Onsen

I just discovered Onsen on Eddy Street and I'm already planning my next visit! This place is seriously a game-changer for anyone looking for authentic relaxation in the city. First off, the booking process was super smooth - you can reserve your 2-hour slot online which I loved because you know you'll have your spot secured. At $50 for two full hours, it's honestly a steal considering what you get and the quality of the experience. What I really appreciate is their gendered day system - it creates such a respectful and comfortable environment for everyone. I felt completely at ease the entire time. They open at 10am daily, and I'd recommend booking early slots if you want a more peaceful experience. The facilities are absolutely incredible. The steam room was perfectly humid and relaxing, the sauna had that perfect dry heat that just melts away stress, and don't even get me started on the cold plunge - talk about invigorating! The jacuzzi was the perfect temperature to ease tired muscles. The design is so thoughtfully done with beautiful Japanese-inspired touches throughout. But here's what really blew me away - they provide EVERYTHING. Fresh towels, super comfy robes, bath house shoes, and they even have swimming trunks you can rent and return if you need them. No need to pack a bag or worry about forgetting anything. The staff deserve special recognition - they were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable about the facilities, and genuinely seemed to care about making sure everyone had a great experience. They explained everything clearly and were always available if I had questions.

Who would’ve thought a carefully curated Japanese bathhouse would be tucked away in the heart of the Tenderloin! Every corner of this onsen feels like it was purposefully chosen, from the black-and-white tile in the steam room to the MUJI-esque tin jugs of cool ice water. It’s a really beautiful and extremely clean spa. Whoever designed the space did so thoughtfully and without cutting any corners. Admittedly, the biggest downside of this onsen is that it does feel a bit small. There is only one main room, with a hot tub in the center and a steam room and sauna on either ends. There are also only three showers and three lounge chairs, so sometimes there’s a bit of a waiting game. But at a spa, time should never feel rushed! Highlights included the traditional robe they give you to change into as well as the unlimited refills of warm mint tea. Little details like this go a long way in sending the message that the spa is well-maintained and thoughtfully designed. Hoping to come again and combine the experience with the restaurant. For those coming on a co-ed day (like I did), make sure to bring a bathing suit. Robe, towels, and sandals are provided. Lotion, mouthwash, and a hair dryer are provided in the men’s locker room, but you’ll need to bring your own deodorant/hair products/toothbrush and toothpaste.

The welcoming and friendly staff, design, amenities and attention to detail make this oasis in the city propel you to onsen in Japan. The authentic experience and cleanliness is similar to ryokan (traditional inn) onsen I just visited on a great vacation in the Nagano prefecture in Japan. Modern touches like having options to watch videos or movies while soaking the tub is super cool! Other nice touches are the fun gift items for sale up front that you'd see in Japanese gift stores. I'm looking forward to coming back to try their visiting pop-up purveyor food items!! Onigiri_em visits soon and they serve authentic Japanese rice balls and other yummy street food. The staff said pop-ups will change out and rotate so there's built-in variety to try something new. Onsen is a great, high-quality experience I highly recommend!

Awesome experience! The staff are excellent, and the sauna and pools are perfect! Great place to lounge for a few hours and you’ll feel wonderful after!

Overall: relaxing visit, but too expensive for the quality of the experience Good things: It feels new and clean. Nice sauna and steam room. Good effort making it a nice relaxing environment, it makes you forget you’re in the middle of the tenderloin. The ambiance and decorations were well done, and the cold water and warm tea were a nice added touch. Limited capacity is reasonable for the small space. Not so good things: It was too loud, the whole time. People don't respect the "whisper if you need to talk at all" guidance from the staff. Also the music was very up beat and pretty loud for background spa music, not very relaxing. The hot tub was not that hot, my watch measured 100/101 degrees vs the 104 they say on the website. And it was visibly dirty, lots of stuff floating around inside. I missed the fact that the cold plunge on the website was an "overhead" cold plunge, meaning just a weird cold shower that sprayed water in odd directions. I had high hopes for this place to feel like an authentic Japanese onsen, but overall was disappointed and likely will not return.

Just reduced this to 1 star because I went to pick up something I left behind on my last visit and was accosted over this review by the front desk staff!!! This is the biggest waste of money, close to being a scam. Avoid this and go to one of the other, better run bath houses in the city. It’s an absolute trainwreck here since reopening. Ownership cares only about $$ and not the experience anymore. It is always completely overbooked and you will be shoulder to shoulder in the sauna/steam room/ hot tub. You will wait in line just to use the shower. There are so many people that it is LOUD and NOT RELAXING, the management doesn’t enforce their own “quiet talking” rule. Extremely loud conversations are the norm, people taking pictures, truly no rules enforced and completely overcrowded. You I’ve gone twice in the past month and both times it has been overcrowded and gross

Such a great time, it reminded me of onsens in Japan. The decor is really nice, the place is the perfect size, and the owner Adam was super friendly, had a great chat with him while he served us at the bar. 10/10 would visit again.

