Lori Lam

such a cute restaurant with a very classy and elevated vibe. they had harry potter playing on the projector and it was such a fun backdrop to have in the back while having dinner. came here for a girls night and we definitely had a good time. menu highlights: kaarage (crispy, hot and tasty), yuzu shishito (table favorite), shio takoyaki (loved this), agedashi tofu (delicious) and tuna don (so fresh). we definitely enjoyed the appetizers slightly more but would definitely come back on their movie nights for the experience.

+3

Christine S

This spot is great for a big group. One wall is dedicated to a huge projector. The scene is super intimate even though the space is big. Enjoyed the Niku Udon, Katsu, Tuna Rice Bowl, edamame, and fried gyoza. Please note that they do not serve hard liquor until 6PM so we ordered soju first. When we were able to order drinks I enjoyed the Midori and Espresso martini.

+3

Géne Bello

I found this place by “accident” trying to go to another restaurant. So glad I did! The food here is absolutely delicious and not crazy expensive. You get a lot of food and comes with different sides. The servers were very friendly and attentive. The place is cozy, and the menus is very wide. Recommend for romantic dinner, date with friends.

Madison Torres

I’ve been here plenty of times and I’m never disappointed. The food is always fresh and delicious and so are the drinks. The service is probably the best I’ve ever experienced. The staff is super nice and attentive. The pork katsu curry and agedashi tofu are my favorites, but everything is amazing. They have movies during dinner time with jazz music played in the background. Perfect environment for a date night, dinner with family or friends, or even by yourself. Definitely would recommend this spot.

Kentaro K

Wasn’t expecting much at first since it didn’t really look like a Japanese restaurant from the outside, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I got the chicken katsu and my friend got the chicken katsu curry—both were super flavorful, crispy, and satisfying. Even the miso soup tasted so authentic I had to ask if the place was Japanese-owned (it is, which I loved hearing as a Japanese person). Only downside was that they weren’t serving alcohol when we went because their liquor license had expired and wouldn’t be renewed until next week. It didn’t bother us too much since there are bars nearby, but I was surprised—how does a restaurant even lose its license temporarily? I don’t really know much about how that works. Still, 5 stars. I’d definitely go back and try other things on the menu.

Pooja Gaikwad

This is a fabulous place. Highly recommended! We had noodle soup and tuna rice bowl followed by our world matcha puddling. The tuna was excellent and the dish came with a delicious egg. We spent about $90 with a tip. Now I know the matcha pudding dessert is beaten to death in so many ways at so many restaurants. Somehow each of them take matcha and then disrespect it by adding a dollop of sugar in the pudding. The matcha pudding here lets the matcha powder shine. We reached at 6 pm and got a table without reservation. We were lucky since in the next 20 minutes the restaurant was full and all tables were taken.

+4

Emma Chang

The food here is delicious! Every dish didn’t disappoint, and the price is super fair. The pork katsu is thick and juicy, also don’t miss out their desserts. Friendly staffs and the vibe is great. Will come back to try more!

+2

Firestrike

I've been here a few times, it's a great spot! I'm a huge fan of late night food, so I love how late this place is open! It's the kind of place I'll stumble into at 2am in a state of ravenous delirium for a feast! I would highly recommend the niku udon, it had wonderful flavor and doesn't break the bank. It was nice to have sukiyaki outside of Japan too, as that's one of my favorite dishes (although it's not as quite as good here as the one I had in Japan, and it's way more expensive!). The miso soup that came with it was delicious! I had the tonkatsu too here a while ago and I remember really liking it. The takowasabi was yummy as well. Love the atmosphere of this restaurant too, it has a nice dark vibe. The staff is also super nice. All in all, if you're craving Japanese food late at night, I would totally recommend this place. It's a little expensive, but the food is great and it's hard to find places this good that are open past 1am.

P Lai

Ichibantei is the experience of wonderfully savory fried chicken/pork that's not too greasy. Surprisingly generously portioned, I struggled to finish a delicious meal, that's how big they were. Given the food quality, the food was worth the money, excited to come back and try something new. I had the oyakodon which had excellent dashi and paired with just a little rice. All the other katsus and kara ages were just as yummy and we all left happier than when we came

+1

I really liked this place, came by during the blizzard late at night and grateful it was open. Loved the idea of movie nights. The food was amazing in taste as well. However, I really hope there are more vegan/vegetarian options. There is only 1 entree option now, and it’s plain curry with rice. Would love to have some vegetables/protein in that!

Really nice atmosphere and service, and I saw their $15 lunch special which is a great deal. I ordered their steak Don and was surprised to see it was 90% rice and 10% topping. Taste was great, but I was eating mostly rice with sauce and tiny pieces of steak. Also sadly tea was not included, which is why I would give 4 out of 5 stars.

Ruwan J.

