Kibatsu

Hands down favorite sushi spot in San Francisco. Chanel the primary waitress brings so much joy and personality, makes everyone feel special. The fish is some of the best we have had, such high quality sashimi. Roy the primary chef has been doing this since 1991 and sources the best sashimi in the Bay Area. Everyone should add this as an SF staple.

This was my first time here. A friend who lives in the neighborhood recommended it and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Very cute dark intimate atmosphere, unique plating, great quality flavor and really friendly staff. The chef even gifted us a tasty special piece of sushi. Highly recommend!

The other night, we had a wonderful dinner, at Kibatsu. I don’t know when I’ve had such an amazing omakase set! The restaurant is tastefully decorated and the lovely lighting lends to a feeling of intimacy! Table settings were unique for each dish presented and the staff were warm and attentive! Roy was fabulous in creating innovative and unusual dishes for us on our Omakase, though we added a few items! The selection of seafood was delicious and aesthetically beautiful! It included many types of fish that are rare for sushi restaurants to serve outside of Japan. The crab broth was absolutely delicious and the steak and cloud mushrooms, followed by caviar embellished ice cream cones were a fabulous ending to a delectable seafood meal! Will definitely be back to this restaurant when I am in town!!!😉

We did the omakase experience and it was great! Some unique dishes, all were delicious though and we left VERY full. The pace is kind of strange, they were replacing our dishes with the next course quite quickly at first (we were one of the few ones there) and then there were some lulls later when it got more crowded. However the ambience is easygoing and we enjoyed good conversation while we waited- I also appreciate the intimate setting and that you don't have to yell to talk to your company. The most unique part was that when we got our ice cream dessert, it game with a piece of seared wagyu which was random but fun! Will definitely be back.

For a $180 omakase experience, I’ll say it’s not worth the dollar u spent. I don’t think the chefs are professionally trained to do this. I personally have limited knowledge about omakase and sushi culture, but I know some basics. For example, you always cut your fish right before you eat them to ensure the freshness. And the way you slice the fish is extremely important because that will affect the flavor of the sashimi. But they precut all the sashimis and leave them outside in room temperature, which completely disrupts the flavor. A few sashimis I had were not in good quality. You can tell they are not from the best part of the fish, either way too greasy or too chewy. The chefs don’t know how to treat the fish in order to avoid the tendon and that leaves some weird fiber in a few bites we had. And you can’t even chew up those. Again, for a $80 omakase I won’t complain. But I paid $180, I expect excellency and perfection in every single dishes you present. To anyone who wants high-quality omakase like those you would have in Japan, do not choose this place. You will disappoint yourself.

Kibatsu is a really special place, one of SF’s best sushi restaurants. We’ve come here multiple times now and the food is always spectacular with overflowing pieces of fresh fish. Some of their dishes are super creative - most recently we had a skewer with tempura lion’s mane mushroom that tasted like steak! Chanel (the owner) is SO kind. We can’t wait to come back!

I have been following Kibatsu since their 1st location on Valencia called Sugoi! 3 Locations and 12yrs later their food never disappoints. If you don’t know what to order try the Omakase, you will thank me. My favorites are Ponzu Walu, Walu, Amaebi, Wagyu, Uni, Umimatsu, Kimedai, and soooo much more. You want fish go here!

Excellent sushi quality esp for its price. Highly recommend sake sushi and toro temaki. Friendly and attentive staff.

