Best-of list · Spirits Guide
The best sake bars outside Japan — from New York hidden gems to London izakayas where the selection goes far beyond Dassai and into something.
The best sake bars outside Japan are rare because sake is a category that most bar operators misunderstand — ordering a handful of Junmai Daiginjo expressions and calling it a sake program does not qualify. The bars on this list have gone deeper. They stock aged sake, sparkling sake, natural sake from small producers, and they have staff who can actually explain the difference between Niigata and Kyoto production styles without a cheat sheet.
New York has the largest concentration of serious sake bars outside Japan, driven by a combination of the city's large Japanese expat population and a bartending culture that has embraced the category with unusual depth. These are the New York rooms that get it right.
How we picked
Sake is the most undervalued category on most drinks menus outside Japan, which means that the bars which have committed to it properly represent genuinely good value by global cocktail bar standards. If you are in New York, Sakagura is the starting point. In London, Engawa for a formal experience or Hyogo Sake Bar for something more accessible. The category rewards curiosity, and the bars on this list will reward anyone who arrives with it.
Priya covers global cities and has written extensively about sake and Japanese bar culture. She holds a WSET sake certification and drinks more natty sake than she would publicly admit to.
Last reviewed 2026-02-27 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.