Japanese cuisine: the best places to taste it in Santa Barbara

17 restaurant menus in Santa Barbara, (the ranking and the list of restaurants are based on the number of recommendations received from users in the last month, currently updated)
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Yoichi's
Yoichi's
90/100 (291 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Asian
Dinner
Fish
Sashimi
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Reservations
Dinner
Fine Dining
"Traditional Japanese Kaiseki Fine Dining carefully prepared by Chef Yoshi from Yokohama. Most of fish and fresh seafood are ordered daily from the..."
Chanchareon Nate
"Best restaurant in Santa Barbara! Authentic kaiseki, as good as the best meals I’ve had in..."
John LaBonte
"If you're in Santa Barbara, you must treat yourself to their tasting menu! So thoughtfully prepared - one of the best meals I have ever had. The..."
Mackenzie Shivers
"Excellent quality! The best in Santa Barbara!..."
Claudio Alunan
"Our family had a wonderful dinner at Yoichi's last night. The food was both beautiful and delicious and the service was excellent. Santa Barbara..."
Rick Sanders
"Two boys went to dinner tonight. Two boys came home happy and satisfied. ...Amazing! -Particularly when one of these two boys is such a picky eater,..."
M K Clayton
"EPIC. Obviously passionate. A culinary ecstasy that I will never forget. Can't wait to come back for the pairings... Thank..."
Aaron Levi Mellinger
"Amazing experience. How fantastic to have this in Santa..."
Carol Leslie Squier
"Perfection! Miso glazed cod and sashimi/Uni stole the..."
Kellie Lincoln
"Absolutely amazing multi-course dinner. Went for my husband’s birthday. Every course was explained by the chef, absolutely exquisite. I have a..."
Amber VanDerwarker
"First time we had this 7 course meal and it was impressive. I agree with another reviewer about the variance of the quality of materials used inthe..."
Cody Kwok
"Each coarse delivered made me reevaluate what my taste buds and what I thought was good food. It was all great, in particular the wagyu on sesame..."
Christian Aguilar
"Awesome Japanese tasting menu. A lot of local and authentic bites. Everything was very unique and delicious! Reservations are required, but it's well..."
Raymond Collins
"Yoichi's is one of the best restaurants I've had the privilege of dining at in the United States and I say this as someone who dines at AAA 5-Diamond..."
Jay Keyes
"The best dining experience and food of my life! Exquisite food prepared as art and unimaginably delicious! Wonderful, attentive service. We are..."
Pamela Brown
"The wonderfully reserved service, the amazingly delicious food and the leisurely pacing over 7 courses was a night to..."
Lance Higgins
Arigato Sushi
Arigato Sushi
88/100 (1836 ratings)
Restaurants
Vegetarian Friendly
Sushi
Japanese
Asian
Gluten Free Options
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Vegan Options
Vegetarian Friendly
Gluten Free Options
Vegan Options
Dinner
Lunch
Late Night
Tempura
California Roll
Kobe Beef
Lobster
Fish
Salad
Sashimi
Crab
Gyoza
Scallops
Tuna
Salmon
Fish Soup
Lobster Roll
Cod
Ribs
Shrimp
Beef
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Outdoor Seating
Takeout
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Accepts Credit Cards
Late Night
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"We first tried Arigato sushi when they were at the old location, a little hole in the wall off State Street. They are so much better now and we go..."
Joe Udo
"We came in on a Wednesday evening around 7 without a reservation. They were full at that time but we were able to put our names in for 8:15. We had..."
Stacey Morgan
"Amazing sushi. Extensive options, very fresh and the staff are quick and fantastic! It’s usually very busy so make..."
Sarah Danzl
"“Swinging roll” is brilliant. I’ve altered rolls at various restaurants to achieve this combination, but nothing beats Arigato. Their ambiance..."
Brittany Cardilino
"Our first time in Santa Barbara and we found this place on yelp, so we decided to give it a try. This place is delicious! We ordered a couple..."
Kelly Nguyen
"The fish was some of the freshest I've ever tasted. Just superb , has great wait staff . Again the sushi was..."
Mohamad Cheikhali
"Cute spot. Then menu was wayyyy to long though. Too many things and no fried rice? Fish was ok….. the ginger dressing was amazing. Bar was pretty...."
Rachel Raab
Kyoto Japanese Restaurant
Kyoto Japanese Restaurant
85/100 (1031 ratings)
Restaurants
Vegan Options
Sushi
Japanese
Asian
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Vegetarian Friendly
Vegan Options
Vegetarian Friendly
Dinner
Lunch
Fish Soup
Tempura
Fish
Salad
Sit down
Japanese
Sushi
Asian
Takeout
Private Dining
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"The yakitori was cooked to perfection. Kyoto has been an experience each time that I’ve dined here. Make sure to try at least 3-4 rolls and a hand..."
