Akaoni is one of my favorite restaurants and serves the best sushi that I've had in California. We personally make trips to Carmel-by-the-sea just to eat here, so if you are a sushi aficionado, I genuinely think you should try squeezing in a visit. One time, I ate here prior to a big interview, and my stress just melted away.
Yes, you need a reservation to eat here because they have a limited amount of space and work to make the atmosphere peaceful and calming. I think that some folks misinterpret their directness as rudeness, but I personally feel that they are polite and provide excellent service. Our experiences here have been positive and memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
AH Jung
Great sushi but extremely rude server/owner
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Maecy Baecy
Good food. Bad taste.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Jsamietz
Where do I start? The sushi is very, very good. The best in the area. Flown in from Japan. However, I am really tired of fighting, trying, calling to make reservations. I get it, It’s a small restaurant, but I feel they could care less if you get a table or not. You have to call for reservations. Either they answer or they don’t. I love bringing friends and family to eat here but I think I am done. No atmosphere , no conversation, just really good sushi. But, sadly, just not worth it anymore.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 2
Natalia L
I have eaten here about 15 times over the last year and a half or so, “without” a reservation. I usually just walk in mid week at 5pm like on a Wednesday when it’s totally dead. Anyway the last 2 times I came here I was “turned away.” The lady just shakes her head no and points to the door. The restaurant was practically empty both times. So not sure what I did wrong or if they’re picking and choosing their customers or what. I’ve always left a 20% tip for them, I order well over their $30 per person minimum. My average check is at least $60. I never order any substitutions and I never ask for anything during the meal. I just sit there quietly at the bar. So I was quite shocked because I’ve never had this experience before. I eat out often and worked in the restaurant industry for a number of years. So getting the cold shoulder from them out of nowhere has been very disappointing. It could just be they don’t like parties of 1, I’m not sure. The only reason I can come up with is they must want people who are going to run up hundreds of dollars on their check, so they’re trying to pick and choose only those customers that will. Just today I was there at 5pm, I was turned away, ate at a different restaurant, walked past theirs an hour and a half later, their restaurant was more than halfway empty on a Wednesday so they totally could have served me. Just can’t figure out what it is with them. But can’t imagine they get enough clientele midweek anyway. I know it’s just the husband and wife (2 man show) for the whole restaurant. They don’t speak English or at least will pretend like they don’t speak English. I guess this one is for the history books. It’s a shame cuz their sashimi is good. But can’t get past the rotten service. She never told me I needed a reservation. There’s no signs saying “reservation required.” Like I said I ate here 15 times as a “walk in.” There’s no way this place survives another year. The husband and wife are well past retirement age as it is. And they’re refusing to hire help that they so desperately need in that restaurant. And I walked past it October 25 as well and it was totally closed with a sign on the door stating “closed today.” Not sure how their business can survive being closed on the weekend when it’s dead as a doornail during the week, and they’ll still refuse to serve u.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Jared
I spent around $300 here for one of the most romantic and memorable meals I’ve had in years. The value was absolutely fair — in fact, their prices are very reasonable for the quality they deliver. Every detail felt intentional:
The fish was incredibly fresh, melt-in-your-mouth quality.
The wasabi is real — not the dyed paste most places serve.
The hot tea was savory and calming, and the hot sake arrived perfectly heated and smooth.
The service was attentive, kind, and professional without being overbearing.