I went right before they temporarily closed. It’s run by an architect couple, and the concept was super cute and thoughtful. But honestly, the flow felt a bit off. Eating first then soaking wasn’t comfortable, and doing it the other way didn’t feel private since everyone dined together in a shared space. The food was just okay in my memory. The spa area was crowded, and sharing it with other couples in swimsuits felt a little awkward. Love the idea, but the overall experience wasn’t very relaxing or memorable.

So relaxing and aesthetic! We made reservation for 4 at 10 am. It was we lovely inside and renovated nicely. There is one pool, one sauna, one steam, one cold plunge shower. Water and hot tea is offered inside. There are no talking rules lightly enforced; when I went, people were talking at a high-whisper to low-talk level. There are nice showers with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. They also provide towels, robes, and slippers. There is body lotion and toner in the bathroom. There's also lockers for your things. Service there is very nice! There's also a bar at the front where you can sit and order drinks or light snacks after your soak. For only $50 for 2 hours, I would go again.

This is such a beautiful and welcoming space. My time in the spa was very calming and restorative. One word of warning- the neighborhood isn't the best. I was staying next to Union Square and walked the 12 minutes to the spa through the Tenderloin. There were unhoused people sprawled in the street, passed out and people openly shooting up. It would've been very walkable, but I'm not sure I'd try that again. The pictures of the place on the website gave no clue about the surroundings outside. Not their fault, just an FYI for other out of town visitors.

Who would've thought a carefully curated Japanese bathhouse would be tucked away in the heart of the Tenderloin! Every corner of this onsen feels like it was purposefully chosen, from the black-and-white tile in the steam room to the MUJI-esque tin jugs of cool ice water. It's a really beautiful and extremely clean spa. Whoever designed the space did so thoughtfully and without cutting any corners. Admittedly, the biggest downside of this onsen is that it does feel a bit small. There is only one main room, with a hot tub in the center and a steam room and sauna on either ends. There are also only three showers and three lounge chairs, so sometimes there's a bit of a waiting game. But at a spa, time should never feel rushed! Highlights included the traditional robe they give you to change into as well as the unlimited refills of warm mint tea. Little details like this go a long way in sending the message that the spa is well-maintained and thoughtfully designed. Hoping to come again and combine the experience with the restaurant. For those coming on a co-ed day (like I did), make sure to bring a bathing suit. Robe, towels, and sandals are provided. Lotion, mouthwash, and a hair dryer are provided in the men's locker room, but you'll need to bring your own deodorant/hair products/toothbrush and toothpaste.

First time enjoying bathhouse/steam room/ sauna. The area is relaxed. Booked in advance, and for two hours, you can check out the sauna, steam, hot tub, cold plunge.. any order. I got to check out the awesome bidet toilet. I feel so much better and relaxed. They had cold ice cold water, and hot peppermint tea. It was good. Attendants were on point, and constantly checking and collecting dirty cups and making sure the area is clean. I wish I took pictures, but too relaxed to!

I came to check out the Onsen with my partner during the co-ed weekend hours. The restaurant has not reopened yet but we really enjoyed this spa which feels like an oasis in the city. The moment you step in, it feels super serene and you're given towels, a robe and slippers to change into. The locker rooms have the basic amenities and hair dryers to change for the main area which has shower stalls, a hot spring, steam room, sauna and a cold shower. The main area including the shower stalls are communal. While it is a smallish space, we enjoyed cycling through the rooms and there are a few lounging chairs to rest in. Overall the 2 hour time slot for the small space feels about the right amount of time to fully enjoy the facilities and there is water and hot tea to hydrate in the main area. I do wish they had an actually cold plunge pool rather than just a cold shower but it does feel very clean and renovated for now so that is a plus. Definitely make a reservation through Tock ideally a week in advance as time slots especially on weekends sell out quickly.

The moment my cousin and I checked in, the staff made us feel welcomed and gave us the intro and rundown of where things were and what accommodations they had available (steam room, cold plunge, sauna, and onsen). Lockers and bathroom were clean. You're provided with your own robe, rubber sandals, and two towels. Three showers total with one being accessible for those that need that the space and additional accommodations. $50/person fee for two hours total at the Onsen. Came on a Tuesday where it's women-only and bathing suit was optional. Funny thing was, I think I spooked a customer, who was mature/older lady, because of my Irezumi style back tattoo. Each time I happened to be around her, she would deliberately stand up and go somewhere else. When we happened to go to the sauna or steam room at the same time, and she saw I was right behind her and sat down, she would stand back up and exit the room. Lol. I don't want to ding any stars to the venue based on customer biases and treatment towards me because it's not the business establishment's fault. So if you plan to go here and you have giant ass full back, sleeve, or whatever tattoos, and you happen to come across some traditional or square bear people who don't surround themselves too much with people with tattoos, don't be surprised how they act lol. I would come back again even though I know it's in the TL.

