BEST VEGAN SUSHI and we've been around to try many places and SHIZEN is definitely #1. Vibes, service and food are amazing.

I love this place! Everything is vegan and very high quality. The food also looks beautiful. They are busy, but the service is great! My favorites were the ceviche and colonel's pipe. read more

Shizen - Da kine ceviche - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It's a good vegan sushi spot, but not a spot I'm dying to revisit unless I'm dining with a vegan or vegetarian. Restaurant is also quite noisy so it's really hard to hear your dining companions / have a conversation. Corn was meh, it's on the cob and covered in a sweet sauce (which I'm never a fan of with corn). I like the Open Invitation roll more because it was just like a creamy roll, but the Colonel's Pipe was refreshing / felt healthy. Dessert was strawberry ice cream with mochi, fine but also not a must get. Also rolls are pretty pricy (~$20), which is the price of real non-vegetarian sushi rolls, and I'd rather have a real sushi roll. read more

Food: this is my fav sushi spot, everything is delicious. My fav are the body and soul and the hidden agenda rolls. Their Yuba salad is also delicious. Service: we often get Rose as our waitress and she's fantastic. Super friendly and nice. Ambiance: clean decor and intimate. This is my daughter's fav restaurant she loves it and we do too. read more

Boddy and Soul Specialty Roll 10/10 Shio Ramen 8/10 Gyoza 10/10 Dessert 10/10 I love the boddy and soul specialty roll! I recommend it to anyone trying this place the first time. Service is great and welcoming. Interior is very bright and well designed. I'm excited to try other items when I come back. read more

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MUST TRY when in SF! Especially for vegans. This place had been on my list for years and I was finally able to book a reservation a week in advance, which I highly recommend. When we got there, a few tables were full. Once we were seated, no tables were empty! This is a very popular spot. Our servers were amazing. They were knowledgeable on allergies and brought allergen friendly menus to our party upon request. We ordered miso soup, edamame, and about half of the specialty rolls. Every single bite was delicious. The portions were perfect for sharing. Our party of four felt satisfied after eating and truly enjoyed our experience. There were two vegans and two non-vegans in our party and every single one of us left happy. The non-vegans were surprised at how tasty each dish was and they are looking forward to bringing their non-vegan friends to try it. The restaurant is clean and gorgeous. They made do with the space and there is just enough room for the servers to get by and deliver the goods. Overall, it will make your trip to the city absolutely divine! :D read more

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We had heard about this place a lot from friends, we wanted to try it for a while. We were able to get a reservation for a weekend dinner a week in advance. We highly recommend planning ahead for this one. The reservation for 4 was for 90 minutes. The place is small, cozy and has cute decor. We were seated promptly at our reservation time. We ordered drinks to start off - lemonade, a pineapple drink, mango juice and sake. For starters we got shishito peppers and panko-crusted bean curds. Drinks were good, peppers were average, bean curds were good. For mains we ordered 4 specialty rolls - body and soul, open invitation, secret weapon and missing piece - and the okra nigiri. All specialty rolls were very tasty and very well made. You can't go wrong with any of them! I'd skip the nigiri so you have more appetite for the specialties The wait staff was very helpful and patient and explained all the dishes to us when we said it was our first time visiting. The food is brought out very fast izakaya style. I'd definitely recommend this place and will be visiting again myself! read more

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Food: we visited 2nd time since 2022! The quality of the sushi is still the same. Each preparation is unique! The description of each item is accurate. Service: super friendly and courteous Ambience: while Shizen by itself is a pleasure the business can't really help change everything around them. Parking becomes difficult due to the filth in the neighborhood. Although the "friendly folks" don't bother you while you park or leave. It smells repulsive and the neighboring street is filled with trash. Very unfortunate for such a great restaurant to be situated in this surrounding! read more

Shizen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came to try out this place with a couple friends! One of my friends has been here a few times and recommends it! We got gyoza and three of the specialty rolls to share! All were very delicious and I love that everything here is vegetarian/vegan. The service was very good as well and I loved the ambiance! The servers came to check up on us often. The restaurant itself does have limited seating, but they also take reservations through Yelp! Overall, definitely a fun and fresh dining experience, and I'd come again to try new dishes!! read more

