Nakka

Nakka, São Paulo: The Michelin Star That Turned Into a 100m Sprint Status: How the mighty have fallen. Actually, they didn't just fall; they took a terminal skydive without a parachute. I arrived with two friends at Nakka, a place that carries the ghost of a Michelin star. You expect a certain... je ne sais quoi. A moment to breathe. A culinary journey. Wait, wait... hold on. I just finished the meal and I think I have whiplash. This wasn't a dinner; it was a high-speed chase. If you think conveyor belt sushi is fast, Nakka is currently breaking the sound barrier. The food arrived at such a rapid, aggressive pace it was actually impressive in a terrifying way. I’ve seen pit stops in Formula 1 that took longer than our course transitions. I looked around. I saw people being served sake in wine glasses. No, we didn't order any. I would never be that disrespectful to the tradition, but seeing it was enough to give me a secondary headache. The Experience: "The Stressful Uncle" Honestly, it’s not even worth a detailed breakdown of the fish. Why? Because I didn’t get to meet the food. It was placed down and whisked away before we could even establish eye contact. The whole vibe was exactly like being at a wedding with that one stressful uncle who hates the bride’s family and just wants to leave before the cake is cut. "Eat! Move! Go! Pay!" The Verdict: • Pacing: 0/5 (Unless you are literally running to catch a flight) • Atmosphere: 1/5 (A factory floor has more Zen) • Price: 5/5 (If 5 means "Are you actually joking?") • Overall: 1/5 It’s overpriced, overhyped, and frankly, I’ve had more relaxing experiences at a busy subway station during rush hour. You don’t get to enjoy the food at its fullest when the waiters are treating your table like a game of Tetris they are losing. For the price they charge in Itaim Bibi, I expected a masterpiece. Instead, I got a fast-forwarded version of a meal. Recommendation: Save your money. Go to a literal conveyor belt sushi place—at least there, you control the speed of the belt. P.S. I’m still hungry because my brain hasn't registered that I actually ate. Might go find a coxinha on the street corner just to feel something.

Food was great except for the Pumpkin Tempura which was not sweet and could have done without. The Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice was very tasty but it was “make it yourself”. Also the waiter could have better coursed out the meal and told me I ordered too much food. All in all tasted great and I will have some leftovers 😜

The restaurant has a modern, chic interior with a dark evening theme. The sushi counter is where all the fun happens, I would highly recommend sitting there. The sushi chefs are great and happily take orders, give information and recommendations. The staff are also warm and attentive. I highly recommend the bluefin tuna, it is worth the additional cost, the texture and flavour is incredible. Granted, better sushi in São Paulo exists (please see my other reviews) but this place is really good, you can’t go wrong. I recommend a visit.

I’ve been wanting to go for quite some time and finally made it. A lot of visitors usually implies something good is happening. It lived up to the expectations: fresh fish, great flavors, traditional but stylish presentations. Highly recommended for a good sushi with a nice atmosphere.

Very high level place. The fish are very fresh and the portion are generous. Very attentive and professional service. Price compare to NY are ridiculously low..

Our group of 8 had a wonderful time at Nakka. The food was very good and sushi and sashimi were incredible. I'm from San Francisco where we have many great Japanese spots and the fish at Nakka ranks highly. The staff was also very friendly and accommodating of all our requests and helped us locate our forgotten umbrella when we came back the next day. My only disappointment is that some items were out of stock when we visited. Next time!

Amazing amazing sushi! The carpaccio salmon and crispy rice are amazing entrees! The salmon roll is fantastic, so tender and flavorful, (better than some North Pacific salmon sushi I’ve had!). The brigadeiro on the spoon is magnificent!

Love the quail egg/salmon combination - the quail eggs and salmon are slightly torched/grilled, bring up the flavor. The Unis are fresh but not the best one I taste in SP, not as sweet.

I have been to Nakka dozens of times... literally... every time I'm in São Paulo (and I'm there often), I go there at least twice. Their sushi tends to be fantastic. But the quality of their Itaim location has been decreasing over time I'm afraid. Both in the quality of their such and their people's service. I highly recommend you to go to the Jardins location instead. More space, better service, better sushi.

Pretty good sushi in São Paulo. By top nyc sushi standards this place is just ok. The fish was good but not outstanding. Same with the rice. Would be back again but strong preference for kinoshita which has better overall food. This was a lot less expensive however.