This restaurant easily deserves to be in the 4.8–5.0 range, not the 4.1 it’s sitting at. Anything lower feels undeserved and misleading to future guests. If you appreciate authenticity, craftsmanship, and genuine hospitality, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Veronica Guimarães
Ok so this is a very casual restaurant ! There was only 2 workers and no hostess so I entered and had a sit right away. The waitresses looked at me like I was upsetting her and and pointed at the chair she wanted me to sit at. It was very uncomfortable. The menu was so greesy I couldn’t even open it and she came to help me which I think it upset her even more. When it was my turn to order….wow! I remember looking her in the eye telling her “I like salmon” , she started pointing at the menu and saying salmon without me understanding anything. Finally, I showed her a picture of some extra food I wanted after struggling to order some sashimi and nigiri. English is my second language so I understand you have to be kind no matter what, but these people were rude and they did not speak English at all!!! And they didn’t look at you. Going to this restaurant was worse than going to the DMV I promise you . Anyways. Food came. And it was missing the niguiri I had ordered. I asked twice for her to confirm that I had ordered more food, she just kept pointing at my food and mumbling some words I couldn’t understand. She actually offered me to make them afterwards but I was so embarrassed I said no thanks because I wanted to get out of there immediately. So I asked for the check. $53 for one order of sashimi and 4 pieces of niguiri and a Coke. I had ordered 8 pieces of niguiri which makes more sense the price being where it was at. Never got them. Also couldn’t understand what I was paying for because she had wrote the check with a pen ??? Anyways I ask if I could use contactless form of payment, she looks at me saying I NEED THE CREDIT CARD. Which I didn’t have , only my phone with wallet in it. The customers OFFERED to pay for me and I sent them a Venmo. It was the worst experience of my life. The embarrassment I felt was out of this world
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Veronica Mesquita
Ok so this is a very casual restaurant ! There was only 2 workers and no hostess so I entered and had a sit right away. The waitresses looked at me like I was upsetting her and and pointed at the chair she wanted me to sit at. It was very uncomfortable. The menu was so greesy I couldn’t even open it and she came to help me which I think it upset her even more. When it was my turn to order….wow! I remember looking her in the eye telling her “I like salmon” , she started pointing at the menu and saying salmon without me understanding anything. Finally, I showed her a picture of some extra food I wanted after struggling to order some sashimi and nigiri. English is my second language so I understand you have to be kind no matter what, but these people were rude and they did not speak English at all!!! And they didn’t look at you. Going to this restaurant was worse than going to the DMV I promise you . Anyways. Food came. And it was missing the niguiri I had ordered. I asked twice for her to confirm that I had ordered more food, she just kept pointing at my food and mumbling some words I couldn’t understand. She actually offered me to make them afterwards but I was so embarrassed I said no thanks because I wanted to get out of there immediately. So I asked for the check. $53 for one order of sashimi and 4 pieces of niguiri and a Coke. I had ordered 8 pieces of niguiri which makes more sense the price being where it was at. Never got them. Also couldn’t understand what I was paying for because she had wrote the check with a pen ??? Anyways I ask if I could use contactless form of payment, she looks at me saying I NEED THE CREDIT CARD. Which I didn’t have , only my phone with wallet in it. The customers OFFERED to pay for me and I sent them a Venmo. It was the worst experience of my life. The embarrassment I felt was out of this world
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Katherine Pham
If you love sushi, this is a must visit. The sushi was fresh and delicious. You can tell the Sushi Chef took great care in preparing the fish. Price was reasonable, considering the portion of the fish. We ordered the tempura and fish — wasn’t too crazy for the tempura. The breading was thick. Make sure you make reservations. They don’t take walk in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joseph Busby
Excellent sushi and service. A bit like sushi (soup) nazi - but would go back without question. Presentation outstanding, quality of food excellent.
Incredible sushi! I am very picky, and would travel for this place. It’s a go to whenever I am in Monterey for car week.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shin Siapco
This place is pretty good. The fish is fresh and the service is prompt and fast. The sushi rice is very good. The place seems to be ran by a husband and wife team, who are both Japanese, and they run the place well. Good luck trying to get reservations. They dont answer the phone it seems like. Luckily, we came in at 5 pm when they opened and had a seat open. Go give them a try. Theyre legit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah C
This tiny hole-in-the-wall sushi place closely reminded me of an in-Japan food experience. The elderly couple owners (the man at the sushi bar and woman as the front of house) showed great teamwork in running the sushiya. The miso eggplant was so delicious. And the sushi we tried were all great quality. The fish was well-maintained for the meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sonny Valdez
Delicious sushi, fresh ingredients, wasabi was the best I’ve had outside Japan
Feng Guo
Reservation is required. The eggplant is a must. We like homemade tofu also. All sushi is good. Just $360 for 4 ppl
Akaoni is one of my favorite restaurants and serves the best sushi that I've had in California. We personally make trips to Carmel-by-the-sea just to eat here, so if you are a sushi aficionado, I genuinely think you should try squeezing in a visit. One time, I ate here prior to a big interview, and my stress just melted away.