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Food All small plates, the rolls are really the best option. We got both the kaarage and the ceviche, but the maki is what stood out to us the most. Service Service was fast and attentive. They explained the menu to us and explained when we had questions. The food came out quickly. Ambiance They really squeeze you in there and keep the tables moving. They have a little bar area at the front and small two or four tops along the side. read more

Luckily I got reservations for Valentine's Day! Shizen was absolutely DELICIOUS. I loved everything- the service, the ambiance, the food, drinks. I've been wanting to try this place out for a minute and it did not disappoint. The Boddy and Soul was probably my favorite, but you literally can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I also highlighted the other sushi that we ordered. It was so good and I think I'll definitely be back! read more

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Shizen never fails to impress. I've been here multiple times, and it's one of my favorite places to bring friends and family when they're visiting from out of town. What I love most is the variety of options. Whether you're in the mood for nigiri, sushi rolls, or ramen, there's something for everyone. The creativity and attention to detail in each dish make every visit enjoyable. Ratings: * Nigiri: 10/10 * Sushi: 9/10 * Ramen: 8/10 * Service: 9/10 * Ambiance: 9/10 Consistently great food, excellent service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Shizen remains one of my go-to spots and is always on my list when hosting out-of-town gue read more

Shizen - Mango nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Very good vegan sushi! The rolls were super tasty and similar to normal speciality sushi rolls. The proud peacock was similar to a rainbow roll and the variety of toppings were all very refreshing. Boddy and soul resembled a fire cracker roll - this was a group fave. The mushroom platter was also pretty good. I thought the agedashi tofu could use a lighter batter. the nigiris were probably the only items i feel were furthest from actual sushi but were still tasty in their own way. read more

Shizen - secret weapon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The perfect evening! Reservations through the Yelp app for dinner at 6:15 pm. Free Sunday parking right across the street. Christy the amazing Manager and hostess welcoming us so warmly and seating us 18 minutes before our reservation time. Wonderful, attentive and prompt service from our server Alan( extra ginger - twice, the birthday dessert surprise, great suggestions). Beautiful food - lovely mushrooms, best Miso soup ever, surprise ending with the shot of sake in the middle, Brussels sprouts , a smooth Shizen lemonade and wonderful hot tea. The freshly prepared red bean donuts were to die for. Best seats in the house. Shizen the upscale, recent Michelin star recipient was a unique, fun, delicious and memorable experience. read more

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Absolutely mind blowing vegetarian sushi's! My friends and I loved this place and I highly recommended! They have different types of palatable sushi! The ambience was great and the service was fast! Will definitely go back! read more

Shizen - Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Shizen sushi bar located at San Francisco. They are famous for their vegan food. They have amazing menu with varieties of sushi options available. If you are vegetarian and want to try sushi, i would highly recommend this place to you.They have pretty good ambiance with fast service. read more

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Very cute restaurant with fully vegan menu! I love trying out vegan sushi places and this one is incredible. Service was prompt and our waitress was very kind. Would definitely come back read more

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The food here never misses, however service was lacking at my last visit. We made a reservation and watched ~15 people get seated before us so we weren't seated until 30 minutes after our reservation. The restaurant was busy as always, but once seated we didn't get any menus and couldn't get anyone's attention, and eventually we walked over and grabbed the menus ourselves. Not to mention, it still took a bit after getting someone's attention for them to come over and take our order. I love the food at shizen but our recent experience was disappointing :/ (Boddy and Soul is my favorite roll) read more

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Boddy & Soul was amazing. Also ordered the candlestick and secret weapon. Delish. Service was great and good selection of wine and na drinks. Yum!!! read more

Shizen - The Candlestick, Hidden Agenda & Boddy & Soul - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

