Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

808 Zone

5.0

5 (20)

$50 and over

Japanese

Foster City

About the restaurant

Getting tired of the same omakase experience? Too intimidated to even go to our first one? 808 Zone may be the perfect place for you!
With a contemporary kaiseki meets omakase fused with western inspiration and unexpected flavor combinations experience, your taste buds are surely to thank you for delighting them with something unique and different. Every dish aims to bring something innovative to the table while highlighting the freshness and beauty of the ingredients themselves.

Top review

debcook35

Dined on Mar 1, 2025

This multi-course, beautifully presented meal leaves you so satisfied, appreciative of the care, thought, presentation and quality of the amazing food. Every small course is delicious and beautiful in its own manner, with accents of caviar, parsley dust, house-made dashi and details such as this that intrigue you mind and your palate. The quiet ambiance allows the chef to explain how each course was curated, while he is assembling the dishes in front of the guests. Worth the drive to Foster City; the last time we dined, someone had come from Marin County, and last night, a young couple had driven up from San Jose. Well-worth the expense, a memorable gastro event, for certain. Must go for your next special event.

Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki

4.9

4.9 (27)

$50 and over

Japanese

Saratoga

About the restaurant

We, Hashiri Bettei Kaiseki Aoki, deliver the experience of “kaiseki ryori,” a type of Japanese fine dining which historically developed to be served in the Japanese tea room. The tea room, as a space, symbolizes the home of the Japanese tea ceremony, a simple yet transformative experience offering a pause in time to appreciate the seemingly small experience of sharing tea. As such, we’ve designed both the architecture and the experience, to condense an infinite expanse into an extremely small space.

The space is designed sans distracting elements. Lighting will be subtle and architectural details are clean yet warm. Designed to allow dishes to remain the focal point of the experience, our space represents the endless potential for an intimate dining experience that continues to linger on pallet and in mind well after the end.

Top review

KannikaVIP

Dined 6 days ago

I enjoyed this traditional omakase. You can expect excellent and fresh quality in the ingredients they use and I appreciate that there were vegetables too. I’m usually still hungry after eating at an omakase but their portions were spot on for me and I left with a full stomach. I found the portions for wagyu beef to be generous, around 2 oz if I were to eyeball. Overall, I hope to come back!

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Experience

Chef's Tasting Kaiseki Experience

Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill

4.6

4.6 (78)

$30 and under

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of San Francisco, Hakashi Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill is a chef driven restaurant that is committed to only using the finest and seasonal fish, vegetables, rice and ‘made from scratch’ sauces.

Our cuisine is simple and delicate. Our Chef, Julio, learned from his master, Norihiko Suzuki, from Fukushima Japan. Chef Julio is excellent at inspiring and hand crafting every dish from Omakese to Nigiri to Sashimi. He is also great at customizing arrangements for special occasions to achieve something that is truly a reflection of honoring the traditional Japanese Cuisine.

Come visit Hakashi Japanese Bar & Grill for an unforgettable dining experience. For Friday and Saturday reservations, please call the restaurant directly.

Top review

Andrew

Dined on Mar 26, 2025

Excellent and unique experience. Recommend the omakase set menu

Akemi Berkeley

4.7

4.7 (479)

$30 and under

Japanese

Berkeley

About the restaurant

Opened in February 2015, AKEMI is the latest incarnation of miyuki on 1695 Solano Avenue in North Berkeley (Albany border) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Along with a revamped interior and exterior that includes salvaged wood and upgraded kitchen equipment, AKEMI features an updated menu spotlighting fresh ingredients and well-crafted flavors while retaining customer classics such as our sushi rolls.

AKEMI is the new name we bestow upon the beauty that is good food with good people in a good place.

For outdoor reservations please call the restaurant.

Top review

Debra

Dined on Mar 29, 2025

Excellent food! Excellent service! Excellent Restaurant! Every visit....

The Taste of Tea

4.9

4.9 (232)

$30 and under

Japanese

Healdsburg

About the restaurant

Online reservations are limited, please call for full availability. Open for lunch Thursdays through Tuesdays.
The Taste of Tea is The is real Taste of Japan; A hidden gem in Downtown Healdsburg, loved by locals and tourist for 10 years. Serving the best Ramen, prepared by executive Chef Nez Tokugawa and his passionate team, using family recipes with the finest local and imported ingredients. Mixologist crafted beverages; Adult tea cocktails, sake, beer and tea reimagined. Our sophisticated indoor and outdoor dining spaces are spacious and comfortable. Online ordering and retail shopping available www.thetasteoftea.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thetasteoftea

Top review

David

Dined on Mar 17, 2025

Great spot for lunch or dinner; wonderful ambience, and outstanding service. Interesting menu that includes a selection of traditional Japanese, vegetarian and vegan options.

