Robertson Quay Izakaya: 8 Japanese Spots for Drinks, Dinner and One More Round

What Makes a Japanese Restaurant Feel Like an Izakaya?

Robertson Quay after dark has a particular pull. Riverside lights, clinking glasses, the smell of something hitting a grill.

So where do you actually go?

Here is the honest truth: Robertson Quay does not have eight classic, old-school izakayas lined up along the water. Some longtime favourites are gone, too. Shunjuu Izakaya was one of the area’s better-known charcoal-grill spots for years, but it is now permanently closed.

So I am not padding this list or pretending.

Instead, I have ranked the strongest genuine izakayas first, then the best izakaya-style Japanese spots around the quay. That means late-night sushi bars, charcoal-grill specialists and Wagyu dinners, all with that drink-friendly, share-everything energy.

Each place earns its spot for a different reason.

Here is where I would go, what I would order, and the kind of night each one suits best.

And if Robertson Quay is only one option on the table tonight, Best Izakaya Singapore has my wider Singapore shortlist for figuring out where the next round should actually happen.

Opening Hours: Pick Your Timing

Hours shift, so double-check before you head out.

1. Mikoto: Best Izakaya Singapore Pick for Traditional Japanese Cuisine

The walk there: Fort Canning MRT, roughly 10 to 15 minutes on foot
What I would budget: Around S$40 to S$80 per person, depending on how heavily you lean into sashimi and drinks
Why it made my list: If you came here specifically searching for a Robertson Quay izakaya, Mikoto is the clearest answer.

Want the real thing? Start here.

Mikoto is the cleanest match for “Robertson Quay izakaya” on this whole list. It is a Japanese-style izakaya with a menu that changes daily, built for locals and Japanese expats alike.

The food covers serious ground: sashimi, tempura, soba and udon, grilled dishes and plenty of small plates.

The extensive menu moves between traditional Japanese cuisine, fresh seafood and hot dishes, so the table can build gradually rather than around one main.

Think Miso Cheese (S$7), Corn Tempura (S$7), Takokara (S$9) and Fried Aji (S$12) to start. Then go bigger with Pork Kimchi (S$14), Champon (S$18) or the Wagyu Harami Steak (S$25).

Wash it all down with sake, shochu, beer or a highball.

Diners rave about the fresh sashimi, raw oysters, Chicken Nanban and that casual, almost-in-Japan feel. It is traditional izakaya cuisine without much fuss.

And from Friday to Sunday, it runs until 3am.

Dangerous? Maybe.

Fun? Absolutely.

• The night it suits: Friends passing plates around, sake drinkers and anyone chasing something close to a traditional izakaya evening.
• When I would look elsewhere: When I want a spacious dining room or a huge fixed menu. Mikoto is small, and diners also mention an otoshi-style compulsory appetiser charge.
• The move: Do not walk in and immediately order from memory. Ask about the daily specials. That rotating board is where Mikoto gets interesting.

2. MoboMoga: Fresh Seafood, Premium Sake and an Intimate Setting

The short detour: 207 River Valley Road at UE Square, just beside the Robertson Quay dining stretch
What I would budget: Around S$35 to S$70 per person, depending on how far you go into the sake list and larger dishes
Why it made my list: MoboMoga gives you the small-room, sake-first side of izakaya dining better than almost anywhere else around the quay.

Okay, technically it is on River Valley Road.

But it is steps from Robertson Quay and, honestly, I could not leave it off.

MoboMoga is the sake-bar take on the izakaya experience here: intimate, slightly tucked away and built around good drinks with food that knows how to keep up.

The intimate setting suits diners who want premium sake, sashimi and a slower dining experience.

Start with the Chicken Karaage with Yuzu Pepper (S$12) and the Crab Cream Croquette with Salmon Roe (S$18).

Then add a few sticks of tsukune, some Shizuoka-style oden and a sashimi platter.