Joaquin Aguilar
"This place took us in with no wait during peak dinner hours. It’s really cute inside with a couple private floor seated table rooms. We got a booth..."
Tami Ribali
"Pretty solid sushi, 1st sushi joint I've been to since moving here. Probably because it's close to home. The spicy jalapeño roll was *chefs kiss...."
Brothar Zed
"Great restaurant, but if you want to dine in traditional Japanese, call to reserve one of there rooms at no extra..."
Armando Medrano
Craft Ramen
Craft Ramen
84/100 (3322 ratings)
Restaurants
Asian
Soups
Japanese
Vegetarian Friendly
Soups
Vegan Options
Japanese
Vegetarian Friendly
Vegan Options
Dinner
Lunch
Ramen
Pork
Noodle
Asian
Soups
Japanese
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Outdoor Seating
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"I’ve had my fair share of ramen (let’s just say I eat it with chopsticks to give you an idea of my expertise) and this is my new favorite spot...."
Rob
"This was my first time trying ramen. I was very happy they had a vegan option. It was really savory. I got it with rice noodles. Miso that was really..."
Amber Córdoba
"Got the veggie Ramen and the black ramen. Both are delicious and different. The black has a really rich broth, the veggie is a nice miso. Very nice..."
Conneric Liu
"This place has amazing ramen! The broth is savory but not too salty, the noodles are chewy and the meat is tender. I'd definitely recommend the spicy..."
Benjamin Liu
"This is my first visit to Craft Ramen. I was not disappointed! We had the eel roll, the Philadelphia roll as appetizers. They were both very good,..."
* dnainsb
"This place has outdoor dining and a super long wait, but we were rewarded with great ramen. The black and original were both..."
SM Tan
"Impressed to find how delicious SBCR’s offerings are. From the red (spicy) ramen to the black (black garlic) ramen, to the sushi and drinks,..."
J Wilund
"Delicious ramen place on State street. The Spicy red ramen was fantastic and the Takoyaki was really good. Fast and friendly service..."
Poly Gone
Yume Sushi
Yume Sushi
83/100 (352 ratings)
Restaurants
Asian
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Vegetarian Friendly
Sushi
Japanese
Vegetarian Friendly
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Sashimi
Fish
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Breakfast
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"This place is almost like a hole-in-the-wall, as it’s not in main downtown aka lower state. But what a find! My boyfriend and I were looking for a..."
Kim Law
"Excellent Sushi, relaxed environment. Lots of unique menu items to try and good vegetarian options as..."
Danny Zamir
"Tokoyaki are crunchy and savory. For curry omelet rice, rice is cooked perfectly, chicken cutlet is crunchy outside and soft inside, curry is fair,..."
M ax
"Great options for a sushi restaurant — has more than just sushi for those looking for some authentic Japanese dishes. Great appetizers, great sushi..."
Christopher Nasser
"Came in at the beginning of today's Thursday lunch opening. Ordered veggie sukiyaki with extra tofu. Food: Loved it. First thing I noticed was the..."
Brian Do
"Amazing, best sushi restaurant in Santa Barbara. Incredible flavors. The rolls prepared with scallops were amazing. if you are lucky enough to have..."
Connor King
Hibachi Steak House & Sushi Bar
Hibachi Steak House & Sushi Bar
83/100 (2102 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Steakhouse
Sushi
Steakhouse
Dinner
Lunch
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Steakhouse
Sushi
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Serves Alcohol
Wine and Beer
Highchairs Available
Accepts Credit Cards
Takeout
Street Parking
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
Oku
Oku
83/100 (607 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Sushi
Japanese
Vegetarian Friendly
Asian
Korean
Vegetarian Friendly
Dinner
Lunch
Shrimp
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Accepts Credit Cards
Outdoor Seating
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
Sakana Japanese Restaurant And Sushi Bar
Sakana Japanese Restaurant And Sushi Bar
83/100 (389 ratings)
Restaurants
Sushi
Gluten Free Options
Japanese
Asian
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Vegetarian Friendly
Gluten Free Options
Vegetarian Friendly
Dinner
Lunch
Lobster
Crab
Salmon
Fish Soup
Fish
Sashimi
Shrimp
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Serves Alcohol
Parking Available
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
Edomasa
Edomasa
82/100 (568 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Sushi
Japanese
Asian
Dinner
Lunch
Late Night
Fish
Sashimi
Sit down
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Late Night
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"Good sushi for the price. We got a combo meal and it came with soup, salad, and mochi at the end of the meal. Service was good and adjusted to take..."
