Got a large spread of Samurai's dishes to go and it was fantastic! It was hard to call the order in but after trying a few times I got through. The fish was all very fresh, and the tempura even stayed crisp on the way home. The mushroom miso soup was a very nice add as a starter. Highly recommend Samurai! read more

There are not many options for sushi restaurants in Marin. However, Samurai is a perfect neighborhood gem! Fresh fish and reasonably priced. Great sake selection as well. They are always crowded so make RSVP in advance. The owner is super nice and friendly. I strongly recommended Samurai read more

See all

Hard rice, cold fish, some of the worst sushi I've had in years.

Great food, great prices, great atmosphere, friendly service. Took off 1 star because the scallops were not the best, but the rest of the fish was tasty. Definitely would recommend for groups or a casual date, and will for sure come back. Especially for the Una Mega Three. read more

I love this place. It's a nice and cozy restaurant and always fully booked. It is common to see the waiting room full of people. But they are doing a great job. The food is excellent. Fresh local fish and ingredients. The staff are friendlyand helpful. Especially the chef, they serve with grace and they do recognize you as regular customers. read more

Samurai - Our regular dinner!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Mostly passable food, but dismal service. I came here with my partner and another couple. I think we all enjoyed our food. I ordered hamachi sashimi which seemed fresh. I enjoyed it. The cuts were not exactly generous, but for the price I think the portion was reasonable. My friends ordered several rolls and enjoyed them. Though I had one piece of one of the rolls, which had a bunch fried onion bits sprinkled over the top (in fairness, not the kind of sushi I normally appreciate) and those onion bits were unquestionably stale and yucky. I had a stomach ache all night from it. So I don't recommend being adventurous at this particular sushi place. The service was truly bad. There was only one server, a friendly but overwhelmed young woman hustling like mad to deal with a fairly packed room. She could not possibly succeed, not even close. It wasn't her fault. I presume the owners are cheapos who just do not care to staff adequately. Either that or the 2-3 other servers they needed all happened to call in sick that evening (a Thursday). Anyway, she made a valiant effort but our food arrived late and she got one of my dishes wrong. It then took 15 minutes for me to be able to speak to her again, as she ignored us after delivering the food, out of sheer necessity, I don't doubt. Poor gal. There didn't seem to be any bus staff either. Our waters were never refilled, even though we were there for and hour and a half. I didn't even see bus staff. Maybe it's not fair to rate the place on only one visit, but it seems like the owners are just milking this one. Their indifference, possibly even contempt, for their patrons is palpable. I have no idea why people would return here. I won't. read more

I ordered the cherry blossom roll, and I'm glad I did! Price was reasonable and I was in and out within 20 minutes! Good for a quick, sit down meal read more

RUDE HOST! Good sushi but OMG! one of the male hosts (short, dark hair) is so rude we will not go back anytime soon! This has been a favorite spot for us - however, this is the second time this man has rudely addressed us. read more

Decent sushi for small town. Good quality fish. Certainly not the best I have had. Portions are decent. they should shorten their list and make the rolls stellar. Tempura was not great. Wait is long. read more

The perfect neighbourhood gem! The standout was the una mega roll, the hamachi crunch & the Kani spicy Tuna maki read more

Bomb! I'm OBSESSED with the miso shiitake soup with tofu. Great experience and food overall

This is my favorite Mill Valley restaurant. The food is fresh, consistent, and flavorful. The prices are reasonable, the staff is efficient and friendly, the menu is comprehensive (there's something for everyone), it's kid friendly, and the service is excellent. I come here with my family at least once a week because I know we will all leave with bellies full of healthy, nutritious, and tasty food. read more

Our favorite place yet to eat sushi. You can ask the for real wasabi here which has been a challenge for us. The mackerel was so good. We tried several pieces including the Japanese snapper, and the uni. Great service! Recommend this place to all ready to quench your sushi pallet. Yum!!!! read more

Samurai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Mill Valley, California

See all

This is my favorite sushi spot. We mostly order take-out but when we have come to dine in we have noticed how much the service has improved. read more

See all

Noticeable improvement over last couple years makes this our go-to sushi place in Southern Marin. Fish is fresh and staff is exceptional.

