Azuki Sushi Lounge

This was such a cute spot. The service was so nice and the ambience was great. The quality of the fish was really good. We enjoyed every single piece. Down to the dessert. We chose the adventurous option for the sashimi and it’s definitely worth it in my opinion.

Azuki Sushi is one of San Diego’s best spots for high-quality, creative Japanese cuisine. The spicy tuna crispy rice is a must-order perfectly crunchy on the outside with just the right amount of heat and freshness in every bite. The miso cod is equally incredible tender, buttery, and full of flavor that melts in your mouth. The presentation is beautiful, the atmosphere is modern and inviting, and the service is consistently friendly and attentive. Whether you’re sitting at the bar or dining on the patio, every visit feels special. If you’re looking for a sushi spot that delivers both quality and creativity, Azuki never disappoints. The spicy tuna crispy rice and miso cod alone are worth the visit!

My husband and I have only been here twice because we're from out of town, but after the first time, we were already hooked. The fish is such good quality. We haven't been to Japan, but I can only imagine that it mirrors the quality! It's so delicious and fresh. Also, we love the cocktails. Both times, we ordered the Yuzu Collins. It's just a great drink.

Whenever I visit my daughter in San Diego, I make the point to make a dinner reservation at Azuki Sushi Lounge. The Kobe roll alone is worth the trip! Tonight we dined in the second floor dining room. It was much more comfortable than the breezy street seating we experienced our first visit. I had the Kobe and the Bonzai this time. My daughter, unagi fan that she is, had the Super California. The Bonzai features shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, asparagus and has the crunchy contrast of crispy taro slices and crispy sweet potato slices on top. The Kobe was as delicious as I remembered; black tiger prawn, avocado, tempura onion, topped with seared wagyu. Another excellent meal at Azuki Sushi Lounge!

Very Fresh and Delicious Sashimi! Their signature rolls are scrumptious! Service was friendly and efficient. The only negative experience were flies flying around while we were dining which were a bit annoying. Otherwise, great spot!

We sat outside on the patio which was just a sidewalk with tables. People just crowded around the sidewalk. The server was nice. The sushi cuts were generous but not amazing. The clam miso soup was surprisingly delicious.

A friend recommended this place and it did not disappoint. Every dish was delicious especially the uni on the daily special which was absolutely worth trying. The pork was also full of flavor. The only downside was the service. One female staff member wearing a small cap was super friendly and attentive, but the rest of the team felt a bit distant as if they didn’t want to be approached. A little more energy and engagement from the staff would definitely enhance the experience.

Fresh flavorful straightforward sushi place. Modern clean decor. Attentive staff and friendly sushi chefs. Would recommend sitting at the sushi bar to order straight from chefs. My favorites were the wagu and salmon. For dessert a stuffed banana with red bean and black sesame ice cream.

I'm upgrading my review here from best Sushi in San Diego, to better sushi than I had in Japan. Seriously I think it's that good. I am obsessed with this sushi spot, I'm always trying to pop in whenever I'm in bankers hill. It's definitely busy, and usually booked out on reservations. I try to come later at night around 8:30 or 9:00, and they're always really cool to still serve us even at the end of the night. The bluefin tuna 3 ways or salmon 4 ways is for sure some of the best sashimi you can possibly get. These are my two favorite fish, and I love being able to get a selection of just that, rather than going for omakase where I'm getting a lot of pieces I don't particularly want. The nigiri plate is also bomb striking the perfect balance between price and chefs selection for the day. The kobe roll is just fun too if you want to try a bit of a5 wagyu. Attentive staff across the board. Great bartenders. Many sushi chefs. Everything is prepared orderly and timely. Look no further for your new sushi go to.

I was in Japan last year and this is the closest sushi I've had that tasted like it did there! Super authentic. The hamachi was perfect and the portions were actually huge, so you really get your bang for your buck. The edamame was average, tasted like any other edamame I've had, but still good. The crispy rice and spicy tuna is ALWAYS a must and was a favorite at our table! The nigiri was perfect with big portions of fish, which I appreciated since so many sushi places are expensive for tiny cuts. The wagyu nigiri was perfection! Service was polite and fast, and the manager even stopped by to check on us. It's a cozy, smaller restaurant that genuinely reminded me of spots I visited in Japan. Overall a solid 10/10 and I will 100% go back!

Very easy to make reservations online. We got seated outside at around 7:30pm, so it was really cold outside. They have the heating lamp things next to each table and they can get super hot, so I didn't feel cold at all during dinner... In fact I felt a little too warm lol. The service was a little slow as they were busy Sunday night. There were a lot of couples having a dinner date night. The vibe of the whole place definitely says date night. We ordered the R U Kidding Me roll, chef's selection nigiri, seasonal red sea bream nigiri, crispy rice and spicy tuna, and the blue crab california hand roll. The blue crab hand roll was good. It was very stuffed at the beginning, so the end piece was mostly rice. I wish they evenly spread it so I got a good proportion of blue crab in every bite instead of just the beginning. The red sea bream was okay. I feel like this place doesn't really season their nigiri. They just slap the rice, wasabi, and fish on there. The wasabi here was so good. I don't like wasabi, but it was fresh here so I was surprised that I enjoyed the wasabi here. The R U Kidding me roll was good, but wasn't as life changing as TikTok made it out to be. It tasted like a crunch roll with truffle oil and the fried leeks made it a little more elevated. I felt that the cream cheese filling overpowered the scallop so I didn't really taste the scallop. The crispy rice and tuna was good, but the tuna tasted very plain. I wish they had put some sort of seasoning, but it literally tasted as it sounded. The rice was crispy and there was spicy tuna lol. Looks pretty, but something i feel like I can make at home for a fraction of the price. The chef's selection was very enjoyable, but the fish was really plain. I had to flip my nigiri over to dunk it in some soy sauce lol. The uni looked really pale, so I was worried it might taste fishy, but I was surprised when it was very sweet and creamy. I enjoyed it! The star of the show for me was the chu-toro as I have been craving and it melted in my mouth like perfection. This place is pretty expensive, so if you want to take your date and impress them, this would be the place. I wouldn't recommend it if you wanted to go out with your friends and you were craving sushi. I feel like there are cheaper options that are just as good.