Going for rolls? The Tuna & Egg-Yolk Sushi Roll (S$28) and Seafood Sushi Roll (S$30) are the bigger orders. The Mini Three-Kind Don (S$35) covers whoever arrived genuinely hungry, and the Sake Cake Ice Cream (S$12) is a very convincing way to finish.

What I like here is the scale.

It feels cosy rather than staged, and when the room is working well, the sake, snacks and conversation all fall into the same rhythm.

The downside is obvious: it gets snug quickly.

• The night it suits: Sake enthusiasts, couples and small groups who would rather linger over drinks than shout across a large table.
• When I would look elsewhere: When I am bringing a big group or want somewhere spacious and easy to book through the usual reservation platforms.
• The move: Ask what sake is open that evening instead of getting stuck on a particular bottle before you arrive. The rotating selection is part of the fun.

3. Kanpai 789: Riverside View, Bar Bites and a Lively Atmosphere

The riverside stop: 86 Robertson Quay, right on the dining stretch
What I would budget: Roughly S$20 to S$70 per person, with drinks making the biggest difference
Why it made my list: Not because it is the most traditional izakaya here, but because few places on the quay handle a loud, drink-heavy group night better.

Is it a purist izakaya?

Nope.

Is it possibly the most fun you will have on the quay with a big crew?

Very possibly.

Kanpai 789 runs on social energy. There is riverside seating, sake, Japanese whisky, creative cocktails and a menu that happily wanders beyond Japan.

There is riverside seating, sake, Japanese whisky, inventive cocktails and straightforward bar bites, all wrapped in a lively atmosphere.

Kurobuta tonkatsu and maze soba can sit beside Thai dishes and straightforward bar bites without anyone pretending this is a temple of traditional Japanese cooking.

That is not really why you come.

The real hook is the drinking.

Selected drinks start from S$4 at 4pm, then S$5 at 5pm, climbing as the evening goes on.

Show up early and your wallet will notice the difference.

This is one of those places where the table can accidentally stay another two hours because someone orders another round and nobody particularly objects.

• The crowd it works for: Groups of friends, happy-hour drinkers and anyone who wants the river in front of them while the table gets progressively louder.
• When the mood is wrong: When I want careful Japanese craftsmanship, a quiet conversation or an old-school izakaya feel.
• The move: Time your first round around the early happy-hour window. It changes the economics of the whole evening.

4. Maguro Samurai, Robertson Quay

The walk there: Fort Canning MRT is the practical station for this stretch of Robertson Quay
What I would budget: Around S$90 to S$100 per person for a fuller sushi or sashimi dinner
Why it made my list: Sometimes the night is not about skewers or charcoal. Sometimes you just want tuna, and Maguro Samurai gives that craving somewhere to go.

Not every izakaya-style night needs yakitori.

Sometimes you just want tuna.

Lots of it.

That is Maguro Samurai‘s lane.

It is a sushi-led Japanese restaurant with an izakaya-adjacent feel, and maguro is very clearly the star. Expect sushi, sashimi and omakase-style options rather than a table filled with grilled skewers.

This is one of the looser izakaya fits on the list, but it earns its place because Robertson Quay evenings do not always follow neat categories.

If the group wants sake and raw fish rather than charcoal smoke, this is the shift in direction.

I will be straight with you, though: feedback is not universally glowing. Some diners praise the sushi quality, fish selection and omakase value, while others have questioned whether the execution consistently matches the price.

That matters more when you are spending close to S$100 per person.

• The craving it answers: Tuna, sushi, sashimi and a seafood-led dinner that still fits naturally into a Robertson Quay night.
• When I would hesitate: When value is the priority, or when the whole reason for going out is yakitori, charcoal and hot shared plates.
• The move: Try the lunch session first if you are curious. It is an easier way to get a read on the kitchen before making dinner the main event.

