Don Don Izakaya

What is Don Don Izakaya? Perched on the second floor at 130 Dundas Street West, Don Don Izakaya has anchored Downtown Toronto's Little Tokyo corridor since 2012. Guests climb the stairs to find a spacious, timber-lined drinking hall where incoming parties are greeted with the resonant strike of a traditional taiko drum. The room balances intimate wooden booths and communal tables with a high-energy tavern pulse driven by sake bomb countdowns and weekend DJ sets.

Don Don Izakaya Menu & What to Order The kitchen rolls out a sprawling lineup of Japanese pub staples, teppan grills, and inventive comfort dishes. Start with the Don Don Karaage coated in tangy ginger glaze, followed by the hay-smoked butterfish sashimi for a clean, aromatic punch. Communal orders gravitate toward the creamy chilled mentaiko udon and the takoyaki pizza, both made to wash down with house sake flights or a frozen-foam Polar Beer.

Know Before You Go Reservations can be booked online through their website, though walk-ins can usually grab seats if arriving before the prime 7:00 p.m. dinner rush. Located steps from both Dundas and St. Patrick subway stations, transit is the ideal route since street parking in this corridor is limited. Happy hour specials run Monday through Thursday between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with the full kitchen catering to late-night crowds until midnight or later every day.