Fat Fish

Everytime I come to Venice to visit my Brother I just insist on coming here at least one nite.
Great food, Great service, fun place to be
Thanks for being there

Posted 07/10/09

The worst service ever!! rude male server whom wears his political affiliation on his shirt. Food and ambiance were great. Service very bad.

Pros: intersting sushi

Cons: service

Posted 10/19/08

The food is fine, but the service here is atrocious. The waiter had so much attitude he could barely stand to look at us, and he certainly couldn't be bothered to refill our water, ask if we wanted anything else, or bring another drink. I will never. eat. here. again.

Pros: Decent sushi, though certainly not the best and not cheap.

Cons: The worst service you will ever experience. Pricey.

Posted 09/04/08

I went on Saturday night with my girlfriend and we sat at the sushi bar. It was nice to be able to order individual pieces of sushi, as she is just starting to try it. The rolls that she ordered tasted good, but the pieces were cut so big that you couldn't eat them whole. And when you take a bite of a piece, the entire contents would spill out on the plate. The pieces of sushi that I had - salmon, hamachi, ono, maguro - were all good but not great.

On the service side, we were constantly having to ask for our waiter, on a night when it was not that busy (we were the only people at the sushi bar). When we did order items, he would try to upsell us to the next more expensive item - I ordered a $17 carafe of unfiltered sake, and he asked me if I wanted that or the $20 bottle of unfiltered sake. We ordered a salad, he asked if we wanted it with chicken (if we did, we would have ordered it that way). We ordered a Sapporo beer, he brought us the large without asking if we wanted large or small. And the best part - about 30 minutes after we ordered the sake - and ate most of our food - he said "I'm going to bring your sake out now." Too late. Usually when you order a drink with your dinner, it gets served with your dinner.

We won't be going back -- there are plenty of other good sushi places in LA...

Pros: nice atmosphere, clean, friendly staff

Cons: very slow service, tried to up sell us, food was average

Posted 09/01/08

Fat Fish is a great place for a nice dinner. While the prices may sometimes seem high, the portions are reasonable for the price (especially compared to somewhere like Sushi Roku) and the food is good. The atmosphere is comfortable and the service is also good. I have yet to try something from the bar (supposedly one of the best in town), but next time I definitely will!

Pros: Food, good atmosphere

Posted 05/21/08

I really like Fat Fish, especially considering there is sometimes parking around so I don't have to give my car away to valet. The valet usually sets up on the side street right before the restaurant. The drinks are great and the crowd is young and trendy with your typical boho yuppie tinge. Great place for drinks with a group. I find the food is h*t or miss but have never been truly disappointed. I wouldn't bring a first date here but it is a fine place to go with someone you are already involved with.

Dip into the place next door for some blackberry cobbler dessert. The crowd there is old and the staff keeps their noses permanently upturned but the cobbler is worth ignoring them for.

Pros: Great Place for Group Drinking and Tasty Treats

Cons: It's on Robertson and all that truly entails

Posted 03/25/08

nothing bad to say... all the rolls we had were awesome- colorful & creatively put together & PLENTIFUL (the portions were satisfying). the desserts were good too. and yes, even the cocktails were very good. mix of gay weho crowd & trendy robertson hipsters make this place a great dining experience. don't worry about parking- just valet it.

Pros: overall very good

Cons: nothing really

Posted 03/21/08

I came here for the first time ever and on Valentines Day at that. I made a reservation and I arrived to dinner. I talk to the hostess and she asks me if I want to sit inside. It's cold and windy outside and she says "it's a 20-40 minute wait" I look around at the seats and see 6 or 7 tables open. I told her, I made a reservation, I want to sit inside, and she tells me I have to wait. What's the point of my reservation? She points me to a seat on the patio in a tiny cramped area. I was so frustrated that the food I ordered was horrible. Why in the world did I need to make a reservation if I wasn't going to be seated where I wanted to? My meal was pretty much ruined for the night. I came in to sit in a romantic setting and they leave me outside or wait 40 minutes to eat with a reservation. I was hungry as it is so I was forced to sit outside in the cold. After my meal, I look inside and those same 7 tables are available. I was so mad that I just said, forget it, and left unsatisfied. The worst 120$ valentines dinner ever.

Posted 02/13/08

the sushi is delicious
lots of variety
excellent friendly service
great ambiance, nice but comfortable (try fatty hour)
fair pricing
love it!