5. TEN Sushi & Bar, The Quayside

The walk there: Fort Canning MRT, roughly 15 minutes on foot
What I would budget: Around S$30 to S$80 per person, depending on how ambitious the sashimi order becomes
Why it made my list: Because finding Japanese food you actually want to eat at 1am is a very specific problem, and TEN solves it.

Midnight hits.

Everyone is hungry.

Now what?

TEN Sushi & Bar, that is what.

It opens from 6pm until 3am daily, which makes it ridiculously useful in any Robertson Quay nightlife plan.

To be clear, it is a sushi bar rather than a traditional yakitori izakaya. But when the evening has already stretched beyond dinner hours, definitions suddenly matter a lot less than whether somebody can put good sashimi in front of you.

The menu keeps things straightforward: assorted sashimi, sushi, unagi roll, salmon roll, tamago roll and Japanese oysters.

The raw side of the menu is where I would stay.

Diners consistently praise the sushi and sashimi, along with the relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. Orders tend to arrive quickly too, which is exactly what you want when dinner has somehow become supper.

• The hour it was made for: Night owls, late dinners and the moment somebody says, “Should we get food?” after midnight.
• When I would choose somewhere else: When cooked dishes are the main event rather than sushi and sashimi.
• The move: Keep the order focused on raw fish. That is where TEN makes the strongest case for itself, especially late at night.

6. Aburiya: Charcoal-Grilled Wagyu With a Riverside View

The walk there: Fort Canning MRT, about 15 minutes on foot
What I would budget: Around S$50 to S$100+ per person, depending on the Wagyu cuts and drinks
Why it made my list: Robertson Quay is not only about sashimi and sake. Aburiya earns its place when the night needs charcoal, Wagyu and something everyone can gather around.

Want to cook your own Wagyu over charcoal while the river glows outside?

Say less.

Aburiya is not a traditional izakaya. It is a Japanese yakiniku restaurant, and a strong one.

The concept is simple: Japanese Wagyu, charcoal at the table, drinks alongside it and a Robertson Quay setting that makes the whole thing feel properly social.

The focus is on charcoal-grilled meat rather than yakitori skewers, with the grill itself becoming part of the meal.

This is the table I would choose when everyone wants meat and nobody wants dinner to feel overly formal.

For lighter plates between the beef, there is the Aburiya Salad (S$14), Gyu-Shabu Salad (S$14), Wagyu Sujinegi (S$9) and Yasai Mori (S$14).

But honestly, come here for the Wagyu.

That is the point.

• The table it suits: Couples, friends and groups who want the cooking itself to become part of the evening.
• When I would skip it: When seafood is the priority or when I really want the shared-small-plates rhythm of a classic izakaya.
• The move: Keep the order meat-focused and do not arrive too close to closing. Last orders come earlier than the late-night spots on this list.

7. Unagiya Ichinoji: Traditional Techniques and Binchotan-Grilled Eel

The walk there: Fort Canning MRT is the practical station for this stretch
What I would budget: Around S$30 to S$60 per person for an unagi-led meal, with Wagyu and additional dishes pushing the bill higher
Why it made my list: That smoky binchotan-grilled eel gives Robertson Quay something completely different from the sushi bars and drinking spots around it.

Craving smoky, glossy eel?

This is your place.

Unagiya Ichinoji is another izakaya-style alternative rather than a textbook drinking-house izakaya, but its charcoal cooking earns it a place here.

Grilled items are cooked to order over binchotan charcoal, and that matters most when the unagi arrives.

The signatures are the Unagi Hitsumabushi and Scallop and Unagi Hitsumabushi, alongside charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef and seasonal Japanese dishes.

The restaurant offers seasonal Japanese dishes alongside its eel and Wagyu, so the menu can shift beyond the core signatures.

This is not the restaurant I would choose when I want a table covered in twelve tiny plates.

It is the one I would choose when a properly grilled main dish is the reason for dinner.

The fact that it opens for lunch also gives it a different role from almost everything above it.

One thing to remember: made-to-order charcoal cooking takes time.

That is not necessarily a bad thing.

