16 Best Sushi Restaurants In San Francisco
The culinary scene of California's coastal city of San Francisco is one that has been greatly influenced by the cultural history of the area itself and, more importantly, by those whose presence (either in passing or through setting down roots) has helped to shape the SF of today ... this includes, of course, its repertoire of excellent restaurants. And it seems as though no genre of restaurant in San Francisco is held to a higher standard than those that serve sushi.
The city's high regard for all things sushi can be attributed, in part, to the influential mark of the Japanese immigrants who brought the art of sushi-making to San Francisco over 150 years ago. And it does take an artist, a master of their culinary craft, to even come close to creating the level of quality San Francisco diners expect from their sushi. This means that most all the sushi restaurants that make it more than a year in San Francisco are at least good, but that baseline also makes it almost more difficult to figure out where to go for the best sushi in the city. So, to make things easier, we here at Tasting Table have compiled this list of the best sushi restaurants in San Francisco.
Nisei
Nisei is one of the Michelin Star sushi restaurants of San Francisco and, as such, it's easy to see how this eatery can be counted among the best restaurants in the city ... and in the category of sushi, Nisei is an obvious choice. By combining the fresh ingredients of the local landscape with the talented hands of the chefs behind the scenes, diners can experience the best combination of California flavors and traditional Japanese techniques.
The decor at Nisei is warm despite being quite minimalistic and monochromatic, though the lack of colorful decor only serves to enhance the impact of each plate as it is served. Diners can expect a creative and contemporary approach to upscale sushi dining, even by San Francisco standards. Guests should come prepared for an entire experience more so than a simple meal, as the creative elements behind each dish are entirely unique and exceptionally delicious ... just know that this isn't the kind of place where you order extra soy sauce (since it's a similar faux-pas to asking for ketchup at a Parisian steakhouse). Nisei is open for diners Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m.
(415) 827-6898
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Ryoko's Japanese Restaurant and Bar
What happens when you combine authentic Japanese cuisine with the ambiance of a speakeasy and the colorful character of what can only be described as Ryoko's Japanese Restaurant and Bar-chic? Well, one of the hands-down best sushi restaurants in San Francisco, of course!
When one enters Ryoko's Japanese Restaurant and Bar, they immediately descend into a cozy dining area that promises an authentic fare of Japanese food with exactly the kinds of simple, done-right flavors you want in your sushi. The fully-stocked bar and bustling ambiance only serve to enhance the experience and make for a very warm and welcoming vibe, which still promises plates so tasty you can't help but come back again and again (and again once more just to watch the chefs create your dishes in full-sight behind a wrap-around counter (plus the fresh fish display window as well)). Ryoko's Japanese Restaurant and Bar is open from 6 to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 to 12:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 6 to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays.
(415) 775-1028
619 Taylor St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Robin
As amazing as traditionally authentic Japanese food can be, there's something to be said for Robin and its California-forward approach toward sushi that celebrates the natural fare of the markets of San Francisco and its neighboring counties. The best way to describe the plates and tastes at Robin is artistic, fresh, flavorful, and entirely creative. Between the conscientiously colorful approach toward each dish, as well as the edible floral motif in many of the courses, it's easy to see how Robin made a name for itself as an authority in the contemporary San Francisco sushi experience.
The omakase menu at Robin is famously fish-forward and, unlike some pris-fixe eating experiences, can be changed to cater to personal preference in terms of not only palate but budget as well! When eating at Robin, diners can enjoy a subtly moody atmosphere that is equally suitable for romantic dates as it is family meals or business gatherings. Robin is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
(415) 448-7372
620 Gough St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Ju-Ni
Ju-Ni is an omakase sushi restaurant San Franciscans simply cannot resist. Perhaps the appeal of Ju-Ni is in the intimate wrap-around dining counter, which allows customers to enjoy watching their personal chef create custom bites ... or maybe the meal itself, with the succulent and simple flavors of sushi made just right, is what has the customers of this coastal city coming back time and time again to enjoy a moment with a memorable meal — and the chef who made it.
Ju-Ni consistently ranks highly on the list of San Francisco diner's most delicious, intimate, and approachable places to go to enjoy fresh and authentic omakase sushi. So, if you're searching for a restaurant in San Francisco that can satisfy even the pickiest sushi lover, look no further than Ju-Ni. Ju-Ni is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. — diners should visit the Ju-Ni website in order to reserve their dining experience.
(415) 655-9924
1335 Fulton St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Shinzen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya
Would a list of one of California's most vegan and vegetarian-friendly city's best sushi establishments even be complete without adding at least one option for a place to eat a complete no-meat sushi meal? Absolutely not! This is why Shinzen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya absolutely makes the cut for the culinary creme de la creme of vegan sushi in San Francisco.