My boyfriend and I came to our reservations about 20 minutes early just in case because of parking and you have to sign a waiver. It's a street parking so I recommend taking a Lyft/uber to the onsen so you don't have to worry. The location is a bit sketch as it is located in the TL so just beware of that. When we walked inside, it was a restaurant that isn't opened yet so it was interesting to see. We got checked in by the front desk who was very thorough in explaining to us the locker rooms and the etiquette of the Japanese bath house. They provide you slippers, a robe and two towels that you have to return at the end of the reservation. All reservations are $50 for 2 hours per person. I will say 2 hours is a bit long to be soaking yourself so I wished they offered 1-1.5 hours but you can leave early if you want. In the onsen, there's the giant warm "pool" and it is communal so you can see maybe 8/10 people always wandering around. They have a steam room, sauna and a cold water plunge shower head and private showering stalls. It was really relaxing and you can talk to others as well. They provide hot tea and water so make sure you stay hydrated so you don't faint from sweating. I like that in the women's locker room, they provide toner, lotion, hair dryer and cotton swabs. My boyfriend said the men's locker room didn't have a sink so he did have to walk back to the communal area to use the sinks there. Overall very relaxing and it'll be a nice treat to come back once in a while!

Only con is finding parking and the location(tenderloin). The entire place is nicely renovated and looks practically new. Very aesthetic. The quiet rules are leniently enforced. People were certainly talking but it was not disturbing the experience. The space is limited but counteracted by a limited number of people per timeslot. The customer service of the attendants are amazing. They take care of your from beginning to end. I'm excited to see what the bar will look like.

Go! A sento in the center of the Tenderloin. Adam and his team of thoughtful, kind attendants is right on. What a spot! So beautifully design. The steam was perfect -- and the sauna was rightfully piping hot. Perfecto!

When your job is working with children, the times that you're able to relax become priceless. A Japanese onsen is the perfect place for a teacher to be able to have some peace, quiet, relax, and soak. unfortunately that was not possible during our experience here. We came here the weekend before and it was fantastic. We came here before the pandemic, when it was different owners, and it was fantastic. Unfortunately, there was a group of five female friends who were talking loudly the entire time. other couples who had come after our arrival, left before us, because of the extreme disruption. One of the employees was very kind and asked them several times to stop talking, but it never ceased. The owners and staff were aware of this, but there was nothing they could do apparently. We were so excited because this was the first night there was going to be food and it happened to be the owner who was doing the menu. Unfortunately, by the time we got to dinner, the mood had been ruined by the people that they allowed to continue to disrupt the entire onsen. When this was brought to the attention of the owner's wife. She basically said that, "well this is how bathhouses can be sometimes" and then proceeded to ask me, "What do I want us to for you?" I then asked her "what can you do for me?" She then told me she does not feel like being quizzed. Despite everything we wanted to continue our Saturday night and have dinner there. To make up for the disruption they gave us a "splash" of Saki each. The food was decent. The presentation was pretty, but at the end of the day spending $200 for dinner because it was a preset menu, on top of $50 each for the use of the onsen for two hours beforehand. You would think these new owners would do something to want to have customers return after such a bad experience in the bathhouse area. unfortunately, that did not happen with these owners. We really want to come back to use the bathhouse again, but are scared that we're going to have the same experience, not just with loud customers, but with the response from ownership again.

This was for the spa and bath. I came in from out of town and wasn't sure what I was getting into. But wow! What a great experience. Beautiful bath and grotto that was extremely clean. Very serene and enjoyable. Will be back.

I had such a relaxing time at Onsen! I came for a 2-hour spa day and left feeling completely refreshed. The space includes a steam room, a Himalayan salt sauna, a cold plunge shower, and a cozy hot tub--plus complimentary iced water and tea, which was a lovely touch. I visited on a co-ed day (swimsuits required), and everything felt clean, calm, and respectful. The environment is peaceful with beautiful Japanese-inspired decor that adds to the soothing vibe. Just a heads-up: the name Onsen might make you think of a natural hot spring, but this is more of a curated spa experience--still 100% worth it! I'd absolutely come back again when I need a little reset.

I really love the space and for the price of $50, I think it's absolutely worth it. The changing room is a little small but gets the job done and the tub is nice and spacious. me and my best friend grabbed some iced water and tea to kind of balance out how we were feeling in the warmth!! The steam room was Hella hot. It was 113°. I wish we could've handled more of it but overall, a very beautiful, clean, and aesthetic place to spend two hours either alone or with some friends :)

Omg! It's so good to be back in this space!!!!! We used to go here all the time before the pandemic. We love it all- the steam punk shower, the lighting, the plants, the bricks, the signage. Thank you for bringing this back into our lives!!!

My friends and I made a reservation here two weeks in advance only for them to cancel it the night before. When I wrote to express my confusion, they sent me an AI-generated email with a screenshot saying their policy is "We strongly discourage groups of five or more booking the communal bathhouse." It's a creative use of the term "strongly discourage" to mean not allowed. A discouragement is typically a recommendation... Would've gladly followed any actual policies, like if their website had said, "No reservations for groups of 5+." I'm happy to lend them this revision to not waste the time of future guests. Earlier notice or some accountability would've been nice too but no acknowledgement whatsoever. Can't support these bad business practices and happy to take our business elsewhere.

Stunningly beautiful space, with extremely kind staff. Clean and peaceful and fun. Highly recommend.

