Zama San Diego

We had a dinner for two with reservations celebrating a birthday, and everything was great, and we had a very memorable experience. Food: very diverse selection and everything we had was delicious! The lamb appetizer, the octopus appetizer, the Chilean sea bass, even the ‘ordinary’ super salad were great. Ambiance: combination of the beautiful decors and exciting music (with DJ after 8:30) and a great Gas Lamp location provided an excellent setting for a date night out, a small party, or a group event. The service was pretty good, we had a waitress from Netherlands who has been here only a few weeks, she was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The special birthday celebration was amazing. The drinks and food came promptly and without issues.

I visited this Latin American restaurant with my friends to celebrate my birthday. The atmosphere is nice, though it was quite loud and made it difficult for us to hear each other. I tried the salmon sashimi, which was very tasty but the portion was quite small. My sister ordered the poke salad, also delicious, but again on the smaller side. They have a cute swing that’s great for photos, but the floor around it could have been cleaner. The staff weren’t very welcoming, which was a little disappointing. Overall, it was a decent experience, but I don’t think I’ll be returning.

Visiting from columbus Ohio! We needed a late night dinner, and Zama was great. I was also given a gift card for a free appetizer, so that was nice. The food was great! It tasted freshly prepared. We had the brisket and sirloin steak. We didn't leave any piece behind. Our server kept our water glasses full. She had a conversation with us. That was very nice of her. It is loud, but you can still talk. Its dark too, but its perfect for the party lights they use when they are celebrating Bachelorettes or birthdays. The green velvet couch was lovely. The ambiance was almost rainforest. It was just a bit too snug for my husband to get up from the couch to the bathroom. I I highly recommend this place. It was worth its cost.

Amazing place with vibrant atmosphere, great food and drinks and very attentive service. That’s a great place if you want to party with style. A lot of Peruvian influence in cuisine and big choice of seafood. Very interesting selection of cocktails, and great choice of mezcal and tequila

Beautiful ambience, food was amazing, loved every meal. We had the Ahi tuna, branzino and salmon was delicious. Nicholas was our server and super friendly and attentive and made our visit memorable with a treat at the end for a special event. Highly recommend…hidden gem.

When you walk into the restaurant, the space is very aesthetically pleasing. The hostess and our waiter, Davide, were both kind and attentive throughout our visit. We stopped by for happy hour and ordered three drinks and three food items. The Zamatini, sangria, and Endless Night cocktails were all delicious. For food, we tried the sushi of the day, oysters, and calamari. Everything was flavorful, though we probably could’ve skipped the calamari. For a Spanish-Asian fusion restaurant, I would’ve preferred a chili aioli as the dipping sauce instead. My husband also wasn’t a fan of the mayo topping on the calamari. We would definitely recommend and return.

This place is fire! You need to try this spot if your in San Diego. It's a sushi fusion restaurant and they do it right. Everything we tried was delicious. All the apps and sushi were fresh and tasty. The drinks were very good as well. The atmosphere of the place is very vibey, they had a dj spinning tunes all night. Do not sleep on this place.

Unfortunately, This was probably one of the worse experiences I’ve had in a very long time. We had a reservation at 9 and were sat and asked for sparkling water and were given still. We waved down servers and were ignored. We were not helped until 9:45 by standing up and pulling a lady aside to explain that we haven’t seen a server nor taken a drink order and that our water wasn’t even correct. She takes our order quickly to bring out another bottle of still. The bartender/shift leader then comes to our aid. Though polite brings out bottle of still. At this point it feels blatant disrespectful. There’s 6 glasses of still water at our table. Still no server. Still no greeting. There was so much attention and detail other parties with singing and sparklers celebrating unique occasions. No one bothered to serve us and ask. It’s now 10:30 and the food comes out with sparkling water. The new glasses brought to us are dirty… like granulated old food encrusted on the outside. We left it there. We ordered the wagu which was underwhelming. The Brussels were in a pool of grease and were immediately sent back. I will say their tuna roll was great and so was the ceviche. But tbh the service left a terrible taste in our mouth. To go the whole night without proper service is wild. The manager said it was a mistake in serving rotation, but to say that is to say that no one saw us waving for an hour. We should have left sooner, but I really wanted to stay optimistic and try out a new restaurant. They comped few items, but unfortunately we won’t be back. I don’t recommend — a greeting is the floor.