Avid sushi lover sayin this is A true unicorn omakase - will return asap I LEFT MY TASTEBUDS HERE, BEST OMAKASE YOU COULD ASK FOR UNFORGETTABLE FIVE STAR WORTHY EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE Everything was perfect IF THEY RUN OUT OF RESERVATIONS ONLINE JUST CALL THE PLACE ASAP- we got sooooo lucky with same day which I feel like once this place is discovered will no longer ever be possible. I want to gatekeep so badly but the chefs and the team deserve a solid review. I'm so in my feels that I know this is undiscovered gem and when they get popular I'll be a little heartbroken that it wasn't just for those who discover it lol Food Service Experience Ambiance Chef interaction Menu Ingredients THEY WERE ALL A 10 - do you know how rare that is! A Unicorn experience I tell you, it was perfection I've had omakase in Beverly Hills, I've had fresh chirashi bowls from the right neighborhoods that source from the fish markets that serve fresh not frozen, I've had fish cut straight from the tuna body, I prefer to sit at the sushi bar and this experience has far surpassed any experience I've ever had. Chefs are seasoned and serve perfectly hefty portioned fresh fish, the rice is seasoned well without being overwhelming and the type of rice they use is a cherry on top, I own a Zojirushi rice maker so I feel qualified to say that lol they also have an excellent rice to sushi ratio, While not necessary - as not everyone partakes in drinks - Our chef drank with us which is a cultural plus - love how he interacted with us and told us the history of his location. We sat next to 13 year long patrons and saw local customers hugging the woman who sat us. When you cater to your loyalists you do succeed. They take care of their people and it shows and they truly return. As will I. THE TEMPERATURES -cold shaved mango ice over A1 Waygu!! And more have u seen the ice cream combo??!! Go see the pics!!! They plated hot courses and cold ones and the service was so impeccable it was straight from the kitchen delivery, they work as a team here and we were checked on immediately when being delivered a plate and after and we are kind of quicker than your average so service was impeccable. Sometimes you will wait at other omakases as they serve everyone at the bar. No here there are so many people involved, someone asking if it's good or if you need drinks, someone giving and removing a plate, and the chef was a 1 chef to 1 party of 2 ratio, It gave celebrity experience. We were also not rushed - the timing was perfect. We did opt for the latest time slot for that. PURISTS AND CONTEMPORARY SUSHI GOERS will be pleased - they marry both concepts, and do each individually sooooo well. WE HAD HOT DISHES (they gave us more than 2 - like I lost count tbh which is less commonly seen unless at the beginning or end of omakase). The ingredients ugh I still think about them, they do umami soooo correct. We had imported melt in your mouth uni And all cuts of fish were memorable. They treated my husband - his first time there with patience and respect if he had questions. It felt like I transported to Ginza for the night - the string lights, an opened second story window, the decor - it feels intimate and romantic but also friendly, comfortable and feels like I'm in Tokyo / New York Adventurous as well as New omakase goers will leave VERY VERY pleased. I feel like some of the menu items were customized I feel like they were listening because they created my dream menu and made it reality on the fly. I'm forever grateful to Kibatsu's team for making my first year anniversary the most special date of my life. I love you guys and can't wait to see you again. (I'll have to travel from far but I'll do it just for you) I have nothing but good things to say - a true fine dining experience that's completely worth your time, you'll regret not going. Nothing else compares

Food is good But be CAREFUL This place only takes Venmo, PayPal or Zelle We were told after we sat down so all patrons be aware. It wasn't easy to pay them. They gave me some persons name to pay. They gave us some complimentary foods also which were nice but found the payment process complex. It didn't work for PayPal and only Venmo. Seems like they don't want to take credit cards anymore.

My favorite sushi restaurant in SF True gem in every way! Elevated sushi experience, in a casual, bohemian atmosphere. A neighborhood favorite, as well as a destination spot.

Went back to Kibatsu this past weekend, and it didn't disappoint! We kinda decided last minute to go, so we had no reservation, but we were able to snag a seat at the sushi bar which honestly our favorite seat in the restaurant. Why do we love sitting at the sushi bar? Honestly it's because of two things, the guys behind the making the sushi are so incredibly nice and it allows us to see a variety of dishes made that we ultimately end up ordering lol During our dinner we saw them making a seared toro sashimi dish, and we ended up ordering it ourselves. For $35 you get a generous portion on toro and it was so buttery and melt in your mouth, it's something I could eat everyday! It was on special that night, so hopefully it'll be there on our next visit. Another new thing we tried was their walu nigiri, which we asked to be seared, and it was so damn good. Those are the two menu items I'll never skip. The lady in restaurant is also the sweetest. Always remember my girlfriend and I and the service here is always 10/10. Kibatsu is our go-to sushi spot because of the amazing food and service. Definitely a place where we'd feel comfortable taking anyone who is craving sushi!

