Izumi
21 Yongjia Lu,
French Concession
near Rujin Er Lu
永嘉路21号
近瑞金二路
6471-0260
Open Daily 5pm-3am
Price Y100-Y199 per couple
- City Weekend
says -
This intimate and comfortable Japanese themed bar in the former French Concession has a comprehensive sake and shochu menu–sake and shochu cocktails are the house specialty. With non-obtrusive, yet helpful bar staff, this is the place to go if you are looking to experiment with Japanese spirits.
- Contributor
Description -
This intimate Japanese bar is a relief from some of its stuffier brethren with a clean, open layout and friendly manager who is more than willing to make recommendations from and walk you through the comprehensive sake and sochu menu.
Contributed by jessy1533
3 years, 10 months ago
Reviews Been there? Add a review!
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I keep forgetting to push the star button with my review!!!
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When we first moved into the neighborhood, my husband said he spotted a 'sake' bar. We both love sake, so naturally a visit was at the top of the list. We walked, and stumbled into a dream!!! Both architects with a very similar eye and taste, we instantly fell in love, again, lol. The interior is minimalist modern but with a texture that invites you to linger on and on into the night, and feels like a traditional sushi bar with its narrow interior and high ceiling. The red symbolic back splash behind the bar invites you in and practically mesmerizes you. There is a loft space above for a private more intimate experience. Note, the only food served here are very spicy peanuts, that definitely compliment the outstanding sake menu. Come here well fed, and prepare to enjoy yourself for a good couple of hours or into the night. Other beverages are served, but why bother? The sake is served in traditional Japanese style, with the sign of generosity, where its poured into a glass inside a masu box, until it overflows and fills both containers. VIPs receive a lacquered box. Its quite a presentation, and an art form in and of itself. The owner Ryou (pronounced Rio) is extremely friendly, and immediately makes you feel like part of the family. He is a connoisseur of fine Sake, and Japanese culture. Highly recommend. Bring your friends and tell him 'Fran' recommended you <3 xoxo Located in the French Concession on Yongjia near Maoming. Grey brick face with circular window.
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A very pleasant place to share a drink with some friends. If you're new to sake this should be the first place on your list. Norman, the owner, is more than happy to take new customers under his wing to explore various Japanese beverages.
The intimate setting makes it a fantastic place to enjoy some company.
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Love this place! A friend took me a few weeks ago and have been back since. Cozy place to chill out any night of the week. Love the variety of sakes and the way they serve it. They serve bowls of delicious spicy nuts with your drink, made by the owner. If sake is not your thing, don't worry they have a fully stocked bar.
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Izumi is a pretty sweet place. I'm a big fan of sake, and having tried a few of the other joints around town(which were quite good) I would have to say that this one tops my list.
The owner and his staff are super nice, and they have a huge drink list. My girlfriend said her drink was good, and judging by her state later I'm guessing they didn't short change us on the alcohol. There is even a section for cocktails made with sake. I'd rather have mine straight, but they are probably worth a try.
Apparently sometimes they have special nights where they bring out a barrel of sake and its all you can drink, I forgot to ask when, but i've got to remember to look into that.
as for food, we only tried one dish which was the cherry tomatoes with cheese of some sort. They were VERY tasty, I only wish there were a few more of them!
This place is great for a date as it is well decorated and very chill.
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A very chill place. Whether popping in for a solo drink on a quiet night or going with a group of good friends, Izumi is always a welcome respite from Shanghai. Oh yeah, the ryou is quite tasty as well!
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Hi man,
I remember you, i am sorry if there was any misunderstanding caused that evening. I had to talk to my friends for some serious business issue and my bartender was off . Anyway next time you come, your drink is on me. Cheers
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too cool by far. muggy upstairs room in the summer. and passive aggressive service simmering below. Alll we found was a izumi (spring) of bad vibes...
to explain: I don't know if it was the wrong night, but we stepped in to find the bartender (owner I assume) deep in discussion with his only two guests for the evening at the bar counter.
We must have started off on the wrong foot as customer when I must have rudely interrupted their palaver by asking if we could use the upstairs room. received a "it's ok", parroting my question. bizarre, but didn't think too much of it.
Minimalist, zwenny (I am a bit sick of that adjective - zen) interior and menu and lighting all "wa" and fine...so it was promising in a vague way to find this sort of bar that may be home in Omotesando here in Shanghai. so we soon forgot about the bizarre response of the management on entering.
