It was challenging to get a reservation at Rintaro before 7pm, but I finally managed to get one at 5pm about one month in advance. Got very lucky with parking across the street. There were about 12 people waiting out front just before they opened for dinner. Evidently half the people were lining up without a reservation, no idea how long it took before they were seated.
The space is beautiful. Gorgeous woodworking crafted all throughout the restaurant from the bar, booths, rafter beams, etc. There’s also a really nice patio decked out with plants.
Ordering was a relatively lengthy process for four well-traveled foodies. We ordered some sashimi, an assortment of chicken skewers, a large fried fish, and some salad. I scoured the menu for a highball but they only had wine, beer and shochu drinks. I settled on Asahi, the only beer on draft. Was disappointed by the lack of highballs, Japanese whiskey, and extremely limited beer selection. They had bottled Hitachino Red Rice Ale but I prefer the Hefeweizen-esque White Nest Ale to pair with meals.
First dishes to come out was the sashimi. The soy sauce was nicely aged and dense. The wasabi freshly grated. The saba (mackerel) was fresh but remarkably plain, with no vinegaring, which is a flavor I normally associate with saba. The hamachi was similar.
Then came out the duck salad, which came with a heap of mizuna and thinly sliced stone fruit. The duck had a nice smokiness to it. Decent but simple dish. The gyoza was served with a crunchy layer on top of the dumplings. They were a bit plain and the wrappers lacked thin delicacy of a similar but better version at Ramen Nagi.
I was a fan of the Yakitori skewers. The Momo with sansho pepper sauce tingled for quite awhile. It was bursting with flavor and the chicken thigh meet cooked to perfection. The Bonjiri had a bit of the crispiness you get from kawa aka chicken skin but a fatty taste within.
The highlight of the meal for me was the Kama Tama Udon. An egg yolk on top of a small mound of fresh udon noodles with a willowy pile of freshly shaved katsuobushi. It had a buttery bonito flavor and the udon noodles had a perfect texture and chewiness.
We also ordered a large fried fish that was described by the waiter as totally consumable, bones and all. I found that some of the bones were not as fried and broken down as expected. So I removed some of them to avoid the misfortune of getting fish bones stuck in my throat.
The Hojicha Panna Cotta was smooth but a bit plain and the Hojicha syrup was very subtle and didn’t carry much Hojicha flavor.
All told, Rintaro had some great Yakitori and a couple of standout dishes such as the Kama Tama Udon. There wasn’t much about the dishes that stood out to me in comparison to Izakayas I’ve been to in Tokyo or even Yakitori Kokko in San Mateo. It was solid but not mindblowing. The lack of highballs, Japanese whiskey and beer selections was disappointing. I will return eventually to try other items on the menu but Rintaro would probably rank in the middle of the pack for dinner recommendations in SF.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Osman C Turunc
All the way 5 stars ...it is the best Japanese restaurant in neighborhood no question....not like they need me to say but I really appreciate it that is why I am posting
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joey K.
Rintaro has completely captured the spirit of a contemporary izakaya in Japan. The food and drinks are both fantastic, with every dish feeling authentic and incredibly delicious. Sitting at the bar lets you observe the kitchen when sweat hits the stove! It's the perfect place to go if you're looking for an amazing dining experience that will transport you to Tokyo.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Valerie Kau
Favorite items from tasting menu were sashimi, mapo tofu, and desserts
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Liu
I came in with high expectations and left satisfied, though slightly underwhelmed. We opted for the tasting menu at $90 per person. The clear standouts were the black cod and chicken katsu—both beautifully executed and full of flavor. One of our friends, who is dairy-free, was served a substitute chicken karaage that ended up being another highlight, though unfortunately it arrived about 20 minutes after the rest of the table’s dishes because the kitchen initially forgot about the restriction.
Service overall was quite slow, which took away from the otherwise strong food.
On the positive side, the atmosphere is excellent: the restaurant is divided into three rooms, each distinct yet authentically Japanese in feel. The ceramic plates and pottery also stood out—elegant and clearly high quality, adding to the experience.
