They are open!!! We have been waiting five months for it to open again. Added a few new items which were really good. The owner has different sushi items ivhave only seen at this place which is nice from the typical California roll sushi resturant. What I really liked after being closed for five months most of the staff came back too. I think this is a good sign. Staff a always nice and makes you feel at home. read more

I've eaten here twice now when visiting from out of town. Fish is very fresh and flavorful. I like that their rolls aren't overloaded with sauce, the taste of the fish is at the forefront. Service wasn't especially attentive but we didn't need it to be- our glasses were full and our food arrived in a timely manner. I like the ambiance of this place except when it's packed full of children kicking the booths, creating loud thumping noises through the dining area. Maybe that's just a Marin thing, to bring children under the age of 10 to a sushi restaurant, lol. Oh lastly, price is right. I would definitely dine here again. read more

Great local sushi spot! One of THE BEST SHRIMP TEMPURA I have ever had. The tempura wasn't too oily and plenty of shrimp! The sushi rolls we ordered were also very good. Tasted fresh. Seating and lounging area felt real cozy and it looked like the go to local spot for sushi goers in the area. Our server was a delight. The bill was not too sore on the eyes and the sushi prices were reasonable. read more

This has been my favorite sushi place in Marin for over 4 years now. The consistency of their quality to price ratio makes them stand out above the rest of sushi spots in Marin. Their Sashimi pieces are always large and very fresh and a must order when I visit. Parking is easy to find as well since it's not in the downtown area so that's another plus especially if you arrive hungry! read more

First timer here and I will definitely return. The restaurant is quaint and clean, the waitstaff was friendly and helpful and the menu was a nice mix of traditional rolls to be expected (for instance I tried the Rainbow Roll) and specialty rolls worth trying. The Cucumber Salad was to die for as well! Super fresh and great palate cleanser. Thanks! read more

Went there last night for a "quick" meal (Tuesday) and had what may be one of the worst dining experiences of my very long life. The first thing we noticed was the "help wanted/Sushi Chef" sign on the entry door. When we entered, the person that greeted us asked us to wait while she prepared a table-- the restaurant was not crowded-- eventually a young man (the busboy) asked us if someone was helping us, we said yes and she had never returned he then attempted to seat the couple behind us before us. We had to tell him to please take us in the order we'd arrived. Once seated it took longer than expected to have our order taken. We ordered four very simple items, seaweed salad, poke salad, tobiko sushi, and an eel roll. My friend got her seaweed salad fairly quickly... then we waited, and waited, and waited some more... our original server had disappeared, I finally caught the other server's eye and she asked if we'd ordered yet! I said yes... a very long time ago could she possibly find out where our food was. Eventually the roll and my poke salad were brought to the table... When I tasted my salad it was dry and with little or no sauce, marinade, dressing on it at all and lacked any spiciness (all other poke dishes I've had have been spicy). I asked the server if something could be done about this and she proceeded to argue with me that this was the way the chef made poke! Finally she brought me a sauce and some wasabi which I mixed and poured over the salad myself... all this and the tobiko had not appeared at the table I had to ask again for that too! Not likely that anyone I know will ever go here again. read more

Really Great Sushi! Got a Crazy tuna roll that was $8.50 thinking it will be a small and it was big enough to share. I also got the Dinner combo with Tempura and Sukiyaki that was ver delicious ! Will be back to try more of the rolls. read more

Samurai - Crazy Tuna roll! Only $8.50 so good ! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Mill Valley, California

I'm writing this as I wait. I waited 10 minutes just to get a seat. The restaurant was not busy. There were open seats everywhere. Then I was seated at the bar and waited for a menu. For awhile, not even so much as being acknowledged. The sushi was good. Not as good as some of the stuff that I've had in Seattle, but decent. Then I waited for the check. Forever. You would think that they would want to collect money and get you out of here but apparently that is not the case here. Finally got the check and she left it with my credit card on the tray for some time as well. I wanted to like you samurai but poor service is a no no in my book. Thanks but no thanks. read more

I really don't understand all these great reviews. This is the bay area, you don't have to go far for great sushi at a reasonable price. This place was soooo forgettable. First of all it smelled like old fish, so I didn't even order sushi (the rest of my party did). The teppan dish I ordered had no flavor and the steak was tough. The sushi I did sample had stale seeweed and was pretty unimaginative. read more

