UTAGE Sake Bar

My friend Esmee took her boyfriend to UTAGE for their anniversary last fall. He proposed a week later. She is convinced the restaurant had something to do with it. Having been there twice now, I honestly would not rule it out.

UTAGE is a sake bar and Japanese restaurant on the Lekstraat in the Rivierenbuurt, and it is one of those places that makes you forget you are in Amsterdam for a couple of hours. The space is intimate — maybe 30 seats total — with this warm, dimly lit ambiance that feels like stepping into a quietly perfect Tokyo bar.

The sake is the star here, and they take it seriously. They have one of the best sake selections in Amsterdam, maybe in the Netherlands. The sake flights are the move — you get three or four different sakes, each paired with a small explanation of where it is from and what makes it different. My friend who "does not really like sake" tried a flight here and now buys sake for her apartment. That is the UTAGE effect.

But the food is not just an afterthought. The Japanese small plates are exquisitely done. Think izakaya-style but elevated. The gyoza are handmade and have this perfect crispy bottom that my friend calls "the crunch heard around the restaurant." The sashimi is the freshest you will find in Amsterdam. And they do these seasonal specials that are always worth asking about — last time I went they had this miso-glazed black cod that I am still thinking about weeks later.

What I love about UTAGE is the pacing. This is not a rush-in, rush-out dinner. You sit, you try a sake, you share some plates, you try another sake, you have a conversation. My friend Esmee said they were there for three hours and it felt like one. That is the kind of place this is.

The staff are incredibly knowledgeable without being pretentious. If you do not know anything about sake, tell them. They will guide you through it and you will leave knowing what you like. My coworker Thomas, who knows a lot about wine but nothing about sake, went with his partner and said the staff "made me feel like I belonged there from the first minute."

Reservations are strongly recommended. The place is small and it has been getting more popular — my friend tried to walk in on a Friday and there was no chance. Weeknights are a bit easier. Price-wise, expect to spend around 60-80 euros per person if you do sake flights and share several plates. It is not cheap, but the quality is there and it feels like a genuine experience, not just dinner.

One honest note: if you are looking for a loud, energetic night out, this is not it. UTAGE is intimate, quiet, and contemplative. It is a date place. A celebration place. A "treat yourself" place. My friend Esmee did not pick it randomly for her anniversary — she knew what she was doing. And apparently, so did her boyfriend.