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    Otaru

    4.5 (90 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:30 PM

    Otaru Photos

    Business Info

    OTARU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Upscale
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Otaru

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    Reviews With Photos

    Shrimp bao
    Grace Z.

    The view is absolutely bar none and the food quality is also unbelievable here. I've been here a few times and their sashimi selection in the Treasure Box is consistently fresh and fantastic cuts. I'm not usually big fan of tuna but I love it here. It's one of the restaurants I look forward to returning over and over again. Service is always wonderful and they are very attentive. It's busy even on a week day and when you come, you'll see why. Truly a delicious restaurant with an unforgettable view. This place is the whole package

    Hand rolls
    Molly H.

    The Pittsburgh sushi scene is so exciting right now! I'm delighted that one of the nicest spots for great and fresh sushi is located on Mount Washington, where I've been hoping for new and exciting restaurants for years. I visited recently for my husband's birthday, and the experience was lovely! The views are beautiful, and our server was friendly and so attentive. We loved everything we ate, too! The treasure box is the star of the show, and we also loved edamame, hand rolls, and the Mont Blanc black sesame cake. It's definitely priced for special occasions, but worth it for such wonderful food and presentation. Parking is available on the side streets nearby! I can't wait to return!

    Botan Ebi
    Dawn K.

    Had girls night out here and had such a wonderful time! We had a grand window view that was so beautiful around sunset. It's a high class, fancy restaurant that really makes you feel VIP. Our server was so kind and she was very professional. I loved everything that I tried. My favorite bites were the yellowtail jalapeño, the shrimp tempura, tiramisu, and salmon tataki. All the fish was flavorful and fresh. Definitely a memorable experience! I would come back to splurge for a special occassion!

    Honey & Lemon Marinated Tomato
    Julie D.

    We loved our experience at Otaru! The restaurant itself is beautiful and intimate, split between two floors. The view of the city is incredible, we were happy to have a window seat! Service was very friendly and knowledgeable. We both got the Otaru Experience and every course was delicious. I was worried it wouldn't be enough food, but I was stuffed by the end! My favorite course was the chawanmushi, which I added uni to. My partner's favorite was the kanpanchi. Everything was so fresh and worth the higher price tag. If I had one critique, it would be that the nigiri had a bit too much wasabi added underneath the fish at times. I wanted to be able to taste the fish a bit more. Photos of each course in the Otaru Experience are attached, minus the first plate of sushi which I was too excited to remember to take a picture of!

    Jess N.

    1000/10 - literally blew my mind. Everything was extremely fresh. Amazing service. And the atmosphere- I mean come on its mount Washington - you already KNOW it's a vibe. The wagyu nigiri is one of my all time fave bites in the city and the longevity noodles were perfect and not over powered with seafood taste. All unreal.

    Mochi ice cream Black sesame and vanilla
    Alexandra A.

    Was taken out to have dinner out of my comfort zone at Otaru. I am a sushi lover, but I really only go for nigiri, hand rolls, or sushi rolls. This place blew my mind away and definitely made me appreciate quality vs. quantity when it comes to dining for sushi. We decided to get the treasure box, which was the main item that I was a bit nervous for because obviously it is just straight raw fish. However, I truly enjoyed each piece and how they were each packed with their own flavor and texture. This box is perfect for two people as each one comes with two pieces, so you can kind of have fun with it as you go by taste testing and rating each one. We also ordered the pork buns which i think were the perfect appetizer to pair with our treasure box. We had it after so it was a nice cleanse for our palette before getting the mochi ice cream! This place is mounted on the perfect spot for viewing the city of Pittsburgh, allowing for a charming and picturesque vibe. I would love to come back here for a special occasion as it just provides the right setting.

    Kristina W.

    Absolutely amazing sushi with equally stunning views! The fish is so fresh, and our waitress (who was so knowledgeable and attentive) let us know they receive fresh fish daily from Japan. Places like this make me so grateful to live in Pittsburgh where we have so many fantastic restaurants with quality food and down to earth people.

    City view from the restaurant
    Nikki H.

    Absolutely loved it! Sushi was on point and clean presentation. One dish wasn't quite right, but the waitress, Lauren (if I remember correctly) addressed it quickly and took care of the charge. Appreciated the smooth service. Overall experience was great! You can tell they care about quality here. Definitely coming back.

    Lychee martini and edamame
    Kristen E.