Overall: The food was good, the setting memorable, and the value reasonable. But service was uneven in my opinion
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Sarah Rizvi
Recommend the fish tonkatsu! Skip the cornballs
Esther Cho
A reservation is highly recommended—otherwise, you’re looking at least a 30-minute wait, even on a weekday.
You know an Asian restaurant is good when the rice is cooked to perfection. Each grain holds its shape and texture—alive and distinct. I’m pretty sure they use high-quality rice. The Japanese-style mapo tofu was savory with just a hint of sweetness—very well done.
The chicken skewers were tender and flavorful, and the black cod was soft and rich in taste. The cucumber salad on the side was delicately thin-sliced and lightly marinated in a refreshing yuzu dressing—a perfect pairing.
Overall, an excellent dining experience. I would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Katherine Wang
the food was great but most of all i liked how u can tell the workers all liked each other and working there
highlights were the chrysanthemum greens, swimming daikon, panna cotta, cured kombu sashimi
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Liu
Yosedofu - Excellent texture, very flavorful and refreshing soy bean flavor. Suggest using few drops of sauce, cause it's very concentrate.
San Ten Mori - very fresh. The fresh wasabi was awesome. Blue fin tuna was excellent. The halibut was so sweet. Amazing.
Chicken thigh yakitori - Very interesting marinate. Strong flavor taste like mosquito spray.
Minced chicken meat - Very fluffy, soft and tender. Best yakitori here.
Chicken tender grill - This one is ok. Much lighter flavor.
Grilled mushroom - The sauce is flavorful. Good.
Kurobata Tonkatsu - That's the surprised dish of the night. Very tender, juicy and flavorful. Must
Tomorokoshi Satsumaage - Very good dashi. Flavorful. Fish ball has nice texture
Kama Tama udon - interesting flavor. It's like a dry udon with some sauce.
Tomorokoshi udon - The corn fritter was very good. The udon texture was also very Al dente. Excellent.
Service was very good. Courteous and professional.
Josh Raikin
Had a lovely evening here with the tasting menu! Very filling. And they even treated us with the plum wine! A bit too pricey to go back anytime soon though.
Amazing tasting menu! Definitely will come back again
Selene Wilkes
Wonderful food with unique and local ingredients. Authentic Japanese yet San Francisco experience. We sat in the outside courtyard, and even though it was a windy day, we were comfortable and warmed by the heaters. We opted for the tasting menu which had most of the things we had wanted to try. The sashimi was exceptional, as delicious as the fish market sashimi in Tokyo. I loved the Chiizu Tori Katsu, cheese being such an unexpected twist to the dish. Tsukuni skewers were likewise very flavorful with the tare dipping sauce. The mabodofu don was so comforting and delicious to end the tasting menu. I would love to return.
vvvs
Nothing here was particularly mind blowing besides the Panna cotta and yal took insanely long to get our next dish out after the sashimi. 350 for 4 , unreasonable
K Tse
Was able to reserve a table for two on a Saturday evening by booking a month prior. Make a reminder alert to get a good time and indoor seating.
For birthdays they stamp a little party hat on the octopus featured on the paper menu as a souvenir.
Tips to order: 5-7 plates are recommended if you order a la carte for 2 people. Seasonal set menu is $85 per person as of 5/2025. If you choose for this option, the whole party must opt in.
Food and Service: Food was fresh and presented aesthetically. I personally found multiple dishes too salty. The servers are attentive, describing each dish, and how to eat each dish - when You finish one plate, they clear it shortly after, and deliver the next.
Cleanliness: There was a black speck in the pitcher of water the brought to the table. Once they were made aware, they promptly replaced it. Also, there was an employees who was making fresh udon noodles in the back room. Mid process he dropped the rolling pin on the floor. It made a loud noise. He then picked it up and without cleaning it, proceeded to roll out his udon dough.
Check: sharing 7 plates for two came out to $190, including the 20% gratuity which is already added.
