Niku Steakhouse

I had the pleasure of spending Valentine's day at Niku, and I am still thinking about the meal weeks later.The vibe? Trendy upscale steakhouse with just the right mix of energy and intimacy.The food? Honestly, Zero misses. We threw in the broccolini purely for balance and it ended up being a standout! The pig ears were crispy, savory and a little bit too snackable. The tomahawk was cooked to perfection, beautifully seasoned, with a wonderful char. Crispy potatoes and Parker House rolls--predictably amazing, because carbs never fail us.Desserts? Wagyu fat brownie was deeply rich and deeply satisfying. The pear dessert was a lighter, more refined counterpoint, but still packed with flavor.And then there's Ivana--the real MVP. She was thoughtful, engaged, perfectly paced, genuinely made the night feel special.Final verdict? Cannot wait to be back!

Decided to celebrate Valentines later so we can avoid all that comes with Valentine's Day at restaurants.Niku is all cracked up to what it is supposed to be.The staff, service, food, ambience was amazing plus we got great tasting treat from the chef that was out of this world. So I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story

Took my fiancé here for his birthday dinner, and as always, Niku did not disappoint! They truly master the art of cooking steaks--every bite was perfection.To start, we ordered the beef tartare and butter rolls, which are absolute must-gets. The tartare was rich, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned, while the butter rolls were soft, pillowy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.For the main course, we went all in with two incredible steaks: Australian Wagyu Filet Mignon - buttery, tender, and packed with flavor. Australian Ribeye - perfectly marbled, juicy, and cooked to absolute perfection.Not a single bite was left on our plates!For dessert, we originally ordered the brownie, but the chef highly recommended the lemon cake--and wow, what a great call! The cake was light, citrusy, and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. To top it all off, they brought out a cute birthday surprise for my fiancé, which was such a thoughtful finishing touch!

Food: 5/5Service: 5/5Price: 4/5Atmosphere: 5/5TL;DR: One of my favorite steakhouses in San Francisco (might even be my fav). It's the perfect place to celebrate any special occasion or go for a nice date. The staff here is exceptional, they're super nice & patient in explaining every menu item or course to you and they really do their best to make you feel comfortable and welcomed. I really enjoy the open kitchen concept so you can watch the chefs cool, esp if you get a seat at the chef's counter. I've tried almost everything on their menu at this point and nothing ever disappoints -- I also love how they provide small complimentary snacks, like mini croquette before the meal & a lil homemade oreo as dessert. Will continue to come back here time & time again :)Beef Tartare (*5/5*): the meat is so soft & buttery and the sauce on there is perfect. The crispy fried rice paper goes so well with it, gives the meat a nice crunchiness; I always order this, it's to die forBone Marrow (*5/5*): the marrow is so fatty & rich and to top it off, they put small pieces of short rib on top; it's so decadent but delicious; and honestly, while the marrow/meat is delicious, I absolutely love the toasted bread it came with. It's so buttery and soft yet crunchy on the sides. It goes so well with the marrow but I can also eat it by itself. We even asked if we can just have more bread on it's own -- it's so so so goodWagyu Tomahawk (*4/5*): massive hunk of steak that was enough to feed 6 people. really soft & tender; except the middle pieces were a little undercooked for our liking -- we asked for medium rare but the middle felt more on the rarer side so it was pretty chewy, but no big deal since the staff recooked those few pieces for us and it was great.Crispy Potato (*5/5*): the sauce it comes with is greatGrilled Broccolini (*4.5/5*): delicious, love the citrusy taste it has

