This clean and beautiful restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of Chinatown, making it a great spot for a casual meal with friends or family. The service is friendly and attentive, and the food is consistently solid. Our favorite dish is the spicy dry pot--you can customize both the spice level and the ingredients, which makes it easy to create exactly what you're craving. The flavors are rich, satisfying, and packed with a good kick if you enjoy spicy food. Overall, a reliable and enjoyable dining experience that we'd happily return to. read more

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Good sushi and comforting Japanese favorites Had a meal at Sakura Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar in Oakland and ordered sashimi, ramen, and avocado rolls. The sashimi was clean, and nicely prepared, with generous cuts that let the quality of the fish shine. The avocado rolls were simple but satisfying, with fresh avocado and well-seasoned rice that made for a great lighter option alongside the sashimi. The ramen was warm and comforting, with a flavorful broth and good noodle texture. It paired nicely with the sushi and made for a well-rounded meal, especially on a cooler day. Service was friendly and attentive, and the food came out at a good pace. The staff made the dining experience feel welcoming and relaxed. The vibe is cozy and casual, making it a great neighborhood spot for a laid-back lunch or dinner. It has a comfortable atmosphere that's easy to enjoy whether you're dining solo or with friends. Overall, a solid local spot for fresh sashimi, sushi rolls, and Japanese comfort food. I'd return when craving a casual sushi and ramen meal. read more

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Mom was in town to help me move into my new place and it's tradition that if mom is in town, Sushi must be had! After some perusing on Yelp, we took the short walk to Sakura. This place is located on the 2nd floor shopping center so don't miss it. Arrived around 2pm on a Saturday and were seated pretty quickly! The best part is that it was happy hour, so we got a combo of goodies from there and the regular menu: edamame, spicy tuna roll, gyoza, with some salmon and hamachi nigiri. Everything was great! I don't see tons of places do the salmon belly nigiri, so I jumped at the chance to have a few orders of that. Cute little visit to Sakura! Definitely a great sushi option and my favorite part is its walking distance to my new place in Oakland! read more

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Came here with coworkers for admin day and it turned out very nice Although they were understaffed but service is ok with food coming slowly The rolls were good and filling with freshness. The Benton box was above averages and decent. Great lunch spot read more

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came here for a dinner with friends and enjoyed sharing a few dishes with the table. Our server was Joey who was so kind, patient, and answered all our questions including offering us sake recommendations. the food was delicious, I ordered spicy salmon roll and spicy tuna roll-both fresh, protein heavy, perfect for a post workout meal. the fries were also delicious, crispy & went well with the sauce. I loved the inside vibe of the restaurant, it was my first time here and I definitely want to come back and try some more dishes. another delicious sushi spot in the Bay Area added to my collection. read more

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Came for happy hour. Decent food and plenty of space and a quiet place to catch up with friends. Flat rate parking in the garage this summer. They have their own clean restrooms. Qualifies for the Amex Resy credit.... All is good, recommend. read more

Good spot for Japanese food in Oakland Chinatown! Sakura Bistro is located on the second floor of the Franklin Plaza. It was much bigger inside than I was expecting, with a good number of table and booth seating. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it feels like there are two restaurants combined into one here. One is the Japanese side (Sakura Bistro), but there's also a Chinese/Sichuan side (Chuan Yu). Menus for both are printed together in one booklet. I was a bit overwhelmed by the menu as there were so many options. Decided to keep it easy for myself and get a 3-item bento box ($19.95) for the variety. I got it with beef teriyaki, California roll, and chicken katsu. I thought everything in the bento was super solid. The beef teriyaki came with a lot of sauce which went well with the rice, and I particularly enjoyed the California rolls, which tasted a bit creamier than usual. It was a ton of food and I wasn't able to finish everything, so I brought the chicken katsu home for dinner later. read more

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Really enjoyed our time at Sakura. The service was warm and attentive. Our tea was refilled frequently and without asking. Food wise, they make decent sushi. The rice is at the right temperature and the fish is at room temp. Their ramen, however, could really use improvement because the noodles tasted like the same type of noodles as instant noodle packets. We didn't like this dish at all and would not recommend ordering it. Everything else was good: we would come back for the sushi but not the hot foods. read more

Salmon hamachi lover roll was amazing. All the fish (for all rolls) were nice and fatty and were pretty substantial pieces. The chicken katsu was also nice and crispy and not too oily. The prices were very reasonable too I think, especially with the amount and quality of fish. I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce on the ruby fat roll read more

