Izakaya Issa

Restaurant really needs a renovation.
Parts of it are really dirty (kitchen, toilet) and seems not be taken care of
Menu is super interesting. But food left much to be desired. Not a lot of flavour and ingredients tasted not fresh at all.
Really wish they start taking better care of such an iconic Restaurant

If you have allergies, don't go. There are lots of seasoning steam that hurts the eyes. The service was slow and bad, the ambient was weird.

Nice and authentic atmosphere, but most of the food didn't taste like much. For the price, I would have expected more. Service wasn't very attentive either.

If you are a person of color DON'T go there. The food is decent, the portions small and pricey, and so are the drinks, no japanese beer selection and average overpriced sake. I was mistreated by the old lady at the door. I don't speak Portuguese so I was trying to put my name in the waiting list...one of the ladies called me in thinking I was next in line. I tried to explain I just wanted to put my name on the list...once they figured I was not the one they were calling, the old lady PUSHED me out and refused to let me put my name on the list. She physically pushed me out, and was very rude. My friend who is white, and doesn't speak Portuguese either, went in and asked to place her name on the list , and they immediately did so...I was appalled at the difference in treatment. We stayed just because my friend wanted to try their food. The food was good but I couldn't shake off the unpleasant encounter...this old hag sour the whole experience for me. We were rushed by the server to order food...they just want quick rotation.
That old lady may be the owner but she needs to retire and work on the customer service portion of the place. I do not recommend this place at all...there are plenty of other places in Liberdade that have great traditional Japanese food. I do not recommend giving your money to rude racist cranky old women.

Just as a true experience of an Izakaya as it gets, Izakaya Issa is probably my favourite of the kind in São Paulo.
The very, uhm, intimate space, with just a few tables very close to ground level that sit 3 to 6 people, and a few more places in the counter itself, is an integral part of the meal. The owner, Margarida, is ever so lovely. The drinks and especially the food are definitely worth the visit, tasting and looking astonishingly good.
If you're considering the visit, try the Takoyaki and the Tonkatsu Karê, a personal favourite of mine.

Walked in at 7pm and sat at the bar with two people. Great customer service and one person spoke English and they had an English menu.

Would recommend the Takoyaki and thinly sliced pork! The gyoza had a good unique texture that was different from the states. The Pork Ribs presentation caught us off guard but the broth was amazing!

I was here during Japan's covid shutdown, and it was almost as if I was in Japan! They did have strict covid19 preventative measures such as temperature checks, use of face masks when not eating, and well as mandatory disinfect gel. The owner is this cute Japanese grandma that plates and serves you right at the bar (if you're sitting there). In my experience, it's a very authentic experience, and the food was great. Definitely try the Aguedashi Doufu (fried tofu in a dashi stock and bonito flakes) and the Tonkatsu Kare (Deep fried pork cutlet with rice and covered in curry)