gi-jin

First time here and wow! 10/10! The ambiance was chill and the staff were friendly and professional. The bar is beautiful. The food and drinks were fresh and unique. The only downside was another group of patrons who joined tables were overtaking the small space with excessively loud laughing, talking, and clapping. We had a hard time hearing our server and finally a few other patrons spoke up and asked them to keep it down so others in the space could enjoy conversation at a reasonable volume. The limit to 4 people per table now makes sense to me!

A new favorite date night spot! The service and atmosphere is always amazing. Please make a reservation in advance or you most likely won't get a spot! It's worth the wait!! Recommend: Toro Handroll, Sake Salmon Nigiri, Matchamisu, and the Tuna Pizza! This review was made in connection with a Toast Promotion!

The best Japanese cuisine I’ve had in Pittsburgh by far! My friends and I had such a wonderful experience, not only was the fish extremely fresh the service was wonderful. Our waitress went above and beyond and was super helpful answering our questions and providing us with recommendations. I had a chefs special nigiri plate and spicy tuna hand roll and both were spectacular, the sea urchin was so fresh and melted in your mouth, and the spicy tuna hand roll was delicious, I really loved how there was no mayo, which is extremely uncommon in the states but made it even better. My friends had the hand rolls all which were delicious, they tried the spicy tuna, spicy scallop, toro, salmon belly, shrimp tempura, king salmon shrager roll, and the mushroom which was surprisingly good (recommended by our waitress). They are small in size about 3 bites, and I would recommend getting 4-5 if you intend on them being the main course. The matcha tiramisu was great as well but could use a stronger matcha taste, the mini chocolate balls were a great addition and added dimension to the dessert. The prices are slightly on the higher side, but the food definitely reflects it. Also highly recommend making a reservation 1-2 weeks in advance as there are only about 5 tables indoors. I am very picky with raw fish, usually it’s too “fishy” for my taste, but I definitely did not find that a problem here. I would highly recommend Gi-Jin to anyone wanting high quality seafood, with a wonderful ambiance. I honestly can not recommend it enough!

We ate at Gi Jin on January 2, 2025. My wife had the salad which she said was excellent and I had the Miso soup with a mildly salty flavor. We shared a platter which was anrtistically arranged and tasty with a large variation of culinary experiences. We both got the California Hand Rolls (crab, avocado, cucumber, radish, and Furikake). I will say that I could not taste any crab within the hand roll. The service people were excellent. The service people were knowledgeable and accommodating for any dietary modification and attentive.

This must be my favorite place in Pittsburgh, something about the way the chef takes his spin on Japanese cuisine is just so exquisite that makes you want to try everything on the menu. The waitress did a fabulous job helping us understand how much to order for just two so we could try different things without getting too full. My favorite was the beef tataki with mushrooms - delicious! Also don’t be afraid to have the sashimi even though you’re far away from the ocean: everything tasted very fresh and was presented beautifully. Will definitely keep on going back. Only point of feedback is the table setting and the restriction to four people max - would love to be able to with a larger group as well.

Top quality sushi right in the heart of Pittsburgh! Let's be honest, I was initially super skeptical when I heard about this place. The menu seemed like it might be over priced, and having been to more than a couple Japanese restaurants here, I was beginning to think we'd never find too-quality sushi in this city. But, this restaurant proved me wrong! We ordered a couple of gin cocktails, the onigiri appetizer, the sashimi platter, the tuna pizza, and 4 hand rolls to all split between the two of us. The atmosphere is great, and the restaurant has a few subtle details that made us feel like we were back in Japan again. The wait staff very attentive. Dishes came out one after another immediately after we finished. The cocktails even came with ice cubes with the restaurant name and logo imprinted on the top... talk about attention to detail! On to the food... The Onigiri appetizer was amusingly large, and also tasty. I was skeptical of the tuna pizza, since it sounded like an overly-americanized dish, but I was pleasantly surprised. The hand rolls were great, and the sashimi quality is top notch and easily the best quality you can get in Pittsburgh. Overall, the combination of great atmosphere, top quality friendly service, and top quality sushi makes this an excellent place to spend a night out for a special occasion! My only complaint: I really wish they had an omakase option available. We spent quite a while looking through the menu to be sure to order a good balance of food.

What a beautiful restaurant! My family of four visited while in Pittsburgh on vacation. The staff have perfectly crafted every detail of your dining experience. It warms my heart to see so much effort and artistry go into a restaurant. Thank you to the staff and owners for sharing their creations with us.

