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Umai Nori, Washington, DC

Umai Nori

4.7 (16)
$30 and under
Japanese
1147 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 44 times today

About this restaurant

  • Hot spot
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Healthy
Umai Nori is a modern sushi restaurant in Washington, DC that offers a unique dining experience. The restaurant specializes in open-style sushi hand rolls, which are made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Umai Nori also offers a variety of other Japanese dishes, including sashimi, nigiri, and robata. The restaurant has a casual and inviting atmosphere, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Umai Nori is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious and affordable sushi meal. Umai Nori is a great place to go for a casual and affordable sushi meal. The restaurant has a wide variety of sushi rolls to choose from, as well as other Japanese dishes. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere is inviting.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Japanese
  • Hours of operation
    Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Sat 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Private party facilities
    Curious about an upcoming event? Feel free to reach out to us, and we'd be more than happy to help tailor things to suit your needs!"

What 16 people are saying

Umai Nori reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Washington, D.C. Area

    Japanese

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Umai Nori offers "very high quality food," with sashimi that "melts in your mouth" and "fresh fish" that's beautifully presented. Guests commend the "terrific, attentive and helpful" service and the "calm" ambience. While some seating arrangements may need improvement, the sushi chefs are "top notch," making it a "go-to spot" for many.

16 Reviews
  1. Matt VIP

    Washington DC16 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was delicious. Service was not up to par for the price or with the food quality. One drink was delivered right away. Second drink never showed up until we went to the bar to get it. First four rolls showed up before the salads. Last two rolls never showed up until we reminded the server about them when they tried to deliver the check.

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  2. Geneva VIP

    Washington DC44 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very high quality food - the sashimi melts in your mouth. The prices are quite reasonable given the amount of food you get, especially for the sets. I have been here several times and the only slight disappointment was the donburi. I had the spicy chicken which was dry while my friend's beef donburi was just fine. I'm going to stick to the sashimi and sushi. Service is fast and friendly. Casual, low key atmosphere. The perfect neighborhood restaurant.

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  3. Brian

    Washington DC3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious fresh fish that also had amazing presentation. The service was terrific, attentive and helpful. Great location that is easy to get it and they accommodated us very well. The sushi chefs here are top notch.

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  4. Emily

    New York City6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 17, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Most importantly the food was very good (fresh fish, sushi rice seasoned nicely, good portions). Ambience is decent although sitting at the table next to the hallway to the bathroom wasn’t the best. The staff was nice and attentive.

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  5. Jessica

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was my first time here and the experience was wonderful from start to finish. Food quality was amazing! Highly recommend the seared salmon belly. Ambience was calm and fit the aesthetic perfectly. Our server was wonderful, and his energy matched the ambience. Definitely planning on coming back as it’s now one of my go-to spots.
    Umai NoriResponded on April 15, 2025
    We are honored to be one of your go-to spots. Thank you for your 5-star review.

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  6. Gianluca VIP

    Houston18 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 3, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Had a reservation for 7:15 and did not get seated until 8, we were told we would get something special but never did. Little chaotic. Food was solid.

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  7. Laura VIP

    Washington DC50 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Very good, high quality sushi. It is small with a long bar and two or three tables. Servers are friendly and efficient. I would definitely recommend going here.

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  8. Joel VIP

    Atlanta7 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    The food itself is decent—typical high-priced sushi. Whether it justifies the $50 per person price tag is questionable, but nothing was outright bad. The real issue is the service, which was abysmal from the moment we walked in. It was clear they had no regard for their customers. Despite having a reservation for three, the hostess (Kay?) attempted to seat us at a cramped side bar right in front of the drink station—while a walk-in couple, ironically, was seated elsewhere but left within minutes (in hindsight, we should have followed suit). When we asked how long the wait for a proper table would be, she casually said 30–40 minutes. Reluctantly, we took the side bar seats—keep in mind, this wasn’t even the sushi bar, just a spot by the drink station. From there, service was practically nonexistent. Multiple staff members came by, and we had to place parts of our order with different people, leading to inconsistent delivery—some dishes arrived, others never did. No one checked on us, and we even had to flag someone down just to get water. What made matters worse was noticing an empty four-top table in the back when we arrived—only for it to be given to another party of three who walked in after us. The glowing reviews completely misled us. This place is a disaster. Save your time and money.
    Umai NoriResponded on March 31, 2025
    We sincerely apologize for the unacceptable service you experienced during your recent visit. Your description of the seating arrangements, the inconsistent ordering process, and the lack of attention is deeply concerning and does not reflect our standards. We are taking your feedback seriously and will address these issues with our staff immediately to prevent similar situations from occurring. Our restaurant was opened after cherry blossom season last year. Cherry blossom season has brought an amazing crowd. We're adding staff to keep up. Thank you for your understanding.

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  9. Elizabeth

    Milwaukee1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our first time at this wonderful Sushi place, and everything was perfect! Food quality was excellent and the waitstaff very friendly and helpful! Highly recommend!!

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  10. Melissa VIP

    Chicago14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I highly recommend this restaurant we had a fantastic time and the fish was fresh and delicious.

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FAQs

Umai Nori is rated 4.7 stars by 16 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Washington, D.C. Area
  4. District of Columbia
  5. Downtown

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 44 times today
Google Map for Umai Nori

1147 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Lunch Mon–Sat 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Japanese
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Vegan
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Curious about an upcoming event? Feel free to reach out to us, and we'd be more than happy to help tailor things to suit your needs!"
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