35 Best Sushi Bars near San Clemente

“I’ve visited several times, and each time I’ve tried different dishes. Every staff member is very friendly, and the food never takes too long to be served. The food is authentic and delicious, and you can really feel the chefs’ dedication in every dish. It’s hard to find another Japanese restaurant with such great quality and value!“

“When we searched for the best sushi place in San Clemente, Malulu Sushi came up first on the list.

Good things come in small packages, right? Well, this is a small place, but it doesn't matter because the food & service are excellent.

To me, service is very important!!! At Malulu, the Japanese hospitality is on full display. Then, the food came, and we realized that we had found our favorite sushi place in SC.

Everything we ordered was tasty. And to our surprise, the female sushi chef made the best spicy yellow tail handroll. It reminded us of a sushi roll that we could only get at a sushi restaurant in Laguna Niguel (sadly, the chef moved to Japan).

We are already planning to go back this week & bring some friends along.“

“I spent years in Japan and for an hour I forgot I was in California! The food is outstanding and authentic. ありがとうございました!“

“Very high quality / fresh combined with highly skilled chefs“

“4.5 actually. Cool decor. Great concept--a speakeasy sushi bar (actually upstairs from a Goonies inspired speakeasy). Friendly staff. Very nice cocktails. And quite good food, but I wish there were larger portions offered (my only complaint). Definitely worth a visit or revisit.“

“Great sushi and the atmosphere is great. The owners and chef’s will stop by your table to see how things are going. They also make sure that you always have a cold beer. While you’re there, buy the chefs a beer, they love toasting with their patrons.“

“Absolutely loved it. great taste good portion. Tuna and salmon chunks are pretty decent personally I think it’s tastier than poke n half they have a sushi like thing in the tofu skin two for six bucks that taste good too, but I didn’t like the Hawaiian shrimp hot plate.“

“Fresh fish expertly prepared by friendly chef with equally cheerful service staff! We will be back“

“I want my review to literally reflect the 4.8 currently for this restaurant. The food is good, but with some reservations. First off, the sushi was fresh and tasty. My daughter loves sushi and they did not disappoint. I ordered the Bento box with the beef teriyaki upgrade. The teriyaki was fantastic, definitely home made and had superb flavor. The problem was the meat. It had the distinctive taste that it had been left to marinate in the blood of the meat. Understandable, while it didn't ruin the meal, the taste did give me pause. Everything else, the tempura, salad, and California rolls; were excellent. The service left me puzzled. The young lady at the counter was friendly and helpful. However, it would have been nice to know we could have ordered at our table instead of the counter. Minor quibbles aside, the food is great and the service was excellent. Definitely a place to check out in Laguna Beach.“

“On vacation from phoenix arizona, stop to get a roll.Ask what their best role was was shown.A yellowtail roll that was out of this world.They also have fresh wasabi.Definitely a must in sushi.They're known for their roles here, but they also have sashimi and nagiri.“

“Nice atmosphere and the food was very tasty 😋“

“Restaurant is clean and open. Their sashimi bento box lunch special [includes miso soup, cucumber salad, tempura, half CA roll, and seven slices of quality sashimi served with real wasabi!] is the best and it was only $20. Thank you to sushi chef Obi for his recommendation. Now if they only served Kuronama or any other Japanese dark beer, they'd be perfect.“

“Oh My Sushi is a hidden gem tucked away in a strip mall in Laguna Niguel. They serve incredibly fresh fish, beautifully presented in both classic and creative sushi rolls. The Toro Tasting is amazing. The décor is modern and inviting, the drinks are inventive, and the dessert selection is a sweet surprise. Their sake list is impressive — don’t miss the sake flight, it’s a must-try!”“

“The Ladyfingers are divine and no one else has them on the menu that I've ever seen. The Chefs are top notch and we've never been disappointed.“

“We sat at the sushi bar and Joe-san was our sushi chef. He was fast, efficient and everything was tasty. We chose the Oh My God roll towards the end and honestly folks? It is OMG spectacular! And so was the Queen Imperial with yellowtail and mango. Great service!!!“

“The service here is so nice and fast. You can’t beat the lunch special deals! ($10-13 for entree with soup and salad) I love coming here for lunch, I want to try all their deals haha. If I didn’t make it for the lunch specials I would definitely try one of their specialty rolls!“

“I loved this restaurant! The menu was very expansive and from the two things we ordered: A spicy tuna poke bowl and tongkotsu ramen- it was amazing!