Seasonal and inspired appetizers. A good selection of steak cuts, including a Wagyu tasting. Niku offers an inspired steakhouse experience. The space is rather intimate and can get loud, but having a conversation is still easy.Counter seatings allow diners to get really close to the grilling and kitchen actions. ----I really enjoyed the whole experience at Niku Steakhouse. Everything seems to be just right. The room was lit just enough so that you didn't need to use your cell phone flashlight to read the menu. The music was played just loud enough so you don't have to endure awkward silence on a date or yell to have a conversation. The service was friendly and attentive despite having a full house. The menu offers enough options for everyone, from traditionalists to adventurous eaters, without being overwhelming. Niku really sets the bar for a modern Steakhouse experience. We sat at the counter, which offered a great view of the grill. We got to see the chefs making appetizers and grilling steaks, and really saw the passion and attention to detail when preparing the food. It was amazing to watch the chef at the grill station moving the steak around for the perfect doneness, relying on metal testers and experience. By the way, it really made you want to get a tomahawk steak, but we resisted the urge. The service staff offered suggestions without being pushy. They confirmed my wife's aversion to Shiso and made sure it wasn't in the food. We saw the staff go to great lengths to accommodate the many modification requests made to the menu items. We had two different house cocktails that were really tasty. The chicory salad was crisp, and the vinaigrette offered a sharp acidity that really balanced the otherwise rich meal. There are interesting twists in the components of the Wagyu charcuterie. The flavors were intense and sometimes unexpected. I was going to complain about the portion size, but I can see it becoming too much. For the main event, we had the wagyu flat iron and the ribeye. They were simply seasoned, which really allowed the beef to shine (literally and figuratively). I am glad we got two cuts that had different textures and meatiness. The pickled vegetables side provided much-needed acidity, and we ordered the broccolini, pretending to be healthy. The broccolini was amazing. The time it spent on the grill imparted smokiness and the black garlic dressing the umani. We did not have room for deserts.

A very classy and upscale steakhouse. Great ambiance that felt very elegant yet casual at the same time. The service is impeccable here. Our server was very friendly and attentive. He did a great job at explaining the menu to us.We ordered:- Beef tartare: very light and smooth. Egg was a nice touch. The chips on the side (that are actually crispy beef tendon) complimented the meat really well since they were very light. It added a nice crunch- Crispy pig ears: crispy yet chewy. The fish caramel sauce was so sweet and savory, but also somewhat salty. Flavor was amazing though- Dry aged New York: so tender and flavorful. It had a good amount of fat and a nice nuttyness to it- Tomahawk: had high hopes for it considering the price, but meat was a bit chewy and not as tender. It was good, but we were not blown away- Broccolini: perfect side to get if you want vegetables to compliment the meat. Heavily seasoned and slightly salty, but very delicious still- Crispy potatoes: perfectly crispy yet soft and the layers were unique. Very light and not too salty. Tasted even better with the chickpea miso dip on the side. Dip was light as wellMy favorite part was getting to choose which steak knife I wanted. Added a fun aspect to the night! Would love to sit at the chef's counter next time.

This was literally some of the best food I've had in a really long time. More specifically, this was, by far, the most DELICIOUS, mouth-watering, melt-in-your-mouth fantastic bone marrow on plant Earth. Just wow. There are no words to describe it, other than this would be my death row meal The vibes were awesome too, great wait staff, and just generally a great place to dine, with a lovely ambience. I also recommend the yummy potatoes! The drinks were awesome, too.

Yuuuum! Came here for my birthday and it was such a great experience! We ordered the wagyu sampler and it was out of this world. The course started with A3, moved to A4, A5 and the tenderloin. It was absolutely more than enough for a party of 3. Their broccolini is remarkable and those crispy potatoes were so delicate crunchy. I would come back but only for very very special occasions.

What a treat it is to come here. Date night or a special night out. -Grilled maitake mushroom is so flavorful.-I was wowed by the Crispy potatoes, so crispy! They come in little square shapes.-Any meat dish is great tooIf you sit at the bar counter, you can watch the meat being cooked in the fire and it is a good experience. If you reserved late usually the bar is more available than dining tables. Place is Good for groups, if you can find that many people who want to dine with you. Service is fantastic, you're well taken care of Make reservations online, you know, you have to plan ahead if you want a nice night out and a nice place to eat!

TEN STARS! Service was excellent beginning at check-in. First, they offer coat check. The place is beautiful and perfect for date night. Eric, our waiter, was the best. He was friendly and very knowledgeable. They acknowledged our anniversary with a sign at our table and gifted us glasses of bubbly. The food and drinks were amazing. We had the crispy pig ears and oysters for appetizers. The four of us shared the Wagyu tasting and each couple ordered a steak to share. We had the Wagyu fat brownie and d'anjou pears for dessert. Service was excellent and the entire waitstaff was wonderful. We had a great experience.