Over priced for what they are serving I have been to Japanese restaurant that were much better. I'm in bookmarking this place.

a good friend married well and i got to go to masa for free. we sat at the sushi bar where we had our own chef, though not the man himself. he was there overseeing our guy who definitely knew what he was doing. a couple of the dishes before the sushi began were exact copies of things i had when i went to japan, like delicate eel served in broth in a teapot. the toro and caviar starter was buttery and decadent. we had noodles made from fish- inventive and an adventure in texture. then the sushi began. it was absolutely the best i have ever had. i play the lottery in the hopes that i win and have the money to return here again and again. read more

This is the most expensive & worst place I've ever eaten in. Ridiculous. Pls skip. It's pompous, unless you enjoy having the chef tell you what to eat. Save your money and time. read more

The customer service here is very disappointing. I had to cancel a reservation here, and understood that there's a cancellation fee within a certain time frame, but when I made the cancellation, I was told that I could use the cancellation fee as a credit toward a future visit. I WAS NOT told that this credit expires in a month. No one called or emailed about its expiration, and the cancellation fee was charged without any warning. When I called to inquire about my credit, I was told the manager would call me back later that day, but she never did. The same thing happened the next day. On my third try, I finally spoke to her, and she refused to reinstate the credit even though I was never told that it would expire in a month, and this policy is not printed or stated anywhere. I've made many reservations here in the past, but won't be making any more in the future. read more

The only sushi place I can eat at after living in and traveling to Tokyo many times a year. Stunning omakase, the only pity is that you cannot take the pictures. Otherwise it is such a delight to always come back here. read more

I don't know why this place is so highly rated. I personally think it is because of the name brand reputation it has and not the actual food. I ordered a lot from the menu the day I came here, excited being the sushi lover I am - and I just was not impressed. The food is good, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing special. The waiters also just dropped Plates off at our tables without describing the dishes. Being born and raised in New York, I grew up loving exploring the food of other cultures and i have found that the most expensive restaurants I've dined at are often not the best unfortunately (or fortunately!). If you are a true sushi lover like me and want to be served by an Artisan chef, I would recommend sushi of gari's omikaze on upper east side (but they are actually pricey, but cheaper than Masa). I normally don't like mentioning other business names but it is the holy grail of sushi on the whole east coast!!!! I think if I wasn't spoiled by amazing sushi and came to Masa, I may not have felt this way. But too bad. My standards are high. read more

I have been here twice and I think the place is extraordinary. The staff is very attentive, the food is exceptional. It is a very expensive meal yet you really get what you deserve, which is the staff's attentiveness, the detail to the meal, the freshness of the seafood. I think it is truly an experience if you can afford it. read more

Went for a company dinner and good thing I did not have to pay for this. Severely overpriced food. Zero ambiance sitting in a windowless room which could be anywhere. read more

A world class dining experience. Absolutely the best sushi I've ever had in my life. From beginning to end, everything is outstanding. You're not paying for simply the food, but for a great evening. Think about how much concert or theater tickets can run. Definitely worth it. read more

omg,omg,omg.very good.totally differet level.the fishes was great

Simply amazing! My only problem now is that I cannot go to any other place and this is quite expensive! :)

Stopped in at the bar for a quick snack and some drinks, amazing food, great wine list, very friendly service. Would highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Best 3-star in NYC. I've been to chefs table, Daniel, and Bernadin. Our server/chef was Fuji and he couldn't have been more charming. Very expensive, but you get what you pay for. read more

