Pabu Izakaya San Francisco

Name: Pabu Izakaya San Francisco
Address: 101 California Street, San Francisco, CA, United States, 94111
Telephone: (415) 535-0184
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.6

4.6

1314 Reviews

$31 to $50

Japanese

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Founded by Chefs Michael Mina and the late Ken Tominaga, of the famed Hana Japanese Restaurant in Sonoma County, PABU Izakaya brings forth a modern take on traditional izakaya-style dining. Now, with Tominaga’s son Keita as Chef/Partner, PABU continues to be a destination for world-class sashimi, sushi, grilled meats from the robata and a seasonal cocktail menu. The restaurant offers the finest locally and globally sourced jet-fresh seafood flown in daily from Japan’s famed Toyosu Market accented by its signature selection of A5 Japanese Wagyu.

Please note: Restaurant Week menu will be offered for reservations between 4:00 – 8:00 pm only

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 22, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 11 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Izakaya
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–5:30 pm
Phone number
(415) 535-0184
Website
http://www.pabuizakaya.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Michael Mina
Catering
PABU is available for catering requests. Please contact us at catering@pabuizakaya.com or 415.730.4591
Private party facilities
PABU - San Francisco can accommodate your party, large or small and can host special events for either lunch or dinner and is available to reserve in its entirety. Our Event Manager will assist in seamlessly planning your special event.
Private party contact
Nancy Zammit: (415) 730-4591

Location
101 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Neighborhood
Financial District / Embarcadero
Cross street
Front Street Entrance
Parking details
Street parking and various parking garages are located throughout the Financial District.
Public transit
Bart station is located conveniently on Market and Davis Streets. Muni is located at Market and Geary Streets.
Entertainment
The music at PABU - San Francisco is inspired by Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Retro cool tracks set in a modern context, the music at PABU - San Francisco serves to create energy in the room.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

What 1,314 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Francisco Bay Area
Good for business meals
San Francisco
Good for business meals
San Francisco
Hot spot
San Francisco
Japanese

