The hostess wasn't too friendly, not welcoming. Our server was good. She could do little more though. The ambient was OK. This place is more like Asian Fusion. The food was OK. They did their own way of making the sushi, katsu plate or fried rice. The only thing I like a lot was the Beef Tataki.Parking: Parking across from Baru - $7/half hour.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Tuna, Chicken Fried Rice
Jennifer Murtland
When I first looked at the menu I was skeptical but it was really good.They have Japanese beers on tap. The vibe wasn’t really Japanese but the decor was Asian, mostly Chinese. Music was American.We ordered the tuna tuna tuna roll, beef tataki, tuna fire crunch, chicken katsu, and chicken fried rice.The belle of the ball was definitely Beef Tataki, it was so delicious ? I highly recommend it.Fried rice was ok and the tuna tuna tuna roll was better than the tuna fire crunch.The service was good, decor is cool, and it’s nice to have another restaurant in the area.Parking: There is garage parking close by but it’s expensive . There is also street parking if you can find it
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Joanna Kerman
The appetizers were good but the sushi itself was mediocre. If I’m going to spend more than $100 for dinner, I want to be blown away. This was not it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Linda H
Excellent all around. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shabu Roll
Chad B
It was fine, but 100 dollars for lunch for 2 with no drinks is just way too much. Food isn’t anything great. Nothing special.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Yael lee Israeli
Food was incredible, fish was fresh and everything else super well cooked. The vibes were immaculate. Our waiter Arnold, was super friendly and knowledgeable. Will definitely come backAsk for Arnold as your server!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bill Wang
Baru has an upscale interior and very friendly service. The shifting light bulbs at the bar also add a fun touch to the ambiance. However, I found the food to be rather underwhelming, especially considering the price point.The steak tartare was flavorful, with a rich blend of raw steak and egg yolk that paired nicely with the crackers. Similarly, the salmon sashimi was decent and nicely plated. However, the sushi rolls, such as the yellowtail yuzu and rodeo driver, fell flat and lacked depth in the flavor.Overall, while the restaurant’s dining ambience makes it suitable for special occasions, the food quality left much to be desired, and there are better Japanese options available at this price point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Erika Titus
Update your closing times!
Service: 1
Mark Arlinghaus
Sophia was wonderful knowledgeable and guided me to the perfect lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
89buckeye
Truly a Cincinnati gem. Unique sushi and related options, wide selection of sake and craft cocktails. Staff was friendly and helpful, and it would be equally as enjoyable at a table or at the bar . Very interesting lighting. Later at night on weekends (at 10?) it turns into a club.
We sat at the bar and Kendall was our server. She was incredible and really made our experience outstanding. Her recommendations were excellent. We loved the tuna on crispy rice & Brussel sprouts. Also loved the gravlox nigiri. The moving lights at the bar were a little weird but overall cool atmosphere. Definitely going back.
Loved the vibe and atmosphere. Went on a Thursday evening and had drinks and four dishes. Drinks were pricy and the food was a little higher but good & what a fun place. Guessing the weekends are much busier. Will return!
The food and atmosphere were amazing!!! We had reservations but since it was our first time, I didn't realize that the bar area meant we were actually sitting at the bar. There were four of us, which made it difficult to sit four in a row. The restaurant was virtually empty at 5:15 and the hostess would do nothing to help accommodate us. Eventually, we were able to shift down the bar to the corner where we could at least somewhat face each other and talk, but as first time diners, it would've made a great impression if the hostess would have tried just a little bit to get us at a table when multiple tables were open.  The bartenders were great and attentive and the sushi was fantastic !
Jackie Z.
What a fun place! Sat at the counter (sushi making view), but would probably reserve the bar or table (mostly high tops) next time for a comfier seat. Needed a reservation for the Saturday dinner time we booked, but seemed a bit emptier for walk-ins as the night progressed. We were recommended the corn ribs, and they did not disappoint! What a fun way to do corn, and sauce was great. I went for a sake flight (love the milky sway-unfiltered sake), while my friend had a cocktail. The scallops were yummy in sauce (a bit over but those buckwheat noodles were so good), and we loved the hamachi (yellowtail and jalapeño go together so well!). Probably could have passed on the fried rice (crab was good but didn't feel worth the $10+ upcharge), and the tiramisu was mostly whipped cream (very mild matcha flavor). All in all a good time and fun menu.
Amazing service, and incredible food! We sat at the sushi bar but there wasn't line of sight to the sushi making so I would've preferred to sit at a standard table - lesson for next time. We will certainly be back.