Leisha Ishikawa
The skewers, oden, and croquettes were reminiscent of Japanese street food. Rintaro does a very tasty rendition that is comforting and savory, yet refined and dainty. I will definitely go back to try the sashimi, udon, and get the hojicha panna cotta again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Maguro No Yukke, Oden Moriawase, Chicken Skewers
It was challenging to get a reservation at Rintaro before 7pm, but I finally managed to get one at 5pm about one month in advance. Got very lucky with parking across the street. There were about 12 people waiting out front just before they opened for dinner. Evidently half the people were lining up without a reservation, no idea how long it took before they were seated.
The space is beautiful. Gorgeous woodworking crafted all throughout the restaurant from the bar, booths, rafter beams, etc. There’s also a really nice patio decked out with plants.
Ordering was a relatively lengthy process for four well-traveled foodies. We ordered some sashimi, an assortment of chicken skewers, a large fried fish, and some salad. I scoured the menu for a highball but they only had wine, beer and shochu drinks. I settled on Asahi, the only beer on draft. Was disappointed by the lack of highballs, Japanese whiskey, and extremely limited beer selection. They had bottled Hitachino Red Rice Ale but I prefer the Hefeweizen-esque White Nest Ale to pair with meals.
First dishes to come out was the sashimi. The soy sauce was nicely aged and dense. The wasabi freshly grated. The saba (mackerel) was fresh but remarkably plain, with no vinegaring, which is a flavor I normally associate with saba. The hamachi was similar.
Then came out the duck salad, which came with a heap of mizuna and thinly sliced stone fruit. The duck had a nice smokiness to it. Decent but simple dish. The gyoza was served with a crunchy layer on top of the dumplings. They were a bit plain and the wrappers lacked thin delicacy of a similar but better version at Ramen Nagi.
I was a fan of the Yakitori skewers. The Momo with sansho pepper sauce tingled for quite awhile. It was bursting with flavor and the chicken thigh meet cooked to perfection. The Bonjiri had a bit of the crispiness you get from kawa aka chicken skin but a fatty taste within.
The highlight of the meal for me was the Kama Tama Udon. An egg yolk on top of a small mound of fresh udon noodles with a willowy pile of freshly shaved katsuobushi. It had a buttery bonito flavor and the udon noodles had a perfect texture and chewiness.
We also ordered a large fried fish that was described by the waiter as totally consumable, bones and all. I found that some of the bones were not as fried and broken down as expected. So I removed some of them to avoid the misfortune of getting fish bones stuck in my throat.
The Hojicha Panna Cotta was smooth but a bit plain and the Hojicha syrup was very subtle and didn’t carry much Hojicha flavor.
All told, Rintaro had some great Yakitori and a couple of standout dishes such as the Kama Tama Udon. There wasn’t much about the dishes that stood out to me in comparison to Izakayas I’ve been to in Tokyo or even Yakitori Kokko in San Mateo. It was solid but not mindblowing. The lack of highballs, Japanese whiskey and beer selections was disappointing. I will return eventually to try other items on the menu but Rintaro would probably rank in the middle of the pack for dinner recommendations in SF.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
All the way 5 stars ...it is the best Japanese restaurant in neighborhood no question....not like they need me to say but I really appreciate it that is why I am posting
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rintaro has completely captured the spirit of a contemporary izakaya in Japan. The food and drinks are both fantastic, with every dish feeling authentic and incredibly delicious. Sitting at the bar lets you observe the kitchen when sweat hits the stove! It's the perfect place to go if you're looking for an amazing dining experience that will transport you to Tokyo.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Favorite items from tasting menu were sashimi, mapo tofu, and desserts
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came in with high expectations and left satisfied, though slightly underwhelmed. We opted for the tasting menu at $90 per person. The clear standouts were the black cod and chicken katsu—both beautifully executed and full of flavor. One of our friends, who is dairy-free, was served a substitute chicken karaage that ended up being another highlight, though unfortunately it arrived about 20 minutes after the rest of the table’s dishes because the kitchen initially forgot about the restriction.
Service overall was quite slow, which took away from the otherwise strong food.
On the positive side, the atmosphere is excellent: the restaurant is divided into three rooms, each distinct yet authentically Japanese in feel. The ceramic plates and pottery also stood out—elegant and clearly high quality, adding to the experience.
