Sasaya

My absolute favourite Japanese restaurant in Berlin. It’s super authentic and the staff is always the most welcoming and attentive. From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with genuine smiles and warm hospitality that instantly makes you feel at home. The food is consistently fresh and beautifully prepared. A true hidden gem that never disappoints!

I had a great experience at this Japanese restaurant! The atmosphere felt authentic and welcoming. The sushi was fresh, well-prepared, and offered a nice variety of options. Everything I tried was delicious, especially the omakase set. Definitely one of the better Japanese spots I’ve been to — highly recommended if you’re looking for quality and authenticity!

It is probably the best sushi in Berlin! Very tasty and price is good! Made by Japanese. Super friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. It is difficult to get a place without a reservation and you can't book online, you have to call. It would be great if they can make online reservations.

The awards at the entrance say it all. This place offered consistent quality for about ten years. My wife and I always went here during the 6 years while we lived in Berlin to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We were never disappointed. One of the absolute best restaurants I got to enjoy eating at, and always at reasonable prices.

My Lieblingsjapanischesrestaurant in Berlin! As far as value and quality this is just unbeatable and noteworthy. This establishment is authentic Japanese cuisine operated by Japanese staff. The indicator being there is complimentary tea offered. As far as service goes the entire staff operates just like a Michelin star resto. They are friendly, polite, welcoming, and attentive to details. It makes the entire experience seamless as a diner. They’re also knowledgeable of each dish and explain to you all the sushi types as they present it to you. Trust me, if it is a 18 piece omakase and they can name all of the fish types that is quite impressive. The cuisine is traditional Japanese and it’s a bit interesting because I would say it’s a mix between casual and premium dining. The menu is quite extensive and it ranges from home cooked style dishes to premium quality sushi omakase. It features soba noodles, oden up to chefs omakase. The ambience and environment is more polished casual. Whether it be for a simple bento at the bar or a proper date night, it’s truly adaptive to all celebrations. You won’t find a Better value for quality Omakase in Berlin or even in the U.S. It’s simply the Best. Tip: It is difficult to make a reservation here unfortunately. So good luck.

Really enjoyed lunch here, service was excellent. And all the non-sushi dishes as well. I’d definitely come back.

Delicious! The real deal. I just moved to Berlin after four years in Tokyo and this place makes the cut. Book a table in the neighboring store, as booking via telephone is nearly impossible. Though they are very busy, their prices are reasonable. You can eat well for 50-60 euros a person. ごちそうさまでした！

The atmosphere, service, and food are all excellent! Beautiful presentation and very delicious. However, what was extremely disappointing was the Sencha tea. It was served in a kyusu, where the tea had been brewed with boiling water at 100°C and clearly not for the first time. The leaves were fully opened and exhausted. The taste? Just hot water with a hint of grass. In my opinion, serving such an iconic Japanese tea this way is a crime. When visiting such a popular place, an uninformed customer would expect to try the best Sencha in Berlin. Instead, they get a scalding liquid that burns the tongue. Terrible. To the management of Sasaya: please teach your staff how to properly prepare tea. Water at 60-70°C, steeped for 1.5-2 minutes, and only using fresh first brew.

Best sushi in Berlin! 100% recommend this place. Very friendly staff and everything is super delicious:)

Great tempura. Both shrimp, and white asparagus. Sweet service - all Japanese staff. Speaks English, with English menu's. Does Not take credit cards - Be aware. Great seaweed salad. Normal ambience Loved their appetizers, and miso soup.

I live near by and have visited Sasaya a few times. This last time was a bit of a disappointment due to overwhelming amount of wasabi in the sushi. Perhaps it was a mistake? Thought of addressing it to the staff but as it's our culture, we don't like to confront problems. The ambiance is nice as usual but the service quality could have been better. I miss the authentic Japanese experience and food in Japan..