I've had Azuki Sushi bookmarked for a long time since so many people say it's one of their favorite sushi spots in San Diego. When I saw that they brought back their happy hour, we figured it was finally time to go. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 5 to 6 PM. (I included the menu because I couldn't find it anywhere). The menu was limited, and while a few items were slightly cheaper, the price difference from the regular menu wasn't significant. Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna: The rice was perfectly crisp without being burnt or greasy, which is how I like it. The spicy tuna, though, was pretty bland and could have used more flavor. Bluefin 4 Ways: The leanest cut was my second favorite, not super melt in your mouth but not chewy either. The chu toro, for being the second fattiest cut, didn't melt much and needed a little effort to chew. The otoro was the clear standout of the night. It was rich, buttery, and absolutely melted in my mouth. Kobe Roll: It was good but didn't wow me. The A5 wagyu on top was tender and easy to eat, but overall it wasn't a memorable bite. Hand Rolls (Spicy Tuna and Spicy Albacore): My husband got these for five dollars each during happy hour, which was a great deal since they are normally around nine to ten dollars. They didn't skimp on the fish, which was a nice to see. Miso Soup: Simple and classic, nothing out of the ordinary. Overall: The sushi was fresh and good, but nothing particularly stood out compared to other sushi spots in the same price range or even cheaper ones. I'm glad we finally tried it, but I wouldn't say it lived up to the hype for us.

I've seen this place all over Tiktok and I finally got the opportunity to try it! My girlfriend made a reservation online and we were able to snag the last outdoor seating. Parking is a little bad since the place is located in downtown. Did a couple circles, but was able to find street parking a couple blocks down thankfully! When we arrived at the restaurant, the place was packed!! We checked in with the host and got seated shortly afterwards. They have heaters at each table to make sure everyone was comfortable. It seems like they tried to fit as many tables as they could outside because the tables were very close together. The ambiance is quite nice though! Definitely a nice place for a date night! The lighting is quite low and they give you a light that you can tap to adjusting the lighting. Our host was very nice, attentive, and took our order quickly. The wait for the food wasn't very long as well. We ordered the nigiri chef selection, r u kidding me, the crispy rice and spicy tuna, california blue crab hand roll, and an additional sea bream nigiri. My girlfriend and I love trying out new sushi and omakase places so we ordered The nigiri chef selection. I know it's not omakase, but we do love nigiris and the conclusion was that it was pretty good, but I wouldn't say amazing. The fish was fresh, LOOKED AMAZING, gave great portions for the fish, but i wish they did something a little more with the taste. Same could be said with the sea bream nigiri I got. Overall, it was still pretty good and fresh! The r u kidding me roll was the best out of everything that we got in my opinion. I didn't think i'd like this roll as much as i did, but it was SO GOOD. I would definitely come back and order this again. 10000/10 would get again! The california blue crab hand roll was also quite good. It was nice and warm and they give you a good amount of filling in the hand roll. The crispy rice and spicy tuna was also good! I feel like we've had something similar to this in the past, but still enjoyed the experience overall. Tuna was nice and creamy and the crispy rice gave nice texture. Overall, i think this was a great experience and the food was very tasty. Would definitely like to come back again to get the r u kidding me roll and to try out the rest of their menu! Great service and great food!

My friends and I ate here for a belated birthday dinner. Despite our reservations, we still waited over 20 minutes for our table. For appetizers we ordered the crispy tuna rice and chicken karaage. Both were great, the chicken karaage was nice and juicy, the crispy tuna was the perfect bite I wished it came with more! We ordered 3 rolls; By the Border, Stardust & Vertigo. Everyone's favorite was by the border. We also all got Momo Yuzu and it was a nice citrusy cocktail.

Just when we thought our trip to SD couldn't get any better, it did! I treated my fiancé here as an early Bday present and they did not disappoint. We were fortunate to be seated upon arrival since there were open seats at the bar. Personally I think this was even better for us since we got front row seats to see all the rolls being made which was a cool experience. We started with the Crispy Rice & Spicy Tuna, Chicken Karaage, Kakuni (braised pork belly), and hamachi kama which were all fantastic! We enjoyed how the soft spicy tuna balanced the crispy rice. Both the chicken karaage and the kakuni were so savory, tender, and juicy while the hamachi was light and clean. The Vertigo came with yuzu ponzu and Fuji apple that complimented the fish and the cucumber well. The Kobe was extremely decadent with the insanely tender A5 Miyazaki wagyu and truffle aioli that literally just melts away in your mouth. My favorite was the Bonsai because the shrimp tempura and spicy tuna paired well with white truffle aioli and was topped with the crunchy lotus root and sweet potato chips that added the perfect contrast in texture in every bite. You can tell the quality is top notch and each roll was a unique tasting experience! The service is great, the ambiance is relaxed yet elevated, and the food is outstanding and presented beautifully. Of course this comes at a higher price, but honestly it was worth every penny and I'd love to come back for more. Highly recommend!