Food was great, and our waitress Sophia, was also great! Sophia was very attentive to our needs and was very polite as well.

bede was amazing! she was so attentive and sweet. she celebrated my fiancés birthday! #geminis! lol food was delicious. I had the cacio e pepe 10/10 but the star of the night was the LIMONCELLO CAKE! WOW!

The food and the service was absolutely amazing. Bebe was a great host and the feel of the restaurant makes you feel like you are in Italy. You MUST try the Limoncello cake!

We had a dinner for two with reservations celebrating a birthday, and everything was great, and we had a very memorable experience. Food: very diverse selection and everything we had was delicious! The lamb appetizer, the octopus appetizer, the Chilean sea bass, even the 'ordinary' super salad were great. Ambiance: combination of the beautiful decors and exciting music (with DJ after 8:30) and a great Gas Lamp location provided an excellent setting for a date night out, a small party, or a group event. The service was pretty good, we had a waitress from Netherlands who has been here only a few weeks, she was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The special birthday celebration was amazing. The drinks and food came promptly and without issues.

I was going to give this 4 stars but had to take it down one more notch after the loud obnoxious birthday treat deliveries and piss all over the toilet. I've been here before . And that was great. I think it was a chill Tuesday . Friday's are next level. First the vibe and decor are fantastic. Super sexy vibe, all staff in all black, some staff with this weird sexual tension... 5/5 on that Service - great. We loved our server, they tended our table appropriately, I couldn't hear the best cuz of a loud speaker but otherwise great. The food 2.5/5, first red flag was that they didn't charge that much for what in other places are expensive plates. The presentation of food was 5/5, taste meh. Especially for the $$$ per person. Also what didn't fit the vibe was a lady coming up to me selling me photos like when I enter the fair. Granted we liked them and did buy one cuz we are celebrating with fam. But it was just weird . Idk it was just ok. I won't be back but I'm still glad I checked it out cuz it looks cute

Zama has a great decoration, good ambiance, excellent food and amazing service. Nicolas was very friendly, attentive and well acknowledged about food menu and cocktails as well. Regards from Palm Springs. Adrian & Servando.

We were in downtown San Diego for the weekend for comic con and we weren't sure what to eat for dinner. We came across Zama and figured it would be good. Waiters and waitresses were nice and helpful. The room was a little noisy but the restaurant is well lit and well decorated. We ordered the sexy pink roll, the rolls royce roll, and the salmon with corn. Sexy pink roll is recommended and the pink fried beets added a really nice crunch. The rolls Royce roll was savory and succulent. I really enjoyed it. Lastly, the salmon with corn was a little salty, but fresh and soft. It was easy to chew and I would definitely order all items again. It took kind of a while for them to serve, so that was the only downside. Really good place to go to if you're ever in the area! Would come again

If you like high prices and small portions, this is the place for you. The service is ok at best, but the value is miserable

excellent service I love our waitress. She was from Columbia. I think I can't remember, sweetheart. Came here to celebrate my daughter's 21st birthday the food sushi the atmosphere. The music was great. I'll be back.

