33 Best Sushi Bars near San Clemente

“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!“

“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.“

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

“Momoku No Usagi in San Clemente is one of those places you can’t wait to tell friends about. The sushi is fresh, beautiful, and seriously delicious, the cocktails are well crafted and addictive, and the team makes you feel instantly welcome. Its cozy “speakeasushi” vibe makes it perfect for casual nights or special celebrations.“

“Amazing all around! Fantastic service, insanely positive and friendly staff, 10/10 food. Thank you for this experience. Refreshing to walk into a place that greets people so happily and acts like they actually want your business. We got 7 rolls and they were all perfect. We will definitely return.“

“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“

“First time here and I absolutely love this place!! I’m very particular about sushi - I love my sushi to be very fresh tasting And this place here had nothing but High-quality Sushi.

I ordered the blue fin toro & Salmon Nigiri. Also got the yellowtail, Crunchyroll.

So delicious, easily became one of my favorite Spots!“

“So happy to have found Sushi Kara - amazing sushi and rolls. Unique and delicious. Nice and spicy garlic edamame too. Had been at this location with previous sushi restaurant (not great) and the one before that (very good), but Sushi Kara is the best. Just casual and great sushi.“

“My wife and I ordered the Salmon Lemon and Crunchy Spicy Tuna rolls, and both were amazing! We also tried the garlic edamame and the Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna appetizer. Everything was delicious and perfectly balanced. I’m a picky person and not easily impressed. The prices were right, food was perfect, and our server was so sweet and funny. We will be back!“

“Nice atmosphere and the food was very tasty 😋“

“After several visits for both lunch and dinner, I can say with confidence that the food here is excellent and the place is spotless. And I mean that sincerely. The dining room is clean, and even the men's restroom was immaculate. Nothing kills an appetite faster than walking into a restaurant bathroom that smells like dirty mop water. Not the case here.
Our server was extremely attentive. Move your dish an inch and it was cleared before you even noticed. That kind of service matters.
Honestly, I struggled to find a single negative thing to say about the food or the experience itself. So I want to be clear: if a neighbor asked me where to find good, close sushi in Ladera Ranch, I would send them here without hesitation.
But there's something I've been thinking about since walking out, and maybe other people feel the same way.
Half the fun of a sushi bar has always been the connection. Knowing your chef. Picking up a conversation where you left off last time. The kind of familiarity where you end up buying your chef a drink because that's just the relationship you've built. It's one of the things that makes a neighborhood sushi spot feel like a neighborhood sushi spot.
That experience doesn't exist here. The chefs are skilled and clearly focused, but there was no eye contact, no conversation, and from what I observed, heads buried in phones between orders. It felt almost like a policy. And maybe it is. Maybe that's intentional. But it's a noticeable absence.
The food doesn't even have to be perfect for a place to earn that kind of loyalty. Some of the spots people drive across town for built their reputation on the relationship as much as the rolls. I miss that.
So: great food, great service, spotless restaurant. Absolutely worth going. I just hope someday the sushi bar feels like a sushi bar again.“

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

“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!”“

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

“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!!!“

“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!“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“My husband and I went in for some Ramen and were greeted by the sweetest waitress. She checked up on us and helped with our 8 month old who just wanted to play. The food was amazing, very filling and delicious portions. We will most definitely be back soon!“

“An absolutely exceptional omakase experience that defines luxury dining. From the first course to the last, the sushi was nothing short of extraordinary—impeccably fresh, masterfully prepared, and thoughtfully composed to highlight the purity of each ingredient. Every bite reflected true craftsmanship and precision.

The sake pairing was perfectly curated, enhancing the flavors of the sushi without overpowering them and adding a refined rhythm to the entire experience. Each selection felt intentional and elevated the progression of the meal.

The dessert was a stunning finale—elegant, balanced, and a brilliant complement to the journey of flavors that came before it. It tied the entire experience together in a way that felt both indulgent and refined.

This is not just a meal, but a world-class omakase experience. Ideal for special occasions or anyone seeking the highest level of sushi and hospitality. Sue and her husband have something very special that they want to share with all their customers. This is a foodies paradise.“

“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.“

“So happy that we discovered this SJC neighbourhood gem! Expect authentic, fresh, no-frills sushi and maki rolls, with wonderful chef and staff service (at the sushi bar). Our fave this visit was the 'Aburi Hamachi Roll', but we are looking forward to coming back often to try all the menu options!“

“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.“

“Food: Sushi rolls were excellent and pretty competitive prices. My favorite was the caterpillar. Fish quality was excellent. Avocado and cucumber was fresh and sushi didn't taste like it had sugar in it which was excellent.!

Service: Sucks. They are impatient, rude, and quick to walk away and pretend they didn't hear you. For example I asked if a waiter could remove a plate. He ignored me and signaled at the busboy to pick up the plate instead. Even the busboy realized that was odd.“

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

“This has been our sushi spot since 2014 and we bring everyone here. The food is still great though the quality has gone down in some areas. It’s had new owners now for a while and the only reason we don’t come as much is because the unagi has gotten significantly worse and the owner stands and stares at everyone the entire time he’s there. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s nice but it’s so uncomfortable with him just staring.

The waitstaff is extremely friendly and we will continue to go and support but maybe the owner can not stare at us while we eat…please? Lol“

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

“The food was so delicious.“

“I have been coming here for over 10 years, and it consistently hits the spot. The Chicken Teriyaki bowl with extra chicken is the way to go, and the sheer amount of food you receive is uncanny.

Can't recommend it enough if you are craving a Chicken Bowl“