There’s a stretch of Tanjong Pagar that only really breathes after six.
The office lights start to dim. Collars loosen. And the side streets — Craig Road, Enggor Street, the quiet corner near Tras Link, fill with the low hum of people who’ve decided the day can wait a little longer.
We’ve spent more evenings there than we’d care to admit. Over the past year, we kept circling back to the same handful of izakayas, ordering one more skewer, one more pour of sake or shochu, staying past the point of being sensible. Not because they were trending. Because each one held onto something: a flavour, a feeling, a small ritual, that made us want to return.
If your idea of a good Japanese drinking night includes wandering beyond Tanjong Pagar, our list of izakayas in Fortune Centre is a good next read — especially if you’re always searching for the best izakaya experiences, from hidden upstairs bars and umeshu rooms to small places that only start making sense after the first drink.
1. Niningashi (Craig Road) – Tanjong Pagar Food Favourite for Yakitori and Sashimi
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (3–4 min walk)
Price: Around S$35–S$60 per person. Small plates and drinking snacks can start below S$10, sashimi and grilled dishes raise the spend, and sake or free-flow drinks will push the final bill higher.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, evenings; closed Sun
This is the one we send people to first. Not because it’s the most unusual, but because it gets the fundamentals right: sashimi that tastes clean and fresh, including bluefin tuna and chopped tuna, skewers of juicy yakitori and pork char siew with crispy batter, and drinks that keep arriving. It sits on Craig Road, close enough to the station that you can duck in from the rain.
The colossal chicken tsukune skewer is the dish we always start with. It comes out bigger than seems reasonable: soft, savoury, the kind of tender meatball you tear apart and share without thinking. Around it we build the night: kurobuta pork belly, a whole grilled Japanese squid, a dashimaki tamago dressed with crab and ikura, and gyoza with a crispy fried garlic topping. There’s a nomihodai free-flow option too, which quietly turns a quick dinner into a long one.
We’ll be honest about the rough edge. On a packed night, the grill can slip. We once had a pork skewer arrive undercooked and sent it back; they fixed it without fuss, but it’s worth knowing the consistency dips when the room is full.
Come here when: You want after-work drinks that slowly turn into a full izakaya dinner, with sashimi, skewers, fried bites, and enough variety to keep ordering.
Maybe not if: You are looking for a quiet, polished date-night table where the room stays calm.
Order it this way: Put in your grilled orders early before the kitchen hits its rush, then pair the skewers with the free-flow option if the night is already leaning long.
2. HEARTH Irori & Oden Izakaya (Craig Road) – Public Izakaya with Edo Period-Inspired Oden and Wagyu Steak
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (5–7 min walk)
Price: Dinner omakase is around S$88 per person. Expect a higher total with drinks, add-ons, or a longer sake-led meal.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri evenings; closed Sun
A few doors down the same street, the mood changes entirely. HEARTH is built around an irori — the open hearth where food cooks slowly over charcoal; and a menu that leans into oden, the simmered comfort dish with roots from the Edo period in Japan. It’s small. It’s warm in the literal sense. And it’s helmed by Koki Miyoshi, who came from Kamoshita, which tells you the cooking is considered rather than casual.
The dinner omakase runs around S$88, and that’s how we’d approach it, let the chefs lead. We still remember a grilled rice ball with a crisp, smoky crust, fish cheek that fell apart at the chopstick, oden served piece by piece instead of dumped in a bowl, and wagyu steak that melted in the mouth. There’s also jaga mentaiko; thinly shredded potatoes baked with house-made mentaiko sauce, which is a favourite item. But it was the quieter things that stayed: the oden, the patience of it, the way the fire does the talking while you sit close enough to watch.
This isn’t a beer-and-skewers night, and it isn’t pretending to be. The pacing is slow, which is the whole point. It won’t suit a loud group, and there are age and drink policies at dinner worth checking before you book.
Best saved for: Slow date nights, small groups, and diners who enjoy oden, charcoal cooking, and dishes that arrive with patience rather than speed.