My friend and I heard good things about this place and decided to go for happy hour. The decor is 10/10. It's super cute and definitely picture worthy. We arrived around 5:15pm and were seated right away. The staff were nice. The food was pretty good, but honestly I won't be back for no happy hour items as their prices are very high. Truffle fries: (5/5) These were delicious. Great flavor and crunch to them. Brussel sprouts: (3/5) These were our least favorite on the table. They seemed too firm and lacked seasoning and flavor. Salmon and tuna sashimi: (5/5) The fish tasted very fresh and melted in your mouth. We ended up ordering 2 of them. You can't beat the happy hour price. Spicy tuna roll: (4/5) Simple but tasty! Definitely would order again. Bison burger: (3.5/5) It was decent. The patty was flavorful, but wished the peppers and onions were cooked longer, they were just thrown on there. I ended up taking them off and ate the delicious queso dip and the patty.

This place was pretty good. I would stay away from the steak tartare! Too much truffle flavor and it was just a huge miss. Their braised short ribs were my favorite. I highly recommend that dish. Sushi was pretty good and they did have good drinks. Little pricey, but that should be expected.

First time dining...Alberto, our host was friendly, engaging and gave us a free appetizer. Jesus, our server seated us outdoors as requested, he was delightful, friendly, and attentive. Alex, the bartender's expresso martini and Sangria were perfect. Trent, the chef's calamari and Bison burger were delectable. We recommend this establishment and we'll be going back, soon! Gail and Charla

Has someone said "zama-zing"?! I mean, it is. Celebrated my sisters birthday for a table of 11. The corner table was pretty but kind of hard to get in and out of if you're sitting inside of the booth. Was recommended to order "family style" since we were a big party. Orders are hefty in price but delicious for the most part. Mostly hits - including the sushi, calamari, and wagyu steak. A big disappointment was the fried rice. Slightly bland. Service was great. Everyone was great looking. It's definitely a trendy spot so make sure to bring your A-game and wear earth tones to match the ambiance. So many cool places to take insta photos. The bathrooms are beautiful. Lighting is pretty and flowers are everywhere. The vibe you get is definitely loungey, drinks are pretty, lights are dim, and people are vibing. It was nice of them to do the birthday celebration. They add a bunch of sparklers making a celebrant feel extra special.

Overpriced menu for food quality that is average at best. We ordered a few rolls in addition to the aquachile for appetizers. Sushi roll selection is limited, and while they were probably the best thing I had here, they weren't anything special. Aguachile was also nothing special; you can find this cheaper (and with better/more plentiful ingredients) at many other restaurants. I had the bison burger as my main entree. It came presented nicely, with the word Zama branded into the bun, but the burger was dry, and generally lacked any real flavor. I found myself smothering it in ketchup and the side of cheese sauce they give, but in my opinion, a good burger should be able to stand on its own without extra condiments. It came served with a side of truffle fries, which was probably the best part of the entree. As one of their "cheaper" entrees at $28, I can't imagine what some of their pricier options (which hit the $40+ range) would be like. Someone else in my party had the crusted ahi tuna for $42, and the complaint was that it tasted fishy, aka not fresh. Service was generally attentive, however the waiter was often hard to hear despite the restaurant not even being crowded. There was a 4% service charge automatically added to the bill, which didn't seem justified. I don't see myself coming back again.

Went for a friends birthday dinner. We felt so happy when we entered as the ambiance is so vibrant and pretty. Appetizers were amazing but the food was average. Honestly not worth the price at all. The steak was like wood at the ends. The branzino was so overcooked that it was hard. "Boozeless" mocktail was really good. I am not a sushi lover but thise who ordered different types of sushi, said it was good. Our server Davida was very helpful in explaining the menu but seemed a little not very happy with our questions about the mocktails. It was good for one time.

I love this place solely for their drinks. I've never had the food so can't speak on that but I love their espresso martinis.

