Izakaya Amu

This place is an institution in town. It's well known, and the sushi bar side has a great happy hour on sundays. I'm glad this place exists and it scratches an itch, but I wouldn't call it exceptional. I very much enjoyed you unagi and the sashimi plate was good. Most of the other dishes were just okay

Food was alright, I’ve had better suishi in boulder tbh. Just go next door if you want suishi. I think this is more of a place you go if you want more of a spread of Japanese food. Service however was incredible!!! Jessica is a GOAT! Great suggestions very happy with the service!

Disappointing experience. We arrived and the hostess/server asked us “how she could help us”, which set a bad tone from the start. She was otherwise friendly, but delivered a wrong item to our table. When we mentioned it, she laughed it off and kept it on our bill (we did eat it, to be fair). All of this could be easily overlooked but unfortunately, the food just wasn’t good. We have eaten at hundreds of Japanese restaurants - including many izakaya - all over North America and Japan, and I’m not sure how this place gets the good reviews it does. We all agreed there wasn’t a single thing that was “good” and a few items that weren’t good at all. We left and had dinner elsewhere. We won’t be back.

Bottom line: Amazingly Unique and delicious food - highly recommend going Omakase. First time in Boulder and I was looking for a solid place for dinner, which is tough when there's so many to choose from. I ended up reading other reviews on this place and decided to give it a chance. Having read the reviews, I expected to wait and/or not be able to get a seat at all. I lucked out and got a seat right away. The server, Adrian, was absolutely fantastic. After talking with him for a bit and reading the menu, I decided to go Omakase style and let him choose the dishes. Adrian's menu expertise paid off and he chose dishes that fit my tastes but also borderlined on things that I would never have ordered. This place has amazing food and is not your typical Americanized "Japanese" food, very little sushi. That alone was worth five stars but the service on top of that was worth another star if I could give it.

I love the atmosphere of this little place. It felt like I was back in the 90's. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. I really wanted to try the ramen but it is only made on Monday. The waitress recommended the udon and it was amazing! I couldn't believe how good the broth was. The noodles and egg were cooked perfectly. The sushi I got was pretty good but not amazing. I was excited to try the yuzu margarita and it was good but a little pricey.

I'd give 10 stars if I could because this place seriously deserves that. I've searched all over USA for an authentic izakaya like this - a place that would not compromise its values so that the customer will get the most authentic experience. The team who works here is very passionate and serious about what they do. When you walk into this place, you can feel the essence of Japan. You're greeted with fluent Japanese (and not the mispronounced broken words a lot of restaurants try to pass off as Japanese). You'll be asked if it was your first visit to izakaya. Then shoes off and you're seated. The food was incredible. So much care and thought put into preparing and cooking your food to absolute perfection. Quality ingredients. I've had so much Japanese around the world and can say some dishes were the best I've had of that type of dish. E.g. buckwheat noodles and onigiri was hands down the best I've ever had anywhere - dishes that look so simple yet so hard to get just right. Even their miso soup was properly made from scratch and is none of that "just add water to paste" that so many other Japanese restaurants are guilty for. Anyway, if you're looking for a casual Japanese sushi place, this is not for you. Sushi Zanmai next door already fulfills that. Only come here if you desire a true izakaya experience. Oh, as you can guess, this place is not cheap but honestly is well worth paying for. Remember to tip well (>25%) because the level of attention and thoughtfulness they put into serving you definitely deserves it.

Absolutely beautiful little sushi spot with absolutely terrible sashimi and otherwise terribly overpriced food. I went here with my friends last night and we ordered the thin pork and ginger sauce, flying fish and trout sashimi and the stuffed garlic mozzarella mushrooms.. The sashimi was inedible.... Scales, fishy, mushy, and seemingly rendered from the fish with a hammer... The pork and mushrooms were decent albeit pretty overpriced as was the cocktail at 18 dollars. ....

Went back here in 2023 and it was a pretty decent sushi restaurant. Came back today and was really underwhelmed with the food. Hamachi collar was overcooked, and the king salmon nigiri was mushy and flavorless. If you're looking for good Japanese food in Boulder, go to Osakas instead.

