Sushi Roku

This place has the best sushi hands down on the Westside, great for dates too. Lots of action and a very cool vibe. Only problem is that it is always so crowded and sometimes have to wait for your table or service.

Pros: food, atmosphere

Cons: waiting

Posted 10/13/09

If money is no object, and you don't mind fighting the crowds for this slickly decorated sushi place, you might have a great, memorable meal here.

Its worth asking the waiters what their favorites are, then checking the price to see if they are not just pushing the most expensive items... there are quite a lot of great, unique choices, so keep asking about them.

I like the atmosphere - you feel like its an experience... it just may not be the experience you can splurge for every week!

Pros: Great Santa Monica location, some amazing choices

Cons: can bump up the bill very quickly

Posted 09/19/09

My girlfriend took me to sushi roku the other day and I was pretty happy with the sushi and sashimi. It's a little pricey but most great restaurants are. If you love this place you'll most likely enjoy Club Sushi and Sushi Gen.

Pros: good food

Cons: pricey

Posted 03/23/09

The sushi and sashimi is fresh and attractively prepared. The server kept up with our ordering pattern, but seemed a little distracted (overworked?) and it took a few reminders to keep the drinks coming in concert with the food. In general, I would give the thumbs up for taking a date or a small number of guests -- nice interior, very clean, professional service environment without the uptightness of nobu. it is more fun that ocean ave seafood (also of excellent quality, but a very predictable American experience).

Pros: Great ambience, energy, and food

Cons: Somewhat pricey

Posted 01/13/09

This is one place I take out-of-town friends because it ALWAYS delivers! Consistently fresh sushi and they always have really good "fancy" rolls that are different than anywhere else. I cannot recommend highly enough.

Pros: Fresh, amazing sushi, cool vibe

Cons: Can be crowded on weekend nights, expensive

Posted 01/08/09

Worst sushi of my life!! I wouldn't have minded the $200+ bill if the food was good. Very smushy rice, tough kobe beef, california rolls that tasted like the sushi chef was practicing on me and really, I'm not that hard to please! The Toro was tasteless...I can go on....but you get the message. Go somewhere else. Period.

Pros: close to the Fairmont where I stayed

Cons: the worst sushi of my life

Posted 09/12/08

Sushi Roku's Santa Monica location (there are also locations in West Hollywood and Pasadena), is on Ocean Blvd. and is always packed full. A great place to people watch and if you are an "out of towner", this is hip place to eat on the Westside.

If you are looking for basic sushi, I can recommend better places, but if you are looking for something a liitle out of the ordinary (both atnosphere and menu), then Sushi Roku is the place to go.

Try some of the hot or cold appetizers instead of the usual Nigiri sushi (2 pieces per order). There are many choices, so ask the waiter what is recommended and you won't be disappointed.

NOTE: MAKE A RESERVATION or else forget about going, other then that -- enjoy!

Pros: Sushi - need I say More

Cons: Price, Maybe

Posted 08/20/08

While the bar is a bit of a "scene", the service was good and the food was even better!

The view is wonderful and the location is one that will keep you staying around a bit longer than you might otherwise.

The eel is recommended and the ginger salad is tremendously huge and tasty!

Pros: Great location, superb salad!

Cons: Not really friendly, crowded, validation on parking is still a $7 charge!

Posted 07/24/08

My boyfriend took me to the sushi roku in santa monica last night for our anniversary and we had an amazing time. Although crowded, we were seatede right away, it was still romantic, and the food was awesome. The servers were very friendly and comp'ed our dessert and brought out a flaming light thing with it for our anniversary. I would definitely recommend this place, the food and the service were great. If you do not want to deal with some crowds and noise then find a place that isn't so trendy, but if you don't mind then this is a great spot.

Posted 07/22/08

This is a pretty trendy Sushi spot in Santa Monica, but with good reason. They do some really different/interesting rolls, and the sushi is always top quality. There's a really nice feel in the place, and while it is a nicer sushi place it does a good job of balancing between nice and too nice. It's not Nobu, and it's not trying to be, but its still really nice, trendy sushi.