Anytime you go downtown for dinner, expect inflated prices. I don't mind paying more as long as the food, service, and setting all make for a memorable experience. The service was attentive, but our server sounded like he was mumbling every time he came by to check on us. Very difficult to understand, so already starting to go downhill. Sushi rolls for appetizers. Flavors weren't bad, but the rice was pretty mushy...like Costco sushi. Seared ahi for my wife's entree...presentation was ok, but when i saw here cutting up the slices, visibly very stringy and she said it tasted really fishy, which meant it was likely not as fresh as it should have been. I ordered the Bison Burger...$28 for a dried up patty which looked like it had been sitting under a warmer for too long. Branding Zama into the bun was the only thing impressive about my meal. Like many restaurants in the gaslamp, they charged a 4% service charge. Undeserved in this case. Too many other options to waste your time here.

Let me start with what they did right: the ambiance was really fun, but I'd describe it more like a lounge than a restaurant. Mood lighting, loud dance music, color coordination, modern furniture. It looks very nice, and is definitely a place to "see and be seen" in Gaslamp. The drinks were awesome. They looked beautiful and were perfectly balanced--even the mocktail I got. I wouldn't change a thing about the drinks we ordered, but I do suggest adding more mocktails to the menu. Now...for the rest: we came last night for San Diego Restaurant Week (January 2025). They had what I would consider to be a generally decent deal for three courses at $45 per person, and after cross-referencing the normal dinner menu prices, we felt it was definitely a deal for these items. The deal, in combination with the atmosphere and the drinks, made us super excited for this dining experience. As always for SDRW, we split all dishes. The first course came out, and although they seemed different in portion sizes from the normal menu offerings, they still looked appetizing. They weren't quite as flavorful as I had hoped, but not "bad" by any means. Overall we thought this course was fine, but were looking forward to the next course. This is where the dinner took a turn. The second course dishes looked a bit lacking, both having the same mashed potatoes and broccolini as their side, and not arranged in the most appetizing configuration. Both the salmon and filet mignon were covered in sauce, and we realized why after our first bites. Although the filet mignon was cooked to my preference internally (medium rare), it was not seared on the exterior. So the meat was kinda mushy throughout, and lacked that crunchy layer that I crave in a good steak. It did remind me of a Sunday roast you'd find in an English pub, but that's not what I was looking for in a Latin American restaurant. The salmon was overcooked and thus dry, and the sauce it was doused in was too acidic. The mashed potatoes and broccolini were the same for both items--the mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a box (gritty) and the broccolini was either starting to go bad or maybe it was undercooked (stringy; very difficult to eat). Neither of us finished these dishes. During this course, the battery for the light at our table died, and we sat in the dark for around 10 minutes before our server noticed and asked if we wanted a new light. He was busy and we didn't think it was that big of a deal to not have light directly over our food, but I think it does speak to the service overall. He then asked how our food was and I said "it's okay," and my partner had a bit of a disappointed look on his face. The server walked away as we took our final bites of this course, then we noticed he didn't attempt to make the experience better in any way for the rest of the dinner. He came back to ask if we were done with our plates several minutes later, then cleared our empty drink glasses without asking if we'd like anything else. He brought out the third course soon after, and we could tell that these items had been plated and left to sit for a while, because the whipped cream had become watery on both. We also noticed that both desserts looked different than what they typically look like, and I would argue that they appeared to have been store-bought. The cheesecake did have a citrus taste to it, so maybe this was just a different way of serving their usual cheesecake. We didn't feel certain that it had been store-bought, but we didn't feel wowed by the flavor and we thought it was weird that it looked different than usual. The hazelnut mousse, however, seemed completely different than what was advertised. Not only did it look different than every other picture posted of their hazelnut mousse, but this item was mostly chocolate cake, and not mousse. This item definitely tasted store-bought, so much so that it would be impressive if they actually perfected the taste of a dessert that is mass-produced. We couldn't figure out if this is the food they give customers who seem like they aren't totally enjoying themselves, or if they were just trying to cut corners to save some money during restaurant week, but in either case, that's not how to create repeat customers. I don't particularly like feeling like someone is trying to take advantage of me, and I felt that way last night. Our server must have picked up on this, because he seemed almost nervous as he came by to check if we were done with our third course. We were by no means rude, but we definitely were done with the third course as well without having finished the items. He took these plates away and immediately brought us the check. It was clear that he just wanted us to get out of the restaurant...whether that was out of pity for us or annoyance that we weren't enjoying ourselves, I'm not sure. Maybe after some time I would return just for drinks, but it's kinda hard to look past the experience as a whole.

