Ok I'm over this restaurant. It is really going through a change. Got a grade B which is not a good thing in a fresh fish restaurant and food is not as delicious as it was in the past. Moving on. read more

It's not the finest in town, but Yama's ample servings and consistently fresh fish make it a solid neighborhood sushi joint. I found the uni to be fresh, without any aftertaste whatsoever, likewise, the ikura was pleasantly sweet, without that cloying rancidity one often encounters with those huge salmon eggs. Service was attentive and prompt, but somewhat dry. There are definitely better places to go, but if you live in the immediate vicinity it serves, and does so quite well. read more

This is a great place for some straight up good sushi. It took my friend and me a while to even find the place because we kept passing it, thinking we'd just see the sign. Of course it's one of those underground places and there happened to be this huge van parked in front of it so we just kept missing it. True, there's no real decor in the place, just a standard basement level small restaurant. But it's clean, bright, and freaking busy on a weeknight, so that must count for something. We each ordered a roll and a couple of pieces of sushi, and it was just the right amount for a light dinner. The individual pieces were just huge! Literally three times the size of a normal piece. They still used the usually ball of rice, but laid the sushi out so that it just hung like some oversized tongue. Yes, I realize that doesn't sound appetizing, but if you like sushi, of course the more the better. And the rolls were great. I loved that they didn't use too much rice and just packed the roll with the good stuff. The service was decent, but I never really expect much from these kinds of joints. All the tables were filled and there were maybe two waitresses for the room of about 15 tables so they were pretty busy. We got our orders and check in a timely fashion, so no complaints there. The bill for the two of us came to about 60 bucks with a good tip, so it's not cheap, but for the quality and quantity of sushi we got, we had no problem handing over the money. Will definitely come back. read more

Yes, it's in a step-down basement with no windows and you will come out smelling like tempura. And yes, it's a bit claustrophobic, but so are many Manhattan restaurants. And the decor and menu are very plain. But the fish is (usually) super fresh (if they were 100% consistent, I'd give 'em five stars) and the creative rolls are generous and yummy. The prices are fair for the size of sushi pieces (big) and the cooked food is also nice. To me, Yama is a basic old-school, good quality sushi bar in a great location. read more

Have visited the Houston Street location more often, but heard they are now closed? Recently visited this location... Although it's easy to miss (in a basement) and is "intimate," you still get the same giant slabs of fresh fish for a decent price. LOVE IT. read more

I like this place because it reminds of me restaurants in Japan, except they do have some of the American style rolls with arguably too many ingredients to appreciate the fish. For example, if I'm paying for a California roll made with real king crab leg, I'd prefer if they didn't also bury it in sweet mayo. Cover the fake crab in mayo, not the good stuff! The fish they serve is good quality and the cuts are larger than most. The service isn't great, much like in Japan, but the plates of sushi are beautiful and satisfying. read more

Some of the best sushi I've ever had. The fish was so fresh and so good; come to think of it, so was everything else. I recommend the special rolls, e.g. Special Roll #1 - #7. They're $8.50 each, but you get 6 big pieces of really good sushi. With tax and tip it cost about $30 per person, but it was worth it for me; it was one of the best sushi meals of my life. read more

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Was introduced to this spot by some friends a few weeks back and have been back several times since. The ambience is is similar to most NYC sushi spot but the combination of quality sushi for a very reasonable price are what draw me back again and again. It's easy to get to from union square and there are several bars and cocktail spots close by as well. So it's a solid spot to kick off any evening. read more

Yama - Sake bombs - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Pretty good gargantuan slabs of sushi. Mid-priced... although at times we have a real lavish dinner here and order lots. Even though Yama's got a couple of locations in the city, we've only frequented this one. Closed on Sundays. read more

I breathe Yama. I have been going here ever since I could say the word sushi. That being said, I freakin' love this place. I have been to all of the locations: Houston, Carmine, Irving, and the new Yama 49. They're all awesome and really, there's not much of a difference in quality amongst them. It is expensive. The service can sometimes be spotty. But I don't come here to make friends and admire the paintings on the walls. I come here to eat really good sushi. The food is amazing. The portions are huge, the fish is super fresh, and they hands down have the best spicy mayo on this planet. They also have the best ginger dressing for their salad--I have never tasted anything quite like it before. It's like a punch of sweet, acidic goodness to your tastebuds without any of that weird creamy backsplash that other ginger dressings have. You just have to taste it to believe it. To make the most amazing meal you have ever had, make sure you get a house salad, number 7 roll, tons of sashimi, a side of their spicy mayo, and fried green tea ice cream to finish. Get some hot sake to wash it all down with. You will not be disappointed. Oh, and don't waste precious room in your stomach with useless fillers like edemame and beef anything--come here to eat sushi, sashimi, and rolls. read more