Legit Japanese restaurant owned by Japanese people. The rice quality and taste is better than other spots in Berlin which I found very authentic. The fish however was not the freshest and the portions are small. What we enjoyed was the crab shell. The miso soup was alright and lacked in fish pieces. Nigiri wise nothing that would stay out to us. I'd skip the Uni for sure and the butan ebi. It's not worth the price given the size, amount and quality. The chu toro was alright. The salmon seemed to be fresh.

+: cozy environment, friendly staff, the food is very tasty and authentic. One can really tell that they use nice ingredients for sushi. -: The waiting time is excessive... we waited for 1h15m to get the Sushi on the table. It worths the wait but you should be prepared both psychologically and physically.

Great Japanese restaurant in Berlin. It's not LA or NY quality, but it's quite nice for Berlin. They even have uni from time to time! I suggest making a reservation if you want to come else they can be full.

The best meal we had in Berlin... so good we went twice! We were lucky enough to find a seat here during lunchtime on our second to last day in Berlin, and were impressed by the quality of the sushi they had. The servings were also pretty generous for the price. The Chirashii bowl I ordered, for example came, with a great variety of sashimis that were all extremely fresh. The chefs and waitresses were all Japanese, which not only added a sense of authenticity to the place, but also ensured that the food itself was authentic. You can actually watch the sushi chef perform his magic if you sit by the bar. We were so satisfied with our meal that we immediately told the waitress that we wanted to reserve a spot for the next day, because simply wanted to try more of what they had to offer, and we were just as impressed the next day. The staff were also extremely friendly, patiently explaining the menu to us, since we didn't understand neither German nor Japanese. They even thanked us when we returned for a second time the next day. If you're ever in Berlin and like Japanese food, Sasaya is a must-eat! In all honesty, this is one of the best sushi restaurant I've been to outside of Asia.

A big note: I have called about 20x to make a reservation, but it seems that they're too busy to pick up, or their phone is hidden in a closet. I choose the latter. We went on a Friday at 1pm and it was already a full house. Luckily they've gotten us a table within 10 mins. In the midst of the chaos of hand-written orders, the sushi chef rollin' away at monstrous speed, and 4 waitresses running around....the Overall ambience got me vibin' why this place is so popular. The medium-sized resto caters to mostly upper-hip pberg yuppies and start-up biz guys. Time management was fair, though the visual execution was subpar. the gunkan weren't wrapped nicely nor topped generously and the makis looked so-so. However, I was delightfully surprised at the chirashi Don (12€) - it was carefully prepared with 2pcs of each fresh sashimi, some veg deco, over a generous amount of sushi rice. It was fresh and made my Japanese taste buds hit a nostalgic note. Waitresses are kind and a nice place to go when you're craving for some authentic Japanese food.

I have waited TWO MONTHS to find a good sushi bar and waited FOREVER to finally get a reservation here... and boy, am I glad I did. Sasaya is simply designed, upscale but inexpensive and honestly some of the best sushi I have ever had (and I am from LA). Although I wish I was sitting on one of the floor tables they have and not the sushi bar, I still had an amazing food experience. I started with a miso soup which was filled with tofu and seaweed and the fried baby crabs which were UNREAL. They were soft and fresh and delicious. Moving on to the next part of my meal, I got 7 pieces of sushi (2 salmon, 2 tuna, 1 sea bream, 2 yellowtail) all melted in my mouth! I also got a toro roll which was tiny but delicious and I wished I had ordered toro sushi, well I asked but they ran out of toro after my maki roll. To finish the meal I had the green tea cake which was at first very tasteless and spongey but by the end of eating it (with whipped cream) I wanted more. My friend got the 22 piece nigiri and a seaweed salad - both which looked tasty and he said were! Another friend got the salmon miso and a rainbow roll which was significantly larger than the toro roll I ordered and also looked delicious - she even said the mayo in the roll was good! While at Sasaya I saw people coming in to get take-out... which I will now definitely do now as well as eating in (when I can get a reservation). Overall it was a fantastic experience, just be ready to wait a while for your food as there are only 2 sushi chefs for the entire place.