The bison burger was flavorful and juicy. It came with mushrooms, caramelized onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and served with truffle fries. The best part is that they also served a small melted fondue cheese as a condiment !!! Also got the Tunalicious sushi. It was ok. It had a creamy sauce on top but the flavors were pretty plain. The bison burger was definitely the star of the night. The interior decor and bar area were stunning!! They had a cute swing in the back area near the dj booth for pictures. Definitely a great place for a date night.

Rob was a great and attentive server. Food was great. I had the filet and a sexy roll. Both were great separately and went well together.

Besides the very slow service with a single server working the whole floor when the food eventually made it out was well worth the wait. Food came out all at once and was amazing! For Italian chefs they sure know how to make delicious sushi, burger, crab cakes, and beef short-rib. We had a great time and will for sure return on a night that isn't near the weekend.

I came here for the first time a few weeks ago. I made a reservation to have my birthday dinner there. When we arrived, the hostess who sat us was super friendly. We sat down and our waiter who took our order was also super friendly. We ordered the ceviche, a sushi roll, their fries, a salad, and the Nutella dessert. Everything was super yummy. In terms of ambiance, it was very full and very loud, it was hard to hear my conversations with my friends. I also felt rushed by the different staff as they frequently came to our table and attempted to remove dishes that still had food. It was my birthday and my friend told the waiter, and about 3 staff members came with a dessert, candle, and super loud music started blasting, it was great haha. Overall it was a pretty good experience. I'd give this place a 3.5 but will give them a 4 to support the restaurant.

Yum yum in my tum tum! Love everything about this place, the ambiance, food, service, & music. Worth every penny and mommy's night out. I def recommend this place.

Late post.... Went here 2wks ago for a bday dinner. The place is really nice inside. Service was decent. They did take a minute to take our orders but once they did service flowed. There were a couple of items that were on the menu that they didn't have. I didn't like that I ordered crab rice with no onions and was told it couldn't be made without the onions. I ended up getting the short rib dish and it was very good. The sushi rolls were also good. All in all I enjoyed the food and the drinks were delicious. They also do a birthday celebration, which was super cute. I would return here

It's an annual tradition for my birthday. We love the food, service, atmosphere overall. See you next year. Ciao

Beautiful setting, delicious food well presented, tasty martini and attentive bartender.

Our Waiter Alex made the experience a 10! His suggestion for the ceviche was spot on, his excellent service made our night!

Happy hour from 5-7pm which is why we came and it was a great happy hour menu! 3.5 stars mostly for cocktails and ambiance. Cocktails for $10 and lots of apps, $6 wine and the inside has cool decor. The apps had too much sauce for me personally. With the calamari and Brussels sprouts the mayo and balsamic was on the heavy side. The sushi of the day was market price ($20) and the roll had too much spicy mayo for me. Also for the corn and truffle fries which were just okay. Our server was nice and it was easy to get a seat because we came at 5. Parking downtown is always a little tricky especially if there's a Padres game but there's ample street parking.

