I love the spicy chirashi. The servers are nice and I like the korean touch to some of the dishes. The rolls aren't as good as I've had anywhere else, so I only come here for the chirashi. My boyfriend does enjoy the udon here though, but for rolls we go to shintori or Itsuki read more

This place was great! I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. The only thing I would improve on is the speed of getting the sushi after ordering. Other than that, I loved the California roll, crunch roll and tempura roll. All of it taste fresh and delicious! I will be coming back read more

Was in town visiting my brother we came here since it was close to his house. We were sat next to a big party and for me it was a little much,But it ended up being ok, our waiter was very attentive. The food was excellent I will definitely will be going back. The beef spareribs are delicious and I highly recommend them. read more

It's really hard to find a nice Japanese restaurant in America. But Kyoto is nice and clean! People are so kind and they know how to make the sashimi and the sushi. read more

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Kyoto was all about the service. We had a party of 15 and our server handled it very well. Between sake bombs and sushi rolls, it got pretty warm in our private room and we were quite loud and hungry. The sake was served in a pitcher, but unfortunately so was the water. So, yes, at one point we mistakenly took shots of water. The sushi came out quickly but a little too quickly... I am suspicious. The food was okay and the prices are a little on the higher side. Nothing particularly great to me. Not sure that I'd go back again... read more

Not sure why such low reviews, have always had great food and service. Their combinations are very affordable, especially for lunch and you get a ton of food. They also have really good tempura, a lot of places mess up the batter. I just wish they had a patio so they could do outdoor dining during the pandemic! read more

Ah, my 100th review: Authentic, for the most part. You can choose from booth seats, regular table seats, sushi bar, and there are private rooms where you have to take your shoes off and sit Indian style (I would think those are for reservations, but if you have a large group, you can probably request the rooms). Menu is quite extensive. Waiters were super friendly. The energy roll is a definite MUST TRY. My family devoured the 8 pieces in less than five minutes. At $11-12, the roll wasn't too expensive, compared to my San Francisco standards. I ordered the the shrimp&vegetable tempura with California roll and yaki niku for a full dinner appetitie. It comes with miso soup, salad, and rice. The salad was okay, the soup was good. As for the combination dinner, there was a decent amount of tempura, although I thought the shrimp could have had more meat. The California roll was showered with the tiny orange fish eggs and were not wrapped together sturdily. I'm not a fan of the CA roll in general so that didn't bother me too much. Besides, the energy roll was so good that I could care less about that drawback. We opted not to get dessert since we were so full. There's free candy at the front desk. Will return next time if ever in Santa Barbara. read more

Very hopefully ordered $100 of sushi and was very disappointed. Leathery and thin salmon, flavorless lobster roll, and just sub par sushi. I threw away nearly everything and still have a gross taste in my mouth. I won't be back. read more

ok, but not great. They have large private rooms, which my sis and friends love. Not a real Japanese place, but still good for SB standards and has a variety of options. read more

We were nervous about moving to SB and not being able to find as good a sushi place as we did in SD, and we lucked out and found a better one!! Thanks Kyoto! The fish is very fresh, the rolls are fun and creative, although I'd stay away from the "baked" ones (Sushi just isn't supposed to be baked) The staff is nice and friendly and the service is good. Very casual place, but perfect for a mid week yummy sushi fix and we haven't found better quality sushi!! read more

Usually I'm not a huge sushi fan, but my boyfriend and I can't resist Kyoto's happy hour every Mon-Thurs at 5pm - 6pm. Sushi is half off (with the exception of the specialty rolls to our disappointment). I really enjoy the nabeyaki udon since it's a great deal, coming with tempura which I love. However, the yaki soba was nothing impressive. If you came for the mochi, I think you could get a better deal at trader joe's since it's basically the same mochi they use. The employees were usually nice though there was one time when a guy overcharged us by $20. He added up our check in front of us and I even saw him adding wrong. However, we were able to remedy the situation after talking to him. Other than that, I usually see the female owner and she's always nice to us. Sometimes it can get really loud (especially at dinner time) when groups are sake-bombing and yelling through the tatami mat rooms. Other than that, it's still a good place to go and eat compared to other places that I've gone to. read more

Good quality sushi and cooked food. Great service. Tetami rooms! Sake Bombs...pretty decent Japanese joint in SB. I had this roll with crab and albacore...it was a little dissapointing but someone might like it. read more

