7/12/25 (Meant to post this sooner but forgot) Dinner at Zen Sushi was absolutely incredible. My husband and I stopped in for a date night and every single dish exceeded expectations. We ordered the dumpling soup, wild hamachi sashimi, king salmon sashimi, the Siberian Tiger roll, and the Amazing Tuna roll, and honestly, every bite lived up to the name. The fish was fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor, and the dumpling soup was so flavorful and delicious. The specialty rolls were creative. The service was on point; attentive, friendly, and efficient. This is one of those spots where you leave already planning your next visit. We loved everything we ordered and can't wait to come back for more. read more

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I'm back! I'm staying at the hotel across the street. I tried this spot not too long ago, so I decided to come for some sushi. Tonight I opted for some seaweed salad, two rolls (Incredible and Dancing Eel), and the Bourbon Tso's Chicken. Last time I didn't like the Curry Udon, so I'm going to give a different Entre a try. The service is friendly and the atmosphere quiet. There are only a couple of other customers here. I normally get sake but it's actually really warm out today, so I'm gonna pass and just go with some water. The seaweed salad came out quickly. It was really cold and crisp, just the way I like it! Yum. My Entre came out before my sushi rolls. Bummer. My mouth is watering in anticipation. I must be hungry. The sushi rolls are large so they will be filling. So far they both are delicious. These were a good choice. I'm not sold on the Bourbon Tso's chicken. It's essentially fried chicken nuggets with a watery glaze sauce on them. I think it would taste better if the sauce was thicker and less tangy. Im not sure what makes it bourbon? I couldn't get any hints of that in the taste. I'm glad I have the sushi to keep going back to, because it is really tasty. I like this place, I will definitely be back, but I think I'll pass on their entree in the future and just stick with the sushi. This is twice now, I've not liked the main dishes. Overall, I think this spot offers a nice dining experience. read more

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Zen Sushi was positively delicious. Both dishes we ordered just seemed so well thought-out. The sushi we ordered, Fancy Salmon, was incredible. The salmon melted in your mouth, and it, along with the avocado and sauce, made for an amazingly creamy roll. They accounted for this, though, by adding crunchy onions to cut through the creaminess. And in the New Vegetable Udon dish, the mushrooms soaked up the delicious flavor. And I don't even like mushrooms much, but they were a star of the dish. The noodles had a nice texture, too- perfectly chewy. All in all, I highly recommend Zen Sushi for both rolls and other entrees. It put me in a state of zen, and I'm sure it will for you too. read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I was so excited to try Zen Sushi & Sake. It definitely did not disappoint. Everyone was so nice. I love the atmosphere as well. Our waitress was so nice and patient because I must admit it has been years since I went out for sushi. Don't hate lol. I mean it's been so long that I had to get the little kids adapter to help me learn to do chopsticks again I'm embarrassed to say that. Their menu is extensive. There's something for everyone and every pallet. We chose three different roles and I think I got so excited. I didn't take a picture of the last one. But everyone that we had was phenomenal and I ended up taking pictures of the two that I like the best. I know that's a little selfish. Everything was so fresh. The Volcano roll was my number one pick. It was spicy tuna with pickled jalapeño and cream cheese in a lightly tempura batter that had just the right amount of crunch. But the flavors were so well blended. It was creamy heaven freshness in your mouth. My second favorite role, which was so close to being number one was the Xander and it was lightly seared salmon and spicy tuna with thin strips of asparagus and spicy mayo with eel sauce. It definitely was your "sushi" with the freshness. The crisp bite of the asparagus just brought it to a whole different level and the ill sauce and spicy mayo, married everything together and it was perfection. Plus, it was absolutely beautiful on the plate. Our waitress was so sweet and surprised us with a tempura fried cheesecake with a chocolate cream on the side. I usually don't like any dessert from a sushi place, but when I tell you, this was lightly fried to perfection. There was no grease and the creaminess of the cheesecake melted in your mouth with just a kiss of Coco. It was so delicious. We will most definitely be back. read more

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Had a team dinner of six. We had appetizer, entries, and sushi all great. Service was great and good atmosphere.

Zen was an amazing place. From the time we entered to the advice of our waiter, Adam, to meeting the owner and the chefs, we were stunned with the food, with the sake, with the entire atmosphere. I would not hesitate to go to Lexington, if for no other than to eat at Zen. It was that amazing! They have fresh fish delivered on Tuesday and Thursday - straight from the sea and it was all so delicious. read more

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I have been waiting for a generation for an heir to Seki on Broadway/Harrodsburg Road, and Zen might finally be it. Sure, it's not quite as mom-and-pop as one of the greatest to ever do it, but the care put into serving sushi at Zen and the quality of fish would make Seki proud. read more

Can't miss to explore this place. You gotta try it. Amazing quality and taste of food and amazing service.

