Taste the Best of San Francisco’s Sushi: Our 2024 List of Must-Visit Restaurants
San Francisco is a vast metropolis, and locating decent places to eat does not like an easy task.
There are diverse options available in its bay, hilly and chilly areas, with huge populations coming from global regions.
Because San Francisco has people living from all across the world, the cuisine recipes here are also a vibrant fusion of multiple global flavors.
The restaurants here range from having an intimate atmosphere to a casual vibe serving fascinating exotic food options like Japanese cuisine in Omakase form.
The several sushi restaurants in San Francisco provide sustainable and local fish offerings alongside various Japanese offerings that are special in Japanese culture.
As San Francisco is one of the best destinations to encounter a completely different culinary experience, it’s worth taking a look at some Japanese restaurants.
That’s why, to help you navigate through endless options, we created this list of some of the best sushi restaurants in San Francisco that you can check out.
The Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco This Year
1. Omakase
Why it’s a must visit?
The Omakase restaurant is one of the busiest and most famous restaurants in San Francisco, and that is definitely an understated gem.
The restaurant specializes in Edomae-inspired cuisine selections providing people with an authentic Japanese dining experience with unique choices.
The restaurant is hard to find anywhere else outside of Tokyo, but this one seems to be God’s gift.
The restaurant has a minimalist and personal setting with only 18 seats and primarily focuses on delivering authentic food.
Chef’s choice
The reason why it’s one of the top-rated sushi restaurants in San Francisco is because of its Michelin star rating, which is also well-deserved.
This diner remains an ideal choice for people who are into gourmet cuisine with delicate Japanese choices.
Some selections here like Wagyu beef, urchin and salmon roe, leave anyone with an unexplainable smile on their face.
Location and Contact
- 665 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94103-4907
- Phone:- +1 415-865-0633
- Email:- info@omakasesf.com
2. Akiko’s Sushi Restaurant
Why it’s a must visit?
The Akiko’s Sushi restaurant is situated in the soul of downtown San Francisco and is only a distance away from Union Square, SOMA and the financial district.
It’s one of the top sushi restaurants in San Francisco that is truly a treasure with its cozy space and delectable lunch and dinner options.
Because it’s such a fancy place, it also requires people to book a reservation beforehand.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant has been operating for more than 30 years and focuses intensely on creating inventive and creative Japanese dishes.
With a deep passion for sustainability by using organic and local ingredients, the restaurant serves quality dishes on the healthier side as well.
The one dish that you should not forget to try here is their sashimi moriawase, which is a fantastic dish that also feels nice with tuna belly and Negitoro.
Location and Contact
- 542A Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94102-1227
- Phone:- +1 415-989-8218
- Email:- akikossushibar@gmail.com
3. Ju-Ni
Why it’s a must visit?
The Ju-Ni restaurant is situated right alongside the popular Divisadero corridor in the proximity of Alamo Square Park in San Francisco.
This restaurant is definitely worth visiting because of its immersive atmosphere and unique approach to curating authentic Japanese dishes.
The restaurant has romantic accents, perfect for dates, with only a 12-table seating area that feels intimate and sophisticated.
Chef’s choice
Everything about this place is top-notch, providing dinner course options through the recommendation of a personal chef.
The chef here guides people in choosing delicious Omakase dishes through their personal choices and preferences.
It has been running since the year 2017, and it’s headed by the Michelin star chef Geoffrey Lee who serves unique nigiri selections that are sourced from Japan itself.
The dishes here are exquisitely paired with their beautiful sake selection and their particular uni, which have a creamy and luscious taste.
Location and Contact
- 1335 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117-5405
- Phone:- +1 415-655-9924
4. Saru Sushi Bar
Why it’s a must visit?
The Saru Sushi Bar restaurant is situated right along the hills of Noe Valley, across a beautiful setting that is truly breathtaking.
It’s one of the great restaurants that features a vibrant atmosphere with top-notch service and a typical Japanese cuisine with Californian influences.
It has become a local favorite of many people in San Francisco because of its soulful fusions.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant enjoys a fusion menu with the dishes like daikon Shishido salad and avocado.
In the same way, they also have various signature rolls in their special roll menu.
Anyone who loves salmon will also love going through their Omakase menu options with various delicious selections.
One of the tastiest appetizers you can try here is their spicy crackers which come with a seaweed cracker that comes slathered with tempura and contains a topping of avocado and spicy tuna.
Location and Contact
- 3856 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94114-3839
- Phone:- +1 415-400-4510
- Email:- akaisarusf@gmail.com
5. KUSAKABE
Why it’s a must visit?
