NARA

No words can describe how amazing this place is. Our party all agreed this was some of the best sushi we’ve ever had. The oysters, calamari, and salmon sashimi were absolutely to die for. There was not a single thing we tried that we did not care for. If you are anywhere near this establishment, and enjoy sushi, then we would 100% recommend. No kids menu, but our youngest got the salmon collar and loved it.

A truly memorable culinary journey at NARA, where the artistry of Chef Danny shines through in every detail. The Hamachi Truffle is the signature dish. Oh my gosh, you have to try this place! They have this incredible fish dish that’s like a cloud of melt-in-your-mouth goodness. It’s infused with this earthy truffle aroma that’s just divine. Apparently, this dish is a result of the Chef’s 30 years of hard work and passion for cooking. They believe in using only the freshest, purest ingredients and then using simple, yet effective techniques to bring out their true flavor. You can really taste the journey and evolution of their skills and vision in every bite. And beyond the signature dish, all their dishes are so precise and fresh. Even their vegetarian and gluten-free options are expertly prepared and just as delicious. The service is attentive but not overbearing, always anticipating your needs. The atmosphere is perfect - both elegant and comfortable. Parking was a breeze, which added to the overall smooth experience. NARA truly embodies the commitment to quality and culinary passion. It’s a place that deserves all the recognition it gets!

It was a great find in SF for sushi. The fish was fresh and had tons of great options. We enjoyed the special (fly fish). It was nice to have a new fish prepared in 4 ways. We would come back for the omakase

I can’t believe that I’ve never been to this place even though it’s been around for 10 years or so. Went with friends who used to live in the neighborhood. The chef came out to say hello. Great variety of food which is good if you have folks who don’t like sushi. Will come back again!

We celebrated Father’s Day here and were so thankful they were able to fit us in with a last-minute reservation for a group of eight. The food was really good—some of the sushi pieces were a bit too big to eat in one bite and could’ve used a little more seaweed to hold them together, but they still tasted great. Our server was amazing—she had perfect timing with bringing out our appetizers, mains, and dessert. We never felt rushed and had plenty of time to enjoy everything.

This was my first time here and I can’t shut up about it. Absolutely delicious sushi, you can taste the high quality of the fish and everything is plated beautifully. I can’t wait to come back!

Jenny, the manager, was incredibly sweet and welcoming. She took the time to recommend several specials, all of which were delicious. Her attentiveness really elevated the experience—definitely coming back!

Great place with real sushi, sake and attentive service. Definitely will come back and can recommend to my friends. Special thanks to Jany for such a good suggestions of sushi choice :)

Jenny was amazing! Personable, funny, and courteous. Food was delicious as well and the atmosphere was very nice. Would come again.

delicious rolls, good yellowtail sashimi, amaxing sakee. they gave us a free sake as well!

Modern sushi bar with unique flavors and great hospitality. We were treated with warmth right upon walking in till we left. Perfect for a happy hour or fun dinner with friends! Ordered the hamachi truffle, golden gate roll, and special k roll. Each item had amazing fish portions and were great quality. Definitely would come back again to try more of their rolls and appetizers!

First, just wanted to highlight the hospitality of this place! Everyone was super friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were enjoying our meal (they even offered us dessert and sake on the house!) Also, the food was really good! The fish quality was really fresh, and I really enjoyed trying all the different types of ways to eat raw fish. If you're a fan of spicy tuna, definitely get the golden gate roll! It was delicious! Overall very cute Japanese restaurant

Modern, intimate sushi bar with impeccable fish and elevated flavor. I'm in love ^_^ My partner and I visited for dinner Thursday. We ordered so much... All so delicious and fresh. Some favorites: - SMOKING GHOST (as fantastic as it looks) - ANGRY MADAI (lightly sweet and savory) - SAKE BOMB (must-try for salmon lovers) - CHIRASHI (A+ rice & A+++ fish) Don't let the size fool you... The fish portions are generous and incredibly filling! Thank you Gina for making us feel right at home...! Nara is one of the best sushi spots we've been to in SF so far. Would definitely come back :-)

Went to celebrate a friend's birthday and heard so many wonderful things about this place. Reservations were easy to make online and they were even flexible with us when we were a bit late due to traffic. Something to know ahead of time is that they do not alter any rolls or make any customized rolls, you have to work with what's on their menu, or at least that's the impression our waitress gave us. As a vegetarian, my go-to is usually an avocado and cream cheese roll/maki but they didn't have any cream cheese. I got the veggie roll, and it was really good :) My friend really enjoyed the Sake Bomb and Loco Spiderman rolls. I also ordered some apple soju, and it was really good! It was really smooth and tasted just like apple juice. Inside was nice and clean, with plants and individual lamps at each table.