I cannot express enough how much I love this restaurant. The staff is always friendly, the food could not get better, and the cocktails are just divine. We celebrate every major milestone here, just had our anniversary dinner with them, and the only bad thing I can say is I can't eat here every day!

Who would have thought sushi in Pittsburgh would be one of the most memorable sushi experiences I've had? But it was! Handrolls are incredibly unique (try the toro and beef tartar) with a thoughtful combination of textures and flavors. As someone who dislikes the taste of coffee, take my word and leave room for the matcha tiramisu which was delicious! The bartenders are great for providing recommendations for drinks on and off the menu--take their word for it!

Amazing spot , with an intimate dining experience. The staff was amazing / so sweet. All the handhelds were flavorful and the sashimi was high grade / melted in your mouth ! My ONLY complaint is I wish the serving portions were a bit bigger for the price! Aside from that I would highly recommend.

Amazing experience. Definitely has a hefty price tag, but you can expect some of the best sushi around. The bluefin was outstanding and each dish was creative and fresh. The service was wonderful and the cocktails did not disappoint. The wine and champagne list was also strong. The restaurant is small and they have a little sushi bar, but the ambiance is modern and comfortable. We will be back for sure.

Bar none, the best sushi I have found in Pittsburgh. While you will have to pay to park in a garage, it is totally worth it. Great cocktail and sake menu. Plenty of offerings including hand rolls, sashimi, and nigiri. Even dessert was amazing. Staff was friendly and attentive. We were seated promptly at our table and the food came out as it was prepared. Venue is cute. Small sushi house vibe with a neo mixology overtone. Clean and relaxed environment while still feeling just a tad upscale. Tip: tables seat 4 max. So this place definitely better for smaller parties.

Supreme comfort and highest quality food, service and GIN! We were lucky to get a walk in table but I recommend reservations. It was as if we were transported into a cozy gin house in Japan and our own personal steward. Expect to take your time here but it's so nice to have a place you can say was absolutely worth every penny of its cost with no regrets. This isn't a place to save for fancy occasions, this is for any time you want to indulge in an experience with expertise- we saw plenty of singles at the sushi bar as well- this place truly is a haven.

It is so hard to make a reservation at this place and that sets our expectation very high. The place is pretty small. The bamboo ceiling is pretty neat but it may also have enhanced the noise in the room. The food is good overall and meets our expectation. We really loved the matcha tiramisu. However, this is more like a westernized Japanese restaurant. If you are into a more authentic Japanese food experience, you may not find what you need here.

Absolutely fantastic. No doubt, one of my all time favorite sushi evenings with close friends ever. We were invited to dine here with some of our best friends in town - of course, we jumped at the opportunity, knowing that it's still a challenge to get reservations here unless you book far in advance. The REASON it's so challenging is because this place is so delicious and welcoming. The menu is exceptional - look through it, and you'll see an amazing array of gin, sake, whiskey, and an even more impressive array of delicious food. A casual look will reveal that the establishment charges top dollar, but unlike many over-hyped places, Gi-Jin _delivers_ on their end of the deal. Honestly, this was some of the tastiest sushi and sashimi I've ever had in the U.S. or anywhere else. The space is intimate and comfortable. The service is attentive and informative, without being overbearing. The baffles on the ceiling are beautiful, and help decrease the din that low ceilings can produce. The music was a nice backdrop, without being overbearing or intrusive. Bathroom was clean, with Toto automated Japanese "Western-Style" toilets that are a little confusing but fun to observe when they do their thing. This establishment really exceeded our high expectations and truly delivered an experience with a memorable night out with close friends. (And thank you for accommodating us when we stayed later than our planned 90 minutes!!) とても美味しい Totemo oishii!!!

Everything about this place was amazing from the drinks to the food (and service too). We tried a few items, including my favorite sushi roll --eel (which I engulfed realizing I forgot a pic). However, I forgot to get a photo. Seriously, great spot to catch up with friends or have a date night (assuming you're okay with open concept seating--not uber romantic if you're trying to have that kinda of date night.

We decided to treat ourselves and have a girls dinner at Gi-Jin last week! The service was impeccable, the vibe upscale, and the food and drinks were excellent. As you can imagine from the name, their cocktails are gin forward and we only got a couple to try because we wanted to save room for the food, which ended up being a great choice. We family styled everything and were stuffed by the end of the meal. Everything tasted so fresh and flavorful and the presentation was beautifully done. My favorites were the dynamite crab dish, the tuna pizza, the aburi salmon belly nigiri and toro nigiri, and the matcha misu dessert. Two things to note: 1) The inside is pretty small so I would recommend making reservations. The tables are set up for four people and the seats at the bar are seat up for groups of two so keep that in mind. 2) It can get pricey so be warned you'll be dropping a fair amount of money for this experience.