Wow everything here was fantastic!! So surprised to find this gem tucked amidst this area. FOOD: 5 stars, menu is presented cold items to hot items SERVICE: 5 stars, attentive and fast Ambiance: 3 stars -- small, cute, hipster but the spa foot traffic in the back detracts from the vibe ---- THE FOOD ---- Best to worst: - MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS $16: SOOOOO GOOD! Dashi bonito broth with sautéed bok choy and a ton of mixed mushrooms. - OKONOMIYAKI $15: I usually hate traditional okonomiyaki due to A1 sauce but this fusion one reminded me more of a Korean seafood pancake. so YUM, rich and creamy but tasty and slightly sweet - CHAWAN MUSHI $12: tasty, creamy, smoky, umami, yuzu. Definitely get it!!! - SOMEN NOODLES $16: served cold, fantastically chewy noodles, SO good with a traditional dipping dashi broth. Smoked trout and quail eggs were great with it - CHICKEN MEATBALLS $12: while delicious, probably wouldn't recommend due to delicious items above being far more unique Others: S.O loved sashimi ($16) but wouldn't recommend steak skewers ($14 they were dry) TLDR: 5 min drive to the symphony and in a bit of a dicey area but the food was ON POINT, despite Spa goer foot traffic.

Wish I did a yelp review when I ate here awhile ago. I went with my sister & this was a unique place. There's onsen baths & massages too. Really cute vibe. I enjoyed the food. It was different than other places I have tried. It's like tapas style hence why we ordered too much for two people. Staff were friendly and helpful.

4.5 stars. I love this understated lovely Japanese restaurant where one is transported to a different world by escaping to this cozy place. We were led to our table at a semi-private room - only three tables were set in this intimate atmosphere. Lovely paper lotus and paper cranes hang from the ceiling, creating fluttering light shadows along the ceiling/wall. There is a bath house attached and some diners came in later with wet hair, probably decided to do a bath/dinner combo for the ultimate experience. MUST GET: Mushroom dumpling - beautiful broth and soft texture of the dumplings perfectly complement the aromatic mushroom for this dish. Pork skewer and lamb skewer - super tender meat that fall off the skewer stick. Delicious! Trout sashimi - big slices of fresh sashimi satisfies the cravings of anyone who are suckers for the best quality fish one can find. The jalapeño and sauce is phenomenal. SOLID: Cabbage and sun choke gyoza - half of our table loved it so much that we ordered a second one. Surprising flavor of shiso verde and black garlic makes this one a winner. Soft egg custard- their version of chawamushi. With Yuzu for a more citrus version of this traditional dish. Smoked trout with rice cracker - the smoked trout spread is very nuanced and light on top of crispy rice cracker. Great presentation. The spicy mayo is not overwhelming at all. SKIP: Squid and hanger steak skewers - these are more chewy in texture. I didn't like them as much. Chocolate cake with black sesame cream and caramel - not too sweet as a dessert. I thought this one was lackluster comparing to the rest of the dishes. Sardine skewers - a bit too fishy and have a lot of bones to struggle through. --- The sake and tea selections are quite good as well.

Onsen is a restaurant that is also attached to a Japanese bathhouse. The restaurant part is a solid four stars. I ordered the uni chawanmushi (soft egg custard), lamb skewers, rice with smoked trout and peas as well as the chocolate tart. The dishes were good but not perfect (the chawanmushi and rice plates were on the salty side, the chocolate tart was much richer and heavier than what I expected). The lamb skewers were outstanding though. The snow peas in the rice plate deserve special mention because of the freshness and crunchiness. The mango kombucha was excellent. I was really full after four items (probably would have been OK with three). Ambiance and service were also good. I am looking forward to my next meal here. I would recommend going with a small group so you can pretty much try the whole menu. Prepare to spend somewhere around $60 per person. NOTE: This restaurant is located in the tenderloin neighborhood of SF and gentrification hasn't quite made it here. It's safe but you will encounter a lot of transients in the area.

This review is just for the restaurant, as we were unable to get a reservation at the Onsen bath since it filled up so quickly! The restaurant reservations fill up quickly as well, so make sure to call or use the online system to reserve your spot in advance! Onsen doesn't have their own parking lot, but we found parking across the street in a paid parking garage. We were happy that it was so close, since this isn't in the best part of town. The restaurant front doesn't have any sign, so look for two doors with a bonsai tree between them. The Onsen door has a giant tree branch handle. There may also be a security guard sitting outside the door. We arrived to our reservation a little bit early, so our bar seats were not ready yet. The hostess had us sit to the side while we waited. She later asked us if we preferred a table instead since another reservation had cancelled, so we happily took her offer! Each table has wooden stools to sit on. There's a little compartment underneath each stool to put your purse, jacket, etc. DRINK: - Hibiscus Immune Boost - This tisane consisted of hibiscus, rose hips, star anise, rose, cinnamon, ginger, Echinacea, elderberries, orange peel. It smelled so good! It came in a nice steeper, and our waitress refilled it when we had finished drinking the first pot. FOOD: - Crushed Japanese Cucumber - Strawberries, shiso dashi, shiso, chili oil. Such a refreshing salad! It comes out chilled, and the ingredients were fresh. - Trout Sashimi - Lime tamari vinaigrette, cucumber, radish, fresh wasabi. I really liked the sauce that the sashimi was in! The cucumber and radish were also a nice touch to add some texture to the dish. - Smoked Trout - Crispy rice, avocado, chives, spicy mayo. At first glance, this dish looks really underwhelming. The crispy rice is formed into a disc and placed on top of the trout mixture. But when mixed all together, the dish was actually really yummy! They gave a good amount of avocado, so between that and the mayo, it gave the fish a nice creamy texture. - Smoked Chawanmushi - Shiitake mushrooms, yuzu. The custard was nice and smooth. It was a bit on the saltier side, but still had good flavor. - Cabbage and Eggplant Gyoza - Wasabi leaf verde, black garlic, chicken jus. It was interested to see gyoza come in a broth. The inside ingredients were actually quite juicy. Beware of them exploding! - Chilled Somen Noodles - Ponzu, chives, wasabi, pickles, quail egg. Another refreshing dish to help break up all the salt! I loved the quail egg pairing, and the pickles were flavored with something delicious! This was a surprisingly simple yet amazing dish. - Mushroom Dumplings - Bonito broth, mixed mushrooms, baby favas, dill. Despite these being one of their most popular items, I was a little underwhelmed by them. They arrived in a soup, and the vegetables were nicely arranged. However, the sauce on top of the dumplings was washed away by the soup. Overall, these were ok.

