50 Best Sushi Bars near El Cerrito

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

“This was our first time here and I placed an to go order. Walked right in and was quickly greeted and placed my order with the friendly worker. I ordered a caterpillar roll, Fortune roll, Giants roll and a Sake avocado making roll. Everything was delicious and I want to return and try so other items. Beware parking is extremely difficult to find when I arrived around six pm.“

“I got the chicken katsu curry and it was phenomenal, best I’ve ever had. Chill atmosphere, friendly staff, it felt like I was sitting down for a home cooked meal. Any time I’m in the area for work I’m coming here to explore more of the menu items. The chicken katsu curry came with a salad, miso soup, rice, and curry separate from the chicken. The hot tea was good too“

“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.“

“Overall I was happy with my visit, but I wasn't wowed either. The highlight here is the food, the fish is excellent, and the amberjack and spot prawn were exceptional. Be prepared to spend at least $50-60 here, realistically you're approaching the $100 mark to leave without needing some supplement. Service was very attentive, and the only negative part was being abruptly informed that our 90 minute booked slot had expired when we tried to order dessert, a warning about the 90 minute slot would have been appreciated.“

“I cannot say I had a bad experience. Everything was my favorite“

“Emma ,Julio and staff great!“

“ALWAYS a fantastic and tasty dinner. ☺️“

“Upfront the only downside: This place is a store with premade sushi and has no real seatinh besides one small bench.
However, the sushi is always freshly prepared und since the place has high turnover, the sushi never gets old. The quality of the sushi is great and not overpriced.
The staff is friendly and helpful. The free chopsticks and napkins are of higher quality than in most places and the place itself is clean and tasteful designed.“

“Five stars. My son and I had the Omakase experience at Akiko's in San Francisco, and it was hands down the best sushi we've ever had. Every course was beautifully presented, incredibly fresh, and packed with flavors that exceeded our expectations. The chefs' attention to detail and craftsmanship were evident in every bite. The service was equally outstanding, warm, attentive, and perfectly paced from start to finish. The entire evening felt like a true culinary experience rather than just dinner. If you're looking for an unforgettable Omakase in San Francisco, Akiko's is absolutely worth it. Five stars. We can't wait to come back.“

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

“This was a surprise dinner my friend invited me on. The hand rolls are so fresh and delicious. I had 5 amazing rolls that come out one at a time for freshness m. The server was super sweat and helped me pick out what I wanted. The menu does also have set options, but I decided to do individual rolls. I definitely recommend stopping by if you’re in the Oakland area.“

“Wow, cannot say more about this fantastic sushi spot! As someone who frequents Tokyo, I can’t recommend their omakase and salmon appetizer enough. Special thanks to Kathy, who had sublime recommendations and treated us like family. We can’t wait to return!!!“

“Best non-traditional sushi that I've ever eaten“

“Great sushi, perfectly prepared and presented. So glad I walked a few more blocks to go there. Small with a very friendly staff (my 2 Buddhi’s) made for enjoyable experience. Come to town at least once a year; plan to be back.“

“I’ve been to the other locations, too—it’s my favorite spot. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, and it’s always a pleasure to come back. I highly recommend it; I always leave feeling happy, satisfied, and light.“

“Best sushi in the Marina District!“

“I’ve had the great joy and pleasure to eat omakase all over the world - including Japan, and this was the best meal of my life. The thoughtfulness, sustainability and conscious touch to every little thing made this Omakase experience above the rest. Additionally, our wonderful Chef sang accolades/praises about all of the sources he gets the pieces of the meal from, but did not once brag about himself. He needs to be bragged about! Chef Joji Nonaka is incredible. The art, precision, talent, and thoughtfulness he has is unmatched.
I’ll be chasing this meal for the rest of my life.“

“I absolutely love this place ! It’s honestly the best food I’ve had in San Francisco!
The atmosphere and the staff are just wow.
I want everyone to try the Sushi Domo it’s my absolute favorite… but please leave some for me 😂❤️“