The mark of any good vegan restaurant is in its ability to cater to even the most carnivorous customers without making them miss the meat, and Shinzen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya does just that — everything from the appetizers to the rolls are entirely meatless, and yet there is nothing about the menu that makes you feel as though you're missing out on much of anything. In fact, there's something to be said about the outside-the-box options you just can't find anywhere else. Shinzen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya is open seven days a week, from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 4:30 to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
(415) 678-5767
370 14th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Ozumo
Unlike many of the other top sushi spots in San Francisco, Ozumo offers a special sort of ambiance that may speak to the nightlife lovers of the city just as much as the more refined restauranteurs as well ... and it just so happens to have a happy hour menu most places can't beat. Something about the dark walls, light wood, and wraparound lit-up bar that serves as a beacon at the center of the Ozumo experience lends to a contemporary feeling that still remains authentic in its approach.
The food at Ozumo, much like its decor, combines the almost-juxtaposed attributes of playfulness and perfectionism; while the knife work, presentation, and selection of ingredients are impeccable, the colors and creativity seen in the approach toward assembling the experience of each dish are entirely unique. Ozumo is also an excellent sushi restaurant for those who want to cater to those who are not fans of raw fish. The hours for Ozumo include lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., and dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
(415) 882-1333
161 Steuart St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Omakase
For an authentic and intimate sushi-eating experience in San Francisco, local food lovers know exactly where to go: The Michelin Star-winning Omakase. In Japanese, omakase means "I leave the details up to you" or, as it is more often translated in the U.S., "chef's choice." In other words, omakase dining removes the responsibility of choice from the customers so that they may instead rely on the chef's expertise to curate the entire culinary experience.
At Omakase in San Francisco, the 12-seat dining room wraps around the chef's counter and offers an opportunity to view the chef while they are at work specially slicing, shaping, and serving each and every individual bite of the evening. Under the guidance of Chef Jackson Yu, who has spent nearly two decades honing his hand at traditional Edomae sushi-making, diners can experience the ease of omakase. Omakase is open Monday through Sunday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and is available for diners by reservation only.
(415) 882-1333
665 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Oma San Francisco Station
For omakase sushi that is sure to satisfy those authentic, simple, and perfectly prepared sushi cravings, look no further than San Francisco's Oma San Francisco Station, located in none other than the city's celebrated Japantown. This sushi establishment is all about highlighting the flavor intrinsic and inherent to the main ingredient in question. Though there aren't a lot of fine dining frills to SF's Oma San Francisco Station, there is an edge of purity that sets it ahead of its peers (both in and outside of the city).
If you're the kind of person who wants to taste the quality of the fish before anything else, then Oma San Francisco Station is the sushi establishment for you. Oma San Francisco Station is open Monday through Wednesday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. and from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
(628) 867-4669
1737 Post St. #337, San Francisco, CA 94115
Ebisu Restaurant
Ebisu Restaurant is a family-owned establishment that has enticed San Francisco's sushi-seeking eaters since it first opened its doors for service over 40 years ago. Since then, diners have been delighted by the reliably fresh fare of authentic dishes served with all the sides you'd expect to see in one of the city's longest-lasting sushi establishments.
The presentation of Ebisu's plates is unapologetically and invitingly imperfect in a way that actually serves to enhance the mouthwatering effect of each dish ... the generous overspill of roe atop so many rolls, for instance, is plentiful enough to make you think that maybe you should be paying more for such a serving size as that. And the generosity doesn't end there since the knife work and freshness of ingredients at Ebisu Restaurant are beyond reproach, especially in the generously thick cuts of fish.
The indoor decor of Ebisu's dining room invites a calm and intimate atmosphere for its customers that is both clean and spacious while also remaining undeniably cozy. Ebisu Restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday with lunch hours from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner dining hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
(415) 566-1770
1283 9th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122
Wako
Who doesn't love an omakase restaurant with a reputation for its exceptional food, staff, and fabulous sake service (including a bring-your-own sake option) to boot? Well, certainly not those who dine at San Francisco's beloved Wako, a Japanese eatery known not only for its innovative approach toward traditional sushi but for its simply delicious small bites of seasonally appropriate ingredients — and some sake to match!
Although the flavor of the omakase menu at Wako is refined enough for any diner, the style of sushi served also leans into its rustic roots in order the harness the full extent of the eating experience. Rather than aiming for inauthentic renditions of overly fancy plates, Wako's strength is in its ability to elevate each bite while remaining true to the origins of the experience. Wako is open for service Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 10 p.m.