They even gave us two tangerines afterward which was so kind and cute. I will be coming here again with a hunger for more things on the menu“

“I visited this sushi spot yesterday and was really impressed. The sushi was incredibly tasty, and the portions of sashimi were perfect. So many other sushi places are stingy with their portions while still charging a premium, but this place strikes the right balance. Keep up the great work! I will definitely be back!“

“I’ve been going here for years and years. This staff is incredible. They are about to change management and I hope you keep all the same ladies that have been there for years. I get treated badly at so many restaurants because of how I look and they are always so kind and always have a smile on their faces when I walk in because I used to be a super regular. These are incredible women and I hope they stay if they want.“

“My family and I loooove this place. The food is amazing, great prices and the people are amazing. I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about it. It’s my 5 year old favorite restaurant since he was a toddler and every time we are here we know we are going to have a warm welcome.“

“Cool little hole in the wall place down the street from my parents place. Got the bento box and it hit the spot. I don't live there, but if you are looking for a random place, this isn't a bad place to check out. Only dig is they close early. Probably because they are in the back spot of a complex. So staying open late would be tough if folks don't know you are there.“

“Note: reservations are a must during the weekend!

We decided to go there on a whim after a great massage next door and we're lucky enough a different party didn't show up to their reservation. We waited outside while one of the servers/hostess figured out somethings. Communication could have been better but alas we were seated and promptly served. Food was delicious! The Totoya roll is a must, it just melts. The salmon skin hand roll was super crunchy, caterpillar and eel and avocado rolls were smooth and velvety. Not too pricey but we also didn't order alcohol.“

“Fast ... very friendly... great foods and great prices... A+++++....“

“Sony and Tai are the best. Best meal I had all year and I'm a great cook and I make fresh sushi at home. there is no sushi anywhere better. Presentation, taste, enjoyment. I would eat there every night if I could. The price is fair. So any negative reviews go eat your gas station sushi and stay home.“

“I enjoyed the smoked spare ribs and the spicy stir fried prawns with veg Dessert was great too“

“We have been there many times and love it! One of the best sushi restaurants I know! I prefer sashimi and the presentation is beautiful and mouthwatering!“

“always fresh delicious friendly staff.All you can eat Monday and Tuesday 👍“

“Really enjoyed my stay! The rooms were quiet and comfortable, the hotel bar was fantastic, and the room service was excellent. Loved the thoughtful little amenities—they really made a difference.“

“Zenko Sushi delivers an exceptional fusion of freshness, artistry, and hospitality. Each dish is a testament to precision—from melt-in-your-mouth sashimi to inventive rolls that surprise and delight. The ambiance is serene, the service attentive, and the flavors consistently elevate the dining experience. A standout destination for sushi lovers.“

“My family and I usually love Jizake and have been to this place multiple times over the years. However after last nights dinner not sure if we will come back. The first issue is that the server forgot to bring us 3 of our appetizers. I also noticed that my hot sake wasn't very hot and that they have trimmed down the size of their rolls. During the meal it became obvious to all of us outside that they were using a wifi speaker and whoesever phone it was hooked up to must have been moving around since the music was going in and out. Lastly while asking for the check I instructed the server to take the appetizers off our bill since we didn't receive them. He said he would and when he came back I was given a hand written bill with the break down. To his credit those appetizers were shown but not charged. I totaled up each line item and everything seemed correct as the subtotal was $170 with tax total should have been $183.17. However after taking my credit card he came back saying they totaled our bill incorrectly and apologized. Our new printed bill after charging my credit card didn't show the pricing break down for all the items but it appears that they added back in the money for the appetizers as with tax it came to $196.11 plus tip. By this point we just wanted to leave. After getting home we started not feeling so well. We don't usually have any bad reactions to sushi so maybe it was some sort of cross contamination issue. Either way I would caution everyone while eating at this establishment.“

“Came here for dinner with my mom to celebrate the 15th anniversary of my dad’s passing. The fish was fresh, the miso soup was delicious, and the staff were so hospitable! We loved that it was quaint inside and easy to walk to from our Inn. Definitely recommend Maki Yaki!“

“Delicious food, fun and inviting atmosphere, excellent service and the friendliest owners Key and his lovely wife Grace. Our local reliable go to.“

“Perfect sushie 🍣 Delicious drinks and excellent service🧙‍♀️🧹“

“Amazing sushi, with many fresh specials of the day - it’s popular and we had to wait a short while for a table, but we didn’t mind and it was really worth it. All the classics perfectly executed, and many new combinations for special rolls. Prices were reasonable. Highly recommend!“

“The food was so delicious.“