OTARU Japanese Restaurant Pittsburgh

OTARU is officially my new go-to spot for sashimi and nigiri. We started off with the shishito peppers, rice crackers with salmon, and the tuna and salmon tapas as appetizers, and everything was incredibly fresh and delicious. For the main event, I tried the spicy tuna, scallop, and shrimp tempura hand rolls—each one was fantastic. We also ordered the Godzilla Roll, which is their only more traditional multi-piece sushi roll (it comes with five pieces). It was nice to have that option, though it didn’t quite measure up to the standout single-piece selections. We also loved the unique sake serving device that kept everything perfectly chilled. To finish off, we had mochi for dessert. It comes as three pieces, and you can pick from a variety of flavors. We chose strawberry, mango, and matcha, and loved them all. Overall, an absolutely fantastic experience. I’ll definitely be coming back!

I visited OTARU on a Saturday with an advanced reservation for one. The service from start to finish was amazing with my server explaining the menu well. The food came out quickly and was all delicious. The hand rolls were delightful and the black miso cod was perfectly cooked. Overall, a wonderful experience and I would go back.

Absolutely amazing experience from start to finish! The food was incredible - every dish was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with incredible views that made the evening feel even more special. We celebrated my sister’s birthday here, and the staff made the evening memorable. The service was friendly and attentive. Highly recommend this spot for any occasion or just a great night out!

The restaurant looks very nice and has an excellent view. We got the 9 course tasting menu, which while expensive I think for the quality was priced appropriately. The service was quite good and the waitress was fairly knowledgeable, not quite Michelin star level, but at the price point I think it would be hard not to be very satisfied. The per glass sake selection was somewhat limited which was a little disappointed. If we wanted to get a bottle there were a lot more options. Specifically it would have been nice to have had any nigori by the glass. The mixed drinks we got instead were good. The bathrooms are two floors up and that floor isn't air conditioned as well, which while not a huge deal wasn't ideal. I don't think there was valet parking available and on street parking is very limited although there was a parking lot not too far from the location. Overall a great restaurant, particularly at that price point, but with a few fixes they could hit an even better tier of dining, although I'm not sure if there is a market at that price point that might require. We really liked it and are likely to return.

This place was straight up amazing!! The view over the city was incredible, and the food was outstanding. It was super clean and the whole atmosphere was incredible!! Amy our bar tender/server was awesome!! She was very informative and helpful. We went there for our anniversary dinner and she was sure to take care of us!! She was very knowledgeable and made awesome recommendations!! I highly recommend Otaru, this is probably the best restaurant we eaten at in Pittsburgh. Very unique!!

AMAZING food, view, and service! If you get Garrett as your server, you’re lucky. He was so kind and went over the menu with us in detail. I love sashimi and went with the Treasure Box, which was insane... so fresh and melt in your mouth soft. My husband loved the Beef Udon and his Wagyu Hand Roll was delish. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and were given Mochi on the house! Everything was so good, highly recommend for any celebration. :-)

Angela was a fantastic server. We had called a table last minute on the phone for a party of 6 and they were able to accommodate us so well. The quality of the fish was phenomenal. So happy the Mount Washington has a sushi spot. The vibes and ambience were amazing. Def a great spot for a date.

Without a doubt, this restaurant offers one of the best views of Pittsburgh. The cozy interior, designed in a traditional Japanese style, creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. As for the cuisine, it's hard to judge for now-perhaps my expectations were too high. It might be worth a second visit to form a final opinion on the food. On my return visit to this restaurant, I had the chance to explore more of the menu - and I was thoroughly impressed. The quality remains consistently high, with well-balanced flavors and thoughtful presentation.

Was taken out to have dinner out of my comfort zone at Otaru. I am a sushi lover, but I really only go for nigiri, hand rolls, or sushi rolls. This place blew my mind away and definitely made me appreciate quality vs. quantity when it comes to dining for sushi. We decided to get the treasure box, which was the main item that I was a bit nervous for because obviously it is just straight raw fish. However, I truly enjoyed each piece and how they were each packed with their own flavor and texture. This box is perfect for two people as each one comes with two pieces, so you can kind of have fun with it as you go by taste testing and rating each one. We also ordered the pork buns which i think were the perfect appetizer to pair with our treasure box. We had it after so it was a nice cleanse for our palette before getting the mochi ice cream! This place is mounted on the perfect spot for viewing the city of Pittsburgh, allowing for a charming and picturesque vibe. I would love to come back here for a special occasion as it just provides the right setting.

