Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in East Bay

OpenTable

Updated October 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in East Bay? 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!

Aozora Japanese Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (544)

$30 and under

Japanese

Danville

About the restaurant

Aozora Japanese Restaurant brings Danville the finest Japanese flavors and style. Enjoy our menu featuring delicious shared plates and entrees from the kitchen, beautifully crafted sushi rolls from the sushi bar, and enticing drinks from the bar.

Top review

Carolvip

Dined 1 day ago

The best food , service, management team ever !!. Ryan and crew are the best

Blue Sakana - Blackhawk (Formerly Blue Gingko - Blackhawk)

4.7

4.7 (140)

$30 and under

Japanese

San Ramon

About the restaurant

Come to unwind, stay for the unexpected

Blue Sakana is an Izakaya style restaurant with share plates where friends can go to have a drink and unwind after a long day. Chef and owner, JD prepares Japanese influenced dishes from around the world consisting of an eclectic mix of local and seasonal meat, noodle, sashimi, and traditional sushi specialties, with an emphasis on a unique variety of fresh seafood.

The staff welcomes you into their house and offers up comfort, hospitality and fun. Blue Sakana Blackhawk features an outdoor patio and a full bar, stocked with an extensive selection of sake, where our team happily introduce diners to the world of sake.

Top review

Marinavip

Dined 7 days ago

Lunch was lovely. Sushi was fresh and tasty and the sake flavorful. The salmon skewers were excellent. Service was prompt and attentive. We will happily return.

Sasa

4.7

4.7 (2204)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Walnut Creek

About the restaurant

Sasa is a Japanese inspired restaurant in Walnut Creek. Izakaya Restaurants are traditional small plate restaurants where friends go to have a drink and unwind after a long day. Situated in the historic 100 year old building that for many years housed the Walnut Creek Meat Market, this architectural jewel has been transformed into a ambiance that wows and invites guests to stay and enjoy the dining experience at SASA. Chef/Owner Philip Yang prepare Japanese influenced dishes from around the world. The staff welcomes you into their house and offers up comfort, hospitality and fun. The restaurant includes a full bar with a large Sake selection, outdoor patio, sushi bar and a commitment to fresh local seasonal faire.

*Note: Personal wines welcome, a $20 corkage fee will apply per bottle. Dessert plating fee of $2.50 per person for outside desserts. Please note Sasa has patio seating that is enclosed and heated.

Top review

Gemma

Dined on Sep 28, 2024

Excellent experience and would definitely dine here again!

Discover more

Popular dish

Tempura Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (3)

Popular dish

Duck Buns (2)

Yoshi's Oakland

4.7

4.7 (8180)

$30 and under

Japanese

Oakland

About the restaurant

Yoshi's has served Japan's best traditional dishes to Bay Area patrons since 1972. The menu highlights artfully arranged sushi, fresh grilled seafood, classic Japanese dishes, and vegetarian fare. Patrons can kick off their shoes in the traditional Japanese tatami seating or dine at tables. Expert sushi chefs create sushi and sashimi to order either in the restaurant or in the jazz house. Start the evening in the cocktail lounge before dinner or have a nightcap after taking in a show in the jazz house.

Top review

Matthias B.

Dined today

Tried and true, it’s a little noisy though which makes conversations hard.

Discover more

4.5

4.5 (636)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Benicia

About the restaurant

Kimono welcomes you to a great experience and fresh sushi, seafood, and steak. Where we take customer service seriously and make every visit remarkable.

Top review

Rachelvip

Dined on Sep 24, 2024

Always great food and service. Great place to catch up with friends for lunch.

Akemi Berkeley

4.5

4.5 (477)

$30 and under

Japanese

Berkeley

About the restaurant

Opened in February 2015, AKEMI is the latest incarnation of miyuki on 1695 Solano Avenue in North Berkeley (Albany border) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Along with a revamped interior and exterior that includes salvaged wood and upgraded kitchen equipment, AKEMI features an updated menu spotlighting fresh ingredients and well-crafted flavors while retaining customer classics such as our sushi rolls.

AKEMI is the new name we bestow upon the beauty that is good food with good people in a good place.

For outdoor reservations please call the restaurant.

Top review

Antonella

Dined on Aug 24, 2024

Great food and service! Glad to have Akemi in the neighborhood!

Discover more

4.2

4.2 (549)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Alameda

About the restaurant

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant invites you to visit us for “a Unique dining experience.”

Here at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant, we pride ourselves on providing excellent service, using the freshest of ingredients, and our delightfully entertaining authentic Japanese Teppanyaki and Sushi dinner shows while providing a fun, friendly, and family experience. Online reservations are for Teppanyaki dining only.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined today

If you are looking for Japanese fusion, this is the place. Casual dress, spacious seating. The drinks are great!

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - Lone Tree Brentwood

4.3

4.3 (416)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Brentwood

About the restaurant

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant in Brentwood invites you to experience the otherworldly flavors of authentic Japanese cuisine using a blend of fresh ingredients and spices. Along with a meal, diners will also have the chance to appreciate the entertaining environment as experienced chefs cook foods on open hibachi grills. You can opt for seating around one of the grills so you can watch as the chefs work their magic. The spicy tuna roll, kappa roll, chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura and edamame are just some of the authentic Japanese dishes found at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant. There are also plenty of combination platters, specials and side menu options to help customize your meal experience. Make sure you start off with one of the highly appetizing starters at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant.

Top review

Aledrianna

Dined on Sep 28, 2024

Very good first experience although the host at the front door could’ve been a bit more friendly.

Hana Japan Steak & Seafood - Berkeley

4.3

4.3 (398)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Berkeley

About the restaurant

Hana Japan Steakhouse in Berkeley California specializes in teppanyaki-style recipes. The menu features grilled seafood items as well as options for landlubbers. Try the Hibachi Salmon for a tasty dinner, the popular New York Steak or our newly added House Dry Aged Rib-Eye. Dinner items are served with a salad featuring our special organic Hana dressing, house soup, steamed rice and seasonal vegetables. Hana Japan’s menu also serves gluten-free options, vegan fare as well as a kid-friendly dishes. Serving the San Francisco Bay area since 1979, Hana Japan draws a local regular crowd and proudly serve during dinner hours. Diners get to enjoy special discounts on their birthdays when they visit with parties of four or more. We are now open for dinner seven days a week. Reservations are Highly Recommended.

Top review

ycar

Dined 6 days ago

They work very hard there . The service was great and very nice the cook was good too

Discover more

Popular dish

Shrimp & Chicken

Hana Japan Steak & Seafood - Dublin

4.4

4.4 (397)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Dublin

About the restaurant

Hana Japan Steakhouse specializes in teppanyaki-style recipes. The menu features grilled seafood items as well as options for landlovers. Try the Hibachi Salmon for a tasty dinner, the popular New York Steak or our newly added House Dry Aged Rib-Eye. Dinner items are served with a salad featuring our special organic Hana dressing, house soup, steamed rice and seasonal vegetables. Hana Japan’s menu also serves gluten-free options, vegan fare as well as a kid-friendly dishes.

Serving the San Francisco Bay area since 1979, Hana Japan draws a local regular crowd and proudly serve during dinner hours. Diners get to enjoy special discounts on their birthdays when they visit with parties of four or more. We are now open for dinner seven days a week. Reservations are Highly Recommended.

Top review

Trudy

Dined 7 days ago

Birthday celebration with three generations. Entertaining dinner, grandkids loved it!

Explore Diners' Choice best of East Bay

Explore more Diners' Choice lists