Jewel Bako

The portions are really small for the price, but the service, staff, and quality of the fish was great. My boyfriend was still hungry after and we ended up getting a slice on the way home 😂.

The entire experience was extremely underwhelming.

The amuse bouche was stale. The sushi rice was cold and there was way too much wasabi in some of the sashimi pieces, which made me want to spit it out. The spiny tuna roll was good but I've had grocery store sushi of the same quality... and it's a spicy tuna roll - you can't really mess that up.

Even the chopstick holders were bad; they literally use pebbles for chopstick holders (did they get them from central park?) so the chopsticks wouldn't stay on them unless you sat there trying to balance them meticulously on this literal round rock.

The restaurant is extremely cramped. Every single time the waiter or someone else walked by, they would rub against my coat and purse that was hanging on the back of my chair. Decor was pretty cool and modern but I felt claustrophobic... Imagine sitting inside of a fancy whale carcass and that's what Jewel Bako's ambiance is.

Service was good but nothing to write home about.

How this place has a Michelin star is beyond me. Seriously... wtf?

Staff was very rude and condescending, did not make valentines dinner special in any way. Won’t be back.

We had the omakase at the bar and it was amazing!!
The chef was nice, funny, explained everything!

I can't think of any other great sushi restaurants in New York open on a Monday and that allow you to order a la carte. This was my first time trying kama toro and it is divine!

No record of our Open Table Reservation, staff left front door open allowing cold wind to enter the room, food good but uninspired choice of fish

I've been wanting to try Jewel Bako since it had consecutive Michelin stars awarded over the years. I was surprised to see that they had plenty of reservations open for a last minute booking, and should have taken that as a bad sign from the start. The fish selection and quality was underwhelming. All of the pieces we got seemed dry and not very flavorful. A few people i dined with pointed out that the rice seemed undercooked, and kept falling apart. The overall ambiance and service was great, but I wouldn't go back.

Excellent food, excellent service, so fresh, so beautiful. An amazing Omakase experience!

Mitsunori San, the sushi chef, is a rising start in the New York sushi world. The food is so good, so fresh, and creative. It's subtle things, like the texture of the rice, and the way he prepares the fish prior to making the sushi, that set him apart. Go! Enjoy!

Great value for money. Delicious.

Hadn’t seen Jack in years but even going as far back as JLOB, he never forgets. He and his staff still kick it in high gear and put on quite the experience... Super solid (food, staff, ambience) and then some all the way around!

To say they’re tremendously overpriced and the portions are minuscule doesn’t even begin to describe Bako. Needless to say, one and done.

Very disenchanted after this omakase experience — impatient service and subpar sushi. Our entire 11-piece order was placed onto one plate, and the waiter rushed through his explanation of each piece. The rice was cold on every piece of sushi, even the crispy rice! Ambiance was lovely, which likely explains the restaurant’s Michelin star status, but hardly makes up for what we’d consider a solidly B-list sushi takeout order.

Wonderful service, delicious meal

The best place

Four of us had the sushi and sashimi omakase.
Let’s start with the good stuff, the quality of the fishes are top notch. Mood is great with low and soothing lights (I can’t remember if there is any music) and service is pretty good. Menu has a pretty good selection of food and price ranges so it’s great for folks who want something else than omakase and yet experienced a highly ranked restaurant.
Let’s come to the mediocre quality of this place - 1) sushi rice is cold, slightly al denté and falls apart when it’s dip into the soya sauce, 2) slow to fill up tea and no one has asked if we want to refill our hot sake 3) waiter struggle to set down the omakase long plate 4) for such a high end restaurant, they can’t be bothered to have an outer canvas door to block the cold chilly winds that kept blowing on us every time someone opened the door which was every few mins. 5) highly suggest to not have a dipping bowl filled up to the brim with soya sauce - so wasteful especially when it’s for 14 pieces of sushi & sashimi.
Overall summary
Underdelivered place and some disappointed out of country friends.

great sushi - very fresh. went with the Omakase and was not dissappointed

For a Michelin Star restaurant, I expected much more. Went in with 3 friends, ordered the full Omakase and 3 bottles of wine/sake. Service was abysmal, and food was mediocre at best. I wouldn’t have been “happy” with the meal if it cost me $50 a head, much less the $250 a head that we paid. Infinite better options in the city, and makes me question the Michelin rating process.

Food is very basic and does not taste fresh at all. A lot of it just tasted old and bad. Really do not recommend, despite how much of a fan of omakase my partner and I usually are.

Well worth to experience Omakase at Jewel Bako. quality of each nigiri and appetizers were great at I want to give 4.5/5 overall. Chef here is very polite and checks on each customers pace to serve each piece at right time. I have other places on my list to visit next time when i come to NY again so if the time meets, I will visit here again. This place was a great example for me to experience what's michelin 1 star restaurant is.

The food was probably good but the noise and the assembly line service ruined it

Food is always top notch

Sushi was not well formed. Fish was fresh but rice was so loose that the entire thing falls apart when you pick it up. Theie signature dish was supposed to be the match creme brulee, but it was overcooked and curdled. Service and ambience was faultless but could not make up for overpriced sushi and dessert.
Very disappointing for a Michelin restaurant.

Exquisite! We enjoyed the food immensely and can't wait to come back. Definitely worth the money for a special occasion treat. transports us back to Japan without the plane ride!

Love this place and it never disappoints. Omakase at bar with chef was amazing!!!!! I could keep eating that sushi forever!

As always, totally exceptional!

Which is better, the omakase or the ambiance?! 😊

What a special experience. The sushi was impeccable, the service was so attentive, and the restaurant is so peaceful and beautiful. Loved it.

Great food, overpriced from my POV

I ordered a sushi platter and their sushi and sashimi was mediocre tbh. I'm glad that I didn't order omakaze. However, the appetizers and desserts were AMAZING (kisses to macha creme brulee) and I loved the interesting interior and the ambience of the restaurant. For someone who's interested a full experience of this restaurant, I would recommend their tasting menu.

Everything was great! I will be back! The atmosphere and sushi was amazing!

Did the omakaso and the amuse niche was stale like it had been premade. The oyster appetizer was fishy and the main course was bad. 1/2 the fish on the sashimi and sushi course was just OK

Jewel Bako was an incredibly wonderful experience. The food, service and ambience outstanding. I have been at many sushi restaurants around the world and I admit Jewel Bako is ne of the best. (They still have my cheese from Little Eataly tho'...)

I enjoy everything about this restaurant. The staff is very attentive and helpful. The ambience is lovely, and it is one of the quieter restaurants in NY. The food is wonderful. You won't regret dining here.

Sitting at the bar with the master chef preparing one perfect piece after another. Perfection.

Too dark. Requested bar area to sit because there was no one sitting there. Was told it’s booked for dinner. No one sat there until we finished dinner. Disappointing. Second time trying this place.

My daughter’s birthday

Much too expensive for the quality. My neighborhood sushi joint is a fraction of the cost and of similar quality.

As good as always. An east village classic. Nice to see Jewel Bako has maintained it's high standards through the years.

Excellent overall. Highly recommended.