Extremely rude service, subpar food, and bar none the worst dining experiences I've ever had

This is a plea for the owners of the restaurant to improve the management and staffing. I know it's very tough during COVID to hire proper people, but please know your restaurant is slipping! The quality of the food, which is sublime, is no longer being matched by the quality of the staff. What happened to the prior graciousness and understanding that diners should be treated with cordiality? People come here to enjoy being pampered, but unfortunately it is become a place to get stressed out over miscommunication and confusion. Please don't let this wonderful neighborhood addition slip into mediocrity! read more

Came to this restaurant and was impressed by the arts. It's perfect for date night! Food was pretty good. I liked the Uni custard and shrimp pasta (it's made of true shrimp)! read more

I had just gotten back from California where everywhere I went had amazing sushi, just blew me away how good it was. Cheap places, with life changing sushi. So I decided to try to order the best sushi in my area to scratch that itch. Sadly what I got was surprisingly bland sushi especially for the price tag. Service I will say was incredible, and atmosphere was glowing, but at the end of the day it's the food that matters- and when I get better $20 sushi at a randomly chosen sushi spot in Pasadena, then this just isn't worth its price tag. This is less of a mark against the restaurant as it is the broader sushi scene in Manhattan. I don't know the details on how and why sushi in Manhattan got here, I just can taste where it is. read more

Yum! Yes it is a bit pricey, but I had a delicious lunch! I got the lunch set - not bad at $56, but also got a Negitoro hand roll which was TINY and that was an additional $36 . Sushi melted in my mouth, though! And the space is beautiful with friendly staff. Will definitely go back if I am in the UES! read more

Misses the point. Overpriced Japanese restaurant. Dishes are very small although the urge by the staff to share. 5 out of the 6 appetizers we ordered missed their seasoning and came close to being very good, 1 was amazing. Sushi platter was ordinary and lacked creativity and imagination, a waste of very good quality fish and products. 410$ per couple (including wine and cocktails) that have better been spent elsewhere. read more

It would be unfair of me to give this place 3 stars, since this has been a regular spot for my father and I to get lunch when he's in town. But to give it 5 stars would be misleading. Sushi is good. Great fish quality, but I do feel like they ham up the western rolls too much which makes me wince a little. I would give this place more street creds if they didn't tempura all their veggie rolls. It's overdone, and what they do is no different than lower tiered sushi places in NYC. I think what sets this place apart is they do a nice job showcasing other parts of Japanese cuisine on their menu that's not sushi. Sure some dishes are fusions or just not Japanese at all, but the Japanese essence is there, and I enjoy it. Grilled and cold dishes are very good. I really enjoyed their fish pasta, but be warned, this is an acquired taste. Their duck tacos are a must! Bites of perfection! The only problem about that dish is there is nothing Japanese about it--but at least they perfected that dish. Their Brussels sprouts and eggplant dishes are excellent. And their yakimono (grilled) dishes are on point. I agree that staff can be a little overzealous and tactless at time. My dad had exploded at the wait staff once because one gentleman kept taking our small serving dishes. It was a bit much but no need for my dad's great A freak out. But it didn't deter us from coming back. The one dish I think everyone should avoid is the uni (sea urchin) udon dish. I've had it many times at many places and have come to the conclusion it is not a dish that works and uni should remains on a bed of battleship shape of rice wrapped in seaweed. Overall I enjoy coming here. I recommend ordering things to share as you get a more positive and tasty experience. Otherwise you will be confused as to why they keep bringing you new small plates and taking away your used ones. read more

So pricey, so good. If the old saying is "you get what you pay for", then it holds true at Kappo Masa. Really excellent sushi, wonderful salads, lovely decor with impeccable art. They have a massive and precise staff. We always feel a sting when the bill comes, but the quality just can't be beat - so we go again, and again, and again! read more

So, there we were, my daughter and I, tired and glowing after a wonderful evening at the Met and both on the same page in wanting some sushi on a steamy Spring night. Up popped Kappi Masa on a search list and there we went, welcomed nicely to the sushi bar. Then, handed the menu, struck dumb by the prices: $19 for Toro. One piece! Sliced as thin as paper. The same with all - beautiful fish, sweet, fresh and miniscule. A small, not very generous carafe of a nice, but barely distinguished sake, $54. Wanting some dessert, for $9 I was treated to a single, tiny, melonball-sized scoop of ice cream. The tab for 2, still hungry as we left, was over $400. An obscene, abusive experience. read more