Food 10/10: the freshest fish I've ever tasted Service 10/10: So accommodating, attentive, helpful, and kind Ambiance 10/10: So cozy and cute! A perfect date night Price: Very expensive. We spent $300 and I was still hungry when we left. Portion size: Small - one hand roll is $9 which is two bites

Great vibes, great atmosphere, great service, great food. Well... this place is a gem! Very cool and trendy. Unique menu items. Their hand rolls and sashimi bowls are top tier. The dishes are served tapa style. I had the Californian and the shrimp tempura hand rolls. Very interesting flavor combos. I also had their version of a French 75 cocktail and it was superb. Something to keep in mind... they have a 2 hour time limit per table. And I know this is going to sound crazy considering we're talking about a restaurant BUT they have the fanciest toilet I've ever used. The toilet has bidet options, lighting, and the seat is heated. I'm sure there are other features, but if I would have explored all I would have missed dinner... lol. All in all, great place for light sushi bites and cocktails.

Hello fellow Yelpers! Gi-Jin is a beautiful place located right next to tako in downtown on Penn. In fact it's owned by the same company as tako and coop de Ville, so if you like the vibes those places are handing out you'll love it here as well! We have been there twice for a special anniversary and a birthday and both times felt special. The first time for our anniversary we had the bartender Patrick who had great banter with us and served us some amazing drinks. The second time we were served by the wonderful Brandi who was amazing alongside who we think is the general manager (never got her name). Both times it took a little for the food to come so they gave us a little special glass of alcohol to tide us over which was wonderful. The ambiance, the service is top notch here! The food...it's beautiful and some of the best sushi we've had compared to local places like Andy's at Wholey's, or Kura or Umami we think this is by far the best. Even compared to other places we've had around the country and out of the country this is some of the best sushi. They source their fish from Japan, New Zealand, locally, all over the place and the freshness shows. Usual fish we don't typically like or have ever had are delicious here such as the madai (fluke) and medai (bottlenose), yes those are spelled awfully close but two different fish haha. You don't even really need soy sauce and can just eat the sushi straight up. The pictures will speak for themselves. But if you're looking for a special place with very tasty food this is your place! The only cons really are the sometimes two month wait times and the expensive prices, but this is a place to go for a nice night out. Also recommend their chocolate torte :) Thank you so much for reading, stay safe and well out there. Thanks for being...YOU! :)

I had such a fabulous experience. I'm on a business trip, alone, and thought sushi would be easy. I didn't have a reservation but they seated me promptly and made me feel welcome. I loved the vibe. Mellow but not at all sleepy. Honestly, some of the highest quality fish I've had and I enjoy sushi all over the world. I was shocked and delighted. The preparation is unusual - some of the sushi is topped with some unique ingredients so this is not just plain nigiri you (ignorantly) smother in soy sauce. And unlike so many places where the chef ineptly hacks away at the fish, each piece seemed masterfully cut and presented. Best of all was the incredible staff. After flying in earlier from the Bay Area they were such a treat. Friendly and conversational. Go. You will not be disappointed at all.

Pricy but high quality fish. I tried the nigiri plate, with an uni add on. I truly enjoyed every bite. The fish was fresh, and each piece was seasoned differently, which I thought was an interesting twist on traditional nigiris. I remember that some were savory, some were citrusy, and some were even minty. The uni add on was delicious as well - they were generous with the amount of uni, it also tasted fresh and sweet. On top of the nigiri plate, I also got the toro handroll which was so yummy and just melted in my mouth. However, I would not recommend their non-seafood dishes. I got the beef tataki, which was decent but nothing special and not worth the price in my opinon. The beef was thick cut and pretty hard to chew. Lastly, I tried their matcha misu. I saw a lot of good reviews for this but it was disappointing. The cream on top was hard and the cake was soggy. It tasted like it had been sitting in the fridge for awhile. Another thing to point out is that their menu is very small and doesn't contain any cut rolls. Overall I really liked the nigiris here. The service & ambiance were great as well.

Terrific food experience. The fish was outstanding, very fresh, melt in your mouth. We will be back.