Went here for our anniversary and the food was so good! Ordered everything we wanted and the sushi chefs were on point! Especially Abraham! Big thank you! Seemed like a busy place so I suggest getting reservations. The fish were fresh and the cuts were big pieces. From the servers to the chefs, I would say they do well in that busy environment. The place was a little noisy but what can you expect when this place is busy? Overall had a great time with delicious food! Definitely will come back to try other things on the menu.

Such a delicious place! We came after getting one of the last reservations late at night, and were seated at one of the high tables upstairs. This place is very well decorated and has such a nice ambiance. I got the spicy scallop and negihama roll, as well as the spicy tuna crispy rice as an appetizer. Everything was absolutely delicious! The crispy rice paired so well with the soft tuna, and both rolls had such fresh fish. These are definitely high quality rolls. My friends got the nigiri platter which was also a super generous portion for the price, and they all said it was delicious as well. Overall, great spot!

Came here for dinner with a friend and wasn't disappointed. The ambiance at this place was great! Such a cute date night spot but also a nice place to get drinks with friends. The restaurant is dimly lit and aesthetically pleasing. Our waitress was very nice and I will say, all of the staff is very nice too. As we were walking to our table, every staff member we passed by acknowledged and greeted us. My friend and I were there for a light lunch. We got the Kobe roll, the uni toast, and the crispy rice + spicy tuna. - Kobe roll: 10/10 I thought this was really good and even got another to go - Uni toast: 9/10 really good and definitely unique, but small portions - Crispy rice + spicy tuna: 8/10, great taste and quality but average flavors There is also an "omakase" drink you can get, where the bar will whip something up for you of their choosing. Though the vibes were great and the food is delicious, this place is a bit pricey so not a place I'd go to on a weekly basis. Will be back eventually to try more as all of the rolls sound really good!

We ordered the crispy rice with spicy tuna appetizer, spicy garlic edamame, chef special sashimi, and the by the border roll I'd say for 2 people, order the chef special to have a fun tasting experience of various sashimi, along with your other choices What surprised us was how much we enjoyed the spicy garlic edamame.... it's a must order for the table Overall great sushi with a warm ambiance and gorgeous interior design

So dang good! Had a great experience at Azuki. Awesome cocktails, great sushi and food and amazing service. Nice decor and ample outdoor seating with heat lamps. Definitely coming back next time I'm in town

Azuki is bomb. I'm actually allergic to shellfish, so I couldn't have their most popular sushi roll (the "R U Kidding Me?") yet I still would come back here again. We ordered a ton of apps and some rolls and everyone else did say the R U Kidding Me roll (not pictured) was hands down their favorite thing on the menu. For me, the buta & nira steamed dumplings were my favorite. Ambiance is clean and I definitely recommend sitting at their outdoor patio (which is covered). The vibe up there is cute and less busy than the first floor. I'd come back for the food and would recommend this spot to check out.

I ordered the spicy tuna crisp -- pretty good! The eggplant wasn't my favorite, a bit too much sauce for me. The "R You Kidding Me" roll was my favorite of the night. The chirashi bowl had a good amount of fish and was solid overall. The miso black cod wasn't quite Nobu level, but definitely worth trying. Great service and ambiance definitely will be coming back.

Wow, this place blew me away. In terms of food, that is. I think it quite possibly was the best sushi I have ever had. I don't claim to be a sushi connoisseur, but I've had a lot of sushi and it's one of my fave foods. EVERYTHING we had was good: uni toast, o-toro nigiri, Wagyu Roll, R U Kidding Me, Toro Chirashi and our drinks - Momo Yuzu and Roku Gin and Tonic. EVERYTHING was fresh, never fishy. And while they provided soy sauce, I never felt that anything needed the extra seasoning. The o-toro melted in our mouths, as did the uni. The fried leeks on the R U Kidding Me was a delish accompaniment to the roll. And the Toro Chirashi was simply delicious. The rice was seasoned with some sort of vinegar, and paired well with the fresh cuts of Toro. Again, everything was seasoned so well, and never overpowering, and on top of that beautifully presented. Major compliments to the chef who created such an amazing menu. I would never think to pair proscuitto or truffle with uni , as they did on the toast. Seriously, chef's kiss. Why not 5 stars? Our hostess was friendly, but never cracked a smile. May not mean much to others, but for me it goes back to first impressions. And our wait was long. We had a reservation and waited in the cold outside for about 20 minutes. At that point, the hostess was kind to offer us a seat at the bar to get out of the cold and have a drink, maybe an app. We were at the bar for for at least half an hour, maybe even 40 minutes. We ordered drinks and a couple of apps. Our server didn't seem to even know that we were still waiting for our actual table, so we mentioned it and she had to look into it. By the time we were offered our table, we almost asked to remain at the bar. We didn't and made our way upstairs, but it made for a fractured experience. Overall, I would definitely return, and I will! These are small issues that could easily be taken care of with a little training and more clear lines of communication. Maybe next time will be a 5-star experience.