I'll review in relative terms: relative to a lot of the sushi restaurants in Goleta/Santa Barbara Areas, this is one of the best. This is an actual restaurant rather than a sushi counter. And, it's authentic (cough cough to infamous IV sushi bars). It's a bit pricier but well worth it. By the end of the night with 12 people we came to a total in the hundreds ($200 plus but our org fronted the bill, whoot) after fishing around in Specials menu. Spider Roll is impressive...try the yellowtail! It's a lot more favorful, there's an extra kick you don't get at most places. We sat in the party room with our own japanese sliding door and everything. Fun evening, good service. Would definitely go again just for lack of better Sushi restaurants. Free mochi on birthdays! read more

It was nice to see a little write-up in the Independent for this place. I have always felt welcomed by the Kim family and the masterful sushi chefs, Ken and Park. Went here a few days ago and, as always, was not disappointed. The salmon sashimi was fresh, colorful, tasty, and above all, perfectly sliced. The hamachi is a favorite of mine - try it. Will be back, soon! read more

Great food but this place could be amazing if it were a tiny but cleaner where you actually sit to eat. The service was great! They even offered my 2 year old the training chop sticks and she loved them! read more

Kyoto - Sunset roll, firecracker, lobster roll, and Mexican roll. All, so good! - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We went on a Friday night when there was a rowdy group of college kids, it took away a bit from the experience but let's be real, I would've gone sake bombing there too when I was in college, hell I actually went back TO sake bomb...and I'm 6 years out of college...that being said the owners are very nice and the waitstaff are very patient given the shenanigans that go on in the restaurant. The sushi is decent and decent variety of special rolls on the menu. Go with a group of 6-10 people to get one of the private rooms behind the sliding screen doors reminiscent of traditional Japanese style dining where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. It cramped my knees but still a really fun experience! read more

Great sushi, great green tea ice cream, Dry chicken teryaki, and salad srved had some wierd mystery sauce. read more

Kyoto - Building within a building! - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Kyota is our neighborhood Go-To sushi restaurant. They have high quality fish. They have a very friendly staff. We have been going here at least 1-2 times a month for the past couple of years. We live in the neighborhood and we would highly recommend Kyoto. read more

Love this place. Ate here 2-3x a week consistently for a month. Excellent Japanese food; authentic and fresh tasting. Reasonable lunch portions. Been here 10years ago, don't know if it is still the same owners. Parking area is tight and limited. Nice private dining rooms. read more

Average food, average rating Idk if it's me being picky or the sashimi really isn't fresh read more

Quality sushi. Very friendly waiters. Reasonable prices. Most definitely a solid choice for dinner. read more

Awesome food, awesome staff! Will definitely make the trip from Hawaii to eat here again!

Dear Kyoto's- Please put a second server on during lunch time. Service is tragic due to lack of staff! read more

Not bad at all (fact: I don't like sushi / sea food). I had the yaki soba and it was a healthy sized serving (read: pretty big!). It was my friends' birthday and she got one of the rooms where you have to take your shoes off and sit on the floor in little chairs. The room was not exactly impressive (chipped paint on the wall, table wasn't wiped down, my chair's back cracked / broken). The tables in there are covered in plastic for sake bombing. That said, if you are there on a Friday or Saturday night, expect table banging and some shouting while people take their sake bombs. On the outside (not in the rooms) the seating looks comfortable. People who go inside the rooms do have to take their shoes off so people who sit outside the rooms have to smell people's shoes which is probably not too pleasant. Overall the food was good, prices were fair but seating was uncomfortable and the place was kind of dirty. read more

Santa Barbara has plenty of restaurants options to choose from; however, the city definitely lacks in the Asian cuisine department. Kyoto was one of my go-to fixes when I craved sushi or Asian food. Several occasions, I'd end up here for birthday parties or just cravings. Food: -HAPPY HOUR: 50% Sushi Rolls, sadly that doesn't apply to their specialty rolls. -LOVE the Washington Roll, I get both Salmon and Tuna along with a yummy sauce. -Udon is so yummy and filling, it comes with tempura too. -The kids menu can be eaten by regular adults too, but no ice cream. Perfect proportions to get a small fix with sushi. Service: The service is alright and can be slow sometimes. The interior and decor definitely looks like the years have not fared well for it. They have tatami rooms that parties can reserve and on weekends, the restaurant can get crazy with drunken groups doing sake bombs. read more

i absolutely love this place. its the first sushi restaurant I've ever been to and that was when i was in high school, so I've been going there for 10 years plus! I try to avoid it on the weekends just because the private rooms are so loud, but they are fun. Ive had birthday parties in there and family events, and its awesome, but can definitely get loud. Every time i go its usually full, and i don't mind waiting for a table. the family that owns it is very sweet. always friendly and helpful. I always get the mexican roll, and the combination plate. It comes with salad, rice, miso soup, steamed veggies, and you get a lot of options for the main part. i usually get the steak or chicken. the tempura is good too. I can't pick a favorite. I love this place, it never disappoints. read more

