50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Mill Valley

“Ive been coming here for 16 years. Always as good. Best hamachi, uni, anywhere. There is no fresher, sor better ushi anywhere in the bay area. Exquisite, reasonably priced, generous portions. Simply amazing. !“

“fresh always my go to .. wonderful“

“Honestly really great sushi very fresh and delicious, the salmon felt like it melted in your mouth and the umnekyo was the perfect kind of sour. Stopped by on a whim and delighted to have discovered it! Very reasonable pricing and extremely fast and friendly service too!“

“Came here for a date night. It has casual hole in the wall vibes. We sat outside the night was perfect. I ordered the angry edamame, Brussels kushiyaki, and tempura veggie roll. My husband ordered the Hirame Carpacccio, Salmon lemon roll and bacon wrapped mochi. He claimed the bacon wrapped mochi had the best bites of the night. It appeared to have the same sauce as the Brussel sprouts which was delicious. The angry Edamame had a delicious chili garlic oil. The food was solid. The service was attentive and friendly.“

“𝑀𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑘𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑤𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑡, 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ, 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑. 𝑌𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑠. 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒. 5 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠.“

“I went to KEN for my birthday and it was absolutely phenomenal. The fish was delicious; so many new flavors and combinations; the chef was superb - talented and entertaining, with great attention to detail. The service was impeccable. I cannot say enough good things!“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“We've been here twice and enjoyed it both times. The sushi was fresh and well made, and the Hey Girl roll was our favorite. We'd order it again in a heartbeat. The flavors were balanced, the presentation was beautiful, and the portions felt just right.

The staff were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was welcoming, which made it a great spot for a relaxed dinner. One thing we really loved: they offer free ice cream if you're celebrating your birthday. It's a thoughtful touch that makes the visit feel special.

Highly recommended, and we'll definitely be back!“

“Best authentic Japanese restaurant in town.“

“I love Yoma cafe, the food is amazing, great price, the owner is always so welcoming and nice to everyone.“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“My favorite sushi spot in the city, and the service is fast and friendly!“

“Taniku is our favorite izakaya spot in the city. There can be a bit of a wait, but they do sometimes let you make a reservation if you call well ahead.

The small dishes don't disappoint, especially the kinoko nimono and the agedashi tofu. Their ramen and handrolls are delicious too.

Skewers have been just okay. Perhaps we didn't order the right items.

Nothing hits the spot better than the first chug of cold beer in front of a table covered with appetizers.“

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

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

“We had Omakase last night. 2 of us. The food was sooo good, and lots of it. Several times during the omakase, we had multiple portions per round, with one even having 6 pieces. The scallop was my absolute favorite. Lots of great flavors to think through.

Unfortunately I don't think the service and delivery matched the omakase experience or price point ($500 for 2). The 2 staff that served the dishes were very busy elsewhere which meant that every dish was delivered with a 5 second turnaround. They were already running to the next table by the time our plates were down and barely gave us any description or overview of what we were actually eating. Most of the time their back was turned to me when telling what we were served as they were already on their way somewhere else. That's totally fine for an a la carte experience but for an omakaze, the entire point is that the chef chooses your adventure and the chef/server explains to you what you're eating. So while the food was great, the delivery of an omakaze experience is definitely not worth the price point. I'd advise to sit at the bar and if full like last night, just do a la carte.“

“Some of the most delicious and creative food I've had. The omakase experience was well worth it for how thoughtful the menu planning was, and I highly recommend trusting the chefs judgement. Staff were kind and helpful, the building was cozy and clean, and the chef was clearly skilled and passionate in his craft. Watching him work was a highlight of the night, next to the wagyu and tuna belly. My only regret is that the food was so good, I barely remembered to take pictures.“

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

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

“We had a great time at Yakitori Edomasa! The food was delicious, and our server, Oggy, made the experience even better. He was incredibly friendly, helpful, and attentive throughout our meal. He took the time to explain everything to us, answered all our questions, and made sure we had everything we needed. Really appreciated his hospitality. Would definitely recommend!“

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

“FUN. We had a great date night here. Delicious flavorful food, nice ambiance - I wanna say laid back, with sexy divey vibes. Love their music choice, good volume level. We walked in and got seated at the bar. I felt comfortable, people were having fun around us. Shout out to Phillip for the great service!“

