Sake Bar icco

About Sake Bar icco

Sake Bar icco takes its name from the Japanese for 'one house' — and that single word explains the whole idea behind this small restaurant on New North Road in Morningside, Auckland. The team's aim is to make the place feel warm, cosy and homely, as though you have been invited to dine at a friend's house, with fresh sashimi, sushi, heart-warming Japanese food and sake at the centre of it all.

Dinner is the focus: the kitchen opens Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30pm to 9pm, with last orders at 8:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and at 9pm on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and lunch service is closed until further notice. Bookings are recommended and can be made online — same-day online bookings close at 5pm — or by email and phone.

The menu runs from chotto tapas and ippin sharing sides through sashimi platters, nigiri, maki rolls and tempura to hearty gochisou mains, all matched by a serious sake list poured by the glass, small carafe or shared tokkuri, plus umeshu plum wine, beer, a compact New Zealand wine list and green tea.

Sake Bar icco: Homely Japanese Dining & Sake in Morningside, Auckland

Sake Bar icco sits on New North Road in Morningside, and its name says everything about the place: 'icco' means 'one house' in Japanese. The team's stated aim is to make the room feel warm, cosy and homely, as if you are invited to your friend's house to dine. There is no rush and no fuss — just fresh sashimi, sushi, heart-warming Japanese food and sake, served the way you would hope to be fed at a close friend's place.

Dinner is the whole show

Icco keeps deliberately simple hours: dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30pm until 9pm, with last orders at 8:30pm early in the week and 9pm on Friday and Saturday. Sunday and Monday are days off, and lunch service is closed until further notice — so plan around the evening. Focusing on one service a night is part of what keeps the room relaxed rather than rushed.

Booking ahead is a good idea. Reservations can be made online, though same-day online bookings close at 5pm — after that, ring the restaurant on 09 849 7268. Email bookings are welcome too at [email protected]; include your name, number of people, preferred date and time, and a mobile number.

What to order

The menu reads like a tour through a Japanese izakaya. Sashimi comes as platters of tuna, salmon and white fish in small, medium and large sizes, or as white fish carpaccio dressed with yuzu citrus. Nigiri covers a chef's selection of eight pieces plus seared aburi salmon with garlic mayo, while the makimono list rolls out salmon avocado, tuna avocado, California, vegetable and prawn tempura avocado rolls. Tempura — prawn, vegetable, assorted or soft shell crab — arrives light and crisp.

Then there are the 'chotto' tapas and 'ippin' sides built for sharing: chamame edamame, spinach with dashi and sesame, homemade pickles, deep-fried haloumi with curry salt, agedashi shiki tofu, fresh spring rolls of raw prawn and tuna, white fish tempura with curry-flavoured sweet and sour sauce, grilled eggplant with sweet haccho-miso sauce and cheese, and six-piece Nagoya chicken wings. The icco special karaage — five pieces of deep-fried seasoned chicken — is a house signature.

For heartier appetites, the gochisou mains come with rice and miso soup: grilled market fish with natural salt or pan-fried with teriyaki, teriyaki chicken, panko-crumbed chicken katsu with miso sauce, Japanese-style Angus beef steak with soy-based sauce, or teriyaki shiki tofu for vegetable lovers. Hot tempura udon covers the noodle craving, and a short salad list runs from simple green to seared tuna with yuzu dressing.

The sake, and everything else

The drink list is where the 'sake bar' in the name earns its keep. Pours run from Kyoto junmai daiginjo to dry junmai from Nagano and Kouchi, ginjo from Niigata and a sweet junmai from Miyagi, available by the glass (100ml), small carafe (160ml) or shared tokkuri (300ml). Icco's own house sake, 'Samurai' from Aichi, is a mid-dry easy drinker, and sparkling sake 'Mio' from Hyogo covers celebrations. Umeshu plum wines come plain, peachy or citrusy; beer ranges from tap Asahi to local Urbanaut craft; and a compact New Zealand wine list spans Marlborough sauvignon blanc to Central Otago pinot noir. Sencha, genmaicha and houjicha teas, ramune and non-alcoholic Asahi round things out.

