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In the heart of Fort Greene, Ikigai serves a 12-course Kaiseki-inspired menu, focused on seasonal ingredients with a modern spin on classic Japanese cuisine. Your evening will begin in our serene tea garden before inviting you to join us at our chef’s counter. We look forward to welcoming you to our home.
Hours
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 5:45–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 5:45–10 PM |
| Thursday | 5:45–10 PM |
| Friday | 5:15–11:30 PM |
| Saturday | 4:45–11 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 87 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Website: http://ikigai.nyc/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.com
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IKIGAI
of food. 87 LAFAYETTE AVE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. A New York Expression of Kaiseki. Kaiseki is the Japanese art of expressing the season through hyper-local …
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Ikigai is a not-for-profit with all of the … Ikigai is a not-for-profit with all of the proce… Read more. Ikigai. 87 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11217.
Reviews
Paula Rosine Long
What a perfect birthday dinner. I picked Ikigai for their mission, but I can also just recommend them on the quality of their food and the experience itself. Five stars all around!
First of all, everyone working at Ikigai was so welcoming, warm and kind. And fun! So if fine dining strikes you as cold or pretentious, never fear: this place is a delight.
Every dish was perfection. Without exaggeration, that was the best octopus I ever had in my life. The best tomato soup I have ever had. And the chawanmushi just totally blew my mind – it might have been my favorite!
The presentation was also so beautiful that I found myself wishing I could do literally anything in the world as well as these artists arrange food.
This was an incredibly special evening that I will always treasure. Thank you! ❤️
… moreFirst of all, everyone working at Ikigai was so welcoming, warm and kind. And fun! So if fine dining strikes you as cold or pretentious, never fear: this place is a delight.
Every dish was perfection. Without exaggeration, that was the best octopus I ever had in my life. The best tomato soup I have ever had. And the chawanmushi just totally blew my mind – it might have been my favorite!
The presentation was also so beautiful that I found myself wishing I could do literally anything in the world as well as these artists arrange food.
This was an incredibly special evening that I will always treasure. Thank you! ❤️
Briana Thorne
Ikigai delivers an intimate, high-end experience without the usual NYC chaos. My partner & I went for Valentines Dinner and loved it.
The room felt serene, the pacing was perfect, and each course was beautifully executed with clear intention. The not-for-profit mission adds real depth, and the service makes you feel genuinely cared for.
It’s a Fort Greene date-night spot worth the splurge.
… moreThe room felt serene, the pacing was perfect, and each course was beautifully executed with clear intention. The not-for-profit mission adds real depth, and the service makes you feel genuinely cared for.
It’s a Fort Greene date-night spot worth the splurge.
Adam Strassberg
It’s haute cuisine without the haute conceit!
It is an unforgettable experience. They serve a delicious 12-course Kaiseki-inspired menu, each dish beautifully presented.
We started in the garden with a welcome tea and our first course, then we were moved inside to the bar seating for the rest of our meal. It is a curved table, seating only fourteen, and so this creates an inviting and intimate experience where we are the audience and the chefs take center stage. We could observe final preparations and the staff announced and explained the details of each course.
The whole experience was warm, fun, lively, and friendly. It’s the finest dining imaginable – the finest I have ever experienced! – but without the usual stuffiness and snobbery you get at similar high end restaurants.
This is indeed a very special and very different restaurant, a welcome wonderful disruptor in the fine dining space.
I plan to return again and again whenever I visit New York.
(I love too that they are a not-for-profit and the proceeds go towards fighting food insecurity. Also they give you a gorgeous set of chopsticks as a keepsake.)
… moreIt is an unforgettable experience. They serve a delicious 12-course Kaiseki-inspired menu, each dish beautifully presented.
We started in the garden with a welcome tea and our first course, then we were moved inside to the bar seating for the rest of our meal. It is a curved table, seating only fourteen, and so this creates an inviting and intimate experience where we are the audience and the chefs take center stage. We could observe final preparations and the staff announced and explained the details of each course.
The whole experience was warm, fun, lively, and friendly. It’s the finest dining imaginable – the finest I have ever experienced! – but without the usual stuffiness and snobbery you get at similar high end restaurants.
This is indeed a very special and very different restaurant, a welcome wonderful disruptor in the fine dining space.
I plan to return again and again whenever I visit New York.
(I love too that they are a not-for-profit and the proceeds go towards fighting food insecurity. Also they give you a gorgeous set of chopsticks as a keepsake.)
