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 (145)

$50 and over

Japanese

116 Bakery Square Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 12, 2025

9:00 PM

Booked 23 times today

About this restaurant

Good for special occasions
Innovative
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, 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
Neighborhood
Point Breeze
Cross street
Penn Avenue
Parking details
Public Lot

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 145 people are saying

Golden Gai reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
4.8Service
4.8Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Pittsburgh / Western PA
Innovative
Pittsburgh / Western PA
Hot spot
Pittsburgh / Western PA
Most Booked 1000-Point Tables
Pittsburgh
Innovative
Pittsburgh
Hot spot
Pittsburgh
Most Booked 1000-Point Tables

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Golden Gai offers an "excellent izakaya experience" with "spectacular sushi" and "creative cocktails." The "ambiance is great" and the "service amazing," making it perfect for a "fun date night." Highlights include the "torched salmon belly," "fried rice," and "whimsical pork bao buns." Reservations are recommended for this "gem for Japanese food lovers."

145 Reviews

M
Mia VIP
Philadelphia County3 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had an excellent dinner celebrating my birthday! There was an outpouring of kindness from the staff and kitchen when they found out we were celebrating, and it was just amazing dish after dish. We are repeat diners at Golden Gai and this again solidifies for us that they are one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh.
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B
Bianca
Pittsburgh / Western PA3 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I was anticipating trying Golden Gai as we love Gi Jin. I cannot express how wonderful everything was from the ambiance the wait staff the food, drinks. Definitely would recommend we ordered 5 dishes for 2 which was plenty for ourselves.
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B
Brent
Pittsburgh / Western PA25 reviews
3.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Didn’t live up to the hype. Decent, fine, ok. The food had a few high points; the Golden Roll was very well balanced and composed and the pork bao buns were delicious and whimsical. Service was underwhelming. Our server took our order and had to be flagged down each time for more drinks. And lastly.. we reserved marking it was a birthday and that was not mentioned once.
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S
Samuel
Washington, D.C. Area5 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
From when you first walk in, Eli greats you and takes your coat, he went above and beyond by even taking our soaking wet umbrella and bringing it back right when you checkout. The staff makes you feel welcome and sits you right away. Everything was delicious as expected and watching from the bar counter was an amazing experience.
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K
Kylie VIP
Pittsburgh / Western PA6 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service, food, staff, drinks and overall concept is just incredible.
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A
Alex
Pittsburgh / Western PA2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 30, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everyone was fantastic, service was amazing and the food was even better.
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K
Kristin VIP
Denver / Colorado8 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 30, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent Izakaya experience - we loved the creative cocktails and sampling and sharing the delicious fresh fish and specials. The torched salmon belly was our favorite. Our server Chris’s recommendations were fantastic. Some of the best sushi in Pittsburgh! Fun date night!
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M
Matt
Los Angeles1 review
3.0
Dined on May 27, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Fish quality was though menu was not overly incentive (for better or worse.) The rice on the other hand was inexcusably bad. Far too overcooked. Sushi restaurants that overlook how to properly cook rice should retrain chefs. They should be humiliated.
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s
spencer
Southwest Florida2 reviews
3.0
Dined on May 24, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 5
Genuinely saddened that we were disappointed. We go every year to gi jin for my birthday, are massive foodies especially of Japanese cuisine. Kiku, mola, gi jin and umami are still my favs. We were really looking forward to golden gai being a more affordable casual fun gi jin but food was not memorable. Would try one more time but get completely different options to give it another chance.
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S
Sean
Philadelphia County5 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic food and service for our anniversary dinner! All of the cocktails and dishes were great and I couldn’t have asked for a friendlier server. The fried rice and the brownie were the highlights of the night.
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FAQs

Golden Gai is rated 4.8 stars by 145 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 12, 2025

9:00 PM

Booked 23 times today

116 Bakery Square Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Penn Avenue
Neighborhood
Point Breeze
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
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

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

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?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information