She is a city mouse. He is a country mouse. We mice like SUSHI. She likes the SF vibe on a Friday night. He doesn't like the people who can't drive and the parking hassles. We mice are HUNGRY. She likes trying out his favorite places. He likes the easy rock star parking. We mice are WAITING. She doesn't like waiting 15 min. for the hostess to acknowledge them. He doesn't like seeing the empty spots at the bar while waiting. We mice are GROUCHY. She likes the speedy, amiable service and hot tea once finally seated. He likes ordering his usual fresh and tasty sushi items: Yellowtail, Shrimp with Tobiko, Monkfish Liver, and a Spicy Tuna Hand Roll. We mice are MOLLIFIED. She likes her generously portioned Chicken Katsu with bean sprouts, broccoli, and carrots. He likes his Chicken Teriyaki and Shrimp and Veggie Tempura Combo. We mice are FULL. She thinks it's odd that the restaurant is nearly empty at 9pm. He thinks that's Mill Valley. We mice CONCUR. read more

Best place for sushi in Mill Valley. Very good selection and always fresh prepared. Friendly staff - what else are you asking for?

We just had dinner here and it was great! They don't have the fancy, adventurous mayo-based stuff that other, more popular places have and that's ok with me. We ordered edamame, gyoza, unagi special roll, scallop special roll, prawn and avocado roll, spider hand roll, the Samurai Castle and another unagi special roll. Jeff claims that the unagi special roll is the second best sushi roll he's ever eaten. Wow. The Samurai Castle was a dinner special: miso soup, cucumber salad, 3 differnt pieces of sushi, tuna sashimi, garlic chicken, salmon teriyaki, bowl of rice and green tea ice cream. The presentation was cool - the sushi, sashimi and cucumber came out in a three-tiered castle-like container. It was a ton of food and we had a great time. I got one of those big Asahi bottles to wash everything down. The service was a bit slow, but it wasn't bad. Our total bill? $78 - which INCLUDED tax and tip. How awesome is that?? We will definitely be back! read more

UPDATE: They are finally OPEN again! OLD REVIEW: I've posted a photo of the notice on the front door, regarding the relaunch. We miss having fresh sushi in MV! read more

Samurai - Photo taken 3-17-2014 of (undated) notice on front door regarding eventual relaunch. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Mill Valley, California

For whatever reason, I chose last Friday to be a sushi doubleheader day in Marin. For lunch I stopped at Sushi Ran in Sausalito. After hiking in Mount Tamalpais I drove back down, and instead of going directly back to SF I decided to stop here for dinner. I sheepish-ly say that, between the two places that day, I enjoyed the sushi here more even though the other place seem to get more hype. I ordered the sashimi combo where they let me pick three types of fish (one of my choices, the hamachi, was priced an additional $1.50 if selected). Instead of getting 12 pieces as stated on the menu, I got 15 (five of each). The fish was quited yummy. I also ordered an appetizer item that had chopped white fish sashimi with wakame salad and a sauce. It was excellent, especially for the $7.95 price (as I recall) because there was a pretty good amount of fish served in there. I will definitely keep this place in mind for possible dinner after future hikes up nearby Mount Tamalpais or maybe even passing by after a hike in some other part of Marin. read more

Best sushi in Mill Valley, great variety and not scarily expensive. I love the sashimi platter and they will make you the best hamachi hand roll with avo and spring onion you have ever had. yum! read more

This is my favorite sushi place in Marin! The fish is very fresh, the service is great, and the layout/ambiance of Samurai is good. I love the decor and it's traditional, but up to date. The prices are really good also, which really impressed me. They have a great selection on their menu. My favorites are their spicy tuna roll and lion king roll. Their sashimi is very good as well. Samurai is great place for a date night or for a small group of friends. I highly recommend this place! Service is prompt also! read more

