Offering Giant pieces of fresh fish, Noisy, Crowded Japanese Gem is my stomping ground. To say that this place is so vital to my dining experience, is to put it lightly. The Sushi bar welcomes the hungry, the two dining section, the weary, and the line on the outside, the poor? Well the wretched because they want to be inside, seated, and happily noting down on an express pad their favorites of I Like Eel, some choices from 1-6, individual pieces of sashimi, sushi, whatever the are craving... Don't forget their tasty Soft Shell Crabs, refreshing Beer or warm Sake... & Delicious Japanese Salads! The Host is very methodical, taking down cell phone numbers, keeping an eye on the line, going outside to check on patrons that are waiting outside. There is nothing better than sushi at Yama's. This location on 17th Street is my old standby. Perhaps I will venture out again and try their other locations... but my heart is still here at the corner of Irving Place & 17th Street. Eat Sushi, Eat until you are happy & full, this place is my touchstone! Bon Appetit.... read more

In the words of Outkast, this sushi joint is "so fresh and so clean clean." Freshness is what makes this place stand out in the NYC sushi industry, and since it's the most important label one could put on fish food, it makes this place fantastic. Once you actually find the partially-hidden door, you enter a sushi world of yummy everything, from the edamame to the potstickers to the... omg. the sushiiiiii. So good it actually kind of melts in your mouth, and I didn't even know seaweed and rice could do that. The only thing that I would have changed was the sashimi. Don't get me wrong, it was really good! But just too small. Especially compared to the pretty sizable sushi rolls, and with pretty high prices. Because to a girl, size matters. Just kidding, bahaha. But seriously, this place is fresh. read more

Decent place on Irving Street hidden down in the basement of the building that Washington Irving lived in. The decor is stark white, with only a few tiny red tiles on the walls to provide color. The rest of the color comes with the colorful sushi dishes. We had 4 of the special rolls and an Asahi 21oz. The total came to about $80. The Hamachi was fantastic, and the only other standout roll was the 'I Like Eel' roll that was wrapped in paper thin cucumber slices rather than seaweed. I always use Ponzu sauce at sushi restaurants, and when I asked here they brought some out for us. I thought the normally delicious sauce was not very good here, without any green onions or sesame and overly salted, it affected the flavor of every piece of sushi in a negative way. read more

This is my update from last night. Yama's is our favorite Japanese place in the Union Square area. We still love the sushi but the furnishings haven't changed in 20 years. Not sure why but a facelift could help. It still has a faithful following like us. Be forewarned, the tight seating is not conducive to private convo so if you're not on a date or don't care, come for the food because everything else is sub-par. read more

Yama - Sushi Deluxe - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

See all

This spot was recommended to me by a friend. Went in for lunch yesterday. They have good lunch specials with sushi and sashimi ranging from $13-$18. Service was very spotty and it took us a while to get a waiter over. He seemed very pissed off and was essentially throwing our dishes at us. He also liked to growl.... We just laughed it off. We both got the sashimi lunch which comes with soup or salad and rice upon request. It was a good amount of fish which tasted very fresh. They give you a nice assortment as we'll. neither my friend or I were able to finish it all. The only part I didn't like was they gave you a bunch of crab sticks. They were probably fake crab and should never be included on a sashimi plate. Good spot though, especially for Union Square area. It gets busy during lunch time but I will go back. read more

We had such a hard time finding this place!! Secluded in a basement, this little restaurant is tucked away. We finally found it and waited for about 15mins for a table on a Friday night. The sushi was fresh and the servings are decent. The service was very attentive too. The rolls are pretty large for Manhattan standards so share, share share! read more