Posted 01/15/08

I have been to Fat Fish a couple of times now and during the week its quieter and on the weekends it gets busy and it is smart to make a reservation. Their mojitos are big, strong and flavored (ie blackberry, strawberry, mango etc.). They have some good rolls...my favorite being the FAT AS s and some great things other than sushi as well. It's an easy place for good sushi and drinks with a nice vibe.

Pros: mojitos and extensive list of sushi rolls

Cons: expensive valet - $9

Posted 01/13/08

I came to Fat Fish on a Friday night with four girlfriends for some happy hour cocktails and sushi and we weren't disappointed! We all ended up ordering more than sushi, and just about everything was delicious! The menu items were between 3 and 6 dollars on average with the standouts being the deliciously sweet and generously sized miso-glazed eggplant, and basically all of the rolls we tried. The salads were also huge and cheap and everyone left feeling very full. The margaritas, which I had heard so much about, ended up living up to the hype too! I had the mango, which was sweet and strong. The lounge, which is in the back of the restaurant, was small and filled up fast, so I'd recommend getting there early if you want to get a table. Overall a great place for an affordable and delicious meal out!

Pros: Great Food, Great Margaritas, Great Happy Hour

Cons: Parking, Expensive outside of Happy Hour

Posted 11/25/07

Very few places combine great food and great drinks, but this place does. I took my girlfriend here for the first part of her birthday weekend. We tried a few different rolls and they were all amazing. We also got a few drinks and they were not only good, but nice and strong too. I reserved a table, and i'm glad because they were really packed. The waitress was pretty good, but not great. Plan to pay for parking, the only street parking is around the block and very limited.

Pros: Food and drinks!

Cons: Price

Posted 11/07/07

I don't know why people rave about this place. The sushi was just mediocre and there were nats flying everywhere. It was disgusting.

Posted 10/22/07

The happy hour was great- prices, taste, and everything in between. The waiters and the bartender were really really nice and accomodating. The margaritas were a bit different but definitely still good.

Posted 09/24/07

Fat Fish indeed has the best happy hour, not to mention incredible bartenders. The atmosphere is very trendy. The food is awesome and you can always count on being served an incredible cocktail. I am confirming that J.R., Josh, and John are the best! See you guys very soon! :) --- Mary

Posted 09/07/07

Great service! The waiters were attentive, and the sushi was brought out quickly despite our large order.
I wasn't expecting much because there are so many mediocre sushi restaurants on the westisde but Fatfish is definitely one worth trying. The service was excellent, the sushi was great, especially for the price. They have a creative selection of rolls, and while it's not HUGE, I can guarantee you'll find something on there you'll like. Also, a nice collection of sake, I highly recommend "the ninja" which has apple and pear accents, very tasty.
If you're looking for good sushi and a reasonable price, a nice atmosphere and great service then I would definitely say Fatfish is a great spot.

Pros: Service, quality for the price, atmosphere

Cons: none

Posted 08/19/07

The service is so-so and the prices are high for what you get. Pretentious WeHo ambiance, but then that has its own peculiar charms if you're into people watching.

That having been said, the drinks are great and the bar is an incredibly good value during their 5 to 7 happy hour. Their sushi specials during happy hour are more than worth the price, though you have to sit at the smaller, somewhat noisy and TV laden bar area in back to take advantage of them. I'd give it three stars outside of happy hour, but if the trade offs don't bother you it's four stars when the specials are on.

Posted 07/25/07

I may have gone to Fat Fish on a bad night, but pretty much everything we ordered was sub-par. The teriyaki filet mignon appetizer came out last and tasted like chewy liver, the tempura wasn't light and flakey but heavy like a bad fish and chip shop in the outskirts of London. Even the tempura dipping sauce was tasteless. The salmon roll with mango might have had flavor had the mango been ripe. A complete rip-off for the price. The service was OK, nothing great. With all of the places to eat on the West Side, I wouldn't go back.

Posted 07/22/07

This joint has a great location, great sushi, and great drinks. If you are going to party in WeHo I would come early and eat here. It isn't the best sushi in town but it is ver good and has lots of new twists on old favorites...like tempura spicy tuna and such. Drinks are exotic and strong.

Posted 06/26/07

although this is a japanese restaurant, they have the most amazingly delicious desserts. they are soo good! don't miss out on them. also, their food is great and especially all the rolls. i've been here quite a few times and the service has always been really good.