You might just be able to satisfy a bit of your Japanese cravings here at Sasaya. judging from the crowds alone I'd say this place is worth the trip for. I went to the restaurant hoping for a seat, but to their popularity, no avail. But that was alright, take out would have easily done the trick- the park nearby would be a great place to have a spontaneous picnic, albeit a more pricier one. I ordered the chirashi Don (€12), inari nigiri (prices range from €1-3) and avocado making (€3). I was certainly impressed with their consistent use of fresh wasabi, which is hard to find anywhere in the world these days. The take aways were meticulously organised and beautifully arranged. The chirashi had a variety of sashimi and cooked goods (although arguably they shouldn't be there). Overall, the food wasn't bad although the sushi rice was lacking flavor and didn't stand out. They could definitely improve on their temperature of the rice as well as the acidity/ sweetness balance. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a quick fix. Be prepared however to pay a good amount for quality.

Mixed feelings and mixed reactions. Bipolar is how I describe the food, or Jekyll and Hyde. The sushi dishes were atrocious but the other non sushi dishes were phenomenal, creative and amazing. Skip the sushi dishes and just get non sushi dishes. You will not be disappointed. In fact, if we only had the non sushi dishes, I'd tell you this is one of the most creative delicious Japanese restaurants I've ever been to anywhere. Amazing: - lightly fried squid tentacles with a squid liver sauce. The squid was perfectly chewy and the liver sauce was a bit bitter (in a good way) and amazing. - scallop and tofu dumpling. It was like a giant matzo ball in a nice broth and light flavor. Never seen this before anywhere and it was delicious. - lightly deep fried asparagus, chilled and in a light tempura tasting sauce served like stacked logs. So light, refreshing and crunchy. Germans are obsessed with asparagus, especially white asparagus, and this was the most phenomenal preparation we had in the week or so in Germany. - grilled herring served on top in a lovely fish dashi broth with soba noodles. Never had this dish anywhere as well and it was so light, slightly fishy (but not overpowering) and delicious. My partner who doesn't like very fishy flavors or tastes or smells even enjoyed it to the point we shared this dish. The only dish that didn't work for me in the non-sushi category was the grilled monkfish liver (ankimo). I didn't like how it changed the creamy paté like texture into something a little firmer. The sauce on top didn't work together with the ankimo and it seemed like a strange pairing. The service is excruciating slow even when they're staffed to the brim. A restaurant half that size back home would have 2 servers or so. This place had well over 5 and they couldn't manage the load. It was mind boggling and took quite awhile to get our drink order in which was separate from our food order. It took a long time to get our bill as well. My advice is if you're from North America, Japan, Taiwan or Malaysia, skip the sushi dishes all together. I'm sorry to say but it was the worst sushi I've ever had. Ever. Never seen a California roll that wasn't mixed but here it was. The rolls are about 70-80% rice and 20-30% ingredients. We left over 3/4 of our sushi dishes untouched. The nigiris were awful and worse than all you can eat sushi restaurants I've been to. The chirashi was equally disappointing. The bowl is huge but that's because there's so much rice. If I came just for the sushi, I'd give it 1 star. This final complaint is for all of Europe essentially so bear with me. Beverage prices are insane. €2.50 for a small tiny glass of coke? I could buy the entire 1l or maybe 2l bottle at the grocery for less than that! I know they don't have the same carbonation machines so the pop isn't cheap like that, but the upcharge is insane all over Europe. TL;DR skip all the sushi and sashimi dishes. Only go for the non conventional things. If you don't see the type of stuff at home, order it. If it's familiar, skip it. Also, make a reservation if you don't come right as opening. They turned away at least 6 groups in the hour we were there and it wasn't even 7pm!

Probably some of the best Japanese food and Sushi places in the area. During our last visit there was just one chef who was cranking out amazing looking Sushi nonstop for over an hour. Be ready for a bit of a scene and you'd better call ahead for a reservation!

