Iru Izakaya is widely praised for its vibrant, neon-lit atmosphere and modern Japanese lounge vibe that makes the place feel festive and welcoming. The food is described as delicious and diverse, with generous portions and standout items across sushi, sashimi, and tapas-style plates, and many guests especially enjoy the discovery or tasting menus that showcase creativity and bold flavors, along with mains like ramen and duck fried rice in some cases. The beverage program is a major highlight, featuring inventive cocktails and highly regarded sake pairings, and sake bombs are often singled out, with attentive service at the bar and tables. Some reviews note loud music and crowds can be noisy, and a few point to busy nights, occasional delays in the kitchen, or dishes that miss the mark, such as ramen lacking depth or certain items being overly salted or pricey. Overall, the experience is regarded as memorable and worth the price for celebrations, group dinners, or romantic evenings, with many saying they would return and recommend the restaurant to friends.
Un peu overpriced. On a pris le menu a 50$/personne, ce qui fait 6 tapas à partager à 2, pour 100$ au total. Overall un peu déçue, je pense pas y revenir. Si jamais je reviens je commanderai à la carte.
1e service : mauvais
- 5 gyoza whatever, ceux du Costco sont meilleurs sérieux
- peau de poulet frit : pas aimé du tout, on dirait qu'ils ont pas voulu s'embêter a faire du karaage parce que c'est dur, fait qu'ils ont pris des peaux de poulet a la place. Dipping edamame OK
2e service : pas mal
- choux fleurs frits sauce gochujang : j'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé !
- 2 brochettes de boeuf : pas mal, mais c'est pas trop mon truc
3e service : vraiment bon !
- morue avec sauce au miso : super bon, poisson bien cuit. Manque un peu de sel. La sauce est bien salée mais c'est difficile à doser
- riz frit au canard : c'était bon! C'est le plat qui nous a rempli le ventre pour être honnête, sinon on allait partir en ayant encore faim.
Cocktails :
Ko kitsune : bien aimé ! La tranche de peau de pamplemousse fait vraiment une différence, je recommande
Shiso old fashioned : trop fort, c'est quasi comme un shot mais en un peu plus gros. C'est pas trop ce que j'aime personnellement
Déco : super cool, c'est le point fort de cet izakaya !
Très bon service dans une ambiance moderne avec tous ses néons. Les côtelettes de porc croustillantes étaient vraiment succulentes ainsi que la brochette de boeuf & le riz frit au porc & Kimchi. Les gyozas au boeuf étaient bons mais manquaient un peu de punch. Le cocktail Zenraimu & la crème brûlée au matcha furent bien appréciés. Une belle expérience!
Mar 31, 2026
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Wow!!!! Service extraordinaire & personnalisé de la part de Vincent! Drôle, charismatique, il connait son menu ⭐?💫✨& que dire du cocktail aux bananes : de type miam.
Great place with good vibes & delicious food. I didn't like my seat tho ,but love the high top seats. The cocktail Tokotai was perfect & sake on point .
Notre serveuse était Laurence (je vous la recommande ). Elle a amener de l'énergie au shaker boom. Les huître était incroyable & leur nouille aussi. Nos cocktail était esquissé,comme je les aimes. Je vous recommande ce restaurent pour des gros groupe
Loved this place. The cocktail was great. The mabodofu yummy, with mushrooms. The trio sushi is so fresh. The cheesecake beautiful presentation & light. Great service 😀
Feb 22, 2026
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We visited Iru Izakaya on Sunday for a family dinner & opted for the tasting menu along with several of their specialty cocktails. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience with a lot of strengths.
The tasting menu offered a wide variety of dishes, beautifully presented & packed with flavour. Many of the plates leaned toward fried preparations - everything was absolutely delicious on the palate, though a few courses did leave my stomach feeling a little heavy by the end of the evening. That said, the creativity & boldness of flavours were undeniable.
The cocktails were exceptional - easily one of the highlights of the night. Thoughtfully crafted, balanced, & memorable.
One detail I truly appreciated was the bilingual service. Our server seamlessly switched between English & French depending on who they were speaking to. As someone who is English-only dining with family members who are exclusively French (including our older mother), that level of attentiveness & inclusion meant a lot.
The only drawback was timing toward the end of the evening. The staff appeared quite busy, & although we would have happily ordered another round of drinks, we ultimately left earlier than planned.
That said, this place absolutely has the makings of a great establishment. With its vibrant atmosphere, strong cocktail program, & inclusive service, we would certainly consider returning.