“What a fantastic restaurant! We stopped in, not knowing what to expect, but we were VERY impressed. Everything we got was delicious, fresh, and beautiful. The edamame was great, fish items were incredibly crafted, and the service was even better.“

“I recently placed a large group order from Khatan, and everything was excellent. The food was fresh, delicious, and full of flavor. The owners also provided exceptional service and truly went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. It has definitely become a favorite restaurant!“

“The food was nice. Very tasty. I like when there is a sampler platter on sushi menus so you can let the chef pick. They had 6 of these and a sushi bowl. I went with combo A. I was pleased with the choice. They have the Kurosawa Kimoto sake here. I love thise stuff. I get the 300ml. I'd get the 720, but the fiance would probably be critical of that decision.“

“The best sushi place in the city!! Quality of food is 10 out of 5......“

“Been coming here for over 20 years. My absolute favorite sushi bar in SF. Do you want to be social with loud music and rainbow rolls? Then don’t come here. Do you want authentic sushi with only the best of the best fish? This is your place.“

“wanted to hate this place becuase the wait was so long but honestly the sushi was so freaking fresh and the rolls were massive. definitely worth the wait, id wait again. the salmon had this buttery texture that just melted.

im already planning my next trip back there, also their miso soup was really good too which i wasnt expecting from a place that focuses on rolls. definitely my new go to spot in albany“

“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.“

“The best sea bass and the best sushi 🍣 Love it“

“The best sushi place in the city!! Quality of food is 10 out of 5......“

“Best authentic Japanese restaurant in town.“

“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.“

“This restaurant is now going to be on our regular rotation when we come over from the City to Berkeley Rep. The hand rolls are each unique and exquisite; the cocktails are inventive and enhanced w/Japanese touches; and our server couldn’t have been better — friendly and professional and enhanced our experience w/expertise as well as generosity.
Well done! (Good value as well, especially for the quality.)“

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

“You can't always judge on appearances. There was only one other couple seated when we were there for an early dinner. Service was fast and the sushi rolls were outstanding. I would call this a hidden gem. Several more were seated by the time we left but this place deserves more business than we saw.“

“Fantastic food, great service!“

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

“I have been meaning to write this review for years. Apologies for Jimmy and Ron for not writing it sooner.

First, I have to write about the people because they are the reason I love and will always love Kibatsu. Then, I'll write about my favorite dishes and the food.

The People:
I have been going to Kibatsu since 2014 so 12 years now. Before Kibastu, they were Sugoi Sushi in the Mission. I discovered them because they did catering for University of San Francisco. My college roommate and I befriended the young sushi chefs that came to the university, hung out with them once the sushi bar had officially closed and they encouraged us to come visit their Sugoi Sushi location.

Eventually we did and it became our Friday or Saturday night routine. Sometimes, we would splurge and go during the week (which for us as college students was a lot). But we loved them. Calvin, Ronald, (so sorry, I am totally blanking on the third guy's name but I see his face in my mind!) and Jimmy. The first three were the sushi chefs and Jimmy was the waiter - he always made room for us and always saved us our favorite booth in the front of the restaurant, closest to the windows. He remembered our classes and asked us how school was going. He always treated us to on the house mochi ice cream after each dinner. We would spend hours and hours there, camping out and chatting or doing our homework in the mood-lit, rustic, tastefully interior-decorated intimate setting, amid the hubbub of conversations and people enjoying the sushi. I remember Sugoi and those times really fondly - it was our safe space, our home away from home (dorm). Other times, we'd bring our friends. I can't even count how many people I and my roommate recommended this place to or brought there.

Then after we graduated, in 2018, they moved to the Haight and invited me to their opening night omakase which was a gift to everyone they invited. How sweet, thoughtful and amazing is that? Between Sugoi and Kibatsu, my partner and I met and Jimmy always remembers my partner and his two boys and asks about them when they're not with me. The boys love it here because of the large portions and how nice everyone is.

