Otaru

Wow. If you're looking for a new type of sushi experience this is the place. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Pair that with the amazing views, fresh fish, and overall ambiance and you're in for quite the experience. I recommend getting the treasure box and a few handrolls. I have been to many sushi restaurants in Pittsburgh and I can 100% say this place is in my top 3. I Definitely recommend.

What an incredible meal. The food was superb, the ambience was beautiful and the star of the show? Angela. She really made our valentines dinner special. I have never been so educated on what was being brought to the table. She told us how fish was flown in every day from Japan, and all the love that goes into the dishes before they come to your table. I know you go to a restaurant for food, but we would come back just to experience another part of the menu with her. The sushi was fresh, the dishes unique and I'm so glad you could get two different menu experiences for one dinner. I know some folks have said that they have left hungry from Otaru, and while I can see that being a possibility, Matt & I destroyed the Otaru experience and the Otaru course on the menu and I left full and ready for a long nap. The view is beautiful, only blocked a little by the dinosaur that is the LeMont. Go here. Ask for Angela, or make a reservation on OpenTable and request her there. She was incredible and her love for what she does is clear. Happy Eating!

Otaru was an amazing dining experience. First the view is classic Mt Washington, but unlike a couple of the restaurants there, the food also lives up to the view as does the service. The restaurant itself is on the small side and you will definitely need a reservation. But, it is definitely worth the planning ahead. As for the food, it did not disappoint. It is definitely on the pricey side, but I cannot argue with the results (see pics). I had the Otaru Experience (set menu akin to an Omakase menu). Just about every dish was delicious and impeccably prepared. For me the Chawanmushi was the star of the meal. But really everything lived up to the hype. The Kampachi, the Otoro hand roll, and the tartar layer were all delicious. Oh and the Otaru old fashioned was a really nice, refreshing take with Yuzu and Toki whiskey.

Dined here on a clear sky Monday night for a special occasion. There are two stories of seating, maximizing the number of window seats to enjoy the classic expansive Mt. Washington perched view of the City of Pittsburgh. The hostess was welcoming and our waitress Brynn was skilled and cheerfully helpful. The ambiance was inviting with warm rich golden lighting and blonde wood furniture. The fish was AMAZING as it is flown in from Japan daily. It is very pricey but worth every bite. By far one of the best dining experiences I've had in Pittsburgh in quite awhile. On Thursdays, they offer a special dining multiple course meal experience (reserve on Open Table) which I'm looking forward to coming back to try. It's located very close to the paid parking lot or you can try to score street parking if you're feeling lucky as it is on popular Grandview Avenue.

Otaru is an upscale Japanese restaurant that is on Mount Washington and has beautiful views of downtown Pittsburgh. Its menu lists appetizers (e.g., shishito peppers, pork buns, and takoyaki), many types of hand rolls, nigiri, and sashimi (e.g., tunas, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, scallop, wagyu, uni, eel, squid, and octopus), several hot dishes (e.g., pork katsu, beef udon, miso black cod, lobster longevity noodles, and wagyu), some desserts, and many non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages (e.g., sake, wines, cocktails, and beers).My husband and I ate one dinner here. All employees provided timely and polite service. I appreciated when our waiter noticed that we dropped a napkin on the floor, and he immediately gave us a clean napkin.Here are my ratings for what we ate:Otaru Old-fashioned - 3 stars - This drink contained whiskey, orange, cherry, yuzu, syrup, and bitter, and I thought that it tasted OK. The waiter had recommended it, and I had expected it to taste fruitier. Edamame - 5 stars - This edamame was complimentary. My husband and I agreed that it was nicely salty and spicy.Yellowtail jalapeno - 5 stars - This appetizer was our favorite food in the entire meal. It contained yellowtail sashimi, jalapeno, and yuzu wasabi vinaigrette.Chawanmushi - 4.5 stars - This egg custard was topped with ikura caviar, and I liked how it tasted.Hand rolls - 4 stars - We ate three types of hand rolls--spicy salmon, tuna, and wagyu. I thought that they tasted very good but that the wagyu could have been more tender. My husband described them as "ordinary." Nigiri - 4 stars - We ate four types of nigiri--bluefin tuna toro, seared albacore, madai, and goldeneye snapper kinmedai. I thought that they tasted very good, and my husband again used the word "ordinary."Mont Blanc Cake - 4.5 stars - My husband had no interest in this cake, but I really enjoyed its flavors of green tea and sugar. Our total bill was $154 *plus* a tip. We felt a little hungry at the end of our meal, so perhaps we could have ordered more foods.Overall, I think that Otaru is definitely worth a try. I give this restaurant 4 stars overall for its quality versus price. I do feel curious about several of its other menu items.

Decided to come here on a whim. Reserve a table to get the view. The atmosphere was nice and gave good vibes. The restaurant is very nice on the inside. The food was not what I was expecting like for the hand rolls especially. We started with a few apps, edamame which is free. Pork buns, tartar layer and the Wagyu. The pork buns are 10/10 amazing order again . The tartar needs a like chips or something with it it's missing a crunch texture but the fish is so fresh and really good flavor. The wagyu was excellent a lil too much pineapple but that was my opinion it should have been sliced thinner. Then we got some hand rolls, scallop ( so fresh and tons of pieces) shrimp tempura nicely breaded and fried, spicy tuna nice kick too it. We also got beef udon. Which was nice on a chilly day.We had a few mix drinks they honestly were nothing to complain about but nothing exciting either. This place was ok. It was just lacking excitement. The only thing I would come back for is the pork buns. The hand rolls is like not at all what I expected and I don't know if I would order them again I would have called them a sushi taco instead lol maybe then I wouldn't have had false version. It is pricey but the quality is good so I wasn't too shocked.

An amazing spot for sushi with a beautiful view of the city. The food was delicious and I especially loved the bluefin tuna sushi and the gyoza. The server, Angela, was exceptional and made terrific recommendations and was so friendly. The vibe of the restaurant is modern and sleek. The cocktails all seemed to be more spring and summer oriented. It would have been nice to have some holiday/winter drinks added to the menu. If you get dessert, try the tiramisu. It's excellent! Overall, a lovely evening. Prices are a bit high, but given the quality and location, definitely worth it.

The food was said to be flown in from Japan daily. The quality was good and definitely sizeable pieces. The restaurant really has the view going for it. Unfortunately, the windows were dirty where we were sitting. I feel the food was a bit overpriced especially because the experience did not feel as personalized and high scale. I think for us the hostess seemed unhappy and unwelcoming. But I gave it 4 stars because I think it definitely is worth a try! Our server was very pleasant and answered all of our questions.

The Yo momo drink was fun, and the lace on the dumplings was nice and crunchy. The Chawanmushi with the uni was the surprise gift of the night. Ask for a window seat if you're looking for an intimate table.

The best dinner experience we've ever had in Pittsburgh - So many reasons to try out Oraru: High quality fish, balanced dishes, great alcohol selection, and overall atmosphere. We were lucky enough to get a seat by the window, overlooking the city. With the recommendation of our server, we got the Tartar Layer and pork/shrimp buns to start, then a variety of hand rolls. TO DIE FOR. The hand rolls were so full of the most buttery fish. I couldn't stop smiling after every bite. If you are looking for quantity of food, this might not be the place for you (personally I thought we got a lot, but if you're used to the mass sushi places, it might not be enough). But if you are looking for a quality meal and wonderful date night, this is your place.