Rachel Egyed
"Might be my favorite sushi restaurant in town. Unfortunately what covid has done to the way they manage the dine-in experience, is less than ideal..."
t brock
"Food is amazing, nice staff, simple and good..."
Michelle michelledias
"Best sushi I’ve ever had at a great price. Try their uni box and sweet..."
Eugene Choi
"Much bigger portions than I anticipated for the price! And that included miso, sunamono, and mochi ice cream! Service was good, tons of fish..."
Hillary O'Neill
"Very delicious a great place to fill your belly with night sushi! Their fried oysters are delicious, and I'm so so happy they have their Happy hour..."
Mint Gin
Sushi Tyme
Sushi Tyme
78/100 (2945 ratings)
Restaurants
Sushi
Japanese
Japanese
Asian
Asian
Sushi
Dinner
Lunch
Bento (Lunch Box)
Fish
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Seating
Wheelchair Accessible
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"I work here, and to the guy who said I assaulted Him.. my names Evan no Amaya and you were rude to a 17 yr old girl and considering the whole mall..."
Evan Curtice
"Their special rolls taste delicious :) however the ramen is a little disappointing, which is nothing like Japanese ramen, but instead something like..."
Tai Yin Cheung
"The sushi was pretty good. We enjoyed eating..."
Christa Rosenbaum
"Delicious! The rolls are a good size and the ingredients were very fresh. I wasn’t a huge fan of the miso soup, but I will definitely order from..."
Maggie Williams
"We ate there two times and tried multiple rolls and all of them where..."
Kai Müri
"The waitress (Helen) is really sweet! I asked her opinion and she did a great job picking things my wife and I would like. My wife doesn't like sushi..."
Michael McCormack
Ichiban Sushi Restaurant
Ichiban Sushi Restaurant
78/100 (1106 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Sushi
Japanese
Asian
Dinner
Lunch
Fish
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"Yet another perfect dinner. Our 3rd time at this delightful little "bigger on the inside"joint right in the heart of the Mesa! After confirming with..."
C. Anita Nuñez
"Great foods and handsome owner! Definitely check this place..."
Kaichen Chan
"Great food, great service. When we arrived the restaurant was full. Two tables left. Our waiter arrived immediately and took our drinks. We all..."
Roberto Jauregui
"Delicious fresh sushi. Good salmon skin salad. The service is wonderful server was so nice. They automatically gave us "Kids" chopsticks for the..."
Gabrielle Garcia-Williams
"Staff is nice and place is clean. Eel hand roll is my favorite. Definitely will go back..."
Jackie Song
"Great local sushi restaurant serving up classic Japanese fare in casual environs. Went for lunch and ordered the special of the day. In a word......"
Andrew
Sushi Teri
Sushi Teri
77/100 (621 ratings)
Restaurants
Sushi
Japanese
Japanese
Asian
Asian
Sushi
Dinner
Lunch
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Seating
Table Service
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Lunch
Dinner
Mid-range
"The sushi here looks appealing and tastes even better! The decoration and presentation of the sushi definitely sets it apart from other sushi places...."
Sweta Singh
"Excellent food and fantastic service! We had the Spider Roll, house salad, chirashi bowl, and chicken chow mein that was all really good but the..."
Melissa Cure
"It’s a Monday of a three day holiday. Every other place I went was out of Uni. These guys weren’t. And what that means to me, a chef is either..."
Joanna Karlinsky
"Fantastic service and food during our lunch. The beef bowl entree was delicious and the yellowtail was fresh. There is definitely more imitation..."
Fruition Media House
"Loved this place. They have a great selection of rolls. I love spicy mayo with my sushi and theirs was amazing. Nice kick and flavor. I want to go..."
Priscilla Cortes
"My favorite sushi joint in Santa Barbara. It's off the beaten path and parking is on the street and a little tense. But these are my favorite sushi..."
Matthew Bennett
"My new favorite sushi place! Whole family agrees, too ( what? that actually happens??). They have fantastic variety, creativity, yumminess. And very..."
Russ Baldocchi
Kai Sushi Shabu-shabu
Kai Sushi Shabu-shabu
76/100 (310 ratings)
Restaurants
Asian
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Sushi
Japanese
Dinner
Lunch
Fish
Sukiyaki & Shabu Shabu
Shabu Shabu
Beef
Sukiyaki & Shabu Shabu
Ramen
Sit down
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"I ordered the beef shabu shabu and ramen 🍜. BTY, for the shabu shabu, they only offer traditional Japanese shabu( Hot water with seaweed not soup..."
CHI
"AMAZING. My personal favorite dish was the Spider rolls. highly recommend. the people are amazing and everything is just..."
Miles
"Service is great, food is decent. A bit pricy but we are in a touristy area so not a surprise. Great happy hours..."
