Best Japanese Restaurants in San Leandro

We went for my wife’s birthday and had a very nice time. The food was exceptional and the wait staff was an orchestrated ballet of impeccable service. Everything from the appetizers, the main courses and the desserts were all rock solid. I expected at least one of these categories to be a little weak (as they are with most restaurants) and I was continually pleasantly surprised by the dynamic flavors and incredibly well-prepared, and well-seasoned food overall. My only critique would be that the broccolini was undercooked for my taste and a little too heavy on the garlic, and the porterhouse rolls were slightly disappointing — they were made of some kind of wheat dough with an added aromatic that wasn’t needed in my opinion. I was hoping for the classic buttery white bread porterhouse rolls! But if you are looking for exotic flavors, and open to things being a little different than expected, there’s no shortage of that at Niku. The ambience was modern, tasteful and chic. The music was a little loud, but that helped to provide a very immersive experience. After a few drinks you don’t notice as much lol. They have three different seating options: bar, tables, and chefs counter. This was not as clearly explained as it could’ve been on their website or on OpenTable. The pictures I found online didn’t give a clear enough idea of what the different seating options would look like, so that made planning a special occasion a little difficult. Otherwise, I couldn’t recommend this place enough.

Such a fun location with great staff and food was good as well! Not sure the price point matches. The food is slightly priced over and the drinks were priced very high for what they were. I get we’re in the Bay Area so it’s not easy.

First time eating here. Had a great server, Robin, who was very attentive and made great suggestions . Food was excellent! I highly recommend this restaurant. I’ll be going back again, real soon!

The drinks are absolutely amazing! The gummi bear martini was sooooo good! Gotta try it!

Wonderful selection of unique sushi rolls, well presented and delicious. The French Kiss roll was especially good.