We made reservations, our party consisted of four people, and I was using a small mobility scooter. The space is barely wheelchair accessible. Guests seated at the back had to get up and move their chairs so I could enter the restaurant through their "accessible" door. I questioned how accessible the space really was, and the able-bodied server argued with me, so I disengaged and gave up hope that it would be a teachable moment. They offered us a four-person table, but our fourth guest would have had to sit in the aisle on a small wooden stool with holes in the top that made it look like a bundle of bamboo. I asked if they could put a regular dining chair there instead, as it wasn't fair to my friend's back or comfort. The server insisted they couldn't because of fire safety regulations. When our fourth guest arrived, we solved the problem ourselves by squeezing my friend (on a regular chair) onto my side of the table, keeping the usual two people on each side. We ordered three small appetizers, three specialty rolls, a ramen, and a cocktail each. We all enjoyed the food, with the exception of the ramen, which lacked depth of flavor (umami?). Per their policy, we had 90 minutes at the table. At the 45-minute mark, a waitress came over and told us we were at "last call" for placing any additional orders. I guzzled down my drink because it felt like we were being rushed out. We all decided to take the experience for what it was, but agreed we wouldn't tip as generously as we usually do. Then we realized we didn't have much choice because a 20% service charge had been added and explained it was their policy for four people or more. After leaving, we each realized none of the four of us remembered seeing that policy on the menu, so I double-checked online. I found a photo of their menu from two months ago that stated the 20% service charge applied only to parties of five or more people. We don't plan to go back, especially with Tane Vegan Izakaya in Berkeley and Mensho in Oakland, both of which are excellent and provide outstanding, equitable service. read more

I took my vegetarian friends here for a date night. We had a reservation, but the staff seemed to be a little disorganized and we weren't asked if we had a table until after our reservation time. Tempura vegetables: 2/5, $14 The soy sauce was very bland and the vegetables were not very well coated in the tempura batter. Kaarage: 4/5, $9 Tasted almost the same as chicken kaarage! A bit pricy for the amount of pieces given. Open invitation roll: 4/5, $19 Very fun. It had a crunchy topper that went well with how soft the pumpkin filling was. Proud peacock roll: 3/5, $19 This roll was interesting because each one had a different vegetable on top (roasted red peppers, eggplant, mushroom). We weren't all able to try one of each since there weren't more than two of each topper. Secret weapon roll: 5/5, $19 My favorite roll! Super spicy and consistent. Definitely a saucy roll but worth the mess. The waitress who was serving us was a bit rude. She asked if we wanted any recommendations, and when we replied we were still finishing reading the menu, she repeated passive aggressively if we wanted to hear recommendations, as if we misheard. Just a little off putting since this was just at opening and we had just sat down. She was polite the rest of the dinner. I'd definitely come back to try more rolls and the ramen! read more

Made a res but wasn't busy when we arrived. We got seated right away and service was great. We tried some drinks, nigiri, several rolls, and dessert. It's cute inside and sorta unsuspecting from the outside. Nigiri was prob our favorite. The rolls were great and creative. We loved the veggie ones more than any that had tofu. Maybe the texture with the rolls threw us off a bit or something. Drinks were refreshing and dessert was so so. The mochi with red bean wasn't too sweet and had great texture. We didn't love the ice cream texture but flavor was good. It was nice to check out Shizen and a great vegan restaurant. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for SO long. They are an all vegan sushi spot which we love supporting. They are reservations only (up to 4 people) and walk ins up to 3 people. So if you want to secure a spot, I recommend reserving if you can. Their reservations are taken same day in my experience so we decided to shoot our shot and do a walk in. The line was quite long to get in but they serviced us pretty quick. After sitting down and ordering our food the staff was amazing at servicing us pretty quickly. We ordered the shio ramen which was so rich and yummy in flavor. Also got the hidden agenda and secret act. My personal fav was the hidden adgenda. Gave more of that tempura flavor I was looking for in a sushi roll. Definitely want to go back and try new menu items when we are in the city. The ambiance was super nice. Very clean, the bathrooms also very clean and well kept. Idk how long this place has been here but looks like it was brand new. Definitely a popular place and I can see why! read more

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I've been wanting to try Shizen for a while and was finally able to snag a reservation for a Saturday night, and I'm so glad I did! We arrived and were sat promptly at the reservation time. It's a small spot so you for sure need to secure a reservation to avoid a long wait. I ordered the Karaage, Boddy & Soul and Secret Weapon rolls shared between two people. I also ordered the mango soda which sounded good but was just ok. The Karaage was so good, I just wish it came with more. The boddy & soul was my favorite roll, as it was crispy and flavorful. I would definitely come back to try more rolls! read more

Shizen - Boddy & Soul, Secret Weapon - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Vegan sushi is so incredibly fun to try as they are inventive and using ingredients in ways that make the texture and taste stand out. We enjoyed it! Service was great! Unfortunately it was difficult to remember what we got. read more

