50 Best Japanese Restaurants in San Francisco

“I went to KEN for my birthday and it was absolutely phenomenal. The fish was delicious; so many new flavors and combinations; the chef was superb - talented and entertaining, with great attention to detail. The service was impeccable. I cannot say enough good things!“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“I love Yoma cafe, the food is amazing, great price, the owner is always so welcoming and nice to everyone.“

“It’s a small and cozy izakaya, perfect for dining alone or with a small group of 3–4 people. I ordered appetizers from the special menu. First up: Mentaiko Zucchini (so delicious! The very first bite was refreshing, followed by the rich umami saltiness of the mentaiko. A little dip in Karashi mustard made it even better—definitely a must-try! Highly recommended).

Next was Kuramaebi, tiger prawns deep-fried tempura style and topped with tartar sauce. After that, I ordered Ba-ra Kushiyaki and Kobe Kushiyaki (served 2 skewers each). I especially enjoyed the Kobe—it was grilled perfectly and went really well with Shichimi Togarashi. If it had the same green onion topping as the Ba-ra, I think it would have been absolutely perfect.😋“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“Quality is key with any meal. Roger-San is all about quality. Sit at the bar if you can!“

“The best omakase and multi-course dinner I’ve ever had. We came to celebrate our anniversary here and a great time. The atmosphere was perfect and the food/fish were literally hands down the best I’ve ever had. If you want high quality omakase where every bite is the perfect blend and diversity of textures and flavors you must go here.“

“If you want the freshest fish downtown has to offer.... go to Sanraku“

“awesome a must try, this is a hidden gem“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“There's no place like Moku. You can come here to celebrate and/or to lighten your mood, the vibe is so versatile. The food always comes out hot; I love that the specials reflect seasonality and freshness. The service is also superb, you'll feel right at home :) Highlyyyy recommend <3“

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“My favorite sushi spot in the city, and the service is fast and friendly!“

“had a great experience here at the counter with a group of 6. not too busy, and they cooked the meats for you to perfection. i thought the meal was done well, would’ve preferred more seafood / seasoning, and definitely greasy so had to replenish the banchans a few times.“

“One of the most delightful spots in SF. Given how incredible the quality of their food is, they could charge more if they wanted to, but they keep it cozy. The Toro Uni Ikura mini-don is worth flying across the country for. The nigiri omakase is massively underpriced and incredible. The tri-tip katsu is light tapas fare (instead of a huge filling portion) that tastes better than what I had in Tokyo. Strong recommend.“

“Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Perfection. The attention to detail and the warm service was great from the jump. The entire 17 course meal and sake pairing was one of the best meals that we've ever had. I don't say this lightly, it was flawless.“

“My partner and I celebrated our 7-year anniversary at Wako and had an incredible experience - every bite we had was perfectly balanced and considered in the context of the meal. Everything was delicious but Chef Jin’s enthusiasm for the seasonal pike mackerel made me love it the most! Such obvious and deep respect for the food from everyone on staff, and the relaxed and cheerful vibe made it even better. We loved the staff and Chefs Jin and Ivan took care of us from the moment we stepped in the door - service was a true highlight. Friendly, funny, warm, and unpretentious, and everything you eat is explained super clearly and accessibly. Wako was the best meal I’ve had in several years, and we couldn’t have been happier to support a business run by such lovely people. Worth every penny. We’ll definitely be back!“

“Picked up from this place and was SO delighted! Everything was so fresh and flavorful perfect texture and well balanced!
Here’s what we got:
Romeo & Juliet Roll- the salmon and scallops were both perfect! Large size!
Tekka Roll & Negihama Roll- just great staples
Crab Cheese Puffs- honestly the best I’ve had!
Salmon Toro - perfect texture, super buttery!“

“Cute little to-go sushi shop, the red dragon roll as well as the oishinbo roll are amazing!! The fish was fresh and great quality! The rolls are made right infront of you making it an absolute amazing experience! Super inviting as well as top notch customer service!“

“Randomly stopped by this place. Just to get Miso and couldn’t stop ourselves and ordered some sushi.. Food and atmosphere were amazing!! I believe somebody heard that is my birthday and brought for me ice cream!! It’s was cherry on top! Definitely coming back!!! 💗💗💗💗💗🥳🌸“

“Reservations were a little hard to get, but the experience itself is great. Good food, although a bit heavy (as one would expect from fried food, with several meat dishes). The food is aiming to give an authentic japanese experience, and the staff were extremely nice and friendly.“

“Good for lunch. Really value for your money. I had the sashimi lunch set and my wife had the chicken wing and salmon sushi set and both were really fresh and good. Will definitely come again ! Weekdays - reservations not really needed, but I've come by on weekends and you should make reservations.“