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The spicy dried pot was absolutely flavorful, the right kick of spice, and delicious. You can pick a base meat, then four sides in there. The beef intestine was a great one to have as a base. The chicken gizzard is a good choice too. We had a type of veggie, beef, and shrimp. You cannot go wrong becuase the flavor is PERFECT. The three item bento was a good choice. It comes with rice and soup. The salad is your standard salad - very fresh veggies. The sake maki was good. The salmon teriyaki- I wish was bigger because it was nice and crispy. The tempura is good too! Service is great but if they are busy don't hesitate to flag them down. Will always be back! read more

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My son and I got together for dinner tonight and decided on sushi. This spot seems to be the closest and most popular place near his work. Super convenient and only a few blocks away and opens early at 4:30pm. Sam the sushi chef was very friendly and let my son choose the tv channel. We ordered Happy Hour items and a lot of other sushi items and the bill was amazingly reasonable! The sushi was exceptional and very tasty. We enjoyed the beautiful decor and atmosphere. Will definitely come back soon! read more

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It's often a struggle to find sushi spots that don't cost an arm and a leg to get fresh quality fish and great tasting rice/ingredients. I've tried their 49er roll, hamachi roll, angry fish roll and maguro sashimi. All of which were excellent! I haven't been able to dine in so I'll modify the review once I try this place in person but for ordering togo for the price, quality and overall taste was so great! read more

This was a solid spot overall. The service was good, but not as attentive as I would've liked, especially considering how empty the restaurant was. There was literally only one other party there for most of our meal. It wasn't bad service, just felt a bit hands-off given the circumstances. They were running a happy hour with some rolls and appetizers for $5, and special rolls were buy one, get one 50% off, which was a good value. The sushi quality was good and definitely filled my craving, but nothing special or standout. Overall, it was a nice experience, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here if it wasn't during happy hour. read more

We've been here several times over the span of a few years now, and it's been a great experience every time. The quality of food is great, prices are reasonable, and the service is always friendly. The option to order Szechuan or Japanese food is awesome, considering that they do both well. Stand outs are the speciality rolls and malatang. read more

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It seems the sushi has gotten even better. It was always good for a non-Omakase-centric sushi bar, but somehow the fish seemed even more fresh than before. The fish slices on the nigiri were also satisfyingly large. The pricing remains very reasonable. The quality is there without the high-end prices. The Happy Hour menu, M - F, 4:30 - 6:30, has some great deals. From the HH menu, I ordered two Classic Rolls, California and Spicy Tuna, which are only $5, down from the dinner menu price of $8. They are decent-sized, too, not like the finger, tekka maki rolls some places offer. I'm not really a rolls guy, but I'll go for the steal anytime. Service was again very friendly and attentive. My water glass was rarely empty. Any requests were taken care of quickly. As often, I was there to watch the Warriors game. It's still one of the few places in Oaktown, where you can get good Japanese food and catch a game. read more

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I came with friends to try this place out for the first time. We had their lunch special bento boxes and some beers. Service was great and restaurant, itself, looked really nice and clean. I was not the biggest fan of the spicy tuna roll as it tasted a bit sour. But everything else was great! read more

Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar - Bento Box Lunch Special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Been here a couple of times, and all visits have been amazing! Food is great, service is great!

This place is a total hidden gem. Once you get to the plaza, go upstairs!!!! They have a fabulous happy hour, absolutely delicious fresh fish, and they have Chinese food also! The soup dumplings were top tier. read more

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Sakura Bistro Oakland CA One of my go to sushi spots in Oakland, mainly because they actually do weekend happy hour starting at 2:30 pm. Four dollar hot sake, which I ran back twice, plus a floral sake that was ridiculously good. They had a Wagyu special that day and it was tender and sweet. The sashimi platter was fresh and clean, salmon fatty, tuna bright, all laid out on ice. I grabbed two happy hour rolls, spider and dragon, plus another one topped with yellowfin and salmon. All of them hit. Tried the chicken wings just for fun. Double fried and crispy, but a little too juicy inside for me. I like my wings cooked all the way through, so I probably wouldn't order those again. Total was around 120 and I tipped 20. For Oakland sushi, that's a win. Parking in Chinatown is the only headache, but the food and sake make it worth circling the block. read more

