Izakaya Issa
Liberdade, São Paulo
Restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Casual
Why go
Izakaya Issa is worth using as an easy Liberdade Japanese meal, especially for lunch or a casual dinner, not as a formal special-occasion booking. Go when convenience, neighborhood context, a low-pressure setting matter more than chef-driven tasting menus or documented awards.
About Izakaya Issa
For a casual meal in São Paulo, Izakaya Issa is a casual-dress spot with posted midday and evening hours on most open days. It is open Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri from 11 AM–2:30 PM and 6–9:30 PM; Sat from 11 AM–3 PM and 6–9:30 PM; and Sun from 11 AM–3 PM and 6–8:30 PM. It is closed Wed. For a broader São Paulo plan, pair it with our full São Paulo restaurants guide, or compare it with other city options such as Jamile, Restaurant Sushi Isao, Restaurante Portal da Coreia, Tanka Restaurante, Templo da Carne Marcos Bassi depending on the meal you want.
Go for the easy São Paulo meal, not the special-occasion production
The strongest case here is practicality. Izakaya Issa has casual dress and split midday-evening hours across most open days, which makes it useful when timing matters. Use it as a casual option rather than a destination for a documented award dinner, a named chef counter, or a luxury tasting-menu experience.
Use the posted schedule as the main planning tool. Midday service runs on every open day, evening service is listed on Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, with Sunday ending earlier at 8:30 PM. If you need a different kind of São Paulo meal, compare with another option such as Jamile, Restaurant Sushi Isao, Restaurante Portal da Coreia, Tanka Restaurante, or Templo da Carne Marcos Bassi.
How to use it in a São Paulo itinerary
For a food-focused trip, Izakaya Issa is a practical São Paulo stop rather than an anchor booking. Build around the posted hours, note that Wednesday is closed, keep expectations casual. For trip planning beyond restaurants, use our full São Paulo hotels guide, our full São Paulo bars guide, our full São Paulo wineries guide, our full São Paulo experiences guide.
Planning details
- Location
- Rua Barão de Iguape, 89 - Liberdade, São Paulo - SP, 01507-001, Brazil
- Website
- instagram.com
- Phone
- +551132088819
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Izakaya Issa reads like a neighbourhood izakaya transplanted into São Paulo's Liberdade: unpretentious, convivial and focused on the social rhythm of a meal. The place privileges the table and shared plates over tasting menus or formal counters, so conversations and staggered orders shape the evening. Because Liberdade's izakaya scene adapts to a Brazilian dining tempo that runs later and lingers, Issa feels both familiar and lively — a relaxed spot where groups settle in for drink-led dining and the meal expands or contracts with the group's pace.
Best For
This is a spot built for groups, after-work hangs and late-night sessions rather than formal, single-course dining. The izakaya format emphasizes food to accompany drinks, with portions sized to be passed around and no fixed endpoint to the meal. That makes Issa especially good for colleagues or friends who plan to graze and linger, and for anyone who prefers an informal, social dinner that shifts easily between bottles, small plates and conversation rather than a strict multi-course tasting.
Ordering Tips
Lean into the shared-plate rhythm: order several small dishes to pass around rather than a single entrée. The venue highlights izakaya staples—takoyaki appears as a signature and the smoky aubergine is called out—so put those on the table early. Pace dishes alongside drinks and expect to add plates as the group decides to keep going; the format is designed to expand and contract with your party, so resist the impulse to order everything at once and let the meal develop over time.
Venue details
Ambiance
Cozy and chill atmosphere reminiscent of Japan, with shoe-removal entry and attentive staff.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Small
Signature Dishes
- takoyaki
- smoky aubergine
Planning details
Location
Rua Barão de Iguape, 89 - Liberdade, São Paulo - SP, 01507-001, Brazil · Directions
Also consider
If You Cannot Get In
Try Tanka Restaurante or Restaurant Sushi Isao if the group still wants Japanese food in São Paulo. If the meal can shift categories, Jamile gives a clearer Brazilian alternative at a listed $$ tier.
Restaurant context
How It Compares
Against Restaurante Portal da Coreia, Izakaya Issa is the better fit when the brief is Japanese food in Liberdade rather than Korean dining. Portal da Coreia makes more sense for a group specifically choosing Korean flavors; Izakaya Issa is easier to slot into a Liberdade day without making the meal the whole plan.
Tanka Restaurante and Restaurant Sushi Isao are the closer Japanese cross-shops. Choose Tanka or Sushi Isao when the group wants a more defined Japanese restaurant outing; choose Izakaya Issa when booking ease and a casual izakaya-style meal are the priorities.
For non-Japanese alternatives, Jamile is the clearer pick for Brazilian food at a known $$ tier, while Templo da Carne Marcos Bassi is the better match for meat-focused diners. Izakaya Issa wins on neighborhood fit if the plan is centered on Liberdade.
Explore São Paulo
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Izakaya Issa guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Izakaya Issa
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izakaya Issa | São Paulo | ; | ; | No published awards |
| Restaurante Portal da Coreia | São Paulo | ; | ; | No published awards |
| Tanka Restaurante | São Paulo | ; | ; | No published awards |
| Restaurant Sushi Isao | São Paulo | ; | ; | No published awards |
| Jamile | São Paulo | Brazilian | $$ | 2025 Michelin Plate2024 Michelin Plate |
| Templo da Carne Marcos Bassi | São Paulo | ; | ; | No published awards |
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How Izakaya Issa São Paulo compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I eat at the bar at Izakaya Issa?
Bar seating or a specific bar format is not mentioned here. The confirmed details are that Izakaya Issa is in São Paulo, has casual dress, posts midday and evening hours on most open days.
Is Izakaya Issa good for solo dining?
Solo-dining suitability is not specifically addressed. If you are planning alone, use the posted hours to decide whether the timing works: Izakaya Issa is open for midday service on open days and for evening service on Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun.
Can Izakaya Issa accommodate groups?
Group capacity and seating details are not mentioned here. For planning, confirm directly before going, especially for larger parties. Other São Paulo options to compare include Tanka Restaurante, Jamile, Restaurant Sushi Isao, Restaurante Portal da Coreia, Templo da Carne Marcos Bassi.
Is Izakaya Issa good for a special occasion?
The dress code is casual, there are no details here about a special-occasion format, tasting menu, awards, or premium service style. Treat Izakaya Issa as a casual São Paulo option unless you confirm otherwise directly.
Is lunch or dinner better at Izakaya Issa?
Both midday and evening hours are posted on most open days. Izakaya Issa is open Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri from 11 AM–2:30 PM and 6–9:30 PM; Sat from 11 AM–3 PM and 6–9:30 PM; and Sun from 11 AM–3 PM and 6–8:30 PM. It is closed Wed.
