Ozumo - San Francisco

Went to Ozumo for dinner while in SF on business. Dinner was very good, but not quite as impressive as Morimoto. Very good sushi, some great dishes. Ordered the Omakase which they menu says includes Sake pairings. Got the bill and we were charged for each pairing. The claim was the we misread the menu, that the additional cost for the pairings was impled. If that is the case, steps need to be taken to make this more clear, since you can't undrink $90 worth of sake.

I had some of the best sushi I've had in this town. Everything was exceptionally fresh. I also had the Saki sampler and all the sakis were...

My husband took me here for an anniversary dinner. The decor is really cool, and the food is also very good. We went ahead and ordered the s...

Ozumo has good, fresh sushi. I went there with my office colleagues and we enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. I especially like the unagi ...

Great food and crowd, always a good time. I like that there is a fun lounge area in addition to the more brightly lit restaurant area.

We love this place. it's moderate to highly priced, but the food it top notch. Great selection of sushi and sashimi, and also delicious hot ...

Ozumo Sushi is the total package for a night out. From an after work happy hour to a romantic evening with that special someone, Ozumo's ambiance certainly caters to San Fransisco's finest. There is a vibe in the air which promotes good times. I was recently introduced to Ozumo's through a friend and was blown away with the sake selection and the amazing sushi. To top the experience off the owners even joined us for a quick drink. I'm hooked.

I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed at all in Ozumo. The online reviews and the Open Table reservation option made it win my vote. My husband and I went there for a romantic dinner to begin a romantic weekend in San Francisco, and it set the tone. The food was delicious. The variety they offer, including sushi, small plates, entrees, local produce specials, salads and appetizers was wonderful. We decided we deserved a splurge since we're coming from the suburbs and thus tried things from most of the "genres." The best dish I had was the Kaisen Nuta, a plate of 5 mini sunomono salads covered with one of 5 types of sashimi, from hamachi to tako. My husband was pleasantly surprised to find that his favorite dish was the tuna nigiri; two pieces and he wanted more. As for the atmosphere, the restaurant was uncrowded at 6 on a Friday, (we scored a table in the back with a great view), but the bar was busy and looked like fun. The decor was contemporary Asian, as others ... Read more

Ozumo's is the best place for sushi - hands down! The food is amazing, the ambiance is hip, trendy, and sheek, and the service is unparalled. Ozumo's is the place to go if you want good sushi, variety, good saki selection. I've been there on dates and on girls night out, and also good sushi after a movie. My experiences have been nothing but perfect!

From the moment I walked into this exquisitely humble restaraunt I was greeted with a "hello", a head nod, a "welcome", or a japanese phrase by every single employee I crossed whether they were at a table or not. The staff has a way of making you feel very VIP from the valet to the manager retrieving our coat check. I've been a server in the Napa Valley for many years and have just moved to SF to continue in this industry. Restaraunts are a second nature to me, a home away from home. Being taken care of without knowing anyone to "hook it up" is exceptional and comforting. The food: simply delicious. Although expensive and quaintly portioned, I enjoyed my entire meal. There were three of us, all in the industry. The reason for the absence of my 5th star is the service we experienced. Our server, whose name was David, started out by asking if we had dined previously at Ozumo. After saying this was our first time he proceeded to tell us that they "kick a$$ here" and that he would "show u... Read more

This is the place where I met my husband for the very first time! It has a very nice ambiance, great food and service. I highly recommend it to people who want a place that has a varied menu. They also have private rooms available and they will help with small gatherings. Enjoy!

