Izakaya Matsuri feels like a sushi bar in Japan crossed with a Parisian sidewalk café. In Japan, “Izakaya” means a drinking establishment where you can have sake or beer and also some food to accompany the drinks, sort of like Spanish tapas. Complete with the traditional Japanese paper lanterns for decoration, Izakaya Matsuri in Green Point is just that and feels very authentic—except, the tables spill out from the restaurant onto a lovely treed and shady sidewalk alleyway behind the Rockwell Hotel, and the al fresco atmosphere feels like a European sidewalk cafe. It’s a very pleasant combination and a nice place to enjoy a meal while escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

The menu is mostly sushi with some Japanese “tapas” also available, so there’s something for everyone. The sushi is contemporary and inventive. It’s delicious, but a little on the pricey side. I tasted the “hot night roll”, spicy tuna and avocado inside a California roll with a panko crusted shrimp and sweet chilli sauce on top; the “eel dragon roll” with eel and cucumber inside and avocado and eel sauce on top; and a standard prawn tempura roll. The best was an interesting roll called “the rock and roll”, which was salmon, tuna, linefish, avocado, prawn, and caviar, with cucumber wrapping rather than rice and nori, topped with a jalapeno ponzu sauce. From the tapas menu, I also tried the pork gyoza, which was excellent and perfectly cooked.

What’s also unique about Izakaya Matsuri is their offering of Japanese craft beers, something that I haven’t seen anywhere else. They are expensive because they are imported from Japan in small batches, but the options are very interesting and tasty. I tried the ginger ale, which, despite the name, is a real ale made with added ginger. Service was great and attentive and the atmosphere really was lovely. It’s a must visit for Japanese food fanatics.