Before you go

Come with company if you can — this menu rewards grazing across tapas, sides, sashimi and rolls, matched with a different sake glass each round. Mind the last-order times, remember the kitchen is dark on Sundays and Mondays, and book early if you have your heart set on a Friday or Saturday. However you time it, the promise stays the same: one house, one warm welcome, and a genuinely homely Japanese dinner.

Signature items

• Sashimi Platter
• Chef's Selection Nigiri
• icco Special Karaage
• Fresh Spring Rolls
• Nagoya Chicken Wings
• House Sake 'Samurai'

Menu

Beer

• Asahi Super Dry on Tap — 500ml pour of the Japanese lager
• Kirin Black — 334ml bottle
• Kirin Ichiban Shibori — 334ml bottle
• Urbanaut Craft Beer — Pilsner, hazy pale ale or IPA, 330ml
• Asahi Zero — Non-alcoholic, 350ml
• Steinlager Light — 330ml bottle

Sake

• Tama no Hikari 'Shuho' — Junmai daiginjo from Kyoto, mid-dry
• Masumi 'Karakuchi' — Junmai ginjo from Nagano, dry
• Senchu Hassaku — Junmai from Kouchi, dry
• Kubota 'Senju' — Ginjo from Niigata, dry
• icco House Sake 'Samurai' — House pour from Aichi, mid-dry
• Himezen 'Princess' — Junmai from Miyagi, sweet
• Sparkling Sake 'Mio' — Sweet sparkling sake from Hyogo, by the bottle

Salads

• Green Salad — With Japanese dressing
• Shiki Tofu Salad — With sesame dressing
• Seared Tuna Salad — With yuzu citrus dressing

Sashimi

• Sashimi Platter — Tuna, salmon & white fish; small 6, medium 12 or large 20 pieces
• White Fish Carpaccio — With yuzu citrus dressing

Tempura

• Prawn Tempura — Four golden pieces
• Vegetable Tempura — Kumara, pumpkin, zucchini & cauliflower
• Assorted Tempura — Prawn, fish and vegetables
• Soft Shell Crab Tempura — Lightly fried soft shell crab

Red Wine

• Osawa Flying Sheep — Hawke's Bay sangiovese
• Akarua Rua — Central Otago pinot noir
• Church Road — Hawke's Bay merlot cabernet sauvignon

Ocha (Tea)

• Sencha — Green tea
• Genmaicha — Roasted rice tea
• Houjicha — Roasted green tea

Rice Bowls

• Assorted Tempura Rice Bowl — Prawn, fish & vegetable tempura over rice
• Sauce Chicken Katsu Rice Bowl — Panko-crumbed chicken with house sauce on rice
• Miso Chicken Katsu Rice Bowl — Crumbed chicken with miso sauce on rice
• Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl — Pan-fried chicken in teriyaki sauce over rice
• Karaage Chicken Rice Bowl — Japanese fried chicken over steamed rice
• Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl — Teriyaki-glazed tofu over rice

White Wine

• Soho — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Kimura Cellars — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Triplebank — Marlborough pinot gris
• The Doctors' — Marlborough riesling
• Spy Valley — Marlborough chardonnay
• Kumeu River Village — Auckland chardonnay
• Osawa Estate — Hawke's Bay chardonnay

Lunch Boxes

• Lunch Box — Choice of 2 Mains — With salad, pickles, sushi rolls, rice, miso soup & petit dessert (lunch currently paused)
• Lunch Box — Choice of 3 Mains — As above with three mains: sashimi, nigiri, tempura, teriyaki, karaage, katsu or tofu options

Mizu (Water)

• Sparkling Water — 750ml bottle

Ippin (Sides)

• Agedashi Shiki Tofu — Deep-fried premium tofu
• icco Special Karaage — Deep-fried seasoned chicken, 5 pieces
• Fresh Spring Rolls — Raw prawn & tuna with yuzu citrus sauce
• White Fish Tempura — With curry-flavoured sweet & sour sauce
• Grilled Eggplant — With sweet haccho-miso sauce & cheese
• Nagoya Chicken Wings — Deep-fried chicken wings, 6 pieces

Chotto (Tapas)

• Chamame — Premium edamame beans
• Spinach — With dashi & sesame
• Homemade Pickles — Carrot, radish, cucumber & cauliflower
• Hello Haloumi — Deep-fried cheese with curry-flavoured salt