Dinner at Otaru on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh was an unforgettable experience! Tucked away behind the iconic black and gold doors, this "hidden in plain sight" gem features two beautifully decorated floors--an inviting sushi bar on the top and a cozy alcohol bar on the lower level. Each floor boasts a serene ambiance with only a handful of tables on each, offering a light, airy feel and stunning views of The Point and Acrisure Stadium (it will always be Heinz Field to me). A special shoutout to our fabulous waitress, Angela! Her extensive knowledge and friendly demeanor made our evening even more delightful. She was not only animated and personable but also a fantastic storyteller who kept our table tidy and plates cleared. Her vibe was on point and added to the calm yet celebratory ambiance of the evening. We'll definitely be requesting her next time! And the food? Absolutely incredible! Fresh sushi shipped in daily from Japan provided a unique texture and flavor, unlike anything I've ever experienced--truly a culinary journey, not just a meal. If you're able to take this magical tasting exploration, please get the edamame as an appetizer along with some pork bao buns and tempura bao buns, and as part of the main entree, a treasure box, where you'll get to taste all the aforementioned "just flown in" seafood. The greens under the sushi (I posted a pic of our empty box) took me way back to my grandmothers garden.. it was SO fresh. Add some hand rolls to your main meal and... chefs kiss!! It was perfectly balanced, leaving us satisfied but not overly stuffed. While Otaru is on the pricier side, the quality is top-notch and absolutely worth it for a special occasion dinner. If you want a dining experience where every bite makes you close your eyes as the food transports you somewhere magical, go to Otaru!

We had a lovely dinner date at Otaru on Saturday evening. The evening began with hit moist toilettes with which to clean our hands before enjoying the salty edamame. The lychee martini was good. I had the chef's pick of 6 sushi, and hubby had the beef udon, which has just a enough to be interesting. I was still hungry, but the 3 mochi ice cream balls filled me right up. There were both couples and families dining. We enjoyed watching the city and the rivers from our table on the main floor (there is also seating downstairs; restrooms are upstairs). Noah took good care of us, making sure to explain the menu and check back in regularly. Parking can be tricky, but we found a spot on a residential side street. The cost was fair for what we got (one cocktail, one chef's sushi, one beef udon, one mochi dessert was $136 with tip), including udon leftovers for one of us. We will make a point of coming back!

Starts with the incredible view from atop Mt. Washington and each drink and course continues in an impressive way. Service was good and not rushed in any way, allowing you to enjoy the time there. We sampled our way through multiple appetizers and rolls. The tartar, waygu, and hand rolls were good. The shrimp buns, yellowtail jalapeno, and Godzilla roll were really good.

Wow. If you're looking for a new type of sushi experience this is the place. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Pair that with the amazing views, fresh fish, and overall ambiance and you're in for quite the experience. I recommend getting the treasure box and a few handrolls. I have been to many sushi restaurants in Pittsburgh and I can 100% say this place is in my top 3. I Definitely recommend.

An incredible experience! I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and we were amazed. Our waitress was lovely (I forget her name, I apologize). But she gave us incredible recommendations and everything she suggested was incredible! We did a couple of the apps and then the treasure box and longevity noodles. The restaurant was beautiful and had incredible views! From start to finish, our meal was incredible! They gave my boyfriend a complimentary Tiramisu for his birthday, and honestly it was some of the best I've had in the city!