Ichibantei used to be a cozy Japanese soul / comfort food spot in the East Village off of First Avenue. in 2023, it moved into a much larger building where it is still resides currently...still in the East Village on Third Avenue. came here on a busy Saturday night (before the big snowstorm) to pick up a takeout dinner. ordered a "Katsu Curry Rice" platter, but it was actually "Karaage Curry Rice"--but i sorta knew this because the app i ordered through had a pic, so i knew i was getting fried chicken chunks (karaage) versus a fried Panko-breaded sliced chicken cutlet (Katsu). assume it's just a error or glitch. anyway, either way i was getting fried chicken pieces, an ample amount of Japanese rice, curry sauce, and pickled radish as a takeout order. the current larger Ichibantei space is sleek, modern, and feels very Japanese pop culture with a touch of NYC versus the previous Ichibantei space which is was way more intimate and casual. Ichibantei's entranceway has seating to wait; there is hostess station to check in for your reservation or to pick up orders, and beyond that is the large main dining low-lit room + bar (you can eat at the bar). on one of the dining room walls, they screen movies throughout the day and night. "Bambi" was playing when i was there that night. there are more floors with seating options, but i didn't check them out. anyway, the restaurant was slammed as they had a full house and what seemed like a never-ending stream of delivery people picking up orders. so my order was about ~25-30 minutes late, but it wasn't a big deal because I was in no rush to head back in the abyss of a freezing winter night. when ready, my order was packed neatly. got home quickly as i was hungry and the food smelled great even through the bag. the food? very good. everything was very warm, so my food didn't sit too long. the karaage was crispy potato-starch-coated fried-chicken-thigh chunks on the outside, but juicy and flavorful on the inside. so good. the Japanese rice was right amount of soft, sticky chewiness to complement the karaage and curry sauce. the curry sauce is thick-ish, seasoned-well with layers of savory umami-ness, nice and aromatic but not spicy, but more mild with sweet notes. combined all together, it makes for satisfying comfort food calories. Ichibantei is open for both lunch, dinner, and stays open late--serving up tasty Japanese soul food for hungry spirits.

+4

Nilima Shet

Came here on a whim a few weeks ago for dinner on a busy Friday night and we were seated right away! The vibe inside is kinda cool, a little dark, but the gigantic movie screen projection is a nice add. Not too loud and I'm not gonna lie, major plus points these days when you can hear yourself talking to your friends...Anywho, we shared a few items and I got my own entree but I will say the menu was pretty expansive so there's a ton more to try! We went with the agedashi tofu, dashimaki, and garlic edamame as apps along with something else I'm forgetting the name of. All were pretty good though I will say I think I preferred the dashimaki. For my main, I went with chicken katsu - the entree was fairly large, the curry flavorful, and the chicken well-seasoned. I can't say I'm a discerning palate for Japanese cuisine but I enjoyed the meal overall. For dessert, we tried the earl grey panna cotta as well as the vanilla panna cotta with mixed berries and both were great - the earl grey was unique and a nice touch that it was served out of a tea cup! Would definitely recommend giving this place a try, especially if you're looking for a last-minute spot for a small group!

+5

Blake Rasmussen

A decent Japanese place with a good lunch special. Originally we’d read that the lunch special went until 5pm, but it’s now just 3.30 - no drink specials either. We showed up around 3 minutes past 3.30, and the waitress was kind enough to let us order from the lunch specials menu anyway. The food was good, the beers cold, the staff excellent. I’ll come back at some point.

+6

Yusuf Yassin

I had high hopes, but overall, I was pretty disappointed. The katsu curry wasn’t great. The curry was surprisingly sweet, which threw me off. The steak wasn’t as good as I had hoped, and I wasn’t a big fan of the takoyaki either. On the bright side, the tuna was excellent. The atmosphere felt a bit suffocating, but the service was amazing.

Louise Louise

While I do feel sympathy for the proprietor, I can only describe my experience of this place as deeply unsettling and, frankly, frightening. In truth, I had not intended to visit this establishment at all—I had been searching for a different Japanese restaurant, but after walking past it and growing tired, I happened upon this location and decided to enter. From the moment I approached the entrance, painted entirely in black, I felt a chill run down my spine. Upon being shown to our table by the staff, that eerie sensation intensified. The walls were dark, adorned with black frames that seemed to conceal something sinister within. I was so disturbed I urged my companion to leave, but they persuaded me to stay and eat quickly. Even as I sat down, I felt something lurking within those ominous frames. I struggled to remain calm, deliberately averting my eyes, trying to relax—when suddenly, I noticed a large mirror reflecting the darkness, its depth impossible to perceive. It startled me anew, and I wanted nothing more than to flee, yet I felt frozen in fear. I felt the need to use the lavatory, but given the dim and unsettling lighting of the dining area, I had an ominous sense that the restroom would be all the more foreboding. Thus, I suggested to my companion that they go ahead first. Upon their return, the very first words they uttered were, “Don’t go to the bathroom—let’s leave at once.” When I asked why, they explained that the restroom was even darker than the dining hall, illuminated by but a single, faint light positioned above a mirror — a mirror, curiously, that reflected yet another mirror. It baffled me—why would a Japanese restaurant adopt such an unnerving interior?

+1