The KUSAKABE restaurant is located right outside Chinatown near the iconic Transamerica pyramid in San Francisco.
It’s one of the nicest restaurants to enjoy Zen-inspired sushi choices inside a chic atmosphere.
The restaurant uses various fascinating techniques to enrapture its visitors with five tastes, five colors, five methods and five senses to make sure they get a harmonic and enjoyable fine dining experience.
Chef’s choice
Chef Mitsunori Kusakabe spearheads the restaurant, which was actually trained in Tokyo and Osaka with a specialization in edomae-styled sushi dishes.
The restaurant is stunning inside and out, with a former 5-star Michelin star rating that has ultimately made it one of the must-eat places to enjoy sushi in San Francisco.
The restaurant uses a seasonal menu in using Kaiseki cuisine influences in preparing its mouthwatering dishes.
Location and Contact
- 584 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94111-2929
- Phone:- +1 415-757-0155
- Email:- info@kusakabe-sf.com
6. Wako
Why it’s a must visit?
The Wako restaurant is situated at Clement Street at the heart of Richmond district in San Francisco.
People who are speculating about where to eat exquisite Asian cuisine with a cozy atmosphere should definitely put this restaurant at the top of their list.
The restaurant has a convenient space with a cozy interior and terrific service that also has won a Michelin star rating.
Chef’s choice
With excellence in crafting traditional Japanese dishes, this restaurant focuses on exciting cuisine creations.
Every dish here is a masterpiece in every form, be it flavor, color and even consistency, as genius chefs make it.
The Omakase menu here is likely one of the best in all of Francisco with exceptional sake pairing options.
One can also choose to sit right next to the bar to keep interacting with the chef and experience a fabulous fine dining experience.
Location and Contact
- 211 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118-2407
- Phone:- +1 415-682-4875
- Email:- sushiwakosf@gmail.com
7. The Shota
Why it’s a must visit?
The Shota restaurant is located near Belden place in the financial district of San Francisco.
It’s an elegant and traditional sushi restaurant near me, with a pearly space and opulent gold details, that is one of the fanciest ever!
Everything about this place is breathtaking, and with its flavorsome Japanese options, it’s also one of the best family restaurants for sushi in San Francisco.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant is heaven on earth with food near me delicacies like Edomae-inspired Omakase dishes with various incredible Kaiseki-inspired offerings.
All of their special Omakase delicacies come right from the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, which is why the taste has such an authentic feel to it.
Another recommendation that we would highly suggest for you is to try their wagyu beef as an add-on option which is perfect for finishing every meal.
Location and Contact
- 115 Sansome St, San Francisco, CA 94104, United States
- Phone:- +1 628-224-2074
- Email:- info@theshotasf.com
8. Robin
Why it’s a must visit?
The Robin restaurant is just a few blocks away from Jefferson Park in San Francisco, which has a modern and bright space taking on traditional sushi recipes.
The restaurant deviates from the norms of a traditional restaurant by showcasing dishes from every regional influence.
With its executive chef Robin taking things into his hands, the restaurant is truly a masterpiece for crafting delicate Japanese dishes.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant is exceptional in every form, with its vibrant backdrop and traditional skills used by the chefs in creating authentic Japanese offerings.
With a combination of using local ingredients and modern techniques to create a personalized experience for every customer, the restaurant wins a top rating.
It’s worth knowing that every single chef here is exceptionally well trained in also accommodating needs like allergies, preferences and budget.
For example, if you want to try delicious meals at cheap rates, then this restaurant will offer you the best selections.
Any foodie will absolutely love this place because of its heartwarming atmosphere, delicious cuisine and courteous service.
Location and Contact
- 620 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102-3106
- Phone:- +1 415-548-2429
- Email:- HELLO@ROBINSANFRANCISCO.COM
9. Tekka Japanese Restaurant
Why it’s a must visit?
The Tekka Japanese restaurant has a central location in the serene area of the Richmond neighborhood and offers an intimate and homey dining experience.
The restaurant is one of the cool places to eat sushi in San Francisco with a personalized dining experience and Izakaya-styled offerings.
The restaurant is run by a husband and wife who are actually from Japan and create the tastiest late-night meals inspired by various Japanese regions.
Chef’s choice
It’s important to remember that this restaurant does not provide typical Japanese or American meals but unconventional dishes.
Therefore, it’s perfectly fine to visit this place if one wants to try experimental cuisine with dishes like sweet teriyaki chicken, but no conventional drinks like coke are available here.
