50 Best Japanese Restaurants near El Cerrito

“I've been a regular customer for 20 years. I've been going to Katana-ya with my parents since I was little, and even now, after getting married, I bring my wife back. Tokyo Feng is still as delicious as ever. Their sushi has been infused with innovative elements, and the flavor and texture have improved. The portions are generous, and the prices are affordable! Tokyo Feng, we hope you continue to do better and continue to do well for another 20 years!“

“This place is so worth it. My family has been going for 10+ years, almost since the beginning of the restaurant when it was in a different location. Aki-San will tell you when you’re eating something wrong, but it’s not mean-spirited. You should definitely ask him about his life and his journey to becoming a sushi chef. The sushi is the best you will ever have, even better than sushi I had when I visited Japan. It may be very expensive, but if you have the means it is extremely worth the price. Don’t ask for specific things, get what he recommends (but don’t be scared if you have diet restrictions to ask for something that works). Is is an amazing experience so if you go really enjoy it.“

“Excellent take-out. Love their unagi, spicy crab salad, every roll that I’ve tried. And they are so nice!!“

“This sushi spot is pretty great! I'm a big sushi lover and had never been here before. The restaurant itself is small inside but the sushi is well made and you can tell they put effort into it. All the sushi and sashimi was fresh and tasted great. I would definitely recommend this place and I will definitely be back. Thank you!“

“Hidden gem in El Cerrito, food was tasty and served promptly. We had beef appetizer, miso soup, nigiri tuna an yellow tail, suno mono and regular salad. The suno mono was good, but not as great as the other dishes. Our waitress was very attentive and smiled a lot, that’s probably just how people from Nepal are. We will be returning to checkout happy hour when they have their special deals.“

“Reminded me a lot of when I visited Japan From the wonderful servers fast food prep ambience of inside the restaurant and most importantly the meals were very good and so much to pick from 😁“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“It’s a small and cozy izakaya, perfect for dining alone or with a small group of 3–4 people. I ordered appetizers from the special menu. First up: Mentaiko Zucchini (so delicious! The very first bite was refreshing, followed by the rich umami saltiness of the mentaiko. A little dip in Karashi mustard made it even better—definitely a must-try! Highly recommended).

Next was Kuramaebi, tiger prawns deep-fried tempura style and topped with tartar sauce. After that, I ordered Ba-ra Kushiyaki and Kobe Kushiyaki (served 2 skewers each). I especially enjoyed the Kobe—it was grilled perfectly and went really well with Shichimi Togarashi. If it had the same green onion topping as the Ba-ra, I think it would have been absolutely perfect.😋“

“Quality is key with any meal. Roger-San is all about quality. Sit at the bar if you can!“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“If you want the freshest fish downtown has to offer.... go to Sanraku“

“awesome a must try, this is a hidden gem“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“had a great experience here at the counter with a group of 6. not too busy, and they cooked the meats for you to perfection. i thought the meal was done well, would’ve preferred more seafood / seasoning, and definitely greasy so had to replenish the banchans a few times.“

“Great food and great service“

“Randomly stopped by this place. Just to get Miso and couldn’t stop ourselves and ordered some sushi.. Food and atmosphere were amazing!! I believe somebody heard that is my birthday and brought for me ice cream!! It’s was cherry on top! Definitely coming back!!! 💗💗💗💗💗🥳🌸“

“Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Perfection. The attention to detail and the warm service was great from the jump. The entire 17 course meal and sake pairing was one of the best meals that we've ever had. I don't say this lightly, it was flawless.“

“Probably the best meal I’ve ever had, super fun, exciting, every bite was perfect. Intimate and fast process“

“Reservations were a little hard to get, but the experience itself is great. Good food, although a bit heavy (as one would expect from fried food, with several meat dishes). The food is aiming to give an authentic japanese experience, and the staff were extremely nice and friendly.“

“This place is a gem. Stumbled in here when HK lounge was too full for lunch. It was deserted when we came in and the prices were a little high, so I was a little apprehensive but let me tell you what, this place is phenomenal. Staff is very kind and the food was fantastic. Each cut of fish was so good and melted in your mouth. Lots of effort was put into the plating. We came for lunch and had the salmon chirashi bowl and the bento box. We will be back. And soon. Also they have live blue fin tuna cutting.“

“I walked in for a late dinner and was able to find a seat at the bar. Jenny was a wonderful server and helped me make some very delicious choices in the chef special bluefin flight and fresh caught uni. She was very helpful in explaining the different cuts of the tuna, the sake list, and was very friendly and warm for an out of towner and first time visitor to Nara. The tuna flight was phenomenal. The two cuts of toro were the highlights, but the tuna hand roll was also super bright and a great finish to the flight. Jenny gave recommendations on order and pairing for the flight of sake and the flight of fish. Altogether just a wonderful time, the food came out quick, it was fun to watch the chefs preparing food with such delicate care, and if I lived in San Francisco this would be the spot I would take a date to impress them. 10/10“

“Sean Paul and the team are incredible. This is without a doubt the best restaurant in Oakland. Every dish was 11/10. Perfect service aside - the balance of each dish was outstanding- get the tempura Cesar- the wagyu bo Ssam- the hand roll dish!!!!! Literally everything was delicious- will be going back and bringing each and every one of our friends. Michelin star ⭐️ 100% without a doubt.“

“awesome service and amazingly fresh sushi! open from 4:30 to 9:30. on Geary near masonic“

“Jo's awesome. We had a great experience. Highly recommended for birthdays or just being together 👯‍♀️💯👍“

“Sushi was great and Ti the owner was very generous.“

“I've been a fan of Kibatsu since their early days when they first opened Sugoi! on Valencia. Over the years, they've expanded to three locations and consistently deliver exceptional sushi and Japanese cuisine. Their food never disappoints—trust me, it's worth the visit every time.