*chefs kiss* We ordered a medley of different things and nothing disappointed! I wish we ordered more but we were more than content with our meal. For appetizers we got the burrata caviar salad. I feel like you can't go wrong with burrata anything. And the caviar kind of just gives it that extra umph of sea/salty flavor. It paired well with the beet and radish thing bc it gave it a different texture. The salmon crudo was also a winner. The citrus ponzu type sauce really pairs well with the fatty salmon and the micro cilantro adds that additional flavor boost to finish off the dish. The Ledeya sushi roll was also tasty. I don't quite remember what was inside, but it was devoured in an instant. As for our entree, we ordered the shortrib with risotto and a side of sauted mushrooms. Both delectable. The short rib was bursting with flavor. And ridiculously fork tender. Had Just enough fattiness to kept it moist and the risotto was a perfect accompaniment to it. The mushrooms were garlicky, and perfectly cooked and added that extra boost of flavor to round out the whole meal. Service was A1. We arrived on a Saturday night almost at 10pm and we were lucky to get seated right away. We were waiting for a few mins at our table when we noticed a booth open up. They were generous enough to allow us to switch from a regular table to a booth. I loved how accommodating they were, and didn't make a fuss of it.

Ok so first off this place is a great pregame spot for padres game. Me and the wife came here for date night and now ended up at the game but ima make this fast. Drinks were good I had 2 old fashioned wife had 2 diffrent cocktails from menu both good appetizer was the golden tower amazing and fresh. My dumbass didint take pictures of the sushi because they were to good but Tropical roll was our favorite. The other roll was Tenda de Zama roll. Over all great spot great service. Lovely decor.

I was so nervous to keep my reservation at Zama after seeing people leave really negative reviews from SDRW, but I'm glad we didn't let that change our minds. Some businesses just don't thrive during restaurant week and I just don't think people are very mindful of the fact that the influx in patrons usually means longer waits for seating, food, etc. That being said, when we arrived for our reservation , we opted for outside even though it was cold because the inside was really loud and the two-seater tables are way too close together. The layout makes no sense and I feel like this could be an easy fix since everyone mentions this. They do have heaters so it wasn't miserable, but we still wish the interior was better. The service was okay. Our server was nice but he was pretty MIA until it was time to wrap things up, and food took a while to come out. The food was amazing though. We shared a porterhouse, Brussels sprouts, and crispy roll. All were phenomenal and really saved the experience. We also got the verdezado which was honestly a perfect mix of fruity, minty, and spicy. Overall, a pretty good experience. I'm not itching to go back but it was nice to finally check this stop off of my list.

In summary, what a terrible experience. From start to finish it was bad, it maybe easier for me to list all the issues I had with the place given there were several. I went here with my gf for Restaurant week. 1. Hostess was pushing us to sit outside even though it's so cold, which i told her multiple times. I asked for indoor seating on my reservation for a reason. 2. Then I understood why she was pushing outdoor seating, the only seats available were literally 2 inches from another 2 seater table... so any sense of privacy is completely gone 3. It took literally 17 mins for someone to come greet me and get my drink order. the lady was nice but she wasn't our server about 5mins after our server Alex came over and asked if we were ready. not even an apology for waiting.. I ask his name btw; he didn't introduce himself they messed up my friends drink order 4. While my gf was in the bathroom. the server discover when she went to put the wrong drink on the neighboring table. she literally picked up the drink and swapped it with my friends - so she "fixed" the mix up.. but how unpleasant that the girl next to us drink was sitting our table for a few minutes before given to her, like restaurant 101, go make her a new drink... that's kind gross. 5. We decided to share two* restaurant week orders. we already put in two apps from the restaurant week menu and were deciding how we want our steak cooked and Alex, very rudely said, you can't share one order. it's was so unnecessarily rude. We were not* sharing one, we were sharing two... regardless, this guy needs some help with his manners. So rude! 6. Our main dishes too a while to arrive, finally they did but they already cleared my silverware from the appetizers. I flagged someone down to get silverware. by the time the silverware came a different was literally bringing out our desserts. We didn't even touch our main dish yet. omg how does this happen. honestly I thought I was being pumk'd. like how are you this bad! 6. Also it was my friends 35th birthday, I told Alex. but he forgot. they usually bring cute little candle fireworks thing and sing... super embarrassing because almost every other table had one. I truly hope I was just the exception and the standard, because my experience was so awful. Go anywhere else then here! You have plenty of better options in Gaslamp. The food was subpar at best, over price, and service was insanely awful. This is my first one star review for a resturant in over a year! so let that speak to how awful my experience was.