Yama Yama Yama...where do I even begin? I love you. I used to work in wholesale seafood sales (sashimi grade tuna, to be specific), so I know what the hell I'm talking about when I say these guys have high quality fish. If you ever go into a sushi place and it smells fishy, immediately turn around and go somewhere else. Fish isn't supposed to taste fishy - something that Yama has never let me down in. Their hamachi is phenomenal, salmon is nice and buttery, and the eel is grilled perfectly. The tuna is fine, nothing special, but very fresh regardless (for those of you in the know - it would be graded a 2+). Better than the sushi however, are the portion sizes. HUGE! Sushi and sashimi for 2 is the best value IMO, for like $70 you get an amount of food that's hard for 2 people to finish. Massive slices of sashimi too, like at least double the size of your average sushi joint. For value and quality, I'll keep coming back here over and over again. It's no Masa, but it's consistently good. In a city filled with sushi places, this one's on my short list. read more

Magical experience feel like to visit at Japan The food is fresh and amazing, the fish are freshly read more

Yama was a amazing as usual. The twin tuna sushi was the best. The basil leaves mixed with all the fresh fish and flavors was to die for. The hamachi carpaccio was delicious. Great citrus flavor. read more

Yama - Amazing!!!! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

See all

This is a case that proves my theory: while there are tons of really interesting-looking options in NYC, it's also really easy to have some mediocre food here. In the case of Yama, it's one of the worst sushi experiences I've had in a large American city. It's hugely disappointing as I stumbled into it as it is right across the street from my hotel, and i was famished at 10pm. Surrouned by SO MANY better choices, this was soul-crushing. When you spot the restaurant (very discreet, tasteful sign... completely easy to miss... i had to double-back) it's promising. As you take the steps to the half-basement, and catch the first sign of the place, you will pause a second, thinking, "I can turn back now without offending anyone." The decor is virtually non-existent. In fact, the sushi bar is as utilitarian as you get, and I don't mena that in a 'minimalist-chic' way. A hand-scribbled sign written in sloppy penmanship on a plain ol' white 8x11paper, taped next to the sushi bar that says, "your tip on the bill only goes to the server" (assume it's meant to tip the sushi chef separately if you happened to have sat at the sushi bar) is a telling sign. The menu features and prices are pretty much something out of what you'd expect from a random Japanese/thai/teppan join in a rural American town -- i.e. one of the most prominent item is a roll that features tri-colored roe. They are all basic dyed roe in neon colors, and completely gimmicky in the way sushi rolls must have seemed like a novelty to rural America in the 90s. Just about everything that passed the kitchen was 'off' to varying degrees... from salty and piping hot miso soup (annoying) to one of the worst sushi-sashimi combination plate I've ever seen (spectacularly bad). The latter is worth describing... about 5 sushi, 1 avocado/imitation-crab roll, 6 pieces of sashimi and 4 random pieces of low-quality imitation-crab sticks, accompanied by a careless mound of ginger. You can often tell how much care went into constructing the plate... the uniformness of the sushi roll pieces, the selection of fish, etc. This plate looked and tasted as if it was put together by a patron in a random, "learn to make sushi" cooking class. Sushi: completely-off fish-rice ratio; roll: completely sloppy, sashimi: rubbery and obvious it was sliced without any regard for grain on the fish flesh, crab-sticks: looked like leftover pieces from another random roll. I actually had to spit out a piece of sashimi because it was both fishy and rubbery at the same time. I chose the place despite the 3.5 star rating on Yelp because of the relatively high number of reviews. Now I know... in New York City, no place worth solid 4 start Yelp rating is worth it. There are just way too many random landmines. read more

Pretty good sushi place in the city. The cuts are very generous and my sashimi was buttery and fresh. I got the tuna naruto roll and the sashimi set. I enjoyed both very much. I didn't want any carbs so got all fish and it was well worth it. The price isn't bad either, definitely coming back! read more

Yama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

It's sushi, plain and simple. It can get a little spendy and the crowd's a little trendy, but you you get what you pay for in the endy. For my first review, I stinged out on this place and gave it three stars, but looking back and thinking of the quality and the cut of sushi served here, I think it's worthy of a 4. I definitely see myself coming back here again. read more

