Sake Bar Decibel

I love this cozy little joint. It’s got a nice dinky bar vibe (loud music, completely dark save for some red accent lights, graffiti and stickers on the walls) with a Japanese veneer (the wooden bar, paper lanterns).
They have a sizable menu of sake, liquor, and snacks. My favorite section is the Unusual selection, which is where I found out my love for Hannya Tou, a sweet plum sake infused with chili spices. I don’t order anything else.
I do see they do generous pours, though– they fill up a glass until it literally overflows and spills onto the wooden boxy saucer. Maybe that’s a Japanese thing– I don’t know, I’m not very cultured.
The location’s got a downside, though. It’s small, so it can get packed pretty easily. The tables are small and can reasonably accommodate 4 people. On busy nights, prepare to wait in line.

Hidden grungy sake and Japanese whiskey bar underground here. The daku is a nice creamy, cloudy sake.

This place was the highlight of a recent dive bar crawl of Alphabet City and the East Village. Great sake selection, great service, packed like sardines (we were a party of 5 at a table that would have barely seated 2 comfortably), and awesome atmosphere. The okonomiyaki was not the best that I’ve had but it hit the spot. We were pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived and we did not have to sign away our firstborn children.
Would highly recommend, but only if you have a good tolerance for long waits and crowded tables.

I have been going here since 2012, and it’s for that secret Japanese gangsta vibe plus the extensive sake menu.
I love coming here in the wintertime because it is so fun to descend from the icy street to the warm, dark bar for hot sake and yakitori. This is a great place to spend a couple hours over a bottle of sake and some appetizers with 1 – 3 other people, though the seating is pretty crowded and not so conducive to comfort for fat-​bottomed girls.

I’m pretty much the furthest thing from a barfly but I’d happily make a stop at this place every day.
First of all, because I can’t get enough of the vibe in there… dark, grungy (but not dirty), with Japanese lanterns and sexy lighting. I feel like I’m on a set for some sort of Japanese film noir scene.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, I could probably come in every day and try a different sake each time and be happy most times. There’s a loooong list to choose from. Do you prefer Junmai? Honjozo? Ginjo? Daiginjo? Unfiltered? Not sure what any of those words mean? Me neither, but that’s how they’re split up on the menu and now I feel like a sake connoisseur.
You will wait, as you will in pretty much every bar in the area, if you go at a busy time on a Friday or Saturday evening. But don’t limit yourself — venture out in the middle of the week and check it out when it’s not so crowded. You’re in New York City, for goodness sake — get a little wild and drink a little sake!

The highlight of an incredible New Year’s Eve, Decibel is the place we wanted to spend the evening. The restaurant is only open in the evenings, with guests invited in by an old, radio «On Air» sign lit outside. We traveled down steep and narrow stairs to the basement bar, where a hostess led us under a hemp rope to a dining area. The dining area is dark – almost entirely lit by two paper lanterns – and intimate. Short banquette booths line basement with small tables with space for two tightly hugging the walls. Sharpie marker and sticker graffiti adorn the walls, windows, and ceiling. The shelves are lined with bottles of sake. With every step into the izakaya tavern, we felt further transported away from New York.
Decibel features about the most impressive sake selection that I have seen in a bar its size, though the list also included cocktails, beer, shochu, and traditional plum wine. We split a bottle of sake rather than sample several, and our server was delighted to heat the libation (and reheat as needed). The menu was tapas style, fitting the informal tavern theme. We ordered in phases while cherishing the rice wine, with takowasa (cold octopus in wasabi), edemame shumai (dumplings), and unagi (eel) as particular highlights. We ordered the unagi on three separate occasions, as the steamed fish with tare sauce melted in our mouths.
A few warnings for the potentially unadventurous guest, Decibel does not appear handicapped accessible with a narrow and steep staircase leading to an exterior basement door. Sorry Aunt Myrtle. And even with the outside temperatures freezing, it does become incredibly warm in the back, particularly as the den fills up. All said, we will certainly return on our next visit to Little Tokyo.

My best sake– here
My best party– here
My best sashimi– here
what else do you need?)))
I used to come here and now when friends come visit me here in NYC from other parts of the world this place is one of the check-​points when i show them my lovely city.

Yes, this place is crowded. Yes, it’s tiny. Yes, it’s noisy. But it is so, SO WORTH IT!
This is the place for all sake connoisseurs and just plain novices. Don’t worry, you won’t get wasted it. The waiters are very pro with matching sake selections with appropriate appetizers. This is a true New York spot.