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Came by with the kids for lunch. Ordered the bento boxes and 2 rolls. The chicken katsu was pretty good, the batter was nice and crunchy, opted for the sashimi. 3 slices of thick cuts came with it. Impressed that the sashimi was nice and thick. The 2 rolls that we got was the Titanic roll and the salmon and Hamachi lover. The titanic roll had tons of flavors with the spicy crab mix on the top of the roll and the shrimp tempura inside. The salmon and Hamachi lover roll was very fresh. Definitely a must stop if in Chinatown, the servers were super friendly and very efficient in what they do. read more

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We came here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. This place upstairs in the Chinatown plaza. There was a big party inside and us but it kept them busy. We just ordered sushi rolls to try out. My wife got the bento box. Since they had a big party food came out a bit later but the service here was phenomenal. The rolls here are big and it was fulfilling. read more

We tried this place on a whim after a hard day of moving. I'm pretty selective with sushi so I'm always apprehensive to try new spots that have not been vetted by people I know. Nonetheless, we decided to go. The server was a lovely and sweet gal. It was somewhat busy and she was manning the tables all by herself. I was impressed. I was also impressed by the rolls. Everything was light and refreshing. read more

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Always good! Fresh sushi, tranquil setting and attentive staff that remembers you. We go for the Happy Hour buy one and get one half off.

Service: 5 stars Ambiance: 5 stars, quiet, comfortable Food: 3 stars I had the chirashi bowl, and the fish was fresh. But, half the fish was pretty good, the other half tasted like nothing, and they used the "fake ahi" - I don't actually know what this is, but it's dyed to look like ahi, and isn't. The tamago had way too much sugar in it. There was barely any soy sauce on the table. I kept forgetting to ask for more. The salad was drowning in dressing - way too much dressing. Servings were generous. There's a whole other half of the menu - I'd try something else if I went back. read more

Wednesday, 4/10/2025 Oakland, CA Sakura Bistro Wow wow wow The conference I was attending was like, hey, you gotta try this Japanese Sushi spot, and, boy, were they right! It's this super spacious restaurant with awesome service and, oh man, the grub is insane! I went all out and ordered the Omasake plate, and, let me tell you, that first bite just melted in my mouth, and, suddenly, I'm like, wait, am I in Japan?! Everything was crazy delicious! The presentation was gorgeous, and the portions were generous. See pictures They definitely deserve a 5 read more

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This place is quite the marvel. They also operate as a Chinese restaurant by the name Chuan Yu, and somehow manage to do both Japanese and Chinese cuisine so well. So if you're only ordering off their Japanese menu, you're missing out on some amazing Chinese food! Highly recommend their dry pot, soup dumpling a d pan fried buns in addition to all the sushi rolls. Service is always excellent here as well. read more

5 stars! First visit to Sakura Bistro in Oakland, and I'm beyond impressed. This is hands down one of the best sushi spots I've ever been to. The sashimi is incredibly fresh, and the sushi took me right back to Hokkaido -- it tasted just like home. Don't miss their spicy flavor options -- bold, flavorful, and unforgettable. If you love authentic Japanese food, this place is a must-try! read more

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We arrived just as they were opening and seated right away. Very well lit and inviting interior. The service could not have been better. Very accommodating and patient with us as we navigated the menu. The chilled sake was excellent. Our appetizers were perfection. Our entrees were second to none one. The nigiri was so fresh I could taste the ocean. Fair prices as well. Will definitely visit again when I'm back in LA. read more

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I ordored a caterpillar roll, salmon skin hand roll, a pink lady roll. The fish was fresh and delicious. The Ambience was nice and well light, the sushi artist made me feel welcomed. The sushi artist was really helpful with helping decide which rolls I wanted to order. I would definitely come back. read more

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My friend and I came here for an early dinner on Friday after a conference. It is on the second floor of the building with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. The place was empty, so that concerned me a little, but the restaurant looked nice and clean. Since it was our first time, we asked a lot of questions. The waiter was attentive and answered all our questions kindly. We ordered soft shell crab, sushi, dumplings, and sake. Everything tasted great and was reasonably priced. Once we were leaving, there were a bunch of people who came in (looks like we just missed the rush!). I had nothing to worry about because everything was fantastic! I would highly recommend to folx looking for small bites and drinks. read more

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Came here on Valentine's Day and it was the best decision! They had a happy hour when me and my partners showed up. They had special rolls for buy one get one 1/2! The rolls were presented perfectly and tasted just as good as they looked. Later on in our meal the waitress came by with flowers for both of us. She was also super attentive making sure our tea cups never emptied. The whole placed had beautiful decorations and was super clean. I will be coming back! read more

Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Came by for a quick lunch . Sushi chef is very nice and welcoming ~ took his recommendation to try chutoro and oysters, both of which were just delivered today. read more

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This is a great place to come with a big group! They have a large menu and everything we ordered tasted really good. If you have picky friends, there's something for everyone on the menu. First off, the tea was so good. It wasn't the tea you get at chinese restaurants, it tasted roasted. The service here was also very good - my tea cup was never empty despite me drinking so much of it! Hamachi Sashimi - We tried the hamachi sashimi and the fish was thick and tasted fresh! Fish Taco - The fish tacos were spicy mayo salmon and avocado. The taco shell was made of fried seaweed. Such a creative idea and the fish was tasty! The perfect appetizer. Lion King Roll - The house special sauce was the perfect texture - not too creamy. This roll was good and came out warm. Dragon Roll - Some places use crab meat instead of shrimp tempura but this place has both in the roll!! The rolls come with a good number of pieces and I have no complaints about the flavor. I could just order rolls here and I would've been satisfied! Chicken Teriyaki - The chicken teriyaki was juicy and flavorful. I may be basic but if it's available, I'll order this. So simple but so delicious! The place was also very clean and spacious! Park in the lot underneath - they validate parking here if you ask. I'm excited to bring my some of my friends here - I think it's a nice place to hang out, drink tea, and eat till my belly's full :)! read more

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Honestly was very disappointed by the restaurant. I get it that it's a sushi restaurant and fish is suppose to be raw but when I'm ordering shrimp tempura I'm expecting it to be cooked! Out of all things shrimp should never be eaten raw. The shrimp was raw and I had to spit it out. I thought I was the only one until my friend took a bite of hers as well and it was also raw. They had some fusion appetizer special and we thought it might've a good thing to try but it came after our food which defeated the point of it being an appetizer and it was not good. It was some type of weird jalapeño popper bomb thing. Service was okay. But when it came time for the bill they added an extra charge so be cautious. read more

Customer service was mediocre made an online order time said that food will be ready by 6:15 when walking inside the restaurant at 6:15 food was not ready. Chef wasn't even finishing making either California roll or lion King roll was prioritizing people inside sitting down instead of finishing an online order which said to be ready at 6:15 did not get my food until 6:45. Chef gave attitude saying that it would be five more minutes, even though the order was supposed to be ready at 6:15. Only thing that was actually done at 6:15 was the Goza if you actually wanna get food here make sure you order it ahead of time and wait extra long before you even get to the restaurant because they probably don't even have your food ready at the time it says it will be ready while waiting two other DoorDash came in and had to also wait one was already there before me and barely got his food after I got my food. read more

Sakura Bistro Tapas & Sake Bar - Time said it would be ready 6:15pm - Sushi Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Extensive sushi menu with chef specials. Excellent service. Our water kept checking in with us and was very attentive. This location is located on the second floor of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza. There is ample parking underneath which makes it a plus. read more

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I've been here several times and they can make some improvements on their customer service, but in general, their service is ok. You sometimes just need to go up to where their workers are congregated behind the counter to ask them for more tea or napkins or take-out containers. I was here for a very large gathering of more than 80 people for a private party that was buffet style. They were unprepared and the sushi ran out before 3/4 of the guests had gotten their food and it wasn't replenished until the end of the evening. The rest of the food items were replenished such as the short ribs, teriyaki chicken, salad and noodles, but everyone was clamoring for the sushi. Other times I've been here, I've had their lunch special where you can choose any 3 items from a page for $19.99. That's a great deal. Yesterday, I had the teriyaki chicken, mixed tempura, and California rolls. It also came with soup and salad. It's not often busy in here, but they've been able to survive all the lean times from the pandemic. Hopefully, they'll stay in business. read more

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Great everything Good service Excellent food Reasonable 2025 prices Parking challenging but ok read more

Definitely not your typical sushi restaurant considering its placement in the heart of Chinatown and the vast amount of Szechuan offerings exhausting the last half of the menu. The sushi is decent with fish being somewhat fresh and rolls having more than the desired amount of rice. What lacks though is the service. The dishes came out at awkward times with the bento (only 2 items of the 3) arriving first and our appetizers arriving last. The sushi is decent, but overall not probably a place I'd visit again. read more

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Love this place, I've been coming for years and the quality and service has been consistently great!