Otaru is an upscale Japanese restaurant that is on Mount Washington and has beautiful views of downtown Pittsburgh. Its menu lists appetizers (e.g., shishito peppers, pork buns, and takoyaki), many types of hand rolls, nigiri, and sashimi (e.g., tunas, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, scallop, wagyu, uni, eel, squid, and octopus), several hot dishes (e.g., pork katsu, beef udon, miso black cod, lobster longevity noodles, and wagyu), some desserts, and many non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages (e.g., sake, wines, cocktails, and beers). My husband and I ate one dinner here. All employees provided timely and polite service. I appreciated when our waiter noticed that we dropped a napkin on the floor, and he immediately gave us a clean napkin. Here are my ratings for what we ate: Otaru Old-fashioned - 3 stars - This drink contained whiskey, orange, cherry, yuzu, syrup, and bitter, and I thought that it tasted OK. The waiter had recommended it, and I had expected it to taste fruitier. Edamame - 5 stars - This edamame was complimentary. My husband and I agreed that it was nicely salty and spicy. Yellowtail jalapeno - 5 stars - This appetizer was our favorite food in the entire meal. It contained yellowtail sashimi, jalapeno, and yuzu wasabi vinaigrette. Chawanmushi - 4.5 stars - This egg custard was topped with ikura caviar, and I liked how it tasted. Hand rolls - 4 stars - We ate three types of hand rolls--spicy salmon, tuna, and wagyu. I thought that they tasted very good but that the wagyu could have been more tender. My husband described them as "ordinary." Nigiri - 4 stars - We ate four types of nigiri--bluefin tuna toro, seared albacore, madai, and goldeneye snapper kinmedai. I thought that they tasted very good, and my husband again used the word "ordinary." Mont Blanc Cake - 4.5 stars - My husband had no interest in this cake, but I really enjoyed its flavors of green tea and sugar. Our total bill was $154 *plus* a tip. We felt a little hungry at the end of our meal, so perhaps we could have ordered more foods. Overall, I think that Otaru is definitely worth a try. I give this restaurant 4 stars overall for its quality versus price. I do feel curious about several of its other menu items.

Otaru was an amazing dining experience. First the view is classic Mt Washington, but unlike a couple of the restaurants there, the food also lives up to the view as does the service. The restaurant itself is on the small side and you will definitely need a reservation. But, it is definitely worth the planning ahead. As for the food, it did not disappoint. It is definitely on the pricey side, but I cannot argue with the results (see pics). I had the Otaru Experience (set menu akin to an Omakase menu). Just about every dish was delicious and impeccably prepared. For me the Chawanmushi was the star of the meal. But really everything lived up to the hype. The Kampachi, the Otoro hand roll, and the tartar layer were all delicious. Oh and the Otaru old fashioned was a really nice, refreshing take with Yuzu and Toki whiskey.

What a cute, tasty experience! We had date night here and while my husband tends to be more adventurous than I am, we both were happy. We had wagyu, which was our favorite and the truffle put it over the top! We had yellowtail, yellowtail belly, spicy salmon, potstickers, wagyu, scallops and shrimp. Lauren served us and she was so kind and attentive yet let us sit and chat privately throughout our meal. She explained how the menu worked and it was really neat that we could order as we go. We sat downstairs and got to look out at the city. It was pricey but the quality was worth it and it's fun for special occasions. I would like to go back and try a few entrees!

Dined here on a clear sky Monday night for a special occasion. There are two stories of seating, maximizing the number of window seats to enjoy the classic expansive Mt. Washington perched view of the City of Pittsburgh. The hostess was welcoming and our waitress Brynn was skilled and cheerfully helpful. The ambiance was inviting with warm rich golden lighting and blonde wood furniture. The fish was AMAZING as it is flown in from Japan daily. It is very pricey but worth every bite. By far one of the best dining experiences I've had in Pittsburgh in quite awhile. On Thursdays, they offer a special dining multiple course meal experience (reserve on Open Table) which I'm looking forward to coming back to try. It's located very close to the paid parking lot or you can try to score street parking if you're feeling lucky as it is on popular Grandview Avenue.