Soba 10/10 I came here specifically for soba, and it didn't disappoint me. 10/10 would come back again Ambiance 10/10 The section by the bar requires to take off your shoes, just like the Japanese restaurant. It just made the experience so much better Service 10/10 It wasn't as busy when I came on Thursday night, there's only one person serving the food and it was plenty. She did a great job

Great sushi and great location! This was my first choice place but they did not have reservations available so I made a reservation somewhere else hoping to stop here first and get a table. Soo happy we did! Was busy for a Saturday night. They were able to seat us in the traditional tea room- Not recommended if you have bad knees though . My girls had a craving for sushi and I am always happy to partake! The rolls were great and we all enjoyed the meals. I always love agedashi tofu so I was happy to see this as an option. Sushi tasted fresh and well done! We all devoured the salmon skin hand roll! Feels very authentic for a Japanese restaurant in the middle of Boulder! Thanks Yelp community for steering us here!

Was visiting from Los Angeles city. The best thing about this place was the service! The staff was extremely friendly and had great recommendations. Overall the food was good but the dessert was the better. I'd come back here for the experience again. Jack the sushi chef is dope!! Remy our waitress was great too!!

Love the traditional Japanese Izakaya feel, including taking shoes off at the main portion of the restaurant! I miss my go-to Izakaya place in San Jose after moving to Denver a year ago, and Amu filled that void. Came here with 3 others and we all opted for omakase so that we could have our server decide our dishes and portions for us. Instead of it being served as individual courses, they served it family style and then charged prices a la carte, which I appreciated the transparency of. We had a total of 10 dishes (they brought out two portions of the soba) including 2 desserts, so I won't list everything we got but I will list the dishes that were stand outs: Dipping soba with duck - amazing! Broth was light but flavorful. Noodles were cooked perfectly. Sashimi - we had salmon, hamachi, bonito, albacore. All were super fresh. Seared duck breast - perfectly cooked with some pink and lightly seasoned Sesame ice cream - strong sesame flavor and a light touch of sweetness We also ordered a full bottle of cold sake to go with our meal. Our entire meal was nicely paced and we were full but not overly stuffed. They add an automatic 20% tip, but the entire check still came out to be reasonable overall. Will definitely be back and maybe to try their sister restaurant next door!

The sashimi was really quality and tasty. Everything else we ordered from the menu was subpar. Half of our steamed edamame was still cold and the other non-seafood dishes were just okay. Not worth the price we paid. The service is very friendly, but the overall vibe of the restaurant felt off. They say "traditional japanese bistro" but the place feels unfinished and is not an otherwise noteworthy experience from any other japanese spot.

Although the restaurant is tiny, it is very authentic and the food is absolutely delicious. The staff is knowledgeable and packed about Japanese food and can guide you through the menu. Definitely will need to take off your shoes. Recommend a reservation because it's so small.

They had lost our reservation but ended up able to seat us next door restaurant, which they own and gave us 15% off the bill since, they didn't seat us in the tea room where we initially reserved. The restaurant next door was so loud being small and they had TVs on for the game. The food was really good when it finally came. I say that because everything we ordered came out one at a time, which was awkward for our travel group (9). One person would get their sushi order but then no one else. Orders came at one at a time the entire time we were seated, with 15 to thirty minutes between servings. The last orders literally stretched out for so long we thought the kitchen had forgotten us. The staff was nice, not knocking them at all, just the kitchen didn't do them any favors. I do not think we'd go back, even though the food was good. I just do not feel it is worth that bad of an experience for a return visit.

FAB Japanese restaurant near Pearl St in Boulder. Wear clean socks because you'll be leaving your shoes at the door. We sat at the community table in the back. It's a bit of a challenge to get seated if you aren't flexible, but comfy once you are settled in. The menu is amazing. Come with a group that likes to share and order a few plates at a time. Even though the restaurant was busy, the food comes out pretty fast. Sake flights are a fun way to try lots of things on the menu. A few dishes we loved: Ebi Shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings), Tsukemono (pickled veggies), Tako Sumiso-ae (sliced octopus with sweet miso), Amu Salad, Kaisou Salad, Maguro Avocado (tuna sashimi), Gindara Kasuzuke (grilled black cod). The daikon salad and scallops from the special menu were also very good. The only one that I didn't love was the Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice balls); good, but a little dry. Other than that, every dish was a winner. Recommend!