Gi-Jin is a beautiful and cozy sushi spot downtown. Everyone on staff is very nice and attentive, and they had the perfect cadence for checking in on us. When it comes to the food, the presentation really stands out. Each item is meticulously crafted and served on gorgeous dishware. While the food was tasty, I don't think it was good enough to justify the price point. You get very little for a high cost (the sushi lineup in the image was $57 for 5 pieces of sushi). I have had better sushi for nearly half the cost elsewhere. For that reason, I don't see myself returning here often. I just can't justify it when you have other locations that also import their fish from Japan and offer much more at equal/better quality for a lower cost (Umi and Mola come to mind).

I recently dined at Gi Jin in Pittsburgh, and it was a fantastic experience. We started with the Negroni and Roku 75 cocktails, both of which were spectacular. The Negroni's pandan flavor was a unique twist that I really enjoyed. For our appetizer, we had the onigiri, which was delicious. The highlight of the meal was the bara chirashi plate, featuring a great collection of fresh fish. However, the hamachi crudo plate, while showcasing fresh fish, didn't quite match up to our expectations. Towards the end of the meal, we savored some classic salmon and tuna nigiri, which were delightful. But the desserts stole the show! The Matcha Misu was, as always, amazing, and their new dessert, the apple spice cake, was a delightful surprise with delicious anglaise and flavor. The ambience at Gi Jin is very pleasing, and the service was top-notch, as always. Overall, it was a memorable dining experience with a blend of unique flavors and classic favorites, making it a must-visit spot in Pittsburgh.

One of the best meals I've ever had. Ever. If you like sushi, you won't find sushi better or more fresh than this anywhere I've eaten. I've had sushi in tons of restaurants & this is the freshest and most unique sushi restaurant I've tried. I wanted to try everything on the menu (except for the mushrooms). I'd never had fried onions on a sushi roll before - or hand rolls that were more like mini tacos than cones. Even the edamame had better seasoning than normal. Everything was super fresh and delicious. I especially recommend the scallops, but everything I had was out of this world. I loved the table settings & the entire atmosphere. They even had purse hooks! What a great idea for a restaurant. The service was amazing and friendly. Even the reef room was a cut above the rest. I wish I'd taken my phone in to take a picture. There were more options & controls for the toilet than I'd ever seen. The kid was automatic. The seat was even heated. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it well worth it? Also yes. It's not the kind of game lags I can afford to frequent, but I can't wait to return. I think I've found a new favorite Pittsburgh restaurant. I can't recommend it enough. If you love sushi, visit Gi-Jin ASAP. I even liked the gin drink, which I didn't expect.

My favorite Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh. Fair warning, it is not traditional Japanese cuisine. I have yet to find a traditional Japanese place I like in Pittsburgh. Gi jin is the next best, and I do enjoy its Japanese fusion dishes. Restaurant vibe is more bar-like, as there aren't many tables. The only complaint I have is it is incredibly hard to get a reservation here. When it first opened, reservations went up to 3 months. It's around 1 month now. I blame it on the lack of decent asian fine dining in Pittsburgh lol. However, I've miraculously been able to walk-in a few times. [Tuna pizza] [Beef tataki]: Over the years, I've had the pleasure of trying most of the menu. These are my favorite plates. Interestingly, I've seen sashimi pizza on several omakase set menus over the last year. But I liked it the best at Gi Jin, because they make it less oily than other places. The beef tataki is also really refreshing. Sashimi and nigiri tokubetsu is ok, nothing too special so in my opinion, a bit not worth the price. [Nigiri/Sashimi/Hand Rolls]: I like Gi Jin as a fusion place, so I come for the food that I feel like are interesting and offer a twist. Thus, I like the hand rolls more. My favorites are beef tartare and eel (might be biased because I just like raw beef in general). For nigiri and sashimi, which are more classic and simple so I believe are judged upon the fish itself, they're ok but quality/price still can't compete with Japanese dining in bigger cities. Japanese fine dining here is overpriced in general because of the scarcity of competition. [Matcha Misu] is my favorite dessert here. The chocolate torte is a tad too sweet for me. Drinks are also one of my favorites in Pittsburgh. Their bar menu reminds me of asian fine dining in Cali. Flavorful with an asian twist. I've tried most of their cocktails and you can't go wrong with any. Service is nice and the waiter always gives the best cocktail recommendations. I apologize for such a long review but today, I've started to use yelp as my food diary. Thus, this is a combined memory of many meals. I am surprised how deep of an impression so many restaurants under the DeShantz group have left me, as I am still able to write in such detail about numerous experiences that span over years.