Heavenly Jasmine
The food served at this restaurant was a huge let down. My partner and I came here after reading the reviews about this place. The food was underwhelming at best, and we both felt unwell the next day. One of the few fish served did not taste fresh at all, and another dish advertised as a “unique” eel dish tasted bitter and numbing. Our experience didn’t even come close to our expectations for the price of this meal. Around $200 for 9 courses, including a piece of bread, unfresh fish, and a cucumber dish was insulting to anyone who had actual kaiseki.
… moreKaity Do
I was honestly a bit disappointed with the omakase experience. On the website, it was advertised as a 12-course meal for $185, but we only received 9 courses. Most of the dishes were vegetables with only three different types of fish and the fish’s was not fresh, also one dish was Wagyu which didn’t seem accurate to me. The first course was bread with vegetables, which surprised me I expected something more seafood focused to start.
For the price, I felt the quality and variety didn’t meet expectations. With that same amount, I feel I could have had a better omakase experience elsewhere with higher quality and more thoughtful courses. Personally, the meal felt more like a $25 value rather than $185. Additionally, since this restaurant is run by a large company rather than a single chef, it didn’t feel as personal or authentic.
If someone is looking for a true omakase experience, I would recommend trying other places instead.
… moreFor the price, I felt the quality and variety didn’t meet expectations. With that same amount, I feel I could have had a better omakase experience elsewhere with higher quality and more thoughtful courses. Personally, the meal felt more like a $25 value rather than $185. Additionally, since this restaurant is run by a large company rather than a single chef, it didn’t feel as personal or authentic.
If someone is looking for a true omakase experience, I would recommend trying other places instead.
maciek macak
Ikigai – Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Birthday Kaiseki with Polish soul
My incredible wife surprised me with a birthday dinner at Ikigai, and I’m still floating somewhere between Fort Greene, Kyoto, and Łódź. This isn’t just a meal, it’s a meditation on purpose, place, and the quiet joy of watching masters at work.
Chef Rafał Maślankiewicz, a fellow Pole with a pedigree from Masa and Eleven Madison Park, leads a serene 12-seat chef’s counter tucked under a nondescript townhouse. Ikigai operates as a nonprofit, with every dollar going toward fighting food insecurity. Yet the experience rivals the city’s finest.
The journey begins in the back garden with milk bread, chrysanthemum, beet, lotus, and a chilled tea that tastes like a breeze through a temple courtyard. Then guests are ushered into a semi-circle around the chef’s table where the choreography begins.
Each dish is a quiet revelation.
Chawanmushi with corn, aged cheese, truffle – velvet with a funky wink
Shima Aji with sudachi, shiso, buttermilk – bright, bracing, buttery
Wagyu Tartare with cucumber, nori, dashi – aka zimne nóżki for the soul
Special Tartare with ikura and Ossetra caviar – rich, briny, and celebratory
Saba with tomato, basil, amazu – summer in a single bite
Unagi with kinome, rice, maitake – earthy, smoky, transcendent
Okinawa Potato with black garlic, red cabbage, banyuls – a moody, fermented masterpiece
Tamagoyaki with black truffle, jidori egg, brioche – decadence meets restraint
Kegani with sungolds, haricot verts, yuzu – delicate and sunlit
Knedle with mochiko, black sesame, ume – knedle ze śliwkami i śmietaną reimagined as a dumpling duet between Japan and Poland
Throughout the evening, Chef Rafał and his team narrate the experience with quiet precision, offering gentle guidance and invitation, rather than instruction on how to approach each dish.
The staff are extraordinary, gracious, intuitive, and quietly joyful, making every guest feel like they belong in the rhythm of the evening.
The nonalcoholic pairings were thoughtful, balanced, and quietly celebratory.
The space itself is a masterclass in understatement. Different textures of wood, soft lighting, and music so subtle I didn’t notice it until the final course. Even the chopsticks, green and gold and gifted to each guest, feel like a civic honor
Ikigai isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a love letter to craftsmanship, community, and the kind of birthday that makes you believe in miracles again.
… moreBirthday Kaiseki with Polish soul
My incredible wife surprised me with a birthday dinner at Ikigai, and I’m still floating somewhere between Fort Greene, Kyoto, and Łódź. This isn’t just a meal, it’s a meditation on purpose, place, and the quiet joy of watching masters at work.
Chef Rafał Maślankiewicz, a fellow Pole with a pedigree from Masa and Eleven Madison Park, leads a serene 12-seat chef’s counter tucked under a nondescript townhouse. Ikigai operates as a nonprofit, with every dollar going toward fighting food insecurity. Yet the experience rivals the city’s finest.
The journey begins in the back garden with milk bread, chrysanthemum, beet, lotus, and a chilled tea that tastes like a breeze through a temple courtyard. Then guests are ushered into a semi-circle around the chef’s table where the choreography begins.