Came here on a Saturday night around 10-11 with no reservation and was seated right away. The ambiance was nice and fairly spacious. The service was good and we were in and out within the hour. We ordered the sashimi omakase at $70. The belly flight at $22 and came with salmon and tuna belly and another fish which I forgot. We also ordered nigiri ala carte and tried the amberjack, scallop, hamachi, tuna, and otoro. We also got the sake bomb roll and it was really good! Food was 10/10! It's definitely on the pricier side but it made for a great date night. Parking was a bit tough but you're in SF, so it's expected. Took about 15 min of looking for parking but we got lucky and finally found one nearby.

The hamachi truffle is where it's at! Don't skip this and you'll be glad you didn't. The fish is fresh, jalapeño is a nice touch, and truffle is phenomenal. Presentation is also so cute with a different spoon for each bite. I also ordered the Sake bomb roll. Everything I've had here has been fresh and tasty! The tables next to me ordered the sake flight and I may need to do this next time-- it's super cute. Will be back!

We had reservations for 6pm on a Saturday. The restaurant was busy but not full throughout our meal - we would have been fine walking in as well. We found parking a couple blocks away. The Sake Bomb roll was amazing! Must-get. Fresh salmon, with a little bit of crunch. The Golden Gate (nice salmon but not super interesting) & Pacific Forest (a bit too spicy) rolls were ok. Ginger creme brulet was nice. They were out of the panna cotta which looked good. It was a birthday dinner, so they gave all 3 adults free sake shots! Total was about $220 before tips for a very filling dinner for 3 adults and 2 kids.

Nara was a great find on our trip to SF. We were lucky to get there before the rush. They fill up quick. Jenny was super knowledgeable and great to have as our waitress. She recommend the fly fish special for the holiday and we loved trying a new fish 4 ways. The omakase platter was fresh and a good way to not have to decide what was best. The entire restaurant was bustling and filled with groups and couples. Good spot for friends and dates. The sake was great too. We had a huge bottle with a whale on it and it went down so smooth. Can't wait to go back.

As an avid sushi eater all sushi places have items that are amazing there more than others. For nara, the quality of the hand rolls for the price was excellent. We ordered multiple rounds of the 5 dollar hand rolls and it comes with a hefty portion of fish For the rolls I tried the blazing glory (personally it was too sweet tasting for me) and the special K roll which I thought had a really cool unique taste with the slight sear and pickled jalapeño

I was at the bar, checking out the menu, when a server immediately came over to pour me some water and tell me about the daily special fish. I was very hungry and craving some delicious sushi. I started with the hamachi truffle, and then I ordered eight pieces of nigiri omakase. I went with the omakase because I was in the mood to let the sushi chef make my choices. Everything was absolutely perfect, and the place was so beautiful and comfortable. I could easily spend hours sitting at the bar there. This is now my go-to favorite sushi spot in San Francisco!

Had a great dinner - we tried the sushi rolls - the Pacific Forest, the Big Boss and Special K. Fav was the Pacific Forest. We are always a sucker for salmon and lemon slices. The truffle brownie was nice to try. Lemon soju 12 dollars during happy hour. Not bad.

Jenny is the best! Had our tenth anniversary dinner here and she made it so special! 14 piece omikase, calamari and hot sake. All was delicious. Great experience. Thank you Nara!