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Was really surprised by how good the vegan apps and sushi were here! As someone who loves raw fish, I was skeptical of the idea of vegan sushi but came here with a vegetarian friend wanting to try the specialty rolls. We started with the Bean Curd Katsu and then shared the Open Invitation and Colonel's Pipe rolls which was the perfect amount of food for 2 people. Loved the Bean Curd Katsu which had a great texture and really crispy, crunchy crust! The rolls were delicious and full of flavor. The shredded tofu in the Open Invitation roll reminded me of the imitation crab in a California roll and the lotus chips added a great crunch. Colonel's Pipe was great as well - loved the creamy tofu and smoked beet combo! Overall such a yummy spot that everyone would enjoy regardless of if you're vegan or not! And the space is gorgeous as well with natural wood all around. The perfect spot to take visitors from out of town or a date night to try something new! read more

Shizen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm not vegan but have heard great things about shizen so I was super excited to try it! I made a reservation ahead of time so we were sat immediately once we got there. Super cute vibes inside with plenty of tables for 2 and 4 inside. We ordered boddy and soul, open invitation and missing piece for rolls and tempura vegetables on the side. All of the rolls were fun to try but my favorite was definitely missing piece. The mango added a tangy flavor to the roll and I loved the texture of the mushrooms. I found the other two rolls a bit mushy and thick, which makes sense given they were made from vegetables, but wasn't my preferred texture and made it hard to enjoy after trying one of each. The tempura vegetables were pretty standard (but yummy) and I loved the vegan ice cream we ordered at the end! Not a huge fan of mochi pastries but loved that it was all dairy free :) Overall I was impressed by the quality of the ingredients and the creativity of the chefs! not sure if I'd come back but definitely glad I tried it!! read more

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Wow. No expectations, but we were blown away! Delicious for non-vegans and gluten free alike. The candlestick roll was the table's favorite. The secret weapon was *hot* be warned. Make sure to snag a reservation well in advance. read more

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We had a good experience at Shizen on a Sunday night. We managed to get a last-minute reservation and were impressed with the food and ambiance, though the service was just okay. We could not find street parking, so we opted for the paid parking lot next to the restaurant which was 20$. Coming to the dishes we tried: Boddy and Soul: 5/5, this was best amongst the dishes we tried with great flavors. Open invitation: 5/5, looks great and tastes equally good. Sweet potato roll: 4/5, this classic roll was good but felt the specialty rolls were better. Mushrooms and Gyoza: 3/5 both were underwhelming and a bit bland. read more

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The food is amazing! Loved the zero alcohol drinks as well! We tried the Secret Soda and the Mango Mint. The body and soul, and surprise ending specialty rolls are a must-try! read more

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Went on a Sunday without a reservation and got there around 4:20, about 10 minutes before opening. There was already a small line, but we were still able to get seats at the sushi bar which honestly made the experience even better. The service was great, the staff was attentive and welcoming, and the food was amazing. The sushi was fresh, creative, and packed with flavor. Definitely worth showing up a little early if you don't have a reservation. read more

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Was super excited to try this place after hearing about it from my other vegetarian friends! I got three special rolls - Boddy and Soul, Secret Weapon, and Surprise Ending. Boddy and Soul and Secret Weapon are tied for my favorite! Secret Weapon is great as a more "normal" roll, served cold and with veggies/tofu to replace the meat. This had a nice spice to it. Boddy & Soul is a tempura roll, served warm and crispy, and I loved the flavors from the tempura. This was also a bit spicy, but not too bad. Lastly, we had the Secret Weapon which is a roulette style roll where one of the six pieces is very (and I mean very!!) spicy. It's also served with a shot of sake for the person who eats the spicy roll. My friend and I had a lot of fun making a game out of it! The restaurant itself has a nice ambiance and you can tell that it's more of an upscale place. My server was very friendly and helped us decide what rolls to get. I would definitely come back if in the area again! read more

Shizen - Surprise Ending - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I have to be honest, the idea of a vegan sushi place did not jump out at me as a great one. This place was chosen by some vegetarian friends and I approached it with an open mind but a fair bit of trepidation. Man was I wrong. We tried a bunch if different dishes and each one was balanced, incredibly flavorful, unique, and downright delicious. Seriously, not a single miss on a table full of vegan sushi. I'm as shocked as you are but am very glad I went. Would be more than happy to come back and it'll be an easy recommendation for my meat-averse and meat-loving friends. read more