What an incredible meal. The food was superb, the ambience was beautiful and the star of the show? Angela. She really made our valentines dinner special. I have never been so educated on what was being brought to the table. She told us how fish was flown in every day from Japan, and all the love that goes into the dishes before they come to your table. I know you go to a restaurant for food, but we would come back just to experience another part of the menu with her. The sushi was fresh, the dishes unique and I'm so glad you could get two different menu experiences for one dinner. I know some folks have said that they have left hungry from Otaru, and while I can see that being a possibility, Matt & I destroyed the Otaru experience and the Otaru course on the menu and I left full and ready for a long nap. The view is beautiful, only blocked a little by the dinosaur that is the LeMont. Go here. Ask for Angela, or make a reservation on OpenTable and request her there. She was incredible and her love for what she does is clear. Happy Eating!

An amazing spot for sushi with a beautiful view of the city. The food was delicious and I especially loved the bluefin tuna sushi and the gyoza. The server, Angela, was exceptional and made terrific recommendations and was so friendly. The vibe of the restaurant is modern and sleek. The cocktails all seemed to be more spring and summer oriented. It would have been nice to have some holiday/winter drinks added to the menu. If you get dessert, try the tiramisu. It's excellent! Overall, a lovely evening. Prices are a bit high, but given the quality and location, definitely worth it.

The food was said to be flown in from Japan daily. The quality was good and definitely sizeable pieces. The restaurant really has the view going for it. Unfortunately, the windows were dirty where we were sitting. I feel the food was a bit overpriced especially because the experience did not feel as personalized and high scale. I think for us the hostess seemed unhappy and unwelcoming. But I gave it 4 stars because I think it definitely is worth a try! Our server was very pleasant and answered all of our questions.

Great experience at Otaru! A good selection of sushi, sashimi, and Japanese hot dish specialities. My favorite was the chawanmushi, which is a savory egg custard in dashi broth. We also got the wagyu appetizer, gyoza, spicy tuna hand roll, the toro nigiri, and for mains we got the miso cod and beef udon. Everything was well prepared and delicious! The views from Mt. Washington are stunning.

We had dinner at Otaru on Mount Washington yesterday night and wow, what a fantastic choice! The view was incredible and worth it just for that. The vibe was very clean, bright, and upscale without being stuffy. There's two levels of seating, both with fantastic views. The drinks are pricey but if you catch them during their happy hour, it's half off select cocktails and drafts and I was lucky to catch the tail end of it and got my Summer Breeze cocktail for just $9. Our server was super nice but I will say, the bar service was pretty slow. I'm assuming the bartender is pretty new. We ordered a round of cocktails at the end and almost said forget and paid the check when they finally came out. The food itself came out reasonably quickly. We started off the meal with complimentary edamame and warm hand towels to clean our hands. We ordered a bunch of things to share and my favorites were melt in your mouth bluefin tuna toro nigiri and the flavorful miso black cod with pumpkin purée. It's pricey but worth a shot! I would definitely go back to hit up that happy hour and for a special occasion.

Decided to come here on a whim. Reserve a table to get the view. The atmosphere was nice and gave good vibes. The restaurant is very nice on the inside. The food was not what I was expecting like for the hand rolls especially. We started with a few apps, edamame which is free. Pork buns, tartar layer and the Wagyu. The pork buns are 10/10 amazing order again . The tartar needs a like chips or something with it it's missing a crunch texture but the fish is so fresh and really good flavor. The wagyu was excellent a lil too much pineapple but that was my opinion it should have been sliced thinner. Then we got some hand rolls, scallop ( so fresh and tons of pieces) shrimp tempura nicely breaded and fried, spicy tuna nice kick too it. We also got beef udon. Which was nice on a chilly day. We had a few mix drinks they honestly were nothing to complain about but nothing exciting either. This place was ok. It was just lacking excitement. The only thing I would come back for is the pork buns. The hand rolls is like not at all what I expected and I don't know if I would order them again I would have called them a sushi taco instead lol maybe then I wouldn't have had false version. It is pricey but the quality is good so I wasn't too shocked.

The sushi here came with a hefty price tag but everything we had was delicious. The fish was fresh and flavorful and the dishes were authentic. They don't have any sushi rolls on the menu besides hand rolls so this isn't your typical sushi restaurant in America. We enjoyed the scallop hand rolls, tartar trio, and yellowtail jalapeño dishes. The views from this restaurant are amazing! Definitely request a table by the window if possible. My only complaint about this restaurant is that we made a reservation and still had to wait 20 minutes for our table. I understand that things happen but it was unfortunate to have to stand around randomly and have our meal be rushed as we were the last seating of the night. I felt bad that our table was still eating after the restaurant had started to close up because we had been seated so late.

