My boyfriend and I have been to Nara-Ya so many times for brunch and their quality and customer service has always been a 10/10. Today, we walked in without a reservation and the hostess told us there were no seats available; instead of offering us to see if there were seats at the bar, she told us to go over to La Vie. We expressed our craving for Nara-Ya and she told us there was no other option. Shortly thereafter, we asked if we could speak to the manager and sit at the bar. As we made our way to the bar, the manager approached us and asked if there was anything he could do--to which, we explained our situation with the hostess and he was quick with his generosity to offer us a round of drinks for the lack of accommodation from the hostess. David gave us an extremely warm welcome and offered us a round of drinks. The bartenders were extremely nice and welcoming. As for the food, it was a 10/10 as always! We've always loved coming to Nara-Ya for a bottomless brunch! read more

Nara-ya is one of my go to sushi places! I love the wharf and this restaurant has some of the best views of the water! Perfect for a date night, birthday, anniversary, graduation or just to get some amazing food. The waiters and staff are always so kind and anytime I'm celebrating something they make sure to make me feel special and even give complimentary desserts! 10/10 place also don't forget to take pictures before going in! read more

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This place has unique dishes, such as the green tea soba noodles. It was nicely flavored but on the mild side. I enjoyed the hint of green tea flavor and the bokchoy. My favorite was the lobster dynamite roll. We were recommended it by our server. The lobster paired deliciously with the eel and eel sauce. There was a generous amount of lobster sitting on the roll too. The tuna truffle was very standard but refreshing. The tartare was also okay. The seaweed crackers that came with it were nutty and crispy. The view was great- you can see the boats and the water. read more

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We had some great fish along with a Kirin Ichiban beer. A set of sushi nigiri (fish over rice), and a series of rolls made for a great evening. The service was great. read more

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I think with a $40 all you can eat and $25 bottomless mimosas and Bellinis it's a pretty solid value for the amount and quality of food, service, ambiance. It's in a a great location where you can enjoy a lively view of the board walk and boats. Our server was attentive to our needs and food came out in a timely manner. This place has a wide variety of dishes that everyone can share and enjoy. Definitely come hungry! read more

I came here for happy hour prior to a concert for some small bites. I sat at a high top near the bar, which had a great vibe. Our service was great and she recommended a few of her favorites, such as the gyozas and edamame hummus. Both of them were great but I loved the consistency of the hummus. I'm a big fan of toppings and speciality rolls so I loved all the flavorful additives that topped many of their rolls, specifically the Kamikaze! From decorative wallpaper, unique lighting and furniture, to fresh fish this place is one of my favorites for happy hour. read more

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Went to Nara-Ya for dinner a couple weeks ago with my sister and loved it! Finally a restaurant in DC with cute vibes great service, AND great food! We skipped the cocktail menu and settled on wine (honestly because we're 31 and wine presented the least risk of a hangover ) We ate: Vegetable Gyoza (not pictured we were hungry lol) 8/10 Crispy Cauliflower - texture was amazing 8/10 Tuna Zuke - from presentation to the quality of the tuna 10/10 Tuna Truffle - perf if you like a little spice+crunch (no avocado cuz I'm childish) - 9/10 Salmon sizzler - twas good but a little on the sweet side for me - 7/10 Will definitely be returning! read more

Nara-Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I give them 4 stars because the service and experience were incredible. You walk into a unique passageway that takes you to an elevator. From there, your in a beautiful dining room with a full view of wharf and VA on the other side. Excellent choice for a date night. If I could at least take a .5 of a star for the food I would. I'll start with what was good... Fried cauliflower is always my favorite but here they did it exceptional well! The lightly battered cauliflower is crisp and airy. The sauce compliments the texture and flavors of the veggies and micro greens so well. The duck and Kim chi was incredible! Served medium. It's a dish you must try. Not chewy at all and loved the unique presentation. The drinks we ordered were good but just ok for the price. I'm a light weight and didn't even get a little bit buzzed. They're light on the alcohol. Read all of the drink descriptions thoroughly because one of ours had habaneros in it, but it was the last ingredient so it was poorly placed in the description. The sushi..... please don't order it unless you like dry flavorless sushi. It was awful. Even the soy sauce didn't have flavor in it. They really missed the mark on every roll we ordered. I was extremely disappointed. Save your money and just order an entree. It's very pricey to eat here but you get a lot for your buck if you consider the overall experience. Be choosy in your food choices and you'll leave happy! read more

