Ozumo

Ozumo offers the best sushi I have had in SF so far! Hip and modern decor set the stage with low lighting, dark colored wood, and views of the bay. As we entered, we were greeted enthusiastically by every single staff member from the hostess to the chefs. Our waitress was completely versed in all things sushi and sake and patiently helped us make our selections. (I can be a harsh critic on service, and I was highly impressed!) The fish was fresh, the rolls crisp and tasty! The spicy tuna, and the tempura roll were definite favorites. Try the sake sampler or a fruity cocktail to mix things up. The green tea ice cream dessert was only so-so. Overall, the experience was wonderful, and I will absolutley be going back here again! Great spot for a date!!!

Pros: fresh sushi, hip ambiance, great service

Posted 02/13/06

I'm pretty tollerant of slow service, especially if the place is popular and busy. But I don't do well with attitude. With the way the waitperson acted, I thought maybe she had just been rejected for an audition and had to come to her crappy job on Sunset. The owners should tell their workers to leave the attitude in LA.

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Service

Posted 01/18/06

My husbands part was ruined!!! The waitress was snobby and kept rolling her eyes. The food order was taken 1hr into the party. The food started coming out little by little, instead of together. The birthday boy received his at the end of his party. The waitress was nowhere to be found the whole night. They had no idea who ordered what. The servers kept walking around asking if anybody ordered this.

We requested 2 bills, alcohol and food. The waitress agreed but still brought 1 check. It took 3 times for the below IQ waitress to figured it out. Not to mention that a bunch of food we never received was on the check. We had to sit for half an hour trying to figure out why we had all these extra charges. After all of that they had the audacity to charge us 20% tip.

Pros: decore

Cons: SERVICE!!!!!!!!

Posted 12/27/05

i recently read a bad review about ozumo...and i have to say that it was not fare at all
this restaurant has the freshest sushi ever(AND ROBATA),..i have dinner here quite a few times and the food..(same chef or not),is still amazing from taste to presentations, the service needs to improve, i will say that, and yes it is expensive, but WELL WORTH IT!!...IT IS A 3 STARS restaurant (by Michael Bauer), so i do not think that they got those stars for nothing....GREAT PLACE!!!

Pros: cooked items, sushi, sake

Cons: parking, price

Posted 09/28/05

I went to Ozumo and had the private room. As the table was very large, the waitress did not bother to walk around to ask each guest what they wanted to drink or eat. Instead, she bullied one guest into doing all the ordering and ended up ordering way too much food, and at their prices, makes a big difference. For the prices and reputation, the service was sub-par. My water glass remained empty for the whole night. When the astronomical bill came, they charged us an automatic 20 percent gratuity. We did not receive 20 percent worth's service.
The food was mediocre. The sushi rice was too vinegary and mushy. The fish did not taste fresh and was equivalent to what you would get at an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. I made a formal complaint and have so far been ignored. Terrible customer service.

Pros: Nice bar

Cons: Total rip off, Poor service, Mediocre food

Posted 09/22/05

I went to Ozumo for my 21st birthday and I could not have been more pleased. I had the sake cosmo cocktail, which has to be the best cocktail I have ever tasted. Even though we had reservations it was very crowded on a Tuesday night and we had to wait an additional 40 minutes for our table. Our server, however, understood we were in a rush and made sure the food came to our table as fast as possible. Even with the quick service, the food was still amazing. The Kaiso salad is a seaweed salad. has amzing flavor. The yellow tail sashimi has to be the best sashimi I have ever tasted. The sushi was amazing. The tempura crab and shrimp were unbelievable. Even though this place is expensive, I would definately return for a special occasion or to have a glass of their sweet sake cosmo.