We went here on a date night recently. The service was fantastic (we sat at the bar). We loved the ambiance and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our dinner. We got great recommendations for sake and food. It was pricey, but we expected that. The food was outstanding. We will be back.

Foods and ambience were great. The chef told us some "off the menu" items and they were authentic Japanese items. It is not a typical "roll-heavy" Japanese restaurant which is not easy to find.

We were here for Valentine's Day dinner!! I am a big seafood lover, AMU is my No.1 now!!!! It's a amazing place, amazing food!!! UNI are so fresh! Everything is perfect. We had reservations at 7pm. And finished at 9:30pm, it's a long and great dinner experience.

It was so amazing to enter into a restaurant with traditional Japanese traditions. Taking your shoes off took me back to actually eating in Japan. The tables you step into. The food was delicious and served family style. We got several courses, which made us keep wanting more. The chili shrimp was spicy & delicious. The miso soup had a variety of seaweed. We also got the Kamo Soba as well. The broth was delicious. It's traditionally eaten with the noodles and broth separately. The blackened cod was delicate with exceptional flavor. Really, you can't go wrong with anything here! I'd definitely go back.

Amazing sushi in Boulder! Fresh and flavorful! It is always busy so get there earlier; you won't be disappointed! I can't wait to return again and again.

This was an amazing experience top to bottom. I loved the tradition of taking your shoes off. It made it quite comfortable. But then again, that could have been the staff who were so kind. You can tell that they love what they do and that they are like a family. Oh! And the food. Do yourself a favor and get the eggplant. No lie. Best eggplant I've ever eaten. Everything else was amazing too so, yes, get everything on the menu .

Boy has the red headed manager ran this place into the ground. Sad I've been a regular for 20 years. A lot of times there's spoiled fish. They just gave up on freshness!

Sukiyaki is good but not served as cooking on the table. Bit overpriced to consider the size

Wowe was that a good meal. We let our waitress choose for us with a little direction and she did a hell of a job. Everything from the sashimi to the steak was amazing. There were 4 of us and we all loved it. One of the best meals I've had in a while.

Incredible dining experience. Took wife here for anniversary and it was well worth it. Take your shoes off at the entry and enjoy an authentic high quality Japanese meal. We sat the bar and were nicely greeted by the chef/server. Looked over the menu and created the plan of our dining experience with the chef. From appetizers to several of the entrees to the dessert. Everything was incredible quality, presentation, and pure deliciousness. We are lucky to have a restaurant like this here in this city and will continue to support it. Pricing is high but it's well worth the quality of what you are receiving. This place is an art piece.

Amu provide the best Japanese food in Boulder, tempuras are tasty, with some super fresh sashimi gona make your dinner fantastic. Best Japanese restaurant ever seem!

Always a great, inventive meal. Do yourself a favor and let the staff order for you. Omakase is the only way to go.

Really good food! We are used to going to a Japanese sushi restaurant. We decided to try something new and loved it. Service was great. We sat outside and enjoyed a beautiful night. If you go into the bar/restaurant area, you have to remove your shoes.... not really our thing. We ordered the tuna hamachi, mussels, eggplant, and shrimp dumplings. We loved all of it. Mussels were our favorite, followed by the eggplant. I've never had eggplant that creamy before. Must try!

The entire experience was phenomenal. From the first step through the door to dessert. I tasted so many novel flavors and combinations. Seated at the bar I was entertained by the chef. I left the dinner choices to him. A true taste of Japan in Boulder.

Great Japanese dishes we don't normally find in most other Japanese restaurants. Really good service at the counter.

My partner got us a pickup order for my birthday, and it was simply AMAZING. Every single dish was exceptional, and the service was great. Appreciate how attentive and professional the servers were, even though we were getting takeout. Thank you!!