Came here hungry after a 3 mile run for a Friday dinner. It's a small restaurant in the basement. Glad that we only had a 10 min wait to be seated by the sushi bar. This place is definitely for good sushi, as there are 4 chefs working diligently behind the tight-spaced bar. None of them are Japanese however. Big fresh slices of fishes are kept in the right temperature at the sushi bar's counter. The glass gets foggy when door is open in and out. As hungry as we were, we ordered enough food for 3 people. Rolls and sushi are made firmly with thick cut pieces of fishes. Even for a beginner chopstick user, the roll and sushi pieces can be picked up without falling rice. That's how I can tell if the chef's skill is any good. My friend used to come here very often, and he thought the rolls were done slightly sloppier than before. We marked the order wrong, and the chef was nice to redo our order and replace some rolls with sushi. Thanks God~ Sushi: Toro: fatty tuna. love it Sea Urchin: yum, just melted in the mouth. Scottish Salmon Eel: usually save this for last as the flavor may overwhelms other raw fishes Rolls: Yellow Tail and Scallion: love it, pieces of scallion are definitely pleasant to the taste buds. Spicy Tuna: thick pieces of tuna in middle with spicy sauce on top, unlike cheap chopped tuna chunks used in many other sushi places. Salmon hand roll: if you like it less rice and get more of taste of the fish, this is perfect. Salmon Naruto: no rice or seaweed, only fish rolled with cucumber. Very refreshing. Think we got too much salmon, but we are done eating raw fish for a while now. Bill came out to be $91. Perfect. read more

See all

GET THE HAMACHI KAMA. Now. If I came back here again, I would order the hamachi kama, a roll, and be done with it. I forget the exact pricing, but I do know it wasn't expensive, and they gave two large absolutely succulent pieces of yellowtail collar. I had the "I like eel" roll, which was gigantic. It was really good and quite filling too, but definitely on the expensive side for a roll. The boy had the chirashi. I didn't taste much of his fish, but it seemed fine. Again, huuuge portions -- but the fish/rice ratio wasn't too good. It wasn't the fish's fault though............... Yama definitely isn't cheap, but they definitely have very innovative rolls and a freaking amazing hamachi kama. yummm. read more

Hands down 100% the best sushi for the price in nyc. The fish is fantastic. As good as any ultra high end. Stick to the basics.They dont really do special rolls well here and the decor is kinda bare bones....but thats why its cheep. The sushi is also very very big. If you do take out you might even want to order extra sushi rice and make 2 pieces out of each one. The downtown one takes resies....might be worth calling from this one and then moving downtown if the wait is too long here. read more

A terrible, terrible place if you're looking for real sushi/sashimi. We ordered the chirashi and sushi sashimi combo. Yes, it is very cheap, and served with huge slabs of fish. However, poor quality and limited variety of fish bored us. It's like a sushi restaurant w/3 kinds of fish and lots of fake crab meat. We also ordered the uni sushi. Of course, in Yama, everything is big even it's uni. However, it's no use if it's not fresh. This place is worse than the neighborhood sushi place. If you're not picky at all, Yama is great for you. read more

so we went again for my friend's bday today and we were really disappointed. first, the service was not great at all! the lady got our order wrong... AND she charged us for a tiny extra amount of ginger. $1.50 is not much, but it's the principle! when someone asks for ginger, you either tell them you charge, or you give it to them for free! but i've never been charged for ginger! preposterous! FYI, $10 cake cutting free. i just was really under-impressed by everything tonight. boo, i thought i had found a jewel.... won't be going back. =/ read more

Yama is definitely one of the best sushi places I have been to in New York. It's a little difficult to find the restaurant, as it's located below ground and the only way to get in is by walking down underneath a stairwell. But, the secret-ness of the restaurant makes it all the better. The restaurant is pretty small and the tables are close together, but the atmosphere felt warm and inviting. My friend and I ordered sushi and some appetizers, and all were extremely fresh and delicious. The sushi is a little pricey, but it is comparable to any other sushi place in the area (and the sushi here definitely makes the price worth it). I would give this restaurant 5 stars and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good dinner with a small group. read more