We did a walk-in this evening, but I think it wasn't because people left the city for the holiday weekend. We were promptly seated and chose bar seating. Everyone was very attentive to us even when the restaurant started to fill up as the evening went on. | f o o d | We decided to order a la carte. Here's what we ordered: - 49er roll: a classic roll! Love the salmon and lemon for some citrus. - golden mountain roll: A MUST. This roll is loaded, but all the components work together very well. It's very rich but not overwhelming. - hamachi sashimi: the sashimi was worth it because the slices were THICK. So incredibly fresh! They - toro nigiri: we know toro is always a hit and yup this was delicious. Because of the holiday, the sushi chefs threw in some items on the house for us. We were so grateful and left even fuller than expected. - albacore with crispy onions: the fish was seared which paired well with the crispy onions. - wahakamachi: whoa an explosion of flavor and textures! I would gladly order this next time. We enjoyed each item we had and appreciated their creativity. Thank you to our chefs Roy and Jimmy for the dinner service! | t l ; d r | A cozy neighborhood sushi place with amazing service and quality fish. We will definitely be coming back!

Ordered the rainbow, golden mountain, hot and cold tuna and the 49er roll. Everything was really fresh and came out quickly. I don't usually order the fried rolls but hot and cold tuna was still really good. Rainbow roll was my top favorite of the 4. A little expensive but really good quality.

tried kibatsu tn and overall it was solid, not mind-blowing, but definitely a chill little spot. we got the golden mountain roll (3/5), dragon roll (4/5), and super crunch (4/5). dragon roll flavor was on point, but it was so loosely rolled it just kinda fell apart every time i picked it up- like i probably should've just used a fork. ended up as a little deconstructed sushi situation. service was excellent. super friendly, fast, but not hovering. and the ambience was actually my favorite part- felt super homey. they've got this couch + coffee table area up front that just looks like the coziest waiting spot or a place to sip tea and hang. kinda wanna go back just to sit there. overall, decent rolls, excellent service and ambience. good for a date!

Came here with my sister yesterday to treat her out early for her birthday and she wanted to go here so here we are. My sister and I both ordered the 13 course omakase which is $180 a person at the time of me making this review. Note, one of the courses contained a 5 piece nigiri and another course w/a 3 piece nigiri. Most of the courses were plated on a neat bark. The highlight for me were the 5 piece nigiri course. Each piece of nigiri tasted good and had its own flavor/texture. I also found the ice cream dessert w/wagyu on top unique and enjoyable as well. My sister had the yuzu sorbet while I had the green tea. It's the perfect combo of savory and sweet. The restaurant has a nice minimalistic earthy woody design to it. The restaurant is also small so I'd recommend getting a reservation ahead. Overall, I would honestly give them a 4.5 if it was an option. The one thing that I feel like this place can improve on just a little bit is the service. But I would say in fairness, they only had one server in a packed restaurant so it's kinda understandable. Anyways... try it out if you like. :)

Superb intimate sushi spot for our catch up dinner. The tableware was eye catching, it matched very nicely with the decor. Loved the dim lighting! Not a huge space so be mindful of making reservations ahead of time. I would recommend this place for small close groups, and for date nights. We ordered the edamame, three rolls, the salmon sashimi, and two carafes of the hot sake. The price was extremely reasonable and worth my penny. The staff even gave us each this complimentary salmon tostada. The sashimi was incredibly buttery, there was no chew or tug, it just melted in your mouth. Fish felt very fresh overall. Will be back!

Took a group here just before New Year's and Kibatsu continues to deliver. Excellent "new style" sashimi and amazing classics. Uni was perfection in addition to a host of other delicacies. Chanel and Chef Roy make this place super friendly, definitely a neighborhood jewel.