Service was amazing and very accommodating. Seating was a little uncomfortable and does not have a backrest. Food was good but tuna pizza was slightly oily and the matcha in the matcha tiramisu is not strong.

Had always wanted to try it, especially after various said it was a must try. They were right. I'll say it, I think this is one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh. Wow! I love sushi but can't have it too often because my husband doesn't eat raw fish. It is definitely the best sushi in Pittsburgh. All the ingredients were so fresh and flavorful. You know immediately when eating sushi if it is fresh and if they used high quality ingredients. No question here. The tuna pizza was my favorite. They gave you so much tuna and you know it as ahi grade. It was really good on the scallion pancake. We also had various handheld rolls. I love tuna so the tuna was my favorite. This is the biggest endorsement of the restaurant. My husband has never eaten or had the desire to eat sushi. However, we were invited to go by a close friend for his birthday. He tried the sashimi sampler and it said it was very good. The cocktails are also very creative and very good. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. I felt like I was on vacation. The staff were all very nice, very attentive and knew their stuff. Service matters. If you like sushi, you must try it. The food is amazing.

Have been at this spot last night. Food was amazing and it worth every penny! our server Regan is really the best! That's how it supposed to be! Honestly I don't remember last time I've been treated like that. Will got back first cos of her hospitality! I wish the hostess lady would be at least somewhow nice as she. The place WAS NOT CROUWDED and it was definitely a chance to find a spot for us. We spent more than enough and I wish we deserved a nicier place than to sit outside when there are LOTS OF OPEN SPOTS INSIDE.

Goodness. This exceeds my expectations. My expectations were very high. Wholly smokes was it delicious and complemented by nice cocktails. I can not wait to go again. Worth the wait to get in.

This was easily the best sushi I have ever had. The vibes were fantastic as well; it was so intimate and romantic for a date night with my husband! We ordered a nigiri plate each, and I got the eel hand roll and he got the shrimp tempura hand roll. The hand rolls were so tasty, but my one complaint is how small they were for the money. The nigiri were so fresh, tender, and flavorful! I got the Roku 75 cocktail which was refreshing and well-made, and our desserts were phenomenal. I literally think my favorite part of the meal was dessert because it was just sooo good! Overall, this meal was insanely expensive, but as I said the quality was great, though given how hard it is to make a reservation and the prices, will likely not be back as I am not a huge sushi lover. Very happy to have checked this one out though! PS - the toilet seats were heated and this was the most comfy thing ever. They had fancy Japanese toilets that I was too scared to test out but loved the heated seats :D

Worth the wait!! Had to make a reservation a few months in advance and glad we did. The menu is a little overwhelming but the server was very helpful with explaining it all. Loved the corner table we had - best seat in the house if I can be honest. The gin cocktails are so good, I had the cat in pajamas and Roku 75. Really enjoyed our meal. We split a plate, each had four pieces and split an appetizer. It was enough for me but I think my husband would have liked a little more.

Gi Jin does it again! It's hard to get, let alone KEEP a 5 star review and they keep doing it! The summer menu was super interesting as the crudos were very fruity in a good way. I never thought sushi could taste like that. Can't wait to be back soon (but I'll be back sooner if you bring back crispy rice)

Overall 4, Food 5, Service 4, Ambience 3, Price 1 Well, I've never spent that much money on a meal for two before. I could have bought an entire set of Dewalt tools, no joke. We dropped over $500 for two people. Dom P isn't the most expensive wine on the menu. The "rolls" are two-bite "roll-lights" and the crab dish is surprisingly overpriced. Nothing we ate was unsatisfactory. It was very loud. It took months to get a spot. So long in fact that we accidentally booked twice. Don't be fooled: the place is this exclusive only because it is so small. The bartender, also our waiter and server, appeared drunk when we arrived. He took control and pushed certain decisions on us, and didn't really let it go until the very end, which we found moderately annoying. He explained Nigiri and Nigiri Tokbetsu were two different Nigiri dishes. Later on in the meal I asked about the "other" Nigiri than the one we had but he said there wasn't any. Then he pushed the beef on us again and we caved. While it was good, its just not what I were looking for. When I want sushi, I want fish, not spam or beef. Drinks were good. The cocktails weren't really that badly priced, considering in Manhattan you'd have one of those for $40+ and here they only cost $13-18. It was artistic, high quality, but ultimately a one-trick pony in our opinion. Bartender tried to make up for earlier friction by slipping me an extra half shot in my whiskey glass. I appreciated it, though I'm not sure if it was intentional or part of the normal routine since he said I was entitled to it. No hard feelings, but we'll never be back. They put a lot of 3/4" birch plywood into the place.