As we waited for our sake and sake-based cocktail, we noticed it was a bit muggy and warm, being as it was upstairs and far from the air-conditioning. my second faux pas as guest, then, was to have the effrontery to ask for the air conditioning to be turned up a bit (that is, lower the temp). thereby I again interrupted the deep discussions of management and special clients on what I know not, but much irrigated by booze it appeared.
Well the drinks arrived and were fine, though my lagoon blue drink was a bit on the sweet and heavy side. Soon we notice, of course the air con had not been turned on despite their promise. Well, we shrugged it off and tried to enjoy the ambience (obviously a lot of effort had been put into making it a chill place) and the drink (that was quite a production in name and delivery).
But as we sat there trying to sip and make an evening of it, one more obstacle came our way: very edgy, very post modern jazz at rather loud volume with dizzying drum breaks and strung out sax solos. In general, I don't mind what music a place plays as long as it's not too obtrsusive. I am no stranger to adventurous jazz now and then - (used to be into Sun Ra and Archie Shepp at uni for my credentials). So I'm no philistine asking for kenny g. But the problem was this: their bloody cd kept skipping and stopping, jerking and coughing, slashing our conversation with these horrible silences re^animated by this edgy jazz shards... and it wasn't just once or twice, which we could ignore, but we noticed the cd had been skipping throughout the whole track.
That was when we made our ultimate blunder as guests: to ask them about the skipping cd.
I swear the conversation went as follows (in Japanese, making it even more passive aggressive in tone with its honorifics): Me: "The CD seems to be skipping" (apologetically) Bartender: "Yes" M: "Umm, it's skipping a lot..." B: "Yes..." M: "Isn't it broken...?" B: "No, this is Shanghai. All these pirated CDs skip a lot..." (he actually said this, so weird was this that it took us a while to register) M: "Ah...can you change it, it's really disturbing actually... well, if this is your store's style or music style to play skipping CDs, it's ok, but..."(sarcasm comes first before the anger for me) B: ".... well if it's disturbing you... I guess we could change it." (which sounded to me like: you bleating, complaining square tourist... why don't you just appreciate our Zenny underground vibe and stop making ridiculous requests)
well, he did change it to something, Nora Jones or something innocuous. at least a CD which didn't skip. and then returned to his friend-guests at the bar without a word of apology or explanation
But myself and my friend were left fuming for the rest of the drink (we left immediately after) at this bizarre and agro bartender.
If you do go, which I see no reason you should unless you like to be mocked and insulted in a very underhanded Japanese way (well I'm guessing if you don't speak Japanese, the bartender is nicer to you: probably fits into his uber-zen-hipster image of serving saketinis to caucasians. a countryman in his midst wrecks his precious feeling of being abroad? ) If you do go, that is, do avoid interupting him as he enjoys his private conversations with his privileged guests.
Me to Izumi management: at least, for god's sake, buy or download music that doesn't skip. It's not that expensive to get some real CDs if you are going to play it to make your bar stylish! jeez, how cheap can you be? dasasugiru (that's uncool for you in Japanese)
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I like!!!
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Heh. I do live in the neighbourhood, and am so happy for that. My husband and I just discovered it a few months ago and often go for a nightcap on our way home after a night out. Very intimate and cool without being pretentious. Staff are friendly and welcoming. If sake is not your thing they have plenty of other cocktails. Ask the staff to suggest which sake or sake cocktail would best suit your tastebuds. Just seeing how they serve the sake is worth going for. Haven't tried the food yet. Next time...
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One of the coolest places I've been in Shanghai; just wish I lived in the neighborhood.
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Yeah! have been popping by this bar since last year. The interior design is stylish (Modern bar meets Zen). The bar is in a minimalist cosy concept. They have some nice cocktails and jap sake; not forgetting it's drink accompanying finger-food that melts within your mouth. It's very suitable to pop by alone after work or with some friends for a nice chat. I do hope that it has a weekend acoustic live pop-jazz set and the environment music to hit a more swing-jazz feel...but well that's just a very personal thingy.
Why this is my favorite spot in Shanghai.
ONE- This place is a heavenly zen with an environment that is set in an ambience so comforting and mezmerizing that you can understand why life is so good.
TWO- Incredible place for those soul-deep conversations that you might have with your counterparts for that night.
THREE- The owner Norman is not just one of the best managers, but as well as one of the best friends you can make.
FOUR- If you bring a beautiful girl, chances are, she'll go home with you that night.
FIVE- High quality spirits for a wonderful price.
Five reasons why I love IZUMI.