The food was exceptional and the service was great. Our server was very kind and attentive and paid no mind to our busy toddler. Our meals came out very fast, which we greatly appreciated. Given food prices these days, sushi is a rare luxury for us and we expected a hefty bill. We got about 3-4 rolls, a couple Nigiri items, and a couple adult beverages - with tip it came to about $120. But all of the food tasted fresh and the sushi was plated and presented beautifully. This place will be at the top of our list in our next sushi outing.Parking: We parked in the garage as there was no street parking, but fortunately it was Sunday so we didn't need to pay.Kid-friendliness: Staff was kind and mindful of our toddler. They provided a booster seat and gave us a place to store our stroller.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Hot Sake, Roll, Miso Soup, Mackerel, Tuna
Jim Rowe
I've lived in Boulder for over 20 years and I *used* to be able to say unequivocally that Sushi Zanmai was the best sushi in Boulder. The last 2 times I went, the food was just average--over cooked ginger steak, slapped together sushi presentation, I'm not even sure what happened to Z-9, but it is now "meh", I swear the wasabi has even lost some kick, and more subtle things--but isn't that what sushi is about?I don't expect the kitchen and sushi to come out at the same time, but with a half full restaurant and 5 sushi chefs, seems like they could have gotten closer than the 20 minutes some in our party had to wait for sushi after or kitchen dishes.The new chefs seem to not particularly enjoy their jobs nor provide energy to the restaurant like they used to.Oh, an no Saturday night Karaoke!!?I hope the new management/owner can improve things.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Michael Woon
Love the vibe here. Shout out to Sharon, for good services.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Zanmai, Roll
Cindy Brown
Went on Friday night… definitely do reservations if you can, but we got in… great service and food… very busy but worth the wait…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eyal Yaacoby
Loved the miso soup, the sushi and the matcha. Very good place, keep it up!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Hot Sake, California Roll, Spider Roll, Green Tea Ice Cream
Drew Harlan
I’ve been coming here for more than 20 years and have always loved it though I’ve noticed a bit of a downturn recently since new management has taken over. The food is still good but it seems to be veering away from more traditional sushi to a more “fusion” type menu, which is a bit frustrating since there are already numerous sushi restaurants in the area that do that. I was particularly upset that my favorite roll, the z-9 has been “improved” in a way that makes it pretty much exactly the same as the #9 roll at any other sushi restaurant. The service is still excellent but a little disappointed in the direction the food’s going considering many of the menu staples have been kept intact for as long as I’ve been coming here until this year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Courtney Parmer
I’m giving this three stars solely because it doesn’t seem fair to give one star based on our experience when we didn’t eat there.We were very excited to try this place after reading great reviews. Idk when management changed, but what we experienced was the opposite of these years’ worth of raving reviews. We got on the wait list and were told it would be at least 30 minutes, with a facial expression that definitely indicated we were in for the long haul. So we went to grab a drink around the corner. 9 minutes later I got a text our table was ready. That’s nice but idk how they got it so wrong. We had to abandon our fresh drinks at this other spot. When we arrived, a group was about to be sat so I flagged the hostess down to let her know we arrived, as it looked like the only table left was being given away. She said acknowledged us and asked for a few minutes. Unfortunately my fears were correct, the last table had been sat and instead we were being given the one table in the house that had traditional floor seating. As in, the table is low to the ground and you’re sitting on little deflated cushions. I’m sure this is supposed to be a big deal, but just one look at my group would have alerted the staff that this wasn’t going to work for us. At the very least, I think this should be something that guests are made aware of and can opt out of- especially when disabilities are involved. When I told the hostess that wouldn’t work for us, she looked shocked (but not concerned). Thankfully that group that was sat ahead of us overheard and jumped in. They actually wanted the special floor seating and switched with us. Great. After that, it unfortunately kept going downhill. We were only given one menu for the four of us, so looking took awhile. Our waitress came to us nearly immediately expecting to take our entire order. We put in drinks haphazardly, and asked for more time. 10 minutes later we had to flag her down to ask a question about the menu, and as we were saying “let’s order an appetizer” she walked off. She never returned. 10 minutes later we decided to leave. The menu online isn’t reflective of the menu in the restaurant. Some stuff is lunch only but that’s not clear online. We’d decided to come here so everyone in our group could be accommodated (not everyone likes fish, but hey good friends compromise) and finding out the menu differences, on top of the absent service, was the final straw. We managed to pay for our drinks and left. It’s hard to accurately articulate the scene here but it was just a bizarre experience from beginning to end. The vibe was totally off and I expect our dinner would have taken 2.5 hours based on the 25 minutes we were there.I’m sure the food is great but when everything else is chaotic, that doesn’t matter much unfortunately.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Bob H
Can't order online. Delivery link is sketchy.