Sister restaurant to Sushi Zanmai, Amu serves up Japanese comfort food, and really well! You are expected to take off your shoes when entering, so wear sandals or shoes that are easily removed. The plates are meant to be shared, but some are so good, you might not want to. This trip, we opted for the sashimi moriawase. It's an assortment of the sashimi available for the day. It was a really great choice to sample the fish offerings! We also had the okonomiyaki. We prefer ours to have more cabbage, but it was still great nonetheless. It had squid and pork, both of which were very prevalent tastes in the dish. My miso soup was fantastic. It is made to order and it has a great savory taste. I couldn't stop eating it. The complimentary pumpkin appetizer was different but very tasty! Overall, highly recommended.

this restaurant made me feel unwelcome and the food quality didn't make up for it. i'm not coming back

A unique place in Boulder for Japanese food. A bit tiny, not sure how big it is from behind we were seated at the bar. The place doesn't take a reservations so not sure how bad the waiting on weekends. We were seated right away on a Thursday around 8:30pm although we got the last two bar seats. I might have really high expectations but thought the place was just ok. The seared duck was by far the best dish we had while the eggplants come on second. The Kobe meat with onions from the main dish was below average and the lobster tempura roll was also way below our expectations.

I already commented on Google review. This was a very painful experience as we waited 1.5h to get the first dish. The other items took an additional 1.5h. By the time we left we had lost our spirits, we were hungry and tired and upset at the $350 bill that forcefully included our tip. Not as cool as the review stated. Also, don't order the $65 sushi plate. Total rip off.

This is one of the most expensive and terrible Japanese food I have ever had. We were expecting an excellent Sukiyaki dinner but only found a small pot with a few beef slides and a big raw onion. The service is terrible. Our server forgets to serve our food in the first place, but they still ask for an unchangeable 20% tip. I will not try it again.

Sushi Zanmai is a Boulder staple and has amazing food, so naturally Amu, the Japanese restaurant adjacent to it is just as excellent. Went there tonight and ordered the muscles under starters. It was topped with some creamy sauce they often put on sushi rolls, and it was delicious, also only $5 for four well sized muscles. Everything else we ordered was delicious, but the housemade sesame ice cream took the cake.

Came here a few weeks ago for a special occasion. Very cool ambiance. Shoes off when entering (thank goodness they provide flip flops for using the restroom!). Excellent service! Pricing was a bit high for the small portions which is okay if the ingredients and quailty are worth it. I'd say, for the most part, it was worth it but a few things weren't as balanced flavor wise for the high prices. Definitely a nice place for a special occasion

The most carefully curated, and artful sashimi I've ever had. Especially in Boulder, coming from the West Coast. Look for the daily specials, sit at the sushi bar, and check out the soulful Japanese hot plates. I especially appreciated the hot pots and the real wasabi.

I've been here before and had a great experience but this time, I took my parents, and it was horrible. My dad ordered a sunomono and when he asked for wasabi, the gentlemen behind the bar said - and I quote - "oh, wasabi is $2. We charge for anything we don't recommend be served with a dish." Meaning because they don't think wasabi should be eaten with a seafood sunomono, it's ok to charge 200% the cost and say something as condescending as that. We saw a guy down the bar from us ask for a bowl of rice to eat with his hot pot to which he received a very hesitant "oh.... Sure". I will never go back here because I felt like I was shamed. Instead of being educated about Okinawa and the region the owner is from (I think?) I felt looked down on and because of that, I won't give them a dollar more of my money. It's also incredibly overpriced for what it is. My mom ordered yellowtail and it was over cooked and rubbery.

Tasty and varied menu, tapas style. A welcome change from the usual Japanese fare. Altogether very pleasant.

I don't really have the words to describe how delicious every dish is here. I was in Boulder for the weekend and went there twice, one dinner better than the next. The atmosphere is causal and friendly, but you really go here for the food. My favorite dishes were: Grilled eel in sauce Fried salmon skin Eggplant in miso Soba noodles with duck broth Sukiyaki The food was so good it actually made me want to cry. Please don't tell your friends about this small wonderful restaurant, I want to be able to get a table the next time I'm in town.

