50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Larkspur

“Kitchen-made gyoza not from a box; fresh-grilled Unagi and just honest home-style Japanese food from a local family-owned restaurant. Doesn't get much better than this!“

“I was impressed by the freshness of all the ingredients, nori, fish, rice. I could not pay more but I was still hungry so I went another sushi place. There I got full, but the taste at Keiko is why you pay more. The authentic Japanese restaurant seems like it has died, as the cost of doing business is severe. There is no Japanese mood, Japanese chefs, but a few places have Japanese head waitresses. It is not the same as eating sushi in the old days. Nothing truly Japanese about sushi, served by Latinos, with classic jazz. Keiko is closer to authentic. Closer, expensive, still not really Japanese. Amerkatasdeska…“

“Miso soup was good; not super flavorful but at least not overly salty like so many. Donburi was served in a flat plate with protein on top, rather than in the traditional bowl. I like the change; easier to get a mixed chopstick full of protein and rice. There is a lovely outdoor space where you could enjoy watching the bike path traffic but unfortunately it was not usable during my visit due to yellow jackets.“

“this is my favorite sushi place and i have lived in the bay area my whole life. they have the BEST ginger dressing in the world. i even use it to dip my sushi in. the chef johneth is very nice and knowledgeable, he even walked me through how he hand makes the dressing so i can do it at home! love the atmosphere, indoor, outdoor and bar seating. small, cute, clean, comfortable and overall nice.“

“Food always exquisite. Excellent service. Consistent food quality. I visit at least twice every time I’m in town!“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

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

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

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

“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.“

“We narrowly missed a 45 minute wait here last week for my birthday dinner. No problems sitting at the bar - service was quick and wonderful. The sushi here is incredibly fresh and thoughtfully designed. I loved the super nova roll and the ocean roll, my partner liked the special roll. We were offered the typical (complimentary) wasabi and the fresh wasabi. My partner said the fresh is much better and worth ordering. We found the prices here to be reasonable especially considering the quality. We can't wait to go back!“

“woah. i dont really say real deal but real f***** deal. well balanced. superb quality. exceptional service and presentation. clean flavors. first time I have actually been left utterly speechless. 5 stars. 5 forks. whatever. this place is the jam......“

“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.“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

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

“First timers here, but it won't be my last. Absolutely one of the freshest and most tasteful sushi restaurants I have been to in a long time. I ate 6-7 dishes (try the scallops special off-menu), and everything was fantastic. The owner and her staff are very gracious making the dining experience even more pleasant. Go try it. You won't be disappointed.“

“9 items 🍱 bento & udon are awesome 👏“

“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.“

“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.“

“The Chomage miso tonkatsu ramen was terrific. Even better than when I had this dish at a highly rated ramen restaurant in Japantown. Very flavorful. not heavy or greasy.

It was nice to sit in the outdoor patio near a fountain.“

“Nara is an excellent sushi restaurant providing quality fish. The happy hour menu from 5-7 provides a great value.

Ordered the Tai, Sake, Hamachi and Hotate and the fish was flavorful and served in a hand rolls the fish portions were generous.“

“excelente comida, maravillosa atención. lo recomiendo al 100%“

“This family-owned gem is one of my favorite spots to visit. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels like home. There's no sense of rush or over-attention, just a relaxed and pleasant vibe.

The menu offers a great variety of options, both cooked and raw. We started with miso soup and sashimi, paired with hot sake as an appetizer. For dinner, we enjoyed the Scope Special, Spicy Tuna Roll, Spider Roll, Dragon Roll, Lucky Stars, and finished off with the Chef's Special Roll. The fish was fresh, and every dish was absolutely delicious.

My friends and I had a blast, enjoying the food, sipping sake, and catching up, all without feeling rushed. If you're in the area, don't miss out on this hidden treasure. It's the kind of place that you'll want to return to again and again.“

“The food was absolutely delicious — the ingredients were perfectly balanced in both texture and flavor. The atmosphere was great, and I really appreciated the thoughtful touch in the restroom: providing personal hygiene items for women and even toothpaste. It’s nice to see such genuine care for guests!“

“I have been wanting to try their bento and macha for a long time. they always have a line outside. this time i made it. the macha is thick. next time i will order without the strawberry paste. I ordered duck bento for food and it looks so cute. it is slightly spicy. next time i will come bk and try their bento salmon one - it is sold out already :(“

“Tokyo Express, back in the early 2010's, used to be really popular with a line during lunchtime. Some of my old co-workers used to enjoy coming here. Business has sure when downhill since the pandemic. There was only one other table occupied at lunch time on a Wednesday. The staff was really busy however packing up to-go orders. I had their Wednesday special, the tonkatsu $13. The pork fillet was a bit dry and not juicy, tender and properly cooked. The panko had a nice crunch. It did come with an alright tonkatsu sauce. With this dish, it should come with shredded cabbage served with a miso-ginger dressing or Japanese sesame dressing, but it didn't come with it. Since this is not an authentic Japanese restaurant, I didn't knock off stars for that. Service was non-existent as this is an order at the counter style restaurant and no tea or water was served. There was a free cup of miso soup and my food came out in a reasonable amount of time.“

“We had the most wonderful dinner tonight at Noren Izakaya! Everything was fantastic from start to finish! From the service to the cocktails to the variety of food, to the dessert! Japanese yakitori and grilled street food and even sashimi! My new favorite! A must if you live or are visiting San Francisco! Oh! And tonight is not the night to skip dessert! 😘“

“My boyfriend and I come here constantly. The food is amazing and the prices can’t be beat. The manager is the nicest dude ever. We come here pretty often and love the drinks here. They really made this place great after the other restaurant that was here really sucked. Out of any sushi restaurant this is the BEST one to choose for sitting in or eating out in San Rafael“

“Best sushi I’ve had on the west coast!!! Delicious!!!! The service seems to need a little amping up but the tastiness made it worth it!!!! Ask the sushi chef for a “special roll” you won’t be disappointed“

“Dinner started off strong with flavorful chicken and beef skewers, and the salmon kama was a highlight—perfectly cooked and delicious.