Nigiri (Sushi)

• Chef's Selection Nigiri — Tuna, salmon, white fish & prawn, 8 pieces
• Aburi Salmon Nigiri — Seared salmon with garlic mayo, 4 pieces

Shochu & Others

• Morningcider Apple Cider — 300ml bottle
• Kaku Highball — Suntory Kaku whisky & soda water
• iichiko — Barley shochu spirits
• Kuro Kirishima — Kumara (sweet potato) shochu spirits

Gochisou (Mains)

• Market Fish — Grilled with natural salt or pan-fried with teriyaki sauce
• Teriyaki Chicken — Pan-fried chicken with teriyaki sauce
• Chicken Katsu — Deep-fried panko-crumbed chicken with miso sauce
• Angus Beef Steak — Japanese-style steak with soy-based sauce
• Teriyaki Shiki Tofu — Teriyaki-glazed premium tofu for vegetable lovers

Makimono (Rolls)

• Salmon Avocado Roll — Salmon & avocado maki
• Tuna Avocado Roll — Tuna & avocado maki
• California Roll — Classic California-style maki
• Vegetable Roll — Meat-free maki
• Prawn Tempura Avocado Roll — Crispy prawn tempura & avocado maki

Sparkling & Rosé

• Cloudy Bay Pelorus — NV Marlborough sparkling
• Cloudy Bay Pelorus Rosé — NV Marlborough sparkling rosé
• Haha Brut Cuvée — NV Hawke's Bay sparkling
• Esk Valley Rosé — Hawke's Bay rosé

Umeshu (Plum Wine)

• Nigori 'Plum & Peach' — 90ml pour, with ice or soda
• Choya 'Pure' — Classic plum wine, 90ml with ice or soda
• Yuzu 'Citrus' — Citrus plum wine, 90ml with ice or soda

Juice & Soft Drinks

• Fruit Juice — Orange, apple or pineapple
• Soft Drinks — Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite
• Ginger Beer & Lemon Lime Bitters — Classic mixed soft drinks
• Taha Ginger Manuka Tonic — Ginger & manuka tonic
• Ramune — Japanese marble soda

Gohan (Noodles & Rice)

• Tempura Udon — Hot udon noodles with tempura
• Premium White Rice — A side of steamed rice
• Miso Soup — A side of miso soup

Frequently asked questions

Where is Sake Bar icco located?

At 601 New North Road, Morningside, Auckland. Phone: 09 849 7268.

What are the opening hours?

Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 5:30pm to 9pm. Last orders are 8:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 9pm on Friday and Saturday. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Is lunch served?

Lunch is closed until further notice — icco currently opens for dinner only.

How do I make a booking?

Book online (same-day online bookings close at 5pm; call after that) or email [email protected] with your name, number of people, date and time, and mobile number.

What does the name 'icco' mean?

It means 'one house' in Japanese, reflecting the aim of a warm, cosy and homely dining experience, like eating at a friend's house.

What sake is available?

A curated list spanning Kyoto junmai daiginjo, dry junmai from Nagano and Kouchi, Niigata ginjo, sweet Miyagi junmai and the house sake 'Samurai' from Aichi, poured by the glass (100ml), small (160ml) or tokkuri (300ml), plus sparkling sake 'Mio' and umeshu plum wines.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes — teriyaki shiki tofu, agedashi tofu, vegetable tempura, vegetable rolls, salads and more.

Tips

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• {"body":"Kitchen takes final orders at 8:30pm Tuesday–Thursday and 9pm Friday–Saturday.","title":"Watch last orders"}
• {"body":"Icco is closed Sundays and Mondays, and lunch is paused until further notice — plan for an evening visit.","title":"Dinner only"}
• {"body":"Mix chotto tapas and ippin sides with sashimi and rolls — the menu is made for sharing.","title":"Order for the table"}
• {"body":"Start with 100ml glasses to compare dry and sweet styles, then share a 300ml tokkuri of the house sake 'Samurai'.","title":"Explore the sake"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegetarian dishes include teriyaki shiki tofu, agedashi tofu, vegetable tempura and vegetable rolls."}