Pros: Great Cocktails, Great sushi, Great service

Cons: Long wait, Expensive, Loud

Posted 09/20/05

My first visit to Ozumo, 1 year ago, was amazing. All components were executed exceptionally: The cooked foods, sushi, sake, and service. Returning 1 year later I was so disappointed. The service was unintelligent about the cuisine and the sake list. The food itself was lacking in balance. The gindara was way too sweet. The server had a hard time recommending a good sake. The sushi tasted like they were using frozen fish and not fresh as they claim. Overall I think Ozumo has been riding on their popularity while the quality has been going down these past few months. Also I asked the server about their chef and she told me that the original chef left to open his own place and has been replaced by someone from LA. I hope the original chef's new place will open soon, because SF is in need of good Japanese restaurants.

Pros: Atmosphere, Sake

Cons: Service, Food, Sushi

Posted 08/05/05

My financee and I discovered chilled sake at Ozumo, for which we owe it a debt. The sushi is delicious, and while I haven't just gone to the bar, it's always packed when we get dinner. True, it's pricy, but definately worth it. The only only thing that's ever dissapointed was a cosmopolitan that someone ordered. I'd avoid the usual cocktails and stick with their sake selection.

Pros: Sushi Presentation, View of the Bay, Service

Cons: Crowded

Posted 08/05/05

The bar at Ozumo is rocking! The food's not cheap but what do you expect? It is good and there are great options for sushi and sashimi and of course more sake than us Gia-gin can ever hope to understand! I have been there several times and the bartender (Cody) is a great guy, fun and entertaining! He definitely makes me want to come back, and eat at the bar rather than in the dining room.

Pros: Sake Tasters, Kobe, Staff

Cons: Typical Parking, Lots O' wannabees

Posted 07/23/05

ok, so again, bunch of gap, morgan stanley, downtown folk for networking and drinks in the bar area, can't hate that, dining area, lots of expense account lonely people, the drinks a good with a large selection of sake, impressive, the fish is really nothing to go nuts over, pretty standard, and honestly not very imaginative, standard fare, however, the view is pretty sweet, makes you happy to be working/living in sfo.

Pros: sake, view, some hot chix

Cons: cost, average fish, sceney

Posted 06/22/05

Very romantic restaurant, it has a big view on the Bay bridge and offers many good sake and sushi roll. Price is a bit expensive and I highly recommand it for dating or celebrations. Be prepared for valet parking but it isn't difficult to find parking by yourself.

Pros: Great sushi, Atmophere

Cons: Price

Posted 04/14/05

Initially, it feels like almost like a club; it just has that atmosphere. The front section was apparently the place to be on Friday night, filled with young, professional-looking indivuals. After the dimly-lit lounge area is left, though, the crowd becomes increasingly more diverse, yet everyone seemed to have a place in this multifaceted restaurant. Both apptizers and entrees were absolutely excellent, combined well with light yet richly flavorful sauces. The fish was very fresh. The maitre d' was exceedingly accomodating; we had no reservations and it was absolutely packed yet still were seated decently (just luck?) I'll surely call in first next time.

Posted 04/03/05

Great place to try different types of japanese Sake. The food is Great and the service were awesome. I had no idea of what sake to try and my waitress, Aimee, gracefully described each and every sake and answered all of our questions patiently. She even brought some information about different Sake for us!!! The food is great and the taste is to die for. Be forewarned, this is no place to the weak hearts and 'scrooges', you will pay for what you get (quality). I truly enjoyed this place and would highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone!!!

Pros: Service, Ambience, Sake

Cons: Parking, Expensive

Posted 03/15/05

I have had sushi all over LA and SF and this is THE PLACE. The atmosphere, the service, all the food, the drinks...EVERYTHING was SUPERB. It is a great place for a date, with friends, groups, family. Very classy and fabulous ambiance. The sushi was amazing...best Toro I have ever had. I recommend the Liche cocktail after your meal at the bar. This place is my new favorite place to go in SF! :)

Pros: food, service, ambiance

Posted 02/05/05

My husband and I went to Ozumo for dinner a few nights ago. The atmosphere is very cool and trendy, but we were disappointed with the meal itself and the service. We waited quite a while for our sushi rolls, and when they arrived they were quite small. We were still hungry after finishing those, but we didn't want to wait another 20-30 minutes for more rolls. The food itself was quite delicious, but not enough to justify the price. I would choose my no-name neighborhood sushi restaurant in Chicago any day over this place.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: , Service

Posted 01/24/05

If you are a sushi lover you already know you can't put raw food in your mouth for cheap since it has to be fresh and prepared correctly.

