The Best Sushi Bars in San Francisco

Akagi Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (582) • $$

"Let me tell you this... This is by far the most authentic Japanese with a reasonable price on the menu ever. And that's been like that for a long time. I used to come from 2003 until 2006 was my last time because I moved to a different . And recently I came back hoping the price is still reasonable and shoot.... The price is still reasonable all this time. I order a deluxe bento which includes "6 items with miso soup and salad including sushi 3 and 4 tuna sashimi" and the price $20... I can eat alot and this bento but this bent is has defeated me and is still delicious. This is the most underrated little hidden jems Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area. I'm here for the food and not the decor of the restaurant. And the service is simply good because the staff are very attentive checking what you need. There plenty of food in the menu that's reasonable! Please check this restaurant out when you are in the budget because the prices are typically between $15 - $20 for the meals. Enjoy!"

Roka Akor - San Francisco

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$$

"Overall I would say 4.5/5 stars because of 2 things: 1) a couple of the dishes were lackluster in the omakase course 2) our server didn't really explain our dishes; however, the table next to us who had a different server had elaborate explanations of the same dishes regarding taste profile and what suggested order to eat in.The best dish of the night would be the lobster tail and sweet corn. Normally my partner and I aren't a fan of corn, but man this was amazing, it was sweet, it was tangy, it was citrusy, 10/10. But above that was the lobster, if I were to come back I would order 5 plates of those. That citrus butter sauce had me drowning that lobster tail and going back for more.Regarding the other dishes in the meal, there was some standard sashimi, some squid ink? pancakes type of dish with creme fraishe and ikura(was lackluster in flavor, it felt like everything was a very neutral flavor, like someone was tasting the color gray). The steak was mayhaps 7.5/10, a little too sweet for me on the marinade, but paired well with the accompanied chili sauce."

Shoryuken

★★★★☆ 3.8 (121) • $$$

"This place went viral on social media so I just had to come here for my birthday in January. since then, i have returned 2 more times and unfortunately i've noticed the quality of the sushi going downhill by the 3rd visit. For the first two visits, the Omakase sashimi and nigiri were to die for, as well as the fancy oysters. The portion of uni they would give you definitely surpasses the $49.55/pp AYCE price. The fish was super fresh and the wagyu was wagyuing. By the third visit, i've noticed the same dishes had gotten cheap. The uni was brown and tasted fishy, and the fish looked like it was dyed a certain food coloring. I had a feeling this place was a little too good to be true but I'm glad i got to experience two really good dinners here. hopefully the quality of the food will be up to par again once they figure out how they want to move forward with their business."

KUSAKABE

★★★★★ 4.6 • $$$$

"Came here for my bday, and it was sooooooooo good! We had bar seating and our sushi chef was so nice! Everything was so good and I just kept wanting more and more and more! It was so fresh and everything was seasoned so you don't need soy sauce. Would def come back for more!"

Kazoku Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.3 (156) • $$

"Always one of my favorite spots for sushi. Fresh, beautifully plated, delicious creations all around."

Naked Fish - Millbrae

★★★☆☆ 3 (488) • $$

"Absolutely amazing food! I caught them right during the lunch hour and had bar seating, service was prompt and amazing, the recommendations fell nothing short of the description."

Ebisu

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"What a wonderful lunch in a lovely peaceful restaurant. After exploring the Botanical Garden and the Japanese Tea Garden, we were ready for lunch. It's walking distance from the two gardens. (Irving St. has limited parking, so please plan ahead.) Dreams of lunch and Miso were in my head. Ebisu opens at 11:30 and we were waiting patiently ... it's a long time favorite on Irving St. In the Sunset. It filled up within minutes! Hubbie had a fantastic roll - was it the "home run"? - really good Tuna w aioli. YUM! Tasty hot Miso soup, great California rolls (you won't want them anywhere else), so many choices. Quality ingredients, well prepared.All their food is great, bring a couple friends so you can have more variety of rolls."

Amami San Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.8 (950) • $$

"Delicious and reasonably priced food, attentive service, and bustling atmosphere. A go-to for sushi in South City."

