Behind the cool bookcase is a really cool secret staircase decorated in Japanese style with umbrellas on the ceiling and lots of fun anime photos. Upstairs you'll find a tiny but super cozy bar with only 5 or 6 tables, so I highly suggest making a reservation. I went with my husband mainly for the drinks. They have lots of interesting cocktails and a large selection of sake and whiskey. We were surprised they also had a few hand roll options, so we tried them all... and oh my. Extremely delicious. The ones that stood out were the wagyu, the eel, and the yellowtail, we even ordered a second round of each. The ambiance was so cool and our bartender Tu was very attentive. We had a great time and plan to be back soon! read more

Momoku No Usagi - Delicious cocktails - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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They have a great happy hour specials $5 options and wide variety of sake / drinks. I was able to walk-in on a Friday at 5pm pretty easily. The space is upstairs and great seating options. I really enjoyed the unagi and spicy tuna. The warm rice and crispy seaweed were delicious and delightful. This is a great spot to start the night before exploring San Clemente and the service is super quick. They have a virtual waitlist which is nice to see the walk-in availability. read more

Momoku No Usagi - Eel and Spicy Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is a cute, little speakeasy style hand roll bar/restaurant. There are a few establishments at this location and a small parking lot out front. The drinks were good, staff was friendly, and the vibe was very laid back. read more

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Great drinks and food!! The service was very attentive although they seemed quite busy. The hand rolls were beyond expectations! Highly recommend! The atmosphere is good for cozy dates. The parking can be hard to find, so definitely recommend arriving 15min earlier. read more

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Cute lil date night spot with cute decor! We chose the bar top and service was quick and very friendly. We were given lots of great recommendations by the owner. Drinks were very unique tasting and outstanding. The food they offer are these little miniature handrolls, they're fairly small at $7 a pop, but they tasted fresh so we were pleased about that. Nice experience overall. read more

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Wife and I went on a spontaneous date night and were hoping to be seated for a walkin after seeing a couple parties have reservations, first open option was the pirate bar and we ended up walking out to just wait for upstairs and it was definitely worth it, wife and I spent under 100$. I'll be honest we didn't get full full but for the price it was a good experience, only down side is that the server knew we wanted the check and decided to helped everyone else but us. Wife and I had to catch a movie at the outlets, ( luckily the movie always starts 15-20 minutes after the stated time ) . Will come again read more

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Ambiance: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Food: 4/5 Drinks: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Parking: 4/5 The theming of the bar felt like you walked in a dive bar in Tokyo, Japan! The staff were so incredibly attentive and welcoming. The overall vibe was to have a good time. The food, although small, packed a great flavor punch. My only regret was not trying more of their extensive selection! Will definitely return during my next SoCal adventure! read more

Momoku No Usagi - Brooklyn - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Love this place! Drinks are amazing and Emily and Tu and Claire are just the best! I love the sushi here and the decor and the friendly vibe. Best to make reservations. read more

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Really chill vibes here. It's a speakeasy and an intimate size. They have some basic rules about acting out or being rude like taking a phone call the whole time you're there. The cocktails compliment the food, and they have a very long list of really cool ones. The service was excellent and top notch. Very fun. Definitely going back. Also food was on point read more

Amazing selection of Japanese whiskeys and delicious drinks, including a great selection of mocktails! Super kind and friendly bartenders and servers, and a cool and chill atmosphere. My husband and I will be back! read more

Momoku No Usagi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Probably the biggest maki I've ever ordered, sometimes when so large it isn't a good thing, as quality is an issue - not here! We had a sushi and cocktail craving midweek so decided here would be our place to fulfil that childfree fantasy! We basically ordered one of every maki, and doubled up on the unagi; it was that good! Probably wouldn't splurge on the wagyu again, though it was tasty, but not that ($$) tasty. The ebi was a little dry, also. Our server/bartender was super friendly and definitely knew his cocktails, if not the food menu so well. We didn't book ahead so were offered bar seating, and that was perfect for us. read more

