Food (1.5/2): Unfortunately, since this was quite a while ago, I had forgotten what I've ordered. One that I remember is the Wafu Steak. What I can remember is that all the food had great visual appeal. Additionally, the flavors from the main ingredient, sauce, and condiments were artfully balanced. I felt that none of the ingredients in the dishes I ordered were decorative. My only minor disappointment is the small portion (though I get that US portions are typically giant...). Service/wait-time/cleanliness (1.5/2): Great service even if there was only 1-2 waiters. Wait-time is decent. Cleanliness is impeccable. One minor negative is the positioning of some of the table that sees the fan above them--the fan sits just below the light bulb and creates a "strobe-light" effect at night. This was incredibly disturbing for me and I had to face diagonally downwards most of the time to avoid the flickering at the top-corner of my eyes. Price (0.5/1): As much as I love what they've created, I just feel the price for the portion we receive is on the expensive side. Rounded to 4 because I love the place. read more

This reallt is a must try spot if you are craving good sushi. It is on the smaller side and has indoor seating with limited counter seating. There generally is a wait but I wouldn't let that deter you as it is worth the wait. The sushi is always freshly prepared, they have some unique side dishes and sushi/maki offerings too. Ordered pick up on a Saturday. I called 10 mins after they opened and they informed me it was an hours wait. I was a bit surprised by wait time but food was ready exactly when they said it woul be. When I got there place was packed with a few groups waiting for tables. Ordered the crunchy maki, tempura maki and softshell crab maki - everything was delicious as expected. Highly recommend! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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What a gem in Arlington. This restaurant is very small and they don't take reservations. There is often a wait, but so worth it! We finally got to try Toraya for lunch when we had the day off. Appetizer -Tempura: light and airy fry the shrimp and veggies. Great tempura if you are craving tempura -Tofu and Yasai Agedashi: deep fried tofu and vegetables in a light broth. The fry is light and airy and the tofu is silky and soft. Very tasty Entrees -Sushi lunch: 7 nigiri and 1 maki roll and miso soup. The sushi was super fresh and delicious. -Sake ikura don: salmon salmon salmon and roe over rice. Super fresh and delicious as well. They do have a takeout menu so I hope to try it out! read more

This place is a hidden gem. You wouldn't know it was anything special from the exterior. It's pretty awesome though. The wasabi steak is one of my favorite dishes. They cook it perfectly and add a wasabi sauce. I could eat 3-4 plates of this! It's my pick for the appetizer you cannot miss. All of the other sushi was top notch. They do an excellent job here. I always end up with a hefty bill because I order so much. It's absolutely worth it. I think they do these omakase style sampler plates. I always see people get them, but I never tried, because I know it's not enough food for me. I just get straight to ordering alot of everything. Service is great. They have a considerably large waiting area given the number of tables. There's a vestibule to wait in and then some couches/seating. I don't know if there's a limit for tables based on restaurant license or something, but it's odd that they don't add more tables to that area and do away with the generous waiting area. read more

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Unfortunately I got 3 browned avocado pieces in my California maki. I didn't get the waitress' attention just because other people were having good time. But it is very disappointing. The omakase sashimi is equally disappointing. Nothing special and I haven't seen such tiny pieces at other places. read more

A great little authentic Japanese restaurant in Arlington! The food was on the level of my favorite other sushi joints in the Boston area, and service was quick, a tad awkward, but nonetheless, professional. I was a bit confused by the actual ambience of the dining area-- at least when I went, there was no music playing, and since it was later in the evening, literally only 4 other people were there besides myself and my husband so it felt, quiet. There's also zero art work on the wall so although the walls are painted in a beautiful dark blue, it did feel like it needs a little something else, even if it's minimal. Food was great. Despite the slightly questionable ambience, we enjoyed the uzaku (unagi and cucumber) appetizer and the pork belly (both super tasty and seasoned beautifully). We got the chirashi bowl and omakase sushi plate (both quite reasonably priced for the level of food you get!) but please keep in mind that they do serve the nigiri in the traditional way, which is that the wasabi is already inside the nigiri. Quality and cut of fish was beautifully done, will definitely come back to continue trying other dishes! *Please note that it is a very small dining room so it is not recommended for large groups! read more