It’s a promising restaurant that serves exceptional meals inside its pub-like cozy space, which has become a favorite of many local people.
Location and Contact
- 537 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94118-3822
- Phone:- +1 415-221-8455
10. Eiji
Why it’s a must visit?
The Eiji restaurant is situated near the Castro district, right across from the Sanchez elementary school in San Francisco.
It’s a pretty casual restaurant for anyone looking for authentic sushi dining, with no need for reservations to be made beforehand.
The restaurant has a very humble setting with only six tables and chairs and remains an extremely popular choice for sushi lovers to visit.
As it is one of the most famous sushi restaurants in San Francisco, it has a long queue of people waiting for their turn to come to sit and down here.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant delights the hearts of sushi lovers with specialized homemade tofu with other exceptional dishes.
Their gyoza is one of the best dishes one can try here, with other top-notch sushi dishes like tuna.
Everything here is thoughtfully prepared so that you don’t get confused between the many vibrant options.
Location and Contact
- 317 Sanchez St, San Francisco, CA 94114-1615
- Phone:- +1 415-558-8149
11. PABU Izakaya San Francisco
Why it’s a must visit?
The PABU Izakaya San Francisco restaurant is situated in the financial district and remains one of the most professional places to enjoy sushi.
This restaurant has various imaginative food influences that surprise people with its assorted collection of wide sake drinks.
It’s an exceptional sushi restaurant and bar with various lunchtime specials that professionals love to visit for quick bites.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant has excellent happy hour options and provides unique traditional hot dishes like miso-marinated black cod.
The restaurant also excels in gourmet varieties like chargrilled steak, which is perfect for meat lovers.
On the other hand, in the sushi section, one can also experiment with innovative culinary roll offerings like shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy tuna, pine nut and a lot more fusions.
Location and Contact
- 101 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
- Phone:- +1 415-535-0184
- Email:- events-sf@pabuizakaya.com
12. Cha-Ya
Why it’s a must visit?
The Cha-Ya restaurant is situated in a trendy and diverse mission district in San Francisco.
The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and is completely vegetarian.
It’s one of the best family restaurants for sushi in San Francisco, with a focus on Shojin Ryori cooking techniques, which is the heart of Japanese Buddhist cuisine.
Chef’s choice
A lot of people think that the vegetarian choices here might be typical of Japanese culture, but the alternatives here are superb.
For example, even though the restaurant lacks in providing raw fish delicacies, its menu still has mouthwatering and filling delicacies.
Like its meaty mushrooms, it makes for a good meat alternative and other specialty items like rolls containing carrot, yam, asparagus and avocado with light tempura fried batter.
Location and Contact
- 762 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110-1735
- Phone:- +1 415-252-7825
- Email:- info@ChaYaSF.com
13. SaSa Japanese
Why it’s a must visit?
The SaSa Japanese restaurant is one of the great sushi restaurants situated inside a shopping complex on the third floor of Japantown mall.
The restaurant specializes in offering delicious traditional Kaiseki-style dishes with American influencers.
The restaurant has a warm and intimate atmosphere, extremely famous among youngsters, because of its bright space and cozy atmosphere.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant is perfect for visiting in large groups, with sushi delicacies that come with a lot of flavors and power.
Its Omakase menu is worth checking out, with mouth-melting fish delicacies like chawanmushi.
The chawanmushi contains traditional egg custard so that one can fully appreciate and relish every flavor of the dish.
Location and Contact
- 22 Peace Plaza suite 530, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States
- Phone:- +1 628-600-6945
14. Sushi Shio
Why it’s a must visit?
The Sushi Shio restaurant is one of the most opulent and famous diners in the Mission District in San Francisco.
It’s a splendid and high-end Omakase diner that has delicate touches of Korean along with Japanese flavors.
Alex Kim is the executive chef here, who imports his fish from Japan and creates top-quality sushi and sashimi, which are hard to match anywhere else.
Chef’s choice
The offerings here, like always, are divine in flavor and also showcases people a lovely La carte menu.
The bluefin tuna remains one of the crowd’s favorite choices here, which melts in the mouth as soon as one takes a bite.
But if you feel like you want to go for their Omakase section, make sure to supplement it with their Wagyu beef and white truffle.
Location and Contact
- 206 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103-2318
- Phone:- +1 415-529-1030
- Email:- contact@sushishiosf.com
15. Ebisu Restaurant
Why it’s a must visit?
The Ebisu restaurant is nestled in the central Golden Gate park right next to the famous San Francisco landmark.
This restaurant has been operating for more than 30 years and has become one of the best business meeting dining spots in San Francisco.