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4.8

4.8 (293)

$50 and over

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

**Welcome to Sushi Hakko on Union St. + Fillmore St.**
We'd like to offer our tasting menu that's reflecting Chef Alex Kim and his team's pursuit of top notch sushi experience. Our approach is a harmonious crossover of authentic Edo-mae style with Western skill. From fish to rice, cooking rice to garnish prep - a true synergy of not only Californian but Japan.

**Sushi Bar Experience**
For the best experience of our tasting menu, we'd recommend the sushi bar seating, where chef will serve and explain the dish by dish, piece by piece with an extensive information of the skills and ingredients.

**Regular Tables**
Our regular tables are also available for the tasting menu and you can make a reservation at any time slot to your convenience.

*Large Group*
For any party of 7 or more, please kindly call us at 415.814.2886 or email at sushihakko@gmail.com. We will get back to you asap.

All parties will be subject to a 20% service charge.

We look forward to serving you soon.

Top review

Gavin

Dined on Mar 28, 2025

Great intimate dinner with amazing service and food

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Experience

Sushi Hakko Bar Experience

Experience

Sushi Hakko Table Experience

HINODEYA Ramen Chestnut

4.8

4.8 (2)

$30 and under

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Hinodeya Ramen is straight from Japan serving our DASHI-RAMEN with a full list of side dishes. For drinks beer, wine, and sake! Come try our authentic ramen for a taste of something new from Japan.

For 4 generations the Kuribara family has passed down the Japanese culinary tradition through the restaurant Hinodeya. Now, fit the first time, we're taking our ramen overseas to deliver an authentic flavor experience!

Top review

Shayla

Dined on Mar 31, 2025

This place is really amazing. You walk in and the ambience was just beautiful. We got sat in the olive tree room and it was truly amazing. Very pretty and relaxing. We ordered the spring rolls and edamame for the appetizers. The food came out hot and delicious. For dinner, we had the spicy miso and the ultimate scallop ramen, the spicy miso was great. The ultimate scallop ramen was good too except the scallops were overcooked. But all in all, I would definitely come back.

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Experience

Date Night

AKIKOS

4.7

4.7 (1618)

$50 and over

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Located in the vibrant East Cut neighborhood, just a 15-minute walk from the Ferry Building, our diverse and sustainability-driven menu offers a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Omakase experience. We blend innovative takes on Japanese cuisine with local, seasonal ingredients and fish sourced from Tokyo’s renowned Toyosu Fish Market. Signature dishes, such as our Shokupan—grilled milk bread topped with toro and golden Kaluga caviar—and the aged, soy-cured bluefin tuna nigiri, showcase a harmonious fusion of premium seafood and thoughtfully curated ingredients, presented with creative flair.
Please note, we currently offer Omakase experiences exclusively for lunch and dinner, with no à la carte options available. For guests seeking to enhance their experience, additional nigiri selections are available a la carte from our nama menu after the tasting. The Omakase lunch experience is priced at $150 per guest, and the Omakase dinner experience is priced at $255 per guest.

Top review

Oneill

Dined on Mar 28, 2025

Absolutely amazing, the food and the service! A hidden gem in Rincon Hill

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Okaeri Japanese Bistro

4.8

4.8 (178)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Mission District

About the restaurant

Welcome to Okaeri SF, where we showcase both traditional Japanese dishes and an innovative omakase experience. Our chefs bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the kitchen, creating a dining experience that is truly one-of-a-kind.

Our menu features a wide range of authentic Japanese dishes, including nigiri, sashimi, rolls, and tempura. We also offer a selection of unique fusion dishes that blend traditional Japanese flavors with modern culinary techniques.

Our omakase experience is a must-try for any foodie. This multi-course meal features a selection of the freshest, most flavorful ingredients, carefully chosen and prepared by our talented culinary team. Each dish is a surprise, designed to showcase the chefs' skills and creativity.

We invite you to come and experience the art of Japanese cuisine at Okaeri SF. Whether you're a fan of traditional dishes or looking to try something new, we have something for everyone. Thank you for choosing us for your dining experience.

Top review

Amos

Dined 7 days ago

Great food and service. The Nigiri Toros are a hit.

Mamanoko

4.7

4.7 (97)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Come enjoy fresh sushi and Japanese fare at our beautiful location in the Marina District of San Francisco.