Have been wanting to try Zama for awhile. We came for Restaurant Week. It was honestly a bit hit and miss. Interior is interesting w/ faux trees, feens and flowers. For appetizers, we had the yellowtail ceviche, with citrus, lemon oil, cherry tomatoes and leche de Tigre, and Caesar salad; both pretty good. For entrees, the Tunaliscious roll (tuna tartare, cucumber, tuna, cilantro cream, topped w/ ahi tuna strips, was not very good; fish was kind of mushy in texture and not great flavor. The filet minon in Tempranillo wine reduction sauce w/ mashed potatoes and broccoli was better, but a bit lacking, and need better steak knives. Then, for dessert, hazelnut mousse and Japanese cheesecake; I'm not really a dessert person, but they were both pretty good.

The food and the cocktails are so tasty. We had the Rolls Royce Roll, Tuna Tara and Lamp Lollypop. They were so delicious!

Was invited to dinner here for a friends birthday. To start we ordered Cesar salads which were served in a parmesan cheese crust bowl, delicious, however the crust bowl wasn't really crunchy. We also got the lamb lollipops which were pretty good considering I don't like lamb. And for our main we ordered the tomahawk to share, truffle fries (yum) and a tropical sushi roll that was delicious! The food was good, service was good. Might come back for that Cesar salad because I loooove cheese! but next time extra crispy please!

Alex was great and was so knowledgeable when it came to recommendations. He made my friends birthday wonderful and memorable. The food was great and the ambiance is so pretty! Will definitely be back.

Let me start by saying I do not mind paying upscale prices for upscale food. Unfortunately, the only thing upscale here are the prices. We had a reservation at 6 PM for a party of 8. Although one person was late, the rest of us went ahead and ordered our drinks. From start to finish, we felt rushed, hardly the kind of experience you'd expect at a supposedly fine dining establishment. To make matters worse, we were aggressively upsold on appetizers that turned out to be mediocre at best. We didn't order lamb, yet it was brought to the table as if assumed. Our server also tried to upsell drinks asking "round of shots for everyone" assuming once again, that we all drank. As for the food, three of us got the Bison Burger, what a massive disappointment. It was obvious the patty was frozen--not freshly prepared--and it was completely dry with zero flavor, the bottom of the bread was soggy, the "truffle fries" were so sad, truffle-less and lukewarm at best. The sushi, which the server so boldly claimed was "the best in town," was far from it. I've had better sushi at half the price elsewhere. The place itself is undeniably beautiful and Instagram worthy but that's probably all it has going for it. Adding insult to injury, they charged an automatic 20% gratuity, which I expected for a large party, but also tacked on a 3.95% surcharge. For prices this high, I would hope the restaurant wouldn't resort to such nickel-and-diming tactics. For what we paid, I expected much more quality food, attentive service without feeling rushed, and an enjoyable experience. This place delivered none of that. Don't waste your time and money by coming here.

Drinks are amazing sunshine is an artist, would come again! It's slightly expensive but definitely worth it. The garlic knots are soooo good.

Only came for one drink and it happened to be happy hour. Ordered their version of an espresso martini (either endless nights or zamatini). Beautifully presented and smelled delicious. As a lactose intolerant person I appreciate that the foam is made from coconut cream and not dairy. The actual cocktail was strong and the coffee a little more on the bitter side. Took some time and mixing for the coconut cream to blend into the cocktail. Even then the bitter coffee taste came through. The drink did its job though as it kept me up and energized lol. Next time I'll try some of their dishes. Place is beautifully decorated.

