Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in San Francisco

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in San Francisco? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Sushi Hakko

4.9

4.9 (300)

$50 and over

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

**Welcome to Sushi Hakko on Union St. + Fillmore St.**
We'd like to offer our tasting menu that's reflecting Chef Alex Kim and his team's pursuit of top notch sushi experience. Our approach is a harmonious crossover of authentic Edo-mae style with Western skill. From fish to rice, cooking rice to garnish prep - a true synergy of not only Californian but Japan.

**Sushi Bar Experience**
For the best experience of our tasting menu, we'd recommend the sushi bar seating, where chef will serve and explain the dish by dish, piece by piece with an extensive information of the skills and ingredients.

**Regular Tables**
Our regular tables are also available for the tasting menu and you can make a reservation at any time slot to your convenience.

*Large Group*
For any party of 7 or more, please kindly call us at 415.814.2886 or email at sushihakko@gmail.com. We will get back to you asap.

All parties will be subject to a 20% service charge.

We look forward to serving you soon.

Top review

KatherineVIP

Dined on Jun 6, 2025

Hands down one of the best sushi experiences of my life. My husband and I flew to SF just to do it again. Each bite is a journey that was perfectly curated by Chef Alex. The service is impeccable! Sushi Hakko truly raises the bar for what good sushi is.

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Experience

Sushi Hakko Bar Experience

Experience

Sushi Hakko Table Experience

Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

4.5

4.5 (79)

$30 and under

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of San Francisco, Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill is a chef driven restaurant that is committed to only using the finest and seasonal fish, vegetables, rice and ‘made from scratch’ sauces.

Our cuisine is simple and delicate. Our Chef, Julio, learned from his master, Norihiko Suzuki, from Fukushima Japan. Chef Julio is excellent at inspiring and hand crafting every dish from Omakese to Nigiri to Sashimi. He is also great at customizing arrangements for special occasions to achieve something that is truly a reflection of honoring the traditional Japanese Cuisine.

Come visit Hakashi Japanese Bar & Grill for an unforgettable dining experience. For Friday and Saturday reservations, please call the restaurant directly.

Top review

Julia

Dined on May 29, 2025

Favorite restaurant, the flavors are something you won’t find anywhere else and leave you craving for more.

AKIKOS

4.7

4.7 (1622)

$50 and over

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in the vibrant East Cut neighborhood, just a 15-minute walk from the Ferry Building, our diverse and sustainability-driven menu offers a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Omakase experience. We blend innovative takes on Japanese cuisine with local, seasonal ingredients and fish sourced from Tokyo’s renowned Toyosu Fish Market. Signature dishes, such as our Shokupan—grilled milk bread topped with toro and golden Kaluga caviar—and the aged, soy-cured bluefin tuna nigiri, showcase a harmonious fusion of premium seafood and thoughtfully curated ingredients, presented with creative flair.
Please note, we currently offer Omakase experiences exclusively for lunch and dinner, with no à la carte options available. For guests seeking to enhance their experience, additional nigiri selections are available a la carte from our nama menu after the tasting. The Omakase lunch experience is priced at $150 per guest, and the Omakase dinner experience is priced at $255 per guest.

Top review

Michael

Dined on May 23, 2025

Very nice restaurant serving high quality, authentic Japanese sushi. Highly recommended

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4.8

4.8 (102)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Come enjoy fresh sushi and Japanese fare at our beautiful location in the Marina District of San Francisco.

Top review

Kayla

Dined 4 days ago

everything was really good! I just noticed we were shorted on somethings that we noticed other tables got but other than that! so good

Bar Shoji

4.8

4.8 (20)

$31 to $50

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Bar Shoji focuses on Japanese-inspired craft cocktails, as well as a great selection of premium sake and wine.
We also offer bar bites with Japanese-inspired flavors to accompany each cocktail. Guests must be 21+ to enter.

We bring the Japanese practice of omotenashi into our service, ensuring a delicious, intimate , and hospitable experience.

*Reservations are limited to 90 minutes per seating, this allows for all guests to enjoy the Bar Shoji experience. We are only able to wait up to 15 min after your reservation time. Thank you for understanding.

