50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Lafayette

“One of my favorite lunch spots in downtown Lafayette! 🍣

I stopped by after a busy morning at work and it totally made my day. The sushi is always so fresh, the service is wonderful, and Sunny, the owner and her family, is the sweetest. You can really feel the love they put into the restaurant.

If you’re looking for a cozy neighborhood sushi place with consistently great food, definitely give Kiku a try. I’ll be back… probably very soon with more friends! ❤“

“Loved this place, but removing a star because they took the teriyaki salmon option off the menu. Strange, because everyone loved it and it was often sold out! The raw fish is hit or miss. Bring back the teriyaki!

My roommates and I check doordash every week or so, just to see if they have Salmon Samba.“

“Best freaking poke spot ever I sometimes drive out thirty minutes just for this place... I LOVE THEIR MARINATED MUSHROOMS SO MUCH. I dreamt about a bowl from here once too... The pricing is great compared to poke spots around my area and they are generous with their portions, not to mention the quality of the food is amazing! Staff is really kind as well :)“

“Delicious and everything was so fresh 😋“

“Some of the best sushi in the East Bay, and one of the best sushi chefs, Jack san,“

“I’ve been coming here for years now and just now decided to write a review. The sushi is amazing, I’ve made my way down the list and tried all the rolls but my favorite ones are the Shiki, Samurai and the Double Sake. They are super fresh and so delicious. They’re always as delicious as the last time. Also, service is super nice, they recognize me at this point and are always happy to see me come in again. My favorite sushi spot in Oakland hands down. Also for a great price!! Don’t sleep on Sushi Park!!“

“Hands down the best restaurant in Martinez. I travel from Vallejo to enjoy the Salmon and steak hibachi. The staff are so kind and friendly. The dining area is always spotless. I highly recommend you come here if you’re looking for a good quality meal!!!!“

“This is my first time to dine-in. Plenty of parking on weekdays. Waiting and checking in process is on a tablet, make everything easy.

Their lion king is still the same tasty as some years ago. The only thing not getting 5 stars is the A5 Wagu special dish. The wagu is too thin like ham.... it is not worth to try.“

“All the food looks amazing! Unfortunately, a most of the fishes on the nigiri was kind of tasteless so it's hard to distinguish between the pieces. I didn't like the fish eggs because it was slightly fishy - this might be my personal palette though. The eel with avocado and cucumbers was really tasty.
Note, I suggest looking at what you're purchasing because the fish pieces might slightly differ in size. And for the price your paying, you probably want the bigger pieces like how I would.“

“Every roll was fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The staff were welcoming and attentive.
In the end they offered me plum wine but I asked for ice cream and they accommodated.
I’ll definitely be coming back!“

“Consistently delicious! I’ve been here 4 times now and every visit has been amazing. We ordered the Chicken Kaarage, Honey Bunny roll, salmon carpaccio, and gyoza. All were phenomenal and the vibe of the space is very relaxing with nooks of privacy intentionally provided.
I am glad they put in such effort to provide quality meals, great customer service, and awesome atmosphere. Highly recommend!“

“This was absolutely incredible! I am a big nigiri fan and have tried many different restaurants and in the Bay Area this is my new favorite place. The assortment of nigiri was awesome and the quality was so fresh. I also tried a couple rolls too and they were hella on point. The staff made the experience very comfortable, and they were very accommodating. I am stoked to have been recommended this place and will be back soon!“

“Very good meal, service was great, I'll definitely be back.“

“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.“

“Hard to reserve seats at this 8 seat only Omakase behind an unmarked door in Alameda. Led by a quality, experience, and diner education obsessed chef who personally selects and imports most of the seafood from Japan.

It is a personally catered omakase bar service of very high quality. They also have a lovely sake selection.

Pricey, but worth it.“

“Nothing but a 5-star experience at Tanoshi. Great value for their combo - at $14? Am I even living in 2026?! I doubt this will last long... And the food was amazing! Katsu and tempura were very well executed - even stayed crunchy after the whole meal. Raw fish taste fresh. Miso soup was well balanced. The salad was well dressed... What else can I say? Hmmm with such good quality of food and great pricing, their decoration was also very pleasant - their bathrooms were also well decorated!

Ok, nothing is perfect. Two things here. 1 - Low on staff. This place can get very busy and you might have to wait in line for a while. 2 - Shrimp tempura was the biggest disappointment. Microscopic shrimp with a thick blanket of flour. Still, couldn't recommend this place more.“

“Excellent sushi again and again. Highly recommend this restaurant. Great service and fresh fish every time.“

“First time here and probably last time too. I hella liked how the inside was decorated reminded me of a restaurant in Japan. Kinda disappointed though. I hella love sushi. But the sushi selection was small. Nothing caught my eye. The only thing I did enjoy with my meal was the ikura. The waitress’s don’t even check up on you to see how your doing. We we’re seated all the way in the back. I asked for more water and it never came. And for those 2 reasons I won’t come back.“

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

“best sushi and cheap!!! will come again!!!“

“BEST TERIYAKI CHICKEN!! Great food! Great service!“

“Had the sashimi bento and a little bottle of sake (nihonshu), perfect amount of everything. The bento usually comes with chicken teriyaki, which was delicious, making the whole meal sizeable. Having just returned from Japan, I was pleased and the compact, quiet atmosphere was exactly what I needed! Friendly staff :) Tucked away in the little food court off Hearst, this is a gem.“

“The best omakase around!!“

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

“Good authentic Japanese cuisine! Had the tempura udon, beef teriyaki set and double salmon roll. Salmon tasted especially delicious.