Posted 07/16/08

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 06/16/08

I have been to this restaurant many, many, many times. Whether its weekend afternoons or weekday evenings, I have basically seen this restaurant empty and full. Overall, the menu is a bit overpriced, the drinks are great, but the sushi is absolutely delicious. The interior of the restaurant is presentable and the dim lights make the place seem a bit romantic. The waiters (although not all) are patient and will make sure your sushi is prepared the way you like it (especially if you are the picky kind). My boyfriend and I have sat at the bar, but I would truly recommend the tables more than sitting at the bar at this restaurant in particular. The little bar does get crowded during the evenings, but then again which bar is not packed? Certain things have to be expected especially if you live and know what the LA scene entails.
Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Pros: Great sushi

Cons: Prices

Posted 05/07/08

We go out for sushi ALOT. We've heard about Sushi Roku and been wanting to try it. When we got a gift certificate this past Christmas, we went ahead and tried it, though it's not as local as we would want. With the popularity of sushi, we don't have enough time and money to try all the new places and keep going to the ones we already favor that's within 1-3 miles of where we live. Though the very early weekend reservation of 6:30PM, we expected (per other reviews by prior patrons) to be put off and stalled to get us to order drinks at the bar, but happily this did not happen (the place was virtually empty) and were seated right away. When we try a new sushi place, we go to the sushi bar and ask for "omakase" -- where the sushi chief is suppose to use his good judgement in terms of the fresh fish for the day and his expertise. I knew we were in trouble, when, after we said "omakase, please", the sushi chief behind the counter looked disappointed and resigned. YUK -- their omakase menu is a set menu, and absolutely nothing to do with the sushi chief behind the counter. Their idea of omakase is the opportunity to charge you alot for a set menu. Everything came prepared from the kitchen. The sushi chief, other than giving us more wasabe or ginger, wasn't involved at all. The food though was pretty good, but definitely not enough to justify the price. When we asked for suggestions from the cold sake selection, the sushi chief recommended one that was one of the lower priced items. The maitre de however recommended the most expensive item. We tried both, which were dry and clear, and pretty good. My husband likes his sake cold and dry, and I like my cold and unfiltered. The unfiltered sake was awful and I asked for it to be replaced. By the time we left, it was crowded and loud, with people packed at the bar. We're okay with paying for sushi when it's worth it as we like good food, but it's got to be worth the price. This was definitely not worth it.

Pros: Good selection of sake

Cons: Loud. Pretentious. Crowded. Trendy. Overpriced.

Posted 03/07/08

This place has a great bar and happy hour sitting right on Ocean Ave. But that is it. You are paying for location.

If you want good sushi regardless of price this place is not the place to go. Tourist trap. There are so many better sushi places in LA that are at the same price. Yamisharo is one in Hollywood Hills is the same price and is around much better quality. Very expensive for the quality.

Pros: Great location. View of Ocean, great happy hour

Cons: Sushi is poor

Posted 02/13/08

Sub-par sushi...don't waste your money. My faves on the west side are Echigo and Hide. They have delicious, fresh fish. If you haven't tried them and you love sushi - go there instead in a second. Roku is mediocre at best. Plus, the waitress was snotty. One of those awkward dining experiences where she totally pushed the most expensive dishes on the menu and made me feel cheap for ordering what I wanted. I hate that kind of service. I don't want to feel obligated to order drinks or certain dishes just to pad up the bill, you know?

Posted 02/06/08

My fiance and I are on a quest to find our "favorite" sushi restaurant. We happened to be in the West LA area and decided to try out Sushi Roku. My first impression was really good. The decor is beautiful (though in a trendy way). The menu was very dissappointing however. I'm really big on specialty rolls, and there was a definite lack of them on Sushi Roku's menu. Not only that, but the sushi (and the miso soup) was about 2x the price you'd find elsewhere. When we got our sushi it was 1/2 the amount we're used to getting (for double the price) and it was completely bland. My fiance asked the sushi chef to make him an extra spicy spicy tuna handroll and he said it was mild at best and again half the size he's used to. And the waitress did not offer me refills on my green tea. If you like sushi, don't go here. You'll be severely dissappointed.

Pros: beautiful decor

Cons: bland food, small portions, overpriced

Posted 01/13/08

Great night out at Sushi Roku! My husband and I were out and about in Santa Monica and wanted a low-key dinner to end our night. We felt like sushi but we were a little reluctant to try Sushi Roku because everyone talks about how Hollywood the scene is there. I don?t know where people get that, we had friendly service from the minute we walked in the door and no one cared that we weren?t dressed to the nines. We had to wait a bit for a table, but we were happy to try some sake?their list is HUGE. I recommend the Poochi Poochi?sparkling and crisp. The dinner was fantastic, the Tuna Carpaccio was amazing and the waiter was great at suggesting some dishes that we loved and never would have ordered normally. We will definitely go there again.