Thankfully, this diner has been run by the same families who first established it and always remains a top choice among the best places to eat sushi in San Francisco.
Other than that, it’s worth noting that this place has a casual feel to it with no dress code.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant offers tons of vibrant bento boxes and hot dishes at cheap prices.
The creative sushi offerings here tantalize the taste birds with their unique inclusions and fun inventions.
Our personal suggestion would go for their 49 roll which contains lemon, salmon and fish roe.
Another great one is their double hamachi roll, which contains authentic Japanese amberjack and Ebisu, which blends incredibly well.
Location and Contact
- 1283 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122-2306
- Phone:- +1 415-566-1770
- Email:- info@ebisusushi.com
16. Sushi Zone
Why it’s a must visit?
The Sushi Zone restaurant is situated in the heart of San Francisco, next to the Duboce Triangle neighborhood.
It’s one of the most famous restaurants to enjoy local sushi that is also a hit among the residents of San Francisco.
Every night, the restaurant introduces filling dishes that come with speedy service and delicious sushi choices.
Chef’s choice
Because of the passionate approach of its executive chef Yoshinobu, this restaurant creates some of the most excellent delicacies unlike anywhere else.
With its relaxed space and authentic Japanese offerings, familiar dishes like miso soup and edamame taste amazing.
Other additional seafood-style dishes one can try here are their spicy scallops and tasty papaya roll.
Location and Contact
- 1815 Market St Ste 5 Pearl St, San Francisco, CA 94103-1107
- Phone:- +1 415-621-1114
17. Sushi Delight
Why it’s a must visit?
The Sushi Delight restaurant is a casual sushi dining establishment that is known for its delicious Japanese cuisine options.
This restaurant is a crowd favorite of many people because of its easy delivery and dining space.
It has one of the most excellent AYCE options in all of San Francisco, which are also given at a cheap fixed price.
Because it’s so reasonably priced, it remains highly populated with people almost all the time of the day, and the place is also tiny.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant gives off a sense of Izakaya vibes and makes it feels like one is enjoying Japanese cuisine in Japan itself.
The choices here are outstanding, with sashimi and roll options; they come in large portions and are pretty fulfilling.
It’s also an ideal place to celebrate birthdays, with dishes like sake bombs, rainbow rolls, and heavy sauces that come with a reasonably priced tag.
Location and Contact
- 1946 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102-6228
- Phone:- +1 415-621-3622
18. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
Why it’s a must visit?
The Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ restaurant defines delicious when it comes to one of the high-end sushi restaurants in San Francisco.
It’s an ideal choice for those who like tasting sushi in grilled forms with a very warm and cozy atmosphere.
The meat options here are freshly served, and the lunch menu here is also spending, with various familiar options.
It’s a typical 5-star restaurant when it comes to tasty buffet options, as everything here creates a special connection between the chef and the guests.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant’s eclectic menu offers delicious Japanese BBQ food options.
Their meat here has a very juicy and fresh taste, with lunch dishes like veggie balls and yummy miso soup making for a brilliant way to begin the day.
They have tons of bibimbap, juicy beef, spicy tuna, and other tasty shrimp and kimchi choices that come overflowing with flavors.
It is highly suggested that one book a reservation here beforehand, as the seats, go out of reserve quickly.
Location and Contact
- 855 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103-3009
- Phone:- +1 415-757-0905
- Email:- social@gyu-kaku.com
19. Eat Sushi Restaurant
Why it’s a must visit?
The Eat Sushi Restaurant restaurant is, without a doubt, one of the best sushi restaurants in San Francisco.
The interior of the restaurant is aesthetically pleasing.
It’s a lovely dining spot for sushi fanatics who like eye-catching places serving tasty Japanese food choices.
This restaurant might be a bit fancy, but it is worth visiting, as it serves high-end sushi dishes which one might have never heard of.
Chef’s choice
Seafood lovers would love the quality that this diner offers in providing the freshest sushi and sashimi choices.
Every dish here is extremely tasty; with quality dishes like dragon roll and Folsom roll.
Besides its sushi, ramen, nigiri, and sashimi options, it’s also a perfect place for a night out as it has a bit of a hip and artsy feel to it.
It’s not only just the thrilling atmosphere that enamors people but also its beautifully plated dishes that get lots of positive feedback.
Location and Contact
- 1516 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103-3721
- Phone:- +1 415-355-1288
- Email:- dragon-situ@hotmail.com
20. Kui Shin Bo
Why it’s a must visit?
The Kui Shin Bo restaurant is a cozy family-owned Japanese diner that is famous for its soulful Japanese meals.