Yes, you need a reservation to eat here because they have a limited amount of space and work to make the atmosphere peaceful and calming. I think that some folks misinterpret their directness as rudeness, but I personally feel that they are polite and provide excellent service. Our experiences here have been positive and memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great sushi but extremely rude server/owner
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Good food. Bad taste.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Where do I start? The sushi is very, very good. The best in the area. Flown in from Japan. However, I am really tired of fighting, trying, calling to make reservations. I get it, It’s a small restaurant, but I feel they could care less if you get a table or not. You have to call for reservations. Either they answer or they don’t. I love bringing friends and family to eat here but I think I am done. No atmosphere , no conversation, just really good sushi. But, sadly, just not worth it anymore.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 2
I have eaten here about 15 times over the last year and a half or so, “without” a reservation. I usually just walk in mid week at 5pm like on a Wednesday when it’s totally dead. Anyway the last 2 times I came here I was “turned away.” The lady just shakes her head no and points to the door. The restaurant was practically empty both times. So not sure what I did wrong or if they’re picking and choosing their customers or what. I’ve always left a 20% tip for them, I order well over their $30 per person minimum. My average check is at least $60. I never order any substitutions and I never ask for anything during the meal. I just sit there quietly at the bar. So I was quite shocked because I’ve never had this experience before. I eat out often and worked in the restaurant industry for a number of years. So getting the cold shoulder from them out of nowhere has been very disappointing. It could just be they don’t like parties of 1, I’m not sure. The only reason I can come up with is they must want people who are going to run up hundreds of dollars on their check, so they’re trying to pick and choose only those customers that will. Just today I was there at 5pm, I was turned away, ate at a different restaurant, walked past theirs an hour and a half later, their restaurant was more than halfway empty on a Wednesday so they totally could have served me. Just can’t figure out what it is with them. But can’t imagine they get enough clientele midweek anyway. I know it’s just the husband and wife (2 man show) for the whole restaurant. They don’t speak English or at least will pretend like they don’t speak English. I guess this one is for the history books. It’s a shame cuz their sashimi is good. But can’t get past the rotten service.
She never told me I needed a reservation. There’s no signs saying “reservation required.” Like I said I ate here 15 times as a “walk in.”
There’s no way this place survives another year. The husband and wife are well past retirement age as it is. And they’re refusing to hire help that they so desperately need in that restaurant. And I walked past it October 25 as well and it was totally closed with a sign on the door stating “closed today.” Not sure how their business can survive being closed on the weekend when it’s dead as a doornail during the week, and they’ll still refuse to serve u.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
I spent around $300 here for one of the most romantic and memorable meals I’ve had in years. The value was absolutely fair — in fact, their prices are very reasonable for the quality they deliver. Every detail felt intentional:
The fish was incredibly fresh, melt-in-your-mouth quality.
The wasabi is real — not the dyed paste most places serve.
The hot tea was savory and calming, and the hot sake arrived perfectly heated and smooth.
The service was attentive, kind, and professional without being overbearing.