Paul Chen
"Kai Sushi was such a great outdoor dining experience on State Street today. The sushi 🍣 was very fresh, the tempura crispy and warm, and the..."
jd c
"Great service and delicious..."
Edwin Bonilla
Ahi Sushi
Ahi Sushi
76/100 (361 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Sushi
Japanese
Asian
Dinner
Lunch
Salmon
Fish
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"Local shooter. Rock solid sushi, excellent uni. If you're at the sushi bar, ask the chef what's good, and follow his..."
Richard H.
"This was very good sushi at a reasonable price. The santa Barbara uni was the most fresh I have ever..."
BeautyFoodie
"Excellent!. While in Santa Barbara on business, I figured I had to grab some Sushi. It was kind of a random choice to try Ahi Sushi, but I made a..."
John
"CAN NOT complain about food quality. homemade sauces and very fresh fish are the best in town. customer service is different everytime, good and bad,..."
Majjan. Y
"Delicious and fresh Sushi! The food is unbeatable for both price and..."
Zeenix Zee
"Excellent, had an incredible time with friends!! The food was..."
Faviola Delgadillo
"Good quality Japanese food in..."
Tienyu Sieh
"Great sushi, terrible..."
John Pierpont
Sushi A Go Go
Sushi A Go Go
75/100 (429 ratings)
Restaurants
Sushi
Japanese
Vegan Options
Asian
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Vegetarian Friendly
Vegan Options
Vegetarian Friendly
Dinner
Lunch
Tuna
Fish
Salad
Sit down
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Seating
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Outdoor Seating
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Cheap Eats
"Good fresh sushi place close to the pier. Reasonably priced, and the quality was very good. We got the sashimi platter and different types of rolls...."
Mei Chi Siu
"The sushi here tasted fresh, no fishy smell or taste. I got the sashimi platter, baked green muscles and rainbow roll. Mmmmm good. My friends got the..."
Trinie
"Very good quality food. Seating is a bit of a challenge, but once settled enjoy. Prices are average to high but the quantities are good. Had a..."
Steve Foster
"I love this place! The only sushi place I go to in Santa Barbara since it's cheaper than the other places but that doesn't mean the quality goes down..."
Vanessa Virto
"Reasonably priced, high quality sushi. I got the poke bowl which was yummy. FYI it's only outdoor seating and it's pretty..."
Joshua Gilstein
"Prices have really gone up from the pandemic though it offers a scenic Outlook into all the boats docked. For $16 fort's lunch special, it sure fills..."
Clarence Yeung
"Awesome spot.... limited tables but worth the wait! my kids loved it, will be back..."
A Betancourth
"Good food, reasonably priced. Great place to stop and eat after a stroll around the beach/harbor area. Then walk some more after to burn off..."
W chen
Something's Fishy
Something's Fishy
74/100 (158 ratings)
Restaurants
Asian
Japanese
Asian
Sushi
Sushi
Japanese
Seafood
Seafood
Dinner
Lunch
Shrimp
Fried rice
Sit down
Sushi
Asian
Seafood
Japanese
Reservations
Seating
Table Service
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"Great service! Emilio was awesome! Owner was incredible! Cook was..."
Lucy Rios
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Carmen Luna
Shintori Sushi Factory
Shintori Sushi Factory
71/100 (519 ratings)
Restaurants
Japanese
Sushi
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Asian
Dinner
Lunch
Tuna
Sit down
Asian
Japanese
Sushi
Seating
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Serves Alcohol
Takeout
Dinner
Lunch
Mid-range
"This is my favorite sushi joint in town. It’s small and casual, but consistently has the best fish...."
Terese Hudson
"Fantastic sashimi and miso soup! Staff & the Sushi chefs were very prompt and personable. We will be back, thank you again for a wonderful..."
Stefan Ornelaz
"An Excellent Place! ... Definitely coming back..."
Chris Messner
"Our favorite!!! Tye Dye Roll and Salmon..."
Jeannie Esparza
"Great cozy little neighborhood sushi restaurant serving up classic Japanese fare and fresh sushi. Went for dinner and ordered miso soup, spicy..."
Andrew
"Delicious sushi, reasonably priced. The shintori dome is a MUST! It has salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab, and avocado over a ball of rice, topped with the..."
Kylie Horenberger
"Came in a Monday night for salmon nigiri, the fish was so fresh and the rice was so good that I ended up ordering 3 more nigiri. Amazing little..."
Alison Streit
"I have always loved this small and friendly sushi bar. I want to return, but I believe part of the experience in addition to their very good sushi,..."
Bobbi Mercy-Frey
"Small sushi bar and restaurant with good quality sushi. Fish selection is a bit limited, but everything is very fresh and tasty. I focus on the..."
John Waller