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This place is very cool. Drinks are excellent and the service was over the top. I'm a sushi snob so it was just good not great but this place is a lot of fun. read more

The owner and bartenders are exceptional. We return as often as we can. The cocktail choices and the elegance of a simple food menu focused on exceptional quality is terrific. read more

Love this place, they have great hand rolls and yummy uni! The drinks are also strong and well worth the money! read more

Momoku No Usagi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Our group had a great time here for Happy Hour! Our server was excellent and the Sushi hand rolls were sooooo delicious! The drinks were too! The space was intimate, exotic and fun! I will be coming back here for Happy hour again! read more

Momoku No Usagi - Happy hour! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is a fun little speakeasy above a tiki bar. They focus on whiskey drinks and Old Fashioneds, although they do have an array of other spirits and flavor palettes. The website has this "list of rules" that come off as super pretentious and obnoxious so I was worried, but it was fine. The atmosphere is dark and sexy, but it's usually pretty quiet, so I don't know that I would recommend coming here for a first date or anything. The lights are red, and the walls have old-school looking Japanese art. The first time I went, the staff was a mix of really cool and one guy was a little off-putting. He made it seem really serious about the speakeasy-ness of it, and wasn't fun at all hah. But the guys behind the bar were cool as hell. The second time around was all entirely different staff, and their vibe was really cool! Each time they brought out birthday shots for us and partook in the shot. One time it was fernet and the other their clarified cocktail (which was AMAZING! I wish I knew to order it before we left!!) I've had many of their drinks, and honestly I haven't had a bad one. The food is also delicious. They call it hand rolls, but it's more of a mix of hand rolls/large nigiri. The first is fresh, the Masu and Eel is the best. Fun to get wasted and walk down to the beach after! read more

Classy vibe, Crafty hand rolls, and Cocktails Momoku No Usagi is one of those rare finds that gets every detail right. Thu and the entire team were outstanding-attentive, professional, and genuinely welcoming. I came here after doing some research (and a few strong recommendations), and it lived up to the hype. The vibe is lowkey speakeasy with an elevated twist-calm, stylish, and effortlessly cool. There's a small private lot in front and street parking behind on Avenida de Estrella, just past Sonny's Pizza. The hostess checked us in, opened a barn-style door, and revealed a staircase lined with geisha art and colorful umbrellas-subtle but photo-worthy touches that set the mood. Upstairs, you can sit at the sushi bar or in a cozy booth. We chose a booth, and Thu's team kept everything smooth-refills, timing, and service all on point. We decided to go down the list of hand rolls, and every single one was fresh and made to order. As soon as we finished one, the staff checked in to see if we wanted to continue-the pacing was perfect. Each roll was so well balanced in flavor that no soy sauce was needed -clean, fresh, and beautifully composed. The cocktails were equally impressive-presented with care and perfectly balanced to complement the food. After dinner, we headed downstairs to Lost Inferno, another bar in the same building-he perfect way to wrap up the night. Parking: A few spots out front, with more street parking behind. Seats & Drinks: Cushioned bar seating and consistent quality across both drinks and food. Momoku No Usagi delivers quiet excellence-refined, consistent, and worth the drive. It's rare to find a place that nails ambiance, service, and presentation this well. I'll definitely be back. read more

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I love the food here. I live just a block away, and I'd honestly eat here twice a week if the service experience matched the quality of the food. This isn't about the entire staff--everyone else has been friendly. My concern is with the head server (the gentleman with glasses). We've been here at least a dozen times, and every visit feels like we're complete strangers and more of an inconvenience than valued customers. One recent example: we asked if we could sit in one of the booths and were told they were all reserved. We stayed through our entire meal, lingered for a while afterward, and not a single one of those booths was ever used. It left us feeling like we were being brushed off for no reason. I'm sharing this because I genuinely want this restaurant to succeed. The food is outstanding, but the service experience has kept us from becoming the regular customers we'd otherwise be. read more