This restaurant easily deserves to be in the 4.8–5.0 range, not the 4.1 it’s sitting at. Anything lower feels undeserved and misleading to future guests. If you appreciate authenticity, craftsmanship, and genuine hospitality, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ok so this is a very casual restaurant ! There was only 2 workers and no hostess so I entered and had a sit right away. The waitresses looked at me like I was upsetting her and and pointed at the chair she wanted me to sit at. It was very uncomfortable. The menu was so greesy I couldn’t even open it and she came to help me which I think it upset her even more. When it was my turn to order….wow! I remember looking her in the eye telling her “I like salmon” , she started pointing at the menu and saying salmon without me understanding anything. Finally, I showed her a picture of some extra food I wanted after struggling to order some sashimi and nigiri. English is my second language so I understand you have to be kind no matter what, but these people were rude and they did not speak English at all!!! And they didn’t look at you. Going to this restaurant was worse than going to the DMV I promise you . Anyways. Food came. And it was missing the niguiri I had ordered. I asked twice for her to confirm that I had ordered more food, she just kept pointing at my food and mumbling some words I couldn’t understand. She actually offered me to make them afterwards but I was so embarrassed I said no thanks because I wanted to get out of there immediately. So I asked for the check. $53 for one order of sashimi and 4 pieces of niguiri and a Coke. I had ordered 8 pieces of niguiri which makes more sense the price being where it was at. Never got them. Also couldn’t understand what I was paying for because she had wrote the check with a pen ??? Anyways I ask if I could use contactless form of payment, she looks at me saying I NEED THE CREDIT CARD. Which I didn’t have , only my phone with wallet in it. The customers OFFERED to pay for me and I sent them a Venmo. It was the worst experience of my life. The embarrassment I felt was out of this world
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Ok so this is a very casual restaurant ! There was only 2 workers and no hostess so I entered and had a sit right away. The waitresses looked at me like I was upsetting her and and pointed at the chair she wanted me to sit at. It was very uncomfortable. The menu was so greesy I couldn’t even open it and she came to help me which I think it upset her even more. When it was my turn to order….wow! I remember looking her in the eye telling her “I like salmon” , she started pointing at the menu and saying salmon without me understanding anything. Finally, I showed her a picture of some extra food I wanted after struggling to order some sashimi and nigiri. English is my second language so I understand you have to be kind no matter what, but these people were rude and they did not speak English at all!!! And they didn’t look at you. Going to this restaurant was worse than going to the DMV I promise you . Anyways. Food came. And it was missing the niguiri I had ordered. I asked twice for her to confirm that I had ordered more food, she just kept pointing at my food and mumbling some words I couldn’t understand. She actually offered me to make them afterwards but I was so embarrassed I said no thanks because I wanted to get out of there immediately. So I asked for the check. $53 for one order of sashimi and 4 pieces of niguiri and a Coke. I had ordered 8 pieces of niguiri which makes more sense the price being where it was at. Never got them. Also couldn’t understand what I was paying for because she had wrote the check with a pen ??? Anyways I ask if I could use contactless form of payment, she looks at me saying I NEED THE CREDIT CARD. Which I didn’t have , only my phone with wallet in it. The customers OFFERED to pay for me and I sent them a Venmo. It was the worst experience of my life. The embarrassment I felt was out of this world
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
If you love sushi, this is a must visit. The sushi was fresh and delicious. You can tell the Sushi Chef took great care in preparing the fish. Price was reasonable, considering the portion of the fish. We ordered the tempura and fish — wasn’t too crazy for the tempura. The breading was thick. Make sure you make reservations. They don’t take walk in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent sushi and service. A bit like sushi (soup) nazi - but would go back without question. Presentation outstanding, quality of food excellent.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible sushi! I am very picky, and would travel for this place. It’s a go to whenever I am in Monterey for car week.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is pretty good. The fish is fresh and the service is prompt and fast. The sushi rice is very good. The place seems to be ran by a husband and wife team, who are both Japanese, and they run the place well. Good luck trying to get reservations. They dont answer the phone it seems like. Luckily, we came in at 5 pm when they opened and had a seat open. Go give them a try. Theyre legit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This tiny hole-in-the-wall sushi place closely reminded me of an in-Japan food experience.
The elderly couple owners (the man at the sushi bar and woman as the front of house) showed great teamwork in running the sushiya. The miso eggplant was so delicious. And the sushi we tried were all great quality. The fish was well-maintained for the meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious sushi, fresh ingredients, wasabi was the best I’ve had outside Japan
Reservation is required. The eggplant is a must. We like homemade tofu also. All sushi is good. Just $360 for 4 ppl
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
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