Came here for a date the other night. Exceptional service and dining experience. The sushi was very fresh and delicate. Yes, it was a little pricey but you are paying for top quality and a five-star dining experience. If you want cheap sushi go to an all you can eat for 20$ buffet in the Bronx. read more

Amazing dinner here this weekend. We lucked into a reservation through our concierge at The Surrey and wandered in with no preconceived ideas about the restaurant (although we are foodies, we weren't familiar with this one, and were too exhausted from a long day to ask many questions or research it). The service was top notch, friendly and not snobby at all but offered great recommendations. The sushi and everything we tried was phenomenal. A5 Ohmi Beef Tataki with truffles was our favorite, and the cold sake menu offered some great options, including glass and carafe sizes so you could try an option or two. I recommend Amabuki Himawari 'Sunflowers' Junmai Ginjo. Loved the location tucked away under an art gallery. read more

We had high hopes for this place for masa name but it did not live up to its hype. Had 6:30 reservation it is under gagosian gallery so it's a bit tricky to find. The restaurant was pretty empty so we were seated quickly. Three of us ordered a variation of the early bird prefix menu. Kale salad Miso soup Shrimp pasta Beef sukiyaki Shrimp soba Grapefruit granitee Miso creme brûlée And we added Uni hand roll Peking duck taco with fois gras sauce From the prefix nothing was bad but nothing was outstanding. Only the shrimp pasta was a little innovative. Uni hand roll has soggy seaweed and normal Uni with some cucumber on top. Yawn! Peking duck was okay, not special either. And cocktails are $20. It's refreshing but lack presentation. All that we each paid 100 bucks! read more

An artistic journey of 1000 delights and intense flavors. Very nice young man taking coats

Kappo Masa is an elegant dinning experience. I felt immediately welcomed by the hostess and manager with warmth and charm. The attentive staff reflected the refined and polished atmosphere, without making the welcome stiff. The Peking duck foie gras mini tacos where absolutely delicious and complemented quite spectacularly with an aged sake. I will be dreaming about this for quite some time. Kappo Masa left me feeling pleased. I shall certainly recommend this restaurant to my family and friends. Thank-you. read more

The seating is UNI color! That is a gem in its self! Location is the second bonus. Perfect vibe, so many wonderful choices on the menu. I did not have the omakase but look forward to coming back to try. I must add that the service was really spot on as well. read more

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Yes. One of the best sushi restaurants I've been to. Excellent food. Excellent service. Close to top hotel bars. Definitely coming back. Not a causal place, and expect to pay top dollar. But overall amazing!!! Loved it. read more

My friend and I love to go around and try new restaurants and I chose Kappo Masa this time around. Now, we went in knowing the menu is pretty expensive here but in terms of high-end dining, it really hits the mark. The food was exceptional. You gotta try the coconut lobster tacos. Absolutely delicious. Also, while items on the menu are on the pricier end, you don't have to wind up with a huge bill. Honestly, for two, I was anticipating paying around $350 but in actuality we paid $184 including tax ($219 after tip); granted, we are also light eaters but still, no where near as much 'damage' as some reviews may lead you to believe--at least, not if you've done your research ahead of time and know what the bill might look like. Our bill included a cocktail, a glass of wine, dinner for two, and dessert. The staff was super courteous. The location itself is inside an art gallery with authentic Picasso paintings and other artists' work directly around you. I also found the restaurant easy to locate inside the gallery; it's clearly labeled and points you in the direction down the stairs on the right after you walk in (earlier reviews from others said it was hard to locate, so I assume the Kappo Masa staff probably took the criticism seriously and fixed that problem because it wasn't an issue for us). Not too loud either--we had a 6pm reservation on a Saturday, so it wasn't totally full at that time but even as more people came in for their reservations, it was still easy to have conversations. Oh, but folks, please leave the kids at home! Even if they're older kids e.g. 9 or 10, just trust me, kids are still kids and it's not exactly a good place to take them to. Believe me, you may think your kids are cute but I don't think I have to say what I think! read more

In NYC you have your pick of fancy Japanese sushi places, Kappo Masa definitely is one of them; however the food falls short. The sushi, quite honestly, is just average. The rice is cold, and while certain pieces should just melt in your mouth... they don't. Get the cod, eggplant and asparagus salad, Skip the sushi. read more

We had tasting menu last Friday..the food was great ! I def will comes back again ..but not for the tasting menu..

Nice restaurant in a good location surrounded by galleries and antique shops. The food is tasty, the decoration is modern, the staff is professional and friendly. Recommended. read more

My experience was disappointing. Had high expectations but it was very over priced for exceptionally small portions. Waste of money. Fresh fish but extremely anticlimactic. Not worth it. read more

This is one of the best places I've ever been in NY! I really enjoyed the black truffle sushi. Try it!