“This place is a gem. Stumbled in here when HK lounge was too full for lunch. It was deserted when we came in and the prices were a little high, so I was a little apprehensive but let me tell you what, this place is phenomenal. Staff is very kind and the food was fantastic. Each cut of fish was so good and melted in your mouth. Lots of effort was put into the plating. We came for lunch and had the salmon chirashi bowl and the bento box. We will be back. And soon. Also they have live blue fin tuna cutting.“

“these purple rice yogurts are SO GOOD. We tried the original one first and then loved it so much we ordered 4 more - one more original, two mango, and one matcha. They taste a little sweet, a little sour, and have the perfect about of chewy texture served cold. Comes in a cute reusable container with a straw. Definitely coming back here for these again 😍“

“awesome service and amazingly fresh sushi! open from 4:30 to 9:30. on Geary near masonic“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“I walked in for a late dinner and was able to find a seat at the bar. Jenny was a wonderful server and helped me make some very delicious choices in the chef special bluefin flight and fresh caught uni. She was very helpful in explaining the different cuts of the tuna, the sake list, and was very friendly and warm for an out of towner and first time visitor to Nara. The tuna flight was phenomenal. The two cuts of toro were the highlights, but the tuna hand roll was also super bright and a great finish to the flight. Jenny gave recommendations on order and pairing for the flight of sake and the flight of fish. Altogether just a wonderful time, the food came out quick, it was fun to watch the chefs preparing food with such delicate care, and if I lived in San Francisco this would be the spot I would take a date to impress them. 10/10“

“Jo's awesome. We had a great experience. Highly recommended for birthdays or just being together 👯‍♀️💯👍“

“Great food and great ambience � � love it so much“

“Exceptional service. Delicious, artfully presented omakase at a reasonable price point.“

“Definitely food to be enjoyed with good company. Service was fast considering how busy it was. If I had company, I suspect it would have been perfect. The uni I had was smooth and buttery. All the sashimi and sushi had clean and distinct flavors.“

“Great food & ambiance! Ron & Jennifer have done it again! ❤️“

“This is the BEST Shabu restaurant I’ve ever been to. I traveled all the way from the East Coast to go here. The meat quality = unmatched. The ponzu dipping sauce = fire. This place is basically a mouth orgasm. Go here. You won’t regret it!“

“It has a very interesting menu, I really enjoy the food.“

“I've been a fan of Kibatsu since their early days when they first opened Sugoi! on Valencia. Over the years, they've expanded to three locations and consistently deliver exceptional sushi and Japanese cuisine. Their food never disappoints—trust me, it's worth the visit every time.

In fact, I once dined here 8 days in a row because I just couldn't get enough! If you're unsure what to order, I highly recommend trying the Omakase—you'll be glad you did. Some of my favorites include Ponzu Walu, Walu, Amaebi, Wagyu, Uni, Umimatsu, Kimedai, and countless other delicious options.

If you're craving top-quality fish and authentic Japanese flavors, Kibatsu is the place to go. Don't miss out!“

“I love this place. It is a very simple interior that makes it easy to sleep on but the food is super good and fresh.

Everything is beautifully crafted.

They can get slammed with takeout orders sometimes but the food is worth the wait.“

“I just moved back to the city not too long ago and the vivid memory of having bone marrow ramen popped up in my head. Before I went to the location over in the Sunset district. When I went to Google the spot, found out there was on SOMA. Went over there on my lunch break and it was just as amazing as before. I didn't grab the bone marrow add-on this time. Huge regret. However, still delicious. This is one of the ramen spots I'd recommend to friends to go to. Now that I know the SOMA location is a choice, I will stop by every so often to get my fix.“

“Sushi was great and Ti the owner was very generous.“

“Excellent food, excellent service. We loved it. We had Shrimp Tempura Roll, Sexy Roll, Edamame, Miso Soup, Kirin Beer. Can’t wait to go back again.“

“Best Omakase in town.“

“The atmosphere and presentation of the food was extremely chic! The meal was delicious!!“

“The freshness of the fish enhances every bite, making it truly delicious. The exceptional service elevates the entire dining experience. It's wonderful to find such delightful food and service. This combination creates a truly memorable meal. Definitely will return next time I visit SF.“

“Incredibly fresh fish and superb attention to detail. Great experience overall.

Dietary restrictions: Waitress asked if we had any allergies or food restrictions when we placed the order.

Kid-friendliness: Our 5 and 6 year old kids were welcomed. They dropped a ton of stuff on floor but waitress was kind and gave us new utensils.“

“在美國的日本味道，這是算不錯的“

“The ramen tastes very good, the soup base is rich and the noodles taste great“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“Fast and kids favorite ever things delicious“

“very fresh sushi, good service ☺️“

“reasonably priced ramen. The food was really good. The tonkatsu broth was excellent and went well with the pork. My daughter had the chicken ramen which was a little overcooked but still tasty. My other daughter had the veggie tofu with mild spice. Mild was still pretty spicy so avoid if your sensitive to spicy food. Overall we were pleased and will return.“