Skip this mood if: You want something cheap, fast, loud, or casual enough for a rowdy group.
Seat to ask for: Book ahead and request counter or chef-adjacent seating if available, because being close to the hearth is part of the experience.
3. Sakanatei Izakaya & Bar (Tras Link) – Casual Eatery with Fresh Seafood and Shredded Chicken Dishes
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (2–3 min walk)
Price: Public menu pricing is still limited, so budget around S$30–S$50 per person for a casual izakaya dinner with sashimi, grilled dishes, fried plates, and drinks. Call ahead if you need exact current menu prices.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri evenings; closed Sun
Tucked into the Orchid Hotel along Tras Link, Sakanatei is the newest name here, and the one we’re still getting to know. It opened recently, the kind of casual eatery that hasn’t yet collected a long trail of reviews, which is precisely why we wanted it on this list. Sometimes the early, quiet days of a restaurant are the most honest you’ll ever catch it.
The profile is classic after-work izakaya: sashimi, grilled dishes, deep fried plates with crispy batter, seafood-forward cooking, and Japanese drinks to match. For the office crowd around Tanjong Pagar — and it’s barely two minutes from the station — it sits in an easy spot for an unplanned evening. We’d steer you toward whatever sashimi or grilled seafood is freshest that day rather than a fixed signature, because that’s how a young kitchen tends to show its best self. Look for dishes featuring shredded chicken or marinated vegetables with spicy sauce.
The caveat is simple, and it cuts both ways. There isn’t much public information yet, so hours and menus may shift as the place finds its rhythm. Call before you go. We’re sharing it as a find, not a sure thing.
Go when you are feeling curious: This suits after-work diners near Tras Link who like finding a newer spot before it becomes too familiar.
Hold off if: You prefer a restaurant with plenty of reviews, fixed signatures, and a proven crowd-favourite reputation.
Smart first move: Phone ahead to confirm opening hours and ask what seafood or grilled items are best that day, then let that guide your order.
4. Nanami Izakaya (Enggor Street) – Quick Tanjong Pagar Food Stop for Noodles and Tofu
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (3–5 min walk)
Price: Around S$10–S$30 per person for a simple meal; sashimi items can sit around S$12–S$15, while diner reports commonly place lunch around S$10–S$20.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri lunch and dinner; closed Sun
Nanami is where we end up when we haven’t planned anything at all. It sits on Enggor Street, deep in the business district, and it works as easily for a rushed weekday lunch as a casual dinner. No grand concept, no theatre — just a modern izakaya doing dependable Japanese comfort food, kindly priced at around S$10–30 a head.
The Barachirashi Don is the order we keep returning to — chopped sashimi over rice, generous enough to feel like a proper meal. On colder, greyer days it’s the Beef Niku Udon, a bowl of springy noodles swimming in a rich, milky broth, topped with half a boiled egg, green onions, and mushrooms. The sashimi is cut with decent thickness, and grilled eel turns up on the menu too.
Here’s the honest part: this is convenience over atmosphere. Some diners have found the portions on the small side — particularly the rice and the eel — and we wouldn’t disagree entirely. Compared to Niningashi, there’s far less drinking-room energy here. It’s a steady everyday option rather than somewhere you’d cross town for. Treat it that way and it rarely lets you down.
Works best for: Quick Japanese lunches, casual office dinners, and easy comfort food when you do not want to over-plan.
Do not expect: A deep sake list, smoky old-school atmosphere, or the kind of izakaya night that stretches for hours.
Make it feel more complete: Pair the barachirashi, sashimi, or udon with a drink if you want the meal to feel less like a lunch stop and more like a casual izakaya visit.
5. Robata AKARI Singapore (Duxton Hill) – Premium Tanjong Pagar Food Experience with Wagyu Steak and Grilled Skewers
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (6–8 min walk)
Price: Set menus are around S$189 for the Special Menu and S$289 for the Premium Menu. Expect this to be a splurge meal, with drinks and service charges bringing the final bill higher.