Pros: dessert

Cons: meter parking

Posted 05/08/07

I went here for my birthday with 7 other people and we had a really great time! The sushi was REALLY good as well as the margaritas! They were unusual drinks, but definitely didn't skimp out on any of the tequila. The bartender served us in the lounge because we were there strictly for happy hour which was nice because he was really great, but then also took a little longer because he was busy serving drinks to other customers as well. Nonetheless, he got everything right and my friends and I really enjoed dining in the lounge. The Spicy Albacore Tempura Roll was soooo good, as well as the prickley pear cactus margarita! The only suprising thing during our experience there was that online it says the margs are $3, where in fact they are $5 so just be cautious of that price difference. I'll be back!

Pros: authentic sushi, margs, service, accommodation to large, rowdy party

Cons: parking, misleading prices

Posted 05/06/07

This place is worth it all. My bf and I were craving sushi one night, so he typed in "sushi" in his navi system and Fat Fish came up. We decided to try it out. We've been going ever since. Ambiance great for a date or to just chill with friends. The drinks are GOOD. (strong! never sheisty on the alcohol), the rolls are never disappointing, bigger and tastier than others (try the FATASS) , the asian salad is tasty and more than enough (not bad for $8.00!! ), and the calamari is absolutely the best! (better than Yamashiro's hands down! we've made it a habit to order calamari at every restaurant we go to, fatfish is so far the best!). The menu is good, and the waitresses never fail to give the best service. The prices aren't bad , especially for the quality you always get. I highly recommend this place to all martini and sushi conoisuers.

Pros: strong alcohol, special sushi rolls, prompt service

Cons: parking, but there's always valet

Posted 03/28/07

I read about how great this place was for happy hour so we decided to check it out on a Thursday. The sushi was good, but the portions were pretty small and it took a while to get it to our table. I thought they would have a full bar, but the only specials were 'sake-tinis.' They tasted good though but I could have used something a little more powerful. We got a nice little couch area but people that showed up a little later were left to fend for themselves. Parking was difficult (as to be expected with WeHo), so we decided to cough up the cash for valet.
Overall a good little sushi spot!

Pros: Fresh fish=good sushi

Cons: Parking, no booze

Posted 02/27/07

I love this restaurant because it is not pretentious and offers great food for the price. Their drinks with fresh fruit are to die for and their sushi is always fresh. My favorites are the Lychee-tini Martini and the Fat Fish Roll. Yummy. I've been here a few times and have yet to be disappointed.

Posted 01/24/07

I'm not sure if it was our fantastic company or a combination of factors, but we had a lovely night at fat fish. I'd walked by probably twenty times in the past on my way to other weho joints and finally made it here one night when it was late, we were hungry, our friends (who have a menchant for vodka) thirsty, and they were open. The place was well lit in that sweetly dim sort of way, the martinis were perfect, the rolls were good, and the korean ribs appetizer was plentiful and delicious. I'd go back.

Posted 12/03/06

More heavily reliant on their ecclectic rolls and assorted cooked dishes than their nigiri, Fat Fish is a great place for group dining. I've been here on dates and with very large groups and the staff is ery accomidating. I recommend their sushi sampler plate for $25, which includes several types of fish and some assorted rolls.

Posted 11/23/06

Good vibe, and very reasonable prices. The regular sushi is good but the rolls are interesting and inventive.

Posted 10/25/06

You really can't go wrong with Fat Fish. The Seattle rolls are sooo good. The drinks are beyond perfect. Quality control is high there and you won't find some watered down version of a mojito. Most of the bartenders are very attractive. Kudos to the owner for the eye-candy. My three rules of them for eating out is simple: 1. Great people 2. Delicious food and 3. Amazing Ambiance. If one of those is out of tune the rest will seem subpar. Fat Fish passes my litmus test.

Posted 10/25/06

I'm one of the bartenders at Fatfish and I feel that I have to respond to the review titled, "Great Lounge, Cheap Happy Hour, Horrible Owner." Although I can understand the perception that the owner seemed stressed that night (believe me, we were all stressed that night) I have to clear up some inaccuracies from my point of view. First of all, we werent understaffed for a normal Sunday. It just happened to turn into one of those unexpectedly busy nights. It happened without warning and with no time to call anyone else in. Although the party in question was extremely nice and patient about the situation, I believe that it was closer to 20 people than 12. When the problem occurred with the check, we were trying to resolve it but the owner also had responsibilities to the other customers in our packed restaurant. She was busy (extremely busy) and may have seemed short but in no way was rude or disrespectful. Also, she never cursed or yelled at me or anyone else and actually handled the entire night with great poise and understanding. I have never seen the owner be anything but fun, friendly and professional in the entire time I have worked here. I hope that the patrons from that evening who may have misinterpreted things will come back and try us again. I love our restaurant and consider everyone there (including the guests, the staff and the owners) family.