Great agedashi tofu and fresh fresh unagi. The food is always good and the staff is always super friendly. Medium size dining area with small sushi bar. Take-out available, but give them lots of time. read more

samurai castle is the best deal out there in sushi restaurants. you get this sweet castle that comes apart and inside each castle piece is a meal for you to enjoy. theres only 3 tiers to it but whatever its bomb.com. you dont only get a castle but you also get little potato appetizer, choice of salmon, chicken or steak and you get 2 of them, rice and green tea ice cream. my fav roll here is the special eel roll. its buttery and delicious. the service can be slow sometimes. our server might have forgotten us once but we flagged them down. the atmosphere is really neat too because all of the windows are covered. the tables are private too. i think they are closed mondays. read more

Hello everyone, To start this off, the food was very tasty. This was my first time here as I thought it would be a great sushi place considering the reviews it had. Well that was not the case AT ALL. To start off everything, I arrived around 6:00-6:15 pm, there was no hostess at the entrance, so I continued to write my name down like everyone else already had done. 30 minutes passes by and I walk back in there to see if there was a table. There wasn't. Many people walked in after me and we're seated before me because you can call for reservations (which is dumb because it is a small restaurant that is very busy.) I continued to wait and after about 45 minutes of waiting, I finally got seated with my family. We were seated and we're very hungry because of all of the waiting. After about 20 minutes, the waiter came back to see if we were ready to order. We were, so we ordered. Then we waited about 15 minutes for just the miso soup. -to me that is ridiculous. Then the waiter left for about another 20 minutes and he came back and said our order was mixed up. That was his fault and we STILL didn't receive our food for about 20 more minutes. We were furius about this so we told the waiter (this was only his second time coming to our table, he was very unattentive) After we received all of the food, the server never came back and he avoided us because we were mad about the service and yelled at him. He tried saying it was the owners fault, but it clearly was not. When we finished our food, we casually waited for the waiter to bring the check, he never did. After this happened, I went to the manager and started to tell her about the situation, she started to talk back and say it was my fault. It was not. After I talked to her for about 10 minutes, we decided to leave. This experience was HORRID. The overall time my family spent at that restaurant was about 2.5 hours. I expected to be home at 8:00 pm at the latest because it was just a sushi place. But I did not get home until about 8:45 pm. Overall this was a very bad experience and I recommend you do not go here because of the long wait, unless you make a reservation ;-). read more

Pretty good sushi for Marin. Always enjoyed coming here. Food is pretty consistent and the staff pretty perky.

I heard there was a new chef in town (thanks to Barbara S.), and thankfully the you're-with-family vibe has not been lost, and the sushi is even fresher. perhaps a wee bit more expensive, but one cannot put a price on one's GI health nowadays. I can so far vouch for the sashimi and sushi standards -- not much of a roll person, and the agedashi tofu (a deep-fried weakness of mine) is a slightly gloppy miss. read more

Definitely hands down, the BEST sushi spot in Marin :)) you might have waiting time to get a table or your order served but it's all worth it! Enjoy the delicious well crafted rolls read more

The best sushi north of the Golden Gate. Really it's one of the best anywhere. Rivals several of my favorites in SF.

Fantastic sushi. Fresh, tasty, not overdone. Good service, no-frills, authentic atmosphere. I've had sushi in Tokyo and I was impressed with this place. It stands just as good as Ozumo for quality of food. read more

It'd been at least 2 years since I'd been to Samurai, when my husband and I went tonight. What a pleasant surprise to meet Brian, the sushi chef / owner since a year ago. He is putting forth total creativity and clearly has beautiful energy for his sushi inventing / making. It's like watching a rock star as he moves through space creating delicious perfectly sliced, balanced, flavorful, sushi, with exactly the right amount of rice. As foodies, it's quite exciting to find this in our own backyard! We'll be back ~ a lot! read more

Samurai continues to be one of my favorite restaurants in Marin, and is definitely my favorite Japanese restaurant in the county. The prices are reasonable, portions generous, and the food delicious! Chef Brian took over the restaurant a few years ago and did wonders with the menu. The BSCR (baked scallops on California roll) is to die for while the hamachi crunch is unusual and tasty. I love the traditional Japanese decor and the service is professional. It's VERY kid-friendly and gets crowded between 5:30 and 6:00 with families. read more

A solid place for Sushi in a very expensive town. Fish was fresh and served well. I have other favorite places nearby, but when this is close and easy to get in to, it's a good choice. read more

One of the best sushi restaurants I've ever been to. They have excellent sushi rolls and samurai specials. The fish is always fresh. The servers were nice and attentive. Overall, decent prices for great food! read more