Just do not arrive expecting a rushed meal.

• The meal it suits: Unagi cravings, family meals, slower lunches and anyone who appreciates charcoal cooking more than nightlife.
• When patience runs thin: When everyone is in a hurry or wants food arriving almost immediately.
• The move: Give the kitchen time. If you are ordering the unagi, rushing the meal rather defeats the point.

<h2id=”wagyu” >8. Wagyu Aburiya: Steak & Sukiyaki, The Quayside

The walk there: Fort Canning MRT, around 15 minutes on foot
What I would budget: S$100+ per person is realistic once premium Wagyu, sides and drinks enter the picture
Why it made my list: This is the one for when Robertson Quay dinner stops being casual and becomes the actual occasion.

Celebrating something?

Here is your treat-yourself pick.

Wagyu Aburiya is the loosest izakaya fit on this list, so let us call it what it is: a premium Japanese meat dinner with drinks by the river.

The menu revolves around Kagoshima Wagyu, moving from hot-stone steak and Wagyu gyukatsu to sukiyaki and Wagyu burgers.

It is indulgent, meat-heavy and much more occasion-driven than Mikoto or MoboMoga.

That distinction is important.

You are not coming here for cheap highballs and a dozen small plates.

You are coming because somebody has decided dinner itself deserves a little more money and attention.

There are caveats at this price. Some diners have questioned the value of particular cuts, and outdoor seating can get warm once hot-stone cooking enters the equation.

At S$100 or more per person, those details matter.

• The occasion it suits: Birthdays, dates, small celebrations and nights when premium Wagyu is the actual plan.
• When I would save the money: When all I really want is a casual izakaya, cheap drinks or a spontaneous night by the river.
• The move: Book ahead and ask for indoor seating if that matters to you. Singapore heat plus hot-stone Wagyu can become a lot very quickly.
• The places that work best here feel like more than just a restaurant. You remember the room, the drinks and who you were sharing the table with.

Additional Information:

Why Neon Pigeon Is No Longer on Robertson Quay?

Fair question.

Neon Pigeon is still close enough to come up in the same conversation, but it has moved. The restaurant is now at 36 Carpenter Street near Clarke Quay, within the wider Singapore River area, so I would not count it as a Robertson Quay spot.

This guide sticks to Robertson Quay and the immediate area around it. So other names in Singapore’s izakaya scene, including Neon Pigeon, Shukuu Izakaya and Public Izakaya, as well as the Japanese dining clusters around Fortune Centre, Cuppage Plaza and Tanjong Pagar, are not competing for places here.

Different neighbourhoods, different nights, different guides.

So, Where Would I Actually Go?

• If you want the closest thing to a classic Robertson Quay izakaya, start with Mikoto. Order from the daily board, get a drink in front of you and let the table build itself from there.
• For sake and a smaller, more intimate room, I would go to MoboMoga.
• When the whole group wants cheap drinks and riverside energy, Kanpai 789 makes far more sense than forcing everyone into a tiny traditional bar.
• Maguro Samurai is the tuna detour.
• TEN Sushi & Bar is the answer when the night has somehow reached 1am and nobody ate enough earlier.
• For charcoal-grilled meat, choose Aburiya. For smoky eel cooked over binchotan, head to Unagiya Ichinoji.
• And when dinner itself is the celebration, Wagyu Aburiya is the splurge.

That is the thing about Robertson Quay.

Different izakayas cater to different kinds of nights. Sometimes you want sake and a tiny counter. Sometimes you want the river, a big group and another round.

And when the question is bigger than Robertson Quay, where to find izakayas in Singapore for sake, shared plates and late-night drinks is where I would widen the search.

Its Japanese dining scene is not one neat row of textbook izakayas, and I actually think the area is more useful because of that. You can start with sake and small plates, move towards charcoal and meat, then end the night with sushi when somebody inevitably gets hungry again.

Pick the place that matches the night you actually want.

The river can handle the rest.