Nara Restaurant & Sake Bar

★★★★★ 4.6 • $$$

"I've frequented Nara a couple times but went back for an anniversary dinner with the same high expectations. The sushi is still good but not the same. My 2 favorites were the worst tasting now:Don't get the Special K or the Hamachi truffle appetizer anymore. There was so much soy sauce I couldn't even taste the fish. Also, skip the calamari.I will say everything else was good. I was a super big fan of the flaming roll and the soft shell crab. Those were still up to par as the Nara I remembered!"

Kuma Sushi + Sake

★★★★☆ 4.4 (554) • $$$

"Decent value for pretty good sushi. We tried about 5 different rolls and they were all good."

jū-ni

★★★★★ 4.6 (529) • $$$$

"FOOD: Beautifully curated pieces that taste as delectable as they look. Omakase menu of the day is presented within an envelope and an a la carte menu is available later. Certain pieces deserved to be ordered again bc they were that good, like the torched ones (done in front of you). Super fresh scallops were buttery sweet and you cannot go wrong with the fatty tuna. Monk fish was a delicate surprise with the way it was prepared and presented (no spoilers bc you gotta try for yourself).AMBIANCE: Modern minimalist vibes throughout. Lively setting but quiet enough for conversation with your party and the chef. SERVICE: Staff attentiveness 10/10. I don't think my tea cup ever dropped below the half bc they came by to check. Very personable chef who was a master at his craft. Would def recommend this place to omakase fans."

Oma Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.7 (256) • $$

"We were staying in downtown San Francisco and this restaurant was the closest one to us. The prices are fair and the quality of food seemed so-so. I can't really speak for parking since we walked. I didn't see the restrooms either. Our waitress was nice and constantly refilled waters. Apparently the head sushi chef trained with a famous sushi chef in Hawaii. I'm from the island of Maui, and that was a neat tie to hawaii, that I was not expecting.."

I'a poke

★★★★☆ 4.2 (67) • $$

"Surprisingly good poke! Everything felt fresh and lots of options for toppings and sauce. -1 star for extra costs for many items that are probably included in other poke places. No other complaints and indoor area was convenient for a quick bite."

Saru Sushi Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$$$

"Wow. Not that they even need this review but they are amazing. The staff are sweet. The food is amazing. The green tea ice cream is made in house and is soooooo good. I tried halibut fin from Korea (engawa) and oh my. I had another piece as my dessert."

Tom San Ramen

★★★★☆ 4.1 (417) • $$

"Came here on Sunday around noon, my boyfriend and I were immediately seated upon arrival. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious and family friendly. Once we were seated, they brought out waters and utensils! But if I'm honest, the time it took to get our food was really slow compared to how fast they seated us and brought out our waters. Tom San was a rec from one of my friends, and we were so shocked to see the prices when looking at the menu. You're really getting a great deal for the sashimi and ramen as well. Onto the food itself, the ramen was so delicious. We got the spicy miso - perfectly spicy and there was so much depth to the broth. It wasn't watery or super thick, the perfect amount of both. The egg was a little runnier than I liked, but still very lovely pair with the ramen. We also got their chirashi bowl, which was filled with ample amounts of sashimi. So good and we were honestly stuffed at the end, it hurt. Dragon roll was so yum, the tempura was so crispy and the sauce wasn't too sweet! Highly recommend, seems like everything on their menu is going to be good. If you're looking for a quick spot, it does take some amount of time for them to prep the food (which - I am not complaining about! Obviously I'd rather have quality of food over the speed of delivery; though both would be nice), that being said, I recommend coming here for the quality of the food!"