Great service! Make a reservation to be seated quickly. Enjoyed a great dinner here and had a variety of items including their miso soup and friend banana dessert. Sushi rolls were fresh and all different. Comfortable seating and beautiful aesthetics. Parking can be challenging on the weekends but metered parking around the area. Recommendable sushi spot!

Azuki Sushi is no secret - Nobu Malibu Vibes it's one of San Diego's trendiest sushi spots, and for good reason. The energy is lively, the space has a modern yet comfortable feel, and the food hits every mark. The sushi is exceptional: fresh, beautifully plated, and full of balance in every bite. Rolls and nigiri are on point, but what surprised me most? The eggplant. Yes, the eggplant stole the show. Perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and so memorable it might just be my favorite dish of the night. Service matches the food--attentive without hovering, and always ready with great recommendations. Azuki isn't just dinner; it's a full experience that leaves you excited to come back. If you're looking for trendy sushi done right (with a few unexpected stars on the menu), Azuki is it.

It was my third time at Azuki and I went with a slightly larger group this time so I got to try more than my normal order! The servers were busy as normal but still took time and patience with my table which we appreciated. We started off with the Matcha Man which is a really unique cocktail! After trying everything I would recommend the R U Kidding Roll, Sashimi Platter, Uni handroll (they use San Diego uni which is superior to SB imo), your choice of nigiri because all the fish we tried was super fresh! This place never fails to impress and am already looking forward to my next visit and dreaming about those fried leeks in the meantime

Azuki sushi is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in San Diego, but always so busy and sometimes difficult to get a reservation. We walked in and were extremly lucky to be seated with a short wait. We ordered miso, short rib, lots of sushi, edamame and cocktails. Everything was top notch. Highly recommend.

Azuki Sushi came up on many a list of top eats in San Diego. In addition to that, this restaurant stood out due to the high Yelp reviews, and the fact that it was sushi (as we wanted to check out the city's sushi scene). That being said, we decided on Azuki and booked a table for our second night in the city. Azuki is located in a relatively quiet area - at least it was quiet when we were there around 8:30pm. The exterior is welcoming with a host stand outside and a few tables; the main level of the interior houses a few tables as well as the sushi bar - but we were seated upstairs in a spacious dining room that contained a bar and scattered tables. The decor was nice, albeit a little generic - nothing really stood out. Lots of medium to dark woods which was inoffensive. We decided to get a couple of apps, and then a couple of rolls and nigiri. We decided to start with the salt and pepper karaage, dumplings, and shrimp fried rice. The dumplings were the tastiest for me - good flavor and paired with a tasty sauce. The karaage was pretty good but the pieces of chicken were too big to handle - I needed to break them down before consuming. They provided a large helping of the rice, but it was a little on the bland side without adding soy sauce - it also wasn't sticky which made it hard to handle with chopsticks. We then moved onto the rolls and nigiri - I got the Kobe roll which contained prawn and A5 Wagyu. The roll was good, it tasted super fresh and looked meticulously crafted. We also shared the o-toro (fatty tuna) nigiri; this was also very good - the toro was flavorful and, again, tasted super fresh. The mains definitely redeemed the meal as they were superior to the apps we ordered. Service was okay - everyone was friendly but it felt more transactional than anything else. Like yes, I get that this is a transaction but the entire experience lacked soul. Overall, I think the sushi at Azuki is good, but not superior to other places I've been to. That, along with the unremarkable service and aesthetics land this at a 3 for me. We didn't have bad meal here per se, but I would explore other options in SD before returning.

No other sushi spot in San Diego will live up to Azuki Sushi! The sushi is AMAZING so fresh so fulfilling and so much flavor. The service is great too, our waitress was Ren I believe, a lovely person who sold my boyfriend and I to try their famous dish Uní Toast. Our first time ever having sea urchin and OMG, if you a sucker for trying new things or only staying in your comfort zone but need to venture out more please get the Uní Toast. The cocktails were tasty too, very well prepared/presented. Definitely strong too haha. It is recommended to do reservations but they do take walk in just a 30-1hr wait. We were sat outside with some nice heaters and great ambiance still. Overall, all our dishes were perfect, everything was tasty. My boyfriend and I could not stop laughing because it was just so good! Thank You Azuki Sushi!

Really cool ambiance. But the sushi was really fishy. It wasn't that great. It was not fresh. The only roll i liked that did not taste fishy was the wagu one. Besides that, i don't think this place was worth it. Theres many other good sushi spots.

This was my second time at Azuki Sushi, and it was even better than the first. This time, my girlfriend and I sat at the bar during their happy hour -- definitely the best seat in the house if you want great drinks and friendly conversation. Our bartender was awesome -- super personable, easygoing, and really knew his stuff. He suggested the Curry Old Fashioned, which was a creative twist on the classic. It leaned a bit heavy on the curry flavor for my taste, but I appreciated the subtle spice and complexity that played nicely with the spirit-forward base. For food, we started with the crispy rice with tuna, which had a generous portion of tuna mixed with flavorful sauces -- crispy, savory, and satisfying. We also got the spicy albacore and spicy tuna hand rolls; both were solid, but the spicy tuna was the standout for me. We finished with the chirashi bowl (requested no seared fish), and it didn't disappoint -- the fish options were fresh and plentiful, making it a great deal for happy hour. The vibe was lively but not overcrowded, and the staff was attentive and knowledgeable. Between the quality of the sushi, the creative cocktails, and the easygoing service, Azuki Sushi continues to be one of my go-to spots in the area -- especially during happy hour. Tip: Sit at the bar if you can -- great drinks, great conversation, and a chill atmosphere that makes the whole experience even better.