This is a great place to dine at. I don?t really care much eat around The Embarcadero, but I?m glad I tried this place out. When you first walk into Ozumo the hostess greets you by saying welcome in Japanese. Just as if you were in a regular restaurant in Japan. And it didn?t stop there. From the time I walked through the door to the time I got to my seat, every person that worked there welcomed me to the restaurant. I couldn?t nod my head fast enough to acknowledge them let alone say ?Hi? to all of them. And when I got to my seat, the waitress I had was really cool. Not only was she very attentive to my needs, but also she was cool enough to answer personal questions I asked her. Nothing like if she had a boyfriend or anything like that. Just questions about her heritage and where she learned her Japanese. I first had to order some Sushi while I was there. And the Sushi I got was pretty good considering I'm not too big on seafood. The Octopus had great flavor and texture to it. And th... Read more

This is a lousy restaurant. Inside its pretty exterior is an ugly heart of nasty sushi and bad service. I was here for a pre-bachlorette party dinner and the waiter was rude, rude, rude. It is overpriced and overrated. The $15 Dragon Roll tasted like I bought it for $2 and even the miso soup, (How do you mess up miso soup and then charge $5 for it?!?) was disgusting; it was chalky and salty. I eat sushi all the time (3 to 4 times a week) and I have never minded paying sometimes up to $80 worth of sushi. I make $9 an hour people. But I love sushi and I will pay for quality. This place robbed me. Robbed me of a good dinner (I could have eaten more and enjoyed the food more at a freakin' FRIDAYS it was so bad) and of my hard earned money. I will say that perhaps we were getting treated the way we were because of our ages (as we were all under 21) but that is no excuse for the poor treatment and definitely not an excuse for bad food. Stay away from this place.

Loved the food, hated the crowd (too many Paris-Hilton-wannabes for me). Get lots of appetizers/small plates and share!

Arriving late on Friday night I didn't expect we'd get reservations anywhere, but our concierge @ the Hyatt was able to get us one within 10min of our request (9:45pm). Its a 5 minute stroll (2 blocks) from the Hyatt/Ferry building and fairly safe. Upon arrival the hostess apologized as the party before us, still had not vacated the table as expected. We had a drink in the bar before being seated ~15min after our arrival. ATMOSPHERE: Dark and uber-cool. I felt like I was back in a Vegas ultra lounge. The bar was loud (they have a DJ) and packed with beautiful people. Drinks were strong and prompt. The Dining area is in the back and is very classy, modern, minimal design- Clean & tables were close together, but not uncomfortable. SERVICE: Our server was prompt and friendly and had great recommendations - but I don't remember his name. FOOD: We ordered the softshell crab roll and asked for cream cheese to be added - turned out to be one of the best we've ever had. We ordered ... Read more

First, I must say that Japanese food is my most knowledgeable sector. I am full japanese, have lived in japan, and have relatives that own pretty well known places in japan. I have worked at japanese restaurants, and eat out Japanese all the time. So here it is: My first encounter with this restaurant was with 3 of my girlfriends for a birthday. The waitress was Very knowledgeable with the menu, sake pairings, and cocktails. The wait for the food was normal; being it a busy weekend. Soybeans- much more flavorful than any other restaurants in the U.S. People, soybeans are supossed to have FLAVOR, not just a humdrum plate on your table. The squash soup was okay, and the rolls of sushi were okay. The Futago was excellent. eggplant on bottom, spinach, then a slice of filet on top with a sesame sauce dribbled. the Black cod (gindara) was also excellent. the melts-in-your mouth meat with the light taste which does not over power the fish was DELICIOUS. We also got the gyu filet. coo... Read more

I've been here three times now and have been disappointed all three times. I love sushi, love love love it, but not from here. I've lived in Japan and Hawaii and have had some of the best sushi in the world including from Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. Ozumo's fish seems just okay in quality, and rolls are always a sloppy mess and seem quite generic, nothing original. The spicy scallop roll was not spicy at all, and all rolls we had were very rice-heavy, fish-light. This last time I had the hamachi carpaccio. Three small discs of hamachi, oodles and oodles of browned avocado (left out a little too long?), and one tiny tomato = $15. Sashimi and nigiri can also be a bit sloppy looking and inconsistent, and forget the nice garnishes, I think they sacrifice presentation for speed. Now I dig the scene here. Very cool bar, cocktails sound interesting, but the drinks are usually quite weak and again overpriced. The bartender was very cool. While she didn't seem to know much about their... Read more

bar is awesome the food is great and everyone working there are very nice and helpful. i ditched half a wedding cuz it was right next door to ozumo!