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Food wise, it's good. - Banzai maki: it's big and good - Sake maki: They were not cut evenly. But taste wise is good. - Nigiri: I don't like the idea that one order is one piece but you have to order 2 of the same thing as a minimum. Then I don't want to order anymore. It's pricey but they don't let you choose whatever and how many you want. - Umaki: the omelette is too thick and eel is too thin. It's hard to taste the eel. And my eel has a small bone. - Sirloin Steak Wasabi Sauce: the combination sounds interesting but it also tastes good especially we like wasabi. The beef is medium rare. The plating is not that great/appetizing though. - Kamo Rosu: this is a cold dish. The duck is ordinary by itself. But with Karashi spicy mustard, scallion and vegetables, it tastes a lot better. Service wise, it's not good. New customers arrived and they didn't come to greet or check in with them even though they had nothing to do. And we finished our tea and they never offered to refill it and they never checked with us on the food even though we sat right in front of them. But this place is popular for sure. There's a line during the weekend dinner time. read more

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Date night means fancy sushi night! My bf and I were craving sushi on our weekly date night and decided to try this place. We were lucky to get quickly seated on a busy Saturday night because they only have a few two people tables, two four people tables and one table for six. I felt bad for the big group that was waiting before we got there because we were finished with our meal by the time they got seated. There are many dishes to choose from in the menu besides sushi. They also have main entrees, appetizers and sides and tons of different sakes and alcoholic beverages to choose from. Since it was tough to choose from the menu we both decided on the chefs omakase special. We each got a bowl of warm miso soup to start and a bottle of ice cold sake to share. When our sushi came out we were super excited because it looked delicious! The fish tasted fresh and some had a surprising strong kick of wasabi which surprised me in a good way. The waitress was very attentive and kept filling our glasses of water. We enjoyed the nice relaxing background music as we quickly devoured our delicious meal. This was such a nice treat! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Omakase special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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This place has some of the best sushi that I have probably ever had. Truly excellent. A joy having a place like this in my neighborhood.

Beautiful ambiance. The walls are painted a deep blue and the design from the seating area and furniture to the glassware can be described as serene. The food itself was commendable -- we had the agedashi tofu, the eel nigiri, the otsukuri (a unique selection of sashimi) and a glass of sweet plum wine. Everything tasted fresh! For constructives, The space is only large enough to accomodate like 6-8 parties so a lot of people crowded the waiting area. Additionally I would have liked the server to identify the sashimi upon serving so we would have heightened awareness of what we were trying. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Otsukuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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For the price, not worth it. The freshness is pretty good with fish. But the cutting of corners for tiny pieces of sashimi was kind of unsettling and felt insulting for the price. I've never seen sashimi served in quarter bite pieces. The wait was long. They don't accept reservations. They should have more cooks and chefs helping. Service was lacking but seems there isn't much help. Inflation and sushi grade prices are high but this was too much. The other appetizers were bland and nothing much to be desired. I wish I had better words for this place. read more

SUCH good fish. Came around 12pm on a Tuesday and the restaurant had ample seating. Our waitress was very kind and the service was great. Had a tempura appetizer and got 2 sashimi lunch between my friend and I which came out to around 52 excluding tip. The sashimi lunch looked small but it came with a miso soup and a cup of rice as well so we left full. The fish was amazing and each piece had such a different flavor from the others which made lunch a really fun experience. Would definitely return! I'm still dreaming about this lunch almost a week later. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Food is amazing. Used to live in NYC with a lot of good japanese places and this place is the only place so far that reminded me of true Japanese restaurant read more

A gem!! If you want to feel like you're in a Michelin star Japanese restaurant without leaving too far from Boston, this is it. My Japanese professor recommended this to me. You can tell the focus here is on delivering a quality sushi experience. The fish is fresh and the ambience is calm. Minimalist Japandi style with no background music and hushed speaking. Food is tastefully presented. Chirashi bowl is the way to go for the variety of sashimi. Also comes with miso soup and a generous amount of flavorful sushi rice! The pork belly was excellent as well. Appetizers came out quickly but the chirashi took some time as expected as there seemed to be one sushi chef. Service was attentive. Our tea cups (matcha) were never left empty and they occasionally asked us how things were going without overly bothering us. They also ensured the flow of customers in the restaurant and kept everything neat and clean. Steady flow of customers. I thought it was very thoughtful that instead of cramming additional tables into the area, they left a spacious waiting area with a couch. I think the wait probably would never be too bad as people don't try to overstay and the staff are efficient. They also didn't try to fit different parties into a larger table even though they could have. Really enjoyed my time and will be back! read more

