Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki

4.9

4.9 (22)

$50 and over

Japanese

Saratoga

About the restaurant

We, Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki, deliver the experience of “kaiseki ryori,” a type of Japanese fine dining which historically developed to be served in the Japanese tea room. The tea room, as a space, symbolizes the home of the Japanese tea ceremony, a simple yet transformative experience offering a pause in time to appreciate the seemingly small experience of sharing tea. As such, we’ve designed both the architecture and the experience, to condense an infinite expanse into an extremely small space.

The space is designed sans distracting elements. Lighting will be subtle and architectural details are clean yet warm. Designed to allow dishes to remain the focal point of the experience, our space represents the endless potential for an intimate dining experience that continues to linger on pallet and in mind well after the end.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 7 days ago

One of the best Kaiseki experiences in the Bay Area!

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Experience

Chef's Tasting Kaiseki Experience

Hana Japanese Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (1337)

$50 and over

Japanese

Rohnert Park

About the restaurant

For over 30 years we have had the honor of spreading some of the most traditional Japanese dishes from "izakaya" style bites to a full on sushi bar, the experience at Hana is a bit out of the ordinary but we assure you that the flavor of the food hits home for anyone who has been exposed to real Japanese food culture.

KANPAI!

Top review

rashael

Dined 1 day ago

My honey and i dont get out much just him and i we have three kids. We wanted an upscale place that cares about the quality of there food. This place was most definitely that. From the outside it doesn’t seam like much. Until you walk up to this really cool wooden door. Then you go inside and your greeted with great service and ambiance. We had a couple good rolls and crab cakes. Yummm!

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Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

4.8

4.8 (68)

$30 and under

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of San Francisco, Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill is a chef driven restaurant that is committed to only using the finest and seasonal fish, vegetables, rice and ‘made from scratch’ sauces.

Our cuisine is simple and delicate. Our Chef, Julio, learned from his master, Norihiko Suzuki, from Fukushima Japan. Chef Julio is excellent at inspiring and hand crafting every dish from Omakese to Nigiri to Sashimi. He is also great at customizing arrangements for special occasions to achieve something that is truly a reflection of honoring the traditional Japanese Cuisine.

Come visit Hakashi Japanese Bar & Grill for an unforgettable dining experience. For Friday and Saturday reservations, please call the restaurant directly.

Top review

Greg

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

First time in this sushi restaurant. My wife and I both agreed it was the best sushi we have ever had. Period. Go.

Mokutanya Yakitori Charcoal

4.8

4.8 (892)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Burlingame

About the restaurant

Experience Japanese charcoal-grilled skewers, small plates, wine and beer in individual glass-divided rooms with sunken Japanese tables. We strive to source our ingredients locally.

Top review

JulieVIP

Dined 5 days ago

We had an incredible birthday dinner. We’ve been coming for 13 years and the food is always great, but was especially delicious tonight. The servers were friendly and attentive. The skewers are so tender and well seasoned. It’s a great spot to celebrate a special occasion or really any night.

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Popular dish

Wagyu Beef (Salt & Pepper)

AKIKOS

4.8

4.8 (1612)

$50 and over

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in the vibrant East Cut neighborhood, just a 15-minute walk from the Ferry Building, our diverse and sustainability-driven menu offers a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Omakase experience. We blend innovative takes on Japanese cuisine with local, seasonal ingredients and fish sourced from Tokyo’s renowned Toyosu Fish Market. Signature dishes, such as our Shokupan—grilled milk bread topped with toro and golden Kaluga caviar—and the aged, soy-cured bluefin tuna nigiri, showcase a harmonious fusion of premium seafood and thoughtfully curated ingredients, presented with creative flair.
Please note, we currently offer Omakase experiences exclusively for lunch and dinner, with no à la carte options available. For guests seeking to enhance their experience, additional nigiri selections are available a la carte from our nama menu after the tasting. The Omakase lunch experience is priced at $150 per guest, and the Omakase dinner experience is priced at $255 per guest.

Top review

RonaldVIP

Dined 1 day ago

I ate at Akiko’s for the lunch omekase and it was superb. I also had the sake pairings and they were original and well matched with the meal. The meal began with 5 courses of Otsumami, which were lovely small courses and not really what you would think of as sushi. They were all very tasty but the standout was the milk bread toast with toro and caviar. Then came 7 different courses of nigiri, each of one piece. They were all fresh and delicious. My favorite was the uni. But the melt in your mouth toro was the epitome of what toro should be. Even the green tea ice cream for dessert was especially good. I wasn’t cheap but I can’t wait to come back.