I love, love, love Ozumo! It is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. They have excellent, fresh sushi and a variety of drinks to choose from. It is a bit expensive but it is soooo worth it!

Had dinner there with 2 work friends based on recommendation by the W hotel concierge. We showed up a little early and were told we will have to wait for our reservation time to be sitting so we decided to grab a drink at their bar. They have interestingly sounding cocktails but my friend was a little disappointed at the taste. It turned out to be a lot less exotic than he expected. We were offered a great table. The very back of the rest has tall windows looking out the bay. Our table was on the far-right corner of the restaurant delivering a fantastic view of the Bay Bridge (great feature). While the location might throw you off at first, the view is definitely worth it. I would recommend the Seaweed salad and the Sushi since that's what we ordered. Have not tried the rest of the menu but for certain we were not disappointed by the fish we ordered. The Ambiance is very nice, the staff was helpful yet discreet and the light was just the right level. Your visit to their bathroom wi... Read more

With its dimly lit atmosphere and trendy decor, Ozumo is definitely a great spot for young hipster crowds. This trendy restaurant does charge an arm and a leg for its small delicate dishes, but if you order the right stuff- it's worth it. Almost. Until you have to pay those car payments + insurance. And rent. Anyway, if you're about to make the jump of throwing $200-300 on a meal for two, the restaurant offers a nice array of sushi make (rolls) as well as an even larger selection of nigiri sushi (sashimi). Usually, trendy + high priced does not always equal fresh + high quality, but in this case, Ozumo definitely has it all: high priced fresh high quality fish/beef housed in a whole lotta trendy :o) One of my favorite dishes is the "Sakura beef" (beef carpaccio). Freshest beef carpaccio ever. My boyfriend and I were having dinner there one night, and as we were leaving we ran into some acquaintances of ours occupying the kotatsu room. After saying our quick hello while having a... Read more

Great location, fantastic fresh fish, and great selection of sake. Unfortunately, our server, Kate S. was patronizing and stand-offish. She needs to be schooled in manners and understand that the customer comes first. Also, I noticed a lot of the staff having conversations with each other and not focused on the tables. Otherwise, the place was great but the poor/snotty service prevent me from giving it a Highly Recommended.

This place is great to grab a few drinks and hang out at the bar; or bring a date and head to the back where the sushi bar is to grab a small table, placed by the window overlooking the lit Bay Bridge. It's a great view of the Bridge; however, it's more of an enclosed view because you're in the restaurant; still a great view. The sushi is great, smaller portions but still pretty good and quite fresh. Service was great as well and the ambiance is modern, clean, lit and nearly the entire restaurant was full when I ate there.

A friend recently took me to ozumo. If you?re headed for dinner?be prepared for super-hi decibels, super-hi prices for small plates and a scene bustling with hipsters trying to out-hip each other. The restaurant is a scene from Sex-in-the-City, no doubt. You have to be in the mood to be a part of that to enjoy the experience. You also have to be ready to afford the experience. My friend and I (2 ppl) easily racked up a $150+ bill by ordering 1 mixed drink, 4 small plates to share, and 1 fondue + tip?it was a light meal. The food was certainly good, and folks aren?t joking when they say that just a glance at your waitress will bring some great service to your table. Be honest if you haven?t been to the restaurant before, because you?ll get an awesome tour of the menu and some great tips on what to order. But I didn?t like having to shout at my friend who was sitting right next to me?I couldn?t hear half of our conversation. And the food wasn?t SO good that I walked aways withou... Read more