1 of 2 Best Sushi restaurants in Marin County. I have gone here more times than i can count, and have never had anything but a delicious experience. Nice people, REAL Sushi chefs who know their trade, and verrrry reasonable prices. read more

Although our prior visits had been acceptable, our most recent visit was our final visit. After being seated, we noticed there was a large spill on the floor between our table and the next which was both slippery and had an unpleasant odor. When we pointed this out to our waiter, he said they knew, but they would need to mop the floor in order to clean the mess up and they couldn't do that while they were serving food. We asked to be moved to another table. Things went downhill from there. Aside from the fact that our waiter didn't get our order right, the food was just off. Things were not cooked properly and several items had a rancid grease taste to them. After waiting 15 minutes for our waiter to show up with the bill after we finished our meal, we finally just went to the register to pay. We won't be back. read more

Absolutely and consistently first-rate sushi! I am a big Sushi fan and have been to most sushi bars in the north bay, but have never found any other place that is as consistently great as Samurai. Jun and his wife are extremely friendly and welcoming and the place is not usually too crowded. I love that the fish is always super fresh and the quality of the nigiri is perfect. Some places will give you a huge wad of rice and thin piece of fish, or vice versa, or the whole thing is just too big or small, but the nigiri at Samurai is always perfectly sized and proportioned. I love the hot towels when you sit down to wipe your hands, along with whatever complimentary salad they are serving at the time. It was Japanese cucumber salad last time, which is my favorite! They serve all the "normal" stuff, with specials all the time. I like the rolls too, but the nigiri is hard to pass up. Try the BBQ Hamachi nigiri if you want something a little different, it is incredible! If I had only one complaint about the place, it is that they are not open for lunch. If you love Sushi, you owe it to yourself to try this place if you're in the area. By far the best sushi around, with the possible exception of Sushi-ran, but you won't need to sell a kidney to afford your meal at Samurai! read more

Big yes. Huge yes. Super fresh sashimi (tip: look for the seasonal specials written up on the board to the right of the sushi counter). Great service too! (Side note - my cat is named samurai and he is my favorite creature on earth). read more

Best sushi place in Mill Valley,fresh,clean and affordable. Excellent service . I will recommend to anyone try this place.

Update: 5/31/08 Another excellent meal here. I have to say service was still pretty bad. slow to come back, quick to disperse. ******************* Our party of 8 had a great dinner here. I'd highly recommend for a larger group, of all ages. From the Children's combo served on a cute crab plate, to the sushi. The fish was very fresh with plenty of flavor. The service wasn't very attentive, but we were a large group. I'll be back for sure. What I really liked about Samurai was it didn't have crazy deep fried rolls or everything covered in mayo. The quality ingredients are left to shine. read more

I have been coming to this neighborhood Japanese restaurant for a while now - I come at least once a week because the fish is great and very fresh! I often run into the same people because a lot of us come here regularly. I love the hamachi sashimi and the seaweed salad. He has a nice selection of sake too. The service is really good and friendly. Lots of families come here as the menu has something for everyone. Prices are very reasonable. I have tried many Japanese restaurants in Marin and this is my go to place. read more

One of the best sushi places in Marin. Consistently fresh fish, prepared in authentic Japanese style. Hot food is good too. Decent sake selection. Friendly service, lots of regulars. Excellent value - rare to find that in a sushi restaurant. read more

Samurai - Sashimi dinner from Samurai in Mill Valley . - Sushi Bars Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Samurai reopened its doors today 4/23/2012 to a booming success in my mind! I know the former owner would be proud. The staff was kind and caring as ever. The price and quality of sushi is unmatched in my mind. We had 5 people with two rounds of drinks each and dinner for $100! The chicken and steak were grilled to perfection and the sushi rolls were delicious. We all look forward to many more sushi filled nights in the years to come. Samurai is my favorite dinner spot in Mill Valley! read more

The best Unaju ever! People are great, ingredients amazing, line is long. Going there every week for almost three years and never had a problem, highly recommend for people who loves good quality sushi ;) read more