Such a cool experience. The place feels small and intimate. The food is delicious everything is fresh and delicious. Pure umami! The drinks good. The service is fantastic everyone is welcoming and friendly. read more

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First time here Parking: There is street parking behind on Avenida de Estrella or about 5 spots in front of the restaurant. It's just passed Sonny's pizza. Bar seats were cushioned and comfortable. We ordered a little bit of everything including both hand rolls and cocktails. I enjoyed the world whiskey flight, tasted whiskey from Mexico, Taiwan, and Ireland. Then ended with a Brooklyn. The hand rolls were all delicately made with just enough seasoning and on a perfectly crisp nori square acting as a neutral vessel. All was delish. As we kept enjoying our libations, I was thinking a nice light batter of tempura would go perfectly with the meal. The menu is simple and good. Service is attentive and great. read more

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I mean can I give six stars? Avoid the boring and enjoy the finer things where the vibe, alchemy, and people like Tu bring the experience to 11. But in all seriousness, don't sleep on this one. read more

Very disappointing experience. We had a reservation and received a notification through the restaurant's reservation system stating that our reservation was being delayed by approximately one hour. Based on that information, we adjusted our plans accordingly. Shortly afterward, the app changed the reservation back to the original time. We immediately rushed over to the restaurant, only to be told that we were now considered late and would have to wait another hour for a table. read more

Super cool speakeasy bar. Fantastic offerings with a japanese influence. Definitely recommend their clarified and matcha based drinks. Dimlit relaxed vibe, great service, easy street Parking situation, can make reservations ahead using yelp. Stairs to enter and for exit. They also have a all gender washroom. read more

Drinks and food were all excellent. Execution of the drinks was fantastic. The lost star is for medium level service. At other small, speakeasy locations that I have visited the wait staff/bartenders/etc are overly knowledgeable about the menu and how to help select a cocktail that you will like. We did not get that on this visit. read more

Best sushi around Best hand rolls I've ever had outside of Japan Service is 100/10 Everyone's so kind And the vibes are just toooo cool Really takes you back to Japan Start at the tiki bar below for a cocktail or mocktail. Then get some hand rolls! The perfect night read more

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Super cool speakeasy sushi place in SC. Join the Yelp waitlist beforehand and speak with the host to be shown the "secret" restaurant. I've been to the Goonies-themed bar on the first floor many times but had never tried the sushi upstairs. The hand rolls are really very tasty and don't need anything else added aside from what they come with straight from the kitchen. Well-curated flavors and very fresh fish. Reasonably priced so it's easy to get a diverse spread to fill you up. I highly recommend this place. read more

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What a cool spot! On the 2nd floor. Cool Japanese vibe with a history lesson on their walls. Coming back for their Japanese whiskey tasting next time. read more

Momoku No Usagi - Earned this for my b'day - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great cocktails and amazingly good fish! Temaki that is unique. Real wasabi! Organic truly brewed soy. What's not to like?

Such a great little place! Amazing drinks and delicious hand rolls. Staff were super friendly, attentive, and fun. One of the best Old Fashioneds I've had! Would definitely recommend reservations, as it is a small space. read more

An intimate location to grab some really good cocktails and hand rolls. The service is always excellent. I highly recommend the Wagyu, even with it being a little more expensive than all the other rolls. The clarified is a solid drink, but I haven't had anything here that wasn't excellent. read more

Momoku No Usagi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

The drinks are amazing and creative and Tu is such a good vibe and always turns our visit into a wonderful experience. The hand rolls are delicious and you gotta try the wasabi. I'm not a big review guy for the positive or negative but this place always has a special place in my heart. read more

We love this unique Japanese speakeasy that serves simple yet delicious and fresh hand rolls. The spicy salmon and the blue crab are my favorite, and I always get the Ichigo craft cocktail. Same owners as the Blind Rabbit in Anaheim! And Lost Inferno downstairs. read more