Kevin Cardey
Have been coming to Sushi Zanmai semi-regularly over the last few years. It had always been a fun, lively atmosphere with good enough food and service to make for a great night out.Unfortunately, this is no longer the same Sushi Zenmai. It seems as if the restaurant is under new management. If you’re revisiting, I would suggest lowering your expectations.The food wasn’t near the same quality as before and we didn’t receive what was ordered on several occasions. The most disappointing, however, was the atmosphere.. not even 50% capacity on a Friday night. The lively atmosphere was gone.Sadly, this may be another Boulder classic that will never be the same due to new management.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Alex S.
came in for lunch and wasn't very busy. Natalia's service was great! I got the shoyu ramen and my friend got the tonkatsu ramen and they were so good, especially for the price! We sat at the bar and Michael was so helpful with sushi selections as well. I will be back!
I took my son to dinner for his bday. Going out for sushi is expensive and a rare occasion for me. We both have had the Charshi Combo meal in the past and loved it because is includes a mix of many fishes including unagi, egg, roe, octopus, mackerel, skate, scallop, and other really good stuff mixed into the rice. Last night, the combo was rice, yellow tail, ahi, and salmon. I was so disappointed. I took home most of my dinner to go. Insult to injury, our appetizers came out after our meal was served. When you drop over $100 on a meal for 2 (no drinks) and it's not what you expect, it's a bummer. If you order the Charshi, make sure you check that its correct.
brooke wooden
Had a great time! They put us in a tea room it was really cute and the food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ALPHA 13
Very cool atmosphere. Server was very nice and welcoming. The food tasted fresh and flavorful. The chefs took quality time to make the sushi but it was worth the wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jesse
My wife and I have been going here for over 20 years and have usually been happy with our experience. Unfortunately, last night's experience--on her 46th birthday, no less--left us truly wanting.The crux of the problem boiled down to our children being served their food a solid 30 or so minutes before my wife and I ate ours. That's right. We had to watch our kids eat, then finish their meals long before ours ever arrived. When I brought it to the hostess's attention, I got an apology but no explanation as to what happened. And while they gave us some sake on the house, the whole experience left us feeling unsatisfied and let down by our experience.Like so many restaurants these days, good experiences seem harder and harder to come by. I hope Sushi Zanmai can improve and be what they used to to be consistently and every time. Until then, buyer be warned.
Food: 3
Service: 1
Ben Nicholson
Excellent sushi, fantastic T-shirt designs even though they were out of my size.
The food was exceptional and the service was great. Our server was very kind and attentive and paid no mind to our busy toddler. Our meals came out very fast, which we greatly appreciated. Given food prices these days, sushi is a rare luxury for us and we expected a hefty bill. We got about 3-4 rolls, a couple Nigiri items, and a couple adult beverages - with tip it came to about $120. But all of the food tasted fresh and the sushi was plated and presented beautifully. This place will be at the top of our list in our next sushi outing.Parking: We parked in the garage as there was no street parking, but fortunately it was Sunday so we didn't need to pay.Kid-friendliness: Staff was kind and mindful of our toddler. They provided a booster seat and gave us a place to store our stroller.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Hot Sake, Roll, Miso Soup, Mackerel, Tuna
I've lived in Boulder for over 20 years and I *used* to be able to say unequivocally that Sushi Zanmai was the best sushi in Boulder. The last 2 times I went, the food was just average--over cooked ginger steak, slapped together sushi presentation, I'm not even sure what happened to Z-9, but it is now "meh", I swear the wasabi has even lost some kick, and more subtle things--but isn't that what sushi is about?I don't expect the kitchen and sushi to come out at the same time, but with a half full restaurant and 5 sushi chefs, seems like they could have gotten closer than the 20 minutes some in our party had to wait for sushi after or kitchen dishes.The new chefs seem to not particularly enjoy their jobs nor provide energy to the restaurant like they used to.Oh, an no Saturday night Karaoke!!?I hope the new management/owner can improve things.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Love the vibe here. Shout out to Sharon, for good services.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Zanmai, Roll
Went on Friday night… definitely do reservations if you can, but we got in… great service and food… very busy but worth the wait…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved the miso soup, the sushi and the matcha. Very good place, keep it up!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Hot Sake, California Roll, Spider Roll, Green Tea Ice Cream
I’ve been coming here for more than 20 years and have always loved it though I’ve noticed a bit of a downturn recently since new management has taken over. The food is still good but it seems to be veering away from more traditional sushi to a more “fusion” type menu, which is a bit frustrating since there are already numerous sushi restaurants in the area that do that. I was particularly upset that my favorite roll, the z-9 has been “improved” in a way that makes it pretty much exactly the same as the #9 roll at any other sushi restaurant. The service is still excellent but a little disappointed in the direction the food’s going considering many of the menu staples have been kept intact for as long as I’ve been coming here until this year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
