​yakis, I felt both were too sweet and too salty. It also had an underlying burnt flavor that lingered, the bottom Okonomi-​Yaki had a crusty, kinda burnt bottom.
— Carnivore– Chicken, Pork Belly. This I didn’t care for much either, the sweet and savory together was off putting and the pork belly was really dark, like burnt dark. Overall, no bueno.

We came here on New Year’s Eve and was seated immediately. Service was excellent. The waitress gave us recommendations, checked in on us, and was super friendly.
My friend loved the matcha cocktail. My yuzu cocktail was too citrusy (I’m a sweet cocktail kinda gal). The cheese okonomiyaki was pretty tasty, not the best I’ve ever had, but pretty good. The herbivore okonomiyaki was a bit spicy for me, but my friend thought it was ok.
Ambience was pretty nice. Dim lighting and an intimate setting.

I can’t believe I came here as a last resort, after three restaurants had eternal wait times.
We were seated at the bar immediately and at first, I was disappointed with the small food menu.
I started with a killer glass of sake while we made our game plan.
Miso wings — wings are wings until you have these. I’ve never described a food as life changing, but these were.
Fries — really good, really interesting, but I’d love a sauce to dip in.
The Classic Okonomi-​Yaki — I’d never had something life this before, but the flavors were on point and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it.
A great upgrade from Zoe, which previously occupied this space.

First impressions… the elegant décor and dim lighting really set the mood.
My friend and I sat at the bar for drinks and food. We shared the miso wings and grilled cheese okonomiyaki. The portions were perfect for two and so delicious. We also tried a plum wine and calpico cocktail.
I would love to come back and try the sake and more wings!

Spicy Miso Chicken Wings
Delicious Cocktails
Mood lighting
Okonomiyaki that is double layered, crispy instead of mushy, and the inside filled with quality ingredients instead of just dough and eggs like other places.
Very, very good.

Pretty cool space on Eldridge. Started by Pegu Club alumnus Kenta Goto, Bar Goto sort of has a half bar, half restaurant type vibe. The décor is pretty elegant, with a lot of black wooden finishes and dim backlighting. We came for some post-​dinner drinks, and the place was relatively crowded with a clientele that trended on the older side. We found some standing room behind the bar, which was fine, and actually not that cramped, and we were able to put our coats underneath the wooden paneling. Pretty slick layout.
We didn’t try the food, but we did go for a few of the cocktails. I ordered the Improved Shochu cocktail, with was shochu, and barrel-​aged gin that was actually clear and not brown, typical of most barrel-​aged gin. The cocktail came in a box, with the Bar Goto logo seared into the bottom. Yes, a box. It was a little difficult to drink, so I just went for one of the corners and went to town with it. It tasted mostly sour and ricey with the shochu, but the aged gin really came through in the aftertaste. Overall, not bad. I also tried the Far East Side, which had a very strong, sweet lychee taste. They also have a Kanpai special, which is Sapporo and a house shot (bourbon, whiskey, tequila, vodka, gin) for about $ 11. Not terribly priced, but I’ll go for those $ 6 beer and a shot specials at a random NYC dive bar.
I’ll have to come back and try the food, but the smells that were coming from the kitchen and from the diners’ tables were pretty outrageously good, namely the miso wings and the okonomiyaki (savory grilled pancake). The overall food menu seemed a lot smaller than a typical restaurant, but the offerings sounded good in general. The prices were a bit on the expensive side, but everything tasted pretty good, so you can’t really complain. I’ll probably be back for date night, or out in the LES with a small group of friends.

Bar Goto opened on a pretty quiet street, with a bouncer at the front door, the boyfriend and I knew that must be the spot.
We sat at the bar and saw the bartenders at work. There was not once where they stopped mixing drinks and put together a concoction. My boyfriend and I had a hard time even getting the attention of the bartender but to our surprise, he heard what we wanted and made our cocktails. Now that is some impressive service.
Great vibe, the bar is very modern and the drinks are extremely tasty and strong. Will be coming back for the okonomi-​yaki since they have so many different varieties of it. If you like Japanese inspired cocktails, this place is for you.