The most fresh, real deal sushi spot. Biggest, most beautifully cut pieces of sushi and sashimi! Well worth it everytime. read more

The sushi here is seriously quite a main event. All the rolls and portions were huge and amazingly fresh. Everything at Yama IS huge... except the restaurant space itself. I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to get there considering the bustling ambiance left me feeling a little harried and wired after being cramped and kiiiiind of yelling for an hour plus. It would be a great way to kill time before an event at Irving Plaza (the Fillmore... what the fuck ever). read more

Go elsewhere! The fish wasn't fresh at all. The eel atop my jalepeño rolls was fried and tasted re-warmed. It's making me burp like crazy - making me suffer the awful fish again and again. The rolls were cut uneven; making some wider than my thumb. Ie- way too big. The waitress was exceptionally rude- although other wait staff seemed nice enough. read more

I decided to finally break my habit of going to the same sushi restaurants in Manhattan and chose Yama for a sushi date with a friend. This place is hidden below ground level - look for the small wooden sign and few steps leading you to the entrance. Once inside, I was a little off-putted by the red carpeting as carpets in restaurants seems strange to me, but I was not disappointed otherwise! Many of the sushi rolls are large in size. Very large, so be mindful when you're ordering. The fish is extremely fresh, and the mango roll was my favorite. There is definitely more reasonably priced sushi elsewhere in the city, but the quality of sushi we had couldn't be beat. Consider making a reservation before coming as Yama is a smaller, popular restaurant. read more

Excellent value for very fresh sushi. The portions are massive. Stick with the a la cart menu, rather than the bundled options. Nice sake selection as well. Order the fried green tea ice cream for dessert. Cons: the wait so arrive early. The space is a big cramped. read more

WHO USES IMITATION CRAB IN THEIR SASHIMI PLATE??? I definitely understand using it in California rolls, but come on. Next to the nice cuts of salmon and tuna they had it was kind of a joke. Is that what they normally do or were they trying to pull a fast one on the guy who ordered the sushi and sashimi combo? Otherwise, decent. read more

Spider roll is a must. No other place is as good. Do order from a la carte. Better than the entree. Don't miss daily special either. read more

Yama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Yama is a regular-looking basement sushi bar with extraordinary fish. I just went to Nobu, and the sushi at Yama is far better. Yama also has the edge on nearby sushi bars Sushi Choshi, Loop and Haru, speaking from a local perspective. The apps and a la carte are great, but what separates Yama is the Special Rolls on the back of the menu. I think they are just labeled No. 1-7 and such. I almost never stray from this part of the menu, except to get either shumai, green seaweed or miso, all of which is fantastic. Bottom line, my favorite sushi place in NYC, hands down. Only question is, what is with the hours? They are seemingly random. read more

This place is one of the best in the city. Period. Yeah I did just say that. Extremely underrated and it's nothing fancy, but the special spicy salmon roll (number 5 I believe) will literally make you cry it's so good. Not to mention everything else there is amazing. Definitely one of the best spots in terms of freshness of the fish too. read more

I don't usually rate a place, but I think just found the worst sushi restaurant I have been to in NYC. There are just so many things wrong from the moment we walked in. I was first relieved to see Japanese people working there. That's usually a good sign of a place that could be authentic. But that where things started to go wrong. Where was the welcome that even a Japanese restaurant run by non-Japanese usually give? Then comes the amount of fish prepped and kept at the sushi bar. There is absolutely no way any restaurant could go through that much fish and that can only mean the fish is not fresh depending on when you show up. I was legitimately worried I would get histamine poisoning from the tuna. Timing for sending out the dishes was also very off. We had our dish sitting a meter away from us for a 10 mins because they were waiting for a rolled to be done. I have never ever seen that done especially with sashimi and that we were sitting at the sushi bar. The portion is also unnecessary big. Is that a bad thing? It is if it comes with such awful presentation that made it look very unappetizing. The sashimi platter came with so much daikon garnish and so many shiso leaves. It was such a waste. This restaurant is as Americanized as it gets. Don't expect good variety of fish. We thought we gave it a try since the server at the bar across the street recommended it. I have to say it was very disappointed and will not go back again. I sincerely hope the restaurant takes this feedback seriously. I obviously sound like a snob, but this is an honest review of someone who actually understands and knows what sushi is supposed to be like and almost died once for trying not to waste food even though the quality was not good. And if you are going to offer no-shellfish sashimi plate, how about clean the prep space up after using it for shellfish first? read more