Phenomenal omakase experience! Fish was super fresh, tastefully prepared, and beautifully displayed. I left feeling satisfied but not stuffed, I could have eaten more. Service was to the point, I wish it was more attentive but they seemed understaffed. Super charming ambiance and decor, very intimate space (a table meant for 4 is split with a clear plastic divider). I would rather sit at the bar next time A few notes: - Uni with rice was absolutely delicious; salty, creamy, warm and cool. The tableware was mindfully picked, I appreciated the experience of the spoon and bowl this course was served with - Fish and kimchi soup was delightful, the soup had a nice kick while still being mild - Wagyu and ice cream for dessert was super interesting and unexpected, a pleasantly sweet savory combo Omakase was $168 per person and worth it! I will be back

Overall a solid meal for a reasonable price. I came here to celebrate a birthday this past weekend and had the omakase for $168 per person. It came with 14 courses (one of which was 6 pieces of nigiri) - most were solid, a few were misses. The fish quality was excellent and they included many nice ingredients throughout the meal (toro, uni, caviar, truffle, crab, etc.). The nigiri was probably my favorite course. A couple of the plates were overly salty (soft shell crab and tiger shrimp), and a few just "didn't work" (for example, the toro/caviar/uni roll was very rich but didn't really have a focused flavor profile). Overall, it was an incredible amount of food for the price you were paying! The plates come at you very quickly, so pace yourself if you want to enjoy your food more slowly. The service was attentive and friendly. The ambiance is cozy and intimate. Not the best omakase I've had, but a solid meal especially for the price (considering we're in SF).

Reasonably priced sushi in SF? Say no more. If it's good enough for... em... Bad Bunny (!) then it's good enough for you. But no, the sushi is excellent and it won't break the bank either. Make sure to order the hot and cold tuna, as well as the rock shrimp from the Omakase menu.

Service was amazing! Super friendly and offered great recommendations. Ambiance was very cozy and inviting. Perfect date spot! The dynamite roll was our favorite, but the tuna tataki was a close second! Everything was delicious.

Wow what an incredible experience. We found this restaurant sort of on a whim/quick search but it did not disappoint. The inside ambience is cozy and intimate with just a handful of tables, bar seating. We ordered a few maki rolls, a specialty nigiri, seaweed salad, and fried gyoza. Everything was absolutely delicious - my mouth is watering as I reminisce on the meal! I would 100% recommend this to anyone visiting and looking for good sushi

Truly, one of the best sushi spots to go in San Francisco if you want a great experience in great even better food, the entire staff is phenomenal and very down to earth and this has been my go to spot forever!! Great spot to take a special date!

The uni here is good! As for the rolls, my favorite was the dragon roll. The eel was perfectly done and is placed on top of the sushi. The rolls in general here are filling. I also liked the negi toro roll. As for the spicy scallop and the sayonara roll I thought it was ok. They sauce the rolls too much. The hot and cold tuna roll tasted well separately meaning if you eat the tuna and the deep fried sushi by itself vs having all the ingredients together since it didn't really mesh well to me. The seaweed salad on it didn't have much taste. The super crunch roll was decent. Not sure if I would return here since it's decent but wasn't super memorable. Also, instead of having a couch in the middle of the restaurant they should have more seating in place of it for dining.

We opted for the 90 minute omakase experience and it was some of the best food I've ever had in my life. My wife and I kept laughing because we'd take a bite and couldn't believe how good it was. The staff was incredibly courteous, and the interior decor is also very cool. Next time we're in SF, we'll definitely be coming back.

Must try! Came here for a birthday, party of 6. Reso recommended! Our server was attentive and nice! We ordered ALOT of food. We double ordered the dragon roll because eat roll came with its own unagi which is rare and it was so good! They use a lot of avocado on all their rolls, I'm not an avocado girl so I didn't like that but I'm sure everyone who loves avocado would love the rolls. We also had the super crunch roll which was really really good! I had the hamachi Kama which was a great portion!! It was delicious! The dipping sauce was a great pair. I also got the sweet shrimp nigiri which was so fresh and good. We also got the hamachi sashimi 6 pc which was the best hamachi I ever had!!