Where do I even begin? This place is amazing. I genuinely love everything here. The owner is amazing and so nice and personable. The vibe is great - it's very intimate and quiet. I love this place. Hand rolls: 10/10. I've tried most of them and they're all so good. I've tried the fish ones, as well as the wagyu. The wagyu one is expensive but excellent. Highly recommend ending it on the unagi because it's so caramelized. That said, you probably can't go wrong with any of them being your last. Uni shooter: 7/10, but to no fault of the restaurant. I just don't think uni shooters are my thing Old fashioned: 9/10. I tried two of them and I was shocked at how much I liked it. I'm generally very picky about old fashioned drinks but these were excellent. I did like one more than the other. The owner can give you an explanation of them if you're torn between two. Mocktails: 10/10. Best mocktails I've ever had. I thought I'd be disappointed with not drinking another old fashioned, but honestly, you're not missing out at all if you can't drink because the mocktails are phenomenal. I was sad when I finished it because it was so good. Only small thing is parking can be a bit tough but that's because it's San Clemente. read more

Momoku No Usagi - Hand rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Tu makes your time here a learning experience while having so much fun! My husband and I love coming here to unwind and enjoy the ambiance. All of the cocktails are amazing and the hand rolls are the perfect snack while drinking. Such a great addition to downtown sc. read more

Spirit collection and cocktails were amazing. Sushi bites were very tasty. Fun spot to hangout.

I knew this place would be amazing once the small plate of soy and wasabi came out. Yes real wasabi. Don't let the small menu scare you. The fish is flowing from Japan every other day and is super fresh. Each portion is more of a generous slab than a slice. The crunchy seaweed was amazing. And the drinks were incredible. read more

Momoku No Usagi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Every piece of sushi we ate was amazing--we tried the albacore, blue crab, halibut and yellowtail which were of the highest quality and freshness! We were warmly welcomed at the door by the host and hostess, by Claire (who took great care of us) and manager Tu! We will be back! read more

It may be small but it is mighty great! Food is exceptionally fresh, drinks are refreshing and delicious, service is an A+ and the ambiance is perfect. Small groups work anything larger than 6 is not going to work read more

I always love extending a good time! I had spent the day dreaming of all the tiki drinks I was prepared to have at The Lost Inferno, but when we arrived for our reservation, we were pleasantly surprised to find out there was an additional speakeasy on the same property. So, we promptly made reservations at 8pm before enjoying our drinks. This place is so cool! Definitely speakeasy vibes. Its located behind a bookshelf and upstairs. Its tiny, but luckily for us, the place wasn't packed. It was a calm, chill and Took a look at the menu to find it was quite small (but mighty!) They featured quite a few handrolls to enjoy and a great drink menu. It was perfect for us, since we were only looking for a little bite to eat before heading home. We had a few different rolls and loved them all! Totally cute ending to a Saturday full of activity! read more

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This place has great ambiance and good food, but the staff except for one sweet girl who was our waitress was very unfriendly to us. The moment we walked in, she greeted us with a smile and asked us to sit at the bar wherever we please. Then, the guy who brought water to us was so unfriendly, he was giving us the impression of "why are you guys here?" We felt so uncomfortable. We noticed that he was taking to all the other customers in a very friendly manner while serving them and bringing them food, and when we asked for something, it was no response and just did his job cuz he had to. I swear, the whole time both me and my husband felt so offended and uncomfortable. He was even stopping by tables and asking other customers, where are you guys coming from.. or how are you folks doing.. but with us..it was a very cold shoulder and unfriendly demeanor. I even tried to be nice and said, "this wasabi is so fresh" and all I got was a "ummhumm" and he walked right passed us. While leaving he just said..thank you guys. But neither my husband or I responded since he made us feel so uncomfortable the whole time. Honestly, I felt discriminated. We drove anhour to try this place and it was so disappointing. I believe his name was Tiu or Thu. I wish restaurants would provide the same friendly service to all customers since we all pay for the food and service. I came to this place so excited but left feeling so sad. read more