Service 10 Food 10 Ambiance (upstairs) 10 Our favorite spot second time celebrating our anniversary Simply the best!

Our server was amazing. Very attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely friendly. I highly recommend taking their suggestions, as they steered us toward some memorable items. The absolute highlight of the meal was the crispy rice. It was executed perfectly and is easily one of the best versions of this dish I've ever had. If you visit Azuki, this is a non-negotiable order! The rest of the sushi was good, fresh, and well-presented. However, I have to be honest about my expectations. Given the price point, I walked in anticipating an unparalleled level of sushi quality, and while it was enjoyable, I felt I've had better, more unique sushi elsewhere for a more reasonable value.

Delicious food and excellent service. Outside seating was cozy. Drinks: Momo Yuzu: 10/10 Gaijin gimlet: 9/10 Food: Salt and pepper karaage: 9/10 Bluefin Three Ways: 10/10 (ate it before taking pics) By the border: 9/10 (started eating before pics) Stardust: 7/10 Excited to go back!

Azuki Sushi has potential. The problem is that the food and sushi here only ranks between okay to good. When the food and sushi is as expensive as it is here and much of it is only okay, that is a problem. We are talking about rolls ranging anywhere from $15-$39 per roll. The ingredients were high quality for the most part, but for whatever reason, in terms of taste, the food and sushi fell below expectations. (3.0 / 5.0) r u kidding me? = $30 (3.5 / 5.0) kobe = $31 (4.0 / 5.0) super dragon = $27 (3.2 / 5.0) grilled teriyaki chicken (bento) = $27 (3.0 / 5.0) sashimi classic (12 pc) = $39 (3.0 / 5.0) nigiri (4 pc) individually picked (3.3 / 5.0) miso soup with shiitake mushrooms (3.2 / 5.0) adventurous = $130 (4.0 / 5.0) Gaijin Gimlet (cocktail) = $16 (4.0 / 5.0) Dessert (I forgot the name) it came with black sesame ice cream I forget all of the other food and sushi we ordered, but it was a fair amount of food. I ate or tasted most of everything I posted above. If I didn't try it, I asked my friends how the food or sushi that they ordered tasted. The place is aesthetically pleasing and clean. Decor looks appropriate and the bar is nice. It is actually a 2 level place. We were seated upstairs. Service was good. They were attentive, patient, and knowledgeable about the menu. We came here to celebrate a birthday and there were probably 10-12 people in the party. Unfortunately, they couldn't seat us all together. There was a larger table that seated about 8 (or so) and the remaining 4 of us sat at the bar. That kind of set the tone for the night. It was awkward not being able to interact with everyone unless you got up out of your seat. The parking in the area is not the greatest. If you can't find parking on the street, there is a parking area nearby that will cost you $15 for a couple of hours or something along those lines. We easily dropped $1,100-ish here not including the tip. For Azuki Sushi's price range, expectations for the food and sushi is going to be high. If I'm spending this much, I'd expect the food to be at least as good as a place like Ju-ichi. Unfortunately, Azuki fell short. I may give this place another chance or maybe just visit Ju-ichi. 3 / 5: Food (ok to good, but mostly just ok) 4 / 5: Service 4 / 5: Cleanliness 3 / 5: Overall

It's my first time trying this place and I was so so so surprised! The fish was fresh, but as I was telling my cousin, we're kind of spoiled in San Diego in that area. What really caught me off guard was the flavors of the sushi rolls and the topping that came with it. I was such a nice blend of flavors! We got the are you kidding me roll and the wagyu one(forgot the name) and the classic tempura roll! We also got the miso eggplant and that was super yummy and def made to order. The nigiri chef selection was absolutely delicious too! I love love love the wasabi here!! Thought I should just put that out there hahaha Definitely a $$$$ type of place, there's plenty of street parking, and everyone was so nice answering all our questions! Def a great all around we place for solo diners, friends, families, and dates!

The vibes, the bites, the service was all so amazing here at Azuki! We had reservations and were seated immediately upon arriving. The folks were nice, it did take a little while to get some of the food, but they were busy! Spicy edamame was good, nothing crazy! The real star here is the sushi and the fish they use. This super dragon roll changed my life to the point where I just want to keep going back just for this roll. I loved it very much!!! Parking is standard and a bit difficult but it's because this place is in bankers hill, but would 200% come back here again!

Food is amazingly fresh and very delicious. I sat at the sushi bar and it's a one of a kind experience. The outdoor dining experience looked fantastic as well. The sushi chefs are very attentive and peculiar about what they present to you. Their hospitality, explanations & recommendations creates a soothing ambiance that just lets you think, "What should I get next?" You do need a reservation if more than one or walk in but you could get lucky.

So love this place and enjoy it almost as much as Kinme their sister Omakase restaurant. Always get great service, fantastic fresh food, and great decor. My favorites here are chutoro and otoro as it just melts in my mouth and is buttery smooth. Love the unique daily items they have and for sure need to go back and indulge some more!