Nara-Ya - Garden sushi roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've been seeing a lot of instagram posts of the food at Nara-Ya and was mesmerized by how pretty everything is, but skeptical that anything that looked THAT good could also taste good. Nara-Ya proved me wrong. In fact, it was so good that my friend and I decided to make our way to Nara-Ya on a Tuesday night, even when we had reservations later. The hosts were very gracious and accomodating, and we got situated at the hightops immediately. Just off the bat, the decor of the restaurant exudes a very mysterious vibe that pairs extremely well with the ambiance. For two, we got the happy hour spicy salmon roll, the wonton crab tacos, and the Okonomiyaki. In order of deliciousness, the wonton crab tacos were by far the star of the show (REAL CRAB HOLY COW THAT WAS GOOD) and we were so tempted to get two more but held back. The okonomiyaki is made out of purple cabbage, and has an interesting (but good) and different taste than what you might normally expect + the CRAB ON TOP OH MY. Finally, the spicy salmon roll is what you would expect from a spicy salmon roll, especially off the happy hour menu (but tbh, we were so thrilled with the other two dishes it didn't even matter at that point). All in all, a very worthy date-night spot! read more

wow wow wow, i did not expect to be blown away like i was. a good friend has been singing nara-ya's praises for a while now, and now i get it. first, ambience wise, its gorgeous, with amazing views of the wharf and water, it wins at being both romantic and hip. second, its very instagramable from the bottom floor where you enter, to the top. it exudes cool. also definitely come in a group so you can try alot of different rolls. most importantly, we come for the food, and all the sushi is fresh and delicious, there were very few underwhelming moments the highs: DC Diablo Tuna truffle thai red curry spider roll (so unique and literally just as i am writing about it, remembering it makes me want one right now!) disrict spice electric eel salmon sizzler smoke break kaiba king mount fuji pan seared scallops A5 Tataki the lows: green soba noodles fried chicken (though i liked that the meat is halal and thats honestly the only reason i ordered it) read more

Such a cute restaurant that has a view that overlooks the murky waters of the Wharf. Started out with the edamame and crab tacos (Masago Tobiko, yuzu chili aioli, avocado puree, scallion)The shells for the tacos were tasty. For the entree, I went with the Lobster fried rice (whole warm water lobster tail and lump meat with fried rice, scallions, charred corn, egg, edamame with a garlic chili crunch) and Lamb Chops (Four lamb chops with purple sweet potato puree, roasted rainbow carrots and a sweet glaze) The lobster fried rice was just ok but the lamb chops were great. For dessert we tried 3 different desserts Matchamisu (Ladyfingers, matcha creme patissiere, mascarpone creme, matcha powder, leaf tuile), Nara-ya Panna Cotta (Silky vanilla cream, honey mousse, red berry cream, glazed raspberry, fresh strawberries and edible flowers) and Mt. Fuji ( Sweet tart shell, yuzu-lemon custard, maple chantilly cream, Italian meringue, flammable liquor ignited tableside). My favorite of the 3 was Mt. Fuji. read more

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Beautiful waterside restaurant in the Wharf with some great views and fun decor. The food however underwhelmed. Had the crispy cauliflower and the Kani Okonomiyaki as starters. The cauliflower would have been much better if the pieces were about half the size. But the flavor of the cauliflower was just so so. Thought the okonomiyaki was a but funky. Had the lobster fried rice and the lobster was delish but thought the fried rice part was a bit funky as well. Had a nice Junmai sake. They advertise this place as a sushi bar and izakaya. It would be more accurate to call it an Asian fusion place based on menu offerings and as it's not really an authentic Japanese restaurant. Probably a better place for a few drinks and to enjoy the view than a meal. Service was attentive. read more

