Unnecessarily hot inside with very poor ventilation. Unpleasant dining experience as a result. Food is just OK, but heavy on sauce. Redeeming quality is that the sashimi is good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 5
Andrew Lam
Incredible sashimi and happy hour
Jun Sekiya
The sashimi at Shirube is absolutely top-notch — incredibly fresh and beautifully presented, with a level of care and attention to detail in every single piece.
Our server, Rozabelle, was exceptionally kind and attentive. She went above and beyond to make our dining experience truly special.
Highly recommend this spot for anyone looking for outstanding Japanese cuisine paired with warm, thoughtful service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Audrey Lustgarten
Absolutely delicious! Very high quality fish, seaweed and other ingredients, creative dishes beautifully presented by kind servers. Had the cucumber salad, poke tacos, corn (amazing!) and sesame panna cotta. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Annie Sanderson
A welcome Japanese spot in Santa Monica. Food is very good and the service is excellent, one of the things I loved is that you can pick your sake cup out of a whole bowl of cups and their sake cups are antique sake cups from Japan, each of them completely different from the other. I thought that was a nice touch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sashimi, Black Cod, Toro Tacos, Crab Sushi Taco
Patrick Artounian
I come towards the end of happy hour often since I work closeby.
Big fan of this being a proper Japanese food restaurant. Most of my visits are great, but on a rare occasion (1/6 times) I’ll notice I got undercooked Karaage or a “Premium Nigiri” dish instead of the standard nigiri dish I ordered. A few dollars more for premium would be fine if I could eat it, however they basically just gave me a shrimp head along with another fish that had a smell & taste that was barely tolerable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Elsa
great fine- quite the food experience. highly recommend it to those who's after a quality food experience-
Erin
What a great find! Loved it! Everything was so delicious. Service excellent. Specials so delicious and unusual. We were out with friends and we all loved it. Will be back!
Opentable Diner
Such a fantastic spot. It's like being transported to Tokyo. The food is delicious, the service is excellent and the ambiance is wonderful!
We've been here a few times before and it never disappoints! Delicious, fresh, thoughtfully prepared.
Katie
amazing Valentine's Day experience!! the waitress was so polite and friendly that truly made the whole experience. the food was outstanding and although the portions are small we left feeling full and happy (without breaking the bank). the negi tofu and the corn ribs were outstanding!! truly such a cool interior with an entire samurai outfit looking down on the restaurant. Will def be back!!
Myrna
An absolute delight! The food, creativity, attention to detail, service and presentation were exceptional. This will be a place to come back to again and again.
Mukund
I visited this Izakaya (similar to a pub or tapas place) in Santa Monica. It's situated right next to a gas station, exuding an unassuming simplicity. This establishment is run by the sons of the founder, who holds the title of “Godfather of modern Izakaya” in Japan. Upon entering, you're immediately transported into a long, rectangular space that's stylishly lit. To your right, you'll find the sushi counter, while to your left, there are tables that can seat two, four, or six people. They offer a happy hour menu, a special sushi menu, and an extensive sake/soju list. We decided to order from the happy hour menu. While you won't find craft cocktails here, you can choose from a variety of Japanese beers or sake. The highlight of our meal was the Mackerel, which was prepared at the table with a blow torch. It was well-curated, tender, and simply melted in our mouths. The corn ribs were also a must-try, featuring baby corn infused in butter. The Karayage (fried chicken) was equally delicious, paired perfectly with the ponzu sauce. The garlic shrimp, which are only available on the happy hour menu, had a delightful crunch thanks to the garlic chili sauce. The service was efficient, the noise level was low, and there was something for everyone on the menu. Parking is available on the street, and the prices are reasonable, especially considering the happy hour menu.
Kory Kappel
I was astonished at how low the prices are for the food quality. One of the cheapest LA restaurants for this quality.
Highlights: dan dan udon, corn on the cob, pork belly taco (SO good for only $6), cod (perhaps best cod I've ever had), wagyu meatballs (sauce is delicious; wish the meat was a little more flavorful)
Wouldn't get again: the fried chicken was meh (seemingly low-quality meat); desserts were disappointing -- ube cheesecake had too much of an offputting sweet potato texture and idk if it even had cheese; Creme brûlée was okay.