Perfect food perfect service, fabulous dining experience. Unbelievable gorgeous presentation.

Hands down the BEST sushi in SF. Chanel is the greatest - my favorite restaurant of all time :). I love Kibatsu!!

Came here for the omakase. It was probably like 3 and a half stars but didn't feel like the price was worth it. Service was good and the restaurant is lovely. At the end of the day, my rating is because the fish was just ok and a lot of the dishes had seasoning or balance issues. You get about 16 courses for $158 which is fair. Due to the usual SF surcharges this hikes that price up a bit but I actually think the price is not bad for the amount of food. I was more disappointed by the food itself. Started by a number of very disappointing sashimi courses. They were a little fishy and I have honestly had better fish at some way cheaper neighborhood spots (which are quite good but still). I did enjoy some of the preparations and seasoning but overall the first 5 raw courses were underwhelming. Next came the Nigiri. This was actually quite good and a highlight. There were 6 of these and I don't remember what all of them were but they were all really tasty and perfectly seasoned. The ones that had some light searing or other touches were all well done. Grilled shrimp course was hard to eat and also very salty. I did kind of like the flavor aside from the salt. The hokkaido uni with rice course was odd. The rice was very overpowering and vinegary and salty and made took over what should have been a lovely uni dish. Next came 2 more nigiri. One was cooked and super salty, not great. The wagyu and mushroom course that followed was baffling. The wagyu was deep fried (!?) and had no seasoning and was overcooked. Why would you do that instead of just searing it nicely and adding some flaky salt or something. The mushroom was fine but I did not understand this. Final course was their signature uni toro caviar hand roll. I've had a pretty similar roll before that had way more flavor even though that one did not have caviar. This roll was ok but just a bit mushy and again lacked seasoning. The dessert of ice cream and wagyu was cute. I would have wished they candied the wagyu or something instead of just a piece of beef but it was definitely better than the earlier wagyu course. The black sesame ice cream was delicious. Overall, I would just expect a much better tasting meal. A bit surprised by the reviews. Maybe it was an off day, who knows.

Kibatsu Omakase never disappoints. This is my 3rd time getting omakase at Kibatsu. It's easy to make a reservation. Service is great. My water and tea was consistently getting refilled. The ambiance is nice, small and intimate. The food is just chef's kiss every single time. And the ice cream with wagyu desert is the perfect way to finish the Omakase. I highly recommend the Omakase here. The price is pretty reasonable for omakase in SF.

Such a disappointing omakase experience. we did get seated at the table vs sushi bar which may have contributed to some of the gripes i have but not really lol. So, first impression ambiance it was dark and moody but not in a comfortable ~ambient~ way. it was more like a 2000s abercrombie kind of dark. then we got seated and the tables were literally so tight it was like we were all eating in one table. i could hear everything the neighboring convo was saying and when my bf and i were talking it was like we were all talking over each other. just SO uncomfortable. Now the omakase. it was an incohesive and mid quality set of sushi and too many cooked dishes. some of the fish was literally flavorless- no garnish/seasoning, the grilled saba was overcooked, the uni was given with some sort of fried rice that was so bad and out of place, the grilled shrimp was tough and chewy, there was some random chicken thing that was also out of place and just not yum, the seaweed for the uni toro caviar piece was already soggy when it came to us, AND i have a dairy allergy which we told at the beg of the meal and the dessert was still ice cream with wagyu stuck on top. usually places would sub ice cream for sorbet/fresh fruit however this place obv forgot the allergy. also the beer was not cold. honestly, the worst dinner we've had in a long while. esp when it comes to $500 something lol (drinks + tip). they also presented the pieces on interesting plates that seemed aesthetic via yelp pictures but in person..it didn't appeal as well. like they were attempting to elevate their presentation without knowing how to actually make it look good. To note, another table was ordering rolls which looked good. Maybe this place is better at making rolls and whatever other stuff they offer. but won't be back to try those regardless. I never leave reviews even if the place was meh because I'm lazy BUT we were just too annoyed at this experience for me to not share my thoughts. plentyy of other places to have a much more pleasing, comfortable, and tasty sushi dinner.

