Lumi

Absolutely phenomenal! The hospitality was completely amazing, Bailey and Joel made sure I was taken care of and i never had to look to grab their attention. The sashimi here is second to none. The fresh greens combined with serranos for spice and a light truffle aioli on a beautifully sliced red snapper was everything I needed. Having had sashimi straight from Japan, I would highly recommend coming here!

Lûmi by Akira Back is an outdoor, rooftop space serving an extensive menu of creative Japanese fare and libations. Akira Back is the Michelin-starred chef behind Las Vegas' restaurant Yellowtail in Bellagio - and this may be the reason why the charred yellowtail roll here is a loaded jewel. SERVICEStaff were friendly, attentive, and knowledgeableFOODThe freshness and quality of ingredients in each dish really spoke for themselves, and I really appreciate that. 5/5 SHISHITO PEPPERS (mildly to moderately spicy):choice of den miso (savory)5/5 ROCK SHRIMP TEMPURA (crisp exterior, tender interior):wasabi aioli (creamy heat), sliced serrano (moderately spicy simmer), chives (garlicky/oniony)5/5 BEEF SKEWER (tender):teriyaki sauce (savory, sweet), pee wee potato (tender), choclo (large, starchy, neutral-tasting, Peruvian corn), commouree (not sure what this is, appreciate if people can let me know)5/5 CHARRED YELLOWTAIL ROLLyellowtail, charred green onion, masago, avocado, cucumber, yuzu kosho aioli (citrusy, spicy, salty, aromatic - the superstar in this dish), garlic ponzu (tangy, umami)4.5/5 EGGPLANT SKEWER (unique):marinated eggplant, sweet miso4.5/5 SEABASS SERRANO ROLLspicy tuna, cucumber, negi, seabass, avocado, serrano, lemon soy aioli, garlic ponzu, micro cilantro4/5 SPICY TUNA & SALMON ROLLSDidn't taste spicy DRINK4/5 GESHI "SUMMER SOLSTICE" (moderately sweet, fruity, bubbly): grey goose vodka, pineapple sake, ginger, peach, tangerine tea, effervescence. I was expecting something more novel in taste. I really enjoyed my visit. I'll be back!

Come here for the ambiance and view, not the food.The akami back pizza was creative. However, the truffle oil overpowered the rest of the dish.We tried every maki and shared plate and the only one I would get again would be the Seabass Serrano.

Very cute place in the heart of Gaslamp. It is touted as a rooftop, which indeed it is, but there are nearby rooftops that have better view. Fairly loud music and more a party vibe than a quite date night type of place. Not too hard to find, with its neon sign above Huntress, and the hostess stand just next to it. Street or public parking only, which sometimes can be a nightmare downtown. I think we got lucky because we went at 8:30pm on a weeknight, when a Padres game just finished (lots of people in jerseys milling about), so we snagged street parking pretty quickly. I'll be honest - I came expecting a tourist trap, but left pleasantly surprised.Our server, Jose, gave us a brief intro that the concept is Japanese and Korean fusion. To me it seems more like Asian Mexican fusion especially with the drink menu. He highly recommended the yellowtail serrano and the Akira back pizza, so we started off with these. The yellowtail was expertly sliced and fresh, and the ponzu, serrano and microgreens were in perfect harmony. It was one of the best yellowtail serrano I've had in a long time, but was it mind blowing? Not really. The Akira back pizza, though, was so inventive. I feel like it would be more accurate to call it a tostada, since the thinly sliced tuna rested on a crispy tortilla, topped with paper-thin tomato, onion, mayo and microgreens. Truffle oil can sometimes be overpowering, but here it was used judiciously, and gave the dish just the right amount of aroma and hint on the palette.Next we got the sushi rolls. Lumi roll was bland. Way too much rice, and the daikon wrap (in lieu of seaweed) added no flavor or crunch. There was a pop of shiso inside it, which I appreciated. The puff salmon roll, on the other hand, was amazing. I loved the crispy leek on top, which added nice texture and flavor. The puffed rice looked cute but had no taste.Now, the actual stars of the whole meal were the corazon skewers and the miso pork belly kimchi chaufa. There is just some magic that only charcoal can achieve, and I'd be happy with just the skewers, but the yuzu aioli and corn puree took it up a notch. With the pee wee potatos, it was like a mini composed entree. The fried rice came out on their version of a dolsot, which I fully approve. That crispy rice on the bottom is gold. Then you dig into that melt-in-your mouth pork belly and the tangy but still crunchy kimchi... It was heaven. This was the biggest portion of all the dishes we ordered, and we couldn't finish the whole thing. It was just as amazing the next day as leftovers.As for the drinks, they are pretty darn good as well. I got Ai No Hana "Love Blossom" which read as an interesting lychee gin martini, but actually came out like nothing I've had before, with all the floral and fruity notes very well balanced. The Uchuu "Universe" was hands down my favorite. It looked like a typical tropical drink, but the chili liqueur gave it the right punch and depth.Overall, a very good experience, and I believe I'll be back, even if just for drinks or a small bite while barhopping in Gaslamp. The tab came out to be $220 for two people, before tip, which is a bit steep, but the prices are going up everywhere. Check out their website for a promo.