I give it three stars because the TAKO (octopus) is surprisingly different from any I've had and it's really good and memorable. The service is like 2 stars. There's only one sushi chef that I saw working that Friday night that I was there. We came in a bit early...an hour after they opened for dinner so it wasn't as packed...and we got our food quickly. Why do they not open for lunch? I would totally get my Tako Nigiri from this place for lunch. I can taste that their fish is quite fresh. I've done take out with them for dinner 3 times. Once I ordered 3 boxes full of food and it came to like $55. The simple rolls are......VERY SIMPLE. (I am not talking about dragon rolls or caterpillar rolls) but the ones that are like around $5 a roll. They are that price for a reason. Pretty good place for any Mill Valley-loaded with cash-but stingy-as hell-peeps. I will go back for my sushi cravings here! read more

It's our family go to sushi place. Very good sushi, good potions, at fair prices. Try the himarchi crunch salad as it's absolutely amazing. Get there before soon after opening on a busy night and you'll avoid a line. Otherwise, arrive after 6p for the second sitting. read more

Samurai...I wanted to switch up my normal Sushi Ran and Sushi Robata tip. And, my best buddy suggested Samurai. I had hamachi nigiri and fatty tuna nigiri as well as a "Wild Horse" roll. All the fish was very fresh and the combination on the wild horse was straight up fish...no Caval (Horse) folks. Actually, in retrospect, that's a bit of an unfortunate name for a roll. But, it was damn tasty. The menu has some other interesting items. And, it wasn't overly cluttered like some Japanese restaurants can be. My buddy said the Chicken Katsu is delicious. I will be back! Oh, it ended up being 36 dollars a piece. And, each of us had drink. read more

I live in Mill Valley and have been going to Samurai for years. I've read the reviews posted here, and it leads me to recommend one key thing when going to Samurai: Table service can be slow/sketchy, so make it easy on yourself and SIT AT THE BAR!!! Introduce yourself to Jun (the Japanese sushi chef), let him know that Mitch sent you, and ask him "What's especially good tonight?" As with any good sushi bar, letting the chef know that YOU know the difference between so-so and great sushi will usually result in not only great, attentive service, but will motivate the chef to offer you things you might otherwise miss. I'm only giving the place four stars instead of five because they rarely get truly-unusual fish and almost never have marinated ikura; however, what they do serve is ALWAYS fresh, and with some of the most reasonable prices for sushi in the area, you really can't go wrong (I was there 2 nights ago and had amazing aji, white tuna belly, uni, hamachi, saba, and more...yum!). read more

I love this place. I have been going here for over 20 years. The fish always tastes fresh. And it is fairly priced especially for being in mill valley. The miso soup is great, wakami salad, and the unagi special roll. I don't eat shell fish so i can't review on that, but my dad speaks highly of it. Small place with a nice comfortable feel to it. Nice lighting, and decorations. Casual or dress is OK here. The people that work there are also really friendly. read more

The sushi was great, and it was decently priced considering it's in Marin County. It's small but it has a great vibe, relatively quick service as well. read more

Samurai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Go here! Best sushi I've ever had. The Hamachi Crunch is really unique and delicious. Poke salad and Chirashi are both excellent. It can get a little crowded, but that is always a good sign and worth the wait. read more

See all

This place is amazing. We had the pleasure of visiting on a Wednesday night. There was no wait, most likely due to some NBA Conference Finals game; but hey, their loss was our incredible gain! The food was deliciously delectable. Everything was fresh, the fish was succulent, and the flavors were out of this world. We had fresh wasabi (apparently wasabi is a plant and not a paste) and I can't accurately put into words the experience that was happening in my mouth (and nostrils). I don't think I can eat sushi without fresh wasabi again. We ordered the chirashi, different types of rolls, and chicken teriyaki meals for the kids. All was made to perfection. Visit, visit, visit; if you're in the area, not in the area, go and have the best sushi of your life! read more