This place is the best! You have got to get Omakase when you're here, otherwise what is the point? The decor is really funky but it's an overall nice quiet ambiance. I tell everyone I know to go here

My girlfriend and I love sushi, and this is by far our favorite sushi place in the city. Their fish is super soft and tender. I've had their omakase and several rolls as well as hot plates. Everything from this place has been stellar to say the least. It's priced really well too for the quality of fish you get. You'd have to pay a lot more elsewhere for the quality you get at Kibatsu. I love this place, and I'm sure you will too.

Food: we tried the Omakase and they were amazing! Service: they were quite busy so not crazily attentive but the chef behind the sushi bar is so cool. We take time on eating every dish and all of them were delicious. Ambiance: a small place but enough tables. Surroundings and decores are very nice and comforting. Sorry about not able take all the photos but we are too fast.

Excellent sushi spot in lower haight. I love their sashimi, nigiri & rolls. My fav are the albacore tataki with crispy shallots and the blue fin tuna toro with chili oil, but honestly, I have not been disappointed by anything here. I haven't done the omakase here yet, but it also looks excellent. Worth a visit if you're in the lower haight but it's also worth making a trip out to eat here!

Hidden gem! The cool thing about this spot is, you can go fancy $ for a celebration or have a modest dinner with well priced rolls. Choose your journey ;)

Best fish I've had in the city! We got the omakase, about $200 per person after tip. So delicious and fresh and well made. The fish melted in my mouth and the meat was all so flavorful and tender. My favorite dish was the rice and uni, served with the cutest little spoon. They put so much detail into these dishes, they are beautiful. Look at those marble and wooden serving platters! The service was friendly and professional. The ambience was chill and dimly lit, very cool vibes. I do wish the miso soup had green onion, tofu, or seaweed in it as mine was just broth. But it was still yummy.

The other night, we had a wonderful dinner, at Kibatsu. I don't know when I've had such an amazing omakase set! The restaurant is tastefully decorated and the lovely lighting lends to a feeling of intimacy! Table settings were unique for each dish presented and the staff were warm and attentive! Roy was fabulous in creating innovative and unusual dishes for us on our Omakase, though we added a few items! The selection of seafood was delicious and aesthetically beautiful! It included many types of fish that are rare for sushi restaurants to serve outside of Japan. The crab broth was absolutely delicious and the steak and cloud mushrooms, followed by caviar embellished ice cream cones were a fabulous ending to a delectable seafood meal! Will definitely be back to this restaurant when I am in town!!!

Pros: The interior was very cute and cozy and the service was excellent. We got several dishes to try such as butter fish prepared 2 ways, and several rolls to share. All of the dishes were delicious. We noticed that several of the dishes we ordered only come with 3 pieces (per menu description), but they provided 4 pieces for our party. This was very thoughtful and very much appreciated! Areas of improvement: We made reservations for a group of 4 on a Friday night, but our table was not ready when we arrived and we were asked to wait a half hour. I was disappointed that some of their more interesting dishes mentioned on Yelp are not part of their regular menu. Like one of the other reviewers mentioned, I'm not sure why they charge a cleaning fee. Overall, some hits and misses as mentioned above. For the price, there was nothing that stood out enough for me to come back with the plethora of sushi restaurants in SF.

Great sushi quality for the price. Honestly the service wasnt great - we made a res but had to wait a while after our original res time. The service wasnt great... but would come back for the food!