One service complaint is we weren't told the meatballs pan was SCORCHING hot and my friend burned his finger on it.
Everything was amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unnecessarily hot inside with very poor ventilation. Unpleasant dining experience as a result. Food is just OK, but heavy on sauce. Redeeming quality is that the sashimi is good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 5
Incredible sashimi and happy hour
The sashimi at Shirube is absolutely top-notch — incredibly fresh and beautifully presented, with a level of care and attention to detail in every single piece.
Our server, Rozabelle, was exceptionally kind and attentive. She went above and beyond to make our dining experience truly special.
Highly recommend this spot for anyone looking for outstanding Japanese cuisine paired with warm, thoughtful service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely delicious! Very high quality fish, seaweed and other ingredients, creative dishes beautifully presented by kind servers. Had the cucumber salad, poke tacos, corn (amazing!) and sesame panna cotta. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A welcome Japanese spot in Santa Monica. Food is very good and the service is excellent, one of the things I loved is that you can pick your sake cup out of a whole bowl of cups and their sake cups are antique sake cups from Japan, each of them completely different from the other. I thought that was a nice touch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sashimi, Black Cod, Toro Tacos, Crab Sushi Taco
I come towards the end of happy hour often since I work closeby.
Big fan of this being a proper Japanese food restaurant. Most of my visits are great, but on a rare occasion (1/6 times) I’ll notice I got undercooked Karaage or a “Premium Nigiri” dish instead of the standard nigiri dish I ordered. A few dollars more for premium would be fine if I could eat it, however they basically just gave me a shrimp head along with another fish that had a smell & taste that was barely tolerable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
great fine- quite the food experience. highly recommend it to those who's after a quality food experience-
What a great find! Loved it! Everything was so delicious. Service excellent. Specials so delicious and unusual. We were out with friends and we all loved it. Will be back!
Such a fantastic spot. It's like being transported to Tokyo. The food is delicious, the service is excellent and the ambiance is wonderful!
Restaurantji Recommends
We've been here a few times before and it never disappoints! Delicious, fresh, thoughtfully prepared.
amazing Valentine's Day experience!! the waitress was so polite and friendly that truly made the whole experience. the food was outstanding and although the portions are small we left feeling full and happy (without breaking the bank). the negi tofu and the corn ribs were outstanding!! truly such a cool interior with an entire samurai outfit looking down on the restaurant. Will def be back!!
An absolute delight! The food, creativity, attention to detail, service and presentation were exceptional. This will be a place to come back to again and again.
I visited this Izakaya (similar to a pub or tapas place) in Santa Monica. It's situated right next to a gas station, exuding an unassuming simplicity. This establishment is run by the sons of the founder, who holds the title of “Godfather of modern Izakaya” in Japan. Upon entering, you're immediately transported into a long, rectangular space that's stylishly lit. To your right, you'll find the sushi counter, while to your left, there are tables that can seat two, four, or six people. They offer a happy hour menu, a special sushi menu, and an extensive sake/soju list. We decided to order from the happy hour menu. While you won't find craft cocktails here, you can choose from a variety of Japanese beers or sake. The highlight of our meal was the Mackerel, which was prepared at the table with a blow torch. It was well-curated, tender, and simply melted in our mouths. The corn ribs were also a must-try, featuring baby corn infused in butter. The Karayage (fried chicken) was equally delicious, paired perfectly with the ponzu sauce. The garlic shrimp, which are only available on the happy hour menu, had a delightful crunch thanks to the garlic chili sauce. The service was efficient, the noise level was low, and there was something for everyone on the menu. Parking is available on the street, and the prices are reasonable, especially considering the happy hour menu.
I was astonished at how low the prices are for the food quality. One of the cheapest LA restaurants for this quality.
Highlights: dan dan udon, corn on the cob, pork belly taco (SO good for only $6), cod (perhaps best cod I've ever had), wagyu meatballs (sauce is delicious; wish the meat was a little more flavorful)
Wouldn't get again: the fried chicken was meh (seemingly low-quality meat); desserts were disappointing -- ube cheesecake had too much of an offputting sweet potato texture and idk if it even had cheese; Creme brûlée was okay.
One service complaint is we weren't told the meatballs pan was SCORCHING hot and my friend burned his finger on it.
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