“The ingredients, the flavors, they're all top-notch.“

“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......“

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

“friendly service and tasty food“

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

“Simply the best. The staff were incredibly friendly and made the whole experience feel so special. My friend and I had such a great night here. You can really tell they care about the quality of the meat, and they shared so much knowledge about how everything is grilled and prepared. Amazing food, amazing service, and such a memorable experience.“

“This is definitely an insiders’ spot in San Francisco. It’s usually pretty busy from the street view so I decided to try it on a Friday and it was still busy. I don’t want to talk the place up. There’s no need for that at a five star restaurant. The proprietors of the establishment have their photo up with the Mayor. Word on the street is that this place is like a religion. The food was good. Changed my mind about a few things. Made me ask, what is food in San Francisco today? Would I go there again? Yeah maybe if I had 30 minutes on a Friday, but no and not because the experience was terrible, but because they had already mastered the art of business in San Francisco if not the world.“

“Hidden gem in SF. I had the sashimi omakasei, it’s technically 14 pcs, 7 set and 2 for each person, but I think chief give us 1 more for each. It’s amazing and super fresh, the otoro and the wagyu are unbeatable. The house selection sake is tasty and very good value too, highly recommend it!“

“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!“

“Thank you Kevin! Came from out of town on a cloudy day, was craving something warm, this place hit the spot. Had the AYCE option, meat quality was great, sauce was super yummy, service was excellent. Kevin was so patient with all our first timer questions, brought all our food out quickly. Highly recommend and will be back when we’re in the area. If undecided on ice cream flavor, try lychee, was SO GOOD!“

“Highly recommend this hidden gem!
We had a wonderful Father’s Day dinner here, and everything exceeded our expectations. The waitstaff and the friendly girls at the door who seated us were all fantastic—warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Everyone took the time to explain the specials and answer questions, which made the experience feel personal and special. 
The portions were generous and the food was incredibly fresh and flavorful. As a nice touch, they even took a Polaroid picture of us with their own camera to commemorate the occasion—what a thoughtful gesture!
This was a great dinner overall, and we’ll definitely be back. Perfect spot for a memorable meal with family. Thank you to the whole team!“

“Service feels a bit chaotic and the tables are a little too close together but the food is good! Prices are a bit higher than some menu photos here - $40 per nabe now. Good portion size though, would come back. Make a reservation if coming on a weekend night“

“Great food and great ambience � � love it so much“

“The food, the presentation, the service.“

“We had a great experience here! The tuna was fresh and buttery and everything we ordered was delicious. Prices were very good for the quality.

We also tried the chef’s Japanese sushi set. Not every type of fish was our favorite but it was a great way to try a variety of unique fish we hadn’t had before!

The eel hand rolls were another highlight absolutely delicious!

We came during Happy Hour so it was an even better value. The food came out quickly!
We made a reservation in advance. When we arrived there was a tablet to check in but we were seated before we even had a chance to use it haha. Fantastic experience and we’d definitely come back!“

“This place is amazing!!! What a gem! I have never been to a bath house before and after this I’m addicted. The food was incredible and I loved the cocktails. Service was wonderful as well! Definitely going back a bunch.“

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

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

“That AAA uni though! 🤤

Great meal out. Food was fantastic and the staff was so gregarious. Nice to eat out and enjoy a social atmosphere with the customers and staff as if we were at a dinner party.

Wear floral patterns if you go. We missed the memo, but everyone had their finest florals out tonight!“

“Great place food is super salty tho.“

“The food smacks and the music they play always slaps.“

“1000/10. This place is hard to get a table at because it only seats 20 people. They only do one serving, but this was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in all of San Francisco. The menu constantly changes so you get a new experience every time you would come. We’ll be going back.“

“ALWAYS a fantastic and tasty dinner. ☺️“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“Wonderful sushi thoughtfully prepared by a very nice man who is always there working hard. I love this place and go a lot to get fresh delicious sushi as I’m always craving it! Highly recommend! Its a tiny little carryout type place but there’s a little area to sit right outside the door if you like, otherwise he will pack your food carefully for you!“

“Excellent Blue Fin Tuna Cutting Experience. Great intimate atmosphere - authentic, Japanese, homey. The cutting itself was quick and precise. I keep thinking about the buffet of excellent sides and entrees that were served alongside the tuna. The buffet included other fish sashimi, nanbanzuke, various cooked salmon and chicken dishes (including yakitori and karaage), tempura, a really delicious beef sukiyaki, and an addictive okra salad. Plenty of seating. Best value in terms of price and food offerings compared to other similar events in the Bay Area.“

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

“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.“