First off, Amu is totally worth the drive from Denver to Boulder if that's what you're weighing. Three of us girls drove to Boulder just to eat here, and while we knew the wait would be long, we waited wayyy more than we were quoted or expected (I think about 2.5 hours)! That was our one complaint, mostly because we were all starving! Once seated, we tried a flight of sake and ordered Omakase style where the server brings things out based on dietary restrictions, preferences, hunger level, etc. (this is the only way to go - the three of us ate/drank like Queens for about $100!). I normally hate sake (or so I thought before this visit), but 2 of the 3 sakes were amazing! The one that tastes like melted snow is divine. Each dish we tried was amazing and unlike anything I've had before! Most notably was the eggplant dish...I practically licked the cast iron skillet...glad I didn't...ouch! Once you step in, you are no longer in hippy Boulder, you are in Japan...I think they said employees have to know Japanese or have lived in Japan to work here. Having visited Japan before, I know that this place creates a great authentic Japanese experience, and it brought back my awesome vacation memories.

Shoes off. It is ON. My goodness, this place is good. When challenged with finding a great place to eat in Boulder for my group of three, I headed to my handy dandy Yelp app and discovered Amu's rave reviews. Amu is a very authentic Japanese spot, complete with a no shoes policy and traditional (really short) dining tables. We came here on a Monday night during the winter and luckily were not met with a wait. It seems like most people expect to wait at least a little while here, as there's pretty limited seating and everybody loves it. Tip: they don't accept reservations for parties of three or less, so go early or on a slow night (Mondays or Tuesdays) to make sure you get a spot. I was lucky to dine with an adventurous group who wanted to try ALL THE THINGS. A few of my favorites: the Unagi Kabayaki (fresh water eel in japanese bbq sauce), Sake Harami Kasuzuke (salmon belly marinated in sake pulp), and the Muuru Gai Misoyaki (New Zealand green lip mussels broiled in spicy miso). I had two glasses of sake--my suggestion is to let your server choose you a great, dry sake (they're the experts!). I'm somewhat of a kimchi enthusiast and thought their homemade kimchi was so tasty. The asian pancake and potstickers were also very popular with my dinner-mates! I see you, Boulder sushi scene. I'll be back to Amu soon and would love to try their neighbor, the popular Sushi Zanmai next!

First off, this is one of the best restaurants in in the area, I say that with the experience of dining at most dining places around town. The food was absolutely incredible, the service was fluid, & the chemistry among the staff was noticeable. The bartender Courtney was very nice and informative with the menu - and cheers to her for recommending the garlic soy Lamb Chops; that was one of the best plates I've ever eaten in Boulder. The soft shell crab was also cooked perfectly with a great citrus ponzu on the side. The miso was excellent; as were the daily selections of sashimi.

This place was fantastic. The ambiance and authenticity of the restaurant was superb. The food was very filling, but didn't leave me feeling uncomfortable afterwards. We ordered the Kobe Beef Sukiyaki with Zousui, Ebi shumai, lobster and vegetable tempura. All were great, light, and feeling. I would highly recommend

Life-changing culinary experience, I ordered yellowtail sashimi (13$), which was real juicy and flavorful. I only needed a bit of soy sauce and wasabi to round out the taste. Next order was the gyutan (beef tongue) which was amazing. Nice, chewy, and savory, and the portion was a fair amount for 12$. The last dish I had was the tekka don (13$), which was tuna sashimi on rice with soy sauce marinade. The rice portion was enough to leave me satisfied, and the tuna pieces were really rich and flavorful. Rounded out the night with a miso soup, which I would highly recommend you try. It's a really soothing way to end the meal! Never gonna forget this place for life, kinda tempted to fly back to Boulder one day just to eat here again

Izakaya Amu is very special restaurant in boulder. There's no other place that does traditional Japanese food quite like these guys. Most of the food on the menu I've never even heard of, and it's always a treat finding a new food. Amu never fails to blow me away with their service and amazing atmosphere. They do these delicious nabemono(hot pots) I've never had them before and it was super good. The sashimi might be the best in boulder. If you can get the table in the back you're in luck, it's the real Japanese cuisine experience. Much love to everyone at izakaya Amu

