Izakaya by Tamura is a den-like Japanese izakaya by Fumi and Takako Tamura, who also started Tamura Sake Bar.
The sprawling bluestone venue – which was beloved pasta bar Mamma Vittoria’s for over 30 years, then the second iteration of pizza hangout Lazerpig – is a fun place to lose a few hours. There’s a lengthy menu of classic Japanese snacks, a solid selection of strong drinks and a massive space that can fit around 150 people across two levels.
Takako leads the dinner menu with familiar dishes like gyoza, sushi, karaage and katsu, as well as some that might be new to diners. That includes unakyu, unagi (eel) with cucumber and the takowasa, raw octopus with wasabi. The lunch menu is tighter, with ramen, sushi and donburi on offer.
The cocktails have Japanese ingredients and flavours, too. The martini uses brine from making tsukemono (Japanese pickles), the toki doki highlights Japanese whisky and the cho bri bri club is mixed using a house-made lychee pomegranate shrub. Wines lean natural, while beers on tap include a rice lager made in collaboration with Stomping Ground.