TLDR: Quality and freshness of fish was very good, however the generally cold and disinterested service staff and lack of attention to detail did not justify the price premium. Likely will not return. We had reservations for the sushi bar at the opening time of 5pm. From the start, no welcome greeting from the 4-5 sushi chefs behind the bar. As we were seated, the host asked somewhat condescendingly if we had ever sat at a sushi bar before. I've been going to sushi bars in Japan and elsewhere for the past 20 years, so answered yes. I could have interpreted the interaction the wrong way, but seemed like an awkward start. Also no explanation of specials or menu items by chefs or wait staff, discussion of fish sourcing, etc which I would expect at a high-end place. Once seated I started to note the lack of attention to detail you would expect from a higher-caliber sushi restaurant, and began to feel that Azuki leaned more to the "see and be seen" social media hyped place than authentic sushi restaurant. First, no oshibori was provided. This is the damp towel used to clean one's hands before eating and is universal in top sushi spots. As nigiri and hand rolls are traditionally eaten with (surprise) hands, seemed strange and maybe even a touch unsanitary. Second, as we sat reviewing the menu we noticed one or two flies buzzing about the sushi bar. I get that these things happen, especially with guests coming and going through the nearby door, but the chefs seemed totally unconcerned. I don't expect to see a fly at any sushi bar, much less at a place that charges such a premium. We ordered the crispy rice + spicy tuna followed by kampachi, engawa, uni, hotate, kinmedai, and o-toro nigiri and the bluefin toro-taku and negitoro rolls. While all was top-notch freshness and quality, the kinmedai (golden eye snapper) was a bit disappointing as the flavor and texture of the fish was overpowered by the amount of wasabi added to the rice. At $9 per piece, I didn't expect this. The final thing that left me a bit unsettled and goes to the theme of the disinterested staff and lack of attention to detail was the fact that many completed sushi orders destined for tables sat in a staging area by the bar for upwards of 5 minutes before servers delivered them. In a top quality sushi restaurant sushi is delivered right away and doesn't sit. A hip and trendy date night place yes, but there are several better options in San Diego for top quality sushi and a more authentic experience.

Heard from a few people I needed to try Azuki and now all I can say is... the bar has been set for sushi in San Diego for me. This unassuming-from-the-outside restaurant has an incredible ambiance and chic decor. We sat in the back room and highly recommend for a more elevated experience. Now to the good part... THE SUSHI! The sake (salmon) sashimi was probably the best quality salmon I've ever had -- like butter. All of our rolls -- R U Kidding Me, By the Border and Sunshine -- were full of flavor and packed with fresh fish, making it absolutely worth the price. We came for my partner's birthday and our server was so friendly in offering the stuffed banana (we were too excited to take a pic). Our server recommended the black sesame and red bean ice cream to pair with it... we were skeptical but honestly, the flavors were to die for! Definitely check this place out -- I know we'll be back!

I've been to Azuki twice and each time it's been a 10/10 experience! The food here is delicious! My favorite spot for delicious fresh sushi. I was able to try a handful of items today including the crispy rice and spicy tuna (so good, my favorite), miso soup, steamed dumplings, and kanpachi crudo (another favorite). For rolls we tried the bluefin toro taku (so good we had to get it twice), by the border, stardust, lobster (very creamy but yummy), and Kobe (surprisingly to me very yummy)! For dessert we got the brown butter mochi which is soooo delicious! Don't skip out on this dessert it's so good. Our service was great! We had a reservation and were sat immediately and informed of the two hour reservation. We were a little over but they were very kind and allowed us to stay until the next reservation arrived (chatty girls night)! I've sat downstairs and upstairs and I prefer the upstairs ambiance more but downstairs is nice as well just a little louder. Will definitely return!

Made an appointment at 6 pm on Sunday. Parking is not easy but manageable 5 minutes in the Prado. Hot seated upstairs. Cozy deco and relatively quiet. Sidewalk tables and indoor with minimalist deco. Typical ambiance for Japanese sushi bar. Isabelle is our server, warm and attentive. We ordered a garlic edamame and Umeshu Buck High ball to start with. Good fresh edamame on the very salty garlicky side. Then came the vertigo ( protein roll using cucumber without rice), the classic sashimi plate and azuki chirashi set. Tasty miso soup. Nice presentation. One of the chef came to introduce each fish selection of the sashimi plate. The kurodai ( black sea bream) is a surprise with firm texture. Sake and maguro are very good as expected. Shiro maguro and aji are nice but a notch lower in preference. The Azuki chirashi came with creamy San Diego uni and really fatty toro. Thick cut of fish but I found so many sinew which are not acceptable at this venue level for a sushi bar. Subtract one star for this. The vertigo roll is very good prepared so you can pick it up with the chopsticks. However the 'in' are too mushy for our taste. Dessert menu does not look inviting for a Japanese eatery so we skipped that. Probably we didn't order the right thing but the experience is OK.

Family came into town and I had to take them here! Another great experience, I had a large party and staff was extremely helpful when booking the reservation and asking for certain accommodations. I got to try more menu items this time and everything was delicious! My favorite is still 'r u kidding me' roll! We also tried the super dragon and vertigo rolls, both tasty! Oysters were fresh and perfectly sauced, nigiri was so good we had to order more! Crispy rice and spicy tuna is now a must order next time I dine here! Loved the presentation and taste was 100/10! Service was amazing again, love this spot.