Opening hours: Tue-Sat evenings; closed Sun and Mon
Of everything on this list, Robata AKARI is the splurge. It’s less a casual izakaya and more a robatayaki room — charcoal grilling over an irori hearth, the cooking happening right in front of you, ingredients passed across the counter on long wooden paddles. The seating wraps around the fire, and the whole evening is built on watching, waiting, and being handed each piece at its peak.
The menus are set: a Special Menu at S$189 and a Premium Menu at S$289. That puts it in special-occasion territory, far above the everyday picks here. What you’re paying for is ingredient quality, the slow charcoal char, and a counter experience where the chef is part of the meal rather than hidden in a kitchen. The early sentiment we’ve come across is small but genuinely warm.
Expect to taste tender wagyu steak, grilled fish, skewers of bacon-wrapped vegetables, and deep fried gyoza with a side of house-made mentaiko sauce. The flavourful broth served alongside complements the meal beautifully.
So set your expectations accordingly. This is not the place for a spontaneous, rowdy night with a big group. It rewards diners who want to slow down, sit close to the fire, and pay attention.
Save this for: Special occasions, premium dates, and diners who want to watch robatayaki cooking unfold slowly over charcoal.
Not the right night if: You want a cheap, spontaneous, beer-led izakaya meal with a big group.
The seat matters: Request counter seating if possible, because the point of robatayaki is watching each ingredient grilled and served close to the hearth.
6. Hiyaki Yakitori Izakaya Bar (Kampong Bahru) – Modern Public Izakaya with Extensive Menu and Private Seating
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (fringe of Tanjong Pagar)
Price: Around S$35–S$70 per person depending on how much sashimi, wagyu, and alcohol you order. Highballs start at S$10.80, sashimi starts from S$18.80 for 5 pieces, assorted sashimi platters range from S$35.80–S$70.80, and larger mains such as A5 wagyu rib eye can reach S$60.80.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, evenings; closed Sun
We’ll be upfront: Hiyaki sits slightly outside the Tanjong Pagar core. It’s on Kampong Bahru Road, closer to Outram Park, so treat it as a worthwhile detour rather than a station-side stop. But it earns its place because the cooking and the room are both genuinely good.
This is a modern yakitori izakaya — charcoal-grilled chicken skewers at its heart, with sushi, sashimi, and a softer, more contemporary interior than the old-school spots. The menu reaches for uni and wagyu, signature maki rolls, and highballs that start from S$10.80, which keeps the drinking accessible. Compared to HEARTH’s hushed, fire-lit intimacy, Hiyaki is brighter and more stylish, the kind of place that works for a casual date or a small group without feeling stiff.
There’s also private zaisu-style seating — low traditional seating in its own room — which is the move if you’re bringing a group or want a quieter corner. The only real catch is the location: if your evening needs to stay strictly within walking distance of Tanjong Pagar MRT, this one asks for a little extra travel.
Worth the detour for: Modern yakitori nights, small groups, casual dates, and diners who want grilled food with a more polished room.
Maybe skip it if: You need to stay strictly within the Tanjong Pagar MRT walking radius.
Choose your corner: Ask for counter seating if you want casual izakaya energy, or book the private zaisu room if you are coming as a group.
So, Where Should Tonight’s Tanjong Pagar Food Journey Take You?
Six places, six different evenings — and the right one depends entirely on the kind of night you’re after.
If you want the full izakaya experience — drinks, skewers, a table that loses track of time — start at Niningashi. When the evening calls for something slower and warmer, where the fire matters more than the noise, HEARTH rewards your patience. Sakanatei is for the curious, the ones who like finding a place before everyone else does. Nanami is the easy, kind-on-the-wallet weeknight stop. Robata AKARI is the splurge you save for something worth marking. And Hiyaki is worth the short walk for a modern yakitori night with a little more polish.
None of these places shout. That’s what we’ve come to love about them. Tanjong Pagar does its best drinking quietly, on side streets, after the workday finally lets go.
So pick by mood, not by ranking. Go hungry. Stay a little longer than you planned. And let the evening find its own pace.