I’m giving this three stars solely because it doesn’t seem fair to give one star based on our experience when we didn’t eat there.We were very excited to try this place after reading great reviews. Idk when management changed, but what we experienced was the opposite of these years’ worth of raving reviews. We got on the wait list and were told it would be at least 30 minutes, with a facial expression that definitely indicated we were in for the long haul. So we went to grab a drink around the corner. 9 minutes later I got a text our table was ready. That’s nice but idk how they got it so wrong. We had to abandon our fresh drinks at this other spot. When we arrived, a group was about to be sat so I flagged the hostess down to let her know we arrived, as it looked like the only table left was being given away. She said acknowledged us and asked for a few minutes. Unfortunately my fears were correct, the last table had been sat and instead we were being given the one table in the house that had traditional floor seating. As in, the table is low to the ground and you’re sitting on little deflated cushions. I’m sure this is supposed to be a big deal, but just one look at my group would have alerted the staff that this wasn’t going to work for us. At the very least, I think this should be something that guests are made aware of and can opt out of- especially when disabilities are involved. When I told the hostess that wouldn’t work for us, she looked shocked (but not concerned). Thankfully that group that was sat ahead of us overheard and jumped in. They actually wanted the special floor seating and switched with us. Great. After that, it unfortunately kept going downhill. We were only given one menu for the four of us, so looking took awhile. Our waitress came to us nearly immediately expecting to take our entire order. We put in drinks haphazardly, and asked for more time. 10 minutes later we had to flag her down to ask a question about the menu, and as we were saying “let’s order an appetizer” she walked off. She never returned. 10 minutes later we decided to leave. The menu online isn’t reflective of the menu in the restaurant. Some stuff is lunch only but that’s not clear online. We’d decided to come here so everyone in our group could be accommodated (not everyone likes fish, but hey good friends compromise) and finding out the menu differences, on top of the absent service, was the final straw. We managed to pay for our drinks and left. It’s hard to accurately articulate the scene here but it was just a bizarre experience from beginning to end. The vibe was totally off and I expect our dinner would have taken 2.5 hours based on the 25 minutes we were there.I’m sure the food is great but when everything else is chaotic, that doesn’t matter much unfortunately.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Can't order online. Delivery link is sketchy.
Have been coming to Sushi Zanmai semi-regularly over the last few years. It had always been a fun, lively atmosphere with good enough food and service to make for a great night out.Unfortunately, this is no longer the same Sushi Zenmai. It seems as if the restaurant is under new management. If you’re revisiting, I would suggest lowering your expectations.The food wasn’t near the same quality as before and we didn’t receive what was ordered on several occasions. The most disappointing, however, was the atmosphere.. not even 50% capacity on a Friday night. The lively atmosphere was gone.Sadly, this may be another Boulder classic that will never be the same due to new management.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
came in for lunch and wasn't very busy. Natalia's service was great! I got the shoyu ramen and my friend got the tonkatsu ramen and they were so good, especially for the price! We sat at the bar and Michael was so helpful with sushi selections as well. I will be back!
Restaurantji Recommends
I took my son to dinner for his bday. Going out for sushi is expensive and a rare occasion for me. We both have had the Charshi Combo meal in the past and loved it because is includes a mix of many fishes including unagi, egg, roe, octopus, mackerel, skate, scallop, and other really good stuff mixed into the rice. Last night, the combo was rice, yellow tail, ahi, and salmon. I was so disappointed. I took home most of my dinner to go. Insult to injury, our appetizers came out after our meal was served. When you drop over $100 on a meal for 2 (no drinks) and it's not what you expect, it's a bummer. If you order the Charshi, make sure you check that its correct.
Had a great time! They put us in a tea room it was really cute and the food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very cool atmosphere. Server was very nice and welcoming. The food tasted fresh and flavorful. The chefs took quality time to make the sushi but it was worth the wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife and I have been going here for over 20 years and have usually been happy with our experience. Unfortunately, last night's experience--on her 46th birthday, no less--left us truly wanting.The crux of the problem boiled down to our children being served their food a solid 30 or so minutes before my wife and I ate ours. That's right. We had to watch our kids eat, then finish their meals long before ours ever arrived. When I brought it to the hostess's attention, I got an apology but no explanation as to what happened. And while they gave us some sake on the house, the whole experience left us feeling unsatisfied and let down by our experience.Like so many restaurants these days, good experiences seem harder and harder to come by. I hope Sushi Zanmai can improve and be what they used to to be consistently and every time. Until then, buyer be warned.
Food: 3
Service: 1
Excellent sushi, fantastic T-shirt designs even though they were out of my size.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roll, Sushi Roll