Service was exemplary -- a mere glance (in crowded conditions) would bring our waiter immediately. We had unusual requests and asked for off-menu items (which were prepared for us), and were pleased with the entirety of our dining experience. Food was exceptionally well prepared, fresh, and delicious. Presentation was perfect -- thankfully NOT the increasingly tiresome Euro-California nonsense of height and dazzle, but rather the traditional elegantly simple Japanese style. The reasonable dent in my American Express card was worth every penny.

don't get me wrong - the sushi was good. it's just i have had just as good sushi and paid significantly less elsewhere. the restaurant is very trendy and the bar is an obvious hot spot. i really enjoyed the sake flights, too. however, we ordered edamame, which never came. and then a special house roll, which was good - but not worth the $20 it cost us. we asked the waitress to have the chef do an omakase for two at the $150 level. we were interested in quality, not quantity we told her. she claimed there were super special fish on the plate, but it was hard to see them through all the maguro, hirame and sake (yawn). the most exotic thing i could taste was the uni and there was only a blob of that. all told we got out of there for $320 for two people, which could have been three dinners at another place with less 'tude and just as good food.

I love sushi and as far as the food goes, Ozumo's got to be one of the best I've had in SF. My date knew the place and ate there quite often, for he lived literally across the street in one of those tall waterfront highrise buildings. Our first date was there, which was my first time there. We were seated at a window table in the back dining area, which was great because it's pretty loud towards the front. The food was excellent, the sushi was fresh and the chocolate fondue is to die for...even better when you're feeding each other :-) And our service was great and prompt. We had a wonderful time at Ozumo. My next couple of visits were not bad as well. However, we sat towards the front because we did not call in a reservation so we took what we could get. Service was slower, but the food was still good and yes, portions are pretty small. If you're on a date, definitely reserve a table in the dining area towards the back and if you're out with friends, sitting up front may be more to... Read more

We order some take out from Ozumo. The atmosphere was nice and pleasant. The food was just okay, but the service was HORRIBLE. Everyone we encountered there just had way too much attitude.

We went here for a business lunch and everything was so fresh and delicious! Try the garlic edamame! I don't think it's on the menu so you just have to ask for it. It's true that this place is overpriced and I probably wouldn't come here for date night with my boyfriend. But for a special occasion, I'd definitely be up for some of their specials since everything we tried had great balance of flavors and the fresh kampachi sashimi did not disappoint!

the decor is amazing and the overall ambience is really fun and creates a good vibe. but besides from that the sushi is completely average, nothing special and the other food is not that great either. it is very trendy and there is a lounge and a dj.

overpriced, tiny portions,clueless service, no vibe. Boring. Why would anytime ever go to this restaurnat when there are so many great spots in town ?

My wife and I had dinner here while on a getaway to the City. We thought the prices were too high, but had a very positive experience. Great food and good service with a nice table by the window. I later decided to get two gift certificates for a couple of my clients. I charged them over the phone and was promised they'd go out in that day's mail. When they did not arrive, I made numerous calls over the course of two weeks trying to get new certificates sent. Repeatedly, I was routed to different staff memebers, each as unhelpful as the first. I was promised a return call from a manager. That never happened. Finally, feeling like a loser for putting up with the total lack of service, I called to get a refund. I was told the manager was very busy and could not talk to me. Yeah, luckily I'm not busy or I wouldn't be able to make these daily calls! After I lost it, I was promised a prompt call-back. I never heard from them. I feel obligated to warn others not to patronize Ozumo, a restaur... Read more

Seems like the reviews here are very mixed. I've been to Ozumo probably half a dozen times for dinner. The sushi has been consistently good, but my wife and I stick to sushi/sashimi only, so I can't speak about the other dishes. There are certain dishes that I haven't seen elsewhere like an ise-ebi (lobster) sashimi presented with gold flakes which I haven't seen since NYC or Japan. I do agree that service at the bar can be very slow, but the lounge does a hefty amount of business so that could be a reason but not an excuse.