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Sushi Kappo Toraya, formerly known as Toraya, closed during Covid and reopened in its new location on December 31, 2021, at 795 Massachusetts Ave, in Arlington, MA. The chef owned Japanese restaurant has had the same chef, Chef Shinji Muraki, since 1999. Toraya is serves up a number of traditional Japanese dishes that you cannot find at your favorite fusion sushi joint. The menu is worth exploring for hidden gems. I would explore the special of the day menu for unique offering not on the regular menu. For our meal, we ordered the fluke sashimi and the little neck clams steamed in sake. The fluke sashimi had delicate flavors while the steamed clams had a nice sake broth. I would say that Toraya uses simple cooking techniques and Japanese ingredients that highlight the protein being served. For appetizers, I recommend tofu and yasai agedashi. This is my husband and my favorite go to dish when dining here. A very traditionally Japanese comfort food kind of dish. We also shared the kinoko no On-salad which offered a variety of sautéed mushrooms on a bed of greens. Sushi/sashimi portions are tiny, reasonable for the price, and with exceptionally freshness. I ordered the omakase sushi set and the omakase sashimi. Both offered high quality fresh sushi and sashimi and came with miso soup. Makis at Toraya are both delicious and unique. I recommend trying the umesisho maki with the dry plum and shiso leaf. This is not your typical sushi. The restaurant also serves up fusion sushis as well if you don't want to venture too far and want to stick to the basic. The soft shell crab maki was a hit for the kids. Customer service was exceptional. Our waitress came by at least a dozen time to check in and refill both our water and tea and collected dishes we finished or scraps left on the table. She even checked in on our kids, perfect for my son, who love socializing with the wait staff and complimenting the chef wherever he dines. The restaurant, being a local favorite, can have long wait times. There is only one chef preparing the sushi for all of the tables so dinner service was at a notably slower pace. Plenty of time to hold intimate conversations with your partner, or in my case, telling my children to stop scooting in their seats. I am not saying to leave the kids at home, since both of my children absolutely love sushi, but they can get restless. When we visited, approximately an hour after dinner service began, the restaurant was already at max capacity with all seats filled as well as the bar seating area. We were able to wait inside of the restaurant. There is an actual sofa and a long bench for waiting patrons so that you are not left standing out in the element. This is a huge plus for parties with children or elders. Overall, just a very lovely traditional Japanese restaurant that you need to try. read more

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This place is adorable and delicious! The sushi is fresh, made to order, and it's not too crowded if you come on a non weekend day for lunch. The only downside about this place was that it took forever to get our dishes, felt like an hour. Parking is street, and the interior can seat maybe 20 so not a large capacity. Would definitely come back for dinner because they have more options! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Last month, my friend and I went here for an early dinner around 5pm. The restaurant was already packed so we had to wait about 20 minutes before we got our table. We ordered the Tori no Nanbanzuke, Otsukuri, Sirloin Steak in wasabi sauce, and Tofu and Yasai Agedashi. We also ordered a few pieces of toro and tako nigiri and spicy tuna maki. The Tori no Nanbanzuke was deep fried chicken mixed with sliced vegetables in a sweet sauce. The menu said it was served cold so the chicken was even crispy anymore. However, it was tasty. The Tofu and Yasai Agedashi came with mushrooms in a soy broth. The tofu was good. The sirloin steak came medium rare with a side of chopped wasabi. It tasted good but the meat could have been more tender. The Otsukuri came with slices of salmon, mackerel, striped bass, yellowtail, red snapper and surf clam sashimi. The sashimi was fresh. Overall, the meal was good but there wasn't an entree that really impressed me. read more

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Almost a hole in the wall spot that wasn't even on my radar. They have simple Japanese dishes that is hard to find anywhere else near Boston. read more

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Have been a LONG time customer at Sushi Kappo Toraya (used to be across the street from Stop & Shop). Covid hit and the lease was not renewed. THANK GOODNESS the Japanese owner/chef Shinji's luck came when a new location in Arlington opened (crossed the street from Whole Foods). Shinji knows his sushi -the way he chose and slices the high quality fish and it is always fresh - melts in your mouth. His shrimp tempura is also a winner - breading is not too thick or greasy - mouth watering!!! Shinji is consistent in his food/sushi preparations. Sixteen years later, I am never disappointed when eating at Sushi Kappo Toraya. This is my only go to place for Japanese sushi. Absolutely delicious!!! read more

Finally! After 7 years in Massachusetts we found real, authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine! Beautiful, classy restaurant premises, amazing and efficient service...and the food. I cannot express how happy this restaurant has made me. Having traveled in Japan various times, eating Japanese food in the states leave much to be desired, but Sushi Kappo Toraya is incredible!!!! read more

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My son saved up a lot money to take his girlfriend there today. Her shashimi was served with ALOT of wasabi inside it... which was not described on the menu. She couldn't eat it, was too much spice. My son explained it was too much and she couldn't eat it. They said next time order on the side... even though it wasn't described. And then they heard them making fun of her. SO disappointed in this place. It's not the first time the attitude was difficult. Taking advantage of young kids on a date stinks. Do better read more