Dinner review after onsen and massage. Ordered: Soft egg CUSTARD, shiitake mushroom, yuzu - 3 Shoyu PORK, aioli, sansho pepper - 4 Kakuni braised LAMB, mustard - 5 Soba NOODLES, forest mushrooms, butternut squash, pepper-miso sauce - 4 Overall, great skewers. "I'm a fan."

This place is quite the experience. Right when you walk in, the Tenderloin area is transformed into this magical place where hundreds of paper cranes dangle from the ceiling, as if they are levitating and inviting you in. The servers are friendly and seat you promptly at what is available. Despite this being the restaurant and not the onsen bath, it is quite a pleasant, warm, and inviting experience. Their menu is short. Their drink menu is even longer. I feel like that speaks volumes about the type of restaurant this is. Between my significant other and myself, we split two skewers; both delicious, flavorful, and quality made. I saw that they were prepared on the spot, on burning charcoal. We also had the Brussels Sprouts, which were fantastic and shared the Mushroom Dumplings in the soup. My favorite dish would be the Okonomiyaki. Since this place is a bit of a fusion style, there were ingredients not in the typical dish that elevated it to the next level. All in all, I enjoyed this place and I want to come here again.

Came here after relaxing in the bath house. It may have been a little too hipster for me. I liked the rustic industrial brick wall- but it was too rustic and I found a spider on the wall crawling next to me. I smashed it with my napkin (sorry peta) and was expecting some type of apology or some type of comp when I notified the waitstaff. Instead, it felt like I was being judged for killing the creature. The food was good, however, very pricey for the amount we got. We probably ordered just one too many dishes, but overall still had a nice meal. DINNER *Shishito peppers- yogurt on the side to keep the meal dairy free *Trout sashimi- first time trying trout this way. It was good and refreshing Somen noodles- cold dipping noodles, almost like tsukemen Squid skewer- 2 pieces Steak skewer- 2 pieces Chicken thigh- too small. Could have passed on this, but it did have a good cook on it. *Okonomiyaki- japanese pancake. Small but filling. *favs There was wasabi oil in a lot of the food and I really liked that. All of the food was good, but I was not impressed with all the things we ordered. Everything was really good quality. Overall a very hip$ter restaurant and a good experience to pair with the bath house.

Came to dinner here before hitting the onsen in the back of the restaurant. They require a credit card for reservations​ which is honestly overkill for a restaurant like this. Its a small restaurant with a security guard outside, coat check, and subpar service. The food here is really good in the classic small menu simple Japanese way. The trout sashimi was by far the stand out dish and it was so good we ordered it twice. It was a huge portion for the price. The Japanese​ pickles were also good and more of a large salad. I pictured a small bowl of pickles but was pleasantly surprised. Dessert was a miss. Huge plate of whipped cream with no flavor. Definitely​ skip this. Reading the other reviews it seems like their desserts are never a hi, ​ unfortunately.

My wife and I were doing a search on Yelp for a place to go before or after a show. Onsen came up in the search and we decided to give it a try. Chef George Meza, who runs the kitchen, has worked in Michelin acclaimed restaurants Manresa and Saison and has developed a Japanese inspired menu that is on point. This restaurant is part of a Japanese bathhouse, hence the name. We did not do the baths but next time we just might. The food was excellent! Check out the pics and if they don't make your mouth water, I don't know what will! It is not a sushi place but kinda like an izakaya.