Umi

★★★★☆ 4 (653) • $$

"In contrast to the crowds lining outside popular neighboring restaurants, Umi seems like a quiet place at a quick glance but upon entering it has a lively and bustling atmosphere. The kitchen is immediately to the right of the entrance and the staff greet you warmly.Their menu isn't extensive but it feels curated to focus on quality, not quantity. I ordered the nigiri sampler which was one serving each of their special nigiri that night. I will definitely order this again, whatever they list as a special I will get next time. The quality was excellent and the fish was exceptional. I also ordered uni, which - for the price point, was a reasonably generous size and was a luscious burst of delicate brininess tinged with sweetness. For our small group of 3 people we ordered a couple of small plates to share: Katsu Asparagus Maki and Beef Enoki Maki. Don't miss out on these. The katsu was a perfect blend of texture and flavor combination with the crunchy breading outside and tender asparagus rolled inside. The beef was served in nine bite-size pieces that almost melt in your mouth.I love that they also had two of my favorite Japanese beers on their menu - Coedo and Echigo - along with a third beer option (Orion) and a couple of sakes. Although they have a covered patio, it's part of the restaurant itself and not one of the sidewalk structures. I don't think dogs are allowed here and that's okay. The tables are a decent size that we didn't feel cramped and it looks like a group of 6 or 8 could probably be accommodated in the main dining room. Good place for happy hour and casual dinner. I'll be back soon."

El Camaron RWC

★★★★☆ 4.3 (64)

"The food at El Camarón is really tasty and fresh. We ordered the chicharrón and guacamole and the stuffed yellow chiles (forgot the name of them) and fajitas for the entree. The chicharrones were crispy and hot when they arrived, the stuffed chiles were equally fresh and had some kick to it. The fajitas were also fresh and hot, but a little on the blander side, but not bad. I love that they make the handmade tortillas. The waitress was very nice and did a decent job attending to us initially and then it kinda dropped off as we ate and had to get up and ask for refills and a beer. The bar is separate from the restaurant and charges separately. The young lady tending bar was nice and attentive. Definitely coming back again."

Kazan

★★★★☆ 4.3 (647) • $$

"Tasty and fresh sushi set in a dim, intimate atmosphere. Space is small but nice with very friendly service. Weekend visit during early evening for a group of 3 as a walk in. Only a couple other diners and we were sat right away. Pride (Rainbow) Roll - crab and avocado topped with tuna, salmon, hamachi, green onion. Good balance of fishes with creaminess and sweetness from avocado and crab respectively. Shishito Fries - tempura battered and fried shishito pepper. Crispy and not oily which made them enjoyable to eat."

Furagu Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.1 (379) • $$

"We went to Fugaru for a late dinner because a nearby sushi restaurant was too busy to seat us. We ordered a bento #2 and boat #1. I liked the mackerel, it was nicely grilled, juicy, and a good amount. Everything else was just good or OK but I need to bring home the rest of the tonkatsu and chicken teriyaki. The texture of the tempura and the taste of the California roll were a little bit off. Clean, quiet restaurant. Nice servers."

Amami Sushi Bistro Geary

★★★★★ 4.8 (45)

"Let's be real, sushi can be ridic expensive. Unless it's a special occasion, spending $300++pp (after tip) for omakase if you're not rolling in OF or tech monies is not feasible for most of us. So, I'm happy to see Chef-owner Alan open another Amami location serving their ballin' on a budget omakase for $42. IMO, he's the pioneer of affordable omakase in the Bay Area when he opened his first Amami location in San Bruno in 2012. OFC, I'm not comparing this to $$$$ omakase places because the "experience" is entirely different but nonetheless, it's delicious, satisfying, and hits without making my wallet cry. Opening in early December 2024, this is Amami's 8th location in the Bay Area, and the second location in the city (took over Belly Burgers). Currently open for takeout and indoor dining.No rezzies. Walk-in only. Arrived on a Thursday night around 7:30 pm and there was no wait. M E N UJapanese cuisine with an extensive menu: Apps, soups, salad, teriyaki, udon, sashimi, rolls, and nigiri. Beer and sake available.BUT, Amami fans know you come here for Alan's 10 pc Nigiri Omakase for $42! Chef-owner Alan sources his fish from the same places higher end sushi bars do. Because of the high volume, he can pass the savings to his customers.(Chef-owner Alan was not in the house and apparently, spends most of his time at his Napa location.) F O O D* Tempura App w/ shrimp and veggies ($10): https://tinyurl.com/ynbf5pjtSolid, the shrimp tempura and veggies (sweet potato, kabocha, eggplant, broccoli, and onions) had a light, crunchy batter. Served with a dashi based dipping sauce. * 10 pc Nigiri Omakase ($42): https://tinyurl.com/4w89bje4- Toro Tartar- Ocean Trout Belly- Kanpachi: Amberjack- Shima Aji: Striped Jack- Madai: Sea Bream- Kurodai: Blackhead Sea Bream- Hamachi Toro: Yellowtail Belly- Norwegian Salmon- Baby Blue Fin Toro- Baby OtoroAdd-ons:* Hamachi Toro Nigiri (2 pc - $11.50): https://tinyurl.com/25z88cm2* Seared Toro w/ Uni (2 pc - $14): https://tinyurl.com/27rp74zk* Baby O-Toro (2 pc - $13) - Chef included an additional piece since the other two cuts of fish weren't large enough by their standards. Their signature nigiri with long slabs of neta (fish) over a tiny portion of shari (sushi rice) was on-point. Fresh, firm and buttery with each nigiri having their own little touches/seasoning. Love that they include a side of fresh wasabi and not the cheapy dry, pasty stuff. While not traditional and nigiri purists may *roll their eyes*, IMO, it's an unbeatable value for the taste and quality. And, it hits the spot all the time!S E R V I C EJason, our server was awesome. Super kind, attentive, and when served, introduced each nigiri. The two sushi chefs were friendly and efficient. They're not slammed...yet so food service was prompt. A M B I A N C EModern and casual with seven tables and eight sushi bar seats.P A R K I N GMetered street parking and there's a lot next door. Overall, Amani serves great value-driven sushi in one of the most expensive cities to live in. Their [nigiri] omakase is the way to go...every...single...time."