Overall: The food was good, the setting memorable, and the value reasonable. But service was uneven in my opinion
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommend the fish tonkatsu! Skip the cornballs
A reservation is highly recommended—otherwise, you’re looking at least a 30-minute wait, even on a weekday.
You know an Asian restaurant is good when the rice is cooked to perfection. Each grain holds its shape and texture—alive and distinct. I’m pretty sure they use high-quality rice. The Japanese-style mapo tofu was savory with just a hint of sweetness—very well done.
The chicken skewers were tender and flavorful, and the black cod was soft and rich in taste. The cucumber salad on the side was delicately thin-sliced and lightly marinated in a refreshing yuzu dressing—a perfect pairing.
Overall, an excellent dining experience. I would definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
the food was great but most of all i liked how u can tell the workers all liked each other and working there
highlights were the chrysanthemum greens, swimming daikon, panna cotta, cured kombu sashimi
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yosedofu - Excellent texture, very flavorful and refreshing soy bean flavor. Suggest using few drops of sauce, cause it's very concentrate.
San Ten Mori - very fresh. The fresh wasabi was awesome. Blue fin tuna was excellent. The halibut was so sweet. Amazing.
Chicken thigh yakitori - Very interesting marinate. Strong flavor taste like mosquito spray.
Minced chicken meat - Very fluffy, soft and tender. Best yakitori here.
Chicken tender grill - This one is ok. Much lighter flavor.
Grilled mushroom - The sauce is flavorful. Good.
Kurobata Tonkatsu - That's the surprised dish of the night. Very tender, juicy and flavorful. Must
Tomorokoshi Satsumaage - Very good dashi. Flavorful. Fish ball has nice texture
Kama Tama udon - interesting flavor. It's like a dry udon with some sauce.
Tomorokoshi udon - The corn fritter was very good. The udon texture was also very Al dente. Excellent.
Service was very good. Courteous and professional.
Had a lovely evening here with the tasting menu! Very filling. And they even treated us with the plum wine!
A bit too pricey to go back anytime soon though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing tasting menu! Definitely will come back again
Wonderful food with unique and local ingredients. Authentic Japanese yet San Francisco experience. We sat in the outside courtyard, and even though it was a windy day, we were comfortable and warmed by the heaters. We opted for the tasting menu which had most of the things we had wanted to try. The sashimi was exceptional, as delicious as the fish market sashimi in Tokyo. I loved the Chiizu Tori Katsu, cheese being such an unexpected twist to the dish. Tsukuni skewers were likewise very flavorful with the tare dipping sauce. The mabodofu don was so comforting and delicious to end the tasting menu. I would love to return.
Nothing here was particularly mind blowing besides the Panna cotta and yal took insanely long to get our next dish out after the sashimi. 350 for 4 , unreasonable
Was able to reserve a table for two on a Saturday evening by booking a month prior. Make a reminder alert to get a good time and indoor seating.
For birthdays they stamp a little party hat on the octopus featured on the paper menu as a souvenir.
Tips to order: 5-7 plates are recommended if you order a la carte for 2 people. Seasonal set menu is $85 per person as of 5/2025. If you choose for this option, the whole party must opt in.
Food and Service: Food was fresh and presented aesthetically. I personally found multiple dishes too salty. The servers are attentive, describing each dish, and how to eat each dish - when You finish one plate, they clear it shortly after, and deliver the next.
Cleanliness: There was a black speck in the pitcher of water the brought to the table. Once they were made aware, they promptly replaced it. Also, there was an employees who was making fresh udon noodles in the back room. Mid process he dropped the rolling pin on the floor. It made a loud noise. He then picked it up and without cleaning it, proceeded to roll out his udon dough.
Check: sharing 7 plates for two came out to $190, including the 20% gratuity which is already added.
The skewers, oden, and croquettes were reminiscent of Japanese street food. Rintaro does a very tasty rendition that is comforting and savory, yet refined and dainty. I will definitely go back to try the sashimi, udon, and get the hojicha panna cotta again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Maguro No Yukke, Oden Moriawase, Chicken Skewers
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