Posted 10/30/07

We were 5 people that were walking passing by after dinner and we saw Sushi Roku and wanted to have drinks. Many of the dinner patrons have left since it was past 10.30 pm. Th cute girl at the desk with a smile greeted us. I said that we are five for drinks and the bar was full but there are plenty of tables empty so can we sit at a table? She replied" sorry the tables are only for dining " . I wonder who makes these rules ! What kind of business mind ? And then we wonder why many places cannot make it and go under. Although Sushi Roku is pretty strong now who knows how long it will last? 5 people that did not have to drive home say 2- 3 drinks a person, they lost about well over 100$ considering the high prices Roku has. What kind of managers they have that make the rules ?
ROBATA BAR. Next to Sushi Roku belonging to them. Just opened. It is a small bar very noisy with very polite managers greeting you at the door and anytime anyone enters they scream in Japanese although none of them is Japanese. So far so good. If you want to eat there the prices are very attractive but when you get the portions you will know why they are attractive. One skewer with 3 small pieces on it ! Or lots of greens with 3 pieces of sashimi on them. Or 2 rolls that even a small baby can devour ! So the bottom line: Do not eat there if you are hungry unless you want to order lots of those inconspicuous plates and pay a lot. Eat somewhere else, go there for drinks and stand up because the bar seats are limited and full and.................again if there are empty tables there are only for diners ! No matter how late it is !

Posted 10/19/07

ok so we have already established that i eat here way too much however, last week my favorite restaurant gave birth to a new mini place right next door. Its called Robatabar and its like the offspring of Roku and Katana. They dont have sushi so i advise you to stop by Roku and get some sushi to go then bring it over to robatabar for skewers and sashimi! You wont be sorry!

See you there, Ill be the girl at the bar that everyone knows!

Pros: happy hour if ur on a budget, friendly sushi chefs

Cons: gets really packed on the weekends!

Posted 08/02/07

Delicious, good variety to choose from, and a fun, cool vibe. Plus you can walk-off your meal along the cliffs of Santa Monica.

Posted 06/24/07

We ordered the Beef Wrapped Asparagus, Seared Salmon Belly sashimi, Fresh Water Eel Sushi, Avocado Eel Sushi and Grilled Sea Bass with Halapenos. I love the sashimi but the asparagus and the sushi was average. The Sea Bass was horrible. The fish wasn't fresh and the mashed potato was too salty.

The restaurant itself was overcrowded and noisy by 7.30p. We had a great server who was informative and prompt. The food was served pretty fast as well.

In short, go early to avoid crowds. The food is average but expensive. Great for business meetings. Lovely setting.

Pros: Ambience, Service

Cons: Price, Noisy, Crowded

Posted 06/04/07

After reading some negative comments about Sushi Roku I was pleasantly surprised with everything. My boyfriend and I did not have reservations and the hostess said it would take about 30 mins for a table so we opted to sit outside and be seated right away. Our server Jay was amazing and really helpful with certain items on the menu to order such as the soy wrap crab hand roll, to die for! He was one of the best servers I have ever encountered. The atmosphere is fun, hip and up beat and the prices weren't all that bad for good quality sushi!

Pros: Service

Posted 05/17/07

I dropped in at lunch time and had no problem getting seated. The waitress was friendly and professional. The sushi chefs are nice and will likely strike up a conversation with customers at the bar. The restaurant is pretty and the decor is warm. The spicy tuna and california rolls are very good quality. I thought the price was just right for the quality. I would go again.

Posted 03/12/07

This restaurant is over-rated. My experience there was pretty disappointing. I made reservations for a friday night and they were very strict about not being late. She said that if we arrived more than 10 min late they would give the table away. So we showed up 10 min early and had to WAIT over an HOUR before we got our table! There was no room at the bar to pass time and it looked as if they sat other parties before us even though they had arrived after us! (It was also apparent that we weren't the only ones who felt this way because we saw one couple who left complaining to the hostess that they had been waiting an hour and a half.) The menu is really over-priced and its not even that impressive. You're basically paying for the trendy, "wanna-be hollywood" ambience (and crowd)!

Posted 03/09/07

The sushi is good, the cooked selection is very good. The service was ardously slow, uniformed, devastatingly attractive, and simply horrendous. Sushi Roku really disappointed me as I had heard such great things about it. Trendy, hot, chic, cool, blah-blah-blah. The fact of the matter is that the place is filled with attractive people who don't really know much about real sushi. The fish was good, but the sushi chefs seemed more interested in doing shots with the drunk wanna-be girls than providing good cuts of very good fish. For the price you pay, you deserve to have sushi prepared with care and attention. As a businessman entertaining clients, the place is a homerun (great drinks, great view, cool atmoshpere), but as a sushi fan its a foul ball.