Tough one to rate and one of the few times I really wished there was a half star so I could just say 3.5. The concept has a lot of promise and the decor of the place is gorgeous. The biggest issue we had was the pacing of food. Dinner ended up being 2 hours because there were long 20-30 minute gaps of no food. It was just spurts of lots of food and then no food. The waiter never really apologized for how long it took. The best things were the "bites" which were the starting courses. Artichoke (4.5/5) - delicious and well prepared Egg custard (5/5) - immense flavor and something I would just go back for. Probably the saving grace of the night The skewers were hit and miss: Sardines (5/5) - delicious and super cool presentation Lamb (4/5) - interesting sauce and very tender Squid (2.5/3) - too much sauce and the squid itself wasn't very good The mains were disappointing but maybe the 30 minutes of waiting dulled our taste. Udon (3/5) - broth was nice and there was a hearty amount of veggies. The pork belly just didn't taste very good and the noodles were okay. Izakaya Rintaro does udon much better. Mushroom dumplings (3.5/5) - presentation was beautiful and it all tastes good but it wasn't amazing or something I'd get again. I would hate to kill the new spot with a bad rating given the promise it shows so rounding up I'd say it's a 4. I'd really only come back here for drinks and bites and maybe try the namesake onsen.

First time been here with my friends, the location is so so, however when you come inside it's really cool, I like their decoration styles, make you feel very comfortable, another interesting parts is they have two parts, the first parts which is in the front is the food area, the second parts is the back, where is not food area. We almost order all of the food from the menu, the food is ok, size is not big, but it's enough for us to eat. It's a good place for people hang out.

Pleasantly surprised by the food, but disappointed by the service. One of our $12 meat skewers was missing a huge chunk, and when we brought it up to the waiter he just shrugged and said that sometimes happens. For that price, I would have expected that piece to be replaced. Anyway, here's what I thought of the food: Sardine Skewer: My favorite item of the night! I would definitely get this again. It wasn't a tiny sardine like I was imagining. It was a little bigger than my hand and super delicious. Seemed like the most worthwhile item, too Blistered Broccolini w/ Homemade Tofu: Excellent. Would order again Soft Egg Uni Custard: Silky deliciousness! So good, but the portion is pretty small (between the size of a teacup and a small bowl) Monterey Squid Skewer: Also excellent Chicken Meatball Skewer: Second favorite item from the night. The meatball was juicy and delicious with and without the sauce. Would definitely get again Mushroom Dumplings Plate: My least favorite dish of the night. The waiter recommended it as their special, but the flavors did not meld for us. Would not recommend Overall, I liked the food and decor a lot, but because of the service and the area it's in (expect lots of fecal matter on the walk there), I would only return if someone I knew really wanted to go or if I were to try the onsen

Boyfriend took me to onsen bath and restaurant for my birthday. After my trip to Japan, I just love going to the onsen. It's one of the activities that actually loosens me up and de stresses me. After spending almost two hours at the bath, we started our lovely meal. We ordered seven items in total. A few of the standouts were the mushroom dumplings, lamb skewers, and black cod and crispy rice dish. The tomato and tofu dish was underwhelming and too oily. I'm a sweet tooth fiend and I absolutely loved the chocolate mousse and peanut butter-y dessert. Service was excellent and we were well taken care of all night. Sat at the chefs counter which was a bit underwhelming as it's a small kitchen and it's hard to see what's going on. But as long as they put out excellent good, I don't care too much about that!

Nice and cozy inside with very attentive service. We got a bunch of stuff: - Trout poke (4/5) - Asparagus with egg (4/5) - really nice sauce that complemented the asparagus. - Egg custard (4/5) - simple but good. - Lamb skewers (4/5) - probably the best thing we had; fatty and flavorful, kinda tasted Chinese. - Sardine skewers (3/5) - whole head on fish; should've known it'd be difficult to eat with all the tiny bones; not much beyond the natural fishiness. - Mushroom dumplings (3/5) - really pretty dish that looked better than it tasted. - Soba noodles (3/5) - under seasoned. Half of the meal was really good, and we'll definitely be back to try more of the smaller dishes. Overall it's probably closer to a 3.5. On the expensive side at ~$160 for two people including a beer and a sake, but we probably would've been fine with one fewer dish.

Finally got to try this place out and I'm so glad I did! This gem is hidden in the Tenderloin and has a very unassuming front. But once you go towards the back area, there are cute rooms behind Japanese paper doors. Just down the hallway from these rooms are the changing rooms and Onsen. We went during co-ed night so we wore bathing suits. The dinner was absolutely superb. Everything was delicious. We got the gyoza, okonomiyaki, and chicken tender skewer. The dessert was also delicious but was a very generous portion just enough for us to share. The sake flight and cocktails were amazing. The Onsen bath area had some short films going on which was fun to watch while soaking in the hot tub. The steam room and dry sauna were also great. The place is a bit smaller than other spa facilities in SF, but the restaurant combo experience really makes it worth it.

Amazing food from a limited menu. Japanese cuisine that you don't normally get to enjoy, like okonomiyaki. Atmosphere in the back room was very intimate and quiet, but that's because many people weren't at the tables that were close to us. Service was super helpful and friendly.