Each dish is a quiet revelation.
Chawanmushi with corn, aged cheese, truffle – velvet with a funky wink
Shima Aji with sudachi, shiso, buttermilk – bright, bracing, buttery
Wagyu Tartare with cucumber, nori, dashi – aka zimne nóżki for the soul
Special Tartare with ikura and Ossetra caviar – rich, briny, and celebratory
Saba with tomato, basil, amazu – summer in a single bite
Unagi with kinome, rice, maitake – earthy, smoky, transcendent
Okinawa Potato with black garlic, red cabbage, banyuls – a moody, fermented masterpiece
Tamagoyaki with black truffle, jidori egg, brioche – decadence meets restraint
Kegani with sungolds, haricot verts, yuzu – delicate and sunlit
Knedle with mochiko, black sesame, ume – knedle ze śliwkami i śmietaną reimagined as a dumpling duet between Japan and Poland
Throughout the evening, Chef Rafał and his team narrate the experience with quiet precision, offering gentle guidance and invitation, rather than instruction on how to approach each dish.
The staff are extraordinary, gracious, intuitive, and quietly joyful, making every guest feel like they belong in the rhythm of the evening.
The nonalcoholic pairings were thoughtful, balanced, and quietly celebratory.
The space itself is a masterclass in understatement. Different textures of wood, soft lighting, and music so subtle I didn’t notice it until the final course. Even the chopsticks, green and gold and gifted to each guest, feel like a civic honor
Ikigai isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a love letter to craftsmanship, community, and the kind of birthday that makes you believe in miracles again.
Panita Chanrasmi-Lefebvre
came here for my birthday and it was simply divine. from the food to the warm service and the drinks (!!) it was honestly one of the best meals/nights I’ve had in NYC in the last decade. everything was so good and made with care and love and i can’t wait to go back again to try a different season’s menu. and the fact that all the proceeds go towards a great cause in the end makes this a place worth revisiting for sure. 10000/10 thank you so much to the team.
… moreCheryl Saidi-Johnson
This was a true dining experience. From the moment we were at the door of the restaurant, we had to ring a bell to enter. Felt like a speakeasy. We were seated in a Japanese garden to experience our first dish as well as a cold tea. After this, we were transferred to the chef counter; where there were only 12 seats. The food was very subtle and understated, yet you could see the immense amount of work that was input into the creations (i.e. the tiny flowers carefully placed, the duration of dishes from start to finish and the suggestions on how we should enjoy the dish). To top it off, it is a not for profit and knowing the profit goes to food waste makes it the cherry on top!
… moreJackie Gordon Singing Chef
Lovely! This was a perfect birthday dinner celebration. The staff is gracious an inviting from the second you ring the doorbell. The space is beautiful although the enclosed garden was a little bit hot. I’m glad it wasn’t hot or out and I’m sure it would be perfectly cozy in the winter.
The food was beautifully presented, deeply delicious and thoroughly explained. Even the chawanmushi, which looks deceptively plain, was a delicate swirl of flavor layers.
We had 12 courses and never felt rushed.
Would highly recommend for a special occasion meal.
Plus, it’s a nonprofit, so they’re doing good work in the food world!
… moreThe food was beautifully presented, deeply delicious and thoroughly explained. Even the chawanmushi, which looks deceptively plain, was a delicate swirl of flavor layers.
We had 12 courses and never felt rushed.
Would highly recommend for a special occasion meal.
Plus, it’s a nonprofit, so they’re doing good work in the food world!
jade
Life changing meal. This is probably the best meal I’ve ever had in New York City.
The food was truly incredible. Every course, I couldn’t believe my taste buds. I have eaten so much in my life, so many different cuisines and preparations. Every course was something mind blowing and new. Every. Single. Course. The meal never let up my mind just kept being blown.
The atmosphere is beautiful. One of my favorite interiors for a Japanese restaurant. Good music at a good volume with proper attention to details. I was obsessed with their napkins lol. The woman who does the floral arrangements is also a hostess. So awesome.
The staff is so alive and well. Just happiness, passion and peace radiating from all of them. What a privilege to eat in the presence of them.
… moreThe food was truly incredible. Every course, I couldn’t believe my taste buds. I have eaten so much in my life, so many different cuisines and preparations. Every course was something mind blowing and new. Every. Single. Course. The meal never let up my mind just kept being blown.
The atmosphere is beautiful. One of my favorite interiors for a Japanese restaurant. Good music at a good volume with proper attention to details. I was obsessed with their napkins lol. The woman who does the floral arrangements is also a hostess. So awesome.
The staff is so alive and well. Just happiness, passion and peace radiating from all of them. What a privilege to eat in the presence of them.