Yama sushi--The sushi and sashimi tasted great. However this restaurant is located in the basement with no windows and the AC is very weak. They fit so many tables in the restaurant that you have to move the table to get out if you are sitting on the inside. I would have given this restaurant 4-5 stars if they didn't try to squeeze so many tables in. I felt I was joining the party next to me for dinner and their conversation too. I would not return due to this fact since it made dinner uncomfortable. read more

Yama - Sushi and sashimi for 2. - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Sashimi was fresh and delicious. Big portions, good prices. I went here while on a layover in NYC with a friend who lives in the area. Best sushi I've had in NYC by far. read more

I left hungry! ... the fryer was out so no tempura AND found a small hair in the sushi. When I mentioned the hair - they took my plate away and returned to my table with a plate with the one piece of sushi that i left that didnt have the hair. I had nothing to do with that one either. Sorry, but wear a hair net because clearly, my hair is not black. I heard great things about this place???... bad night for yama! read more

Granted... The restaurant is petite, but the sushi offerings are monstrous! Just a few notes on Yama, as almost everything else have already been said about this petite location. - Sushi & Nigiri are slightly above average in size. The Sashimi pieces are on the larger side. Specs of the Sashimi... Weight = 1.0 oz, Length = 3.0 Inches. Doubt anyone is going to complain about more food. - Flavor: Not superb but subtle. Flavors from common fat abundant pieces (Salmon, Kanpachi, White Tuna, and Toro) are full of flavor with a smooth texture. The less notable pieces (Stripped Bass and Tuna) were slightly on the bland side. - Rolls are well thought out. The special rolls though were slightly on the burdensome side as the increased ingredient base took away from the delicate nature of the fish used in the application. Not to mention the sheer size of the rolls themselves. - Best time to arrive = 6:00pm. There is no wait time at 6:00pm but all bets of off once 7:00pm rolls around. - Expect to drop anywhere between $30.00 to $40.00 / person. Yama isn't cheap (nor is it spectacular). - No Reservations! First come first serve. read more

It took me about 20 minutes to find this place. Walked past it 3 times and would have never found it had it not been for my friend finally standing on the sidewalk outside of it. The sign is small and the same color as the building. The door is practically hidden from the street, tucked away from view. The tables are so close together that you might as well be sitting at one big communal table. Want to have a private conversation with the person/people you are with? Not going to happen here. You'll sit closer to the people at neighboring tables than you normally do to people sitting at your own table at restaurants where you have the typical amount of room. Talk about an invasion of personal space. Of course the only reason they jam so many tables in is so that they can maximize their profits. Profits come before customer comfort. And then there's the sushi, which was good. It was fresh and tasty, but the size of the rolls was ridiculous. They were probably about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Way too big to pop in your mouth or eat in one bite, making for a messy eating experience. At times, I wanted to ask for a knife and fork to eat them. I guess this place is okay if you live in the neighborhood but it's not any place worth going out of your way for. I can think of many other sushi places that have better food and provide a more comfortable experience. read more

I've been here over the years and it has remained consistent: --excellent quality --expensive --you'll roll out fat & happy: great portion sizes Low ceilings, cramped, and hot in the winter months, so not the best ambiance. Food makes up for that negative. read more

I was surprised to hear some of the bad reviews here. I'm also surprised to hear people describe this place as a "scene" - far from it. I've been eating at Yama for a few years now and have never been disappointed. This is not a place to go and get some wonky fusion roll, this is not Nobu where you can expect cleverly constructed appetizers. People come to Yama, and deal with the wait, for fresh, delicious and generous Sushi & Sashimi. The service is always hit or miss but for BF and I, it's one of those places where we can excuse the occasional bit of shoddy service because the food is so good. Again, I've always had great meals here, the fish has always been fresh and delicious and sometimes even mind-blowingly good (like the yellowtail and toro we had last time). The decor is pretty no frills, and there is always a wait. Yama isn't *that* hard to find, just look for the throngs of people waiting on the corner or Irving and East 17th in front of a historic brick building (oh, and there is a sign on the wall). For BF and I it's one of our top sushi spots in NY. Yum, can't wait to go back! read more

Yama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

There has been a line out the door for 20 years - that says something. This is still the best sushi place in all of Manhattan. The guard at the door is perfectly rude as the crowds try to squeeze into the small entryway. Generous in size and fresh beyond compare the sushi is top notch. The lack of decor is all part of the charm.. read more

Living just steps from Yama, I passed it every day on the way to Union Square and other Westward locales. I passed the location two or three months before trying it, not because I didn't notice it, but because of sheer laziness, cost, and the number of options available. When my wife and I finally tried Yama, it was an epiphany. I love the cellar-type feel of Yama. The service is good, or has been in all my experience there. I recommend the sushi and sashimi. I swear by the charashi - the best, most fresh options from the bar. The rolls are good but not my favorite. Superb location downtown, off the 4/5/6 and near NYU and the Bowery, adjacent to the East Village. Irving Place is really an under-appreciated little street that has resisted some development, though that's definitely not going to remain the status quo. So visit the beautiful street, grab some coffee, do some stuff, then go to Yama. Recommended!! read more

