Sakana Sushi Bar & Japanese in Santa Barbara

Convenient sushi spot in Montecito!I’ll be honest - the quality here is sub-par. The consistency of the fish and rice makes me skeptical of how fresh the ingredients might be… and for pricing this premium, I’d expect a high standard. The nigiri was passable but even visually disappointing. While the sushi roll plates are a visual spectacle, I found them to be quite theatrical… the quality was totally disappointing and the taste clusters with these random sauces made no sense to me. Purely visual rather than prioritizing quality food. Minimal service, crammed table spacing, and a long wait time for our food sure didn’t help, but nonetheless I appreciate the convenience of this location.

If youre a sushi enthusiast or simply appreciate exquisite Japanese cuisine, Sakana Sushi Bar & Japanese in Montecito, CA, is an absolute must-visit. I recently had the pleasure of dining at this hidden culinary gem, and I can confidently say that it exceeded all my expectations. The star of the show, of course, is the sushi and sashimi. Each piece is a work of art, beautifully presented on the plate. The freshness of the fish and the expert craftsmanship are evident in every bite. The variety of rolls and sashimi options cater to all tastes, from traditional choices to creative and unique combinations. Whether youre a fan of classic nigiri or prefer something more adventurous, Sakana has you covered.

Each plate is presented like a piece of art with vibrant colored sauces and subtle additions of flavor. This is a small and attentive restaurant with tantalizing sushi creations. Your line of credit will have to be stretched since it gets very expensive even without ordering dessert. Outdoor seating is spread out to give more privacy at each table. A great place to for date night.

An not rave enough about this restaurant! They have the most delicious and creative menu of various sushi rolls. Their seafood is super fresh. We waited 20 minutes on Friday night to be seated which was not bad all things considered. The waitstaff and the hostess were super friendly and knowledgeable. We ordered some wine and sake as well. I would recommend Wagiuy appetizer, uni sashimi, miso eggplantand lobster roll. Can not wait to dine there again.

The service was very good and good was overall ok. Went here Ive before and it was amazing so I made the drive back. This time wasnt as good. Still good though.

They don’t have their act together when it comes to takeout. Like others experienced they forgot the soy sauce and chopsticks. Fortunately I had my own.Price is ridiculously expensive for small portions. Not sure the chef knows how to make sushi with what I received. Heck I’ve made better sushi aa a beginner. For the price what I received was unacceptable.The miso soup was a very small portion but it was good so I’ll give them that.The cucumber salad was disappointing in every way. It wasn’t sliced like a normal salad and had a terrible taste. Don’t recommend.The California roll wasn’t made properly as it fell apart as soon as I picked it up. That shouldn’t happen at a sushi restaurant ever.The size of the nigiri was embarrassing for them. Look at my photos for proof. They have some nerve selling it like that.Waitress (young woman with super long nails and fake lashes) wasn’t very bright. She literally forgot who I was even though I was the only one who ordered take out and only one with proper PPE.Not happy with my experience and won’t return.

Food is delicious, it is a narrow restaurant. Tables are pretty close to each other. Also they charged me double and never got my money back.

This used to be my favorite sushi restaurant so this makes me really sad to write. The crab on the basil crab roll was clearly just taken out of the freezer, the salmon on our salmon nigiri had the dark skin on it and was so hard and chewy is wasn’t even edible. Our waitress, on Thursday night, was so mean to me specifically and then had an aggressive and rude attitude to the rest of my table when only 2 questions were asked about the menu. It made our whole experience so uncomfortable, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

A fantastic little sushi restaurant tucked away. The speciality rolls were amazing, very fresh and unique. The assorted of wine and sake was long and the waitress was extremely helpful in picking the perfect sake. Dont forget desert! I would highly recommend this to any sushi lover.

Although the inside was bustling, this was a perfect place for a relaxing meal. I had the hamachi (yellowtail) habañero melt, the wagyu sashimi, a couple slices of toro (fatty tuna) nigiri, the miso eggplant, and a delightful cup of nigori sake.The staff was friendly and accommodating, and the sushi was of the highest quality. Watching sunset colors flood the sky through the open door and sipping from a cup of cloudy sweet antique sake, I felt an elusive inner quietude that I havent felt in too long.