Loved everything about this place. I see why they are booked all the time, so get your reservations in!!!! The food here is insanely good. If you're looking for the freshest sushi in pgh here it is. The service was over the top. They really take care of you here!!

It's been over a year since I've been to Gi-Jin. It's very difficult to get a table here. So you always go in with high expectations. 2/3 dishes were astounding. The hamachi crudo pictured below was lackluster. It had the taste profile akin to a fish smoothie bowl. These are two flavor profiles that are difficult to mix and I don't think they pulled it off. The lotus blossom cocktail was incredible though. Service was excellent. We arrived early so it was fairly quiet but when it's packed it can get very loud. I would recommend an early reservation if you're looking for a more intimate dinner free of hiccups. This may be a controversial statement, but this is not the best fish in Pittsburgh imo so don't expect the quality of the fish to match the price. Presentation wise, they have it figured out. One of the best sushi restaurants in Pittsburgh hands down if you're willing to spend $$$

We waited 4 months to get a weekday reservation. A unique restaurant for Pittsburgh. We felt like we were in New York when we entered. It is very small and everything is made fresh to order. The food was incredible but also very small. Everything had so much flavor that all combined perfectly. I left wanting more of everything we ordered, it was quit the experience for my taste buds and my wallet.

We love the DeShantz group, so Gi-Jin was a must visit for us. We finally made plans to go during a recent visit to PGH, snagging res right after they opened online. Gi-Jin is situated in the stretch of other DeShantz restaurants right downtown, and you can't miss it with it's on-theme decor, even from outside. There is some outdoor seating on the sidewalk, but as you walk through the "curtains", you're exposed to the awesome interior. The restaurant features a large bar with seats so you can watch all the action, as well as tables on the opposite wall. The walls are adorned with super cool artwork (large drawings of various sea creatures), and the modern and simple furniture only add to the ambience. We were seated at the bar, which was perfect to get the full experience. Now for food and drink ... their drink menu is expansive, of course featuring various gins both straight and in cocktails, but also offering sake, beer, wine, etc. My husband and I both went for the Cat's Pajamas, a gin, honey, and lemon forward cocktail. We loved the balance of sweetness that didn't overpower the gin, and it was a perfect match for our meal. So to the food / service ... when looking at the menu, we were a touch overwhelmed and didn't quite know how much food to order for the 2 of us. We asked our waitress for assistance, and she proceeded to basically list the entire menu to us, which wasn't helpful. Instead, I pulled in the recs from reading Yelp reviews, so we started off with the sashimi plate. The fish was incredibly fresh and definitely high quality, and it was fun to identify which of the types we liked best. The presentation was also beautiful! We then ordered 2 handrolls, the eel and the toro (again, based on Yelp reviews), which were excellent. While we were enjoying these rolls, our waitress started to stress us out, saying that we weren't ordering enough food and that the kitchen might not be able to prepare more dishes for us. We were pretty bothered by this comment, especially since we asked the waitress for help in knowing how much to order and she didn't really guide us. Since we weren't quite full and felt like maybe we were being cheap from that comment, we panic-ordered a few more dishes. We went for the bara chirashi (basically a poke bowl), the scallop crudo, and the mushroom and uni handroll. The bara chirashi and the uni handroll were our favorites from this portion, but everything was fresh and good. We probably over-ordered towards the end (we were both very full after we left), but we were stressed and didn't want to come across as cheap or leave hungry. All in all, Gi-Jin is a great addition to the DeShantz restaurant group, and we really enjoyed the food and appreciate excellent sushi options in PGH. I knocked my review down to a 4-star just for the service since our waitress stressed us out and didn't guide us appropriately through the menu. I would definitely recommend Gi-Jin to any sushi fans out there, and I would love to try it again, hopefully with more guidance on how to order.

Be prepared to reserve your dinner months in advance. I'd say it's worth the wait. - we got both the Sashimi and nigiri plates which were both amazing. The fish is fresh and just melts in your mouth. I ordered a bowl of rice to go with my sashimi plate, which I actually preferred so that I could really just taste the flavor of the fish. - the Crab dip was a pleasant surprise, fresh, bright and served with crispy rice chips. - the mushroom and shrimp tempura Hand rolls were just as delicious - if you can, save room for dessert! We got a little order happy so we will full by dessert time but they were able to pack them for us to go. We got the raspberry opera cake and chocolate cake. Both were super flavorful and decadent. I'm a big chocolate person so I preferred the chocolate one especially cause it was topped with delicious crunchy butter caramel top.