You know when you have friends come in front out of town and they say «Show me cool NYC, where New Yorkers go?» This is exactly the place to impress them with! Sake Bar Decibel is totally the indie movie spot of NYC. It’s underground and pretty tiny. Low ceilings. Walls covered in drawings and writing. It’s just so cool!
If you don’t like sake it’s no problem you can drink beer or just eat! The staff is friendly and the whole vibe just feels so good. Go go go!
Tip: definitely a place to impress a date with.

ORDER THE FOOD YOU DRUNK PEASANTS!
Seriously the faire here is some of the best I’ve had outside of that giant-​filthy-​continent to the east.

Great place for sake and small plates. No house sake however. otherwise I highly recommend checking this place out with friend or a date.

Super cool spot! Kinda divey but not dirty or rough feeling. I came here recently with a girlfriend around 9 pm on a Wednesday night and it was packed. We got the last two seats at the bar. The seating is definitely cramped over there, especially when you have purses/​bookbags and coats, but it’s totally fine. The bar has a front area where I suppose they just prepare drinks and such, and a rope blocking you off from entering the main area on your own. From going down the stairs to an unmarked door and then entering this area, just getting into the bar was a fun and exclusive feeling experience.
The main area is a pretty small room, with booths and tables for two. It’s loud, but not so loud that you have to shout. The outskirts of the room are dark, but the bar area is well lit. There are cute Japanese decorations on the shelves in the bar, but not much décor other than that. The service is quick and friendly. My friend got a beer and I got the plum wine on ice. The wine was delicious! Slightly sweet and strong. Prices are fine too. We didn’t get food but it smelled really good.
I’m definitely in a phase of checking out hidden spots and speakeasy type places around the city, so I loved this place! It was really fun and laid back. I’ve never had anything like that wine, either. So good!

Dope spot! Awesome vibes and Cho is the man! It’s underground so prepared to walk down some stairs when you enter. The curry is very good, the snacks are also very good!
Went there as a group of 4 and it didn’t take us too long to sit. Just about the average wait time. It’s tight down there also but it’s still a good experience overall. Would definitely go back. The music is great too!

This place is old school NY. Dark and cavernous with graffiti on the walls. Untouched since the 1990’s when the East Village was still dark and dingy. I love it here, cheap sake, great snack and superior ambiance. Great loud music.

A giant sake and shochu selection plus good whiskey. Some nice snacks when you need that. What more can you ask for?
The energy in Decibel is lively and rambunctious, it’s rare that I go and we don’t end up chatting with our neighbors.

There is neither haute cuisine nor white-​glove service here; in fact, you’ll get the opposite end of the spectrum sitting next to strangers at the 5-​person bar or crammed enough in their back room to eavesdrop on your neighbors’ conversations. Yes, this is what you’re signing up for.
The five stars are for what makes up the experience of being here: its dark and loud ambiance akin to entering a Japanese underground society, their delicious street-​style food reminiscent of simpler days, and a plethora of sake to toast victories or drown your sorrows.
You have a choice of sitting at the bar or waiting for a table seat in the back. Bartenders were friendly and tried to get us to stay there, but we opted for the latter out of sheer curiosity to unveil what’s hidden behind. Portions here encourage sharing — think tapas — and it’s probably best to sample the variety. We loved their okonomiyaki and our sake of choice — MU, which had a refreshing hint of fruity sweetness (would recommend this to non-​regular sake drinkers).
This would be a perfect date place if you don’t mind the loudness. I found the atmosphere very intimate and their lantern lighting quite romantic. Not ideal for large groups, though you’ll surely feel like you’re part of a secret here.

This sake bar came highly recommended so I went with my travel buddy one day. We’re both from Boston where there is only one izakaya as of press time, let alone any legit sake bars that aren’t affiliated with sushi. We’re also not into punk rock, but this is indeed a punk rock bar. That being said, this was a new experience for the both of us.
One of the features that I really love is writing on the walls. Every inch is covered and some of the writings are interesting – or they can be after a few drinks – and it’s funny how you can see a lot of them despite it being extremely dark inside. Of course the noise level in this place is insane but that’s to be expected in a punk rock sake bar, so please don’t come here thinking you’ll have a heart-​to-​heart personal conversation with anyone.
They have an extensive list of sakes available. Me being me, ordered an umeshu on the rocks instead of choosing a junmai like my travel buddy. We then split an okonomiyaki and unagi. It was okay, nothing memorable. If you want more and better food, feel free to swing around to the izakayas around that area. However, if you’re looking for a one-​of-​a-​kind bar to just drink and not talk/​listen, this is your place.