Sorry Colorado, you have no idea what izakaya food is. The interior is nice and is like an izakaya, but the food is no where near the quality it should be. The wait was long and when my girlfriend and I were seated the waitress completely ignored us for 10 minutes. Yes, it was busy but she could have at least acknowledged us and told us she would be with us momentarily. I also found it unprofessional that she was drinking on the job; which perhaps explains why we had such a horrible experience. The food is overpriced for the quantity and quality. We paid $12 for 6 pieces of salmon sashimi cut into tiny pieces that all had gaping holes in the middle. I've never in my life had sashimi served to me in this way, and I was appalled that the chef could even send something like this out. The rest of the food was equally as disappointing including: tempura calamari, crab croquettes, and yaki onigiri. We left some of these unfinished because they were so disgusting. Sadly we were so hungry after waiting forever that we ate what we could stomach. We went to another restaurant to eat afterwards because we were still hungry. Stay away from this trap and Yelp something else.

Excellent Japanese food that caters to special food requests. I have a gluten and dairy allergy and there were plenty of options. My favorites were the salmon belly and black cod from the kitchen, the seam bream sashimi, and the uni dish. We also had the sake flight, which was delicious. I can't wait to go back!

Impressive izakaya. Plenty of sochu and sake to go around. They even feature a sake flight and knew their stuff. They lined up my drink from dry to sweet. You will have to take off your shoes. So be aware before coming. I sat at the bar and let Yuki-san take control of the order. I started with some awesome Kinpira, followed by Seabream, duck with special miso and hamachi kama. Portions are good sized. I only wished I could eat more. The seabream was aged in kombu and was torced prior to service. I liked the concetrated flavor of the sea bream. The duck in special miso was heavenly. Just so savory and the miso brought the complexity. Hamachi kama is prepared the traditional way. Over a grill and fire. It was huge. I will be back and I will bring friends. This place knows their stuff. Expect a good meal and authentic japanese fare in an izakaya.

holy. moly. Guys, all the hype is real. The food was incredible. each and every thing we ordered was well balanced, with dynamic flavors. The surprise of the evening was how much we enjoyed their pickles vegetables. A great start to the meal! We had an amazing unfiltered sake and never felt rushed by our server when we sat and chatted until they closed. Can't wait to go back.

I have found the most overrated restaurant in Boulder, and it is you, Amu. I'm pretty sure that people add an extra star to their ratings just because at Amu they make you take off your shoes. "OMG, this place is SO AUTHENTIC!" the patrons exclaim, in wondrous delight. You know what else is authentic? Meatballs. Literally any meatball in the world, no matter how bad, because meatballs are just meat and bread and whatever else. Congrats Amu, you are the meatball sandwich of Japanese restaurants.

I just took my daughter and her friend for a meal at Izakaya Amu and describing it as fantastic would be an understatement. Being from California, the land of incredible sushi, my expectations weren't very high. But we put ourselves in the hands of the remarkable chef and had a most memorable meal. I'm already planning another meal when I return to Boulder.

THE BEST, Japanese restaurant I've ever tried. One the most enjoyable culinary experiences I've ever had. Get everything... if nothing else, get the eggplant. AMAZING. All of it.

Fantastic. Very traditional Japanese style where we had to take our shoes off... that's how you know the food will be authentic and delicious. Service and food was amazing. My favorite dish by far were the green muscles. Some of the best muscles I've ever had.

I had been to Amu a year or so ago and had one of the best meals of my life. So we were very disappointed when we went back for a special occasion and felt let down by the food and not well taken care of. We ordered the "omakase" without even looking at the menu, anticipating a sophisticated evening of fresh, adventurous food lovingly prepared by the chef. The timing of the food felt off (our first course came out 20 minutes after sitting down and it was a cold dish). For a chef's tasting menu at a restaurant like Amu, we were saddened by the caliber of the food we were served. The style of food was something I would expect at Hapa on Pearl Street: fried, covered in sauces and lacking finesse. Our least favorite courses included a cooked spinach in peanut sauce, teriyaki-flavored beef, shrimp dumplings and crab cakes. I could not even finish my crab cakes because of the amount of mayonnaise it has and I was so disheartened by the meal by that point that I was ready to leave. We expected a sophisticated experience and an equally sophisticated selection of food like we had the last time we dined there - but we received the opposite. We decided to end the tasting meal early, leaving hungry and disappointed. We are sad that we won't be going back there again.