Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in San Francisco

OpenTable

Updated 05 November 2026

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

Wako Japanese Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (780)

$50 and over

Japanese

Richmond District

About the restaurant

At Wako we believe cooking with seasonality and the Japanese tradition in mind is our utmost priority. We strive to create visually striking dishes and serve our customers with confidence. We procure from carefully selected purveyors; our most basic ingredients and seafood are straight from Japan. We also select locally produce as much as possible. We welcome you to relax and enjoy our authentic Japanese cuisine.

Top review

Lindsey

Dined on 30 Oct 2026

Wako is like stepping into a super-legit Japanese sushi restaurant and having a wonderful, individualized meal. The food is gorgeous, the service is impeccable, the venue is warm and quiet. The chefs are master level

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4.8

4.8 (195)

$50 and over

Japanese

Russian Hill

About the restaurant

Nisei presents a contemporary approach to Japanese American cuisine by combining deep Japanese flavors, refined cooking technique, and Northern California's finest ingredients. The restaurant is a personal reflection of Chef David Yoshimura's unique experience as a Michelin starred chef and second generation Japanese American, or Nisei.

Nisei can accommodate most severe allergies with advance notice, however due to the nature of the tasting menu format, we can not meet all dietary restrictions or aversions. In order to maintain the spirit of our cuisine, the following items can not be removed: Salt, sugar, soy sauce, and egg cooked into items.

All Experience prices below reflect a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax applied to the base price of each experience. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.

Top review

pamela

Dined on 12 Oct 2026

This is one of my best dining experiences. Everything is so perfect, from creativity in the kitchen to the excellent services. I certainly will be back and strongly recommend this place for anyone who likes creative cuisine.

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Experience

Autumn Menu at Nisei

Experience

Bond Winery Tasting Dinner

Experience

Chef Ellie's Dessert Tasting Menu

Mamanoko

4.7

4.7 (185)

$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.

Top review

rob

Dined on 15 Oct 2026

The food is unique and fantastic! We’ve been here several times and have never been disappointed! It’s a little loud and tables pretty close together would be my only complaints, but it’s worth it for the great food!

Okaeri Japanese Bistro

4.7

4.7 (296)

$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

EricGold

Dined 7 days ago

Food and service were great. Rolls and sushi options plus other Japanese fare is available. Atmosphere was lively and fun. I would gladly dine there again.

Omakase

4.7

4.7 (430)

$50 and over

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Omakase offers a curated, fixed-price tasting menu designed to engage all your senses. This culinary journey introduces the diverse flavors of Japanese cuisine, featuring fish flown directly from Japan. Specializing in Edomae-style sushi—a traditional preparation with modern touches—Omakase creates a fun, relaxed dining atmosphere. Thank you for entrusting your experience to our chefs and choosing Omakase. We look forward to serving you.

Top review

richard

Dined 3 days ago

Had a great time. It was just my wife and I at the seating and we received excellent service. Loved the food.

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Experience

Omakase Counter

AKIKOS

4.6

4.6 (1656)

$50 and over

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Nestled in the dynamic East Cut neighborhood, mere moments from the iconic Ferry Building, we invite you to an extraordinary experience — a reimagining of the sacred Omakase tradition through the lens of contemporary, sustainable philosophy.

Our menu is woven between innovation and reverence: Japanese culinary heritage elevated by the finest local, seasonal ingredients and pristine seafood sourced directly from Tokyo’s legendary Toyosu Fish Market — one of the world’s most prestigious seafood destinations.

Among our celebrated signatures is the Shokupan — grilled milk bread adorned with luscious otoro and shimmering golden Kaluga caviar. Equally unforgettable, our aged, coffee-cured bluefin tuna nigiri achieves a rare depth of flavor, each piece a testament to patience, precision, and uncompromising quality.

Omakase is offered exclusively for lunch ($170) and dinner ($270), exclusive of beverages, applicable sales tax, and San Francisco’s 6% health mandate fee.

Top review

Michael

Dined on 24 Oct 2026

Incredible omakase with unique flavors and combinations I would have never imagined work so well together!

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4.7

4.7 (562)

$30 and under

Japanese

SOMA

About the restaurant

Okane specializes in izakaya and sushi, providing the Bay Area with an engaging new dining and drinking option that affords guests one of the City’s most authentic Japanese izakaya experiences with an emphasis on traditional dishes.

Top review

DeGold

Dined on 6 Oct 2026

Great staff! Everyone was attentive to us at the counter. We enjoyed the variety of sake choices and the delicious nigiri. Would come back!

Sushi Sato

4.7

4.7 (237)

$50 and over

Japanese

Tenderloin

About the restaurant

Your dinner, your way.

From the team behind Michelin Guide–recognized Sato Omakase, Sushi Sato brings the same dedication to quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation to a relaxed Japanese dining experience.

Explore premium nigiri, sashimi, signature rolls, and Japanese small plates, or make the evening your own with our $69 Sato Tasting. Choose a cold starter, a hot starter, a main, a hand roll, and dessert, with red miso soup included.

Enjoy sake, Sato craft beer, wine, and refreshing highballs—including our soju-based Yuzu Highball.

Whether you’re stopping in for a few favorites or settling in for a full dinner, the choice is yours.

Top review

RobGold

Dined on 14 Oct 2026

Excellent top grade sushi , worth getting of the Union Square tourist trap!

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Experience

| Happy Hour @ Sushi Sato |

Ozumo - San Francisco

4.7

4.7 (3449)

$50 and over

Japanese

Financial District / Embarcadero

About the restaurant

Ozumo is one of San Francisco’s most popular destinations for contemporary Japanese cuisine. Created in 2001, Ozumo was one of the first restaurants to combine sushi and robata cooking under one roof. Its captivating design, by world-renowned Japanese-based Super Potato, continues to delight diners, years after its’ inception. Ozumo introduced chilled, high-quality sake to its’ guests, by curating one of the finest collections from Japan’s most esteemed brewers.

www.ozumo.com
@ozumosanfrancisco

Top review

KeithGold

Dined 7 days ago

Outstanding as always. I first dined at Ozumo soon after it opened in 2001, and it's always been a fine experience. Great service from courteous, well informed staff, and wonderful food. Last night it was a great mix of a la carte nigiri and robata, set off with a great Junmai Daiginjo sake. And the venue is gorgeous.

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Omakase | An Expression of the Ocean’s Finest

TBD

4.7

4.7 (68)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Financial District / Embarcadero

About the restaurant

TBD is a new modern Japanese izakaya coming soon to downtown San Francisco — a casual yet refined space designed as an everyday destination. Our menu balances cold and hot dishes with a focus on seasonality and technique, including a yakitori program featuring dry-aged chicken grilled over binchotan charcoal.

Stay tuned for our official opening.

Top review

RobinGold

Dined 1 day ago

Chef Kat is amazing!! We will follow her wherever shoe goes. Just a fantastic meal

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