I finally made the trip to Yama that I've told myself I would do for almost a year now and I have to say I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. The sushi here, as many others before me had commented, is especially large, almost so that the rolls are too cumbersome and near-impossible to eat without quartering or biting in half. That aside, the quality of the sushi itself was quite good, the fish was fresh and savory, which made both my sushi and sashimi some of the more memorable ones that I've had in my life. On a final note, this place lacks five stars for its cramped interior spaces and rushed service. I realize that we went during prime-time on a Saturday evening but never in my life have I had such a expedited meal. If you want to enjoy yourself, come early or much later because this is a meal you'll want some time to process. read more

I've heard wonderful things about Yama from many people. I decided to try it for Friday night dinner - and because my boyfriend unexpected had to work late, we decided to order in instead of eat at the restaurant. The menu was not abundantly clear online and so when I called to inquire which type of fish was included (because I am allergic to certain types) and I asked a few questions, the man on the phone said "I don't have time to explain to you what's in this dish" in an extremely rude manner. I couldn't believe it. That's some kind of customer service they have. I truly hope someone from the restaurant reads this and fixes this problem. As someone who lives right across the street (and who's also in the culinary business) I could have been a paying customer for life AND a proponent of this restaurant, recommending to my friends in the industry. Highly disappointing and upsetting. All of that being said, when I actually came into the restaurant to eat - it was INCREDIBLE. The service was still sub par, but the food was so insanely good that it totally made up for it. I had - hands down - THE BEST sashimi of my entire life. It was enormous, fresh and life changing. Absolutely phenomenal! read more

I am saddened about writing this review... I started eating at YAMA on 17th & Irving Place back in 1997 or so. I was a regular customer at least twice a week for 12 years straight (sometimes showing up for lunch then later that night for dinner!). The sushi was "that" good! AMAZING! And then a change happened... What I'm not sure - Maybe management or ownership but in the last 3 years the portions have gotten smaller and the freshness, the vibrancy - well, that too faded. I had such a love for YAMA that I did NOT want to give up hope that it would turn around. So, for the last 3 years I kept going back (not twice a week but frequent enough...). The staff changed, the atmosphere changed, the locals disappeared and so did my "beloved sushi experience". And so, as of FEB 29 2012, I said "good-bye" to YAMA for the last time. With a heavy heart I ate my last mediocre meal, paid my hefty check and walked away with much sorrow and regret... So, from a "veteran of YAMA" point of view - I would NOT recommend! IT AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE! (Which was glorious...) VLC of NYC read more

Super close to my apartment, my go to local Sushi spot. Sushi is real good, and super big pieces. Prices pretty good too. Highlights are the Salmon, Scallop, Ikura for pieces and Spicy Yellowtail, Salmon/Avo and Twin Tuna Crisp for rolls. Usually a wait, but it's not too bad. They do pickup too, you can order via Yelp and pay in advance for a more seamless experience. Probably the best in Gramercy. Get there! read more

Not a fan. I ordered the sushi box and had concerns even while eating it because the fish didn't seem as fresh as I would have liked. The next day I had an awful stomachache and GI issues. The portion sizes are great here but I don't trust this place to have raw fish anymore. read more

According to the waiter, Yama has been around for 20+ years. That's a *LOT* Of years... that brings us back to the late 80's or early 90's when sushi was new, and america was still obsessed with the Japanese economy that never slowed down. Fast forward to 2010's and sushi is run-of-the-mill. Everywhere you can find it, so the bar is much higher. Certainly Yama has decent sushi, but not super high-caliber if you ask me. I'd go to East Sushi for a very affordable top quality roll, or Fu Sushi for the top top top of the line (in my very humble optinion)! I had wakame salad, edamame, and various rolls. All were fresh and delicious. read more