The hostess wasn't too friendly, not welcoming. Our server was good. She could do little more though. The ambient was OK. This place is more like Asian Fusion. The food was OK. They did their own way of making the sushi, katsu plate or fried rice. The only thing I like a lot was the Beef Tataki.Parking: Parking across from Baru - $7/half hour.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Tuna, Chicken Fried Rice
When I first looked at the menu I was skeptical but it was really good.They have Japanese beers on tap. The vibe wasn’t really Japanese but the decor was Asian, mostly Chinese. Music was American.We ordered the tuna tuna tuna roll, beef tataki, tuna fire crunch, chicken katsu, and chicken fried rice.The belle of the ball was definitely Beef Tataki, it was so delicious ? I highly recommend it.Fried rice was ok and the tuna tuna tuna roll was better than the tuna fire crunch.The service was good, decor is cool, and it’s nice to have another restaurant in the area.Parking: There is garage parking close by but it’s expensive . There is also street parking if you can find it
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The appetizers were good but the sushi itself was mediocre. If I’m going to spend more than $100 for dinner, I want to be blown away. This was not it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Excellent all around. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shabu Roll
It was fine, but 100 dollars for lunch for 2 with no drinks is just way too much. Food isn’t anything great. Nothing special.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Food was incredible, fish was fresh and everything else super well cooked. The vibes were immaculate. Our waiter Arnold, was super friendly and knowledgeable. Will definitely come backAsk for Arnold as your server!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Baru has an upscale interior and very friendly service. The shifting light bulbs at the bar also add a fun touch to the ambiance. However, I found the food to be rather underwhelming, especially considering the price point.The steak tartare was flavorful, with a rich blend of raw steak and egg yolk that paired nicely with the crackers. Similarly, the salmon sashimi was decent and nicely plated. However, the sushi rolls, such as the yellowtail yuzu and rodeo driver, fell flat and lacked depth in the flavor.Overall, while the restaurant’s dining ambience makes it suitable for special occasions, the food quality left much to be desired, and there are better Japanese options available at this price point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Update your closing times!
Service: 1
Sophia was wonderful knowledgeable and guided me to the perfect lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Truly a Cincinnati gem. Unique sushi and related options, wide selection of sake and craft cocktails. Staff was friendly and helpful, and it would be equally as enjoyable at a table or at the bar . Very interesting lighting. Later at night on weekends (at 10?) it turns into a club.
Restaurantji Recommends
We sat at the bar and Kendall was our server. She was incredible and really made our experience outstanding. Her recommendations were excellent. We loved the tuna on crispy rice & Brussel sprouts. Also loved the gravlox nigiri. The moving lights at the bar were a little weird but overall cool atmosphere. Definitely going back.
Loved the vibe and atmosphere. Went on a Thursday evening and had drinks and four dishes. Drinks were pricy and the food was a little higher but good & what a fun place. Guessing the weekends are much busier. Will return!
The food and atmosphere were amazing!!! We had reservations but since it was our first time, I didn't realize that the bar area meant we were actually sitting at the bar. There were four of us, which made it difficult to sit four in a row. The restaurant was virtually empty at 5:15 and the hostess would do nothing to help accommodate us. Eventually, we were able to shift down the bar to the corner where we could at least somewhat face each other and talk, but as first time diners, it would've made a great impression if the hostess would have tried just a little bit to get us at a table when multiple tables were open.  The bartenders were great and attentive and the sushi was fantastic !
What a fun place! Sat at the counter (sushi making view), but would probably reserve the bar or table (mostly high tops) next time for a comfier seat. Needed a reservation for the Saturday dinner time we booked, but seemed a bit emptier for walk-ins as the night progressed. We were recommended the corn ribs, and they did not disappoint! What a fun way to do corn, and sauce was great. I went for a sake flight (love the milky sway-unfiltered sake), while my friend had a cocktail. The scallops were yummy in sauce (a bit over but those buckwheat noodles were so good), and we loved the hamachi (yellowtail and jalapeño go together so well!). Probably could have passed on the fried rice (crab was good but didn't feel worth the $10+ upcharge), and the tiramisu was mostly whipped cream (very mild matcha flavor). All in all a good time and fun menu.
Amazing service, and incredible food! We sat at the sushi bar but there wasn't line of sight to the sushi making so I would've preferred to sit at a standard table - lesson for next time. We will certainly be back.