What a cute spot with unique and fresh menu items! Gi-jin is the type of place you'll certainly want a reservation to visit. It's a pretty small place with some limited outdoor seating. We made a reservation on OpenTable and went with another couple for my husbands birthday. The decor is on theme with the sushi and gin themes of the restaurant. I had a delicious and unique gin cocktail followed by a handful of different menu items. I am gluten free and I was very impressed with how knowledgeable the staff was to accommodate certain dishes so I could still mainly share with friends. There were a few dishes that couldn't be adapted, and we all finished up with a few hand rolls. Everything was delicious and in small portions! Certainly left feeling a bit hungry for the amount of money that we paid for the food, but everything was absolutely delicious with meticulous attention to detail in food, service and décor. I don't think this place could accommodate parties much bigger than 4, but I could be wrong!

It's hard to have a bad meal at Gi-Jin. The quality of the meal you get is always top tier. The tuna pizza might be one of my new favorite things on the menu since they crispy rice was taken off the menu. The sashimi plate and hand rolls are always my go to thing to order and they don't disappoint!

We ate here on a Saturday evening, with a reservation for two at 7.30pm. When we arrived the restaurant was quite full and we had to wait a little while before being seated. At that point, the service was very strong. We tried several dishes, including the salad, miso soup, sashimi plate, nigiri plate, and some hand rolls (mushroom, eel, scallop). We tried the tiramisu, chocolate pudding, and crème caramel for dessert. All in all, the food was tasty, the ambiance was relaxing and pleasant, and service was good. We had a very nice evening.

First off the company, never called me back twice after I called two different times for reservations. Then he states that he has a confirmation log report that he never sent as well. They just never follow back they never follow up. I would forget this place, this gentleman should not be in this position.

This place is very trendy and all but the vibes were weird since the music didn't jive with the look of the interior. There was Santeria playing when we walked in. Service was quite slow even though they only have a set number of people there at a time with how they do reservations. We didn't get much water while we were here. The drinks are very pretty and good but they don't seem to have many options for people who don't drink. Their food is very aesthetic and pretty. We had the sashimi plate, which was very fresh but when they brought it out, they told us the wrong fish. The hand rolls were all really good and we tried the toro, spicy tuna, and hamachi. We had a friend who got the beef options since they didn't like fish very much and the A5 wagyu came out grey. We've had seared sashimi style A5 wagyu before and it never looked like it was boiled. All of the desserts were very good. We loved the sesame creme brulee since it was so unique and the flavors were on point. The chocolate cake was really nice too since it wasn't too sweet. I didn't love that the experience felt rushed when the waitress brought over the check while we were still eating dessert. Overall, this place is definitely an experience since there's not a lot of places in pittsburgh that do hand rolls. Four stars for the hand rolls here, but not sure if we would come back.

Pretty small so def make a reservation! The drinks are so good if you like gin! Nice and light! Went for a late light dinner and got a few apps to split and then a few hand rolls! I would say you need about 3 hand rolls at least for a meal. The miso soup and edamame are good options to add for a little more substance! The beef tartare hand roll was the best bite of food I might of ever had. Staff could not be nicer, and the atmosphere is chic and fun!

Service was great, cool atmosphere & food was delish. Had an issue with the bill (overcharged) but it was quickly corrected.

Good sushi for pittsburgh. Small portions. Very cool restaurant and vibe. We tried seven or eight things, tartare prob our favorite

UPDATED REVIEW: This is the best sushi destination in Pittsburgh. I gave it another chance and went with my friend on a double date. I'm happy I did. My experience was 10 times better. To start, the waitress was so good at her job. She asked asked all the right questions and explained the menu and have suggestions. Not everything on the Menu is fantastic but the Nigiri Plate is awesome!! You have to try it!! I tried Uni, it was the worst thing I've ever tasted lol The matcha desert was good, but the dairy taste was a little too strong. Basically Great experience, and fantastic Nigiri plate. Sushi is what you should order here. The rest is great but Sushi is Over the top! Would definitely back!

Hot tip: get a reservation, since the place is small and people often come in trying to get a real time table Gi-Jin is different from most restaurants you would expect in Pittsburgh - modern, sleek, and fusion gone good. The staff was so nice and our waitress gave us mocktail recommendations. We had a party of 4 and ordered basically everything on the menu. Here are what I would order again: onigiri (we ordered 4 in total), nigiri tokubetsu, toro handroll, and silk chocolate torte. We gave the tuna pizza a try and I personally felt confused with the parmesan on top. Overall, Gi-Jin is a must try especially if you have something to celebrate.