1,314 Reviews

n
nannini
San Francisco
149 reviews
vip
3.0
149 reviews
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall3food3service5ambience3
wanted to eat outside but the overhead heater did not keep us warm enough however the inside was more pleasant than our previous visit music wasn't as loud and it was quite comfortable. Food not as good as the previous 4 times- new chef. spider roll tasted completely different.
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CB
CB71
San Francisco
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
What a wonderful evening! Business dinner for 6. Service was outstanding beginning with the excellent saki recommendation to begin our evening. Sashimi and rolls were excellent, loved the hand rolls in particular. They were brimming with the perfect combination of ingredients. Will definitely be back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience5
Service & presentation was fantastic. The menu has creative dishes, the miso soup and mushroom appetizers, toro taster, all fabulous. The sushi rolls were not as unique as I’d expect, we ended up taking advantage of the very good Saturday special 50% off menu for some of the rolls. The extensive sake menu was impressive! Overall good experience, would go again for a date night. The ambiance in the bar lounge area was better than the rest of the restaurant for an intimate date but the larger dining areas looked good for family and larger parties.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Outstanding sushi and service. Have Never had a better server than Anna!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a fantastic experience - can't recommend Pabu enough!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Houston
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and service. It is on the higher end of the price scale but the quality and service is top notch Don't sleep on getting the fresh wasabi. It really elevates the flavours of everything.
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R
Robruf
San Francisco
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on July 26, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of the best everyday restaurants in SF. My wife and I love this place. Frederico, Farah and Stuart are the best at what they do. Frederico is an awesome waiter and always takes great care of us, Farah is the GM and always comes by and checks in on us every time we are there. Also, Stuart is a master sake sommelier and will guide you to the perfect bottle to have with your dinner. Our favorite items to eat are the happy spoons, tuna poke and Tokyo fried chicken karaage. Also the Wagyu A5 robatayaki skewers, Michael's negitoro roll and an assortment of sashimi. We always leave happy and full and looking forward to our next return visit.
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HB
HalB
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Some of the best fish in the Bay area. Hanna in Santa Rosa is equally as good.
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BH
BrianH
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing place! Great atmosphere for happy hour on a friday. My wife's bday and put that in the opentable app, they treated us with a birthday dessert and a card signed by the staff! Impressive attention to detail. Will be going back.
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LJ
LillianJ
San Francisco
36 reviews
vip
5.0
36 reviews
Dined on July 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
sad i only had 15 min to order but everything else was amazing and definitely can’t wait to come back
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M
Mayoplan
Greater Boston
138 reviews
vip
5.0
138 reviews
Dined on July 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Located in downtown San Francisco, Pabu is the best Japanese restaurants in the city, and maybe one of the best restaurants period. The food is great and innovative, but I go there to learn about Sake. They have one of the best selection in the country. Perhaps you don’t know Sake, we’ll, Paubu Izakaya is the place to go, it’s “Sake University”. The authentic Sake Sommelier, Stuart Morris, is the “professor” and sir and learn the different types and productions of Sake in Japan. He even has his own brand. The service is immaculate and enthusiastic and the atmosphere grand. Definitely a place to go when in downtown San Francisco, it’s centrally located and walking distance from some of the main hotels in the city.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Hawaii
10 reviews
vip
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on July 12, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience5
Too expensive for the value It’s yummy and fresh but way to expensive for what you get
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M
Michael
San Francisco
4 reviews
vip
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on July 9, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Friendly service. Good food, if a bit expensive. Fairly noisy.
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s
stepehenm
San Francisco
58 reviews
vip
4.0
58 reviews
Dined on June 25, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
the food was pretty good. portions were on the small side IMHO. however it was very tasty. service was slow to start but ended up quite attentive. will go again.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I love this restaurant. It was my 4th time coming and I really suggest sharing a couple of plates!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 15, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Ouch! $65 to add truffle to my black cod? Otherwise everything was great!
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M
Mercedes
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great place for happy hour after work. Good food and drinks!
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DH
DanielH
New York Area
14 reviews
vip
4.0
14 reviews
Dined on May 27, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience5
Good is Great as usual but service a little slow last night
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OT
OpenTable Diner
London
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on May 5, 2023
overall3food3service2ambience4
Food was average at best. Expected better given the location and price.
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A
Angela
San Francisco
11 reviews
vip
2.0
11 reviews
Dined on May 2, 2023
overall2food3service3ambience3
My usual order miso soups, seaweed salads, sashimi, & hamachi kama(No salt/oil/burnt). My friend & I were feeling adventurous & asked for the 10-piece Luxury Sashim, no shellfish. The sashimi arrived first bluefin tuna, king salmon, scallops, seabream. I pointed out this doesn’t look right & uni is missing. A side of uni arrived later to “fix” 1 of the chef’s oversight. The kama arrived glistening. I opened up the kama & noticed how salty it tasted. I asked my friendly server & Stanley/the MOD if my no salt/oil kama request was relayed to the chef; surprisingly, it was delivered, but not honored. The kama was taken away as we waited 30 minutes as we saw Stanley-Asst mgr-chef-waiter “talk it out”. We were informed oil coating prevented burning. We wanted to leave, but the “corrected” kama finally came out. The bill was charged for regular sashimi, no comps. Stanley apologized, gave me his business card, & asked me to give Pabu chefs another chance. :-/
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RH
RayH
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Me and my wife had a fabulous dinner before going out for entertainment...
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PG
PaulG
San Francisco
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was delicious, staff was incredibly attentive - it’s just pricy.
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CA
ChrisA
San Francisco
52 reviews
vip
5.0
52 reviews
Dined on April 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful location for a friends get together after work downtown. Loved the spicy Edamame, mushroom tempura, fried chicken to share. Lovely wine, next time we will get the bottle. Great variety of sushi’s. Loved everything. And the service was attentive and friendly. Nice renovated interior.
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B
Bennylynn
Las Vegas
29 reviews
vip
3.0
29 reviews
Dined on April 8, 2023
overall3food3service1ambience4
The sushi was really good and fresh. The sushi chefs were friendly and attentive and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. We sat at the sushi bar and immediately were asked by our waiter about drinks, which came and were good. Then we were left alone for an hour. The couple next to us had timed it and they were waiting to order for 1 hour 12 minutes. They finally complained and then a bunch of people came out for all of us. The sushi rolls were good. The hot plates, were nothing memorable. The place is priced as upscale, but the service really diminished my opinion of the place. With so many great places in SF, I wouldn’t return.
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LR
LocalResident
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on April 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely excellent meal. The fish was amazing, so fresh and the best sushi we’ve had. We loved the octopus appetizer! Service was so nice and attentive. We went for a birthday, it was a nice place to celebrate. The atmosphere is modern and so nice as well.
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R
Robruf
San Francisco
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on March 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love Pabu, probably the best everyday restaurant in SF. Is it expensive, yeah it is. Last bill here came to $555 with tip for 2 of us. But do we get arguably the best service in SF, I would say top 5 service, food is really solid and Stewart the sake guru is incredible with his choices as he gets sake that you haven’t tried before or even heard of. Plus they have a great bar and multiple rooms for buyouts. Ok’ing here for years and will be coming back every 3 weeks for another fantastic experience and meal
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LJ
LisaJ
Charleston
17 reviews
vip
4.0
17 reviews
Dined on March 24, 2023
overall4food3service4ambience4
Happening downtown restaurant. Not as good as I remembered. Good service but bar was slow. Food came out of kitchen before drinks the two times we ordered. Sushi was good not great. Tempura was heavy ….. like a beer battered fish fry. Would would rush back.
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C
Chris
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food is A+ and our server Eric was pleasant and respectful of our dietary restrictions. My girlfriend is vegan/GF and really enjoyed the options.
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A
Adam
San Francisco
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Night out with old friends reconnecting for the first time since the pandemic. Perfect night at Pabu! Excellent service, great drinks, world class food, fun lively atmosphere!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on March 7, 2023
overall1food1service1ambience3
Food didn’t taste fresh Service was lackluster Business guest commented 2 days later that sushi tasted old - not great feedback for anyone!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2023
overall4food4service1ambience4
Too crowded omakase experience is so bad… the food is not worth the money it’s too expensive. For a small amount of food
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Puerto Vallarta
1 review
vip
1.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 2023
overall1food3service2ambience3
Save your money and go somewhere else for a special occasion! I recently went to Pabu for their Valentine's dinner and I must say, it was disappointing. To start, our reservation had my partner and I seated at a bar table right next to the main door which was incredibly uncomfortable and not at all romantic. The worst part was that we had to send back our salmon plate because it was completely undercooked. We had to send it back not once, but twice, which resulted in a 20-30 minute wait for each new plate to arrive. Throughout the entire meal, we had people waiting around us and bumping into our table which made it very hard to enjoy our meal. Even the water and drinks took a while to come out, which was frustrating. I expected much better service and quality for the price we paid for the set menu. Overall, the Valentine's set menu at Pabu was a complete disappointment and I would not recommend it. The service was slow and the food was not up to par. It was not a romantic or enjoyable experience and we left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2023
overall1food1service4ambience4
Terrible execution for food and course design for Valentine’s. Hard boiled egg texture for chawanmushi, sashimi was put in fridge after plating, out of balance portions, order of dishes didn’t make sense for a course (Why have heavy, oily dishes before nigiri?), sushi rice was crusty and dry, botan ebi was served in a way that the tail hits the roof of your mouth, and sponge cake was exceptionally dry. All in all a waste of high-end ingredients and money.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on February 10, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience5
Miso soup is disgusting with the amount of mushrooms
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Music was a bit too loud
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New Mexico
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on January 7, 2023
overall2food2service2ambience2
Food was disappointing; temperature and taste and portion size left much to be desired
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Anniversary dinner
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 25, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Service is excellent!! Modern Japanese food taste great.
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PA
PedroA
Yosemite
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 24, 2022
overall2food3service2ambience3
Our waiter was wonderful, but that was about it. We had the weirdest experience with the “captain”, who kept talking in an inaudible voice, and then just stood there. The portions were the smallest I have ever seen for nigiri sushi, and the price was ridiculously high. They forgot my miso soup and never brought out my husband’s sake. To top it all off the “captain” brought out our food and coughed on it. Truly unbelievable. First time trying Pabu Izakaya and will never go back.
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GG
GerriG
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Holiday dinner
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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Pabu Izakaya San Francisco using the Order Online button. Pabu Izakaya San Francisco also offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Pabu Izakaya San Francisco also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (415) 535-0184.

