Yoshi's San FranciscoAlot to take inBackground music a little too loud for dining jazz group .Our waiter (dressed in all black) with no sense of humor,but eager to please.
We just ate appetizers and split the scallops. The food at Yoshi's was very good. Scallops & brussel sprouts each rocked.
Here is a jazz place (and we were there to hear bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs to add to the dynamics) with crisp japanese chefs(all dressed in white) bowing over their array of fresh & colorful ingredients.
Dramatic are the high ceilings with ropes and baked potato lanterns hanging but rough accoustics for dining conversation.
My dining partner ordered a gin & tonic and it came in a short stubby rocks glass.
Like the set up of park once, eat ..into show..easy will be back.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMA wonderful experience withA wonderful experience with the deliciously innovative dishes. Great ambience and elegant!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMInteresting flavors, beautifulInteresting flavors, beautiful presentation, friendly and capable servers.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Brussel sprout starterThe Brussel sprout starter dish is excellent. I could have eaten 2 servings!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprise friendsGreat place for friends to get together dinner,show and music while having dinner. And enjoy a drink after show at the bar area.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMDefinitely worth going toIf you like good tasty food I highly recommend. Price is up there, but the food, service and ambiance package makes it worth it.
Went to see Peobo Bryson next door after, and what a treat. The small cocktail lounge atmosphere and close to stage tables made it extra special. Felt the entertainer could really reach out and enjoy the audience and vice versa.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMThe dinner we had was excellentThe dinner we had was excellent especially the pork. The scallops were not up to par, perhaps a bit overcooked. The desserts were definitely lacking in flavor, The chocolate cake was dry and perhaps a day-old. The sauces with the pork especially the parsnip sauce were excellent. We did not have any sushi, so I would like to try that on our next visit. The wait service was attentive at first, then definitely lacking. Our dinner plates sat on our table for 15 minutes after we finished eating, and the wait staff was walking by tending to other tables. Come on people, teamwork. Our waiter was very pleasant, however seemed to be a bit too mellow and slow for the prices they were charging.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent mealFriends from out of town were visiting, we had dinner before a show, with multiple courses of food. Excellent!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGood foodGood food, large portions. Wait staff friendly and helpful. Nice background live music.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experience! The foodGreat experience! The food and service were outstanding. We ordered off the TravelZoo special menu and a few items off the regular dinner menu. Our server was helpful in picking out options. Everything was delicious! We cleaned each and every plate.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMsolidYoshis is simply a lovely restaurant....the menu is thoughful, with lots of california influenced japanese sensibility coupled with a wonderful variety of sakes. It is the perfect preshow venue if you are catching an act in the adjoining music club. When the music lineup is weak or there is no scheduled music show, the restaurant tends to be a bit empty.
Yoshis did offer a live jazz combo in the dining room, which added live music to dinner, but was rather loud for those who came for conversation.
If you want the best service and least competition, go on a night when there is no music at on Yoshis stage.
Incidentally, it has a great bar and is a lovely venue.
Parking is easy.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFast and yummy!We were running late for a show... the staff was amazing. Professional and on it. We made it to the show right on time.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous eveningWe had a fabulous evening at Yoshi's: delicious food and drinks, and outstanding music. Love this venue and will return!5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMRemarkable Ambience & ServiceThis restaurant was actually recommended to me by a friend in the music industry. The food was definitely scrumptious and artfully presented. I made reservations here for my GF's milestone birthdays and she very much enjoyed the dinner snd Chris O'Reily show. We will be back for more.