Disappointing bento lunch. Under seasoned, bland, and soggy tempura. A nice kale salad to start but fell apart from there.

I came here last week and heard about this place from a friend's recommendation. I was at first lost trying to find this place and found myself poking myself inside a bookstore/museum which was kind of odd and cool at the same time?? We were greeted by the hostess and seated in the lounge area which had amazing decor/ambiance. Our waiter from Hawaii, was very kind to us and did a great job making us feel welcome, explaining the menu, as well as providing us with recommendations/popular items. He really seemed to know the food well and seemed to really enjoy his job. (which is a real rarity in the NYC restaurant industry) On to food: (We went with most of waiters recommendations) Wasabi Tuna Tartar = great and is dressed with fresh wasabi so it's not spicy at all Kanpachi potato jalapeno = best eaten like a mini sandwich (fish then potato as a filler) Dancing baby shrimp = mush have and it comes w/ renkon (lotus root) & spicy mayo Langoustines= good w/ the sauce Peking duck tacos w/ foie gras = great stuff and I only wish they were bigger Garlic soy steak = I want more now (bcuz I'm hungry) Shitake w/ bok choy = interesting plate (come w/ holes in it), but it was good Cod Spinach w/ daikon = amazing taste, but the fish was much smaller than I expected Negi toro temaki= they looked like mini tacos, but in sushi form White truffle= amazingly good for a mushroom sushi (which i never usually order) Soba ice cream = it was surprisingly good, but definitely unique because it's made from buckwheat noodles which I never had before in ice cream form. I know we had a couple more items, but I can't remember the names of them. Everything was gone before I remembered to take a picture of them. (dang it!) I heard they have an Omakase (Chef's tasting menu) on the opposite side of the lounge and want to try it out the next time I visit. The noticeable stuff: Prices here are on the higher end and you should just be aware of that if you are coming to visit. (this is not east village, people!) So just expect to pay a little more Madison avenue premium here, but you will save on value compared to the Time Warner Center location prices. Overall, I had a great time here and would recommend people to bring their business clients here for wining and dining. It's a high end place, but has a laid back casual feel to it without all the pressure and pompous hype other NYC Michelin star restaurants have. No pressure, great service, and great food to share/bond with. It's a humble a high end place. Enjoy the art first and then come down for the food. read more

Had a great meal here, the low ratings seem to be for the sushi, which we didn't have, but considering the quality and sheer deliciousness of we ordered, I think people may just be uptight. The peking duck tacos were incredible, they have a better miso black cod than Nobu (hard to beat), and the fried chicken and panko chicken skewers were incredible! The fried shrimp were great too, especially enhanced by the sauce. Yum! read more

My experience dining at Kappo Masa was rather disappointing. The service and wait staff were good and attentive the whole meal but the food was just abysmal. Having dined at other top tier Japanese restaurants such as Shuko, I expected more from a restaurant opened by the famous Masa. We did the full tasting menu and after the 3rd course, everyone in the party agreed that the food was geared towards a "Caucasian" audience with a less than knowledgable palette for contemporary Japanese-fusion cuisine. Not worth the price, there are cheaper and better Contemporary Japanese restaurants in the city. read more

This is a good, but expensive Japanese restaurant where the hype does not match the food. Three of us had a good meal. Standouts were the sushi and beef dishes, as well as the coco sesame and green tea thousand layer cake. However at a $200 plus per person tab including drinks and tip, one has to ask if it is worth the expense. Here the answer is a resounding "no". There are much better and less expensive Japanese restaurants in NYC. read more

The epitome of "expensive but worth it." The duck salad to start blew us away, only to be topped by the duck/foie gras tacos. The sushi wasn't unusual, but it was as fresh as it can get and the rolls were generously sized. We had a gluten free pasta made from fish that was unexpectedly delicious. The somm had great wine and bubble suggestions, and knew sake like nobody else. Fantastic and attentive service. Truly a special sushi experience. read more

The best sushi in New York. While it's pricey, you get the best of the best. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because I believe they add a tiny bit of wasabi to their sushi just between the fish and rice. I'm not the biggest fan of wasabi, but other than that, perfect. read more

Best server Stephanie! She made our meal a dream Food was lovely Quiet calm service We enjoyed the whole experience Will definitely be back read more

