Izakaya Ekimae
Grünbergstrasse, St Gallen
Restaurant in St Gallen, Switzerland
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Izakaya Ekimae is a practical St Gallen choice for a casual Japanese-leaning meal, not a wine-led or special-occasion booking. It makes the most sense for return visitors who want an easy repeat and should be cross-shopped with Moshi Moshi, tibits St. Gallen, Lagerhaus depending on group needs.
About Izakaya Ekimae
For a return visit in St Gallen, the useful question is whether Izakaya Ekimae fits the timing and tone of the meal. The essentials are direct: it is in St Gallen, the dress code is smart casual, the hours include weekday lunch and evening service, Saturday evening service, Sunday closure. Keep the expectation practical rather than elaborate.
Book it when the decision is about schedule and mood rather than a highly documented culinary hook. The right expectation is important: use Izakaya Ekimae as a St Gallen dining option with clear hours, not as a venue defined by accolades or a specific menu promise.
Return for the practical basics, not for extras
The editorial angle here is straightforward. Do not build the plan around a wine-led meal, a tasting-menu format, a particular service style, or a signature order unless you have checked those details directly. If those details are important to the plan, compare other options before committing.
For a second visit, the smarter move is to use Izakaya Ekimae as a timing choice and save more specific expectations for venues where the format is clearer. If the group is comparing dining options, look at Moshi Moshi as another option, then widen the search through Our full St Gallen restaurants guide. If the night may continue after dinner, check the relevant St Gallen planning guides before anchoring the plan.
Use it for St Gallen plans, then compare before making it the main event
For St Gallen plans, Izakaya Ekimae is easiest to assess by its schedule. It opens Monday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM and 6 to 11 PM, Saturday from 6 to 11 PM, is closed on Sunday. Lagerhaus, tibits St. Gallen, Soleil d'Or, Soleil d'Or by David Geisser are other named points of comparison when deciding where the meal should land.
Planning around the meal is useful, especially if it is part of a wider St Gallen stay. Pair the restaurant search with broader St Gallen hotel, experience, itinerary planning. For other casual comparisons, keep the shortlist generic unless a venue clearly offers the specific details you need.
Quick reference: choose Izakaya Ekimae when its St Gallen location, smart-casual dress code, hours fit the plan; choose elsewhere if you need clear details on price, menu format, drinks, awards, or a special-occasion setup before booking.
Planning details
- Location
- Grünbergstrasse 6, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Website
- ekimae.ch
- Phone
- +41712740978
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Izakaya Ekimae channels the convivial, informal logic of Japan’s izakaya into a St. Gallen setting. The restaurant emphasises small plates, flowing rounds of drinks and a social contract that privileges spontaneity over ceremony. That approach produces a friendly, approachable room rather than a polished, formal dining experience: guests come and go, dishes arrive out of sequence, and the mood skews toward energetic conversation. Set against the city’s more structured restaurants, Ekimae feels democratic and immediate—an urban spot where volume, movement and shared plates create a lively, casual atmosphere for groups and after-work crowds alike.
Best For
Ekimaya Ekimae is best for relaxed evenings where conversation and sharing drive the meal. The izakaya format suits after-work groups, friends gathering for drinks, and diners who prefer ordering several small plates rather than committing to a fixed sequence. The presence of sake pairings also makes the place appealing to anyone interested in tasting-focused drinking without the formality of a tasting-menu service. In short, it fits casual hangouts, informal group dinners and anyone seeking a convivial, approachable alternative to St. Gallen’s more regimented dining rooms.
Ordering Tips
Treat the menu like a series of loose rounds rather than a single, linear meal: order multiple small plates, share them across the table and expect dishes to arrive in no set order. Pace yourself with drinks—the izakaya tradition is to let rounds of food and rounds of drinks alternate—and let the table decide when the evening ends rather than waiting for a final course. Given the emphasis on sake pairings, consider exploring a pairing flight to structure your drinks around the food, but otherwise embrace the improvisational, social rhythm the format encourages.
Venue details
Ambiance
Modern, minimalist Japanese aesthetic with industrial elements, natural materials, high ceilings, and carefully curated Japanese art and furnishings creating an authentic yet contemporary atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Small
Signature Dishes
- discovery menu
- tasting menu
- sake pairings
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Lagerhaus, Notable alternative
- Moshi Moshi, Notable alternative
- tibits St. Gallen, Notable alternative
- Soleil d'Or, Notable alternative
- Soleil d'Or by David Geisser, Notable alternative
Restaurant context
How Izakaya Ekimae compares in St Gallen
Choose Izakaya Ekimae when the group wants a casual Japanese-leaning meal with low planning pressure. Moshi Moshi is the closest comparison for diners staying in the Japanese category, so cross-shop those two first if cuisine is the deciding factor. If the group is less fixed on Japanese food, Lagerhaus is the better fit for a broader restaurant night.
For mixed dietary needs, tibits St. Gallen is the safer fallback because the format is easier for groups with different restrictions. For a more occasion-led meal, compare against Soleil d'Or or Soleil d'Or by David Geisser before committing. Izakaya Ekimae is the more casual call; those peers make more sense when ambiance and a sense of occasion matter more than ease.
On booking difficulty, treat Izakaya Ekimae as the easier, lower-stakes option in this set. It is a good value decision when the goal is a simple meal rather than a polished dining experience. If wine program depth is the deciding factor, this is not the strongest signal in the group, so start with the more formal peers instead.
Explore St Gallen
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Izakaya Ekimae guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Izakaya Ekimae
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Izakaya Ekimae | St Gallen | No published awards |
| Lagerhaus | St Gallen | No published awards |
| Moshi Moshi | St Gallen | No published awards |
| tibits St. Gallen | St Gallen | No published awards |
| Soleil d'Or | St Gallen | No published awards |
| Soleil d’Or by David Geisser | Sankt Gallen | No published awards |
How Izakaya Ekimae St Gallen compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a first-timer know about Izakaya Ekimae?
Start with the essentials: Izakaya Ekimae is in St Gallen, the dress code is smart casual, the schedule includes weekday lunch plus evening service Monday through Friday, with Saturday dinner only and Sunday closure.
Is Izakaya Ekimae good for solo dining?
If you are planning a solo visit, use the St Gallen hours to choose a time that fits, check any practical seating or service details directly before you go.
Is lunch or dinner better at Izakaya Ekimae?
Both are listed, but not every day. Lunch is listed Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Dinner is listed Monday through Saturday from 6 to 11 PM, the venue is closed on Sunday.
What should I order at Izakaya Ekimae?
What are alternatives to Izakaya Ekimae?
Lagerhaus, tibits St. Gallen, Moshi Moshi, Soleil d'Or, Soleil d'Or by David Geisser are useful named comparisons when looking at other dining options.
Is Izakaya Ekimae good for a special occasion?
Does Izakaya Ekimae handle dietary restrictions?
Ask Izakaya Ekimae directly before you go if anyone in the group has specific dietary or allergy requirements.