The best dinner experience we've ever had in Pittsburgh - So many reasons to try out Oraru: High quality fish, balanced dishes, great alcohol selection, and overall atmosphere. We were lucky enough to get a seat by the window, overlooking the city. With the recommendation of our server, we got the Tartar Layer and pork/shrimp buns to start, then a variety of hand rolls. TO DIE FOR. The hand rolls were so full of the most buttery fish. I couldn't stop smiling after every bite. If you are looking for quantity of food, this might not be the place for you (personally I thought we got a lot, but if you're used to the mass sushi places, it might not be enough). But if you are looking for a quality meal and wonderful date night, this is your place.

So many shareables and main courses that are so thoughtfully constructed. Portions are all different sizes which are well described by your server. Amazing view of the city. If you are looking for sake they specialize in cold versions

This place is fantastic, almost immediately they sat us, then right away they served water and an edamame amuse bouche/ appetizer. Our server was Penny, she was fabulous and working Christmas evening! Penny let me taste the wine to make sure the glass was something I liked. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and right on top of Everything! We ordered the chicken gyoza: 10/10! yellow jalapeño: 11/10, and tuna tapas 8/10, I'm honestly picky. I haven't left a review in a while but this was well deserved. And I didn't even mention the VIEW!!!

This is a nice place for sushi with a view! The hand rolls were delicious. They provide a complimentary edamame. They have happy hour drinks for 1/2 off and such a great variety. It is on the pricier range but you do have a great view with your experience. The waitress was patient and nice.

The Yo momo drink was fun, and the lace on the dumplings was nice and crunchy. The Chawanmushi with the uni was the surprise gift of the night. Ask for a window seat if you're looking for an intimate table.

It was unique and the food was very good. It just felt a little impersonal. For the price, I'd like a little more interaction. Also, it was fast. I'd have liked a little more experience. We had the various rolls and both got the thing that is similar to omikase. Just not that unique. Service was great, it was just really not that much of a stand out.

WOW. Talk about amazing. The food. The atmosphere. The view. THE BARTENDER!! Angela was our server/bartender for the evening, she explained the menu perfectly clear, walked us through every inch! After choosing the Otaru Experience , Angela gave a detailed description of every item as it came to the table. The food was rich with detail and freshness. The fish was more than I could have ever expected! I'm so happy we chose Otaru for our date night! I'd recommend 100 times over!

Amazing experience at Otaru served by Addie!Food and service was amazing, highly recommended!!

Sushi was super fresh - best in the city! Service by Lauren - she was informative, helpful and efficient! Ambiance is inviting, really quite nice. Highly recommend - will be back!

It's quaint with limited seating, so get reservations. If you can time your arrival after sunset on a clear night, the view is incredible. That said, location in of itself isn't worth 5 stars. To earn that, a restaurant needs great service and incredible food as well -- and Otaru delivers on all fronts! The edamame was perfectly prepared and the gyoza (potstickers) are the best we ever had. The beef udon soup was delicious and our drinks were perfect. The price is a bit higher, but when you have the perfect view, great service, unique and delicious food along with tasty drinks -- you can charge a bit more -- so don't complain when you get the bill, you are worth it.

One of the best fine dining experiences we've had in Pittsburgh! Walked in without a reservation on a Saturday at 6:30pm and got a table right by the window with a stunning view. Everything we ordered I would recommend!

A new Japanese culinary haven! Just opened on Mt. Washington, immaculate views and a gorgeous space! The sushi, hand-rolls, and gin take center stage for sure!!! Their edamame is absolutely delicious! Reservations recommended- downstairs & upstairs bar & dining experience! Street parking available!