I got fatty bluefin tuna toro nigiri but the tendons were not properly removed so it was not a good experience to eat. Proper sushi chefs should be mindful of how they are cutting the fish so that it is the best experience for customers to eat. I was extremely disappointed since it was the most expensive thing I ordered but my least favorite due to the tendons. The other nigiri I ordered were good I thought the female waitress was mindful and explained what she brought out but others would just put our food down and walk away without explaining what was brought out. I assume they are back or house and were helping out due to there not being enough wait staff employed. This should be reevaluated. The back of house staff should focus on cooking and another wait staff should be hired to give a better service experience. Ambiance was nice. Dim lighting, but no music if you can't stand not having music. Seating was comfy with pillows. Lastly my boyfriend got food poisoning from this place and started feeling woozy after 30minutes to an hour. Then he had diarrhea and was throwing up the rest of the night. I forget the roll he ordered (one of the large American style rolls) but he did order hamachi no kama as well. We will not be returning.

This place has been on my list for a while now so I decided to check it out with some friends. For the weekend I definitely recommend making a reservation, since the restaurant itself is quite small and intimate the seating is really limited. I like the vibe of the restaurant really beautiful minimalist wood decor and the plates were so pretty these used these rock crystal plates that were to die for. The food itself is good I think it is a tad overpriced for what it is. The fish quality is good and I think all the dishes with just fish were pretty good. The rolls were a bit disappointing. The rice to filling ratio wasn't great and the rice itself was not stick and easily fell apart. The service was good, it seemed like there was only was server taking care of all the tables but despite that they moved from table to table pretty fast. This is a good date night or intimate dinner spot for sure. Hopefully will be back to try out more stuff.

Just the best. Period. If I could afford it I would go daily. Even parking was not that hard to find.

Came here with friends for a reunion and wow this place was so nice and cute! Good: - Super cute intimate seating! - Quiet and easy to catch up settings - Each dish was so well plated and so pretty and all the fish was so fresh, loved the sushi rolls like the dragon and golden mountaintop and nigiri was the best I've had in SF - Super good and sweet Tamago, I had two in the end - Nice sake as well Bad: - This place is definitely pricey! - Ice cream was a little chunky here - Service can take a little long but everyone is really nice Overall this place is super good and I would come again!

Went in for omakase, with 13 courses + dessert. Every single plate was so fresh and tasty, absolutely no complaints. There's a great balance in variety that showcases how fish & beef can be plated. The chef also gave us a bonus plate with the nacho carpaccio. The omakase ends with a small ice cream cone with wagyu on top - this is a funny, unexpected quirk and the beef tasted amazing but the ice cream itself is pretty standard tasting, nothing crazy. Overall, this place is a great date night spot, with an intimate environment & dim lighting. One thing that could be better is the pace of service - there were times where there was a big gap in time between each plates.

-3 stars because they charge a "sanitize fee" like what even is that..... why do customers have to pay for this restaurant to sanitize their own establishment.... We made a reservation for 2 on a Saturday evening and were actually satisfied with our meal and service. But the "sanitize fee" was such a turn off.

4.9 stars. (Almost 5 stars!) Kibatsu is a little hidden gem in the Haight area of San Francisco with no signage. We love their dark and rustic interior, it's very intimate and romantic. What a meal!! This was our first omakase experience, and it won't be our last. We enjoyed the chef's selection ($318/2 people). It was fun to be surprised by the dishes the chef selected for us. The food was simple but beautifully presented. Everything was incredibly fresh & the sushi was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, especially the toro, Wagyu, and uni. So good. If you need an intimate and delicious place for date night or just a delicious meal, you gotta come to Kibatsu. Thank you kibatsusushi for the wonderful dining experience, everything was perfectly balanced, unique, and delicious with the perfect amount of food.