Although the drinks, service, and delicious sake were great, my party and I spent $40 per person for teeny tiny portions and left hungry. When will these restaurants get the hint? We can get GREAT food for a fair price in a trendy atmosphere, so why would we continue to throw money down the drain by eating at Ozumo? This will be out of business eventually. Oh, also, they do not service coffee. Who doesn't serve coffee after dinner!!!!

I've been to Ozumo a couple of times for drinks after work and it doesn't disappoint. They have interesting drink specials. Try the Geisha Moon - a mixture of Vodka and Lychee juice with some other fruit-type puree - absolutely lovely. If you're going on a Friday, try to arrive before 6pm before the crowds swarm in to be sure you get seated promptly. There's valet parking for $10. street parking isn'[t too difficult but you do have to feed your meter every 30 minutes.

We were skeptical about going to this place because of some pretty bad reviews here, but we needed a new fancy sushi place in SF for business related dinners. The sushi was very average and overpriced for the quality. My wife is from Japan and claims she's a sushi connoisseur says the sushi quality and freshness was very average. The toro was $10 for 2 pieces and it wasn't even the right part of the toro. It was the very lean part (an oxymoron since toro means "fatty tuna"). Everything else was so-so even in my opinion. I've had better sushi at Blowfish, Noriega Teriyaki (believe it or not, this place is pretty good and very reasonable), Sushi Groove, and Yoshi's. Our waiter was actually very good so no complaints there. A lot of other people claimed bad service but we didn't experience that. BTW, they have a full bar. This IS NOT one of those "no liquor license" japanese/korean venues that only offer beer/sake/sochu/soju (blah). They had a good selection of whiskys/scotch a... Read more

A party of two, we sat 40 minutes past our reservation time, with no more than a light apology from the manager/hostess. We were told our table was occupied by VIP, with details on who he is and what he drives, meanwhile other parties were seated before us. As a server and ex-manager I feel her apology should have been followed with an offer to start us with an app at the bar or even a round of drinks. Once seated, service was friendly and prompt, though the quality of the sushi I have found many other places for half the price. For two of us dinner was $100, partly satiated and completely sober...

right off the bat, was confronted by such an obnoxious host...with a major stick up his a_$! i was meeting a friend for drinks and then dinner, and walked up without a reservation. oh my god you would have thought i had 3 heads based on the aghast look he gave me. "WHAT? No reservation??" then a deep, long, pitying sigh from him. somehow he managed to find us a spot (lo and behold the restaurant was pretty empty). anyway, the food was just average, and late, and even wrong. then the bill was outrageous, and they charged us for things we didn't order! i hereby vow NEVER again to set foot in this place and will tell all my friends to do the same. i have no idea how it got a "9.1" rating on citysearch, but PLEASE don't believe the hype. stay away!!!

I thought coming to a place like Ozumo that I would get supreme service, but I was wrong. Not only did our waitor have items on our bill that wasn't ours, but everyone got their food at different times, and even one person didn't receive theres at all! I was highly disappointed and upset. I was asked to me accomodated but nothing was done. They had even cleared the whole table before that last person got their meal; so we had one person eating solo. Horrible! I've even tried to contact the manager, but they have yet to reply. The food was average and the service was horrific! Despite the ambience and well stocked bar, I would never ever go there again.

Went there after work, and I guess they have a happy hour in the bar area, which had about 10 minutes left! No one would even talk to us, or even look in our direction until it ended. Finally I went up to the three useless host and hostesses and asked if we could be seated in the restaurant. They looked hesistant but agreed to sit us only at the sushi bar because all the reservations were taken that evenning. The restaurant was empty, and 2 hours later, was still empty when we left! The food was average, but super expensive. This is San Francisco where there is great Sushi to be had, and this place was ok, but absolutly not worth the price. And the total experience left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth. Don't waste your time. Go to Koo or Zushi Puzzle for a way better time!