After several non-Japanese friends said that Toraya is good, I feel I have to try by myself as a Japanese. I was wowed. It is super authentic and delicious. We started with house hot sake: this was great. I love hot sake. For appetizer, we got maguro tataki salad and wakame and sake (salmon). I loved maguro tataki. It was actually first time in the U.S. I had maguro no tataki. I felt like I was in Japan. For main dish I got omakase sushi. This is great variety of fish. I loved toro. It melted in my mouth. Left the restaurant very happily. I will come back for sure! read more

INCREDIBLE!! Truly one of the BEST Japanese sushi restaurants that I have ever been to. The chef is so patient and good at this craft. This place is unique to the Arlington area. There wasn't anything that tasted bad here!! read more

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This is a great place for Japanese food with a lot of "traditional" feel. I have never had anything here that wasn't fresh and delicious. The wait time can be a little long depending on when you show up and service is a little slow... but sometimes things can't be rushed, and it can be part of the experience. The shrimp and lotus dish is one of my favorites at dinner time! A must try. The crab croquette is also full of tasty crab. read more

My sister ordered pick up from here and I wanted to get a meal too. When I called I was told I couldn't add anything to her order and to put it an order of my own would take them an hour and a half to make, on a Sunday night. I had to order from another place to get a reasonable turn around. Very disappointing read more

My husband took me to Toraya for Mother's Day eve. They now have more items on their menu than when they had just opened. There is more furniture in the waiting area also including a comfortable couch. Still a great place for date night, love the interior. Also good for families and groups of friends, or really anybody who loves high-quality sushi. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Entrance - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Quiet restaurant, attentive servers. Care given to food preparation. Well seasoned. Interesting selection. read more

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This is a long overdue review after they reopened at the end of 2021. I was so exciting that they returned after 1.5 years of hibernation during the Covid pandemic. I come here once a week - that tells you something. It's my comfort food place. This is the ONLY place in the Boston proper where you can get the authentic Japanese food. There might be other Japanese food places but, there is no comparison. I have met other fellow diners at the restaurant and we are all in agreement on how special this place is. Great food, great people, and homey place - what else do we need? I love Tofu & Yasai Agedashi, Kinoko no On-Salad, or Shime-Saba for appetizer. I rotate between Chirashi and Omakase Sushi because the chef Shinji does a fantastic job with them. They don't take reservation and at times, they may stop taking take-out order if it gets too busy. Just be patient and when you get a table, enjoy it fully! PS: I love reading few complains by some reviewers here as entertainment. It's fascinating to see how people can be so ignorant. read more

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I've been a huge fan of this restaurant ever since I was little. My parents and I ate at Toraya back when they were at their previous location. The food is made with care and it is always delicious. The staff are so kind and friendly. I was a picky eater as a kid, and this place always accommodated my requests for simplifying meals. A few weeks ago I had a dish with miso-flavored salmon wrapped around chunks of tofu (sadly I don't remember the name) and it was fresh and salty and perfect. I look forward to having that or something like it on my next visit. I love the space as well. The navy walls and dark wood tables create a calm, intimate atmosphere. I love the buzz of excited chatter from the other patrons and the food-prep noises from the kitchen. It is a treat to sit at the counter and watch the sushi chef create his pieces. This is a wonderful local restaurant that I hope to dine at for many years to come. read more

The sushi here is so good! This is a gem and a secret that I wished I knew about earlier. They don't take reservations and it was well worth the wait. So fresh!!! Highly recommend. Compliments to the chef! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Omakase Suishi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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Traditional Japanese restaurant in Arlington. Sake Don salmon rice $18 and Sake Ikura Don salmon roe rice $20 come with miso soup, small egg omelet and thin slices of fish. Pretty good. Side dish Tempura $9 is nicely crispy. Limited street parking, may need to park elsewhere and walk over. read more

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Got the Toraya Tokusei Bento Box to go for $25 before tax and tip. This place is AMAZING. It's a small storefront in Arlington that has just a few employees. The food is a little bit slow to be made, but it's obviously very fresh and a lot of care is put into making it - I placed an order over the phone at 11:30am right when they open and my box wasn't ready until 12:30, so keep that in mind when planning! I got the Bento Box which was really unlike any other bento I've ever had - tons of unique things that I'd never had before, fresh bites everywhere. I wish I had some descriptions of what things were so I could ask again! Highly recommend this if you're even remotely adventurous of an eater - so many things to try. I got the food to go so I only quickly got to go inside the restaurant. There's less than 10 tables for sure, and with the food being pretty slow to be made I think it might be pretty difficult to get a table at times. That being said, the food is really just SO unique that it's worth a shot if you're on the fence - really amazing and unlike anything else in Arlington or the surrounding area! read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Toraya Tokusei Bento Box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