We've been coming here for years but I was disappointed in the service last night. We had a reservation for my mom's birthday and I requested to sit in the back room where the bar was. The host wasn't very friendly and took a while to acknowledge us upon arrival. He didn't say happy birthday or explain why we couldn't sit where I requested, just led us to a table. It took a while to be greeted by a server and he also didn't welcome us by saying happy birthday, asking if we've been there before, suggesting anything on the menu, etc. We didn't get our miso soups until after I mentioned it again and after several of our hot appetizers came out, it took 30+ minutes. We ordered eggplant and never got it-- we were told after we were finishing dinner that they messed it up in the kitchen, had to remake it etc but we were never notified. Had to ask for a glass of ice twice. When dinner was finished I had to remind the server of my mom's birthday to even be prompted for a dessert on the house when he's the one who should have offered it first! All of the food was delicious however I will say the Stardust roll was a little fishy and I wish I sent it back for something else. I used to love coming here but when I spend hundreds of dollars on a dinner I expect nothing less than excellent customer service. Hoping management isn't just trying to get away with riding on their recent popularity..

Sat outside and ambiance was nice. Sushi was decent, did mostly nigiri. May try some rolls next time. Our service was great.

Had dinner with a friend here the other night. It was my first time in a long time. We were seated at the second level (upstairs), which had a warm and cozy atmosphere. The tables are pretty close together, so I felt like I had to whisper so that the table(s) next to us didn't hear our conversation. We ordered a few items to share: R U Kidding Me? (3/5): this roll came highly recommended by other Yelpers, but I thought it was alright. It looked better than it tasted, though it wasn't bad. Sunshine (3.5/5): had to get this roll because I love salmon. Taste-wise, it was okay. Kobe (5/5): my fav out of everything we ordered. Topped with A5 wagyu, it was delectable. Would recommend. Salmon Four Ways (3/5): one of the fish wasn't so fresh. Everything was pretty pricey, but you are paying for the location. Overall it was a decent meal; but not a restaurant I'd frequent often.

I had the Adventureous chef selection, which was a great way to try a variety of items. The highlight of the meal was the Baracuda, which was perfectly fried and served at the end, after we had eaten the sashimi portions. To accompany our meal, I chose the Tokyo Sunset highball, made with vodka--it was surprisingly strong but refreshing. The restaurant had a dark ambiance, creating an intimate atmosphere as I sat at a large center table with a group of seven people. Since we were spaced out along the table, we ended up ordering separately, which added to the unique dining experience. Overall, it was an upscale place that made for a memorable evening.

Robin created the chef special for us and was sure to adjust it to our liking. 8 pieces of amazing nigiri. We were thankful to sit at the sushi bar for the conversation and exceptional service. My personal favorite was the uni toast, i would love to come back for another round. Thankful to be sitting inside, as it was a little chilly outdoors (even though there were heaters for guests).

The first time I dined at Azuki was a wonderful experience, so I suggested that we go there for a recent dinner. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed this time. First, I'll say that the decor is beautiful. It's elegant and a very nice atmosphere for a date or business/client dinner. They have outdoor seating with heat lamps if you prefer to dine outside. Our server had a bit of an attitude and wasn't helpful. Most importantly, I didn't find the quality and taste of the fish to be as good as I remembered. The fact that we had a lot left on our plates said it all. The salmon sashimi was delicious but the specialty rolls that we ordered were mediocre. I understand that restaurants can have off nights so I'd likely try it again, but I won't be in a rush to go back at this point.

My boyfriend and I loved our experience here! Fresh sushi and great service with a cozy ambiance. We booked a last minute reservation here on Christmas Eve for an early dinner. We got seated upstairs which is such a vibe! They have a full bar and the space is intimate and clean. To start the night off, I ordered the Momo Yuzu cocktail and my boyfriend got a Japanese whiskey recommendation from our server. We ordered karaage to share and I got the blue-fin four ways in nigiri, golden eye snapper nigiri, and ocean trout nigiri. My boyfriend got the classic sashimi plate, barracuda nigiri, and yellowtail nigiri. The seafood was fresh and the karaage was also piping hot and well-seasoned. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. I noticed a lot of other tables ordering rolls so I'd love to give those a try the next time I'm in the area!

Thanks for the lovely dinner! Apps: Edamame Dumplings Karaage Chicken Hamachi Kama Rolls: Sunshine R U Kidding Me Decor 5/5 Food 4.5/5 Service 4.5/5 The decor is simple, sparse with wood and metal elements, and the booth set up is really cozy and helpful for a group of 4 comfortably. The food was good. The standouts were the sunshine roll and Karaage Chicken. The truffle flavor of the RU Kidding Me roll was a bit too overpowering for my taste, The service was good. We did book the reservation thru OpenTable and made a comment that it was for my birthday but, unfortunately, there was no acknowledgement by the staff about it. Overall, we had a wonderful meal. IMHO it wasn't the best sushi experience, but our friend mentioned they do have an omakase which I'd be interested in trying, as well as Sushi Gaga. Our favorite in San Diego remains to be Soichi.