Service was great, they accommodated for a party of 8 without reservation with about a 15 minute wait (friday dinner, 6pm). There is a physical waiting list upon arrival, staff was efficient and kind despite the large group inconvenience.

Would 10/10 go again, great value and great service.“

“Massive portions and incredibly fresh fish!
If you are looking for a heavy-hitting, delicious meal in the Laurel District, the Tuna and Salmon Poke Bowl from Pa's Papa Japanese Restaurant on MacArthur Boulevard is an incredible choice. They absolutely do not skimp on the ingredients, making it easily one of the best value-for-money bowls in Oakland. The cubed Ahi tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh, bright, and have a beautiful, buttery texture. This vibrant bowl is packed with an array of fantastic flavors and textures, featuring a savory scoop of spicy tuna paste, rich crab salad, creamy sliced avocado, crunchy sea cucumber pickles, edamame, and vibrant seaweed salad. Everything sits on a perfectly seasoned bed of sushi rice that holds up nicely without getting soggy. They pack everything beautifully, making it the perfect healthy, fast-casual comfort food to grab for lunch or dinner“

“Very beautiful!!!! Vale a pena conhecer“

“Lovely little sushi place with very friendly staff, delicious sushi with generous portions and reasonable prices. Everything we ordered was fresh and really hit the spot. Lots of standard options plus some interesting, innovative rolls as well. Kid-friendly place, which is helpful for families. The only tricky part is parking but that’s a Montclair issue, not the restaurants fault.“

“Been hot so was craving soba. That and the tempura really hit the spot. But what I really want to highlight is the service. My daughter was craving tonkatsu ramen and she’s really shy when speaking to people. So she didn’t clarify that she wanted ramen and not the plate. She was a bit disappointed but she loves katsu everything so she was ok with it. Our waitress overheard and came by and gave us a bowl of ramen noodles and broth on the house. For something that we were at fault for.
Just can’t rave about it enough. We will be back for sure. Also for those amuse bouche of tuna and avocados too.“

“We had a great dinner here! Everything felt very authentic, and you can tell they put a lot of care into preparing their seafood. The proportions were spot on.
A huge surprise was the miso soup—it was so good that even my kids, who usually don't touch it, finished the whole bowl. The salad was simple and refreshing, and the fried chicken (karaage) was perfectly crispy and tender. The beef was a little on the salty side for my taste, but overall, it didn't take away from a really enjoyable meal.
We liked it so much that we even grabbed some nigiri to go, and the kids absolutely loved it. Definitely a spot we’ll be coming back to.“

“It took us a while to decide what to order, because there are so many different types of sushi to choose from. We ended up choosing the Hawaiian Roll, Pink Lady Roll, and Philadelphia Roll and were very happy with our selection. They were all incredibly delicious and came in beautiful packaging with small packs of soy sauce, ginger, wasabi, napkins, and chopsticks.“

“Anytime we are in Pleasanthill area we try to eat at Jo’s Honda Sushi. We used to live in Pleasanthill and we would go there at least once a week. We love Honda and all his family ❤️“

“I had such a wonderful dining experience here recently. The quality of the food was impressive and every plate was presented beautifully.

Everything tasted so fresh. I especially loved the bento box, which came with a perfect slice of orange and some really delicious, crispy dumplings. It is rare to find a spot that puts this much care into their presentation and flavor profiles.

I am definitely planning on coming back soon to try more of their menu. This place is a real local gem for anyone in Concord.“

“Our favorite neighborhood sushi spot! We’ve been here numerous times and it never disappoints. Atmosphere, freshness of fish, flavor, quality of food all very solid and consistent. One note is that it is pretty cozy in there so on a busy night expect to be in close proximity to other diners :)“

“Marugame is very good udon and fast! We ordered udon dinner time around 6 and still got our food and table quickly. The portions are generous and the 6 dollar bowl of udon is plenty to fill on. There are a variety of warm tempura sides as well; my croquette was delicious, soft, and importantly still hot. This is our go-to place at least once a week.“

“I wish I could give this place 10 stars, genuinely had the best night with my besties. All credit goes to the owner Z!!! This man is such a gem— he’s so kind, funny, humble, and made us feel so welcomed into the space. The food was 19/10, we will definitely be returning and bringing all our friends/family here! Thank you Z for such an unexpectedly special night <3“

“The service was very good, but the restaurant is a little bit understaffed. The restaurant was very clean. Restaurant was mostly quiet.