We look forward to having you join us soon!

All inquiries can be sent to hello@shojisf.com

Top review

BennettVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Fantastic food, fantastic service, beautiful and lively space.

Okaeri Japanese Bistro

4.8

4.8 (191)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Mission District

About the restaurant

Welcome to Okaeri SF, where we showcase both traditional Japanese dishes and an innovative omakase experience. Our chefs bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the kitchen, creating a dining experience that is truly one-of-a-kind.

Our menu features a wide range of authentic Japanese dishes, including nigiri, sashimi, rolls, and tempura. We also offer a selection of unique fusion dishes that blend traditional Japanese flavors with modern culinary techniques.

Our omakase experience is a must-try for any foodie. This multi-course meal features a selection of the freshest, most flavorful ingredients, carefully chosen and prepared by our talented culinary team. Each dish is a surprise, designed to showcase the chefs' skills and creativity.

We invite you to come and experience the art of Japanese cuisine at Okaeri SF. Whether you're a fan of traditional dishes or looking to try something new, we have something for everyone. Thank you for choosing us for your dining experience.

Top review

AlexanderVIP

Dined 7 days ago

We had the omakase menu and it was excellent. About 15 items, all delicious. The sake menu is quite good, enjoyed the bottle we chose. Service was very attentive and friendly. We will return.

Okane

4.5

4.5 (459)

$30 and under

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Okane specializes in izakaya and sushi, providing the Bay Area with an engaging new dining and drinking option that affords guests one of the City’s most authentic Japanese izakaya experiences with an emphasis on traditional dishes.

Top review

Scott

Dined 6 days ago

It’s already a challenge to provide consistent, high quality sushi and excellent service, but Okane does it with creativity and style. This is my favorite restaurant for Sushi thus far, but I still have Omakase (their own sister restaurant) on my punch list.

HINODEYA Ramen Chestnut

4.7

4.7 (5)

$30 and under

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Hinodeya Ramen is straight from Japan serving our DASHI-RAMEN with a full list of side dishes. For drinks beer, wine, and sake! Come try our authentic ramen for a taste of something new from Japan.

For 4 generations the Kuribara family has passed down the Japanese culinary tradition through the restaurant Hinodeya. Now, fit the first time, we're taking our ramen overseas to deliver an authentic flavor experience!

Top review

Samantha

Dined on Apr 26, 2025

So yummy!!!! Excellent food and excellent service!

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Experience

Date Night

Omakase

4.7

4.7 (388)

$50 and over

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Omakase offers a curated, fixed-price tasting menu designed to engage all your senses. This culinary journey introduces the diverse flavors of Japanese cuisine, featuring fish flown directly from Japan. Specializing in Edomae-style sushi—a traditional preparation with modern touches—Omakase creates a fun, relaxed dining atmosphere. Thank you for entrusting your experience to our chefs and choosing Omakase. We look forward to serving you.

Top review

AlexanderVIP

Dined on May 28, 2025

A fantastic sushi meal with a wonderful progression of tastes. Wonderful staff and great chefs.

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Experience

Omakase Bar

Nisei

4.7

4.7 (103)

$50 and over

Japanese

Russian Hill

About the restaurant

Nisei presents a contemporary approach to Japanese American cuisine by combining deep Japanese flavors, refined cooking technique, and Northern California's finest ingredients. The restaurant is a personal reflection of Chef David Yoshimura's unique experience as a Michelin starred chef and second generation Japanese American, or Nisei.

Nisei can accommodate most severe allergies with advance notice, however due to the nature of the tasting menu format, we can not meet all dietary restrictions or aversions. In order to maintain the spirit of our cuisine, the following items can not be removed: Salt, sugar, soy sauce, and egg cooked into items.

All Experience prices below reflect a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax applied to the base price of each experience. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.

Top review

Victor

Dined 1 day ago

Amazing experience, top notch quality and food. Definitely will look to visit for a special occasion

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Experience

Day in the Life of Chef David Yoshimura

Experience

Late Spring Menu at Nisei

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