Really amazing food. Tried fried tofu, vegetarian sushi, pork dumplings, sake and xooker roll. Every thing was worth the time spent. Staff was really helpful in choosing the items. Really friendly staff. read more

Very good sushi and service. I ate the incredible roll and the amazing tuna roll, and I preferred the incredible roll, I thought it was truly incredible! I went at around 5 and it wasn't too busy and it was very nice inside read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Amazing Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Food and atmosphere were lovely. Steak fried rice was fantastic! We ordered 4 different rolls and my family liked 2 out of the 4 that's why we gave it 4 stars. Great service. read more

Zen is the cutest little sushi place in Lex. Their dishes were all presented with impeccable style. Everything our book club group ordered was outstanding. We had wonderful service and plenty of space for our group. I cannot wait to go back again! read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The table was a bit sticky and wobbly, and our server tended to overshare his personal opinions, which made the experience feel less hospitable. On the positive side, the food was solid, I'd rate it around 7.5-8/10. Service was closer to a 5/10, though the server did bring us complimentary dumplings since the chef had made an extra batch, which I appreciated. Overall, this is just my personal experience and not meant to reflect Zen Sushi as a whole. read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Amazing Tuna Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

My favorite sushi spot in town, and now they have desserts from Purple Yum! Staff is so helpful and very knowledgeable.

Zen is zentastic. Awesome menu. Fresh sushi flown in from Japan. Outstanding staff. Warm and inviting decor and ambiance. Kayla (our waitress) made a great dining experience spectacular. read more

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Food and service good this place really nice. I got volcano and zander roll soooo good

The server was amazing as well as the food. The environment is so welcoming and wonderful! I would come here everyday if I could!

The service was excellent, the food was as well. We will return for more delicious sushi and entrees. read more

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The service was outstanding many recommendations were made for the most popular and turned out awsome I'm visiting from California and thought I would not find anything good. But I did read more

Stumble across this sushi restaurant for dinner while I was in Kentucky. I definitely didn't have any expectations for a sushi restaurant that was in the middle of nowhere. Ordered the 9 piece chef choice nigiri and was told by the server that the fish was sourced from Toyosu market in Tokyo, Japan, so I was excited to try. I was so shocked how fresh the fish was. Every single piece was delicious. This place exceeded my expectation for a sushi restaurant that's in the middle of nowhere. The ambiance of this place is really nice, it was very quiet, recommend for date night. I highly recommend this restaurant, should put this on your list the next time you go to Lexington, KY. read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - O toro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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What a find! Our waitstaff, Brooke, guided us through a wonderful, absolutely delightful meal. I'm from New England, where sushi abounds. Never thought we would get one-upped down here! We will be back! read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - That's me. $59 sampler was great! We also shared a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Came here with a group on Saturday. We had friendly service, good sushi, and a relaxing atmosphere. I'm the restaurant is a tad small so I'd recommend making a reservation on a weekend. Our group got a ton of food, but the best things in the menu were the raw rolls (not fried), veggie sushi, and nigiri. read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Sake Nigiri Maguro Nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Food Service and Ambience was amazing!! Greeted at door and very helpful server. Wine delicious. Sushi was delectable!!

This place is amazing!! We were traveling through and staying at a nearby hotel. Decided to eat dinner here and I am Soooo glad we did! If this place was near where I lived I would definitely be a regular :) The drink the food and the service was excellent along with a great atmosphere that was on point! Brook was our server and she gave Amazing service! Haha I found myself wanting to be friends with her. Can you tell I loved this place ... if you love good sushi then this is your place :) read more

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What a nice surprise to find delicious sushi right next to our hotel! The Chicken Karaage appetizer was perfectly cooked & juicy & our Fancy Salmon & Naruto rolls were beautifully prepared & so delicious! Zen's wait staff was so helpful & accommodating to my husband's questions. Thank you for a lovely dinner - we'll return on our next trip thru Lexington! read more

We really enjoyed everything we ordered. The Chicken Karaage and Bourbon Tso's Chicken. The flavor on both was really unique and wonderful. Service was great. It was our first time and she recommended these dishes and we were very pleased. Ambiance is pleasant. You can watch them roll the sushi if you sit at the bar. read more