Disappointed. Menu was confusing and it feels like this place is trying to be unique but it's lost. Left hungry despite a $200+ tab for 2. Maybe I'm biased bc Altius is nearby and the food is impeccable, and drinks are tasty (and probably a couple bucks cheaper which is wild). Doubt we'll go back. I echo the comments from another review - the service was awkward, uninformed, and again confusing. They had no idea what dishes they were putting on our table. One of us ordered the multi course dinner and literally every single dish that was served required the server to come over (the server wasn't the one dropping our food off), ask how things were, and then run to the kitchen to ask what was on our table. And we also heard every conversation and many employees standing around chatting. Just odd.

Was really excited to try Otaru for a special event! The view on Mt. Washington is unbeatable, and I liked the unique chic but bar-like vibe you might not find at a neighboring restaurant. However, the food and service were a bit disappointing given the price tag. Food came out in an awkward order. We had all of our dishes piled up at the table before drinks had arrived, and it was tricky to get a waiter or waitress's attention. The lychee mojito was fantastic! While some of the food was good, it didn't feel as special as the location. The treasure box (sashimi) was not my favorite compared to Umi, Gi-Jin and other Pittsburgh favorites. The cuts were very thick and sometimes overly fishy. We asked for some small bowls of rice to try to balance it out, and were a bit surprised to receive plain rice-- not even sure if it was sushi rice, but it definitely didn't have the usual accoutrements. (I guess we didn't specify, but was still a bit surprising!) Our waitress was very sweet, but most of the food was served by other people who seemed to not know what dishes they were bringing out. It would have been nice to hear from someone knowledgeable about the menu. It was also a bit awkward when our table was not cleared prior to dessert. I tried to exchange plates with the waiter, but it felt disorganized. I was also surprised when they commented on the dishes we had not entirely finished. While it was a fun experience, I don't think it was worth the hefty price tag.

Great food, no waiting, goes the extra mile. Fresh ingredients and takes the time to do it right. Good service. Will be back.

We are not new to sushi but we did need help with the menu. Our server Anthony gave us a great education on the various experiences available. We started with a couple of apps, then the Treasure Box, which I think is a must. Cocktails were great sake was great! The dish was extraordinarily fresh and tasty. We will be back soon!

Went here to eat by myself while on a business trip. Its a few steps away from the top of the incline. I didn't have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate me and gave me a table right by the window. The views are beautiful! I had the Otaru Course, which I highly recommend. It's four courses and was very filling and delicious. The fish was high quality and melts in your mouth. Penny was my waitress and was very kind and attentive. If I'm ever in Pittsburgh again, I will definitely be returning!

Took my lady friend there for her birthday. It was intriguing very pleasant. Great view the city delicious food.

Great three river views Treasure box and hand roll set was awesome Best fish and sushi experience in Pittsburgh! Good service Highly recommend

Incredible food with an incredible view. This place did not disappoint. Everything we tried was delicious. Their sushi is so fresh and melts in your mouth!

Love this place! Great gourmet menu. Fantastic view if you want to impress your date that's the place! Last time I've been Brynn server took care of us and she was just amazing! Have been multiple times and will definitely say that's the best sushi in town' highly recommend Ps it was so delicious that for the first time I've never took a pic!

The food was absolutely amazing! Especially the uni pasta just melts in your mouth with every bite. The service was exceptional. We were there to celebrate a 30th birthday and they gave us dessert and a table with a spectacular view. I would recommend making a reservation ahead of time. The handroll set (make your own sushi) had a beautiful presentation. I would recommend that the kitchen provides more nori and rice for the amount fish that is given. All the slices were superb. But we ran out of nori and had to ask for more. They were accommodating and our server Randy was great! 10/10 recommend!!

The food was fresh & delicious + Noah provided great service! Will definitely be back :)

My wife took me for my birthday last night. The food was hands-down amazing. The ambience of the restaurant was very good for a Pittsburgh Japanese dining experience. However, the only thing that really brought down the entire experience was disservice and the pace of the meal. The service itself felt rushed, at one point I had three courses on my table at one time. By the time I got my salmon it was cold because I was eating course two. The price, there's different options available that would provide similar experiences.

