RokuNana Opens on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Blending Modern Sushi Izakaya with an Immersive Japanese Speakeasy Upstairs

November 20, 2025 at 08:30 AM EST

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new culinary destination has landed on the Lower East Side as RokuNana, a creative sushi bar and Japanese speakeasy, officially opens its doors this week. Located at 67 Clinton Street, RokuNana marks the newest venture from Ao Hospitality Group, the team behind neighborhood favorites HUPO in Long Island City, Shan and Le Fleur Rouge in Brooklyn.

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(RokuNana’s ground floor “Roku”)

RokuNana is designed as a two-level escape, with each floor offering its own distinct ambiance and culinary style. The ground floor, called “Roku”, welcomes guests into a bright, modern izakaya inspired by the calm minimalism of contemporary Japanese design. Soft natural wood, blue-green tones, and refined detailing create a refreshing, easygoing dining atmosphere.

The menu highlights inventive Japanese-American fusion, maintaining the craftsmanship of sushi at its core while introducing creative combinations and comforting hot dishes.

Appetizers include Taco Sushi with avocado paste and spicy salmon, Hirame & Scallop Crudo, and Tuna Tartare. Hot entrées feature Pan Seared Salmon, Glazed Chicken, and Saikoro Steak. A rich, comforting Tonkatsu Ramen anchors the warm side of the menu — a must-have for any Japanese kitchen — while an assortment of signature maki rolls rounds out the izakaya-style dining experience.

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(Roku’s sushi izakaya)

Ascending the stairs transports guests to a dramatically different world — the restaurant’s hidden cocktail bar “Nana”, an artful speakeasy blending Japanese mixology with the romance of European Renaissance classicism.

The intimate 1,100-square-foot lounge accommodates 40 to 50 guests, offering plush velvet seating, sculptural installations, aged mirrors, warm ambient lighting, and curated art that gives the space a sense of theatrical elegance. Pendant lights glow over deep blue carpeting and earth-toned sofas, while an iconic mural of Venus anchors the room, setting an atmosphere that is sensual, mysterious, and entirely transportive.

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(Nana Speakeasy cocktails)

Nana Speakeasy positions itself as a highly creative Japanese cocktail bar. Every drink begins not from a classic cocktail template, but from a foundation of Japanese spirits and ingredients such as Japanese whisky, Nikka Coffey Gin, iichiko Saiten, yuzu, and hojicha. Examples include the Hojicha Boulevardier, enriched with cocoa butter and roasted tea, and the Umami Old Fashioned, made with truffle-washed Japanese whisky. Nana Speakeasy also offers guests a multi-sensory cocktail experience. Rather than simply adding yuzu or matcha to alcohol, the bartenders often take inspiration from a dish or dessert and reverse-engineer it into a cocktail.

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One example is The Sweet Corn Soup, which embodies Nana’s waste-nothing ethos: one ear of corn is used through multiple techniques — washing, infusing, clarifying — to build a cocktail that is both sustainable and beautifully layered, made with tequila, Cointreau, corn juice, white miso, and toasted corn. Meanwhile, the Multi-Sensory Martini showcases the bar’s technical craftsmanship. Made with Haku Vodka, Italicus, sencha, sakura, green apple, and lemon, it delivers an earthy tea note in every sip, thanks to matcha “caviar” pearls created through molecular gastronomy that float in the clean, elegant martini.

Even more intriguing, Nana Speakeasy presents its cocktail menu through a seasonal playing-card theme. Each season introduces a new suit — Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, or Clubs — with each suit tied to its own range of Japanese flavors. The menu changes quarterly, but one card remains constant: the Joker, the bar’s permanent signature and a symbol of its creative spirit.

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(RokuNana’s second floor “Nana”)

With its dual-concept design—fresh Japanese izakaya downstairs and a seductive Renaissance-inspired speakeasy upstairs — RokuNana invites guests to move seamlessly from dinner to late-night drinks, making it a versatile destination for date nights, group gatherings, and special celebrations.

“We want RokuNana to provide creative cuisine, a beautiful atmosphere, and a sense of discovery that makes each visit feel special,” says Aric Ao, the owner of the hospitality group.

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