Had a better sushi dinner in a less chic Hama Restaurant in Venice the night before.

Pros: Fish, location, gorgeous crowd

Cons: service, noisy, dark

Posted 03/08/07

If you like trendy sushi restaurant then this place might be for you. I've been to a lot of different Japanese restaurants and honestly I was shocked when I saw how expensive the food was. The service was decent but extremely slow! We got there @ 5:00PM so we had to wait 30 minutes by the bar until we can be seated @ the table which is not an issue. However, the place was pretty empty and I just don't see why it took so long for our food to arrive. Also, every time they have customers walk into the place, the staff will say something loud in japanese? like it was some sort of greeting and that was pretty annoying! Still, the food was really good so I will have to recommend this place.

Pros: Great food!

Cons: Slow service

Posted 02/26/07

We've been to Sushi Roku in Pasadena and there is no comparison between the two. The one in Pasadena is much nicer and better service. We waited 5 min before we got a menu, then waited another 10 min to take our oders. they brought the sushi roll we ordered (simple shirmp tempura roll) when we were about leaving because we were upset about the slow bad service. Please note that when we were there, there were only several other customers only. the food was over priced and not very good. We wold not going back there and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

Pros: location

Cons: service, price,

Posted 12/21/06

FOOD & SERVICE: Their premium yellowtail sushi and albacore belly sushi was FANTASTIC! They also have a friendly service but a VERY SLOOOW one. After they sat us down and took our orders of drinks, the waitress never came back until we asked for her. In addition, they brought in our hot food without our bowls of steamed rice. My friend actually had to go and complaint to the manager just so we can have our bowls of steamed rice. In addition, my boss's sashimi salad was lost in the hustle and we also had to ask for it. However, at the end, the management made amends by bringing us two tasty desserts--GRATIS.

AMBIENCE: The restaurant's look AIN'T NO ultra-hip to me. And it is also one of those NOISY restaurants. After I left the restaurant and was driving my 2000 Honda Civic, it felt like I was driving a Bentley 'cause it was sooo quiet compared to Sushi Roku.

Pros: EXCELLENT SUSHI

Cons: SLOW SERVICE, EXPENSIVE PARKING

Posted 12/20/06

When I go on a date I want to go to Sushi Roku. I am a sushi enthusiast. I was born in LA and have eaten at pretty much every sushi spot in LA. I have yet to find a place that rivals Roku. Now I compare all other places to Roku. It sets the standard. If you aren't big on sushi and just stick to spicy tuna rolls and such, you may not entirely appreciate this place. It's their Sashimi dishes that are just amazing. Do the yellowtail sashimi with diced chilies, or albacore with sizzling onion.... If you must have a roll try the lobster roll... It's just the best, there is nothing better, end of story.

Posted 11/29/06

Great sushi and martinis..sexy vibe..good atmosphere. Favorite place in LA! Go there on a date..go there with friends. The bar area is usually packed. Make a reservation ahead of time!

Posted 11/21/06

Unless you're with a group, make sure to sit at the sushi counter as the sushi chefs really add to the dining experience. Buy them a beer, or some sake, to enhance the dining experience. These chefs will create you some amazing sashimi treats if you give put them in charge of your order. Trust them!

Pros: Great staff and sushi chefs enhance the amazingly delicious food.

Cons: Can get a bit crowded at times.

Posted 11/19/06

This restaurant has great signature dishes, and one of them is the tuna carpaccio. It's definitely something I order everytime I go here. The sushi is good, and the prices are decent. The location is great, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. This place gets busy, so I definitely recommend making reservations. I have sat at the sushi bar, and it's very interesting looking at all the beautiful art that these chefs create on a daily basis.

Posted 11/12/06

Sushi Roku ( all locations) is ok. The atmosphere is dark and romantic- but the sushi is just average. You will end up spending a lot for mediocre food. It can accomodate large groups - so it is fun for that. But for quality sushi, go somewhere else.

Posted 11/05/06

Stylish clients, to see and to be seen. Food is a big disappointment, especially when it comes to sushi. All the dishes are flashy, meaning it's presented beautifully, but the price is costly for the freshness of sushi you get. It's like getting into a porche only to find the engine is replaced by Ford Torus. Unless you want to take a friend who's clueless about sushi, I wouldn't recommend it. Our average dinner for four came to $280, and I can name several better food places that serves for far less. All flash, no guts and definitely no glory.