Mizutani Sushi Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (221) • $$

"2.5 if i could :/for the love of jebus, do not get their udon. it's REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD. very chinese owned. which is fine, but again if ya cant get things right, that's when i get disappointed. i was really craving some california roll and wanted something hot as well. so i got the sakura roll, california roll, and tempura udon. the wait time was decent and the service was good ! i can appreciate that. but i guess when i asked what they recommend from their menu, they weren't able to give a clear answer in terms of stuff that isn't sushi, then again it is a sushi bar. my companion said the sakura roll is great. so get that if you like fish. however i'm deeply upset that they put furikake/seasoning on top of my california roll? it distracts the flavor of the crab and just shouldn't be on top of it..oh man. OH MAN. don't JUST DONT GET THEIR UDON. do you see? the soup base is white. it's flavorless. the soup was so bad yall. i really, reallyyyy don't know how they can mess up udon like that. they also include things that shouldn't even be in udon (cabbage, tofu, carrots). their tempura is good. i believe they seasoned it a little so it has some salt, BUT BUT BUT they did not include the tempura sauce (because that sauce and soy sauce aren't the same) which makes the already salt tempura even salty-er. again i'm being critical of food that isn't sushi at a sushi bar but as a restaurant, everything on the menu has to taste at least good enough. ya feel?"

Nara

★★★★☆ 4.4 (644) • $$

"I brought my niece here for lunch and we had a great experience.I ordered the Strawberry Black Tea and absolutely loved the flavor. It was so yummy.For lunch I ordered the Spicy Ocean Roll. I was surprised over the generous portion size. Thought it was difficult for me to navigate with chopsticks, the flavor was out of this world delicious. The texture was just right, the yummy rice and the soft salmon paired well with the avocado and remaining ingredients.My niece ordered the Shrimp Tempura Gimbap and of course we shared. I thought it had a great flavor as well. I have not ever had tempura within a sushi roll and enjoyed every bite. The service was good, our service was very friendly. The space is just lovely.I'm so happy we tried this place and I'll definitely return."

Tataki

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"Food Service Ambiance Also, Happy Hour menu is clutch. Highly recommend. Order one of everything. Everything, I tell you."

Umami Sushi

★★★★★ 4.7 (44)

"Our favorite sushi spot for the last year or so. Beats out the other Richmond and sunset spots by far. Consistently great quality fish, flavors, and service. They don't skimp on the size of the cuts. I love the real marinated wasabi (you have to order). Do yourself a favor, give it a try."