Posted 10/19/06

Although the food was pretty decent... nothing extraodinary however... the service was absolutely abysmal. It took 20 minutes for them to even serve water. Half our appetizers were completely forgotten, our sushi and main courses came about an hour after we were done with our appetizers and absolutely NO apology was offered. Our attempts to flag down our waitress, hostess, busboys, the manager were entirely ignored. Several other tables around us were being equally ignored. Absolutely not worth it... you can get just as good sushi and find a much better ambiance at plenty of other locations. Don't waste your time here!

Pros: Sushi

Cons: Service

Posted 10/10/06

I will be back soon for sure! Yummy yummy margaritas (not what you would expect at a sushi place but oh so good!) and two out of the three rolls I tried were delicious! The albacore roll was the one I didn't love but it was only because there was bell pepper and what I think was cilantro in it. Next time I will be trying some of their specialty rolls. The lounge is on the small side, but in a cozy neighborhood sort of way. The wait/bar staff is super friendly and not bad on the eyes ;-) Check it out, it's so worth it!

p.s. the late night happy hour is no longer so now it's 7 days a week 5pm-7pm

Pros: decor, service, scene

Cons: parking

Posted 10/09/06

Fat Fish is I believe the best sushi in LA for the best price. This was one of the first sushi restaurents I tried when I moved to LA over three years ago, and now having tried many, I still will always go here first. It is a great place to dine with a friend, a date, a group and out of towner sushi fans. The decor is chic and trendy without being pretentious. The rolls are large and unique. The Las Vegas Roll and the Fat Asss are truly superb. The drink list is creative as well and the mojitos are fantastic..especially when they have fresh blackberries. The outdoor patio is comfortable and allows smokers to have a cig if they want (:^) ) Good service, good music, fantastic sushi and a nice intimate bar area (with cute bartenders) You can't go wrong with this place.

Posted 10/07/06

I had so much fun at Fat Fish this last Wednesday that I would recommend it to any locals that want to let loose, have some of the best cocktails in Los Angeles, and leave with a happy stomach. When we got there around 7:30 the place was empty, but quickly around 8pm the place was full! Our server treated us like we were friends and picked out some of the choice items in the menu for us, and he wasn't wrong. Though he was running around all the time, when he came back to us he always made us feel like he was part of our table and dining with us.
I recommend that everyone goes just for the filet mignon, the soy paper roll, and the margaritas. Easily the best margarita in town! I eat out all the time and this place was easily the most chill and i was able to kick back and enjoy my date.

Pros: drinks, service, and curbside patio

Cons: food took longer that i thought

Posted 09/03/06

How can you go wrong with fresh mint and raspberries muddled right before your eyes for a raspberry mojito? How can you say no to BATTERLESS fried chicken with a rosemary rub? You can't help but love the sashimi platter with those huge hunks of fresh fish! YUM...
Hands down, this is the best place to go to unwind after a crazy day in the office. There are so many things on the menu that are just soooooo good. I love all of their crazy rolls that are out-of-this-world good and their drinks that just make you go "ahhhh". Must go there and try their fresh fruit mojitos or their margaritas... for an asian fusion restaurant, their bar menu ROCKS!

Pros: excellent drinks

Cons: parking can be hard... they get MAJORLY crowded during the dinner rush

Posted 08/21/06

I have been a resident in Weho for many years. For the last three years I have been going to FatFish. I'm shocked to see the last reviews...What many people don't understand is that when this resturant gets busy, its gets ridiculously busy out of nowhere, I've seen it myself many times. Everyone shows up @ 8pm!! It happens at every restaurant anywhere. I have learned to go around 7pm or 9pm too beat all the foot traffic that walks in. So I cut them a little slack for service issues, but I've never gotten terrible service, they have a very friendly staff. I eat at many different sushi places around LA and you cant get fresher, bigger slices of sashimi anywhere. They have a sashimi plate that has 15 slices of top quality fish for under $20. Also try the Hamachi Carpaccio..AMAZING..I always order 2. They have an extensive list of original rolls ranging from grilled lobster/mango to toro/cilantro and everything in between. Two types of filet mignon tapas style. The bar is killer and it keeps me coming back even when I'm not hungry. Try the Cilantro Margarita, Wildberry Mojitos, and the "S** & Honey"...to name a few of 62 at hand. All in all, it is a great place to go with friends or a date, not pertentious, just try avoid the 8pm rush.

Pros: Great food, beautififul drinks.

Cons: Sometimes too busy.