    We had a lovely dinner date at Otaru on Saturday evening. The evening began with hit moist toilettes with which to clean our hands before enjoying the salty edamame. The lychee martini was good. I had the chef's pick of 6 sushi, and hubby had the beef udon, which has just a enough to be interesting. I was still hungry, but the 3 mochi ice cream balls filled me right up. There were both couples and families dining. We enjoyed watching the city and the rivers from our table on the main floor (there is also seating downstairs; restrooms are upstairs). Noah took good care of us, making sure to explain the menu and check back in regularly. Parking can be tricky, but we found a spot on a residential side street. The cost was fair for what we got (one cocktail, one chef's sushi, one beef udon, one mochi dessert was $136 with tip), including udon leftovers for one of us. We will make a point of coming back!

    Yellowtail jalapeno
    Tiffany Y.

    Otaru is an upscale Japanese restaurant that is on Mount Washington and has beautiful views of downtown Pittsburgh. Its menu lists appetizers (e.g., shishito peppers, pork buns, and takoyaki), many types of hand rolls, nigiri, and sashimi (e.g., tunas, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, scallop, wagyu, uni, eel, squid, and octopus), several hot dishes (e.g., pork katsu, beef udon, miso black cod, lobster longevity noodles, and wagyu), some desserts, and many non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages (e.g., sake, wines, cocktails, and beers). My husband and I ate one dinner here. All employees provided timely and polite service. I appreciated when our waiter noticed that we dropped a napkin on the floor, and he immediately gave us a clean napkin. Here are my ratings for what we ate: Otaru Old-fashioned - 3 stars - This drink contained whiskey, orange, cherry, yuzu, syrup, and bitter, and I thought that it tasted OK. The waiter had recommended it, and I had expected it to taste fruitier. Edamame - 5 stars - This edamame was complimentary. My husband and I agreed that it was nicely salty and spicy. Yellowtail jalapeno - 5 stars - This appetizer was our favorite food in the entire meal. It contained yellowtail sashimi, jalapeno, and yuzu wasabi vinaigrette. Chawanmushi - 4.5 stars - This egg custard was topped with ikura caviar, and I liked how it tasted. Hand rolls - 4 stars - We ate three types of hand rolls--spicy salmon, tuna, and wagyu. I thought that they tasted very good but that the wagyu could have been more tender. My husband described them as "ordinary." Nigiri - 4 stars - We ate four types of nigiri--bluefin tuna toro, seared albacore, madai, and goldeneye snapper kinmedai. I thought that they tasted very good, and my husband again used the word "ordinary." Mont Blanc Cake - 4.5 stars - My husband had no interest in this cake, but I really enjoyed its flavors of green tea and sugar. Our total bill was $154 *plus* a tip. We felt a little hungry at the end of our meal, so perhaps we could have ordered more foods. Overall, I think that Otaru is definitely worth a try. I give this restaurant 4 stars overall for its quality versus price. I do feel curious about several of its other menu items.

    Yellowtail Jalapeno
    Dan V.

    Starts with the incredible view from atop Mt. Washington and each drink and course continues in an impressive way. Service was good and not rushed in any way, allowing you to enjoy the time there. We sampled our way through multiple appetizers and rolls. The tartar, waygu, and hand rolls were good. The shrimp buns, yellowtail jalapeno, and Godzilla roll were really good.

    Treasure box
    Lindsey M.

    An incredible experience! I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and we were amazed. Our waitress was lovely (I forget her name, I apologize). But she gave us incredible recommendations and everything she suggested was incredible! We did a couple of the apps and then the treasure box and longevity noodles. The restaurant was beautiful and had incredible views! From start to finish, our meal was incredible! They gave my boyfriend a complimentary Tiramisu for his birthday, and honestly it was some of the best I've had in the city!

    Yuzu Drop
    Ellen K.

    Dined here on a clear sky Monday night for a special occasion. There are two stories of seating, maximizing the number of window seats to enjoy the classic expansive Mt. Washington perched view of the City of Pittsburgh. The hostess was welcoming and our waitress Brynn was skilled and cheerfully helpful. The ambiance was inviting with warm rich golden lighting and blonde wood furniture. The fish was AMAZING as it is flown in from Japan daily. It is very pricey but worth every bite. By far one of the best dining experiences I've had in Pittsburgh in quite awhile. On Thursdays, they offer a special dining multiple course meal experience (reserve on Open Table) which I'm looking forward to coming back to try. It's located very close to the paid parking lot or you can try to score street parking if you're feeling lucky as it is on popular Grandview Avenue.

    Otaru Experience: Tosazu Shrimp

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    We had a delicious meal and the staff was extremely friendly and hospitable. The views were awesome. Overall great experience!

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    2 years ago

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    Kiku Japanese Restaurant

    Kiku Japanese Restaurant

    4.0
    (221 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$$

    I've been to Kiku a few times now, and it never disappoints. This time I started with the miso…read moresoup, which was flavorful and the perfect way to begin the meal. For my entrée, I ordered four sushi rolls, and every one of them was incredibly fresh and delicious. You can really tell they use quality ingredients. The service has always been attentive and friendly without being overbearing, and the atmosphere is quiet, calm, and relaxing..perfect for enjoying a meal. Kiku has become one of my go-to spots, and I'll definitely keep coming back. Highly recommend!