This review is strictly from the perspective of a non vegetarian who enjoys sushi. I've always thought why would I ever resort to vegan sushi when I can have the real deal? However with my vegetarian company I decided to be flexible and try this place out. The rolls are insanely creative. I can see how creating a vegan/vegetarian sushi is HARD WORK you can't have the fish do all the work for you. While everything I put in my mouth was delicious, I can't see myself opting for vegan sushi unless I have to. Especially when the prices are about the same. Definitely a hit for those who can't do sushi and would like to see what the hype is about. read more

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Absolutely love Shinzen food is always delicious & fresh, came for my bday celebration & was treated to a lovely dessert, thank you Boddy & soul my absolute favorite all other rolls spot on. read more

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Shizen was one of my favorite and unique dining experiences in San Francisco. It is a fully vegan sushi restaurant with apps in addition to the sushi roll options. I loved the signature rolls, it was hard to pick a favorite but the Boddy And Soul is a must try. You can tell that the chefs put a lot of thought and creativity into the rolls, and making sure the flavors worked together. I would highly recommend Shizen, and it would be a great place to take someone who's visiting SF! read more

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the food was beautiful and creatively made! i was able to park at the lot, right next to the restaurant. parking fee was NOT at all cheap but i didn't mind - close and safe! service was ok! i mentioned twice that it was my daughter's birthday but nothing...although the hostess said she'd bring a candle by...nothing. for the price of food, a little more attention could have been given. read more

Today I visited Shizen SF, came right at 5pm and got lucky to get in with no wait, even without reservation (but honestly you prob should book ahead, this place gets packed fast). Shizen is a 100% vegan sushi spot and Michelin guided. I used to have a very great dining experience at Tane Vegan Izakaya in Palo Alto (another vegan sushi spot), so I just knew this place would hit! And I'm not wrong!!! I'm having a coffee date later so I only ordered two rolls: Candlestick and Boddy & Soul. Candlestick came out with a whole fire presentation, I was surprised and almost forgot to film. The roll had spicy tofu, cucumber, avocado, seaweed pearls, shichimi, and it tasted just like California roll no joke! I was shocked! (I mean it's not 100% alike but definitely around 80-90%) Boddy & Soul is recommended by staff. It's one of the most ordered item and I totally get the hype. The roll has tempura spicy tofu, green onion, sesame, spicy aioli, sweet soy. It's crunchy and the sauce was super flavorful, even better than some regular sushi I've ever had. You have to try it!!!!! Honestly I'd go back again multiple times just for this roll. Overall vibe was nice, service was good, food came pretty quick too. I'm not a vegan but I really enjoyed this place and for sure it converted me into a regular now! read more

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I am so glad to see people do well. We had been regulars at a Japantown restaurant before the pandemic. A waiter there was getting started as a cook. He mentioned to us this place, Shizen, where he had an opportunity in the kitchen. Years later, we finally went. The local newspaper has put it on their top 100. It was my wife's birthday. So it was an occasion. Our waiter has been there since the place opened. Everyone around us seemed to be having a good time. Service was brisk. I would have liked to linger. We plan to return. We'll embrace slowness next time. We had a roll. It was excellent. These items are not vegetables masquerading as something else. They are presented in a straightforward manner. I eat so much raw fish I need to watch my mercury levels. I've had vegan sushi elsewhere, the type that is done as if it were piscine protein. I prefer this preparation. They have so many rolls to try. We also had agedashi tofu. That is available at non-vegan establishments. Theirs was excellent. We had the leftovers the next day. The dumplings and the yakisoba were fine. They were not the highlights. The dessert can be recommended. I believe that might change; not sure. Two final notes. First, as to the neighborhood. We took an Uber to/from. It was priced such as that, minus tip, it was only about as much as the nearby parking lot. Second, that much roughage was more than I am used to. I need to eat more vegetables, that is for sure. The effect was positive. It just made me realize I should adjust my diet. read more

A great spot to try with a group of friends! The specialty rolls are always the highlight. The Boddy and Soul is a must-try, though we've also loved the Open Invitation and Foxy Scarlet. Interior is elegant and well-designed. Reservations fill up very quickly, so plan ahead! read more