I had a great time here tonight but in retrospect I realize that it was due more to the company than to the restaurant. While Jama was good, it wasn't great. The rolls were humungous but lacking in distinctive flavor. I actually found the nigiri we ordered to be the best part of the meal and it was only slightly above average. The ambiance was nondescript but it wasn't abrasive... just lacking. I will say again that the rolls were huge and thus a relatively good value. I have nothing bad to say about Jama but I am not ecstatic about it either. p.s. Cliff, if you are reading this I am sorry I only gave it 3 stars :( read more

Such a cute hidden gem! Very fast and efficient service--you fill out a paper to order which makes things simple. Staff wasn't extremely friendly but they definitely did a good job. There's room at the sushi bar as well as tables to be seated at and looks very similar to small restaurants of this nature in Japan. The rolls we got were delicious! Nothing phenomenal, but we loved their special rolls! read more

Yama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Tasty "Very Special Lunch" Special! It comes with a California Roll, vegetable tempura, DELICIOUS fried tuna, teriyaki chicken, seaweed salad, three shamai dumplings and a bowl of miso, all for about $13. The only downfall is that when you leave, the tempura smell sticks on your clothes. read more

Yama - The very special lunch!! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Will never eat here again!!!!!! Stay far far away... Was looking for a place near by to grab sushi before a movie..saw this place and decided to give it a try. There was about a 35 min wait so I thought hey if people are waiting it must be pretty good. I was wrong. It was super packed and the service was horrible. We never got asked if we wanted drinks and it took about 15 minutes to get my water refilled. When we finally ordered and got our food it looked decent. I had a salmon roll, yellowtail and a tuna roll. My friends got an inside out salmon roll and shrimp tempura. My salmon looked decent it had a nice pink color to it but my friends salmon was extremely dark and smelled very fishy. We were already late for the movie and were starving after waiting almost 40 minutes so we just ate it and left. As soon as I left the restaurant I felt sick, but my friends told me it couldn't be the food that quickly. So I drank some water and sucked it up. Within 30 min of the movie I had extreme abdominal pain (worse then anything I've ever had) and lets just say I missed the entire movie because I was stuck in the bathroom. I am now deathly afraid to try any new sushi places and will definitely not be coming back here. So unless you want food poisoning served by even worse service I suggest you stay away. read more

Japanese cuisine. Went to this location for a birthday dinner. Comparing locations, W Houston to this one, the portions are the same. The sashimi slices are large also. However, the rolls could use more help. Their spicy tuna is just tuna rolls with spicy mayo drizzled over it, which I don't really like (I prefer Yuka) and their eel lover roll could have more eel in it (which Yuka does well). Overall the food was very good. As with all Yama locations, it is a bit pricey but worth the portions. read more

While visiting NYC we decided to dine out for Sushi. My wife and I chose Yama based on customer reviews and have to say in the future we will not always go by what we read. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, however, the Sushi did not win us over. The Sushi had a warm, not very fresh taste. The rolls had little to no flavor and we had to ask for more sauces to add some flavor. By the way, we were charged extra for a side of spicy mayo. The most frustrating thing was that every roll we picked up fell apart. The wait staff was friendly but did not visit our table after we ordered to see if we needed a refill on our drinks. A big disappointment! read more

See all

"Colossal!" I've heard stories, but I never believed them till I went. Its TRUE...the sushi is pretty damn big, just like its rumored to be from what my Japanese friends tell me. The wait was a bit long, but well worth it once we sat down in a tight squeeze at our table. Its all good, once I get some mouthwatering sushi/sashimi "inside ma belly." The portions were pretty big and even though I finished mine, I had to help my fiancee finish off her portions...which was half the dish. *30 min. later Released my belt buckle and let my belly free. Ahhhhh, what a good dinner I had. Warning, try not to get too much sushi...at the most a small appetizer and your own entree. Any more than that and you might qualify for Coney Island's Hot Dog eating contest...FATTY! :) Enjoy! read more