Salmon Taco- Nice appetizer for the start of our meal. Crunchy shell and soft salmon. Underneath the salmon is an avocado mix that pairs well (not noted on menu). Very mildly spicy. 14 Sashimi Omakase- we ordered the 7 piece but they accidentally gave us 14. They only charged us 7 piece price due to their mistake which was really nice of them. All the cuts tasted great and didn't feel like it was sitting for a long time. Chirashi- a nice simple chirashi bowl that tasted as you would expect. A nice surprise with the miso soup it came with as it was not noted in the menu. Same as the sashimi in terms of fish quality. Nice surprise they had chu toro in their chirashi as this is usually not a fish i find in many chirashi bowls Tuna Special- one of the two specials of the night. Two nigri Kama tuna cheek (supposedly fattier than o toro per the server) and a Hand roll of chopped o toro marinated in house soy sauce. Overall very tasty. I definitely taste the fattiness of the nigri. Though I would argue I have had o toro that tasted fattier. Overall a nice experience. Limited parking around the area. Not too busy in on a weekday evening but you can make reservations. Happy hour from 5-7pm which is why we got the salmon tacos. Good quality sushi all around and a nice spot to go to if craving for some nice sushi.

Nara offers a vibrant fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with modern twists. The ambiance is casual yet trendy, making it an ideal spot for both intimate dinners and lively gathering. Their menu consists of a diverse selection of fresh sashimi, nigiri, and specialty rolls! Their service was amazing! Hokkaido Uni - rich, creamy texture and briny sweetness Hotate (Hokkaido Scallops) - tender with subtle sweetness and delicate texture Hamachi (Yellowtail) - buttery flavor and firm texture Sashimi Omakase - 14 pieces of premium sashimi Loco Spider-Man Roll - packed with spicy tuna, soft shell crab, mango, and cucumber Tamales Bay Oysters - plump and meaty, crisp texture, had a briny essence with buttery, cucumber-y finish Check out my ig @deez_noms for more food reviews!!

Great happy hour spot and good prices!! We got a bunch of oysters, hand rolls, tacos and calamari. The fresh items were better but overall great deal and ambiance.

TLDR : Great sushi, nice ambience quick and wonderful service Tried Nara for an early dinner and were luckily on time for the happy hour menu which made it even better! The hand rolls, Mr tako balls and the tea are great. The sizzling roll was good but the mochi was outstanding!

The food, service, and ambiance were amazing. The place was not very crowded but lively on a Wednesday evening. The service was fast and attentive. We got the house hot sake to start which was so good! For appetizers, I tried the chicken karaage and miso soup which were both flavorful and tasty. The blazing glory came with fire! It had a fun crunch from the asparagus and shrimp tempura and was topping with salmon and tuna. It was a great roll that was perfectly flavored. The nigiris (sake and tamago) were exceptional as well. To end the night, I tried their mango mochi ice cream which was amazing (they sold out of strawberry). 10/10 would go again!

Visited for lunch. Food and service was excellent. Rolls, sashimi and karage were really good. Nice interior. Highly recommend.

Love this place. Whenever people ask me for a sushi spot in the city, Nara's the place to go. I've been to both locations, Haight and Polk St., and they're both stellar. Some dishes to highlight from this last & past visits: - Otoro - Chu-toro - Uni - Sashimi Tasting - Blazing Glory Roll - Hamachi Truffle The fish is incredibly fresh and the service is wonderful. Chef Um and the hostess, Gina, made us feel right at home! We loved getting the chance to sit at the bar and talk to the sushi chefs throughout the night. We haven't had a miss on anything that we've ordered. Though I usually stick with fish, Nara is the place I'd wholeheartedly take the staff's recommendation on dishes to order and I use it as an opportunity to try new things. Tip: If you're traveling to the restaurant, I'd highly recommend taking a rideshare since parking can be pretty tricky.

Nara Restaurant & Sake Bar in the Lower Haight neighborhood of San Francisco is serving a variety Japanese appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, and specialty sushi rolls with a level of respect and Japanese hospitality. AMBIANCE Modern, casual SERVICE Staff are attentive and really want to make sure I enjoyed my food and had a pleasant experience. They welcome guests on arrival and there's Japanese camaraderie. FOOD 4/5 SPECIAL 'K': Soft yellowtail and avocado topped with seared butterfish and pickled jalapeños with a musky, citrusy truffle ponzu sauce. None of the flavors were overpowering in one direction, and it seems intentional. Being a fan of bold flavors, I could have used a bit more of the truffle ponzu sauce.