We decided to dine at Onsen after finishing up at the bath, so we were pretty hungry and expected the restaurant experience to be just as good as the bath experience. But frankly, it was just ok, especially when you factor in the prices. We ordered... Squid skewers ($15 for two): These were actually pretty good - well cooked and lemony from the kaffir lime Chicken breast skewers ($11 for two): This was our favorite dish and likely the main thing I'd recommend. The chicken was very moist and flavorful. Dumplings plate: This was probably the biggest disappointment. When you order dumplings for a bit less than $20 you expect a decent portion, but these came with just four dumplings in a lot of broth. I'm a fan of dill - I think it's a great way to flavor food, but I think there was just too much dill in the broth. If you decide to come here for dinner, I'd stick to just the skewers, keeping in mind that they are pricey at $6-8 per skewer. Oh and if you like sake, do a sake tasting! So all in all, come for a tapas-like experience and good sake, but not a super filling meal.

The food is slightly pricey, and not Japanese, but is definitely delicious. We came here after using the bath and were pretty hungry, so I can see how they have a built-in audience for the restaurant already. ---- BITES ---- Artichoke: 4.5 stars Fresh artichoke served with a homemade mustard, makes me cry for all those times I've had pickled artichokes because the fresh ones are so tender and tasty. Also, their pickles (cucumbers) are awesome. For a "bite" this was more filling than we expected. ---- SKEWERS ---- Short Ribs: 5 stars The texture (like crisped fat marshmallows) of crispy and juicy fat, we were blown away. Each skewer comes with a lot of meat. ---- PLATES ---- Celery Root: 4.5 stars This dish was so innovative and beautiful, I give it an extra half star for effort. Comes with a large celery root and on the side is a goma (black sesame) paste, lentils, sprinkled with salad greens weighed down with heavy dew of mustard seeds. A very earthy, hearty and tasty dish. Chicken Leg Udon: 4 stars This is definitely better than an average udon. Comes with tender falling-off-the-bone chicken (which my partner believes was sous vide cuz it was so bomb), soft udon noodles (tasted homemade), pickled veggies and generous portions of bright green grilled broccoli rabe. Very tasty broth and udon was good though tasted slightly soft, but some people like that. ---- DRINKS ---- Hibiscus Tisane: 3.5 stars Not bad, floral with some herbal licorice taste (which I like). My partner liked the second steeping, which was much more subtle, better.

Interesting interior and good food but rude staff. First, this place is in the worst part of the city and the street outside is covered with tents and needles. Homeless people and drug addicts are everywhere. We made a reservation had 3 main items on the menu which did take a while to come out and then finished with cake and tea. We were finishing up and had a normal paced meal but we were asked to leave because the next reservation had arrived. There were two tables empty next to us. Not our problem if your restaurant didn't turn the table promptly and you didn't space your reservations accurately. We were shocked for being asked to leave and waited outside this filthy restaurant for our Uber to get us. I went from thinking this might be an interesting experience to leave our side of town to do again with our friends to now I would NEVER speak highly of this place. Get new effective management.

Expensive, With An Inconsistent Menu As excited as I was to dive into Onsen, who's more traditional oriented Japanese fare and unique public bathhouse setting offers a distinctly different experience from the rest of the Japanese restaurants in the city, I was sadly disappointed. For me, Onsen's lack of value emerged from both it's expensive prices as well as its intensely inconsistent menu: I would happily rate two or three of the dishes as exceptional, but several dishes also struck me with their mediocrity. The most offensive was a parfait with a yogurt substance that was practically liquid. The crunch element, cornflakes were bland and tasteless, and the yogurt was more runny and pungent with a slightly acidic note. Other unimpressing menu items included essentially a raw avocado coated with mayonnaise and dungeness crab. Although moderately tasty, it absolutely was not worth the price and clearly required little creativity to serve up. The Yakitori skewers were excellent if terribly small for their price. While the pork skewers reflected some of the most tender meat I've ever eaten in my life, the squid skewers lacked impact and were mostly bland. The lamb skewers were excellent, but disappeared at a rate that couldn't justify their $15 price. Overall while Onsen had some bright spots its pricing and menu couldn't provide a lasting impression. As intriguing as its menu was originally, it sadly is not worth revisiting.

I was really hoping to have some yakitori but all I got was a mouth full of salt. Don't come here the quality of the meat is really bad and they over season everything. We ordered 5 things on the menu and 3 of the items were not available. Of the two things we ordered, I wasted to return one and actually returned the other. They did refund the one we sent back but it was that bad. This place looks nice but anyone that likes the food place probably only likes to lick salt. Hopefully if you go here they use better quality meat and/or use 1/10 the salt. Good luck to all that go here...

Staff were really nice. Like one of the guy below said, it was dope. My husband and I were celebrating our first wedded Valentine's weekend so we ordered a bunch of stuff without worrying about the price. For the two of us and all we ordered it came out to ~$180 (20% tip included). We shared: Trout Sashimi Cabbage and Sunchoke Gyoza Mushroom Dumplings Monterey Squid skewers Chicken Tender skewers Hanger Steak skewers Alcott Acres Quail x2 Smoked Bacon skewers Drinks: Purple Drank Flower Sour Organic Hōjicha tea Everything was cooked perfectly and was delicious. I'd be eager to come again to experience their ever-changing menu and seasonal options.