Let me try to summarize it this way -- the owner did 5 star jobs in all the hardware parts including (the location, decoration, utensils, the ingredients but 4 star work in all the softwares such as design of the dishes and service. We walked up into a gallery in UES and a sharp right turn lead us down stairs into the restaurant area. The space is about a square in shape and seems evenly divided between the kitchen and the dinning areas. We had a corner bench seat at the far end probably because of the two boys we brought with us. They had no high chair for our younger one but offered a pillow to help him sit higher. My wife and I each ordered their $250 pp tasting and a beef udon and foie gras fried rice for the two boys. The general feeling of the 8 course tasting is a pile of comfort food made of fancy ingredients. Our dishes were made of such food as sturgeon caviar, tuna toro, wagyu beef (shabu shabu), sea urchin custard, golden eye red snapper neck, norwegian lobster and a few other sushi items I didn't catch the names. The food was very fresh and the portion they served were very solid which kinda makes it not very Japanese. Having a couple of these in a meal would have already made it a memorable experience. And most were present in beautiful containers. However the quality of preparation is a bit lacking diversity and layering. It's easy to wow your taste bud with fancy creamy flavorful butter food once, twice, ...but after that your brain needs a different kind of stimulation to continue being excited. The service was friendly and very attentive for sure but that's expected for this kind of price tag. What they lacked was presentation. A true 5 star place would train their staffs to properly place the plates in such an angle and position that will show the diner the best view of the food. Not here. Although I gave a 4 star review I have say I'm not coming back. For a meal that can easily cost $800 for two 5 star is the only acceptable experience. read more

A definite must for foodies. All sorts of savory Japanese fare and a helpful attentive waitstaff. A clean wooden ambiance and exposed kitchen add to the experience. You will order an extra helping...of everything. read more

Good food priced like excellent food (contrary to the findings of the New York Times, not priced like extraordinary food).

I'm really surprised who they think they are... Scary overpriced venue in a nice neighborhood. Decent food but when you spend $500 for 3 persons you expect at least some courtesy. Management should reconsider themselves... You are representing a big name. Two stars for the food. Won't come back. It's not worth it. read more

The best! all raw fish was silky and top quality.Presentation beautiful. Anything with Toro was heavenly! Cooked shrimp dish "dancing baby shrimp" pure crunch/divine. Not usually a lover of cod, but the buttered cod was melt-in-your mouth delicious and I would be happy to eat it daily. In fact, I wish I could eat there every day! read more

The place is great! It's very close to our hotel the Carlyle. The server was wonderful and the sushi very fresh. read more

Kappo Masa - Toro and hirame nigiri with salmon sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Lunch Menu: Sushi tasting, chicken dumpling, duck tacos, and zucchini mango salad Food: Sushi was top quality. First bite was just heavenly. Fish was delicate like a marshmellow, carefully sliced with precision. It's amazing. Once you have a bite of the sushi your mind will think..."great, I will not have the same opinion about sushi ever again". Appetizers were great. I love the chef's style of playing with ingredients and how balanced he is with the flavors. Chicken cilantro dumplings were good - they're not out of the world, but definitely good flavor. Duck tacos were probably my favorite appetizer, small bite, perfect portions, flavor was bold, and there is an orgasmic aftermath. Zucchini mango salad, tasted like there was fish sauce, lime juice, and had a nice spicy kick. I loved the fried squash blossom. Atmosphere & Service: Walking inside it looks very high end...it is afterall located on Madison Ave. I was dressed in shirt and jeans. The hostess and waiters were extremely friendly. Did not pass judgement, at least they did a good job masking it and to me that means you're excellent at your job! It's very elegant and professional there. I love this restaurant and been there only twice, tried to go a third time but they are currently under construction till August 31st. There's so much attention to detail in his food. Masa even creates his own dinnerware. Just amazing and an inspirational chef. This restaurant is amazing on so many level, food, service, and alcohol. One of my favorite things about restaurants is the insipiration it comes with. Gives you ideas to play with in your own kitchen. read more

I can't even deal with the fact that this is Bar Masa but bigger location. I sat down not even realizing they were related until I saw the 48 dollar canapes and was like "ugh". The only reason I stayed was because it was raining out. The food was good. Appreciated the extras. I think I'm just confused because I am SO disgusted with the Columbus Circle location. read more

Nice ambiance and good service. Food tasteless and average at best. So not worth the high prices. We will not go back.

Horrible. Waited for over an hour between courses and the manager said sorry the kitchen was backed up. Half the seats in the restaurant were empty. They must think people are stupid. Ridiculous wait for a few pieces of whatever sushi. Biggest joke ever. Food is OK but the restaurant is completely mismanaged. I go to Masa in Time Warner Center frequently and the experience is always great. Kappo Masa is a joke. Needs all new management. read more