Vivian & Lisa
(Vancouver/Toronto)5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Dining Experience...!I had a great time at Yoshi's. I enjoyed the food and atmosphere as well as the service. We had a really nice waitress. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to friends.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMNice AmbienceWent to Yoshi's SF on the Travelzoo promotion deal. So we ordered from an abridged menu, which we were aware of in advance. The portion sizes are very ample for a restaurant of this class. I had the corvina, which was perfectly cooked (be aware that it has bacon or ham in the sauce), and my partner had hangar steak (med. rare), which she was impressed with. Our server was very attentive, but appeared to be overworked. The only service hiccup is that we had to wait ten minutes for our side dishes after receiving our entrees. The ambience is very nice, but the couples' tables are spaced too closely to each other. For having lounge performers in the background, it's not too loud to carry a conversation. It's pricey, but nice overall.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMRestaurant good; show seating, hmm?We've eaten several times at Yoshii's and always enjoyed it. We were a little disappointed to not see their various tempura starters and Salmon entree on their menu, but we found suitable alternatives! The surprising part were the location of our seats for the show we saw that night after dinner (Peter White - he was fantastic!). When you eat at the restaurant, the hosts will assign you the best seats available for the show. We were there two hours before the show started, and spent over $100 on dinner, but were seated in the back row in the club. My question: why spend $100 in the restaurant while I could have spend $30 extra on tickets for the ability to choose my own seats near the stage? Odd strategy by Yoshii's....5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMawesomeFood was delightful, service was exceptional and entertainment right at your footsteps.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGirls Night OutHad a great time with my friends. We were the last ones at the restaurant and were treated like queens until we left. Waiters made us feel comfortable and kept us on the go bringing the delicious cocktails promptly. Food was outstanding. The hamachi carpaccio was the highlight of the night and the chocolate dessert was just the perfect closing deal of a delightful evening.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMSan Francisco Yoshi. A different flOn this trip to bay area went to Yoshi San Francisco. The area and style of this location is quite different from Yoshi Oakland.
The ambience was more avant-garde-garde. We went to dinner before the Geopele show and they helped keep us on time for the show.
Great service5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food & atmosphereWe regularly dine at Yoshi's and have yet to be disappointed. The food is great and the service is typically outstanding. On an occassion, you may get a server with absolutely no energy or personality; however, nothing that would negatively affect your dining experiance. There are plenty of bussers that are willing to pick up the slack!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved every momentFrom the moment we entered the restaurant we were welcomed by a very nice host who immediately suggested who will also take care of our seats for the Jazz session. Three of us enjoyed beautifully arranged food, freshly made which could meet the meat as well as the fish lovers. The quail was spectacular, the Brussels sprouts-to do for and the coffee jello (never thought I could enjoy jello), we loved it all. The service was very attentive, but not pretentious. We would be happy to visit again.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGo for the music not the foodThe food is ok, the music, service, and venue are outstanding5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMothers DayThe ambience was lovely. It was our first time. Staff were kind. Service is awesome. It's not cheap though. I recommend this for very special occassions only.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMLight Meal Before the ShowWe enjoyed a bite to eat before the show. It was perfect!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat combo-food, service & settingExcellent food--unusual and delicious--excellent service with waiter who made great recommendations and fun setting!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat to have Yoshi's in SFBeautiful, well decorated bar/restaurant. The bartender that served us was very knowledgeable about drinks and had a great personality, as well as our waiter. Huge place, great for entertaining! Glad we finally visited SF Yoshi's. Thank you for a great evening!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMYoshis before the show.While the food and service were fine we were sitting at a table for 2 divided by a see through screen to a table for four. The table for four was then occupied by perhaps the loudest and crudest conversationalists in the room. It appeared all the tables were busy so we didn't ask to move. It ruined our whole dinner and we couldn't get our check fast enough. Very poor set up for even a minimal level of privacy.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMVery noisygreat food, great service, convenient parking, but the band played so loud that it was difficult to have a nice conversation.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!Absolutely loved the food! They took a little time getting us our drinks so they could be more efficient. The wine list seems decent but there are no reasonably priced wines, with the least expensive red starting at $36.00. We had a great band behind us. We went to eat pre-show. The lounge was fantastic for acoustics and ambiance.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThe go to place for jazz in The CitIf you're attending a show at Yoshi's jazz club, you owe it to yourself to have dinner here beforehand. The way I look at it, there's a $19 service charge to reserve your seat (if you don't dine at the restaurant), so I've already got a $38 credit towards dinner for two!
Our favorite appetizer is the brussels sprouts — I've tried unsuccessfully to recreate this dish. The portion sizes are a bit on the small side, but keeping in pace with a typical trendy Japanese restaurant. Although I'm not a sushi lover, my friends say Yoshi's serves some of the best sushi around.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMYOshi's reviewOverall, my wife and I had a very memorable evening on our first visit to San Francisco. The food and drinks were excellent and the service was very good.