Wanted to reserve a table at Sasaya for a Monday evening for 3 adults and 1 child. At the phone I was asked how old the child was. When I said "3 years old" the woman on the phone replied: "Children and big groups can not eat at our restaurant." ... *silence* I asked her what would have happened if we hadn't told her on the phone we were coming with a child and she said: "We would have NOT let you in." Can you believe this??? Major fail Sasaya!!! I hope you will not have much success with this discriminating attitude. We will be happy to spend our money somewhere else. Because luckily there are plenty of wonderful restaurants in Berlin.

Totally unacceptable rules - we were denied with our 6 months old (calm!) baby today, whilst the restaurant was almost empty!!! How stupid and discriminating is this - sending parents away who wanna have lunch, cuz dinner isn't possible that often anymore with a new born!! Unacceptable!!

Tried to reserve a table by phone and was refused because we have a baby. Apparently parents are not allowed. Shameful.

I came here on a Thursday evening after reading the raving reviews. It took about 10min to catch one of the waitresses to order, 20min for my drink to come, almost another 30min for my starter and main to come at the same time. This is NOT the place to come if you are hungry! As to the food itself, that's another disappointment. Portion was so small I wanted a Big Mac afterwards. The taste was uninspiring just like the rest of the Japanese restaurants in Berlin. But for the price and review you would really expect much much better than this. I left the place much dissatisfied. Maybe I am just spoiled by the amazing food scenes elsewhere...

Very good Japanese restaurant! If you wanna try real Japanese food, this is the best choice.

Very good sushi for Berlin and one of the few places that have toro/tuna belly and uni/sea urchin. We also had the tempura and fish milk as starters, both were good, but not stunning. Same goes for the desserts, we had creme brulee with coconut ice cream and the special of the day cheesecake. Don't expect large portions here.

Just had an amazing dinner at Sasaya. The sushi is absolutely worth traveling for! Arigatou gozaimasu! See you soon

I literally don't know how someone can think that this Japanese restaurant is one of the best in berlin. The service is extremely unfriendly, even rude and totally unorganized. We waited half an hour before someone finally came to our table to order after we asked three times. After the starters were already eaten one of the ladies reminded herself that we haven't had tea. The main dish of my partner came after another half an hour and as soon he finished his slow eating - waiting for my maki to come- I had my sushi on the table and lost my appetite. I am not going for food with someone to then eat alone. Besides that, the hype around this this restaurant regarding the food is totally overrated. Really nothing crazy and not even as good as other places.

I LOVE Japanese food. Finding decent Japanese food in Berlin, generally, is not that easy. There are a couple places that are great for sushi, but finding one that serves other great dishes is a challenge. Sasaya serves all sorts of Japanese dishes and is run by Japanese. They have fantastic daily lunch options that are pretty darn cheap (you can get an entire fish for €9) and delicious. The service is quick and friendly, the food yummy, and the prices great. With this combo, Sasaya has become one of my favorite restaurants in Berlin. If you like Japanese food, give Sasaya a try! You need to reserve beforehand though!

Been here on multiple occasions. It's a popular place so unless you're one person and don't mind sitting at "the bar," it's not a place to just drop by. Food is amazing! I'm the daughter of a sushi chef, so I'm pretty picky when it comes to fish. I've tried both sushi here and their cooked fish dishes, and all are good. Also, try the Coconut Crème brûlée for dessert. It's not really Japanese, it's just stinkin' good. Service is good as well. Overall, recommended.

After the sign said closed until the night we waited for few minutes to check other places then the server came back out and said that a spot opened up at the sushi bar - great service! And then the food amazing many different rolls made infront of you and flavorful also the spring roll great and the ginger sauce fantastic! We definitely go again!!!