Would give it 0 stars if possible. Literally just returned home from dining here with my husband for our five year anniversary dinner. We were at Bar Masa (Masa's cheaper, yet still expensive little sister next door) a few months back and absolutely loved it, so we thought it would be fun to try Masa for our five year anniversary dinner. We spent over $1600 on dinner and got $0 worth of satisfaction. The food was standard and boring at best and a lot it of did not taste good and was actually difficult to get down. On the service end of the spectrum, also not great. When I first walked into the restaurant, I was greeted by a very sweet hostess who informed me that no pictures were allowed - which got me a little excited, because typically if no pictures are allowed it is because the establishment wants to preserve excitement and wonder for its future guests. There was absolutely no excitement and no wonder about this place. I actually for a minute thought that we were in some sort of temporary space because the overall ambiance was so stark, boring and actually visually offensive in a lot of ways - it just sort of looked cheap. My husband and I started with a bottle of sake and then he moved on to wine and I ordered a cocktail. One of the wait staff came back to our table after a few moments to tell us that the cocktail I ordered was unavailable because they were out of one of the ingredients - totally acceptable if you are at a pub in midtown - not acceptable at a three Michelin starred restaurant that charges $1600+ for dinner. Not wanting to make a scene or ruin the evening, I just ordered another cocktail - it was a champagne based cocktail with St. Germain added to it - the cocktail was fine (nothing super amazing) but what was really shocking was that the stem and base of the glass were all sticky - I was really stunned by this. About halfway through our meal, a waiter came by to ask us if we would like the Wagyu Beef supplement for a mere additional $150 per person. Again, when you are charging $1600 for dinner for two, upselling a product for an additional $300 just seems a bit cheap, tacky and quite frankly, super off-putting. My husband and I don't mind shelling out for a great experience, but when we do, we expect everything to be 100% on point. Sadly, at Masa, barely anything was on point, including the messy and sloppy women's restroom. For dessert we were served some sliced pears and then a delicious Lady M mille feuille cake - the cake was awesome; however, it was a Lady M cake - they didn't make dessert in house - I expect that when we go to ANY high-end restaurant, even if the bill is only $300 that the desserts are made on site. Sadly, the Lady M cake was by far the best food we had while we were there and it was not Masa food. Last, but not least, Chef Masa was actually there in the restaurant working at the sushi bar alongside the other sushi chefs - there were only five tables of people in the restaurant - you would think that at these prices he would come over to greet his clients and say hello and ask if they are enjoying their meals, but he did not. This experience was underwhelming from a food, service and ambiance perspective and overwhelmingly disappointing. read more

Absolutely awesome !! Everything was perfect. The best sushi place in the city !!

Decor is beautiful, wonderful location and not over crowded and loud. That being said $18 for a glass of house wine and $5 for a diet at the bar is more than exorbitant. Can't comment on the food - I'd have to take out a second mortgage to afford that! read more

A fabulous experience with top-notch food and friendly, professional service in a very intimate environment. Sitting at the sushi bar with a personal sushi chef (one for four people) making the courses in front of you and telling you what it is and how to eat it (soy sauce, no soy sauce, with fingers, etc) makes the experience even more delightful. I suggest going as a couple, as the seating is not ideal for a foursome. Be prepared for a bill over $1000; closer to $1500 with drinks, taxes and tip. read more

masa. masa what can i say. i had such high hopes for you and you've thrown me from a cliff. i wanted the deepest of the sea, and all you could give me was the the deepest of my local bodegas freezer at best. masa lets face it. we've both had better sushi at our sons yale campus cafeteria. and on your off days, which i'm sorry to say, you've been having quite a few of lately, would be most comparable to that of the instant meals at whole foods market. masa masa oh masa. how i so badly want to enjoy the rapture of your sake together, however i never sake on a first date, and as our first date was sincerely sub par i dont think we'll ever have a second, or a night of sake bliss. never to dine again (all yall shouldnt either!) Talbots. read more

I went to Masa about 2 years ago and the experience I had was good but not great. If I were to summarize the night I had at Masa it would go like this...quiet place, beautiful decor, excellent service, lots of otoro, about $200/person overpriced. I went with my ex-girlfriend and the meal cost me about a grand including a bottle of sake. I thought the best part was the sushi but to be honest, I liked the sushi much more at Yasuda (even holding cost constant). I think it's a place worth visiting maybe once in your life but for the cost and quality of sushi I recommend going to Yasuda, Sugiyama, Kurumazushi, Blue Ribbon (in that order). read more

