ROBIN
Ingredients fresh from the markets and a personalized omakase experience are on the agenda at Robin, Hayes Valley’s hottest sushi restaurant. To best enjoy everything the friendly and kind staff have to offer, we recommend the sake pairing with the tasting menu. People who live on the Peninsula take note: Robin has a second location in Menlo Park. 620 Gough St., 415.448.6023, robinomakase.com
ROKA AKOR
While we love the bustling dining room and lively open kitchen upstairs at Roka Akor, there’s something incredibly sexy about the dark bar downstairs. It’s the ideal spot for a date—and it has an exceptional happy hour with $6 spicy tuna handrolls and $5 Sapporos. Who doesn’t love a deal? It’s weekdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. 801 Montgomery St., 415.362.8887, rokaakor.com
Sake mango handrolls with Scottish salmon and yuzu vinaigrette are on the lounge menu at Ozumo. Photo by Kati Ongcharoen
OZUMO
There’s much to love about Ozumo, the happening SoMa eatery serving sensational sushi in a vibrant atmosphere. It features happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, all day on Fridays and from 5 to 7 p.m. on weekends. On Friday and Saturday night, top DJs spin in the sake lounge. Everything from the miso soup to spicy tuna tartare to robata grilled wagyu to lobster rolls with spicy aioli is delicious. We’ve never had a bad meal here. 161 Steuart St., 415.882.1333, ozumosanfrancisco.com
TATAKI
In 2008, three friends opened a small sushi bar in Pacific Heights that sold only environmentally friendly and responsibly sourced seafood. It became the nation’s first sustainable sushi restaurant. Seventeen years later, the seafood selection is as fresh and tasty as ever. We love the sake toro nigiri with salmon belly and the green flash roll with spicy albacore, cucumber, crab meat and avocado crema. 2827 California St., 415.931.1182, tatakisushibar.com
Meticulously plated cuisine is served at Akikos.
Photo by Joseph Weaver
AKIKOS
If we had to recommend just one sushi place for a guaranteed phenomenal meal, it would be Akikos. It’s SF’s first omakase restaurant, originally opened in 1987. Now in a different location, Akikos offers beautiful classic and modern Japanese fare. The setting is chic and sophisticated, the staff is dedicated and inviting, and the beverage program is innovative and thoughtful. 430 Folsom St., 415.397.3218, akikosrestaurant.com
ZUSHI PUZZLE
If you’ve driven down Lombard and wondered about Zushi Puzzle, what are you waiting for? The restaurant has been serving albacore tataki, hamachi nigiri and rolls to hungry customers for as long as we can remember. A favorite is the Romeo and Juliet roll with salmon, avocado, scallop and spicy sauce. 1910 Lombard St., 415.931.9319, zushipuzzle.com
The chef and owner of Akikos and Friends Only, Ray Lee. Photo By Bonjwing Lee
FRIENDS ONLY
Walk down California Street in Nob Hill, and you may come across a tiny, mysterious-looking restaurant. Friends Only is the 10-seat sushi counter that serves as the research and development kitchen for its sister restaurant, Akikos. The team specializes in dry-aging fish, with each catch aged a different amount of time. Thus, you might enjoy an omakase with dishes like 30-day aged otoro, 21-day aged bluefin tuna or seven-day aged tilefish. 1501 California St., @friendsonlysf
SASA
Sasa’s chef and owner, Heida “David” Chen, says, “Nigiri means hold. Each piece of sushi must be made with the chef ’s hand.” He takes the same extreme care to craft his tasting menu omakase as he does his mystery boxes. These chef ’s choice chirashi boxes are ideal to-go options, including sushi rice, sliced sashimi and more. 22 Peace Plaza, Ste. 530, 628.600.6945, sasasf.com
Otoro at Omakase. Photo By Annette Chew
OMAKASE
At Omakase, the team creates impeccable edomae-style sushi. The best fish is served in its purest form, prepared simply with minimal accoutrements. Think hand-pressed nigiri with seafood lightly marinated in vinegar to enhance its umami flavor or kelp cured to create a more refined profile. Expect a sublime sushi journey. 665 Townsend St., 415.865.0633, omakasesf.com
RINTARO
Rintaro is an authentic California izakaya that uses local seasonal ingredients but serves them in the traditional Japanese style. We love everything about this eatery, from its warm wooden decor to its superb Pacific tuna sashimi with Half Moon Bay wasabi. 82 14th St., 415.589.7022, izakayarintaro.com
The bustling dining room at Rintaro. Photo By Aya Brackett