Fantastic happy hour and you don't have to sit at the bar! Stand out was the bison burger and truffle fries. Priced at $16 during happy hour and their fries were hot and crispy and the bison burger was super flavorful. We also had the spicy tuna roll and I think that was only $11. This was also very flavorful and a large portion. The calamari wasn't bad, but I prefer mine to be crispier. However, it came with shosito peppers that were very tasty and went well on the bison burger...Drinks were great.... They had a good selection of wine and a generous pour! This will definitely be in my happy hour rotation, and I wouldn't hesitate to bring out of town guests here as the atmosphere is very cool.

Zama was amazing! The atmosphere was stylish & fun, the food & drinks were on point, and our server, Rob, was fantastic--super friendly & attentive. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a great spot in San Diego!

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday last night. Good menu options, both drink and food. Clearly, a nicer place with entrées around $50. It was beautiful decorated, with lots of spots for pictures. Unfortunately, it was also very, very loud. The entire time I was there my apple watch was telling me I was around unsafe levels of noise. The service here was pretty terrible. They constantly asked us to hand things down the table, where if they had taken a few steps, they could've simply given it to the right person directly. They didn't know bringing out drinks and food whose was who's. And we constantly got the wrong thing handed to us. Eg: two glasses of wine came out at the same time. They didn't know the difference. The same happened for two filets cooked at different temps... it was so loud that the waiter couldn't hear what we were saying as we tried to help them give the plates to the right people. And finally- they brought out a birthday dessert before our dinner. I found this so odd. Overall not a place I'd return.

Food was delicious and service received from Alberto was awesome! Great experience overall!

I went here for my birthday dinner. This is a beautiful restaurant. All of the staff were so friendly. The food and drinks were stellar. We ordered 5 different specialty rolls. My favorites were sexy pink and tropical roll.

Came back to Zama after being invited by the manager and our experience this time around was great! From the moment we entered we were shown lots of attention from the hostess to servers and busboys to the manager. We had a 3 course meal along with a bottle of Malbec, which went great. Zama is a fusion restaurant of South American and Japanese cousins. Imagine eating lamb chops with sashimi as an appetizer...well we did! Sushi or braised rib as main course? We did. Ambiance at Zama is fantastic. The proprietors did major investment in getting Zama to be fancy, romantic and "sheek" all in one...

Delicious food ... service with a smile ... excellent vibes ... cozy interior ... good for groups or date night

We decided to give this place another try and were pleasantly surprised! The service this time was top notch. Nicholas helped us and he was very attentive and spent time explaining each dish to us. He was very friendly and made sure we liked each dish. The ambiance was very nice and upscale. Pretty lively for a Thursday night. We had the shrimp al fuego, the calamari, guac and chips, and spicy tuna roll as appetizers. Everything was very tasty and we especially liked the shrimp al fuego. It came with 3 jumbo, very juicy shrimps and a delectable cayenne sauce with pineapples. This was a very unique flavor and stood out to us. For drinks, we got the zamatini and the no way rose. Both were really pretty and refreshing drinks. The zamatini would be our drink of choice as this was a delicious mix with the pomegranate and gin. We got the short rib which was braised for 8 hrs over mushroom risotto. The meat was so soft and flavorful. The highlight of our meal along with the shrimp al fuego. To finish off a great meal, we had the chocolate cake which was the right amount of sweetness. We were left very satisfied with our overall experience with the food and service from Nicholas!

Came here for a birthday celebration. I would say 50% of what we got was pretty good, however, the prices are really high. The toro tartare didn't have much flavor and could use some crackers or something. Loved the shrimp appetizer. The restaurant has an unpleasant fishy smell when you enter. Workers aren't the friendliest. The host was staring at everyone up and down when they entered.

I love finding new restaurants to try! came across this spot of course, on Yelp! I felt like I was not in San Diego being at this establishment. The interior was beyond nice, the waiters were extremely helpful & recommended really good drinks to have. I had a sushi roll & filet mignon, the mashed potatoes were 10/10.