Nara-Ya - Sunset view from restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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If you love good food and posting it on instagram, this is the place to be! Me and boyfriend love Japanese food and this place did not disappoint! Love the indoor decor, the ambiance, the view of the water, the staff and most importantly the food and drinks (although it's a bit on the pricier side but that's expected being it's at the wharf where everything is pricey) Will definitely be back! Oh our drinks were so on point too! Nara-ya is not one to miss!!! read more

Nara-Ya - Drinks and Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Beautiful, Instagramy restaurant with a gorgeous view of the wharf. I came here with a group of five girls ready for Ladies Night. truthfully was expecting mediocre service and food but was very pleasantly surprised. For drinks, I had the sour dojo and why is it floor 3.1. Although slightly on the pricey side, the drinks were delicious, unique, with the right amount of alcohol and flavor. The food was also slightly pricey for how much you get. I had the seaweed salad that had came with strawberries mixed in. It was slightly on the small side but filling and tasty. I also had the district spice sushi which was excellent. For desert (my fave) I tried two deserts - a matcha tiramisu and a flourless chocolate raspberry desert. They were devoured. Our waiter was also pretty great, the only thing I would have liked was for him to have asked was whether or not we wanted separate checks since we all ordered separately and we were charged for an extra seaweed salad. All in all, I would gladly go back. read more

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food was sub-par. The spicy tuna roll looked like a California roll that you can buy at a grocery stor. the rice used wasn't even a Japanese sushi type of rice. was truly disappointed considering we spent over $30 for two rolls. 2-star rating is already being generous read more

The ambience and decor of this place is def top tier! It's really nice and some of the seating overlooks the water. The drinks were pricey but, the were good, nice and strong. As far as the food, it was good but definitely not worth the price. The sushi rolls provided were the same sushi rolls you can get at Wegmans. You can actually probably get a better variety at Wegmans for a fraction of the price. The menu in general was not very extensive and the plates are extremely small. Overall, it was ok but def not worth the price. I don't see myself ever going back but it was a nice restaurant to check off my list. read more

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Incredible! Beautiful! Glamorous! My vibe 100% encapsulated in a restaurant. I love this chic wharf spot. Service is fast, everyone is dressed so glam I love it. The chicken dumplings were perfection and came with a tangy sauce. The tuna app that comes smoked was beautifully presented and even better tasting. The tuna truly melted in your mouth. I tried the scallops too which wasn't a huge serving size - 3 big scallops. They were pretty good and definitely had a melding of flavors. Finally finished with some sushi! I tried the roll with crab and foie gras. Not sure what it was called. Really good and there were some smoky torched flavors incorporated. The BEST roll was the tempura crunch roll. Perfect mix of shrimp tempura and spicy tuna! I will definitely come back. read more

I went here for brunch and overall it was pretty good. Some things were really good and some things were just alright. I loved the matcha pancakes, steak and eggs, salad, and the takoyaki. I do think there is way to much egg variants on the menu and the tofu not only tasted like egg but bad. Also the chicken didn't taste good. I was able to eat myself silly and try everything on the menu so it felt like a good price for around 60 dollars per person. But we did go when the restaurant was not busy and I think if the restaurant was full we would not have been able to get the most out of the brunch. Your party can order 3 things at once and it comes with a serving size for each person. There is a beautiful view of the wharf from the restaurant and is a solid brunch spot considering. read more

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What a wonderful dining experience! Perfect place for date night or celebrations! It was my friend's milestone birthday and we decided to do the Luxe Omakase - totally worth it! Felt like we tasted the entire menu! Everything was delicious, flavorful, and fresh. The service was exceptional - Jesus was amazing! Very attentive and knowledgeable. I love my craft cocktails and Nara-Ya definitely serves up some amazing unique drinks! On the pricier side but totally worth it. Highly recommend. read more

