Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in East Bay

OpenTable

Updated 05 March 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in East Bay? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Blue Sakana - Blackhawk (Formerly Blue Gingko - Blackhawk)

4.8

4.8 (148)

$30 and under

Japanese

San Ramon

About the restaurant

Come to unwind, stay for the unexpected

Blue Sakana is an Izakaya style restaurant with share plates where friends can go to have a drink and unwind after a long day. Chef and owner, JD prepares Japanese influenced dishes from around the world consisting of an eclectic mix of local and seasonal meat, noodle, sashimi, and traditional sushi specialties, with an emphasis on a unique variety of fresh seafood.

The staff welcomes you into their house and offers up comfort, hospitality and fun. Blue Sakana Blackhawk features an outdoor patio and a full bar, stocked with an extensive selection of sake, where our team happily introduce diners to the world of sake.

Top review

MutluVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Very fresh and well crafted sushi offerings served by efficient and pleasant servers.

Aozora Japanese Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (576)

$30 and under

Japanese

Danville

About the restaurant

Aozora Japanese Restaurant brings Danville the finest Japanese flavors and style. Enjoy our menu featuring delicious shared plates and entrees from the kitchen, beautifully crafted sushi rolls from the sushi bar, and enticing drinks from the bar.

Top review

WayneT

Dined 2 days ago

Went for lunch. Great food and service! Combination / bento box is excellent.

Akemi Berkeley

4.6

4.6 (479)

$30 and under

Japanese

Berkeley

About the restaurant

Opened in February 2015, AKEMI is the latest incarnation of miyuki on 1695 Solano Avenue in North Berkeley (Albany border) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Along with a revamped interior and exterior that includes salvaged wood and upgraded kitchen equipment, AKEMI features an updated menu spotlighting fresh ingredients and well-crafted flavors while retaining customer classics such as our sushi rolls.

AKEMI is the new name we bestow upon the beauty that is good food with good people in a good place.

For outdoor reservations please call the restaurant.

Top review

Nancy

Dined on 30 Jan 2025

Dining at Akemi is always a satisfying experience: the food is delicious, fresh and a good value for the quality and size of portions. I typically order the Salmon miso bento, it comes with delicious white miso soup, salmon grilled with umami rich miso sauce and extra on side, cabbage salad, roasted brussel sprouts with honey mustard glaze and rice; enough food to take a portion home for next days lunch. Love the ambience when they play soft Jazz : pop music not so much since I still like to have conversations with my dining companions. I’ve come here many times over many years and it is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants for all kinds of occasions.

Kimono Restaurant

4.6

4.6 (656)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Benicia

About the restaurant

Kimono welcomes you to a great experience and fresh sushi, seafood, and steak. Where we take customer service seriously and make every visit remarkable.

Top review

BettyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

My server was great, but sorry, I forgot her name. She is always friendly and welcoming to me. Lulu was very friendly and attentive with me. Tenppen Shrimp was very delicious today, and Brent was our chef. Way to go Kimono!! 🤗🎉❤️❤️❤️

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - Lone Tree Brentwood

4.6

4.6 (437)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Brentwood

About the restaurant

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant in Brentwood invites you to experience the otherworldly flavors of authentic Japanese cuisine using a blend of fresh ingredients and spices. Along with a meal, diners will also have the chance to appreciate the entertaining environment as experienced chefs cook foods on open hibachi grills. You can opt for seating around one of the grills so you can watch as the chefs work their magic. The spicy tuna roll, kappa roll, chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura and edamame are just some of the authentic Japanese dishes found at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant. There are also plenty of combination platters, specials and side menu options to help customize your meal experience. Make sure you start off with one of the highly appetizing starters at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant.

Top review

Heather

Dined 2 days ago

Great food, service, and hibachi cook! Had a great time celebrating birthday’s!