Hands down one of the best sushi joints in Berlin...or dare I say even in the States. I was supremely surprised at the freshness and deliciousness of the food here. Prices are medium. The money is well spent here. There is a fine Saki selection from various parts of Japan of various grades of quality that you can try. I tried some though I do not drink alcohol and they were good. Considering the Berlin is infamous for bad Asian food, this place is the exception and a true diamond in a field of mud. I HIGHLY recommend it. They don't have every single Japanese dish you can imagine but the stuff they do have is of the highest order of quality and taste. Even for Japanese people who are very critical of sushi restaurants in foreign lands. Yes, there, I said it. UPDATE: Just ate there the night before I left Berlin for Austin, TX...it is still as good as I remember it. July 29,2010. UPDATE: Ate there again in April of 2013...uh, stay away from the raw shrimp...if you don't want to be paralyzed with stomach cramps later.

Sasaya really hit the mark! Coming from Los Angeles, the food scene in Berlin is drastically different. I have purposely circumnavigated sushi for fear of being disappointed. My fears have abated! The simple peaceful decor, variety of traditional Japanese dishes, timed serving of dishes, welcoming staff, and more will keep me coming back to this delicious restaurant. The amaebi was a highlight for me. Unfortunately, they were sold out of uni - my favorite.

Fantastic Real Japanese Food (totally different from the 100's of Vietnam / china / sushi places)! Seeing the sushi chef work is a sight for sore eyes :)

Sasaya was a recommendation from my Japanese hairdresser. We waited so long to get to Sasaya, we called so many times and could not reserve. Finally it happened. I was so disappointed that I could not believe it myself. The sushi dishes were NOT good. I am not comparing to what I had in Japan or California, but seriously poor quality. The tuna quality was disappointing. I was wondering if it is always like this or it was our bad luck! Nice things: cosy and quite place, they serve nice green tea and the non-sushi dishes were good, like the miso soup, fried crab, etc

The sushi was good, and the restaurant is deserving of its reputation of being one of the best sushi places in Berlin, if not Germany. I was pleasantly surprised at the inventiveness of the kitchen - for example, our table ordered 2 large sushi platters and the kitchen was kind enough to deliver different types of sushi for the 2 dishes. Very thoughtful, and everyone had a better time as a result. The waitress service was pleasant and pretty tolerable considering how packed the restaurant was. Sasaya is definitely a place to bring friends along again, and it's best to book the floor seats at the front of the restaurant. They're more comfortable than I expected and I have a bad back normally! By the way, they do other Japanese dishes other than sushi and they are well worth trying as well.

Best Japanese restaurant in town (have to revise my earlier opinion). The sushi master is definitely worthwhile watching, so take a seat at the counter in front of him. We had several small dishes and sushi. Have been there a couple of times now and can only recommend. Whatever you choose - it's gonna be tasty.

Interior Design 5/5 Service 5/5 Food 4/5 (Apart from Rice overcooked) Price 4/5 In total 4/5 My favourite japanese restaurnat in Berlin remains "Makoto"! But this isn't bad at all.

Super Lecker! But remember that truly superior Sushi is hard to come by in Berlin. This is a great value for the price. Remember to reserve ealry for a table. We dined on a Monday night and were quite lucky to get a spot.

Finally a pretty legit Japanese resturant that doesn't break the bank. Great dining room with japanese style low tables. The lunch special €5 barachirashi is definitely a good deal. Come early or they will run out of it. I also liked their hand made dishes and cups.

This place is great !!! Best Sushi i,have yet had in Berlin Service is good food is great ..only downside Is everyone now knows this so your chances of Getting a table with no Reservation are slim Very good YUMMY :-D just might go here tomorrow again

I've eaten here twice, and I have to say, the food is terrific. But I'm amazed that people here only give Sasaya 5 stars! The service leaves a lot to wish for...I've rarely been made to feel so unwelcome in a restaurant, but perhaps that's the price of success for any place... Great food? No question. But the service leves a bitter taste no matter how fresh the fish is... ...Kuchi, although more expensive for what you get, has (nearly) as good food, and the service is so much better...

I simply love this place! The service is very good, the sushi is crazy delicious and the interior is fancy. And all of that for basically no money. Never in my life have I eaten such great sushi for those prices! My favourite is the crunchy tofu roll and the seaweed salad. Fingerlickin' good! One downside: it is impossible to reserve, so the only way to reassure yourself a table is by stopping by in advance.