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Elegant and sophisticated place to dine. Lights are dime and the views are giving romantic vibes. Food is just as exquisite. Service was above and beyond we had a birthday in our group. The manager came over just to wish him a happy birthday. drinks were delicious and different as well. Overall good experience. read more

Nara-Ya - The dragon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Delicious food, gorgeous ambiance, but, dear Mr. Nick Lombardi: 1. Black.Patrons. Matter So excited to bring my daughter to this beautiful restaurant, give her the royal treatment, and help her live her live her best life. But, she noticed that Mr. Lombardi visited almost exclusively the white patrons at the restaurant to ensure that they were having an extraordinary dining experience. Does the quality of our experience matter not? One star off for provoking me to wonder. Our waiter, Marco, on the other hand, provided top notch service, was cordially attentive, and saved the joy of the experience. read more

Located in the wharf, sharing an entrance with LaVie, this location has amazing cocktails and sushi. They offer wagyu in sushi and their old fashion. I visited for my girl's birthday. We took a party bus here and was a group of 18. We had two tables overlooking the water and two servers which were very attentive and knowledgable. Sushi and food were flavorful and had nice presentation. Everyone had at least two cocktails and a few bottles of the sake. I will definitely be back for a date night and would recommend to others. read more

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Rumor has it all the influencers come here to pose for pics. I can see why based on the beautiful decor! And the view of the water is even prettier than the decor. It wasn't very crowded on the rainy Thursday evening we went so we had a table with a waterfront view. The view, a glass of Rose + amazing company alone made it a fabulous night. The food itself was just OK; I have a feeling people come here more for the scene. We started with a few apps and did our best to find a few sushi rolls without a lot of sauce, cream cheese and crunch. I'm the biggest sushi fan there is and while this hit the spot, I'm guessing DC has better options. Regardless it was a fun spot to spend my one night in DC! read more

Came from the bottomless brunch. When you first walk in the decor is stunning, great ambiance, but way smaller than expected. Added a star strictly for the decor. The food was terrible. I'm a fan of bottomless brunches and the menu reads very well which is why I was so excited. However, I was extremely disappointed and so was my party of 4. Nothing on the menu would make be come back, in fact is very sub par and lacked flavor. Best item was the chicken and waffles. Very disappointing read more

Loved it! The atmosphere was super chic and food was amazing. My server was very kind and gave great suggestions!! A bit on the expensive side and has an automatic 20% gratuity PLUS a "DC tax" Which is probably normal for the area so just be prepared. Overall the experience was worth it! read more

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Love the interior design from the moment you walk in to take their elevator and even their bathrooms! Super extra and it's great. You definitely dine here for the experience with the decor & music all around you. I got the luxe prefixed menu option and I did leave very stuffed. Some courses were good but others were okay and I did expect my mouth to be blown away by every course I would have. I will say that the cocktails were excellent! read more

Nara-Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Sushi was delicious, filling and reasonably priced. The two sushi rolls I got were the Kamikaze and Tempura roll. I was adequately full after eating those 2. I would HIGHLY recommend the Kamikaze roll if you are in between any of the other options, you don't even need soy sauce. Drinks were tasty but strong, the bright side is they have happy hour even on weekends. Great view of the wharf too for any romantic or casual dinners. Well worth it. read more

Nara-Ya - Menu and drink at the bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

