Yakitori Totto

Who Should Book Yakitori Totto — and When

If you want serious yakitori in Midtown Manhattan without the formal dining pressure of a tasting-menu room, Yakitori Totto on West 55th Street is the right call. It works particularly well for food-focused travelers staying in the Theater District or Columbus Circle area who want something genuinely Japanese rather than another American-inflected izakaya. It is also a strong pick for solo diners and pairs who want to eat well at the counter without committing to a long, expensive evening. The second-floor location on W 55th St gives it a removed, deliberate feel — you are going somewhere, not just walking into a street-level spot.

What Yakitori Totto Is

Yakitori Totto has been a consistent presence in New York's Japanese dining circuit long enough to accumulate a meaningful track record on Opinionated About Dining, one of the more credible casual-dining guides in North America. It ranked #338 in OAD's Casual North America list for 2025, up from #380 in 2024, was Recommended in 2023, a three-year trajectory that points to a kitchen operating with discipline rather than trending on novelty.

Yakitori, for the uninitiated, is a format built around skewered chicken grilled over binchōtan charcoal, every part of the bird, from thigh to heart to skin, cooked in a specific sequence that rewards attention. It is a precision-driven format in Japan, the better New York yakitori rooms take that precision seriously. Totto has been in that category consistently. For a reference point on how this format compares at its most technical, Kono operates at the omakase end of the yakitori spectrum in New York, while Tori Shin on the Upper East Side occupies a similar mid-to-upper tier alongside Totto.

The Drinks Program

The bar program at a yakitori specialist like Totto is worth paying attention to, because the drinks are part of the meal architecture, not an afterthought. Japanese highballs, whisky and soda, served cold and carbonated, are the natural pairing for grilled skewers, cutting through fat and smoke without competing with the char. A well-run yakitori counter stocks a range of Japanese whiskies, shōchū, and cold beer, the pacing of drinks alongside skewers is how you control the rhythm of the meal. If you are going for depth, arrive early and work through the drink list alongside the menu rather than ordering everything at once. This is a counter-drinking environment as much as a dining one, the experience is better when you treat it that way.

Booking, Timing, Practical Details

Booking at Totto is rated easy relative to the New York dining market, which means you are not competing with a six-week waitlist. That said, Midtown demand on Thursday and Friday evenings can fill the room, so booking a few days ahead is still sensible if you have a specific time in mind. The second-floor address at 251 W 55th St means it does not have walk-in foot traffic pulling from passersby, the crowd here is intentional. Dress casually; this is not a white-tablecloth environment, showing up in business casual or smart casual is perfectly appropriate. No specific dress code is enforced, but the setting is relaxed enough that you would feel overdressed in formal attire.

For context on what else New York offers across formats and price points, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our full New York City bars guide, and our full New York City hotels guide. If yakitori is a format you want to explore further in Japan, Torisaki in Kyoto and Torisho Ishii in Osaka represent the format at its most traditional.

The Pearl Verdict

Yakitori Totto earns its OAD ranking through consistency, not spectacle. If you want a focused, casual Japanese meal in Midtown, grilled skewers, good drinks, no performance, book it. It is not the most technically demanding yakitori room in New York (that case belongs to Kono), but it is accessible, well-reviewed, improving year over year. For the food-curious traveler who wants something genuinely worth the detour rather than a generic Midtown meal, this is the right call.

Pearl Picks Nearby

• Kono, Omakase yakitori at the top of the New York market
• Tori Shin, The closest direct peer on the Upper East Side
• Le Bernardin, For a Midtown splurge in an entirely different register
• Atomix, If modern Korean tasting menus are on your list
• Eleven Madison Park, The plant-based fine-dining alternative for groups
• Our full New York City experiences guide