Ikoya
Japanese Izakaya · El Born, Barcelona · €€€
Awards: ★ Michelin
Collaboration between Hideki Matsuhisa (Koy Shunka) and Iñaki López (Sagardi). Across from Santa Caterina market with a large robata grill.
The Delekta Review
Ikoya Izakaya opened in 2022 as a collaboration between the Sagardi group and Hideki Matsuhisa of the Shunka group — Matsuhisa's pure-form izakaya vision translated into a monumental but sober space dominated by a large robata grill. Chef Jaume del Rio executes a Mediterranean-Japanese menu across the counter and dining room, with a sake cellar that is reportedly among the best in Spain. The location across from Santa Caterina market in El Born means the clientele tilts heavily toward visitors, and some of the online chatter flags the touristy feel. The cooking itself is rarely the complaint — the robata does what robata should do, the technique is serious, and the sourcing is visible in the quality of the grilled ingredients. Prices are high for izakaya but in line with the ambition. For the most polished robata experience in the city, this is where to start.
What the critics say
- Ikoya Barcelona, Japanese, El Born - Foodie in Barcelona
- Time Out Barcelona - Ikoya
- Ikoya Izakaya – Con Mucha Gula
- El restaurante de Barcelona mejor valorado en el top 10 de España 2025, según The Fork: liderado por el chef Juanan Vizcaíno
Visit
- Address
- Al davant del Mercat de, Av. de Francesc Cambó, 23, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Phone
- +34 933 10 18 18
- Website
- ikoyaizakaya.com
- Reservations
- Book a table
Nearby restaurants in El Born
- Orvay — Mediterranean & Wine Bar, €€
- 7 Portes — Catalan Seafood & Rice, €€€
- Llamber — Asturian Modern, €€€
- Cal Pep — Classic Tapas Bar, €€€
- Taberna Nardi — Seafood Bar, €€
More Izakaya in Barcelona
- Brugarol — Izakaya-style Tapas, Barri Gòtic, €€€