10 Best Japanese Restaurants In San Francisco, California

1. Ebisu

Chef Ebisu and his namesake restaurant has been serving up the best sushi in San Francisco for nearly two decades now. Even though you will find a menu to order from, it is always best to sit at the sushi bar and let the chef serve you his off-the-menu favorites. Sourcing from the freshest seafood and known for the tastiest sushi in town, there can be long waits and difficulty in finding a parking spot at the restaurant. No matter how long one has to wait to devour in the finest food, the outcome of the wait is out-of-this-world.

Ebisu

Address: 1283 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA

Website: Ebisu

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11:30am - 2pm, 5pm - 10pm; Fri: 11:30am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 11pm; Sat: 12pm - 2:30pm, 5pm - 11pm (closed on Sun)

2. Akira

With over 20 years of experience specializing in Japanese cuisine, Chef Minh serves omakase in the kaiseki tradition with flair. The ambiance of this restaurant is cozy and intimate, perfect for a romantic date. All the dishes from Akira’s menu are prepared using fresh and seasonal ingredients, making the dishes stand out for its unique blend of taste.

Akira

Address: 1634 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA

Website: Akira

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5pm - 10pm; Fri: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5:30pm - 10pm; Sat: 5pm - 10:30pm (closed on Sun)

3. Wako

Clement Street’s Wako Japanese Restaurant offers omakase, house-made sesame tofu and mountain yam with spicy cod roe, sashimi, tempura, and desserts. Chefs Atsushi-san and Tomo-san prepare their dishes with perfect textures and temperatures, which is lip-smackingly out-of-this-world. Although, this elegant sushi bar is small, the crowd swarms in to taste the delicacies prepared by its chefs. Hence, the reservations are recommended.

Wako

Address: 211 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA

Website: Wako

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 5:30pm - 10pm (closed on Sun & Mon)

4. Kusakabe

Although you will find a ‘not-so-traditional Japanese dish’ here, you will certainly find delicious cuisine to indulge in. What you will find here is Chef Mitsunori Kusakabe’s signature style of tasting menu that is best described as omakase sushi, kaiseki-style. With minimalist decor, this 11-course menu restaurant offers everything from trout with cilantro-flavored rice to caramelized bluefin tuna. After trying its tasting menu, you can order a soup or a warm dish, and sea urchin or uri. The prices are a bit on the high-end but it shouldn’t stop you from trying their fresh seafood. You will not regret it!

Kusakabe

Address: 584 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA

Website: Kusakabe

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 5pm - 8:30pm (closed on Sun)

5. Goemon

If you are wandering around the streets of San Francisco and want to experience the original taste of Japan, you must try this recently reopened Goemon Japanese Restaurant. They are famous for serving tasty hamachi kama, king salmon, maguro sashimi, cold ebi salad, gyoza, uni, and other fresh seafood dishes. This place offers the best quality meal for the price you pay - it definitely is a steal!

Goemon

Address: 1524 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA

Website: Goemon

Opening hours: Wed - Mon: 5pm - 10pm (closed on Tue)

6. Ozumo

A place where you would find locals usually buzzing around outside a restaurant is Ozumo. Decorated in granite and pale wood, it is a chic place where you can relish tasty sushi and also other delectable traditional Japanese cuisine. Their food is a treat to the eyes and your stomach with artfully presented dishes along with the pristine views of the Bay. You can also go for grilled robata-yaki dishes, sake, hot pots, omakase, and more, if you want to experiment with Japanese delicacy other than sushi.

Ozumo

Address: 161 Steuart St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA

Website: Ozumo

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 10:30pm; Sat: 5:30pm - 11pm; Sun: 5pm - 10pm

7. Nara

If you are on a lookout for a place that serves authentic Japanese delicacies, you are in the right place. Nara Sushi Restaurant serves up fresh sashimi and other classics with finesse. Order from a range of appetizers such as deep fried soft shell crab in a crispy batter and the assorted seafood salad. And dinner specials such as the nabe udon noodles with veggies, chicken and shrimp tempura, as well as the pork cutlet donkatsu donburi are also offered. The restaurant also serves raw sashimi, nigiri, and regular sushi rolls made with the freshest ingredients.

Nara

Address: 518 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

Website: Nara

Opening hours: Wed - Mon: 5pm - 11:30pm (closed on Tue)

8. An Japanese Restaurant

If you are looking for a place to relax whilst eating amazing Japanese cuisine, An Japanese Restaurant is the place to be. You can indulge in delectable selections of seasonal food and the imported sake collection in a cozy sushi place in downtown of San Francisco. In Japanese, An means a modest cottage where, during the traditional old days, monks and artists used to spend a peaceful time being isolated from the rest of the world–and this is the same feeling you’d get once in you are in the restaurant.

An Japanese Restaurant

Address: 22 Peace Plz, Ste 510, San Francisco, CA 94115

Website: An Japanese Restaurant

Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 5:30pm - 9:15pm; Sat: 5:30pm - 9pm (closed on Sun & Mon)

9. Eiji

This cozy Japanese spot situated in Mission Dolores promises to take you to the roots of Japan with their homemade, fresh Japanese delicacies. The moment you take a bite of the delicious sushi, it melts in your mouth and takes you on a flavourful journey in a relaxing environment. However, the crowd favorites remain to be the dishes that are not actually sushi. Customers also love the fresh strawberry mochi, and tofu made fresh right at your table.

Eiji

Address: 317 Sanchez St, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA

Website: Eiji

Opening hours: Tue - Wed: 11:30am - 1:45pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm; Thu - Sat: 11:30am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm; Sun: 11:30am - 1:45pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm (closed on Mon)

10. Akiko's Sushi Bar

Need a place that takes its sushi very seriously? Then you must visit Akiko’s Sushi Bar right away! You will find some of the best chefs working their magic on their signature dishes from the menu. You will find dishes that will suit your taste, from California roll to seasoned omakase, nigiri, to a mixture of hot and cold dishes. After that you will just have to wait amid the beautiful Japanese-style decor as the experienced chefs prepare their magic.

Akiko's Sushi Bar

Address: 542 A Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

Website: Akiko’s Sushi Bar

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm; Sat - Sun: 4:30pm - 10pm

Taste traditional and modern Japan in San Francisco

With so many options to choose from, be it the authentic Japanese cuisine or the omakase-style food, this guide will definitely help you the next time you’re in San Francisco and crave for Japanese food. Don’t just stick with sushi. Get experimental with your tastebuds and try the myriad other options of Japanese delicacies as well. You will feel and leave ecstatic!