If I could leave this place 10 stars, I would. My wife and I came here for our anniversary and it was beyond amazing. Our waiter, Garrett explained everything so well and was seriously the best! Everything we got from drinks to appetizers to the mains dish, we just loved. We will definitely be back here!

Can't say enough good things about this place. Service was exceptional (thanks Garrett!). Food exquisite. Top quality sushi with some great touches and an easy to navigate menu. Amazing view also.

Let me start by saying Otaru is new and has a lot of potential. That being said, we saw several things that needed improvement on our first visit. We are going to wait a while before giving them another try. We arrived for our reservation and were promptly seated on the lower level of the restaurant. The restaurant has two stories of dining, both with incredible views of the city from a prime spot in Mt. Washington. Our server approached us with warm hand towels and stated she would give us a few minutes with the menu. She then went over to the bar area and loudly chatted with the bartender, someone in training, and another server. I understand the lower level has a bar and the space isn't huge, but at this point I was expecting a fine dining environment and hearing gossip didn't give that impression. Our server eventually came back and asked us about drinks. We ordered two cocktails and two appetizers. I have a dairy allergy, so I asked her about the ingredients in a dish. She went to check with the chef, a conversation I also overheard. At the same time I heard the bartender and trainee noisily discussing how to make very basic cocktails (as in how many shots go into a Manhattan). She came back to report there was milk in something we wanted to order, so we selected an alternative. At this point she'd made three visits to our table and not once asked if we had questions about the menu or offered to explain portion sizes, suggested cadence for ordering, other items that didn't contain dairy, etc. Our drinks arrived as did the appetizers, we went with the new-style sashimi and the wagyu. Everything was delicious and presented very nicely. Our server eventually came back and asked if wanted to order more food. We went with the Otaru Course, a few additional pieces of nigiri, and the miso black cod. Again, nothing was done to explain portions or make suggestions. She was also struggling with the electronic handheld device used to put our order into the system at this point. Food started arriving, beginning with the salmon tataki and the extra nigiri we ordered. The person running food dropped the paper tickets on our table and had no idea what anything was. This person then walked two steps away from us and discussed what occurred with our server before they both walked away. We love sushi and regularly consume it (Umami, Umi, and Mola are favorites) so we didn't have much trouble deciphering what was what. The staff openly failing in their role was more irritating than anything else. The tataki was tasty but barely seared and cut extremely thick. The rice in the nigiri was dry and cold. This was a theme that continued with the rest of the nigiri as well as the hand rolls. Sushi rice is an essential aspect of this cuisine that I hope Otaru can place emphasis on in the future. On the upside, the quality of the fish was superb. I really wish the rest of the preparation could have matched it. As the rest of our food came out, other runners were similarly ignorant of what they were carrying. Our server came to ask if everything was okay once or twice and brought us both ice cream for dessert, forgetting about my allergy. I felt like the only thing that didn't happen was someone dropping a drink into my lap! Given the high price ($350) for the meal, I found myself disappointed. It felt as if the opening of Otaru had been rushed and nobody on the FOH team knew what they were doing. Furthermore, important aspects of the food were lacking. We will come back after this establishment has had the time to get their bearings, the environment and food could be superb with more care and skill.

Excellent service for a large party. Food was great, party had a good time, staff were kind, courteous, and attentive. We started with the shishito peppers which came topped with saffron and were cooked to perfection, as well as the gyoza which were also quite good. The beef udon and some of the hot menu items were nice options for those who may not care for sushi. The toro nigiri was a particular highlight and we ended up ordering extra. This was a lovely birthday dinner and we would definitely recommend.

Really good service - Amanda was so nice and gave us great service and water. View was also amazing. 10/10 would definitely come again.

Amanda the bartender was very attentive and informative. She acknowledged me as soon as I sat down and handed me a menu right away. She is so friendly and relatable. Will definitely come back. :)

Very cool Japanese restaurant, love the view. It is easy to find a parking spot as well. We also enjoyed the excellent service by Penny.

Amazing experience at OTARU! The sushi was incredibly fresh and delicious, with beautifully balanced flavors. The staff was welcoming and attentive, and the ambiance was perfect. Highly recommend for any sushi lovers!