Golden Gai

Name: Golden Gai
Address: 116 Bakery Square Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, 15206
Telephone: (412) 844-6688
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.8

4.8

50 Reviews

$50 and over

Japanese

Golden Gai

4.8

$50 and over

Japanese

Point Breeze

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 11, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Booked 23 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for special occasions
Hot spot
Great for creative cocktails

Welcome to Golden Gai, a hidden gem nestled in the vibrant heart of Pittsburgh’s East End, conveniently located in Bakery Square. Step inside and embark on a culinary journey to the bustling streets of Japan with our Izakaya-style dining experience.

As you enter Golden Gai, you’re greeted by the warm ambiance of traditional Japanese decor fused with modern touches, creating an inviting atmosphere that is both chic and cozy. The soft glow of our stunning light fixtures over the intimate dining space, where the wooden bar top that spans the length of the space, and slate accents evoke the charm of Tokyo’s iconic Golden Gai district.

At the helm of our kitchen is Executive Chef Michael Taylor, a master of Japanese cuisine renowned for his innovative approach to flavor and presentation. With a background honed at the esteemed Gi-Jin, Chef Taylor brings his passion for culinary excellence to every dish, infusing each bite with creativity and precision.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Japanese, Japanese (Izakaya), Creative Japanese
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(412) 844-6688
Website
https://goldengaipgh.com/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
116 Bakery Square Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Neighbourhood
Point Breeze
Cross Street
Penn Avenue
Parking details
Public Lot

Experiences

New Years Eve Chef's Tasting Dinner
US$150.00 per person
Prepaid
Dec 27, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024
This New Year's Eve, step into a world of vibrant flavors and intimate celebration with a special, limited-time Izakaya tasting menu curated by Chef Michael Taylor. This is your chance to experience a one-of-a-kind evening that brings together the artistry of Japanese small plates, a 7 course tasting menu that celebrates the flavors of Japan, designed by Chef Michael Taylor Reserve your seat now for an evening of exceptional food, exciting surprises, and the perfect way to close out the year. Whether you’re celebrating with friends, family, or that special someone, this unique culinary experience is not to be missed. Add-ons: Alcoholic beverage pairings available to enhance your meal, available to add on the day of your reservation

Nigiri & Maki Box
chef's choice: 8 pieces nigiri / 1 maki / 1 sashimi / edamame / ginger / wasabi
Maki Box
chef's choice: 3 maki rolls / 1 sashimi / ginger / wasabi / edamame
Nigiri Box
chef's choice: 10 nigiri / 1 sashimi / edamame / ginger / wasabi
Sashimi Box
Chef's choice: 10 sashimi / edamame / ginger / wasabi

What 50 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.7Service
4.8Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Pittsburgh / Western PA
Hot spot
Pittsburgh
Best Ambience
Pittsburgh
Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Golden Gai offers an "amazing" blend of upscale and casual dining with "incredible" food and "excellent service." Guests rave about the "unbelievable" sushi quality and "creative cocktails," served in a "beautiful" and "intimate" space. While the music volume is noted, the overall "warm, inviting vibe" makes for a memorable dining experience.

50 Reviews

A
Abe
Pittsburgh
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Food was excellent. Really high quality for the price. Space is well designed and interesting to look at. The only negative was the service, which just felt off and inattentive. Both my spouse and I asked, "Does our waiter not like us?" We were not drinking, so I am not sure if he was giving more attention to guests who would have had higher bills. This was the only damper on a lovely meal. Golden Gai is a good addition to the East End food scene.
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L
Lisa
Philadelphia
15 reviews
vip
2.0
15 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 2
We were excited to try this out. We arrived early and I was concerned by how loud the music was in the lobby area. It was turned down once people were seated but still louder than anticipated and hard to hear the others in party. The bar seating is set up strange in that even if there are10-15 chairs between one party and another, they will sit a new party right next to an already seated party. It was just awkward. Lighting was dim and hard to read the menu. Ended up using flashlight from phone. They serve from the back and the chairs aren’t swivel so it was not easy to make eye contact with server nor easily talk to him ( I have neck issues so turning is an issue). Also as your eating a hand suddenly comes in and takes something (garbage) away is uncomfortable. The sushi options are basic and limited as far as rolls. The salmon avocado rolls had a pickle taste to them which was different. The rock roll was good. I think there are to many other options to go back. 2 rolls and a non alcoholic beverage was $50 with tip. Not awful, but better value elsewhere as well.
1 person found this helpful
K
Kristen
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 3, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Outstanding food and experience!! Can’t wait to go back and try everything!
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J
Joseph
Cincinnati
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent food, drinks and service. Price is good for the high quality.
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s
sarah
Pittsburgh
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Laid back sophisticated experience with delicious food! Highly recommend the wagyu and potatoes. Julie was a great server. Would come back again!
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A
Alaina
Pittsburgh
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 27, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I’m so excited to have an experience like this in Pittsburgh. The price for the quality of the fish, the craftsmanship and the ambience was very fair. We kept ordering more food because we couldn’t get enough. Highly recommend this to anybody who is a real sushi lover!
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C
Christina
Pittsburgh
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on November 27, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Another beautiful restaurant by DeShantz. The salad had a delicious citrus ginger dressing and was beautifully prepared. The rolls, nigiri and sashimi were all wonderful. Outstanding items were the gyoza and yakimeshi. Would love to see more gyoza options in future offerings.
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L
Lelia
Pittsburgh
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent new spot for Bakery Square! The food and service rival some of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh.
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M
Matthew
Pittsburgh
33 reviews
vip
4.0
33 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very good sushi and drinks. Pricy, but not terribly so given the quality and the experience. Outstanding service. We traveled 45 minutes to try it out. I wouldn’t suggest making a special trip to go there, but if in the vicinity I could see going there once every 2 or 3 months.
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D
Dena
Pittsburgh
41 reviews
vip
5.0
41 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had such a great experience! This was our first visit and defiantly will be back again. Every dish was delish and perfect! Julie was our server, she was so fun and helpful with the menu. She made our evening even more memorable!
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FAQs

Golden Gai is rated 4.8 stars by 50 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Golden Gai

4.8

$50 and over

Japanese

Point Breeze

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 11, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Booked 23 times today

Experiences are available.

116 Bakery Square Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Penn Avenue
Neighbourhood
Point Breeze
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Japanese, Japanese (Izakaya), Creative Japanese
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot

Website
https://goldengaipgh.com/
Phone number
(412) 844-6688

Golden Gai

Golden Gai

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

New Years Eve Chef's Tasting Dinner

Starters

Edamame

Spicy Edamame

House Salad

Cucumber

Miso Soup

Bowls

Chirashi

Miso Tuna

BBQ Eel

Nigiri / Sashimi

Salmon / Sake

Tuna / Maguro

Eel / Unagi

Yellowtail / Hamachi

Scallop / Hotate

Fatty Tuna / Toro

Salmon Roe / Ikura

Maki

Spicy Tuna

Salmon Avocado

Yellowtail Scallion

California

Spicy Scallop

Eel Avocado

Tuna Cucumber

Toro

Omakase, Maki, & Sashimi Boxes

Nigiri & Maki Box

Maki Box

Nigiri Box

Sashimi Box

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Golden Gai restaurant rated?

Is Golden Gai currently accepting reservations?

Golden Gai

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information