I've frequented Nara a couple times but went back for an anniversary dinner with the same high expectations. The sushi is still good but not the same. My 2 favorites were the worst tasting now: Don't get the Special K or the Hamachi truffle appetizer anymore. There was so much soy sauce I couldn't even taste the fish. Also, skip the calamari. I will say everything else was good. I was a super big fan of the flaming roll and the soft shell crab. Those were still up to par as the Nara I remembered!

Thanks to Jenny who provided us with warm and friendly service throughout the night! I brought my parents here and got the 14-piece sashimi omakase, the 6-piece tuna flight, and 6-piece belly flight. We also got the jumbo chicken yakitori (which was devoured before I got a picture). I enjoyed the red snapper and salmon the most out of all the fish. Generally the sashimi was fresh and flavorful. I was afraid we wouldn't have enough to eat, but the sashimi slices were generously cut and very filling. We came at 5pm on a Sunday, so we were the only party there.

I really enjoyed Nara Restaurant & Sake Bar! The food was delicious!! The sushi was buttery and full of depth! The service was fantastic..one of the best customer service experiences I've had at a restaurant in a long time! The waitress gave us great food suggestions, and her presentation of our food was superb! This spot truly deserves a five starred rating!!

Happy hour is from 5-7pm with oysters, hand rolls, and a few other appetizers. Great selection of fish! The interior is great, the ambiance is nice, slightly dark, but creates a great atmosphere. Ordered 2 hand rolls ($5 during happy hour), hamachi with truffle ($24, added an extra piece, so 6 in total), sake bomb ($19). The service was great, very responsive and provided suggestion for the extra piece of hamachi truffle, so an even split between two people. The hamachi truffle is delicious. Although there's a jalapeño, it is not spicy. The fish really just melts in your mouth. The truffle sauce pairs well, this appetizer is great even for non fish lovers. Putting the fish on the spoon is a smart idea, no need to put extra sauce, all in one bite. Sake bomb, 8 piece maki, decent pieces as well. The potato crunch on the sake bomb is really addicting. Anyways, the salmon was fresh, super tasty. Although it says topped with spicy seared salmon, I don't think it was spicy at all. Hand rolls is a great size, there is only two options available during happy hour: tuna and salmon. Good ratio of fish and rice, plenty of fish!

Great happy hour from 5-7pm, even on the weekends!! Happy includes a few different appetizers, rolls, drinks, and we loved the sushi "tacos"

Fresh and high quality fish even amongst SF standards. Portions sizes are bigger too. Gina was a great host and server.

the fish was good and the presentation of the dishes was quite fancy. the rolls were very flavorful but I felt that it overpowered the quality of the fish. this is definitely more of a trendy sushi place. everyone was very nice and we would have ordered more but the service was pretty slow. after I paid for dinner, we were given free sake shots which I thought was nice.

Incredible food and service! Gina was amazing and warmly welcomed our group of 10 at a late hour- we'll definitely be back! The hamachi truffle is to die for- a must order!

I was recommended this Nara for good sushi and quality fish. This was one of those places that you wouldn't judge by its outside look. Though the whole ambience seemed overwhelming because of how big the restaurant was with many things around, they got the nicest staff I've ever encountered. They were very welcoming, knowledgeable, and helpful. We got ourselves two sets of omakase, along with hamachi truffle, carpacio, and raw oysters. We also got a snapper belly, a compliment dish from their chef. Every piece of fish was really fresh, high quality, and quite flavorful. We liked our hamachi truffle the most, really delicious. We also enjoyed every piece of nigiri, and we ended sharing a second round. Overall, food was top quality and delicious, service was top notch, couldn't ask for a better experience. This is such a good spot for a night out with friends or a date. The omakase set is highly recommended so you get to try different cuts of fish. Will come back to Nara whenever I'm in town.

I have been going to Nara sushi every year to celebrate my birthday. This place is so good that my friend and I made an annual plan to stop here to eat. We both loved the ambiance and the hosts (Jenny and Sunny) are amazing! Service is top notch and they go above and beyond to make your experience good. We absolutely love the Hamachi Truffle and the happy hour menu is fantastic! Love the chefs work here, you can really taste freshness and deliciousness. We were also brought with a pleasant surprise to celebrate our birthday. The blazing glory was also a fun and tasty dish! They light a fire which brings the smoky flavor to the dish. Overall, highly recommend, if you are a sushi lover, trying this spot once in your life and you will not regret it.