Disappointed, due to I expect too much. It doesn't deserve three star. the environment is normal. Food just in middle level, I went to some Japanese restaurant in Boston, food is better than here, and just half price of here. read more

Hands down the best sushi we have ever eaten - in the USA or Japan. It was an amazing experience and everything was so very delicious. We loved everything, and were especially enthralled by the smoked mackerel and the wagyu beef with truffles - both just melted in our mouths. And of course we can never get enough toro and were happy to eat it with caviar and as sushi. Chef George was awesome and took great care of us! Unfortunately Chef Masa had just had surgery and wasn't there, so we missed out on meeting him. At this price point, we won't be able to go again either. But I was glad to have splurged for my husband's birthday (and he, despite thinking I am insane, was in heaven)! It was such a pleasure to dine here. No need to go to Tokyo when you can eat at Masa. If you go, definitely sit at the sushi bar. We will remember our meal at Masa fondly for the rest of our lives. It honestly feels like a dream and we can't stop talking about it. read more

Incredible. My wife avoids sushi but loved it here. The truffled beef was wonderful. Very expensive but a great experience with perfect service. read more

Masa is definitely something to experience at least once in your life. The restaurant is intimate and the staff is very friendly. The food was phenomenal, something that I have never had anywhere else. The whole experience from the wait staff to watching them prepare the food was wonderful. The attention to detail and the freshness of the food was superb. It is pricey but worth it. Will be returning again. read more

The most expensive and well-worth it sushi restaurant I've ever been to. It ruined me for sushi for months because of it's high quality. It's a complete experience when letting them decide for you. The staff was friendly and respectfully leave you alone to enjoy the best meal of your life. read more

I have been to Masa 2 times since its opening. I dont remember all the dishes I have had but the food and the experience was amazing. I truly have a hard time enjoying a sushi dinner since I dined at Masa. Some of the highlights I remember are the Caviar, The Japanese Beef, The Fugu I had 4 ways Fried, sushimi, Pickled Organs and a Black Truffle and Fugu Sperm Risotto. TheToro Roll, The shabu shabu and all the sushi where just incredible. Dont go if you cant get a sushi bar reservation as that is the whole experience. One time Chef Masa was there one time he was not. Try a scotch after dinner. It is a mich 3 star for a reason as he is a great chef so is his head chef who has been with him for a very long time and when you eat here you are getting quite possibly the best ingredients our planet has to offer. Save some money and go if you love food because you will remember that night for the rest of your life, I know I will. read more

Went here to celebrate my wife's 50th birthday. Party of five. Perhaps the best sushi in NYC with great service and a simple decor. I guess a once in a lifetime must do for a "foodie" but not something I would do again unless someone else was paying. We did not drink a lot but final bill for five of us was around $3000. read more

I had dinner at Masa in NY awhile back and it wasn't a traditional Japanese omakase or kaiseki meal. This was filled with black truffle, foie gras, blowfish, and the sweetest/fattiest ootoro (you should be banned from calling it tuna) this side of Tsukiji. Also amazing was the incredibly smooth sushi counter made from an imported hinoki tree that's shaved down daily. The business man next to me demanded to know where he could get one. I ran my hands on it over and over marveling at its smoothness. As an avid food photographer, I was devastated to find out that I wouldn't be allowed to take pictures of the food! Although I did end up getting a picture with Masa. Total: $700 pp after all was said and done...would I go back? With all the great food around (I just went to Per Se last month for the first time) at much lower prices, I'd have to pass...at least for now. Masa is more about an experience than anything else. But it's an experience well worth trying at least once in a lifetime. read more