It’s a humble restaurant that serves quality sushi delicacies and is suitable for coming during the colorful cherry blossom festival.
It has a pretty cozy interior with a modest setting that stays true to the Japanese essence of simplicity.
Chef’s choice
This restaurant is a perfect choice for those who like enjoying authentic Japanese delicacies with light and wholesome flavors.
Their peppercorn duck leg noodle is a pretty yummy dish that also comes with a light and energizing flavor.
The exclusive lunch prices here have also made it a terrific dining place in San Francisco, with options like Ramen, light salad, white and brown rice, and miso soup selections.
Their vegetarian Ramen is perfect for vegetarian lovers as it contains a savoury broth containing various healthy choices like food, assorted veggies, and croquettes that come in crispy forms.
If you want to stick with something fishy, then their spicy salmon roll will make for a perfect choice.
Location and Contact
- 22 Peace Plz Ste 535, San Francisco, CA 94115-3631
- Phone:- +1 415-922-9575
21. Warakubune
Why it’s a must visit?
The Warakubune restaurant is a bright sushi restaurant that has a stylish conveyor belt set.
It’s a crowd-friendly dining spot with over 15 years of exceptional service in delivering people delicious sushi selections.
The boat and the conveyor set-up of this diner are perfect for trying something unique and experimental.
It’s perfect for having a lazy meal, with a boat-like train set up that becomes quite a fun dining experience for anyone.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant serves flavorsome spicy white tuna with other yummy varieties like agedashi tofu bowl and crispy gyozas.
On the other hand, the food here is served tight, and the sushi section here is pretty simple with typical selections.
It’s the cocktails that add a bit of excitement to the feast with its signature revolving bar and drinks like sake which are a good option.
Location and Contact
- 307 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94114-1718
- Phone:- +1 415-252-8383
22. Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar
Why it’s a must visit?
Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar is a vintage and nicely decorated wooden furnished eatery with a vibrant sushi menu and tasty draft beers.
The sushi selections here are terrific and are given with high quality, a tasty and flavorsome variety that is truly impressive.
It also has a piano in the middle of the hallway, which gives a soothing essence to the place, ultimate for fine dining.
Even though the plating here is not as great as one might expect, its soulful location on the other side with a DJ makes it an exciting place to come to with friends.
Chef’s choice
Soft-shell crab and other light appetizers, like octopus, are the major star of the menu and have a crazy taste.
Besides all that, their salmon skin sashimi and tasty dessert options here are fantastic and blend quite well with their glowing ambiance.
Because of such a terrifying menu and speedy service, the restaurant remains populated almost every single day, so be prepared for a long queue during weekends.
Location and Contact
- 619 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94102-1020
- Phone:- +1 415-775-1028
23. Daigo Sushi
Why it’s a must visit?
The Daigo Sushi restaurant is situated on Clement Street in San Francisco, which is also known as the other Chinatown because of its vast amount of Asian markets located nearby.
Anyone who has come to travel to San Francisco should absolutely visit this restaurant as it nears various vibrant shops and markets with Asian restaurants located nearby.
It has an unassuming space with a fascinating neighborhood joint and plane tabletops with beer ads stuck on the windows.
Even though it might seem like a pretty casual restaurant, it’s still worth stopping by, as the food here is one of the best in San Francisco.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant serves reasonably priced dishes with some of the best sushi rolls one might have ever tasted.
By focusing on quality and not decor, the restaurant has won the hearts of many local people in San Francisco and continues to entice them.
The restaurant serves various homemade ingredients like soy sauce with perfectly seasoned California rolls, nigiri and real crab as its main items.
It is definitely one of the most loved sushi places in San Francisco that is also a local gem.
Final Thoughts
San Francisco seems like Mecca when it comes to delicious Japanese food offerings through various places to eat.
The iconic streets, landmarks, neighborhoods and Golden Gate bridge, with a diverse population, have made San Francisco a centerpiece in the cuisine game.
It’s a fabulous place to sweep through the streets and enjoy various dining establishments that always has something to delight you with.
The food creations here that are made in exciting ways and fabulous fusions delight any sushi lover in exponential ways.
It’s like finding Japan on earth because of so many authentic sushi food offerings that have made a space in the hearts of sushi lovers.
That’s why it’s worth checking out our list of some of the best sushi restaurants in San Francisco that have a reputed image.
Faqs
San Francisco is without a doubt one of the central places for enjoying varieties of sushi options. The Omakase experiment in San Francisco is one of the finest in all of US with an array of options.