Kibatsu is dishing up omakase that with a little more refinement could be excellent! As it stands, it is a huge amount of food for good value. The nigiri were all fresh and very delicious, although albeit heavy handed on the wasabi at times. But, some of the other dishes just were doing too much in my opinion. Green tea ice cream was fine, but the blob of deep fried wagyu fat was unnecessary and unpleasant to eat. The single slice of truffle on the scallop seemed like an afterthought as there was barely any truffle flavor. The three piece skewer was a mix of over cooked wagyu, a soggy mushroom, and a completely raw whole scallop. It was just kinda strange mix of things. I'm all for adding buzzy ingredients like wagyu beef and truffle, but I will these ingredients shined more. The service was fast and amicable - she made sure when to tell us each time that no soy sauce was needed. The restaurant is unassuming on the outside, but the interior was comfortable and welcoming. Overall, the experience was good - but i'm not sure if it was "$400 for two people" good.

Some of the best and most creative sashimi I've ever had. Every dish was wonderful. The decorations are creative and picture perfect. The plates are all unique and beautiful. I did Al la carte but they offer omakase as well. Service was great. It's a small place so be sure to make a reservation. It's expensive but worth it.

This might be the best sushi I've ever had - and sushi is my favorite dish. The environment is not noisy, the service is top-notch, and the sushi is basically unbeatable. They have a good variety of fish and some of the preparations are very unique

This place was so intimate and beautiful, it feels like being at home, but elegant. The food was phenomenal, I HIGHLY recommend the new sashimi on their special menu, I never had anything like it and it was melt in your mouth good. I want to go back for more. The tuna belly maki sushi was delicious, and we loved the rainbow roll! One of my new favorite date night spots :)

Chef Roy and all of his creations were delicious! Plate after plate, we tried something new that I never would've ordered had I not done omakase. I'm pretty sure we had about 18 different pieces of fish. He adjusted well to one pescatarian only and one meat eater, to satisfy both customers. The service from the host was wonderful despite it getting busy in the restaurant and all of her recommendations for sake were perfect! It was expensive but well worth the price for everything you get and the experience. The red bean dessert at the end was the best! My partner got wagyu on sesame ice cream but I got caviar on red bean and it was the perfect finisher to the meal. Don't know how I fit everything! I would definitely come back again for regular dining and when Chef Roy has a new omakase offering!

Probably the best Omakase in terms of food and price I've had so far in the Bay Area. They don't have Omakase in the menu so you have to ask the staffs. But when you ask them about that, get ready for a treat. We were having around 20+ different types of cuts and they were amazingly good. Some I haven't even had before and I lost count after the first few. My favorite of the night was the Wagyu wrapped scallop, king crab with quail egg and toro with caviar. The first few were served really fast, probably bc we were the first there when they opened. After an hour, serving started pacing out since there were more people, and I'm glad they did that bc we were getting full. Don't forget to have some warm sake to pair it with. We made a reservation for an early dinner and I'm glad we did it. We were so full and it's definitely not good if you have late dinner. It's a cozy nice place, not too small like the other Omakase but not too big that you can't see the chef preparing food.

One of the best sushi experiences of my life! The sushi beyond amazing, the staff welcomes you like family, and everything is very fresh. Each dish was an excursion and the presentation was simple, but precisely stated. It's challenging to get reservations, but 1000% worth the wait.

The worst sushi and Japanese dining experience in San Francisco. The service was not friendly and they only serve white people. I would not recommend this place. And this is my first negative review for Japanese restaurant in San Francisco after living here for 5 years

Kibatsu has such an intimate feeling with their low light rustic design. For a small restaurant, they had so much space for bigger parties (probably up to 8) Parking was extremely difficult on a friday night but the server was kind enough to seat up before out entire party arrived. thank you thank youuu, we tried our best. We ordered a few rolls and nigiri. Then we opted for a sake that was sweet and "milky" but it ended up being a terribly big bottle. I was kinda laughing at how big this bottle was... we weren't sure if they were being serious at first tbh. Between the four of us, we didn't want to die before eating so we asked the server if they had a smol bottle for us so we can enjoy the food as well. The food was melt in your mouth type of goooooodness and I just wanted to keep eating srsly. It has been a while since I've had sushi so it was a treat. This would be a perfect date spot. It's located within walking distance of other bars so we walked around afterwards to grab drinks and just catch up. Thank you for the great service and taking care of us. Will be back when I'm craving again.