My experience at Masa was pheominal. I devoured my lobster, and salivated over the steak on the rocks with the cognac sauce! Tuna Tartar, the finest i've placed on my palate. A necessary stop when I come to town. read more

for $500+ pp, it's a meh. great quality of food, but service is inconsistent. you'd think you'll get full after 500 dollar worth of food, right? i had to order additional sushi, and it was like $60/bite. not worth it. but if you want experience this, or if anybody is taking you here, don't hesitate to go. read more

I ate at Masa last night for the first time and the experience lived up to the hype. Three of us did the omakase tasting menu at the bar (which is beautiful, sanded every day). The food and service were excellent. Notably, after eating the blowfish, the chef said a piece was a "sperm sack". Glad he didn't mention that before hand! (it was actually very tasty). All the food was excellent. I hope to have the opportunity to eat there at some other time in my life (hopefully if someone else is paying! -- our meal last night was about $850/person with food, sake, wine, tip and tax). An experience I will never forget. read more

This was the best dinner i've ever had bar none. Pictures aren't allowed within the restaurant neither is cellphone use. The kobe beef for $100 on top of the omakase is well worth it and my favorite dish of the night. read more

Yes there's a lot of hype. Went there the other night and can't say anything bad - everything was good - but it just not was outstanding. Would I go back? Yeah, probably, but it's not on the top of my list. It's worth a try. read more

Best Japanese restaurant/sushi in the city! Masa just received 3 Michelin stars (difficult since they favor french restaurants) and they deserve every one. All of the food is incredibly fresh and delectable. The sushi literally melts in your mouth and be sure to try the oysters! Now as far as price, yes it is very expensive but worth every penny IF you're not into the stuffy, snooty NY crowd that pricy restaurants tend to attract. Anyone that goes to Masa should go purely for the food and not to "be seen," as it is a very laid back, serene setting and no one is going to kiss your a**. :) read more

Maybe the best way for you to begin to know what this is all about is by watching a film: "Jiro: Dreams of Sushi". After you have watched this film/documentary you may know what this is all about. A little note: if you are in New York, there are two Masas: one the fast one, the other the real one. Try to get a seat (politely and quietly talk to the reservation person) by the window. To go back to the film: yes, it is a dream, or they want to give you a dream. Japanese culture is not like American culture. The place is subdued, sweet, quiet, respectful, and unlike other places in America that I have dined, the costumers feel like they have to keep their tone of speech down. As far as the food: they always seem to want to give you a dream. read more

I was brought here for my birthday and it was an experience in itself. Beautiful service, outstanding, dreamy omakase and of course, a great sake selection. I wasn't allowed to see the bill, but I can say that it was one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. Wonderful. read more

Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over priced! Everything about this place is just so mediocre, except the price. The two of us had the tasting menu plus the $250 kobe beef totaling around $1500 for the meal. I am a foodie myself and I've pretty much tried all the michelin starred restaurant in nyc. So I know what I'm talking about, unlike some people left a 5 star rating who I think has probably never been to a michelin starred restaurant before. I was not impressed by any sushi dish, yes the fish is fresh, as expected ofc. I was actually disappointed by one of the course which is fried corn (to be fancy they call it tempura), i mean it doesn't taste bad but come on! That thing probably cost less than $5. The only good course was the kobe beef that you have to pay extra for, but a small plate for $250? Come on! you can get comparable quality kobe beef from a Japanese super market for less than $50! And rumor has it that the bar's wooden countertop cost more than 1 million dollars? Come on, I'm no expert on woods but I'm not buying that, it definitely feels like the kind of wood that people use to make disposable chopsticks. I would not recommend anyone to go there, unless you just want to get ripped off for trying out nyc's most expensive restaurant. The restaurant I would recommend are: Sushi of Gari, which taste much better than Masa and for only a third of the cost. Aquavit, my favorite michelin starred restaurant of all time, it worth every penny. read more