Had an AMAZING dinner date at Azuki Sushi with my boyfriend! We definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. We were seated immediately upon arrival and the staff very so friendly and attentive the entire time! Overall, great service here at Azuki. The food was soooo good! My personal favorite was the chef's selection 8 piece nigiri for $42. For the price, you get some amazingly buttery and flavorful bites of fish. I can't remember which one was my favorite because they were all so yum! We tried the oysters, which were so big and plump but I wish I tasted more yuzu from the gelee. Our other appetizer was the crispy rice and spicy tuna. The crispy rice was one of my favorites that I have ever tried -- the exterior was crispy but not too crunchy while the interior of the crispy rice stayed nice and chewy. Both rolls that we got (R u kidding me and Kobe) were so delicious as well! The truffle flavor definitely came through. Both rolls were $28. I recommend checking out Azuki Sushi if you want to try some really yummy sushi and seafood! One of my personal favorite sushi places in San Diego.

Azuki Sushi is a nice place to take a date to or just to grab sushi casually. I highly recommend getting a reservation for a table as the table turn overs are quite slow. The food doesn't come out really fast and takes a bit of time so I would make sure you have a reservation unless you could be waiting a long time. The interior of this place is very modern with a nice warm wood tone. It's two stories and there is some outdoor seating as well. The outdoor seating is right next to the street so I don't really recommend those spots. I ordered a bunch of items ranging from Nigiri, Sashimi, and a few rolls. The Salmon Nigiri was good. The Sashimi platter had a good variety. The fish was thick cut and they didn't use the leanest cut of tuna. I think this is a great value. There are 12 pieces. The Off the Border roll was not my cup of tea. A bit too creamy. The rainbow roll, is okay. It's oddly too creamy and there is no shrimp on top. It's not as thick as other places I've been to and it falls apart really easily. I ordered two and they were both rolled the same way. Once you picked it up, it started to fall apart. The dessert is better than their Sushi in my opinion. I ordered both of their desserts which at the time was a Mochi Cake with Ice Cream and Deep Fried Wonton skin with ice cream (I think that's the name of it). The Mochi Cake was really good, soft, and warm. The black sesame ice cream is something I probably wouldn't get again. It's crunchy/sandy/grainy inside. It doesn't look like it would be when I started to eat it though. The parking for this place is not a cake walk. Prepare to circle around or park further away in a public parking lot. There are meter parking spots but it's limited. The meters are free after 6 PM. Overall, I recommend this place. Would come again for the desserts.

Hi again! So it's been a year since i wrote a review. I want to give the General Manager Kevin a shout out. He's a nice guy. Warm and friendly and goes out of his way to text me if there are any specials going on on the weekends. He spends extra time making sure everyone is getting excellent service and goes home full and happy with a smile on their face! And it wouldn't be a review if i didn't mention the wonderful Chef Robin. My health took a turn after several bouts of covid so I haven't been able to eat in the restaurant for a long while now. I take home Azuki Sushi 3-5 times a week and i have to say the food is consistent and flawless. And i put that squarely on the shoulders of Chef Robin. While I miss eating in, Robins food is so detail orient that you couldn't tell if you were eating in the restaurant or take away on your couch at home. Everything is made with care and an eye for the details. I don't know what I'd do without him! I'm so happy that Azuki is thriving and continues to be a place I can go to escape the difficulties of this world we are all living in and just enjoy what is bound to be a truly wonderful meal!

AMAZING! Went here for a birthday and we enjoyed every single bite. The classic sashimi fish quality was so good, each piece was so soft and had good flavor, didn't taste fishy at all to me. We also got the chefs choice nigiri which was good too but I'd choose the sashimi over the nigiri, the nigiri had a bit too much rice for my taste, I prefer a fish to rice ratio with less rice. The Kobe roll was so good, melt in your mouth A5 Wagyu on top reminded us of Japan. The by the border was basically an upgraded spicy tuna roll and was delicious as someone who is a spicy tuna fan. We were very happy with our drink selections as well. The momo yuzu was a perfect pairing with the sushi thanks to the yuzu component that made it refreshing and crisp to cleanse the palette between bites. My partner really liked the yamazaki single malt 12yr it was super smooth. They also gave us a free birthday ice cream with these fried rolls with sweet filling on the side, we got to pick from matcha, black sesame, red bean, and vanilla. We chose the matcha and black sesame and they were yummy and went well with the fried rolls with sweet filling. Service was great, I made a reservation and we were seated quickly. Our server was very attentive and checked on us often. The restaurant itself isn't very big there's outdoor seating, 1st floor, sushi bar, and 2nd floor seating but there are probably 10 or less tables in each portion of the restaurant which I think helps allow for better service since there aren't an overwhelming amount of patrons at any given time. I think this also helps the restaurant feel more intimate/cozy. The ambiance and decor is very reminiscent of restaurants in Japan. It feels very intimate/cozy which makes it perfect for a date night. I would definitely recommend sitting on the 2nd floor since the first floor and outside are more casual and not as nicely decorated. I did see a larger group of 10 or so people there too so seems like they do have capacity to host larger groups if needed. Overall, I would LOVE to come here again. This is a fantastic sushi spot I felt like the quality of the food and drinks was definitely worth what we spent on our meal here.

This place jumped to my top 5 sushi spots. I sat outside because it was such a beautiful night in San Diego, but that's almost every night. The sushi was amazing. The fish just melted in your mouth. The drinks were perfect. The service was fantastic. Just everything about this place was great. Except for the restrooms, they could pay a little more attention to that. It was pretty gross in there when I went in. Besides that though, I would for sure come back here when I'm in San Diego again.