While I was waiting for the surrealism to wear off and Harrison Ford’s character from «Blade Runner» to step out of the shadows of this underground bar, I was very entertained by the scene of this Japanese-​meets-​East Village sake bar. It was very crowded for any place at nearly 2AM as I noted its extensive array of sake and the servers who darted in and out of the shadows.
As I didn’t know what to order, I asked our server to guide us through the menu and introduce us to what made the venue famous. It was a similar request to Omakase, or the chef’s choice. The sake that appeared was exceptional and the sides of seared tuna were very good with our large glasses.
In parting from the venue, the manager suggested we return on a quieter night to explore the menu deeply. We agreed with his suggestion as the stairs in front of us appeared to be moving before us as our path into the foggy reality of the East Village would vanish shortly.

This place is so unique and adorable, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s an underground Japanese sake bar that is loud, fun, and grungy. The first time I came here, I was taken aback at the graffiti walls and grunge-​like interior. The second, third, fourth, fifth, etc… (you get the picture) time I’ve been here, I’ve started to appreciate its uniqueness and the fact that everyone comes here for a good time and to drink.
I personally love coming here both in groups and with just the bf for sake. Don’t hesitate to ask the server if you’re overwhelmed by all of the sake options. Otherwise, do like me and read the sake descriptions and be surprised!

I’ve been here three times and I STILL haven’t remembered to bring a writing utensil.
Guess I’ll just have to go back.
As others have said, Decibel is a «punk rock sake bar». It feels like something out of Bladerunner. It’s dark, loud, crowded, and every inch of wall and ceiling has been written on. This makes for endless entertainment, because humans are interesting.
You enter Decibel by going down some barely-​marked stairs, where you enter the waiting room. This area is quite small. If you’re lucky, you’ll be led into the back, and the first time you do this is like stepping into another (rather intense) world.
The food and drinks are extremely authentic, as far as I can tell. Which means I don’t know what anything is, but that’s half the fun. The sake list is overwhelming. They’re divided into categories, and I recommend trying some from each– I had no idea how much sake can vary! Food is delicious, though pretty pricey and small portions. When I had dinner here I had to order more then I expected.
The space is small and it gets very crowded, especially on weekends. This is a great place for a date or maybe a couple friends, but definitely not a big group.

Came here for date night after the line at upstate was out of control. We didn’t really know what the food situation was going to be but it was pretty good
Drinks were delicious. The sake menu was out of control. We didn’t even know where to start so we just went for the cocktails. The lychee martini was woooonderful
Food:
— tofu was very light and flavorful. The bonito flakes
On top made it look alive
— scallops had some outer meat on it which made them look and taste weird but if you took it off they were great
— okinomo was great, my favorite dish
— salmon burger thing was disgusting. It was pew frozen prepackaged and microwaved to heat up and boy did it taste like it
Place is really small so it’s hard to go with a big group
Final word:
Come here for the atmosphere (you’ll feel like you’re the hippest person in nyc) and the drinks but the food is not worth it

I think I’ve cracked the mystery of Decibel. It’s a punk rock sake bar. There’s nothing refined or elegant or delicate about Decibel. It’s down and dirty and fun. The music changes nightly based on the bartender and sometimes it’s amazing (Sho) and sometimes it’s skullsplittingly annoying (name withheld to protect the guilty). But it’s always fun. The energy is palpable as soon as the back room fills up. It’s definitely the only sake bar where I’ve seen sorority girls ready to drop the gloves and start swinging. And you’re just as likely to see a celebrity at the table next to you as you are a co-​ed and her boyfriend. The sake list is huge, the shochu list is improving, and they’ve got some Japanese whiskeys. They should have draft beer, but they don’t. Sadly. Let’s keep asking for it and maybe eventually they’ll put in a tap or two.
As for the food, a careful exploration of the menu has given me an appreciation for a few things. The skate fin, soba salad, and curry rice are all solid. But this isn’t a place you go to eat. It’s a place you go to drink, laugh, listen to funky music, and sometimes get into a row with the table next to you. All in good fun.
Kampai!

If there is such a thing as underground sake dive bar, Sake Bar Decibel is it.
With some qualifiers. Although the place has a dark and grungy vibe, it is actually nicer than a typical dive bar would be. It almost has an aura of mystery. Also, the prices are definitely higher here. The place is fairly well hidden, I certainly wouldn’t have found it on my own.
We sat at the bar and grabbed sake. I don’t know too much about sake, so I had to defer to suggestions. I tried the yuzu sake, which was quite light and almost too sweet, and another sake that supposedly had notes of strawberries. It was very refreshing and clean. The service was friendly and quick. Nice place to go somewhere different.

This is by far the coolest Sake bar in Manhattan. It reminds me of some of the underground bars I visited in Tokyo. They have a nice selection of veggie appetizers that you can munch on while sipping on your cold or hot Sake. They also serve many popular Japanese beers.
They get extremely busy on weekends so you may wait a few minutes to be seated but well worth the wait. This is a great place to have some drinks before dinner or simply a cool place to start off your night.