The evening's total was $1700 for 2 people for a standard omakase and 2x wagyu truffle supplement, no alcohol. Had decent expectations for a place at this price point after waiting to try Masa and doing the usual rounds of NYC omakase favorites (Yasuda, 15 East, Shuko, Brushstroke, Nakazawa, Sasabune, the relatively unknown gem Katsuei in Brooklyn), and the fish-centered Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. I was waiting to be wowed. Granted the fish and the appetizers were all top quality, they were pretty tasty and prepared perfectly (special mentions - grilled langostine, caviar + toro, wagyu, etc), I did not feel the urge to exclaim my joy the way I do with every piece handed to me in other places. Maybe this is the traditional preparation and I am used to something else in my sushi adventures both in the US and in Japan, but I felt the chef (not Masa) was heavy handed with the wasabi which overpowered nearly every piece of fish. It also had a touristy feel that was different from other sushi places. The chef called shiso leaves "Japanese basil," and part of the meal was being asked to stand up and go behind the counter for the staff to take pictures of us with Chef Masa on our phones, even if he didn't serve us and they had a verbal no-phone warning up front. It was a strange celebrity chef moment that felt compulsory. The service was very attentive to the point that the staff is wiping everything you spill on the counter in front of you while you are still eating. Was the food good? It was good. Would I recommend it? It's good for a business meal on the company's tab or to impress a client with the name Masa, maybe. I'm actually still waiting for the :WOW: and might head elsewhere for that very soon. Wanted to love this place so much and regret not doing so, but I'm glad to know firsthand and be able to cross it off the list. read more

I went to Masa to experience the best japanese dining experience as I was led to have such anticipation from all the media. I do admit the food was exceptional, especially those rare fish from Japan. However I was disappointed by the quality of wait staff. When I first walked in, I was greeted by an Asian guy with weird Japanese hair do. I couldn't. tell if he was a hostess or floors manager. Instead of warm welcome reception with smile, first thing out his mouth was we were not allowed to use cell phone or take pictures with stern look. After we sat, different people who dressed like bussers started bring food right away without any explanation or introduction of the menu. I had no idea what to expect . I overheard another wait staff talking to customers next yo us that there would 24 courses. I thought I was going yo be in restaurant for over 4 hours. Surprisingly our 24 courses were all rushed in merely 90 minutes.! After all said and done, would I think my dinner was worth the price they charge, $450 excluding any drink, tax, gratuity ($1200 for 2 people with cheapest bottle of sake) ?? Absolutely not. Masa was definitely way overrated based on my experience. They need to understand the basics- customers are not in just for food especially in such outrageoisly expensive restaurant. read more

i came in with very low expectations from what friends said and with the weird 20% mandatory house charge on top of the price fix, before tip. i thought it'd be like yasuda which i think is awful (we sat in front of yasuda-san once and all he did was talk about himself and how the way he did things was superior. and it's seriously a sushi factory where it seems like they're trying for a guinness world record for number of sushi rolled out in a minute. and it's noisy. i couldn't wait to leave). anyway, we had a blast. the food was amazing. i don't think there was a whole lot we hadn't eaten before (sushi azabu has similar sushi offerings i.e. not california rolls) but here they shave truffles on everything which never hurts. the ambiance is great too. it's a small place and the counter isn't crowded and it's not too noisy. we sat in front of masa-san and made small talk with another sushi chef too. masa-san was really friendly and suggested we take a picture with him after dinner. everything was done so meticulously, service is impeccable. at dinner the next night at per se, i couldn't stop thinking about our masa dinner. uni risotto with truffles. chopped toro with osetra caviar. i saw the credit card bill the next day and it was more than i thought but masa is closer than a 14hr flight to japan and cheaper. the omi wagyu (even the fat has flavor) was a $125 surcharge but who's keeping track. read more

all the talking about the food tonight with friends makes me missing masa and new york a lot.