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.
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.
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!
Jan 23, 2026
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Lovely restaurant with good food, great service & nice vibe. We went here as a group of 8, there was plenty of space & we got to try many different dishes since we shared. The side portions were pretty good & food was delicious. We tried 5 sides, & 4 were very good, 1 was ok. I have also tried their sashimi & I gotta say the portion was bigger than I expected & the salmon was very fresh. As for main meals, the portionns were generous & everyone seemed satisfied. I would definitely recommend & will come back again.
Friendly & nice staff but slow service.
Food was hit & miss - some dishes were really good while others were a bit underwhelming for what you'd expect.
Good food overall but while I had one of the best dishes I've ever had here, I also had one of the worst.
The best: Kamo Chahan
It's duck confit fried rice with several amazing toppings & it's really, REALLY good. It was some of the best flavours I've ever experienced. I would (& will) come back here just for that.
The worst: Ramen Kamo
Genuinely one of the most disgusting things I've ever tasted. This is ramen that has duck bacon, duck confit, a soy-marinated soft-boiled egg, gai lan & marinated shiitake & it's all in a shoyu broth. The noodles were undercooked (or maybe the kind that they use are naturally rubbery no matter how much you cook them) which was already bad but the real problem is the broth; it's sour & just awful tasting. By far the worst broth I've ever had the displeasure of slurping on. The ramen toppings are fine but, unfortunately, since they all have to bathe in that broth, the whole dish suffers. This also happened to be the last thing I ate so it unfortunately put a real damper on an otherwise enjoyable experience.
The gochujang karaage & furaido poteto were both good. Not great, but good.
As for the restaurant itself: absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous decor & comfortable seating.
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!
Nov 24, 2025
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The food was incredible. Our server shared popular dishes to try & we were so pleased with the recommendations. Highly recommended. The vibe & ambiance makes for a fun, elevated dining experience.
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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.
After trying several courses . I could definitely tell the chief is from China . All the dishes taste like Chinese flavored rather than Japanese . Service is good & the food is not reach my expectations
The cocktails were good but the food was very average. All the dishes were high in fat. The signature menu didn't have any signature. I ate almost nothing. The service was nice & friendly.
Sep 24, 2025
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Came for the first time with a friend before we went to see a show at place des arts. Great service, explained everything as we decided to share food. Even suggested that we hold off on a few items as we picked a lot & could still order more later if we required.
Food was delicious, enjoyed all the dishes, our favorites were the pork ribs & green beans.
Had a GREAT dinner at Iru Izakaya & highly recommend. Our meal was absolutely delicious & our staff super attentive & friendly. The only complaint was that my stomach wasn't big enough to try more dishes - lol! Highly recommend the Kimchee Cha Han = yummy!!