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Our 12 yr old is a sushi connoisseur and said the spicy tuna maki was the best he'd ever eaten. My wife and I also enjoyed our entrees. Excellent miso as well. Thank you! read more

We come here every year. The food was amazing. The service was excellent and can't be beat

Service, Ambience, and Sushi are all excellent. We will return. The owner E, and sushi chef, June, are very kind and attentive as are the rest of the staff. read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Service and sushi are top quality. We will return many times. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Very nice and serene spot for sushi, the location is unassuming from the outside but very hip and modern on there inside! I have ordered to go and dined in and the quality holds up both ways! We really enjoyed our rolls, edamame, and nigiri! Our server was super friendly and attentive as well which was nice. Overall, a great sushi spot that I will be returning to! read more

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I remember coming here the first time, and I enjoyed their sushi and the house sake. I was thoroughly impressed the first time, so I brought my friend from Louisville for dinner on my recent visit this weekend. We sat by the front (facing the parking lot) and ordered food! We ordered two sets of Naruto, Zander, Oruka, Zero Se, Amazing Tuna, and Incredible? As for the sashimi, my friend ordered Beni Toro, Hamachi, and Maguro? We were so hungry and ordered whatever sounded good at that time. For drinks, we ordered house sake (all for me) and single plum (for my friend), and I ordered two lychee saketini (yummy drinks and strong, too). For dessert, we ordered the fried tempura--a must-have after your full dinner. Our server was excellent, and she took great care of us while we enjoyed our dinner *thumbs up* It is a decent sushi spot and has plenty of parking in the area. read more

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First experience was takeout order. Did not get sushi. Garlic/chili edamame was very good and entree plentiful, could have been more favorable or spicy for my taste. But - very good meal. Employee that greeted me and brought the order was pleasant, service with a smile. Recommend for takeout and looking forward to trying some sushi rolls on next visit. read more

Great food. Some of the best sushi I've had. Is expensive and the menu isn't super diverse so I couldn't come too often. We were sat next to another table in a fairly empty restaurant and the table was very obnoxious but obviously not the staffs fault although could've sat further. Waiter was super attentive. Hopefully will make it back read more

Zen Sushi & Sake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This is a wonderful place. The food is creatively prepared, fresh and tasty. The service was as good as I've had in Lexington. The atmosphere is trendy and surprisingly quiet. The incredible roll is just that, incredible. read more

Went here on a whim since we were nearby and its in an easy-to-get-to location. Place was nice, clean and non-hectic. The food itself was good honestly, 7/10. Service was great and friendly (we had Brooke, she was cool). While the food was great, we did leave hungry and it was not THAT cheap. They put the menu in a weird price point where you can underpay and leave hungry, or overpay and have way too much food. They need some sort of roll-combo, all you can eat deal, or something of the sort. Just one roll was not a lot, however, it definitely was GOOD sushi. We will probably come back if we are craving it! read more

Incredible sushi by skilled chef and team! Fresh fish is flown in several times weekly. Gem of a spot and service is impeccable.

The food was great! We ordered broccoli, edamame, pan seared dumplings. Xooker, Philadelphia, and amazing tuna were all excellent rolls! The service was also great. Would recommend read more

The service was great and the food was even better! Definitely a must for anyone who enjoys Japanese cuisine!

Love this place! Great staff! Each piece of the Sashimi Teishoku (18 piece Chef's choice) is a miniature masterpiece and a a testament to the chef's expertise. A feast for the eyes and the flavors explode on your tongue! read more

Quality of sushi was great! Best I've had in a long time. Chef prepared our dishes with excellent attention to detail and flavor. Photos do not do it justice. The miso soup was my appetizer, a large bowl and not watered down like most places, it's so good on a cold day. My husband ordered the Latin Heat and loved it, said the jalapeños were fresh, making a big difference to him. We also had the pork & chicken dumplings (not pictured), they were cooked perfectly. We were offered smoked soy sauce with our main dish, Nigiri Sashimi Teishoku, that is a must-have! Included were 3 types of wasabi. Some nigiri had a strong smoky flavor that was incredible! The A5 Wagyu (not pictured), King Salmon and Chutoro (fatty tuna) melted in our mouths that made us step back for a moment to reflect. Even the roasted mussel was very tender. After all that, we were so impressed we ordered another roll, Zero Sen, it was delicious. Brooke was our server, and she was very polite, and she knew the menu inside & out. Good servers are scarce nowadays, we're very happy that she was attentive and just wonderful. Restaurant was very clean and simple, love the ambiance--it was warm and cozy. Definitely makes for a nice date night spot that is more quiet than other sushi joints in Lexington. read more

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