On my birthday this year, I decided I wanted to spend it at Kibatsu and Jimmy (who is now a sushi chef!!) and company went out and got me a birthday cake and brought it out before the rest of the dessert as a surprise. I almost cried. This is why I love Kibatsu and those who work there.

The Food:
The starter we always go for is the tataki dish which is albacore with delicious fried onion. The gyoza is always also a great way to go. We always get the omakase which is a true omakase with the different small plates, sashimi and nigiri. I love the salmon and umimasu nigiri as well as the negi salmon. Something special that Kibatsu does is they always surprise you with little gifts from the sushi chefs. For this past new year's they surprised us with a whole tray of steak and jumbo shrimp - a gift on the house. Their kindness never ceases to surprise us!

So there are some of our top favorites food wise and why Kibatsu has a special place in my heart. I hope you go and I hope you love it as much as I do. They work really hard, are so extremely kind and deserve the best.“

“My search for my favorite sushi place in east bay has ended. I have eaten at many sushi places in Oakland/ Berkeley once and not returned. I will definitely return to Butterfish. Everything was perfect. Service at the bar on Friday evening was exceptional! Can’t wait to come back and try more.“

“It’s easy to find sushi restaurants with high-quality fish these days, but good shari (the rice) is still hard to come by in San Francisco. The moment the chef told everyone to eat the sushi right away, I knew he really knew what he was doing. Sure enough, when he placed it on the plate, the shari gently sank - perfect texture. Saw someone complaining that the rice fell apart… you belong at a place that serves edamame and California rolls 👋 lol“

“Amazing tucked away place in the Japan Town Market. It is a 7-8 seater sushi bar with the freshest and most delicious nigiri and fish dishes I've had in a while. Such a fun experience and the host was such a delight. He explained things about the traditions and the dishes and it was an overall great experience as a solo diner. I'll be back and be bringing others!“

“This is a hidden gem.. also incredibly fresh and so cheap. 3$ for veg rolls. The owner is not that friendly or warm at all and pretty annoying to interact with but I think that the quality of the food is so good that she is completely entitled to act that way. If I was the owner of an old sushi shop on Solano Ave I would most likely act that way too.“

“Went for our wedding anniversary. The service was great. They took the time to introduce the menu items and explain the chef’s special for today. We got to try fish or parts of fish that we have never heard of before. Overall very good experience.“

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

“I have come to this amazing establishment for over 15 years. Delicious. Efficient and amazing staff. Fresh and tummy always pleased. Yes!“

“Service was quick, food was good and parking was easy. Definitely recommend“

“Aji Kiji is one of those places that actually lives up to the hype. The quality of the fish is outstanding—everything tasted incredibly fresh, with clean flavors that let the ingredients speak for themselves. The rice was well seasoned, although I personally thought it had just a touch too much vinegar.
The presentation is beautiful, and every piece feels thoughtfully crafted. It's definitely not the cheapest takeout sushi, but unlike many trendy spots, I felt the quality justified the price. This is the kind of sushi I'd happily treat myself to again.
My only advice is to order early because popular items sell out quickly. If you're looking for high-quality takeout sushi in San Francisco, Aji Kiji is absolutely worth trying.“

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

“Yet to eat. Waiting. Soon“

“Came here after a long work day and it was so awesome.

Good:
- The sushi was amazing- we just split 5 rolls amongst 3 of us and it was just enough food
- I liked the sunflower roll and the lion king roll and the baked rolls - the baked ones come with smaller portion sizes though
- The staff are very nice and service comes quick - especially for some of the more popular rolls
- Tasty cucumber salad and edamame
- Very clean interior

Bad:
- The place is pretty small so limited seats available
- Gets expensive

Overall this place was so tasty and would come again!“

“Our server, Angela, made the night from go from good to great. Food was good and served quickly, even in a mostly full restaurant. They have a relatively small menu of high quality items. Didn’t save room for dessert. Well worth the trip.“

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“