The rolls were less impressive. The Rock & Roll and Spider rolls were drenched in eel sauce, which overpowered everything. I’m always a bit cautious when sushi comes heavily sauced—it feels like something’s being covered up. The sushi rice was also a bit soggy.

The uni, saba, and hamachi sushi were all fresh and enjoyable, though the uni portions were smaller than expected.

Bill came out to over $150. A little pricey for what we got, but with smarter ordering, I’d give it another try.

4 stars“

“We have had a few amazing dining experiences here! The sushi is so fresh, the sake sommelier Stewart is really knowledgeable and has some great recommendations!!“

“Got lunch with a couple other people. There were lots good options but if you want to pick from everything get there when they open. I got a hand roll and a teriyaki salmon bowl and shared the special roll. I liked the hand roll the best and also enjoyed the cabbage in the teriyaki bowl. The special roll was just shrimp tempura topped with imitation crab, some sauces, and roe. I plan to try another roll next time I go there. It’s a pretty tight space and you have to go some else to eat it. Great place to grab something quickly and get back to work“

“This authentic Japanese food was delicious and beautifully served. The cocktails were wonderful. The staff was attentive and really nice. We throughly enjoyed our evening here.“

“The food, the presentation, the service.“

“I love Amberjack Sushi by their always tasty, fresh, and healthy reliable take-out / delivery Japanese food orders. They have an excellent wide selection of delicious sushi and sashimi along with their main set dinners to choose from. I have found the salmon teriyaki dinner has become a perfect simple always tasty dinner meal that I love every time I order it!“

“I have been here 3x now and have had great food and great service. Mix and match Bento Box and Tempura are fresh. Everyone else around me always gets Sushi and I hear them say how good it is (I have not been adventurous enough to try Sushi). It is on Pine and Grant, extremely clean and nice view of Chinatown. Very reasonable prices. :)“

“Convenient, fresh, beautifully put together custom orders. What’s not to like?“

“fresh always my go to .. wonderful“

“Hands down the best cocktails in SF and def one of the best in America.

Love the beautifully curated menu and what it had to offer. Heavily influenced by Japanese ingredients hence offering a very unique menu of its own.

Cocktails were extremely well balanced with flavours, aroma and umami. A sip of The friend of a friend of a friend was no different to eating a bag of toasted chips with its long lingering smoked aroma. Insanely good.

Will definitely go back for the Japanese bites or even the Kaisei don.“

“This restaurant is obviously one of the finest place to eat in the area. Whenever I go there I am greatly pleased. They always keep their high level service and the highest level of dishes they give. You can never go wrong with this place. Highly recommended.“

“Bento boxes were great, so many options to chose from. Would definitely go back.“

“Everything. Best of everything.“

“Conveniently located in FiDi and sharing the space with another eatery, Katsuya is a solid option for lunch or dinner. On my last visit I ordered online for pickup on my way home from my class. I arrived a bit early so it wasn't ready yet, but np - since it was near the end of the day there were plenty of seats inside to wait. There were a few people dining in, but even more coming through for takeout and delivery - staff were bustling about too, which is usually a good sign.

Prices seem to have gone up over the years (IIRC they used to be in a different location), but the portions are generous. My husband and I typically share a tonkatsu sando meal and it's still plenty for the both of us.“

“Small and cozy. Light jazz in background. Most authentic sushi+ in Mill Valley for sure. Not fast food fried like many others in Marin.

If you’re looking for actual sushi, this is a step below Sushi Ran for example but also a bit less pricey but more personal as its so intimate - you're looking at the chef and you know he knows what he's doing.

They seem to be working on a cute outdoor seating arrangement, that’s a work in process. Will be nice in the warmer months.

I’m looking forward to going back and trying an omakase experience. They are clearly capable. I’m told it requires making a reservation. Get that in Mill Valley!

Support local y’all :)“

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

“The wild sf is worth being passionate about. An unbelievably hardworking team, working in a space that prioritizes intimacy between chefs, service professionals, and the guests. You cannot sit at the counter and feel disconnected from the displays of culinary excellency happening in the space. The food is innovative and inspiring, but simultaneously grounded, connected deeply to the values of the team that prepares it. The hospitality is genuine and led by some of the most talented professionals in this industry. Stop in and experience it for yourself; my words can only go so far.“

“Best sushi in the Marina District!“

“Best sushi in the city. The chefs are super talented and the waitstaff are always great. Food is top notch. Good selection for different fish and apps. I usually go for omakase, but sometimes the kira kira or ninja roll. The atmosphere is not too loud. You can usually find parking within a couple blocks.“

“Found Sushi Tri while looking for ramen spots in Novato, but went for the sushi and wasn't disappointed. Went to dinner with our younger children(5+7), and there were other families there. Great menu selection with good prices, and quick turnaround on sushi dishes.“