Delicious, fresh, reasonably priced sushi. I had the B.C.S.R (baked bay scallops on a California roll) that was to die for. They turned out to be both mine and my husbands favorite of the four rolls we tried, but the other three that we had (the tempura hamachi, kani spicy tuna roll, and the stinson maki) were all fantastic. Great little restaurant!! read more

This is not your old Samurai. It's different, but still really good. I've been there a number of times since my last review and well Samurai I may be falling in love with you all over again! read more

We have been devoted fans for many a year. We hadn't come for a while and learned of the previous owners passing. The old favorites were no longer on the menu. But more recently when we returned there were some of our old offerings. My favorite thing to get has been chicken Nabe, miso broth, no noodles. Which I ordered last night. Everything was great, but I must say, as a suggestion, to add more miso or perhaps a more flavorful one. Too bland. It is comfort food, this dish, but needs more kick. I am so glad business seems brisk. It is a wonderful local and timeless decor. They work very hard and the food is very good. The new owner is very responsive and it is nice to have a young person at the helm. Bravo! read more

Having just moved to Mill Valley from San Francisco, native San Franciscan that I am, I was certain I was not going to find a Japanese restaurant/sushi bar that would live up to my expectations. Samurai Sushi completely exceeded those... I was blown away: the quality of fish is EXCELLENT! I was back within three days and had everyone of their specials as Nigiri. The mackerel was amazing - not oily and fishy as mackerel can be but butter tender and still with the character of subtle mackerel taste that made it special. Everything was a pleasure. Only critical comment is that if you're going late, toward the end of their open hours, staff tends to be a little neflectful - but otherwise I'm feeling like I made a tremendous discovery in Mill Valley! I'll be back again and again and again. read more

They've reopened, yay!! And my favorite chef from the old days, Armando, is back too!! Now if only they'd bring back samurai potatoes and the prawn tempura special roll. The sauce and paper on that roll were AWESOME!! I've only been once since they've reopened, but the fish was fresh, and the service was great. Welcome back, Samurai! Oh, one more thing, PLEASE bring back the fabric curtains and cool bamboo table dividers; the new set up is so loud, I left faster than I would have if the place had been less noisy. It's popular with families, so the young kids shrieking can be tough in that small space... read more

Samurai was closed for a bit but they are Open again! This wonderful new chef, Brian took over after the very sad and sudden passing of June the previous owner. Oh my! You are in for a treat. Brian has all the same good things you know and love but.....there is so much new and good stuff. Good vibes too. Caroline the previous owner is also there so stop and give her a hug. Have some wonderful rolls and sushi! So Good to have our Mill Valley Spot Open! read more

Have eaten here twice since the new owner took over. A great disappointment. Service was poor. More impt, the food was poor. A baked scallop roll was overdone and chewy. An order of sushi was inedible. And the real deal-killer: The "crab" in a CA roll was that disgusting, fake stuff. At the very least, this abomination should not be billed as crab on the menu. If a restaurateur insists on using low-quality ingredients, he should alert patrons before they order. It is very unusual to find a sushi restaurant in Marin that uses artificial crab. The fact that Samurai does suggests a very low standard of quality. read more

New owner, new menu - food was great! Loved the crunchy hamachi, its a must have Actually everything was great. Was not even shocked by the bill. Would earn 5 stars if the atmosphere was a bit better. read more

My favorite japanese place in Mill Valley: the specials are delicious (such as the fish livers) and the grilled fishes are very tasty. Nice place, nice atmosphere: this is the place to go after a hike in Mount Tam!!! read more

Great sushi - large cuts and super flavor. The sushi place to go in southern Marin. Friendly staff.

I think this place is great. The Prawn Tempura Special Roll is DIVINE!!!! I have been going for over 2o years and although it has changed hands recently (maybe 6 years ago the one in Sausalito closed and I think one of the guys from there took over this one, I don't really know), but there has always been a really great Sushi chef there named Armando. He is good at his craft and if you can, sit in front of him at the bar. The Samurai Castle is a fun treat for a special occasion- it is a tall stack of dishes in the shape of a Pagoda with a different Japanese food item in each of the 5! One friend of mine says he doesn't like this place because the rolls always fall apart...hasn't been my experience...Enjoy! read more

I love eating at Samurai in Mill Valley! When Sushi Ran is not an option, Samurai is a great second choice! Good quality sushi at reasonable prices! read more

The last time I was here the mens restroom was out of order and it's been almost a month and it's still not repaired. I'm angry because when I went to the restroom this time the toilet seat was wet. Of course one of the men in the restaurant was using the women's restroom and couldn't lift the seat. I felt so dirty I just left the restroom. And when I was crossing the mens bathroom it was stinking. My appetite died... So disappointed.... Please fix the god damn bathroom so others don't have to go through the same thing. I'm sure many people have but just closing their eyes... read more