In fact, I once dined here 8 days in a row because I just couldn't get enough! If you're unsure what to order, I highly recommend trying the Omakase—you'll be glad you did. Some of my favorites include Ponzu Walu, Walu, Amaebi, Wagyu, Uni, Umimatsu, Kimedai, and countless other delicious options.

If you're craving top-quality fish and authentic Japanese flavors, Kibatsu is the place to go. Don't miss out!“

“The atmosphere and presentation of the food was extremely chic! The meal was delicious!!“

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

“I just moved back to the city not too long ago and the vivid memory of having bone marrow ramen popped up in my head. Before I went to the location over in the Sunset district. When I went to Google the spot, found out there was on SOMA. Went over there on my lunch break and it was just as amazing as before. I didn't grab the bone marrow add-on this time. Huge regret. However, still delicious. This is one of the ramen spots I'd recommend to friends to go to. Now that I know the SOMA location is a choice, I will stop by every so often to get my fix.“

“Incredibly fresh fish and superb attention to detail. Great experience overall.

Dietary restrictions: Waitress asked if we had any allergies or food restrictions when we placed the order.

Kid-friendliness: Our 5 and 6 year old kids were welcomed. They dropped a ton of stuff on floor but waitress was kind and gave us new utensils.“

“Excellent food, excellent service. We loved it. We had Shrimp Tempura Roll, Sexy Roll, Edamame, Miso Soup, Kirin Beer. Can’t wait to go back again.“

“Sushi bar runs by Chinese? Why not?
The origin of sushi has to trace the sushi’s roots back to China—and even further, to Southeast Asia. The earliest form of sushi, called narezushi, was a method of preserving fish by fermenting it with rice. This technique likely developed in the Mekong and Irrawaddy River basins and was adopted by the Baiyue people of southern China. The Han Chinese documented it as early as the 4th century BCE.
So yes, Chi ese gave sushi the practice beginning.

Twice we dined here, savoring sushi not from a Japanese bar, but from a Chinese family’s hands—gentle, precise, and quietly proud. The flavors whispered of history: from riverbanks in southern China to the bustling streets of Edo. Sushi, reborn and reimagined.“

“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 🌯“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“The ramen tastes very good, the soup base is rich and the noodles taste great“

“Nigiri combo is excellent! I can’t wait to try the sashimi combo next. I came just before they were closing for lunch and people were steadily coming either to pick up or eat-in up until their closing time. It seemed they were regular customers who are keeping this place a secret and happy to say, I am on it already. Can’t wait to go back.“

“Intimate sushi and Japanese restaurant. The handrolls are delicious, crispy and subtle flavor. The fish is fresh (key to good sushi and sashimi). It's definitely higher level Japanese restaurant. And the servers are attentive and very friendly. They gave my toddler special attention and kept him happy ( no small feat). Definitely a premium sushi and sashimi restaurant at a reasonable price.“

“Great fried chicken, and my friends food truck is there!“

“We booked an early 5:15 pm reservation and arrived 10 minutes before but had to stand in line along with all those that had show tickets before being seated almost 15 inutes later. Maybe Yoshi's will consider a separate line for dinner only guests? Our 2 year old guest wolfed down the kobe beef kabobs! So tender and flavorful. Then he grazed on his very generous kid's meal of soba noodles, tempura, chicken teriyaki and rice! So happy! Adults enjoyed tempura calamari, the Japonese, Jack London and Warrior rolls along with hamachi nigiri. Fish was fresh. Sadly we had to ask for soy sauce 4 times before a staff member brought to our table. Then we were served an order of what the staff member called hamachi nigiri but it was ikura so we had to call attention to getting the incorrect item. The tatami room was a nice experience, especially for our 2 year old guest. Seemingly private.“

“We were on our way to SF MOMA for Ruth Asawa, but we were really hungry. Thankfully Japanese House was close by. We were offered tea by the very welcoming host right as we sat down. We ordered the Dragon and Tsunami Rolls, both were good, with the Dragon being my favorite. We also had the Chicken Katsu Curry which was flavorful. All in all a very satisfying experience.“

“9 items 🍱 bento & udon are awesome 👏“

“Truly excellent place that has been here in the neighborhood forever. We've been coming here or getting orders togo for a decade and it's been the same folks running it the whole time and they are superb.
2025 update - still going strong. great food and great service!“

“Until we get Japanese 7-elevens, I believe this is the closest we will come to authentic egg salad and fruit sandos. I’ve read about their lines, but we were lucky enough to stop in right at opening on a Holiday weekend and didn’t have to wait at all. Bonus, seating was available too. They have daily specials that were very tempting, but we stuck to the classics. 10/10 would come again.“

“I grew up eating raw fishes that got fished out in the morning so my standards are maybe high here.

I took the Sashimi Chef's choice and a green tea. The decoration of the room and the plate were very beautiful and peaceful, the sashimi were ok+.

The slices were not perfectly cut so I had to manually separate them, and I got mostly fatty parts, I really prefer lean parts.
Overall, not very amazed by the taste but it wasn't bad.

Paid 55,6 dollar after tax.“

“We are regulars here - absolutely delicious, always fresh, and decently priced to-go sushi options! Not to mention super friendly and kind service. Recently they threw in an extra toro nigiri (for free) with the cutest note written!! Can’t recommend Itani Sushi enough :)“

“Great food, service was great. Would recommend to anyone“

“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.“

“Happy hour menu is so good. The skewer platter is a great meal and also much love to the agedashi tofu. I drank a lot of hot sake and enjoyed just hanging out. I would avoid the beef tongue because it was a bit dry. The wagyu beef skewer was spot on.“