Posted 11/03/06

i also went here with very high expecations and was pretty disapppointed. the music is WAY too loud and my party was smushed into a very small table. the sushi was decent- the spicy tuna roll was almost excellent- but the prices were way too high. probably won't be going back.

Posted 09/17/06

I went in to Sushi Roku with high expectations, which is maybe why I was disappointed. We sat in the dining room, but I could barely hear our waiter over the down-beat dance music and all of the other patrons attempting to talk over the music, and subsequently, each other. We asked to be moved out to the patio, which they pleasantly ablidged us. The food was good, but not so good that I felt validated in paying much higher prices than at your standard, high quality sushi bar. I felt like we were paying for the presentation, not the flavor. Nothing stood out as extraordinary. I probably would not go back. Would rather spend my money at one of the many fabulous sushi restaurants in LA, that although may not have many frills, are still providing an excellent product.

Pros: Beautiful presentation

Cons: overpriced

Posted 08/29/06

We made reservations for a tuesday night on the patio - which was pleasant. The patio would make a better sunset dining area.

Although our waitress was pretty slow coming around to our table the busboys were extremely attentive.

I liked the ponzu ahi tuna salad and we loved the eggplant - but the sushi and the lobster roll were lacking in taste and quality.

Pros: Great Entrees, Good Bar

Cons: Service and Quality of Waitstaff and Sushi

Posted 07/26/06

I went to Sushi Roku in Santa Monica on a Sat. night with a group of 8. We were seated within 15 minutes of our 9pm reservation and had a very upbeat, attentive waiter. They have a full bar with great mixed drinks and the sushi was really wonderful. They staggered our order so the table didn't get too full and every single person in our party of 8 was very pleased with the food (Rainbow roll, Dynamite, Crunchy spicy tuna and many more...), service and atmosphere. FYI - they add gratuity to the check for a large party and be ready to spend about $75 per person for food and drinks from the bar.

Pros: Food, Service, Full bar

Cons: $$$

Posted 07/01/06

I frequented Sushi Roku Pasadena and Santa Monica in the past with happy results a few years ago, but visited again in Los Angeles with anticipation last week and was very DISAPPOINTED! Sushi was not up the level it once was, and the innovation was not very good. I remembered it being much better! We kept ordering things to see if the food was going to be better, but no avail. Service is a bit poor with some attitude. Not a good experience - and a large bill at the tail end of it , too.

Cons: Parking, Food quality low, Service poor

Posted 04/26/06

Service was terrible even though there seemed to be a lot of staff. The food was ok at best and the portions were very small. Certainly not worth the prices!!

Pros: Location

Cons: Service, Quality

Posted 01/16/06

Average sushi w/great presentation. Crowded, make reservations. Expect an out of work actor as your server, they didn't make it Hollywood and they are not cutting it here either.

Pros: food presentation

Cons: service, quality, value

Posted 06/25/05

At my cramped table on the crowded patio, I received small portions of very average sushi for a very inflated price. The restaurant was too dark, loud, and full, the sushi grossly overestimated, and the regular food (like teriyaki chicken and tempura) average. I don't understand why Sushi Roku has such a great name when the sushi they serve is mediocre at best, and the food is overpriced and uninspired. Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's good, people!!

Pros: Chic atmosphere, Might see some celebs, Good location

Cons: Overpriced, Mediocre sushi, Dark and crowded

Posted 06/19/05

Sushi Roku has some amazing dishes to offer - their black cod is excellent, and so is their eggplant appetizer. They also have great sushi and this rock shrimp dish. That said, I have found that it is not worth it to try and go there to eat at night. Even with reservations, we waited nearly an hour once just to get a table...the service is much less attentive at night and the atmosphere is not as relaxing. I would recommend going there for lunch instead. The service is much better, the food is just as good and it is not noisy and crowded - you can actually hear your own conversations.

Pros: Appetizer dishes, Sushi, Desserts

Cons: Long wait at night, Parking

Posted 05/02/05

I was shocked at the terrible sushi and the not-so- bright waitstaff. I would never reccomend this place -- go to Koi or Blowfish if you're looking for fresh fish and a nice ambience

Posted 01/18/05

Sushi Roku is all glitz and no substance-- a beautiful space with running water and good lighting makes it great for dinner for two. Loud acoustics and just awful sushi makes it better to just say no. I'm not even kidding-- the sushi I was served here was really bad. And it's pretty expensive to boot.

Pros: None

Cons: , Expensive, Poor value

Posted 01/06/05