    Good sushi restaurant in the middle of a very large mall/office building in Station Square. The…read morecolorful facade takes you by surprise at first! My wife and I went for dinner on a Friday and had no wait (though they do allow online reservations). Service was pleasant and leisurely (which we liked) and the place wasn't too crowded. Our favorite item was the veggie tempura appetizer. It had 7-8 pieces, all different veggies, and all nice and crispy. The seaweed salads were good too. We shared three rolls - tuna avocado, salmon skin, and yellowfin tuna. All were good, particularly the yellowfin, which had nice soft fish. In general, the rolls were a bit heavier on the rice and lighter on the fish than I might have hoped, especially the salmon skin. Presentation was all very nice. My wife had the flan for dessert and gave it a thumbs up. Overall a good place, though I'm not sure we'd come back if we weren't otherwise going to Station Square.

    Photos
    Interior of restaurant
    Interior of restaurant
    Spicy tuna roll
    Spicy tuna roll
    Bar dining

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    Bar dining
    Gi-Jin

    Gi-Jin

    4.5
    (212 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$$$

    I made a reservation for four people for 5:30pm on Thursday night. I walked in and was able to be…read moreseated right away. The inside consists of several tables for four and a long bar area and it's pretty small so I wouldn't bring a group bigger than four here. The ambiance inside is upscale and beautiful. They have an electronic toilet in the bathroom with a heated seat. My only critique is that the acoustics could be better - it's very loud and echoey inside. The food was incredible. It can be pricey but I think it's worth it for some of the fresh fish in town. The flavors were beautiful and I could not be happier with the food.

    good and super adorable but also burns your wallet. portions were super small for the price but the…read morequality of the fish was rly good. i rly liked their dynamite crab bowl. the rice crisps and spicy mayo paired rly well with the rice and crab and it isn't something i've found anywhere else. also the crab meat was rly fresh and had great flavor sashimi platter and nigiri platter had roughly the same if not the exact same type of fish. i liked all the sides the sashimi platter came with like shiso leaves but i probably still prefer nigiri because it has some rice to go with the fish. i got a grapefruit highball which was light in alch taste matcha misu was a good sweet finish to the meal but honestly it's skippable. there was no matcha taste, it was purely vanilla but a good vanilla very adorable dishes, cups, silverware and ambiance was nice

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Spicy Tuna Handroll
    Spicy Tuna Handroll
    Orenji Valley

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    Orenji Valley
    Bae Bae's Kitchen

    Bae Bae's Kitchen

    4.5
    (747 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    We've been meaning to try Bae Bae's for a very long time and I'm bummed that we didn't try it…read morebefore it's latest reinvention under the Bar and Supper Club banner. I wouldn't really call this a supper club to be honest but the place definitely carries a house music bar vibe and the back bar area and seating is very dimly lit, perfect for cozying up and enjoying a drink late night. The ladies' room was so dark, I mistook it for a storage area because I could only make out a white ladder in the corner that was being used as cute shelving. The place is seat yourself. Our waiter was not super friendly and didn't offer to give us napkins or anything when our wobbly table caused our drinks to splash all over the place. The cook served our chicken with a big smile and happy interaction and we really loved his personality. The bartender also stopped by to bus our table and he was very pleasant as well. We enjoyed the perfectly fried small plate cauliflower with the plum sauce and the fried cheese/garlic wonton bites with the sriracha mayo spicy dipping sauce. The fried chicken breast on the large plate was slightly overcooked with a maple gochuchang sauce that was very bland. We were so thankful that the large plate fried chicken came with a side salad to offer some respite from the heaviness of the fried dishes. It would have been great to have some side acidic or fresh vegetable options like Kimchi or something. Maybe we tried the wrong dishes and there are other not fried things that are delicious? The dirty martini cocktail was just so-so, not really much flavor at all, but the mojito was very good and refreshing. It's probably a good late-night place for a bite and drink.

    This was the best food there was in Pittsburgh. Fantastic service and a great environment. Miss…read morethis place everyday!

    Photos
    Baebae's kitchen is the newest fast casual Korean restaurant in downtown pittsburgh!!
    Baebae's kitchen is the newest fast casual Korean restaurant in downtown pittsburgh!!
    Baebae's kitchen serves LOCAL, ORGANIC, FAIR TRADE COFFEE
    Baebae's kitchen serves LOCAL, ORGANIC, FAIR TRADE COFFEE
    Thai iced tea with boba!

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    Thai iced tea with boba!

    Otaru - japanese - Updated August 2026

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