Wow, amazing sushi my husband and I went to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and the food was amazing! So fresh, quality was 10/10, and sushi was so flavorful! We had 6 different rolls and they were all great. Our fav was the dragon roll. Jenny was amazing and took a free shot of sake with us. The ambience was great

I absolutely love this place sunny and Jenny are amazing hosts and the omakase 8 peace blew my mind. 10/10 service.

I stopped by around 7 PM a couple Sundays ago. Fortunately, I didn't need a reservation and I was seated immediately upon arriving. The service was helpful and I got my food quickly (even though there were plenty of others dining). Sadly, they did not have any uni that evening! HAMACHI TRUFFLE - 20 Each order comes with five wooden spoons of seared yellowtail with some toppings and a truffle ponzu. I loved the yellowtail pieces and the garnish on top, but the truffle ponzu sauce was a bit overwhelming because it was too salty. The truffle flavor was a nice touch. EIGHT PIECE NIGIRI OMAKASE - 45 All nigiris were beautifully made and the fish were fresh. I enjoyed that each piece had at most a dab of garnish on top to enhance the flavor. Overall, pretty traditional and I got to sample at least the five or six most common nigiris found at most restaurants. The fish was fresh, but nothing blew my mind. While the food and service was great, I'm not sure if the pricing was worth it. You're most definitely paying for the ambiance, too. So if that's not what you're looking for, I recommend doing some research to find a sushi restaurant with good quality and cheaper (which I'm sure exists).

I was looking for a sushi restaurant in SF that is not too fancy but highly rated, and Nara checked the box. They have a few HH menu and I was happy with their $5 hand rolls. The service was good as well. Parking can be a challenge....we circled a few times. Overall, their sushi is not bad....but not great. I feel they are overrated for sure....but I grew up in Japan so you know I am more critical when it comes to sushi.

Incredible fish and service by Jenny. The vibes and food were amazing. Jenny was attentive and friendly. The food was amazing. We ordered a bunch of rolls and omakase. The fish was high quality, buttery and delicious. Would definitely visit again.

Fresh sushi, great portions, excellent service. We had the pleasure of having Peyton and Jenny while we dined here for a birthday. They made us feel extra special as we ordered items from the happy hour menu and daily specials. Do not skip on the Hokkaido scallops and wbu as we went to get 2 orders of it!

Late review but tried this sushi restaurant on my last trip to SF in March based on all the positive Yelp reviews. The waitress was so sweet and even gave us some complimentary sake at the end of our meal. Everything was delicious and the sushi was fresh but not sure the high prices are warranted as service can be slower once the restaurant fills up. Very trendy restaurant so great place to visit for a fun time and good food and drinks with friends.

Happy hour is pretty solid. It's hard to find oysters on happy hour so that was really nice although I have had better oysters but still. The salmon and tuna tacos on happy hour are very good. The belly flight special was great. I've never seen a restaurant give you an option to get different bellies so that was cool. I also got uni which had just arrived from Santa Barbara. It was a lot. It was just ok to me but I did also just have uni in Hawaii so that's hard to beat.

Out-of- towner looking for good SF sushi. Reddit recommendations nailed it. Special K and Sake Bomb rolls were delicious and fairly priced. We enjoyed the happy hour tacos and hand rolls but were less impressed by the tako balls. Service was prompt and friendly. As cocktail and wine lovers, we would have liked to see more options on the menu. Would definitely return if I were local!

Great decor and ambience. I liked walking in and the hostess quickly seated us with a smile. The waitress was polite and helpful. I ordered the oyster appetizer plate with the very fresh and great tasting raw oysters. I also ordered the chirashi bowl. This was a bit of a disappointment as the fish was very fresh (mix of tuna, tuna belly, avocado, sweet egg and ikura) but was cubed in 1/2-1/3" cubes. Eating a chirashi you get a mixture of fish to eat and normally enjoy 1 fish at a time. As the cubes were so small, I had to pick each one separately and move them over to get that flavor/texture of the fish. I finally gave up and just ate whatever was grouped onto my chopsticks with rice. I think I would have given 5 stars if the fish were slices of fish instead of the small cubes (as a note, these were even smaller than poke is normally cubed)