Pabu Izakaya San Francisco is rated 4.6 stars by 1314 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 22, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 11 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Pabu Izakaya San Francisco

101 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111

Additional information

Cross street
Front Street Entrance
Neighborhood
Financial District / Embarcadero
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:00 pm–5:30 pm
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Izakaya
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street parking and various parking garages are located throughout the Financial District.
Public transit
Bart station is located conveniently on Market and Davis Streets. Muni is located at Market and Geary Streets.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Michael Mina
Entertainment
The music at PABU - San Francisco is inspired by Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Retro cool tracks set in a modern context, the music at PABU - San Francisco serves to create energy in the room.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.pabuizakaya.com/
Phone number
(415) 535-0184
Catering
PABU is available for catering requests. Please contact us at catering@pabuizakaya.com or 415.730.4591
Private party facilities
PABU - San Francisco can accommodate your party, large or small and can host special events for either lunch or dinner and is available to reserve in its entirety. Our Event Manager will assist in seamlessly planning your special event.
Private party contact
Nancy Zammit: (415) 730-4591

Featured in

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Pabu Izakaya San Francisco

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Additional information

Featured in

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Menu

What 1,314 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

FAQs

Does Pabu Izakaya San Francisco offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Pabu Izakaya San Francisco restaurant rated?

Is Pabu Izakaya San Francisco currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day