This has become our new favorite spot. Tiffany is a rock star waitress and the chefs deliver up some of the yummiest sushi. Monkfish liver has become a fav and they are really good about accommodating our groups' dietary specifications. Though small in size, and providing for a very casual vibe, I like that its a good local joint to get some great sushi. read more

We were lucky to get seats at the bar as walk-ins. Ambience is noisy and casual. As a vegetarian, I've been avoiding sushi bars due to lack of options. My husband was craving sushi, so there we were, at the bar in front of the knife-wielding chef, ordering veggies. Brian-san was amiable and immediately welcomed us. We ordered: --Nasu roll. Grilled eggplant with asparagus tempura. It was filling but lacked taste. --Jikukentari (?) : Veg roll with tofu, shiitake, spinach on the inside with sliced tomato & avo on top. I almost sent it back because it resembled a rainbow roll. This.was.amazing. --Salmon skin roll: good, per husband's report. --Combo with veg sukiyaki & tempura. Tempura was a highlight: light, flaky, with true flavor. Sukiyaki had tasty ingredients, with chewy udon noodles. The broth nearly spoiled the dish because it was too sweet. Had to separate the veggies from the broth to make it edible. Sides: --Tsukemono: cucumber salad was subpar. Roughly cut instead of thinly sliced. Bitter instead of tart with a bit of crunch. Rice was also dry. --Miso soup broth very tasty but the wakame was not adequately soaked. All in all, Samurai proved to be a surprisingly wonderful vegetarian experience. I will be back to try some more stellar veggie rolls. read more

I am honestly so confused how so many people love this place. As a Mill Valley native I am really pulling for good sushi in town. I first tried Samurai a few years ago and walked away dissatisfied. Since then, I have not returned back until this past week when I had heard the ownership had changed awhile ago and the restaurant had gotten much better. Where do I start? One would think a green house salad would be green right? After receiving our salads we decided it would be best not to eat them as white lettuce (iceberg and unripe butter lettuce) does not contain much nutritional value, additionally the tomatoes that had been tossed on the salad were not particularly red themselves. Mind you this is Marin County and there is a Whole Foods across the street - we are not lacking in the fresh produce department in this region. Then the sushi. I've never seen sushi so poorly cut - I thought this was supposed to be an art? Our Maguro was sliced so thick that one could not eat it in one bite. Edamame was mushy. I can't remember the name of the next roll we had, but it had mango on top of it, crab on the inside, and spicy tuna on top. The mango again was cut in large chunks and not ripe, sliced so big that you could not eat it in one bite, the tuna on top was globbed on - I've never heard of making spicy tuna goop - normally it is sliced nicely or at least cut in a way that maintains the integrity of the fish. The crab on the inside had an abundance of mayo - no thanks. On top of everything else, all the fish smelled extremely fishy and left a very fishy taste in your mouth after eating it. This does not indicate the "freshness" i expect when I eat raw fish. I could go on with the other rolls, but I think we get the point here. Thankfully there was beer - that's literally all I could count on at this point. After complaining and trying to explain about the various issues to the waitress, who bless her heart none of this was her fault, removed some items from our bill, but the owner chose not to speak with us regarding our suggestions or concerns. We left still hungry, conveniently Super Duper Burger stays open late and is right across the street. read more

Uninteresting, uninspired sushi. Indifferent service. MIso soup was dreadful.

This place was really weird. First of all, we did not see a waiter for the first 15 minutes. And when we finally did, he was clearly frazzled and overwhelmed because he was the only waiter in the place. I'm pretty sure he was also cooking because he would disappear for extended periods of time and reappear with food. Everyone else in the restaurant was getting annoyed because of how long their food was taking. I kept hearing a microwave beeping which made me a little concerned about what that microwave was being used to cook. We ordered sushi rolls and I must say they were very good and well priced. But the experience with the service and the weird environment is enough to make me not go back. read more

Hands down BEST Japanese restaurant in marin and trust me ive been to them all!!! Awesome fun friendly staff- Professional knowledgeable sushi bar staff that are So nice you wont want to leave! ! Giant menu with tons of tasty options , fish and non fish availability Fast and knowledgeable servers Super ambiance and easy parking FOOD IS EXCELLENT EVERY TIME!!! Dont waste your time anywhere else go here bc I will tell you also the price is right! read more