Wow this place was AMAZING. I had high expectations after reading a lot about this place, many saying it was some of the best sushi in the city, and I have to agree. Loved the sashimi plate and the hand rolls were excellent (I love salmon, so the king salmon hand roll exceeded my expectations). Tasty and beautiful presentation of cocktails. As a gin girly, I got the pink Negroni and some straight gin (the botanist), so good. My fiancé enjoyed his whiskey too! Will definitely be back. Not going to lie, it can be a struggle to get a reservation, but commit the time and it's worth it! Also excellent service (thanks Heather J!). I came with my partner to celebrate our dating anniversary and our engagement and got some complementary champagne (yum)! Defintely check this place out!

So yummy. The food and presentation was fabulous. Erin took care of us and did a great job. Highly recommend the eel hand roll, sashimi place, and beef tataki. Truly only giving 4 stars because it's difficult to get a reservation. Obviously, that means they're popular but it's also a really small space. We made our reservation almost 2 months out to be able to get our preferred day of the week and time.

Amazing service from the minute we walked in. The cocktails we had we delicious and the nigiri and sashimi was just seemed to melt in your mouth. Cannot express to how good it all was but will definitely be back for special occasions

My husband and I made a reservation for Gi-Jin for December 2021 but then also found out I was pregnant in December 2021--so we canceled. We finally made another reservation and brought the 7 month old baby with us for a real full circle moment (though I do not recommend bringing a small child, they accommodated us well. The restaurant is very small, so it is just not ideal for kids) After being seated, our server went over the menu with us and then gave us some time to decide what we wanted. Gi-Jin is not cheap in terms of amount of food vs cost (small portions, high dollar amount) so we did not come starving. We are also very money conscious and while we love a great meal, we are very deliberate about what foods to choose when we go out to a more expensive restaurant. We opted to skip the starters and drinks and got the Bara Chirashi plate to share. We also decided to skip the Nigiri/Sashimi because we felt that the Bara Chirashi gave us a nice variety of fish in smaller bites. After finishing the Bara Chirashi our server came back to see what was next for us--my husband and I decided we were going to go straight to hand rolls so as to stay in our budget for this meal. So many of the hand rolls looked delicious to us! Our server seemed to be a little bit pushy (to me, not to my husband) in her trying to get us to try more of the menu. My husband explained that she likely was just covering all the bases and making sure we weren't unintentionally foregoing some of the other items we had discussed with her prior to making the choice to start on hand rolls, but to me it felt like she was trying to upsell us a little bit, which was uncomfortable. We got the eel, spicy scallop, shrimp tempura, and the uni hand rolls. We enjoyed all of them aside from the uni roll--which unfortunately was the $20 hand roll--however, to be fair, our server warned us that uni has a very strong full fish flavor. We had never had sea urchin before and wanted to give it a try. It was VERY fishy--I told my husband it tasted like I just ate an aquarium. haha! So be warned if you don't like strong "fish" flavors. Upon finishing our hand rolls, one of the chefs brought us a complimentary Toro roll. I'm not sure why he did, but we were so grateful for the generosity! It wasn't super flavorful, but it was delicious. Of all of them, the spicy scallop and shrimp tempura were my favorites. We ended our meal with the silk chocolate torte--very decadent and rich, but amazing! The restaurant was beautifully decorated, immaculately clean, and an overall beautiful ambiance. It was fun to sit at the counter and watch all the chefs doing their thing.

Without a doubt, this place has the best fish I have ever had. I'm usually a bit picky about eating nigiri since some places make the fish kind of chewy. However, there was not a single chewy piece of fish given to me here. The fish was so fresh and smooth. The restaurant was definitely worth the 1 month wait for reservations.

Imo, the best sushi in Pittsburgh in order of price point is Whole Foods (made fresh), Sushi Kim 2 downtown, Penn Ave Fish Co. in the Strip, and then Gi-Jin. Top of the food chain sushi in Pittsburgh for sure, and you will pay for the privilege, but it's highly worth it! I'd consider the feel semi-casual, but you'll definitely want to dress smart-casual or better here. It's a beautiful date night spot because ambiance and small amount of covers. Love the cocktails, scotch selection, the sushi is amazing, and the desserts are fantastic.

Excellent quality sashimi! Recently moved up here it was difficult to find a "good" sushi place ! After 3 weeks of waiting for the appointment, the day has come and it was worth it !