(415) 682.4875
211 Clement St., San Francisco, CA 94118
Domo
Not every sushi experience worth writing home about in the big city of San Francisco has to be super expensive, which is part of what sets Domo apart from the crowd and absolutely earns the restaurant a spot on the list of San Francisco's most popular and premier places to go for the full sushi experience (without committing to the full SF sushi cost).
Domo has it all — the fresh fish, the maki rolls, the nigiri and sashimi, and enough sauce action to add a bit of zing to anything you order. And that's not even getting into the sake and other drink options (alcoholic and not) that make any meal just that much more memorable. Domo is open for its lunch hours from noon to 2:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and open seven days a week for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 9:30 Sunday through Thursday.
(415) 861.8887
511 Laguna St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Ken
Ken is one of San Francisco's premier upscale Edomae-style omakase sushi establishments. Ken is known in the city for its offering of aesthetically pleasing artistic, downright arrangements of sushi, sashimi, and more ... all of which is served up on top of the Ken-signature stone "plate."
San Francisco's sushi savants have kept Ken in the top ten-or-so sushi establishments since its inception, especially since the chef and owner for which the establishment is named, Chef Ken, has extensive experience working in and around the most mouthwatering, Michelin Star-winning sushi establishments of the California Central Coast. The menu at Ken is comprised of seasonal ingredients sourced from the San Francisco coast as well as Japan's legendary Toyosu Market, making each bite of Ken's omakase menu a true celebration of the marriage between local and authentic flavors. Ken is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
(628) 867-7113
252 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Saru Sushi Bar
Saru Sushi Bar is self-described as being a, "miniature, art-splashed sushi bar." Unlike many of the sushi restaurants in San Francisco, Saru Sushi Bar is less expensive and more accessible to less-experienced sushi eaters (without making any exceptions for quality, quantity, or care put into the sushi itself).
Saru Sushi Bar offers several omakase options as well as sake, sashimi, nigiri, and includes an appetizer menu of tasting spoons that allow customers to select between bite-sized portions of akimo, halibut, scallop, kanpachi, and torotoro, all of which are paired with ingredients that perfectly-match the flavor profile of each fish dish. Saru Sushi Bar is open Wednesday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday with lunch service from noon to 2 p.m. and dinner until 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m. depending on the day. Since Saru Sushi Bar does not accept reservations, those who wish to dine at this particular establishment should aim to arrive early to beat the line.
(415) 400-4510
3856 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94114
The Shota
Even in a city that is practically spilling over with excellent options for sushi eating, The Shota stands out as a place that is truly something special. But what is it that makes eating at The Shota so enjoyable and experience that it more than earns its place on the list of best places to eat sushi in SF? Well, between the impeccably clean and relaxing industrial-chic ambiance and the amazingly authentic ingredients, many of which are actually flown by jet from Japan's famous Toyose Fish Market, it's safe to say The Shota is just that good.
For those who enjoy sushi experiences that are clean in appearance and have enough flavor to match even the most authentic restaurants in Japan, look no further. The Shota is open for dinner service Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m.
(628) 224-2074
115 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104
Akikos
Akikos is a sushi restaurant with a special claim to fame in San Francisco, one that no other establishment on this list can call their own ... because Akikos is the first omakase sushi restaurant in San Francisco. For over 30 years, Akikos has kept its name (and its dining fare) in the mouths of even the most selective of San Francisco's sushi connoisseurs with its exemplary selection of sushi, sake, and so much more.
Akikos offers its customers a nine-course tasting menu, which has evolved to meet the ever-evolving dining culture of the city itself. And though Akiko's strives to stay in line with the current, contemporary pulse of SF's culinary scene, its menu is equally informed by the three decades of experience serving omakase sushi to the local community. Akikos is open for lunch service Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and for dinner service Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are greatly encouraged for those looking to dine at Akikos, especially for the omakase counter.
(415) 397.3218
430 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Sushi Ran
Though it may be a controversial choice to add Sushi Ran to the list of best sushi restaurants in San Francisco, it feels simply wrong to leave it out — after all, there are some San Francisco locals that gladly make the short trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to enjoy the simply sublime offerings of Sausalito's Sushi Ran.
Since Sushi Ran first opened its doors to the public nearly 40 years ago, it has received recognition across the city, state, and in the worldwide network of sushi-lovers as well. With an expansive and enticing menu of appetizers, rolls, nigiri, sake, cocktails, dessert, and more, it's hard to go wrong at Sushi Ran ... especially when it comes to Sushi Ran's stellar sashimi selection. Sushi Ran is located a less than 10-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and is open for lunch Friday through Sunday from noon to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner service Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m.
(415) 332.3620
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, CA 94965