The best Japanese food I've had in Berlin. Really really good. Come early for lunch and order their bara chirashi!

Been here several times. Very tasty. I believe it's also authentic cuz my Japanese coworker also recommended. Staff are very polite like the typical Japanese people.

We were waiting 10 minutes in front of the door only to get kicked out. Because of our daughter!!!! They don't allow kids in.

...never ever got a place there ...no possibility to make a reservation ...even after calling 3 days in a row ..no answer ...though ...nothing for me .this is unprofessional ...could be good but only for stammgaeste LOL

Best sushi ever! Cosy and not too big restaurant, so good to go for an intimate dinner. I would absolutely go there again when in Berlin.

Not good Not bad. It was very tiny california roll but the price is high. Udon soup is ... No thanks!

I've been to Sasaya twice and they do have good stuff. Only problem I have with the place is that you need to reserve in order to eat there; that by itself is not so much the problem, it's more that they NEVER pick up the phone. I don't know how often I've tried calling these people... It's just impossible to talk to someone and therefor I'm done with the place. There are better places in Berlin and Sasaya is out.

Très bon japonais dans Prenzlauerberg. Beau resto, calme et service agréable. Petite terrasse sur la rue. J'ai hâte d'y retourner pour explorer un peu plus leur carte !

No babies allowed. Would be great if they'd tell you about that policy before. We stayed anyway, which resulted in super grumpy staff, even though the baby was very well behaved. At one point the chef came out and stared at the parents for nearly a minute just to make them feel uncomfortable. When we were still having desert, we were presented with the bill and the comment "About time to pay". We love the place, but this was a really bad experience.

I LOVE Sasaya! The sushi is fantastic and the non-sushi dishes, like butter fish, are to die for! My favorite thing to order is chirashi which one of my friends calls a box of treasures, an opinion I concur with wholeheartedly. The appetizers are also phenomenal, oysters (can't remember the Japanese name), spinach with sesame, oh so many good things it is making me hungry just writing this! The number if Japanese people who eat here will tell you right away, it's authentic and delicious. The only difficulty can be trying to get a spot, as so many people share this opinion that it can be next to impossible to eat without a reservation (lunch is usually doable without a reservation). PS:I just had a look through my food pics and am shocked to find none of Sasaya (probably I've always been too excited about eating) I will remedy this next time I am there.

Best sushi I've had in Berlin so far. Lots of Japanese people eating there while we were there at lunch today. Looks like the place if you are a die hard sushi fan. It's not Nobu but is well executed. Was packed at lunch so as others have posted, reserve space. There's an area where you sit on the floor, a bunch of regular bench seats and a sushi bar. Service was pretty goodcould have smiled a bit more but everything went smoothly and the quality of the sushi trumped everything else. Easy to find as well and in a nice area. Crowd was also mixed and generally chilled out.

Eating with a colleague who lives in the same street. Nice place, more traditional. Sushi was good. It cost a bit more, but it's worth it. Plus the people who worked here are real Japanese.

In the last six years i have been visiting the establishment dozens of times (before my first daughter was born). The food is very tasty. Sushi is fresh and rolls are creative. Try the florian roll and the jungle roll. For Berlin standards it is a good value and it is hard to find better place. Still, it is not the best sushi place and I had eaten better, tastier and fresher fish elsewhere. Big minuses: it is not children friendly restaurant and the staff is acting very strange or even sometimes ver rude if it comes to small children. If you don't have baby sitter I would recommend to come in the lunch time or simply try other place mr. Hai for instance offers similar quality and the price range (we don't go there so often simply because it is far away in the west berlin.)

This is my favourite japanese restaurant in berlin. disclaimer; I'm not a huge fan of sushi.. so I always go for the other stuff - miso marinated pork, herring in broth, mackeral etc etc. reasonable prices. I've eaten in japan too and this is right up there