I love sushiiiii. I'm on a mission to try everything here and so far, I highly recommend the Mexican roll. Yummm, I'm in the mood for sushi now. read more

I visited Kyoto sushi last night to celebrate a friends birthday, and to be honest the attitude and rudeness of our server threw off our party's entire night. We were served by a young man who nearly managed to individually make a rude comment to every person in our party of eight. As a person who works in food service myself, I know large parties can be sometimes challenging and extra work to deal with, but we were all very polite to our server and we were expecting to leave him a large tip for his time. However, he continuously made people in my party feel bad for asking questions about menu items etc. I personally ordered a salmon roll that I thought came with cream cheese as it was listed with cream cheese on the menu, and when the roll did not come with cream cheese I asked our server if it was possible for me to have a side of it with my meal. He proceeded to ask me if I was certain I had ordered my roll with cream cheese, and when I said I thought so he disagreed with me and told me that he "had a pretty good memory". Flustered I said that I was fine and didn't need any, and he eventually said "well if that's what you want" and left. I am so disappointed in Kyoto sushi because I have been here before and so enjoy the delicious menu items every time I go, but after this encounter I will not be coming back. Given that there was an automatic gratuity for the tip, there was no way for our party to express our distaste in the rudeness of our server. Working in food service myself, I know the job can be tiring and difficult, and I really try to understand the perspective of the worker. But my party did absolutely nothing wrong, and I personally would never have treated a customer in the rude way we were treated. read more

Came to Santa Barbara for a wedding and during a cab ride our cabbie told us that Kyoto was his favorite sushi place in town. What a great recommendation, the sushi chefs were excellent, cuts were superb, the rolls were large, not skimped like a lot of places. Everything was fresh and delicious, service was on point, this place is going to make it hard for me to eat sushi in my hometown of Tucson, AZ read more

Very delicious sushi!! Menu was huge and had so many options! Almost overwhelming! Some cons: The lighting is very low so can be hard to read menu, quite loud, small vene. Pros: Great sushi, delicious appetizers, awesome staff (especially the hostesses!) read more

The sushi is competitive with others around town. But it's definitely worth the money. I'm from LA so it's hard to say it's BEST... But for being in Santa Barbara the price, quality, and amount is great. The fish and rolls are designed and made well too. It has appeal. If you're in SB I would say go to this place. The Combination Sushi is great for Lunch. Also the Philadelphia roll is a good simple bite if you like cream cheese and salmon read more

Kyoto - Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Best place for sushi I found in Santa Barbara during the Covid pandemic! Not very expensive and good quality everytime

HEAVEN ROLL!! If you are a carnivore like me order the beef plate!! so good and comes in a fajita type cow plate! lol

Great sushi and nice staff. We go every time we are in town. We now are only able to get takeout so we miss the dining experience but the quality is still excellent. read more

This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Santa Barbara. They have the best sushi in town! I always order the Mexican Roll and literally stop by every week. I think they already know what we are going to order as soon as we walk in. The owner (or who looks to be the owner) is the sweetest lady! :) read more

Kyoto - Japanese Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Kyoto has high quality fish and excellent service. It is a very friendly, family-owned restaurant and feels relaxed inside. I love the private rooms, which you enter after removing your shoes. I've seen many families with small children going into them. They're great for other groups too. I believe it is the owners that seem to always be on site smiling and greeting everyone. And they have happy hour 1/2 off sushi, which is pretty amazing. read more

So good!! We got take-out lunch special and it was so delicious! Even thoughtfully packaged down to the way they tied the to-go bags. We will definitely be back. read more

Kyoto is one of my favorite neighborhood Sushi restaurants in Santa Barbara. The owners and staff are very friendly and courteous. They have fast service and great specialty rolls. My personal favorite rolls are the Sunset Roll, Double Albacore Roll, and Tear Roll. This is great place for a casual date night that won't break your wallet! read more

Still amazing! There is a new waiter there named Andy (I believe that's his name, he has brown hair in a bun) anyway, he was super patient with my friends and I. He is a good example of how customer service should be! I come here pretty often and I love the veggie options (though there an't too many they're all still really yummy). My current go to is the vegetable tempura roll! read more

So far it's the best valued sushi I've found in SB. Their rolls are consistently good and their fish is fresh. You can choose to sit at the sushi bar or in booths. If you have a big group they seat you in private rooms where you take your shoes off and sit on the floor, it's a LOT of fun (plus, they give you discounts for sake bombs with groups of 10+ or 20+!)! Their albacore sashimi was awesome and the 7pc was a great value. read more

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