Great place to take friends! It has a fantastic divey/speakeasy vibe and is always very busy and lively. It's a small basement space and can get pretty loud and warm, so it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. The sake selection is great and the staff is very friendly and helpful in finding you the perfect sake. You can usually expect to wait a while to get seated since groups tend to stay for a long time.

Imagine yourself in a dark and dim bar low beneath the streets. The symbols and joys of Japanese drinking culture are all around you right in the middle of the East Village. A hip bartender strolls up in streetwear seemingly aloof, maybe even a little rude. He answers your questions almost as if he's talking to a 16-year-old with a fake ID. You're not stupid, you're just a little more clueless than he is. But this is actually appealing. He takes your order, and keeps taking it until you're done, choosing not to interrupt or bother with you until you need him because he's more interested in his bro's story about the model last night and wondering if he has enough tattoos (honestly I'm not really sure what our hype beast hipster help got up to, but it's really not important). You see, some people would hate this, but the anonymity and indifference of this bar is a little bit liberating. Hold your conversation as you see fit, and don't worry about anybody overhearing you (the music itself is loud enough alone, if not the conversations around you as well) because nobody cares enough anyways. Hot or cold, come get your sake and condescension, enjoy the freedom of a place where nobody really cares about you, and disappear into the background. Disclaimer: they will do this weird thing where they tell you to leave because they've got a reservation and need your table even though there's other tables available; but what else did you expect from a place where you don't really matter? Enjoy the sake!

We visited on a Friday night around 11:50 pm and, even as walk-ins, only waited about five minutes for a table for three. The place was super cozy and packed with people, adding to its lively vibe. They offer food, but we decided to just share a bottle of sake. The atmosphere was incredible, with a warm, inviting feel that made it seem like we'd stepped into a traditional Japanese hangout spot. The walls were covered with vibrant drawings and stickers, adding to the unique ambiance. Despite being busy, the service was attentive, with staff frequently refilling our water, which we appreciated.

Dark, dingy, and a bit grimy - perfect izakaya vibe. Food was definitely fresh, and service speedy. Go-to spot for a chill night.

Decibel is a speakeasy-styled Sake bar with wide sake range, great vibes, and tasty small bites. We ordered the sake flight (blue bottle, yoshinosugi, and red maple). I'm no sake connoisseur but the blue bottle was just a tasteless clear spirit. The third was fine but the yoshinosugi was delicious, offering an intense, broad spike at the end of the sake tasting spectrum. We also ordered the umeshu soda which was great -- strongly recommend. I wish I also tried the sake tini! We eventually got hungry and the okonomiyaki slapped soooo hard (a savory pancake of fried cabbage; "pancake" does not do the medium service, and the consumption experience is great).

Such a great spot in the east village! it's so easy to miss if you don't know it's there, but definitely a place you return to once you've been once. Came by for a quick happy hour after work, and the place was pretty empty when we got there around 6:30. Ordered a lychee martini ($8) and a glass of sake ($10) off the happy hour menu as well as some purple sweet potato fries and salmon sashimi. The drinks were amazing and the food, especially the purple sweet potatoes, were so delicious! As the night got later, the bar got packed and became much louder, although it still had a sort of intimate vibe. Definitely seems like a great spot to share some drinks with friends or to have a date at.

This sake bar is a hidden gem and is located underground. You might miss it walking down the street. I went with a group of 4 on a Friday night around 9 pm and we were seated within 10 minutes. They have a huge selection of sake and the waitress was very informative. We went with a bottle of the Tengumai and it was smooth, earthy and had a pleasant nutty flavor. It was super easy to drink. The ambience is gritty and edgy with years of stickers and writing all over the walls.

If you didn't know about this place, you'd easily pass by it without noticing. As you walk downstairs into the doors, it feels like an underground, hidden bar that you find in the alleys of Japan. The space is dark and dingy, but a fun spot for a small group of friends on a night out drinking. As a sake bar, they have a huge list of sake to choose from. We opted for a sweeter sake and got the Moromi sake in a 16oz mini pitcher ($42) to share amongst 5 of us. The little metal pitcher was a bit difficult to pour out of though, but this was good for just some light drinking. I'd recommend just getting an entire bottle for a fun time. Also got an order of the Fried Purple Potato ($9), which was such a tiny dish. The fries were limpy, so not the best drinking snack. Overall, chill spot to hang out with a group when in the neighborhood.

4.5 stars, rounding to 5. Absolutely love the vibes here! I recently visited Japan and Sake Bar Decibel truly reminds me of the back alley izakayas there. The interior is charmingly cluttered with Japanese lanterns and lots of scribblings on the wall. Since it's a small space, you might need to wait a while if you have a large party. Groups of 2-4 are the sweet spot. It's also super loud and dark (adds to the dive-y izakaya vibe). They offer a variety of delicious sakes. There's something for everyone, from sweet to dry. If you're not looking for traditional sake, they also offer pitchers of lychee martinis (super easy to drink).