Ozumo not only offers this service with expert sushi chefs and quality fish but provides an atmosphere for anykind of gathering, and food even for non sushi lovers. Why pay tons of money eating in some dingy overrated sushi place when you can get easy parking or valet and be at a centrally located, amazingly beautiful restuarant, and bar for a night with some friends?

Betelnut, Moose, Aqua? Marina Sushi? Been there done that but never as impressed.

Sushi bar, grill area, private rooms, another section with wet bar and disc jocky, free coat check, cool ass staff, yummy dessert.

Check website for special holidays where they have offer course dinners for $70.

Pros: Food, Decor, Atmosphere

Posted 11/22/04

I love sushi and have been to many sushi restaurants in the city. There are so many great sushi places in San Francisco that I wonder why anyone would spend this much money for medicore sushi. I don't mind shelling out an arm and a leg for good sushi but this was definitely NOT worth the price. Ambience is nice and service was great but I don't think I would go back. When I need to get my "sushi fix," I need GOOD sushi. For the amount we spent on dinner, we could have been eating toro all night at Zushi Puzzle. Ozumo is the kind of place you take a date because it looks fancy but for die hard sushi fans, pass.

Pros: Ambience, Service

Cons: , Medicore Sushi

Posted 10/09/04

I've visited Ozumo for both dinner and happy hour and I've yet to find anything to complain about. The food is delicious, the service is impeccable and the ambiance is perfect for a night out with friends or a romantic date. I would highly recommend Ozumo. You will not be disappointed.

Posted 04/26/04

Ozumo is my guilty pleasure. Stopping by for dinner or happy hour has become a monthly ritual. I have yet to be disappointed by the beautifully crafted food or service. The Thursday night DJ rocks the house. Try the Hanabi- one of my absolute favorites- the hamachi melts in your mouth. Ozumo is perfect for a date, a business lunch or a group of friends out for a great meal and experience. No matter what the occasion, accomodations have always been impeccable. Relatives from out of town were very impressed with the sake selection.

Pros: creative food, atmosphere, friendly service

Posted 04/20/04

This is one of the great dining experiences in SF. Prices are at the high end but well worth it once you see the stunning presentation and taste the truly exceptional food. The menu is creative and the service and interior design contribute in creating a hip, luxurious and satisfying experience. A few others have posted about shoddy service but the times I have dined there, I found the service attentive and friendly. The servers were well versed in their menus and were also able to give several suggestions that I was very pleased with. Ozumo is one of my favorite SF restaurants and I would recommend it to all.

Posted 04/20/04

Ozumo rests on its interior design laurels. The sushi was very tasty and the portions appropriate, but the service was downright nonexistent considering tasty Japanese of this caliber is around every corner in SF. From a design perspective this place is a parody -- highly renown for it and yet.....the banquettes are Pottery Barn jute rugs stapled over bare wood, the high-armed, main dining room chairs are uncomfortable plywood boxes that ram against the table at an uncomfortable distance. So many other places to go that are better value and better service.

Pros: Tasty sushi, location

Cons: Service, decor

Posted 01/16/04

The sushi at Ozumo is truly superb. After traveling throughout the world, it ranks up there with the best. That being said, the service and length of the meal (three hours) was well, well below par. As a young professional in the city, I felt as if I was treated without consideration. According to the manager, we "fell through the cracks...", which must have accounted for them incorrectly deliving our bill TWICE and not offering any comps, let alone a sincere apology. Good Luck!!!

Posted 12/09/03