With 3 people at our table, everything we ordered was really good. Prices were a bit high - Toro nigiri at $20 per 2-piece order. But the items we ordered were all delicious. A trendy setting, friendly enough staff, and great food. Go here expecting noise on busy nights, and a big bill almost any time, but if you're looking for a "scene" and great food, then this place is tops in SF.

We found the food to be average but portions were really small and expensive ( 7 peice toro for $100...). The place is beautiful, decor is fab, but not worth it all. We had a large party (10+) and service was poor. Our hostess was pleasant but got at least three dishes wrong. At one point seperate orders were placed one plate, and being that the portions were so small, the wrong person ate all the plate. We had to order the same food over again. We dine out as a group twice a month, and this has to be one of the most overpriced restaurants we've come across for both food and drink ($10 for a 22oz Sapparo anyone???). Not reccommended at all.

I do not have NO idea why this is popular restaurant. Just average Japanese restaurant with way over priced. Their lunch make me laugh so hard for ex. Udon salad just mixing Japanese Mayo with cheap cold Udon noodle for $20. Sushi does not look fresh. Also the main chef Sho is no longer available there. Perfect place for someone does not know anything about Japanese food but want to act super COOL!

It a nice place for a drink but the food is all about the show. The food is very good, but they don't give you enough.

I went to ozumo for dinner 2 weeks ago...we order the omakase menu,wich it is chef choice,they told me that 3 chefs are taking care of the kitchen....the place was packed to the top,and for such a big place i was wondering if the food would be good for such a big place....well the food was AMAZING, we had about 7 courses each from apps, to sushi to main courses and dessert, i had travel all over tha country and i always order omakase menu in places like Nobu, Katana, Megu and all of them do not even get close to Ozumo's Omakase,sea-urchin risotto,gindara,kobe beef,.ceviche!!!,sushi and sashimi...everything was great, the chef came to the table, he was actually from Spain,but he's been working with Japanese food for years,he was really nice and made sure that we were enjoying our meal,and you do not see that in other places,..ozumo a++

Perfect example of presentation over quality of food. Food is overrated and WAY overpriced for what you get. Atmosphere and decor is great. But I'd recommend Kiss Sushi over this place. I'm not paying to look at how 'pretty' the place is, I want my money where my mouth is at.

fun and stylish place to grab drinks during happy hour around the embarcadero. Love the raised lounge couches by the bar. I was especially impressed with the quality of their sushi.

I was surprised this restaurant made it to Michael Bauer's top 100 list because it wasn't that good. I went there with a group of 10 and most of us thought it was a rip off! I thought the salad and sashimi was good because they were fresh and thatt's all. The noodle was soggy and the broth was flavorless. I tried out other people's "Crispy" chicken donburi dishes and it was salty and so non-crispy, just like a joke. Their tempura dish wasn't impressive, either. You can get much better value for your money at any restaurant in Japan town.

My wife is Japanese and I've ate tons of Japanese food while in Japan and I dont know what this restaurant is serving, but it isn't Japanese. The wife ordered the mini-sukiyaki and received supposed kobe beef, but the sheet of meat was way too thin for AUTHENTIC SUKIYAKI and was previously frozen because they stuck together. I had the filet and the meat was so chewy, I thought I was eating at Denny's. When we first sat down and the waitress asked us about the tea, we naturally assumed it was complimentary because that's the standard, but when the bill came, it was a $6 dollar bad tasting bitter green tea that my wife thought tasted like no other green tea before. Oh, we also ordered two rice, which comes usually with the meal, but that's another 4 bucks thrown away.

For an upscale restaurant, using disposable chopsticks is just wrong. Although the food tasted good, it was over-priced for what we got. There was only one unfiltered sake by the bottle available although on the menu it listed 10.