35 Best Japanese Restaurants in Berkeley

“Fresh ingredients, friendly staff, and delicious food and veggie options!“

“Outstanding personal service. Sushi Burrito (several to choose from) are my favorite, Miso Soup, and a Beer or Sake. I recommend that you come and get some 🌯“

“Super delicious 👍 I never eat Japan food super good like this before.“

“Life without sushi is no fun. That's why Manpuku is so needed. Whether pieced or in bowls, Manpuku brings both traditional and fusion in a delightful and pleasant way.“

“The 10 piece nigiri set is an amazing deal. I added an uni nigiri and was happy I did. Itani was recommended to me by a friend and I had it bookmarked - so glad I did! I was in the area and this was the perfect quick and delicious meal I needed. If I lived closer, I’d be here all the time. I highly recommend giving it a try!“

“During the week I spent visiting my daughter, a student at Berkeley, we went there twice: delicious, everything fresh, huge portions. After Europe, this is unreal quality for reasonable money. Thank you so much! I hope to visit you again, and more than once!“

“This is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!“

“Came in this small but cozy restaurant for a quick lunch bite and was surprised by the ambiance. I got the pork chop over rice and was surprised on how authentic it tasted. Crispy and homey - good blend of veggies and meat. Definitely a spot for casual get-togethers or a quick lunch. I would come back to try the food they didn’t have in stock (certain foods weren’t available depending on the days of the week or month)“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“service and quality are top notch“

“This place has been on my want to go list for a while, and I finally got to try it! We didn't make a reservation and walked in instead. We waited for about 30 min and the restaurant texted us once the table was ready.

We ordered quite a few dishes and started with Omakase gushi, which came with chicken breast, thigh with leek, heart, cartilage, and minced chicken. We also ordered the oden set, sasami, tori tataki, gyu-tan, enoki bacon, and buta bara.

Evertyhing tasted pretty good, but the most impressive dish was sasami with umeboshi, which was inner bresat with umehad was the inner breast with umeboshi. It was my first time trying raw chicken, and it tasted really good. The chicken breast was really tender, with a tuna-like texture, and without any slimy or odd flavors. Ever since then, I've been telling my friends to try it. The Tori Tataki was seared chicken breast sashimi with ponzu, which tasted a bit plain compared to the sasami. So I would highly recommended to get theeir sasami!“

“Love this place, I feel safe and the food is incredible“

“If you come here for your birthday, you can get a free dessert (1 ice cream mochi with whipped cream). I love salmon and I think all the salmon dishes were good! The salmon sashimi was thick and excellent. The rolls we tried were both good. My brother said he enjoyed the teriyaki chicken plate. I only wouldn’t recommend the tempura udon- too sweet on the sauce and broth, too heavily coated & oily on the tempura. The wasabi was not the quality pure wasabi, likely made mostly of radish, but it won’t bother you unless you love wasabi.
The service was great and came to refill our glasses and check in with us several times.“

“This is a quick serve onigiri restaurant in downtown Berkeley. It's awesome to be able to get fresh onigiri in the East Bay and they include edamame as well. We split a plate of 3 and got the short rib(x2) and the unagi. Very small inside the restaurant, very much a get your food and go type place, but there is some room to eat standing up. They were quick, well priced and delicious. The perfect quick bite.“

“Chill space- the BEST Tonkotsu I’ve had in a LONG time. Service isn’t bad but nothing to rave about. They ask you enough questions to get you your food and leave you alone otherwise. If you’re having a day where you just want noodles and to chill- this is the spot. The Tonkotsu soothed my soul and the soft boil eggs were perfection.“

“I had the pleasure of trying the food from Darina Kiosk today and to say it was amazing does not even adequately describe it! I had the wagyu filed with rice and egg and the chicken katsu. It was some of the best food I've ever eaten! Highly recommend!“

“Great fried chicken place! They serve freshly fried chicken. I usually order a bowl that comes with rice and salad. The staff are all super kind. Adachi is a great person and very generous. Free tea is also nice. Highly recommend for weekday lunch in Berkeley.“

“Food was fresh! Service was great. The tables were clean!“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“My Husband and I have been looking for a solid sushi place for us and our two teenagers. As you can imagine finding a place to suit everyone can be a challenge. After 2 misfires we landed here and though the other two might be nice for an array of other reasons, this fits all expectations across the board.

The environment is very cute and like being immersed in a sushi place in Japan(Gorgeous woodwork). The staff was friendly and there was a lovely live musician that really said the environment to the next level for a Friday night out with the family.

The food was incredible and since we went for happy hour, everything was priced better than just about any Restaurant we’ve been to recently. The rations in the rolls were proper nice chunks of avocado!!! GET THE SPIDER TACO!!!

Kk byeeeeee“

“Amazing food and service. Ambiance on point as well“

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“This is our fourth time coming here and we're always so impressed with the delicious, fresh, creative,unique dishes that are beautifully presented. It's an unpretentious atmosphere and a great value as well. A true Berkeley institution!“

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“

“Excellent foods, friendly staffs! We really love to have dinner here~ Absolutely, I will visit again when I come back to Berkeley!“

“Small shop with warm food and an open fridge section of sushi. There was also a wall of snacks. Prices are very reasonable. No verbal communication which I think is fine but the woman dropped my packed sushi upside down and then tossed it into a bag. Sushi rice was a bit too hard for my liking.“

“Loved the food, I got the prime rib steak teriyaki and the mango ice cream. Service was great and waitresses were very friendly. Atmosphere was great, I love the light fixtures. Music was a little loud, though. I’d prefer jazz or an instrumental track over lyrical music.“

“This hole in the wall has sushi with fluffy warm rice, thick slices of fresh fatty fish, fresh avocado and lemons, and yummy ginger. I recommend the 49er role. I’ve had way more expensive sushi that was not this good. Classic restaurant sushi can be cold and stiff, this is way better. The couple who runs the store are kind and good cooks.“

“A good place to taste Korean and Japanese cuisine with a twist.“

“I've been going to this sushi restaurant for many years and each time, I've loved my experience. The fish is extremely fresh, the vegetarians and vegan rolls are inventive (not just your typical avocado roll with some rice). And the price is extremely fair, especially in the Bay Area.“

“Excellent service and very friendly staff. The bento box was absolutely delicious and the portion was very generous. My son greatly enjoyed the fresh salmon. The complimentary ice cream provided for him was a thoughtful and impressive gesture. Highly recommended!“

“A sushirito -like place with cheaper prices. $8 instead of $13. Try the B8, which has both salmon and tuna sashimi inside. Added bonus points for carrying takoyaki.“

“Excellent service, food was great and large portions,“

“Their onigiri is really good! I’m not always in the mood for spam, but they have plenty of options without spam too, and I haven’t had anything I haven’t liked yet. They partner with several delivery services and their food always is packed well and is ready quickly for the drivers. Definitely recommend!“

“Great people, fresh ingridients, authentic taste. Love it!!“