I recommend the katsu curry, it was very savory and comforting! The sushi was good (forgot to take a picture of the sushi). Also had tempera and fried squid.
The price was reasonable.

Would come back here again for sure! 🥰“

“We got there in time for Happy Hour. The service was outstanding. Our server named Lumbi was attentive, super nice and took care of my family (plus our dog) so well. She brought out our food quickly, drinks refills quickly and our food came out flawlessly.

The prices compared to Irvine (where we are from) is very affordable!! The fish was fresh and the avocado roll was to die for. Not traditional sushi, it’s quite westernized so if that’s your style you’ll be happy. Solid locals spot!“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“Quick and affordable made to order onigiri with vegan/plant based options. I like the spicy tofu triangle, the teriyaki tofu and the kimchi tofu triangles are good as well. They usually throw in complimentary edamame if you get a few, and they have other options as well. More of a grab and go atmosphere but they are fast and friendly to me, and the condiment section is loaded with good stuff like free sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce, Japanese spice, Sriracha, shoyu etc. I like this for a nice light meal for some protein and energy after a work out or so.“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“Had dinner here specifically to try the non-sushi items and the menu and service did not disappoint. We tried the Tokyo beef, fried lobster, lobster risotto, hamachi crudo, and Walnut Creek roll. I would order everything again. Our favorites were the beef- it came with a great salad that paired well, and the lobster items. Next time I would try a different crudo and roll- the ones we got were great but I want to try other items on their menu. The service was on point. Our server was friendly and had great recommendations. The drinks were good- I had the tequila martini and would order it again. Definitely check this place out for a unique and crafty sushi spot!“

“The freshest sushi I’ve ever had in this area. Hands down. Will definitely be back!“

“This is one of the best izakaya spots around here. The owners and staff are very friendly, and it looks like they have a lot of regular customers.

I ordered a few dishes to enjoy with some good sake. The yakitori was a bit disappointing since it lacked that smoky, grilled flavor. I wouldn’t recommend it.

However, the steamed clams were excellent—perfect as a drinking snack. The fried herring was so delicious that we finished it in no time. Lastly, I had ochazuke, which was absolutely satisfying and something I’d definitely order again.

Overall, it was a perfect dinner experience.“

“Great atmosphere, great food, great service. Highly recommend Yokohama Sushi! 👍“

“Another last minute dinner at one of the local restaurant in San Ramon. Senri Sushi has that cozy, neighborhood spot vibe that makes you feel like a regular even on your first visit. It’s not flashy, but that’s part of the charm, simple, welcoming, and focused on good food.

We ordered the crispy assorted tempura, which came out light, golden, and not greasy at all. Each piece had a nice crunch without overpowering the ingredients. The highlight, though, was the large sushi boat loaded with a variety of fresh fish. Everything looked beautifully presented and tasted just as good, clean flavors, soft texture, and high-quality cuts.

The soft shell crab was another standout—crispy on the outside, tender inside, and full of flavor. It’s the kind of dish you keep reaching for until it’s gone.

We also tried the crispy salmon. The flavor was there, but it could’ve used a bit more crispiness, as the texture leaned slightly chewy instead of having that satisfying crunch you’d expect.

Overall, Senro Sushi delivers a satisfying experience with fresh seafood, generous portions, and a relaxed, homey atmosphere. A solid go-to spot if you’re in the area and craving dependable, well-made sushi.“

“Mijori – A Classic at Lake Merritt!

This little gem has been a mom-and-pop staple in Oakland for over 30 years, and they’re still going strong. The service is consistently friendly, and the food never misses. It’s a must-stop if you’re in the Lake Merritt area.

They offer a variety of weekly specials depending on the fresh fish they receive, so there’s always something new to try. Don’t skip the tuna salad—it’s topped with their house-made spicy Korean sauce, and it’s absolutely delicious.

The sushi we ordered tonight was fresh, sweet, well-seasoned, and simply satisfying. Pair it with a cold beer or a glass of sake, and you’re in for a great evening. Come check them out—you won’t be disappointed!

Don’t forget to follow for more Great foodie stops @Only1christinelu“

“Before you come here, make sure to call in first to get a reservation a few hours in advance. Despite that requirement, reservations are usually not hard to snag, and the place is not packed. Calm and clean atmosphere.

Food is plenty good, and doesn't take forever to come out: the portions are not massive and the food is fresh and well-made. Most of the drinks are alcahol, but they do have good sparkling water.

Hostess (Or more like manager?) was very kind over the phone as I called like 3X to reschedule.“

“This is our go-to ramen sushi restaurant!! It has delicious ramen,and something I love about the sushi is that they but a very very
thin layer of wasabi between the fish and rice on nigiri (or seaweed and rice on rolls) and it really brings out the taste of the toppings! The atmosphere is really nice, they have anime wallpaper and food videos playing!“

“Love the buffet around the sushi bar! Best place to sit!“