Yoshi's Oakland

4.7

4.7 (8362)

$30 and under

Japanese

Oakland

About the restaurant

Yoshi's has served Japan's best traditional dishes to Bay Area patrons since 1972. The menu highlights artfully arranged sushi, fresh grilled seafood, classic Japanese dishes, and vegetarian fare. Patrons can kick off their shoes in the traditional Japanese tatami seating or dine at tables. Expert sushi chefs create sushi and sashimi to order either in the restaurant or in the jazz house. Start the evening in the cocktail lounge before dinner or have a nightcap after taking in a show in the jazz house.

Top review

jodi

Dined 4 days ago

Fantastic food every time! Great selections and guatanteed to please!

Hana Japan Steak & Seafood - Dublin

4.4

4.4 (437)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Dublin

About the restaurant

Hana Japan Steakhouse is the premier hibachi & teppanyaki experience in the Bay Area. All reservations are for the live cooking hibachi experience. The menu features USDA Choice Black angus beef and fresh seafood items cooked to perfection right in front of you. Try the Hibachi Salmon for a tasty dinner, the popular New York Steak or our newly added House Dry Aged Rib-Eye. Dinner items are served with a salad featuring our special organic Hana dressing, house soup, steamed rice and seasonal vegetables. Hana Japan’s menu also serves gluten-free options, vegan fare as well as a kid-friendly dishes.

Serving the San Francisco Bay area since 1979, Hana Japan draws a local regular crowd and proudly serve during dinner hours. Diners get to enjoy special discounts on their birthdays when they visit with parties of four or more. We are now open for dinner seven days a week. Reservations are Highly Recommended.

Top review

Christina

Dined 2 days ago

It was the best birthday dinner party ever! A great place for family & friends.

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Experience

Hibachi Classics - $45 per guest

Experience

Hibachi Premiere -$69.50 per guest

Hana Japan Steak & Seafood - Berkeley

4.4

4.4 (433)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Berkeley

About the restaurant

Hana Japan Steakhouse in Berkeley California is the premiere hibachi & teppanyaki restaurant in the Bay Area. All reservations are for the live cooking aka hibachi experience. The menu features USDA Choice Black Angus beef, grilled seafood items as well as vegetarian options. Try the Hibachi Salmon for a tasty dinner, the popular New York Steak or our newly added House Dry Aged Rib-Eye. Dinner items are served with a salad featuring our special organic Hana dressing, house soup, steamed rice and seasonal vegetables. Hana Japan’s menu also serves a kid-friendly dishes. Serving the San Francisco Bay area since 1979, Hana Japan draws a local regular crowd and proudly serve during dinner hours. Diners get to enjoy special discounts on their birthdays when they visit with parties of four or more. We are now open for dinner seven days a week. Reservations are Highly Recommended.

Top review

Dr . Crystal

Dined 2 days ago

Great food! Great service! Consistently great experience.

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Popular dish

Shrimp & Chicken

Experience

Hibachi Premiere -$69.50 per guest

Experience

Hibachi Classics - $45 per guest

Shirasoni

4.1

4.1 (569)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Alameda

About the restaurant

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant invites you to visit us for “a Unique dining experience.”

Here at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant, we pride ourselves on providing excellent service, using the freshest of ingredients, and our delightfully entertaining authentic Japanese Teppanyaki and Sushi dinner shows while providing a fun, friendly, and family experience. Online reservations are for Teppanyaki dining only.

Top review

MadisonA

Dined 6 days ago

Great place to celebrate my birthday! The teppanyaki chef was awesome and the food was fantastic.

Benihana - Concord, CA

3.9

3.9 (5726)

$30 and under

Japanese

Concord

About the restaurant

Welcome to Benihana, a dining experience unlike any other! Our guests are seated at communal tables in groups, where your personal chef will perform the ancient art of Teppanyaki. Watch as we slice and dice, preparing a meal that will dazzle your eyes as well taste buds, whether you choose mouth-watering steak, tender chicken or succulent seafood. You can also enjoy sushi prepared by a talented sushi chef and indulge in a specialty cocktail.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 2 days ago

The manager (Buddy) was so kind, considerate, concerned, and helpful. Yovani, our chef, did an outstanding job. His presentation was great, and he cooked the food to our satisfaction. This was a good dining experience for my mate and me.

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$39 TASTE OF BENIHANA

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