Checking in on Ichibantei and its late-night dining hours

We haven't checked in on Ichibantei lately. 

The Japanese comfort-food restaurant and izakaya relocated in 2023 after 13 years on 13th Street near First Avenue, moving a few blocks west to 100 Third Ave. at 13th Street. 

While many restaurants cut back their late-night hours during the pandemic and never restored them, Ichibantei has stuck with its after-midnight schedule.

The restaurant is open until 3 a.m. seven days a week, with the full menu available until last orders at 2:30 a.m. That includes chicken nanban, katsudon, hamburger steak (hambagu) and vegan katsu curry.

Takuya Ito, a host who also handles marketing for Ichibantei, says late-night business remains fairly busy, with couples, local students and out-of-town visitors among the customers.

"Staying open late isn't something we added recently," Ito said. "We've always run late, so serving the full menu until last orders at 2:30 a.m. is simply how we operate."

A wall-size screen also shows anime, Studio Ghibli films, and older movies, with subtitles on and the sound off. There's no set schedule, though major sporting events, including Knicks games and the World Cup, occasionally take over the screen.

The current hours are Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Meanwhile, the same owners operate Studio Hundred, a separate third-floor event space in the building that accommodates private gatherings of up to 130 people until 4 a.m., with food from Ichibantei's kitchen.