Lumi is a rooftop restaurant that sits on top of the huntress. Very laid back vibe with upscale elements. The food was good my favorite was the beef Skewers and the pork belly Chaufa. I didn't really care for their seafood which bummed me out because I had hopes for it. We ordered the Serrano seabass roll and the yellowtail Serrano hamatchi. Nothing stood out to me there. Beef Skewers were delicious and the Chaufa. Their mocktails were fantastic and definitely didn't make me miss alcohol. The staff was very friendly as well. Overall a good experience but nothing super special.

This review is being written after my second visit to Lumi. First off, it's right in the heart of gaslamp and is a very nice rooftop restaurant/bar. The floral decor and paintings on the wall contribute to the trendiness of it. The bar is pretty large and they have a good selection of drinks (good amount of Japanese whiskeys). On this visit I got the ube highball which was sweet but otherwise refreshing. I was expecting it to be very purple but it was more of a fushia color. From my previous visit we had a few sushi rolls which were pretty mediocre but nice presentation and decent for gaslamp. If you're here later in the evening there is a DJ booth although I'm unsure of what days they spin and times. A fun trendy rooftop experience with good drinks!

01-Apr2021Lumi was the first restaurant we chose to visit post pandemic lockdown. After a year of staying at home we decided to go to Lumi. Located in Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego and featuring world-renowned celebrity chef Akira Back, Lumi is an energetic and upscale rooftop experience serving innovative Japanese fare and sushi accompanied by handcrafted libations in a vividly unique atmosphere.We really loved our meal, but I thought the desert was my favorite part of the meal. I had the AB CIGAR 12, which is a White chocolate matcha mousse, strawberry jelly, cacao nibs.You can't go wrong with the food, which is delicious, so I wanted to show the desert some love! The ambiance was perfect and the service was great! We highly recommend Lumi of San Diego!Thanks,Ashley HeadSan Diego, CA

Ate here on Sunday 04/07/24 - RSVP for 5 PM. A bit disappointed with food not tasting as good as they tried to present it . Highlights of our meal/order : #1eggplant skewers , and pizza... SD has many options for seafood and I was really looking forward to Lumi. Not impressed.octopus dish too was told salty and a bit chewy ... Sushi was alright- charred yellowtail was the best out of the 3 rolls ordered. Bronzino was okay . See comments under my pictureWill I return? ... To be decided . Please do not let this review stop you from trying Lumi- Rooftop restaurant , try it and share your experience. Good music and kind helpful staff .

Amazing drinks made from Danielle, great customer service, highly recommend Lumi at Gaslamp make sure to stop by at the bar and get a spicy Margarita from the great bartender Danielle !!!!

This place effing rocks!! Gabe and Dani are awesome. Great spot and awesome vibes! =======================