there are multiple yama's in the city, but i just love this one even if it's a little "cozy". i love Irving Place (one of my most favorite streets in NYC, ever). it's such a nice little refuge... it's like a little neighborhood in an already wonderful, charming, little neighborhood. i heart gramercy. anyway, back to yama: hubby and i are pretty picky when it comes to sushi... so it really means alot when i say that yama is my favorite sushi joint in the city. we even went here for our 2nd wedding anniversary with baby in tow... it's not especially romantic (the interior decor is definitely "no frills" at this location) and the service is "meh" (still friendly though), but we're true foodies as we went for the FOOD... the sushi pieces are super fresh and cut large. the rolls are delicious and creative (but not too crazy-out-of-this world creative). great quality menu with appropriate pricing. the fried green tea ice cream was done really nicely (not every japanese restaurant gets it done right, but they do here). go, go go!! read more

Yama - fried green tea ice cream - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

It's true, the sushi is HUGE. They serve you GIANT slabs of super fresh sushi. This is my new favorite go-to place for sushi. The salmon sashimi is out of this world. It's smooth and savory like buttah. Order LESS than you think you will need because the portions are ginormous. And did I mention that the sushi is SUPER FRESH? So what if the place is small and cramped? Come for the enormous and fresh sushi. read more

Was looking forward to eating her but was thoroughly disappointed. The good stuff - the staff was friendly, if a bit frazzled. The bad or mediocre - the food, the layout of the restaurant...the food. The appetizers were decent enough but the actual raw fish just wasn't fresh enough and certainly not mouth watering. The portions were HUGE but I'd prefer smaller plates that tasted better. Sigh. Don't think I'll be returning. read more

Old faithful never let's me down (except for takeout). Sushi pieces are monster sized. Oily and tender. Tuna can be a little lean and firm, but never a fishy flavor. Quintessential neighborhood joint, and if it is not in your neighborhood make your way over. So cozy and prices are fair. read more

See all

I love this place. It has two small dining rooms with very limited seating. Be warned, the wait is bloody atrocious!!! To their credit they are AMAZING about taking down your mobile phone number and giving you a ring just as your table is ready (so that you can go and grab a drink while you wait). The food is really delicious - although i still trying to figure out how to eat the huge cuts of sushi without having it break apart on me. read more

I went to Yama for the 5th time last week, and it still delivered the delicious, fresh sashimi that keeps it on my list. Everything they say about Yama is true: -the wait is rather long, but they'll call you on your cell at the bar across the street -there are no reservations -the restaurant is rather small -the sashimi is ginormous The staff is not the friendliest or best informed in the city, but then again Yama is not charging lots of money. Dinner for two, including Sake, is around $100. read more

This is the best of the Yamas. At this location you will get the freshest and largest pieces of fish when you order sushi/sashimi. Simply put, you get the most bang for your buck without sacrificing quality. If you plan to order sushi/sashimi, this is your place. If you will be ordering a cooked entree, this might not be the place for you. read more

Really fresh, reasonably priced sushi! Food came out in a timely fashion and the special #5 roll was really on point but I should have asked for less spicy mayo (they put a little too much). I was really happy with the prices as well - especially for NYC. Only negative was that the tables were way too close together and the waiters weren't very friendly. Place was packed at 7 pm and I can imagine stays packed until closing! read more

While I have to admit I have had great experiences at a few other Yama's in New York, this location just did not live up to my expectations. The sushi was decent enough, but the cramped, unventilated setting really made my dining experience poor. After waiting 30 minutes for a table for 3 on Monday night, we were brought back to an incredibly hot and cramped table. The worst part, the entire restaurant stank like deep fried tempura. After we ordered, the food came quickly and we were left with a bill that broke out to $38/person without drinks. A little steep for this smelly, sweat shop. Two days later, my overcoat, blazer and pants still stunk like the place and I had to drop them off to get dry cleaned because they were smelling up my apt. That brings my Yama bill now up to $65. The food at Yama is good. Just make sure to get either take out or delivery when dining at this location. read more