When you enter the building where Nara-Ya is located you will have to go to the right where there is an entry way. Through that entry you turn left and a there is an elevator. You will press 3.1 to get to the floor it is located on. Nara-Ya is beautiful! As soon as you enter it is a pretty cool aesthetic. The hosts were super friendly. My waiter was very attentive and helped me to select a delicious cocktail to start. These cocktails are really good but pricey! I spent $22 for each cocktail I had. I enjoyed the Rhythm of the River and the Shinjuku Noir. They were both good, but not worth the price to be honest. The drink prices were pretty inflated because of its location at the Wharf. I never really had sushi that I liked, but here I really enjoyed the Smoke Break. It was tasty! My friend got the electric eel and really loved it. Definitely one of the better places for sushi places in DC. I would return if someone invited me to go with them, but not sure if I would go on my own. If you like delicious cocktails and sushi but want a higher end experience you should check it out. read more

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Honestly the food wasn't out of this world. The vibe inside feels like a cocktail lounge, but the staff was nice enough to move our table to somewhere a little more quiet when we had a loud table next to us. This place is definitely a little over priced for what you get, but overall loved the experience and atmosphere. But probably won't go out of my way to eat here again. read more

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Overall I thought the sushi was very good. Service was great too. I thought it was a tad overpriced for the quality of fish though based on my taste but I'm very particular about my sushi read more

Nara-Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yep, I got pulled in by TikTok once was again. I came here with my bestfriend for a late birthday celebration. She is a sushi lover so it we thought it would be a perfect spot. The restaurant is beautiful and it is great for pictures, especially as you walk in. From the moment we walked in, the customer service was lackluster and we were barely greeted. Even getting seated was a task as the employee acted as if we did not have reservations and somehow was lost and stumbled into the restaurant. While at the table, our server was slow and not very attentive. In fact, when we asked questions about the menu offering she was kind of condescending as if we should've been experts on the menu. However I ended getting a roll, I forget the name but it included waygu. It was actually delicious, which is the frustrating part because the service and treatment received was disappointing. There were lots of people celebrating and having a good time, and it appeared that they were receiving better service than my friend and I. Is it a cute spot, yes it is. The food is also good as well, but the overall experience left a lot to be desired. I most definitely would not return. read more

Nara-Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This place looks fancy. It has a decent ambiance. Great views of the wharf. I like the crispy cauliflower and seaweed salad appetizers. Their cocktails are ok. And way expensive. And a glass of Sauvignon blanc is $22. But the real reason I came here was to talk about the sushi. I love sushi. I eat it often. I may not be a connoisseur and I've never been to Japan, but I definitely know good sushi and I've had it hundreds of times in my life. I realized about midway through my dinner that this place makes the most disgusting sushi I've ever had. All the rolls are covered in gooey glazes and aoilis and god knows what else. It's all sweet and over designed and $20+ per roll. They had a lobster one that was $32, and it was like lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise and some sweet balsamic glaze on top. I gotta say, I really don't get this place. My bill for a dinner of two with two appetizers, two drinks each, and four extremely disgusting over engineered sushi rolls cost $291. It was so unappetizing that we couldn't even finish it. Major disappointment and I don't get all the positive reviews. I guess some people like over the top sushi concoctions with 75 ingredients. *shrug* Save your money, y'all, and go literally anywhere else. read more

Nara-Ya is one of the coolest restaurant atmospheres in DC! The view is absolutely amazing looking over the wharf and the aesthetic of the restaurant is perfect for all of your Instagram needs. We went during happy hour (5-7pm everyday) and found the deals to be pretty good! I enjoyed every small plate and highly recommend the grilled edamame. The sushi was also fantastic and I found the ratio of fish:everything else exceptional. When you get to the restaurant you have to walk in a separate door, down a hallway and up an elevator- but the hostess was super helpful in directing us! read more

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Nara-Ya is such a great vibe - super chic decor, delicious food and drinks and very attentive servers. It's definitely an experience from the hallway leading to the elevator and all through the entire restaurant. I had the shrimp tempura roll and it was sooo good. It's definitely a bit pricey but expected for the area. Perfect for a date night or hangout with friends. read more