Belle soirée, la nourriture excellente! Le service est correct, mais c'était plein à craquer & le staff faisait tout leur possible pour y arriver, peut être un manque de personnel. Très bruyant & la musique vraiment mauvaise, forte & nuit à l'ambiance. Les gros ++ la nourriture & cocktails! J'y retournerais
Amazing night spent here for my friend's bday with such accommodating staff. They immediately sat us upon our early arrival, had perfect timing for ordering & checking up on us. My water was filled regularly & dirty dishes were always cleared quickly. Waiter was professional, friendly & very generous making the night extra special. Sake bombs, salmon taco maki & especially takoyaki are must tries, such tasty seafood. Wonderful cocktails as well! Thanks to all the staff & kitchen, will be coming back for celebratory nights!
Une superbe découverte! Mon cocktail était goûteux & frais. & nous avons pris le menu découverte & goûté à plusieurs tapas & tout mais tout était excellent. Je vais revenir!!
Jan 10, 2026
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Service incroyable au bar, Hugo, Antoine & Mike, se sont assurés de nous faire un menu sur mesure, accord mets & cocktails en route plus. On venait ici pour elle menu & on revient pour l'ambiance & le menu.
Super beau restaurant. Belle ambiance & belle déco! J'étais assis au bar ; c'était agréable de voir les employé.es préparer les drinks & le contact avec les serveurs étaient simple.
J'adore les brasseries japonaises inspirées de la tradition « izakaya », mais j'ai malheureusement été déçue par celle-ci.
Les portions sont très généreuses & les prix raisonnables, mais les goûts pas toujours au rendez-vous. Sur 5 plats, je peux dire que j'en ai vraiment aimé 2. Je ne suis pas difficile, mais le riz frit au canard était très décevant. Le goût ne représentait pas bien les saveurs japonaises selon moi & le canard était tellement en minuscules morceaux que même en le cherchant, je n'arrivais pas à le trouver. Le serveur a amené un extra ce qui était une belle attention.
Les goûts étaient donc, selon moi, pas super relevés, pas impressionnants ; je suis épicurienne & je ne disais pas « wow » à chaque bouchée comme il m'est déjà arrivé à d'autres restaurants de ce style.
Les cocktails étaient super bons.
Belle expérience en général, mais pas pour les goûts.
Had an amazing experience at Iru. We chose the $70 special menu & were impressed by how many different seafood dishes we got to try. Everything was tasty & we left with a full belly. Our server also happened to be the creator of the cocktails, so the drink recommendations were spot-on & what we like. Highly recommend!
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We arrived at 6:30pm & were done by 7:15pm. There's fast service, & then there's what we got! The food came out so quickly that we barely had a chance to enjoy our cocktails before dishes started landing on the table. It really felt like everything was pre-prepared & simply reheated or re-fried.
That said, the food itself was fine, & we'll definitely come back. The highlights were the karaage, the ribs, & the beef on the hot plate - all delicious. The beef gyozas & crab croquettes, however, could have used more flavor.
Overall, a good spot, but I wish they'd slow things down just a bit so we can enjoy the experience more.
Nov 13, 2025
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A Great Place to Discover Authentic Japanese Cuisine & Sake.
Great spot to enjoy original Japanese food & good sake.
I decided to go for the experience menu. I was genuinely surprised by the creativity behind each course. Every dish offered a unique culinary experience.
The service was great as well. The staff aimed to provide the best recommendations for cocktails & sake to enhance the overall experience.
Une première à la succursale de Montréal. Bonne ambiance, bonne bouffe. N'oubliez pas les cocktails signatures & si vous avez le temps prenez le menu experience. Vous ne le regretterez pas
We went there on a Wednesday night so we didn't need a reservation but for the weekend I would recommend one.
The service was top-notch from the start to the end. In addition, the place is well decorated & has a nice atmosphere.
Regarding the food & drinks, we had mixed feelings; some were hits (like the dessert 5/5 & appetizers) but the main courses & cocktails were pretty average.
We haven't tasted everything so we still want to go back & overall we had a great time.
Happened to walk by this place while visiting Montreal & settled on here for dinner - with zero regrets. This was hands down the best'first time' experience I've had as a patron. Anand was our server & provided top tier service. He went above & beyond to make our experience enjoyable. The atmosphere was clean, fun & gorgeous. The food was nothing short of fantastic & was served quickly. Cocktails at our servers recommendation were also amazing! Definitely a must try when you're in the area