We went to the restaurateur after the spa, which seemed to be opposite order of many other patrons. But anyways, we sat at the bar in a cramped restaurant and began to order. Service was some of the worst I've ever experienced. Waitress forgot our pickles, brought food out of order, had no idea what beers were on the menu, had no hand eye coordination with removing/giving us new tapas plates, and had no sense of mood at the table. Further, the menu on the website is completely wrong and features only half the same items, and many of the popular dishes like anchovies, soba, and brussel sprouts were not on the menu here though on the website, which is always disappointing. Mealwise, the food was great but not well paced at all. Though served completely out of order, the reviews of the food is below. The pickles were outstanding. 5 different options and a perfect opener. The wasabi cucumber and sweet onion were the best in my opinion. The mushroom dumplings were of course phenomenal as their signature dish. This innards and smooth dashi broth for slurping. The eggplant dumplings were also quite surprisingly good and worth an order. Chicken meatball solid but not the best I've ever had. Same is true of the shishito pepper, though the dipping sauce was quite interesting with an avocado puree. The sake sampler was a nice touch and complimented the meal well,but not sure $17 made it worth it. Overall, Onsen is an experience. The dual threat of bath and food is a must in this city. But hopefully you catch the staff on a good day where they understand pace and dish distribution. Wouldn't be the worst to ask for a window table so you're not cramped, as well. Reservations would be recommended but even on a saturday night there were easily a few tables of 2 open for walk-ins at 8pm. Either way, uber to and from as the area seems dangerous and is only worth a venture if you come to this place.

I went here with 4 friends and we ordered every single thing on their menu. And every single thing was fucking amaze-balls. There was some squid - it was dope. There was some chicken - it was dope. There was some trout - it was dope. Everything we tried - it was dope. Really phenomenal food, I hope they can keep it up. I would deduct an imaginary star for the shitty location but hey, you're not eating outside so who cares that much. Go here and eat all the food.

Such a cozy spot for outstanding flavor for Japanese food! I shared with tofu salad, mushroom dumpling, steak & chicken skewers with my friend. They were very flavorful and I was able to taste every single ingredients and those mixtures were amazing! It was enough for me to get full. Since they don't have big dishes, expect to order a bunch if you want to be stuffed. I would say, this place is more like "izakaya" style restaurant, having some sake/beer along with small bites than regular dinner. One minus thing was their slow service. Whenever we order or request anything, We had to attempt eye contacting multiple times with the waitress.

Good food, but private dining experience is not good for vegetarians, pescatarians, or children. I flew in from Brooklyn and I wanted to host a private "party" for my two siblings, both of whom had birthdays this past weekend. There were 5 adults and 4 children, ranging from ages 2-9 and I spent almost $800 on our dining experience. Onsen did agree to half price plates for the four children, which was some consideration, though the kids certainly didn't eat that much (i.e. a 2 year old). Although the price was the same for vegetarians and pescatarians, there were no items added to the prix fixe menu in place of all the meat items to accommodate them. When I specifically inquired (for example, I asked whether they could bring an avocado without the smoked trout on it and they declined), they did bring out an extra plate of broccolini, but I had to ask while we were all sitting at the table, which was awkward. Lastly, I went well out of my way to indicate this was a special joint birthday dinner to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday and my sister's 44th, and I asked that they make it special and, in particular, bring out candles so the kids felt like it was a real party for them. That totally didn't happen and they just brought out dessert so it was too odd to ask at that point. When I complained to the private dining coordinator, with whom I'd had that agreement, she simply said it was an oversight. Overall, the food and ambiance was nice, but the way our party was handled was a huge disappointment and I absolutely would not recommend the private dining experience to anyone.

The atmosphere is great but not the food though. If you want to come here for hangout and drinks it would be perfect.

Delicate food. Well suited for the onsen experience. My only wish for their dining space is that it were cozier.

Do not come here if you are super hungry and looking to gorge yourself, but do come here if you want some delightful small plates, good company, relaxing atmosphere, and perhaps to try something you have not before. While you're at it, why not book a bath after? There's nothing more relaxing than chilling in a hot bath after a satisfying meal, whether if it's on a date, out with a friend, or even just treating yourself to something new.

Omg this is such a cute little gem in the TL. Owners have done such an amazing job with the space; from entrance to overall lay out and the detail of the interior inside. Such a cute date spot or just to grab a meal. All that we ordered were also extremely delicious. Tapas style to share. We ordered about 6 dishes and dessert and were so full at the end but not in an heavy way. Great options also for vegetarians! Will def be back. I'm already thinking about coming back for their poke and chawN mushi. Its sooo good!

Very delightful find! Sake flights were delicious and everything here is small plates. I recommend getting a few apps and skewers for a full new experience.

This was probably one of the worst meals I've ever had for the price I paid. The food isn't actually Japanese, more Japanese inspired? Regardless, a lot of the flavors clashed or were just nonexistent. The fish didn't seem very fresh, and the portions were so small! We ordered dumplings and the plate only came with 4 dumplings, the rest of the lumps in the broth were just bundled up pieces of lettuce made to look like dumplings. I came out feeling cheated and disappointed. Never before has food betrayed me in such a way. If this restaurant had a car, I'd key it. People say the actually onsen portion is better, but I don't think I could bring myself to step foot in that building again. If you're in the mood for a nice soak, go to Pearl Spa instead!