Their miso soup saved my week! It was freezing cold outside I felt I was going to have a terrible cold. After I had my miso soup I felt so much better, it was incredible. It is one of the best places for sushi in town, but I never forget how this single miso soup saved "my life". read more

100 times a five! The food is anazing, ultra fresh ingredients, the presentation is incredible and the service is suberb! If you're in this area dont miss this little spot! Totally worth it! Had a great experience! read more

Sub par quality fish, not fresh and some were even mealy in texture. The pieces were too large and not easily consumed in one bite as sushi is meant to be. Rice was too soft and mushy. Unfortunately not a place I'd recommend. However, service was actually not bad. read more

Food just OK and staff is rather grumpy . Did not check Covid properly as they only checked for Vaccine and not ID.

Horrible, horrible service. Heed my warning and please avoid this place at all costs. My two friends and I were seated in a compact corner of this restaurant, received no attention from the waitress (we had to write our order on a piece of paper ourselves), and waited 46 minutes for our three simple sushi rolls to arrive. On top of that, when I left a small tip for the terrible service we were given, our waitress started yelling at us and forced my friend to leave a bigger tip (she had already given 20%, which was far too generous in my opinion). The waitress caused a scene in the restaurant and everyone was staring. I have never been more appalled and embarrassed in a restaurant setting in my entire life. I will never spend my money here again -- and for those reading this, I advise you not to do so either. read more

The service was so-so. Which is always a turn off. If I want bad service I'll stay at home and serve myself. The staff just didn't seem to care. The sushi itself was OK but I've had better and the rice wasn't bound well. The miso soup was good though so I give a star for that. The location is so perfect for meeting people so it's too bad that it doesn't live up to expectations. read more

This has been my favorite, non pretentious sushi place for twenty years! The place is a whole in the wall but their sushi is always fresh and the portions are huge! There's a reason there's always a line and it has stood the test of time in NYC. read more

This small restaurant is located on the corner of irvington and 17th street and can be easily missed if you're not looking closely (you have to walk down a small flight of stairs to enter the restaurant). They open at 5:30pm for dinner and upon arriving we were politely greeted and seated in the back of the restaurant. The waitstaff was stoic, but attentive and observant; our waiter refilled our water often and whenever anything spilled he came right on over and cleaned it up with no hesitation. I had the #7 roll which consisted of scallops, tobiko, avocado, cucumber and the spicy mayo sauce. I also ordered a piece of eel and tobiko (flying fish roe?). The eel was one of the most generous pieces of eel I've received in one sushi/sashimi order and the tobiko amount was very generous as well. I would return one day to try the chirashi here. My friend said it is really good here and well worth it since the ratio of fish to rice is about 2:1, and that's a win in my book. read more

Yama - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Yama has always been one of my favorite sushi restaurants. The pieces are big (each piece is about the size of a chopstick) and extremely fresh but most importantly... they're consistent. The restaurant can get a little crowded since its not very big but worth the wait if you come by. Stick with the sushi no shellfish platter or order a la carte if you want to try some of the nicer pieces (uni/toro). read more

Yama - eel, sea eel, sea urchin, salmon, toro, yellowtail, white tuna (left to right) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Located on the corner of 17th and Irving Place just blocks from Union Square. The small wooden sign reading YAMA can easily be missed. Lower level establishment with casual decor. Stopped here for dinner around 9:30pm on Saturday with 3 girlfriends and wait time for a table was minimal. Service was fine, not especially attentive, but friendly enough. Shared tasty morsels at decent prices: - Sushi and sashimi deluxe dinner for 2 (about $65) - 4 specialty rolls: lobster, king crab, eel and special #2 (about $15each roll) - uni sushi - Sapporo All the rolls were delicious. The fish slices were about 1.5 times the length of the slices found at other places; I am NOT complaining about that ;). read more

I initially had trouble spotting the place, it's on the southwest corner right off irving. It's apparently under a building that Washington Irving lived it, we know this because we had to stare at that plaque for about 45 minutes or more waiting for our table while the people kept buying more sake. The place is a little run down with the carpet feeling like it's been there forever and the space is pretty cramped. The fish was pretty fresh but you pay for it. We had the sushi platter, some sort of beef and scallion roll which was pretty good and soft shell crab roll. I see a lot of people complaining about size of the rolls, but from we got it was really the soft shell crab roll that was just too bit where I had to eat it broken up in thirds. If you get the platter you will avoid that. Overall a fine experience, but not enough for us to switch from our usual spot. read more