The one thing we didn't enjoy all that much was the noise level, particularly as we were sitting at a table separated by only a fabric screen when 3 young men sat down. It felt like they were in our laps and it was virtually impossible to have a quiet conversation. Our server kindly seated us at another table but I wouldn't recommend this type of seating to anyone.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMLove Yoshi's!!!Thank you for an amazing experience with my whole family! We enjoyed Rochelle Farrell too! Great night altogether!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMYoshi's SF always impressiveIn particular, this specific evening, the band in the restaurant which featured Naje, was stellar, especially the older bass player who obviously had spent time performing classical music in his career. The woman I was with remarked that this was the first Japanese food that truly tasted Japanese she had since coming to the US from Tokyo.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentVery good food. Excellent service. Staff makes you feel very welcome. All while waiting to hear great live music.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMWith such a variety of placesWith such a variety of places in SF I'm not sure, I would chose Yoshi's if not for the jazz concert. But once you go to Yoshi's Jazz Club, don't look for anything else. Creative japanese food will satisfy most of your demands.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat RestuarantYoshi's food was great. Unfortunately, we went on Sunday so therefore did not get the Jazz experience. I would definitely return and recommend dining at Yoshi.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMOur server and all the staffOur server and all the staff were amazing. The food was exquisite, especially the tempura brussel sprouts! Will definitely go to Yoshi's SF next time I visit the city!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMYoshi's was excellent! WeYoshi's was excellent! We were booked in for a show after dinner, however were entertained with the music and energy of the restaurant beforehand too. Food was delish! I dined with vegetarians, and the Chef's accommodated small menu tweaks at our request too. Delicious! Travelling all the way from Australia, this night was certainly one of our highlights4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining venue beforeGreat dining venue before or after show. Elegant decor, great for out of town guests wanting to experience unique SF jazz concert scene. Even with travel-zoo promotional meal price, food, though good, was expensive for what it was. Would retuirn with out-of-town guests or special occasion, but too pricey for casual drop-in for dinner only. Parking was $14 for Sunday evening, one hour before 6 PM plus fixed price 12 dollars for evening.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food, Blond joke WaitressMy wife and I went for the dinner reservation to ensure better seating at the Leo Kottke concert that night. The food was good, exceptionally so that my wife and I were sad we don't have a Japanese restaurant this good in San Jose. The Sea bass was great, the edamame perfect, the tempera veggies sublime.
The service was below average. It took 10+ minutes to get drinks and the tempura appetizer slow coming too. Edamame arrived OK. We ordered Miso soup, which we had to remind the waitress to bring after the entree arrived. Sigh. She completely failed to bring us the brown rice. The blond waitress made the usual canned excuses but then it was time for the concert so no chance to get dessert.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThe sushi was superb, everythingThe sushi was superb, everything else was very good also. Very nice space and genuine attentive service. A very nice place to dine before music in the nightclub.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprisingly Great!We were somewhat reluctant to eat at Yoshi's - only doing so in order to get reserved seats for a show in Yoshi's Jazz Club. We expected mediocre food. Boy were we wrong. The food was outstanding! The Tempura Calamari is the best calamari I have ever had - very light, crisp batter and perfectly cooked calamari. The miso duck confit was also outstanding!I'll be back there to eat, even if I'm not going to a show.
The only thing that stopped me from giving 5 stars was the end of the meal. It took way too long to get our check, and then to pay it. This was particularly bothersome as our waiter knew we were going to the show, which was about to start. Service was great up to that point.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMI wished the tables weren'tI wished the tables weren't so close to each other. I can hear everyone's conversation around me. So wasn't intimate as I thought it would be. Food was delicious, but felt like I could find them at any other sushi restaurants.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful evening-We had a wonderful evening- the biggest surprise was how great the restaurant and the food was. I would not hesitate to return just for dinner even if there was no show!4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSashimi Sampler - Excellent,Sashimi Sampler - Excellent,
Nigiri - Good, maybe very good.
California roll - maybe better than average but that is not saying much....
Jazzy Roll - better than average
Sake Sampler - very good but do not plan on sharing any!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMHouse Band for dinner wasHouse Band for dinner was excellent and Pharoah Sanders blew us away. Great night.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMEven if I wasn't attendingEven if I wasn't attending a conert at Yoshi's, I would'nt hesitate for an instant to put it first on my list as a first class dining desetination!4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMawesome cuisineGreat vibes...music....neighborhood!!
New chef from Japan...awesome dishes coming out of the kitchen and a good wait staff...
Always eat here when we are in the neighborhood....especially when going out for a venue at Yoshi's!!!
most tables are romantic enough.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMI usually eat at Yoshi's onlyI usually eat at Yoshi's only when we are also attending one of the shows after dinner. I recommend sticking with the Japanese style foods and avoiding certain meat dishes (chicken & duck) since they are not always prepared impressively but you can usually count on the sushi and fish selections to be superb.3/24/2013 12:00:00 AM