Posted 07/26/06

I've been dining in West Hollywood for the past 5 years and it's truly sad to see a favorite hot spot slowly turn into a sweaty slump. Not only were we seated 30 min. late, but the Air Conditioner at the Bar wasn't working and they had table fans trying to cool down the place.

The bartenders had the most uninviting attitude and when I asked for the Manager I was shocked at the rudeness of the Bar Manager. Once we were seated we decided to walk out...

There are many great restaurants on Robertson, this is definitely not one of them!

Pros: It's on Robertson

Cons: Service and Food was disgusting!

Posted 06/18/06

A group of us went to Fat Fish for dinner and drinks and were shocked when the waiter informed us that there was a $40 per person min. purchase. The same waiter botched our orders numerous times, putting separate orders on the same plates. He offered to fix it, but when he returned with the "fixed" plates they were just mixed up in a different order! We had to keep passing the plates around or try so everyone could actually eat what they ordered. The drinks are ridiculously expensive and their famous mojitos leave you with a mouthful of mint leaves and not much else. All in all this is one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. Don't waste your time or money.

Cons: overpriced, service

Posted 06/05/06

This is an affordable yet nice sushi bar and restaurant. I recommend the blue flame roll and the ahi tuni starter.

Posted 05/02/06

Sushi is amazing.
Bar staff are all friendly.
Vibe is amazing.
Cutting edge cocktail menu.
Great happy hour place.

But the best part...

They stock Honey flavored vodka. I have never seen this before. It was amazing and my girl loved it. Ask the bartender for their Honey flavored vodka martini. He mixed mine with armaretto, pineapple, black pepper and 42 Below Honey Vodka.

Didn't know honey flavored vodka existed. Now i know where to go. nuff said.

Pros: Honey vodka, sushi

Cons: meter parking

Posted 01/23/06

Fat Fish, has hands down the best cocktails in town. Amazing, fresh, and yummy yum yum! The food is great and service is quick. People are friendly and the ambiance is fun and laid back. No misakes. It's highly recommended.

Posted 01/19/06

this was a mistake
went this weekend, on a friend's urge claiming exciting sushi. but he's a local and drinks more than eats
i am a big fan of nouvelle sushi, but this is anything but. and the appetizers, greasy, fried.
had 2 rolls, mayo, rice, mayo, rice.

save your money and health

Posted 12/04/05

I've been coming here for years and recommend Fat Fish for either a date or group dinner. None of the other reviews mention the teriyaki glazed filet mignon salad--a great way to start the meal. Parking can be difficult to find and service slow at times, but that doesn't prevent me from coming back for more.

Pros: Variety, Tasty Food, Cool Atmosphere

Cons: Parking

Posted 11/21/05

Just had dinner last night.... Who are you kidding?? I ate all the appetizers recommended by the reviews along with the sushi--- unsatisfactory to the sushi conneussier. Sushi was warm, not fresh, dull in color, thinly sliced, no taste---What else could you ask for. People who rave about this place must have been too drunk to know what good sushi is. There were only 2 tables at dinner and a lack of service is an understatement. Servers were even arguing for tips- how tacky. A true sushi establishment should have a professional sushi chef to ensure presentation and quality of food along with a good manager to provide decent service. This is defintely not a trait of fat fish.... take from me..... I'm in the restaurant industry. And if you want bad valet service, come here.

Pros: ambience

Cons: food, service

Posted 11/20/05

We to Fat Fish tonight for dinner...what a great experience! The sushi was great, so were the drinks! You can't beat happy hour here. We had a ton of great food, drinks and dessert for about $60. The bartenders here are so friendly and helpful. This place is a must. We will be back for sure.

Pros: bartenders, sushi, drinks

Posted 10/14/05

One of the latest libations concocted by their prolific bar staff and perhaps one of the more scintillating drinks I've had in years... I'd tell you what's in it, but that would spoil the surprise! Oh, and the grub- some of the best in town! GO.

Pros: Bartenders, Cocktails, Sushi

Posted 09/06/05

The firecracker roll sauce is AWESOME! Very spicy -- just the way I like it! My lips are still numb! My Mojo cocktail also rocked! The waitress was super sweet and the atmosphere was laid back and relaxed. And the valet made me laugh! :) Highly recommended.

Pros: Firecracker Roll, Wait Staff, Valet Staff

Posted 08/30/05

Fat Fish has the best cocktail menu in town, and when made properly, the drinks are like nothing else I've ever tasted and I have trouble limiting myself to only 3 in one night. It's uneven, though--not every bartender there is up to the high standard, so watch out. The sushi is good, esp the specialty rolls. The lounge/bar is an especially good place to hang out with friends.

Posted 08/04/05