I've travelled in Japan, and this restaurant has the best selection of fish I've found in the Boston area. Expensive restaurants in Back Bay and the South End do not have the selection of fresh fish found at Toraya. Everything is very well done, very fresh, and very thoughtfully presented and served. There is only one chef making the sushi and sashimi, and he is a perfectionist. That's what makes the restaurant so good. People complain about long wait times, but the chef does not sacrifice quality for speed and volume. Some reviewers have pointed out that the restaurant could accommodate more tables, but the owner knows what he is doing. The small dishes from the kitchen are well done and very reasonably priced. The sake selection is small and excellently curated. The staff are friendly and helpful, and kindly worked with my food allergy. I drive a long way to eat at Toraya because it is an authentic, delicious experience. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya finally reopens after a year and a half! As always, the fish is extremely fresh but the prices have gone up significantly and the portions got much smaller. I recommend coming right when it opens as it does get pretty busy and there's only 8-9 available tables. We've tried calling for takeout after 30 mins it opened but was told the wait would be 1.5 hours. This is definitely a perfect date night environment. read more

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Fantastic food and excellent experience. The single chef if amazing and creates a great atmosphere.

I was depressed when the old Toraya closed. Now I am happy again. Been there three times in early 2022 and gotten take-out another three times. Besides the omakase sashimi my izakaya favorites for now: Buta Bara Kaku-Ni, Shime-Saba, Tofu & Yasai Agedashi, and Kamo Rosu (big winner)! Others, I may not have tried (yet) since the reopening. Sapporo is fine as a beer starter. The sake supply is still covid restricted so we usually fall back to the Kimoto. Dassai 45 is available and on my okay list, but I am really waiting for Kubota to be stocked. Kubota is my usual choice at home. News about Kubota: It is available. However, I don't care that much about the DaiGinjo. I find Senju much more enjoyable; best at room temperature and should be a lot cheaper! read more

They say patience is a virtue. When it comes to Toraya, getting seated is the virtue. Toraya hasn't sold out their morals when it comes to serving to the masses. They keep it as simple as possible, with diminutive seating, a simple sushi chef behind the counter, and 1-2 waitresses who are also servers. We started out with the Agedashi Tofu, which is fried tofu served in a special sauce, topped with scallions and button mushrooms. My GOODNESS! This tofu is perfectly fried to perfection and the sauce makes this appetizer PERFECT! The tofu is tender, yet lightly fried on the outside. Next, we shared the Sushi Moriawase, which is a combination of a simple maki roll and a variety of sushi pieces. read more

Sushi Kappo Toraya - Sushi Moriawase - Sushi Bars Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

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They don't have a lot of seating (and it's all quite tight, even though the restaurant has a lot of space), so on Thursday night, the first batch of seats were filled by 5:30 PM. And because they are quite slow, the next seating could take a while, so I'd definitely come when it opens! Overall, I enjoyed the dishes we got: the nama uni (12$) was a little past prime, but still tasty. I really loved the yellowtail in the chirashi (28$); each of the pieces was cut quite small though! The fish was fresh, but not all the cuts were beautiful (the tamago was falling apart, and the salmon had dangly bits). The salmon and tuna maki (8.50$ each) were as expected. read more

We waited in our seats for an hour to get our food. The $22 steak dish was small, super fatty, and not that good. The salmon sashimi and the miso soup were tasty. Small disappointments were that my water glass smelled like fish (before eating any!) and my soup spoon was dirty. The food was okay, but not worth the long wait and mediocre service. We won't be back. read more

A rare Japanese-owned sushi restaurant in Arlington and a very popular spot. It doesn't get much more authentic than this in the U.S., as the food is made with the most fresh and organic ingredients too. The sushi tasted especially flavorful and sumptuous, not quite like any sushi I've had before. Note I haven't visited Japan yet, but it's on my bucket list! The space is a bit small for how popular it was and they don't take reservations; we had to wait a bit for a table, and a continuous stream of people were coming in after us, some of whom had longer waits than us. The reason for this? There are only seven tables and one little counter space in the whole restaurant! A large entrance and waiting area could've easily been made smaller for more tables, so that's one change I'd recommend. The atmosphere was classy and a bit minimal. The service was very good, though it took a while for the food to come, but it sure was worth it when it did. read more