Nara-Ya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I really enjoyed celebrating my wife's birthday at NaRa-Ya--I knew I had chosen the perfect place the moment we walked in. We were warmly greeted by the hostess and promptly seated. The stunning waterfront view, elegant decor, and attentive staff set the tone for a memorable evening. Every dish was fresh and bursting with flavor. The dessert and the sake shot at the end of our meal were a pleasant and lovely surprise that made the experience even more special. We left thoroughly impressed and can't wait to return! read more

Skip. Especially if you're gluten free. High prices and bad service. First off I will say they don't offer just miso soup after lunch, which IMO is a huge red flag. Everyone loves miso soup. Wait times were excruciatingly long - we had to wait about an hour for our sushi and 45 minutes for edamame??? For drinks I enjoyed the Sour Dojo - but did not think that it was worth a whole $20... For sushi we ate the the waterfront, lobster dynamite, electric eel, and tuna truffle. All were decent but again, I do not think it was worth the insane price point. And one final nail in the coffin - my friend informed them she was celiac and could not eat any gluten or anything contaminated by gluten. They told her that she should be able to eat the crispy cauliflower. When they brought the cauliflower (which actually arrived well before the edamame and the rest of the food) the waiter apologized for the wait saying they only had one fryer... which means it was contaminated by the gluten. So our gluten free friend could only eat hummus. Very disappointing. read more

The restaurant was great! We went there for brunch this weekend and had an amazing time. The staff made the experience personable. The sushi was fresh and delicious. I definitely plan to return to try their dinner menu. read more

I think they might be the only place offers happy hour at the wharf on the weekends we took advantage ordered a couple of their happy hour, cocktails, appetizers and short ribs Nothing to complain on the happy hour price. prime location awesome design. everything is very Instagramable. read more

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Nara-Ya [N-Y]. (3 stars). I've actually been here twice. The second time I forgot my phone and camera. *Gasp*... Shocking!? Well, it was a last minute decision... but here's my opinion of N-Y... When I reviewed Sushi Hachi, I said N-Y would be better. At that time, I hadn't tried N-Y but heard lots of positive reviews about them. There are some acceptable items on and off the menu that swayed me to rate N-Y "A-OK" and slightly better than Sushi Hachi in some facets. First off, I would NOT recommend ordering the omakase because you get 2 of the same nigiri (total of 12 pieces) for $84. Wasn't worth it in my humble opinion. The fish seemed like it was kept in the fridge a little too long? Plus, maybe it's just my expectations ruining my dining experience again, but when I hear "omakase", I think of a variety of offerings from the fresh seafood of the day?! I've tried the hotate (scallop) nigiri (ordered it "off the menu") and it was just OK. Scallop was fresher than most sushi places in the DMV. Their rolls look pretty but don't have much flavor to me. The endless amounts of drizzled sauces is really not needed. But to be fair, I don't like sweet food (except desserts)! The fish used in these preparations seemed subpar. Lots of sinew in each bite. Ugh. Their Sakura dessert was pretty to look at but I really couldn't discern it's flavor profile?? The one and only thing I enjoyed both times (but asked for NO UNAGI SAUCE THE 2ND TIME) is their foie gras nigiri!! The foie gras is delectable and the portions are very generous even at $30 a pop!! I could do without the gold foil... The staff were very friendly and accommodating to my "off the menu" requests on both visits. N-Y is located on the 2nd floor above Mi Vida and below La Vie in The Wharf. Parking is $10/hour or something like that but I walked over on both visits so I didn't have to worry about that. I may come for a nice adult beverage or to have some foie gras in the future. That's worth my return visit! read more

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Went here to celebrate a birthday. The drinks were great. The sushi was amazing, well two of the rolls. The third one was average. Sorry wish I remember which was which but I think the one with asparagus was the okay one. The other two were great. This beef broth noodle dish wasn't hittin. We ordered it with shrimp tempura because it did not come with any meat. Wasn't anything to write home about. The taste and portions of the food didn't match/warrant the price. Try here if you want but I wouldn't do it again. The location is great however. You get a good view of the wharf. Popular spot but overrated in my opinion. read more

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