Dragon Horse

★★★★☆ 4.4 (177)

"Wow wow wow!! This really is a hidden gem. This place has innovative cocktails curated by the owner I believe. Such a creative mind I should say! We came on a fairly slow night (it was just my friend and I and two other people in the restaurant). The food was AMAZING, a little pricey, but would definitely make a trip back to try more cocktails and the karaoke. The restaurant serves as a bar and a dine in restaurant and the inside gives off a very intimate atmosphere with a quirky feel to it. The service was great (I believe the owner served us) and was very patient with our slow decision making (everything on the menu sounded so great!) Thank you for having us and we will definitely be back soon!!"

HI City

★★★★☆ 3.6 (43)

"Saw this new spot pop up on my yelp feet and decide to try out since I love Hawaiian food. When trying Hawaiian for the first time I always go with the loco moco and musubi. Also grabbed a poke bowl to try out. Since we are all still in Shelter in Place I ordered via mobile via their website from my car. Very easy to place an order and was done in the 10-15 minutes that was stated on the site. Gave me enough time to pick up a few items I needed at the ranch. The loco moco was pretty good. Gravy was a little congealed since it had to travel back home but they gave a good portion of meat and was spiced well. Mac salad was decent and egg was cooked just right. Bag tipped over in my car but lid held everything in so no biggie. Good take on the Hawaiian classic. Also ordered a Poke bow with 2 scoops. Pretty easy to select toppings via the website. Here's what we got.Build Your Own Poke Bowl - 2 Scoops of PokeVariation: RegularPoke Base: Sushi Rice,Mix GreensBase Toppings: Cucumbers,Garlic Crab MixChoice 1: Salmon FurikakeChoice 2: Sweet Miso SalmonToppings: Corn,Green Onions,Masago,Lomi Lomi Tomatoes,Fried Onions,FurikakeSauce: House Calamansi Ponzu To be honest both types of poke tasted similar. But maybe due to them being mixed together with the sauce. Overall solid poke bowl as well. I also got a couple of the chicken spam musubi. Solid for HI food as well. If in the mood for hawaiian takeout, this was a good choice, would be back if nearby or need to shop inside 99 and have my food ready to go before heading home.TLDR; Solid spot for HI (hawaiian) grub in the mid peninsula."

Au Sushi

★★★★★ 4.5 (146)

"Au Sushi was a really nice surprise!It's located deep in the sleepy corner of the Diamond Heights plaza and feels like a well kept secret. My friend and I spent several minutes perusing the menu and choosing a wide variety of rolls to share amongst friends at a dinner party later. We were very impressed that each roll was made fresh and we were also very appreciative that the vegetarian rolls extended beyond basic veggie maki rolls.Our favorites of the night were the Fish Tacos (the crispy tempura seaweed base was chef's kiss), the Double Toro (soooo buttery!), and the Walnut Roll (very pleasant vegetarian twist on a dragon roll). Honestly though, everything was of really good quality. They also paid great attention to still presenting the sushi very nicely despite it being a to-go order.Pricewise, it'll probably be about $30 a person if you stick to special rolls and appetizers. Some of the specials like the chirasi bowl or chef's platter will cross $50 easily."

Izumi Revolving Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.7 (354) • $$

"Visited multiple times, either with friends or solo for lunch and dinner. Can take plates from the conveyor belt or order from the pad. There's more food options on the pad so would recommend looking. Quality of food is good and fish cuts are big but have found bones before so just be careful. Some days the fish is fresher, other days not so I would look at them while they pass by on the conveyor belt. Favorites: salmon, walu, herring, lion king, plum flower, and spicy tuna app."

Kiroro Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.3 (592) • $$

"Okay for reference, is this the best sushi place ever...no. It's pretty good. I give 5 stars because for me, every restaurant starts at 5 and goes down if things aren't up to par, issues occur, or I feel it's not worth the price spent. Luckily for Kiroro, none of those negative things happened. Kiroro hit all the spots. I've just been to somereally amazing sushi spots recently and so it's apples and oranges. My sushi judgement is still cloudy from my dinner at Uchi last month. I reserved a table on Yelp, recommend you do that for dinner, that time gets busy. Service was friendly and mostly attentive. I love the complimentary green tea and continuous refills. Miso soup was fine, it's miso soup. Everything had pretty good flavor. Honestly my favorite thing was my unagi. It was delicious. We ordered some pretty basic stuff so I can't say it blew me away, it was all solid. I saw other people ordering some good things. The item that looked the best but I didn't go for was the omakase plank. The pieces of fish on there looked awesome! So, you can have an excellent dinner at kiroro, if you order and spend correctly. We topped out at about $65 dollars for 2. That's really cheap and a decent deal. I enjoyed my food... I did end up having to just pull out the hamachi from the roll toward as there was too much rice hiding the fish. The mushroom tempura roll was an okay choice, not sure what we were thinking there. I'm not vegan so we should have gotten more fish lol. Dragon roll was good and they do give an option to upgrade to real crab. Didn't do it but that's nice they offer it. Overall myself and my friend, who I'm visiting, enjoyed it."

Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (163) • $$$

"We had our 11 yo daughter's birthday party there and it was absolutely perfect for them!!! 9 friends sat around a u-shaped Hibachi while the chef kept them entertained with antics. The food was yummy, but what really made it for me was the wonderful Maria, who could not have been nicer as we planned and emailed back and forth. She's a true gem and I hope management will keep her!!!"

Yoshi Ramen and Sushi

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (483) • $$

"I come here often for the lunch bento special and an occasional California roll. Every time, it's A+ service and food quality. The servers are very attentive, kind and quick. I used to go to Spiral for their bento or HH/lunch. Had to wait at Spiral for over 45 minutes to get our food and they ignore us when we asked for utensils, napkins and water. Never went back since, now I go here to Yoshi. The restaurant is always very clean, there is nice decor inside and the booths are a nice touch that is not common in this area. It's a very nice, quiet and pretty atmosphere.The quality of my bentos are always great. Everything tastes fresh. I always have a plump piece of salmon. The tempura and gyoza are juicy and fried perfectly. The miso and salad have just the right flavor. $17 for all this food is a good deal for the area. Spiral is $21 and the other Japanese places around here are in the $20s+ for bentos. It is good quality and I was surprised because it's mall food. If you go inside the mall, there's a sushi conveyor belt restaurant with really poor quality and tiny portions.They don't skimp me here at Yoshi. I don't have to ask the servers for anything. You are seated right away. They bring out your order very fast. They refill your cup when it's empty. They ask you if you need anything. A+ service. I've seen them cleaning and the restaurant looks very clean whenever I am there. Also, there is no carpet. There are 3 dozen or utensils, soy sauce and napkins already on the table. I think some reviewers may be mistaken. I do usually go at lunch and they open at 11am, so maybe that's a factor. But I've come for dinner before and never had an issue."

Toyama Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.4 (545) • $$

"Ate here again with friends. They were more than pleasantly surprised and impressed the quality and quantity for the price was excellent. I love the grilled hamachi collars This is my go to place for Japanese food"

Echigo Home Cook

★★★★☆ 3.8 (5)

"Ordered through DoorDash and the sushi came in fresh. The quality of the sushi rolls are good, no weird fishy taste. I highly recommend the snow princess and flaming roaring tiger. Pricing is standard sushi rolls. They use good Japanese rice and its proportion decently. Paired with a good miso.I liked the matcha creme soda a lot.I appreciate the presentation of the food and thought the soy sauce leaf tray was a cute detail. If you are looking for decent sushi to go- I recommend this place."

Jin Sho

★★★★☆ 3.5 (629) • $$$

"Every dish tasted incredibly fresh. I also discovered a new favorite alcohol, Kamoizumi "Umeshu," which added a delightful and unexpected highlight to the evening."

Sushi Chef

★★★★★ 4.6 (90) • $$

"We celebrated Valentine's Day early this year and I picked Sushi Chef as our dinner stop before seeing the show at Club Fugazi. Upon arrival, I noted it was much smaller than I expected, with about 5-6 tables and I think they're reservation only, or at least strongly recommended. We were quickly seated and the staff were very prompt and helpful as we worked our way through the menu. We both had a drink, an appetizer and shared a few rolls. Compared to the other sushi restaurants we've been to, this feels a bit more "fancy" but the prices are still very reasonable - which works well for a date night or if you just want to treat yourself without blowing your budget. We enjoyed everything, B was especially a fan of their garlic edamame. After tip it was a little over $100 for the two of us, which was less than expected. We're not in the area a lot but I'd definitely return and recommend it."