Nice neighborhood sushi restaurant! Quick, attentive service and plenty of options on the menu; we got a couple of the spicy rolls to share for our group and they were both great! $5 happy hour for dine in is a great deal too!
Tora Spigner
Cute place walking distance from my house! The food was very good and service was excellent!!Vegetarian options: Avocado rolls and the tempura udon soup.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Roll and Cucumber Roll, Veggie Tempura Udon Soup, Miso Soup
Oliver K.
I've only enjoyed Darumi via carry-out, but the sushi is great! I appreciate the wide variety of rolls they have. For those who missed Temari, I feel like Daruma is a worthy successor.
Tiffany S.
I'm so happy this place opened up in my neighborhood! I'm pretty sure I've been to the previous restaurant back in the day too and they've done such a good job redecorating the place! It looks so bright and fresh and cute. I love the ambiance! Service is super nice. Came on a Monday night and ordered almost everything from their happy hour menu. It's 5-8pm which is pretty late for a happy hour! We also ordered the hamachi kama and my all time fave - wasabi tako. It's so hard to find wasabi tako! It did come way last which I feel like it usually comes first? Definitely going to become regulars here. It's so convenient and yummy and affordable. Everything was so tasty. Loved the takoyaki and the hand rolls. Def going to order more of the rolls next time!!
Lucy C.
Enjoyed our first visit: nice cozy ambiance, fresh fish and generous portions. Especially enjoyed the "taco" at the server's recommendation! A couple things that took off a star: sushi came before the appetizer; rice used for nigiri and rolls is too cold (out of refrigerator) and probably was medium grain Calrose rather than the better short-grain sushi rice.
Sara T.
Daruma Sushi is a treat! Good food, sweet service, and great ambiance in West Berkeley. Enjoyed a meal with family, but also good for singles/friends/casual date night. Tried nigiri, sashimi, maki (creative options for kids!), soups, and tempura. All were delicious! The restaurant is adorable, so I recommend eating there rather than to-go. Wear a sweater on chillier evenings because there is no vestibule. Happy hour every night from 5-8 pm and free parking. Can't wait to return!
Jonathan C.
I love this little neighborhood restaurant. It's cute and cozy. The staff are friendly, and the food is tasty. I especially love the grilled mackerel- delicious!!
We went there for dinner. The place is cute and staff is friendly enough, but oh my god the food is bad. I don’t understand all the positive reviews.I’m no food critique but I’ve been to Japan a couple times and I’ve had my share of Japanese food over the world - this is among the worst I’ve had.- we ordered tuna sashimi, and got a half frozen mess of sad fish cubes. The fish has been dyed pink, you could see the dye coming out on the white plate…. (No it wasn’t blood, it was PINK)- I had unagi don, I think it was eel but tasted somewhat off, and was full of fish bones. And the rice was some random long grain rice, not sushi rice.- same thing with the rolls, it wasn’t sushi rice!!! Like what?!?! We got some fried thing, it tasted decent but then everything is good when fried- finally my partner had the chicken katsu and also found it mediocreHonestly I can’t fathom serving such a poor joke of a meal, and calling it Japanese food, when even basic ingredients are completely wrong.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Tyson F.
Really missed temari when it closed. So glad it is back in almost the same form. Please support local restaurants, you won't be disappointed.
Cara Scully
Went here for lunch (just me!) and it is such a lovely little gem! I will definitely be back for another bento box and hot tea. Delicious!!
This is my neighborhood goto for sushi. The food is great and I love the cozy dining room. Also, this is the only sushi restaurant I have found in the Bay Area that has NA beer.
Excellent spot +
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Even short staffed that night it was great.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Great, fresh food and friendly staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Seaweed Salad, Salmon Skin Hand Roll, Sushi Rice
Nice neighborhood sushi restaurant! Quick, attentive service and plenty of options on the menu; we got a couple of the spicy rolls to share for our group and they were both great! $5 happy hour for dine in is a great deal too!
Cute place walking distance from my house! The food was very good and service was excellent!!Vegetarian options: Avocado rolls and the tempura udon soup.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Roll and Cucumber Roll, Veggie Tempura Udon Soup, Miso Soup
I've only enjoyed Darumi via carry-out, but the sushi is great! I appreciate the wide variety of rolls they have. For those who missed Temari, I feel like Daruma is a worthy successor.
I'm so happy this place opened up in my neighborhood! I'm pretty sure I've been to the previous restaurant back in the day too and they've done such a good job redecorating the place! It looks so bright and fresh and cute. I love the ambiance! Service is super nice. Came on a Monday night and ordered almost everything from their happy hour menu. It's 5-8pm which is pretty late for a happy hour! We also ordered the hamachi kama and my all time fave - wasabi tako. It's so hard to find wasabi tako! It did come way last which I feel like it usually comes first? Definitely going to become regulars here. It's so convenient and yummy and affordable. Everything was so tasty. Loved the takoyaki and the hand rolls. Def going to order more of the rolls next time!!
Enjoyed our first visit: nice cozy ambiance, fresh fish and generous portions. Especially enjoyed the "taco" at the server's recommendation! A couple things that took off a star: sushi came before the appetizer; rice used for nigiri and rolls is too cold (out of refrigerator) and probably was medium grain Calrose rather than the better short-grain sushi rice.
Daruma Sushi is a treat! Good food, sweet service, and great ambiance in West Berkeley. Enjoyed a meal with family, but also good for singles/friends/casual date night. Tried nigiri, sashimi, maki (creative options for kids!), soups, and tempura. All were delicious! The restaurant is adorable, so I recommend eating there rather than to-go. Wear a sweater on chillier evenings because there is no vestibule. Happy hour every night from 5-8 pm and free parking. Can't wait to return!
I love this little neighborhood restaurant. It's cute and cozy. The staff are friendly, and the food is tasty. I especially love the grilled mackerel- delicious!!
Restaurantji Recommends
We went there for dinner. The place is cute and staff is friendly enough, but oh my god the food is bad. I don’t understand all the positive reviews.I’m no food critique but I’ve been to Japan a couple times and I’ve had my share of Japanese food over the world - this is among the worst I’ve had.- we ordered tuna sashimi, and got a half frozen mess of sad fish cubes. The fish has been dyed pink, you could see the dye coming out on the white plate…. (No it wasn’t blood, it was PINK)- I had unagi don, I think it was eel but tasted somewhat off, and was full of fish bones. And the rice was some random long grain rice, not sushi rice.- same thing with the rolls, it wasn’t sushi rice!!! Like what?!?! We got some fried thing, it tasted decent but then everything is good when fried- finally my partner had the chicken katsu and also found it mediocreHonestly I can’t fathom serving such a poor joke of a meal, and calling it Japanese food, when even basic ingredients are completely wrong.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Really missed temari when it closed. So glad it is back in almost the same form. Please support local restaurants, you won't be disappointed.
Went here for lunch (just me!) and it is such a lovely little gem! I will definitely be back for another bento box and hot tea. Delicious!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Miso Soup, Karaage Chicken and Chicken Katsu Bento Box
This is my neighborhood goto for sushi. The food is great and I love the cozy dining room. Also, this is the only sushi restaurant I have found in the Bay Area that has NA beer.
Best Okonomiyaki in East Bay.