Atmosphere- 98% - sparkling glass, flickering light, oasis Service - 95% - attentive, well paced Food - 93% - fresh fish, many standout items, tuna tacos! Very fresh fish and ambiance for dayzzzz! From large groups to tables for two, Nara is a solid dining spot in the lower Haight. Featuring a large dining room with lots of dark wood, sparkling glass and flickering light, it's at once expansive yet intimate. Service was attentive but didn't mention we were 10 minutes from Happy Hour ending until I asked. I quickly chose (2) tuna tacos (so fresh with three or more tablespoons of chopped tuna topped with greens, HH $4.50 each), fried calamari (HH $12, excellent) and Mr. Tako Ball (HH $11, four very generous pieces topped with salty bonito flakes). My son devoured most of the appetizers having swum countless lengths in the pool for two hours. The only sound he made for 10 minutes was "Mmm!" I was less thrilled with the rolls. The Special K ($20) topped with seared butterfish didn't have an umami grilled taste, it just tasted dry and flavorless and obscured the hamachi underneath. It was also missing the truffle ponzu sauce that would've given a heavenly taste it needed. I didn't realize until later the truffle ponzu oil was missing until I reflected on dinner then looked at the photos. The anemic, barely pickled jalapeño strip didn't unite flavors or spark taste buds. The standout roll was the Red Dragon roll ($17) that impressed with shrimp tempura and lots of fresh, spicy tuna with tobiko and unagi sauce and crunchy cucumber. The tastes and textures were perfect. The Loco Spider-Man Roll ($18) left me frustrated that it (predictably, it was rolled so loosely) fell apart in a mess on my plate. I wouldn't order it again. Chirashi ($40) was good but underneath the bigger pieces were small diced bits of tuna, halibut, avocado that were difficult to grasp with the tips of my chopsticks. The fish was fresh; I would've preferred slices of sashimi. Service was delightful and kept the pace with a smile. In all, a choice experience but needs a push at the sushi bar to fully execute details, refine two of the rolls.

Pretty cool sushi spot. Parking can be an issue, but worth it overall. Quality sushi at a fair price as well as good service. Menu isn't super extensive, but what they have is great. If you want good vibes and sushi in SF, this spot does it.

I've been to Nara Restaurant & Sake Bar several times because they always deliver on fresh fish and an amazing sake menu. But today, I finally tried it during happy hour, and let me tell you--it's perfect for a Sapporo and some tuna or fish tacos. The tacos come in a perfectly fried wonton shell, and at $4.50 each, they're a steal. The space has a great layout, and the staff is always friendly and hospitable. I highly recommend ordering a few of these tacos for the whole group before diving into the rest of the menu. Happy hour just became my new go-to time to visit!

They give a lot of fish per dish but didn't pair it well or used too much sauce that it drowns the flavor of the fish. Service was ok, a bit judgmental when I declined ordering the specials. Would give this place a 2.5/5, not the best sushi taste or experience in SF. Dishes: best to worst 1) Belly Flight ($22) 2) Spicy salmon hand roll ($5 happy hr) 3) Spicy salmon taco ($4.50) 4) Spicy tuna hand roll ($5 happy hr) 5) Sake Bomb roll ($19) Logistics: -street parking only -accepts cc -1 gender neutral bathroom -lots of tables available

Review based on delivery: Edamame $7.50 free when you spend over $40 Loco Spiderman Roll: Spicy tuna, spicy salmon, scallions, mango, cucumber, panko deep fried soft shell crab, and scallions with spicy mayo and chef's special tare sauce $22.50 California Roll $11 Miso Soup $3 O Toro $25 Tobiko $10

Went here for my mother's birthday and we had a spectacular time thanks to Jenny! She recommended us some amazing starters and the Sake Bomb roll was delicious. The restaurant wasnt too busy and the music was at the perfect level. Will definitely be back soon!

Came by on a Saturday night around 10:00 PM and we were seated immediately. The ambience of the place at night is really mellow and had lots of soft mood lights which was nice. I got the sake bomb and it was delicious. Loved the crispy potato toppings and there was plenty of sauce and the fish seemed fresh. The price was pretty good for the quality and the portion too! Best of all was the service though! Both Jenny and the waitress with glasses (didn't get their name) were both super nice, attentive, and just so welcoming! I would highly recommend coming here because food is good, service is good, and they're open late!