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4.8

4.8 (13)

$50 and over

Japanese

Foster City

About the restaurant

Getting tired of the same omakase experience? Too intimidated to even go to our first one? 808 Zone may be the perfect place for you!
With a contemporary kaiseki meets omakase fused with western inspiration and unexpected flavor combinations experience, your taste buds are surely to thank you for delighting them with something unique and different. Every dish aims to bring something innovative to the table while highlighting the freshness and beauty of the ingredients themselves.

Top review

Brian

Dined on Nov 1, 2024

Excellent value for your money. Entertaining Asian fusion dinner.

Sushi Hakko

4.7

4.7 (271)

$50 and over

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

**Welcome to Sushi Hakko on Union St. + Fillmore St.**
We'd like to offer our tasting menu that's reflecting Chef Alex Kim and his team's pursuit of top notch sushi experience. Our approach is a harmonious crossover of authentic Edo-mae style with Western skill. From fish to rice, cooking rice to garnish prep - a true synergy of not only Californian but Japan.

**Sushi Bar Experience**
For the best experience of our tasting menu, we'd recommend the sushi bar seating, where chef will serve and explain the dish by dish, piece by piece with an extensive information of the skills and ingredients.

**Regular Tables**
Our regular tables are also available for the tasting menu and you can make a reservation at any time slot to your convenience.

*Large Group*
For any party of 7 or more, please kindly call us at 415.814.2886 or email at sushihakko@gmail.com. We will get back to you asap.

All parties will be subject to a 20% service charge.

We look forward to serving you soon.

Top review

JimVIP

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Beautiful experience, purposefully quiet, fresh innovative and highly skilled food experience you only get if you come here. Original. We like early seatings.

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Experience

Sushi Hakko Bar Experience

Experience

Sushi Hakko Table Experience

MIZU Sushi Bar & Grill - San Jose

4.6

4.6 (806)

$31 to $50

Japanese

San Jose

About the restaurant

Welcome to Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill.

Mizu, which means water, an essential yet ever-changing element of life, offers a unique fusion of Asian-inspired flavors, combining both traditional and modern approach to our culinary selections. Our master chefs inspirationally create dishes using only the highest quality of ingredients to enlighten your taste-buds, and our full service bar offers a wide variety of sake, wine, spirits and beer as well as an assortment of signature cocktails to compliment your meal.

Mizu has been one of California's highest-rated restaurants in customer satisfaction since 2008 with locations throughout Northern and Southern California, so whether you have been enjoying Sushi and Asian cuisine your entire life or are taking the palate-inspiring journey for the first time, you will enjoy an exceptional dining experience at Mizu.

Top review

Kevin

Dined on Dec 10, 2024

As always, great value for the price. Could easily pay significantly more for the same quality at another place. We keep coming back because they haven't had much of an increase in price in the past 10 years, and they haven't reduced the size or quality at all either.

Nisei

4.8

4.8 (76)

$50 and over

Japanese

Russian Hill

About the restaurant

Nisei presents a contemporary approach to Japanese American cuisine by combining deep Japanese flavors, refined cooking technique, and Northern California's finest ingredients. The restaurant is a personal reflection of Chef David Yoshimura's unique experience as a Michelin starred chef and second generation Japanese American, or Nisei.

Nisei can accommodate most severe allergies with advance notice, however due to the nature of the tasting menu format, we can not meet all dietary restrictions or aversions. In order to maintain the spirit of our cuisine, the following items can not be removed: Salt, sugar, soy sauce, and egg cooked into items.

All Experience prices below reflect a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax applied to the base price of each experience. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 5 days ago

It was a beautiful experience, so much flavor with a lovely combination of different textures and ingredients. Marvelous service they were all very sweet and nice.

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Experience

Winter Menu Reservations at Nisei

Experience

New Year's Eve at Nisei

Experience

Osechi Ryori

Aozora Japanese Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (556)

$30 and under

Japanese

Danville

About the restaurant

Aozora Japanese Restaurant brings Danville the finest Japanese flavors and style. Enjoy our menu featuring delicious shared plates and entrees from the kitchen, beautifully crafted sushi rolls from the sushi bar, and enticing drinks from the bar.

Top review

CharlieVIP

Dined on Dec 4, 2024

Everything was beyond excellent! Service was excellent.

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