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Table for 2 - Matsu, Oceanside, CA
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Matsu

$50 and over
Creative Japanese
A photo of Matsu restaurant

Matsu

4.8
$50 and over
Creative Japanese
Oceanside

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
  • Romantic
Matsu follows a new light in modern Japanese cooking while paying homage to centuries-old tradition. We honor the philosophies behind the culture and its cuisine while expressing the local terroir and what grows naturally around us. The menu is our study of pristine, simple ingredients, the overall experience a balance, providing a sense of omotenashi, or Japanese hospitality.

We currently offer a 10 course tasting menu that constantly is changing with the seasons and availability, featuring a wide variety of seafood and vegetables, a few meat courses, and desserts. We also have a la carte and vegan options available as well, and walk in guests are welcome to join us either at our bar, or if tables are available for the evening. With advance notice, we are happy to adjust the menu to accommodate most dietary restrictions. A5 Wagyu can be added for an additional $55 per person.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: William Eick

From the OpenTable editors: Head to this serene spot for innovative Japanese fare from pop-up darling and Thrillist San Diego best chef award-winner William Eick. Dig into elegant, beautifully plated dishes that could include sakana with banana curry or ebi tempura in an intimate, dimly lit dining room. Toast with a glass of sake or one of the restaurant’s inventive cocktails like a kelp-infused gin sour.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Creative Japanese, American, Contemporary Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Thu–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (760) 681-6152
  • Website
    http://eatatmatsu.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact info@eatmatsu.com for any buyout or private event inquiries.
  • Location
    626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054
  • Neighbourhood
    Oceanside
  • Cross Street
    Corner of Wisconsin St and Tremont St
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access

Experiences

  • Christmas Chicken Dinner

    US$135.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Dec 23, 2024 only
    6 courses of different fried chicken, in line with Japanese tradition of eating KFC and strawberry shortcake during the Christmas holiday. Matsu will be using different parts of the chicken for each course, doing different styles of fried chicken, influenced from places around the world.

  • Chef Nino Fjordside Collaboration Dinner

    US$375.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Jan 20, 2025 - Jan 21, 2025
    6 Course collaboration dinner with Chef Nino Fjordside Nino is the research and development chef for KOKS in Greenland, which held 2 Michelin Stars and a green star at its Faroe Islands location before the move to Greenland. Nino spent years working around the world, including at L'Air du Temps in Belgium, L’Enclume in England, and Celler de Can Roca in Spain. After his time at the latter, he he had secured his dream job at Albert Adrià’s Enigma in Barcelona, then became Head of Research and Development at KOKS. This is Nino's first time coming to California, and will be a very special treat for guests looking to experience food unlike anything in the area.

  • 10 Course Tasting Menu

    US$185.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Join the Matsu team for a 10-course tasting menu. Dietary restrictions and certain allergies cannot be accommodated without advance notice. Whole table participation is required. *We cannot accommodate gluten allergies at this time. **We ask that you do not make multiple reservations with the intent to be seated together, as we cannot accommodate parties larger than 4. CANCELLATION POLICY: Our intention is to provide our guests an intimate dining experience born of rigorous culinary techniques and attentive service. Therefore, no-shows and last minutes cancellations have a notable impact on our ability to serve our guests to our standards. Therefore, all purchases are final and nonrefundable.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 54 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • North San Diego

    Best Service

  • North San Diego

    Innovative

  • North San Diego

    Healthy

  • North San Diego

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Matsu offers a uniquely memorable dining experience with its "excellent 10 course prix fixe menu" and "amazing food and cocktails." Patrons rave about the "incredible service" and "creative dishes" that showcase Japanese fusion in an intimate setting. Perfect for special occasions, Matsu's tasting menu and wine pairings are highly recommended.

54 Reviews

  1. Brian

    VIP

    San Diego

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    2nd time. it had been a while so the menu was updated. hands down my favorite venue for upscale dining. Kat our server was exceptional and great to see Roland

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  2. Jesse

    Orange County

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Amazing. made my wife's night for her bday. Our first Omakase experience and we were 'wow-ed' by the selections, presentation and service.

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  3. AnLe

    VIP

    New York City

    12 reviews

    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on December 9, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    It was alright. The restaurant had a strange smell. The foods overall was okay. Nothing amazing. Felt underwhelming between the value and price point for San Diego standard

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  4. Cindy

    VIP

    Las Vegas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Guest Chef Mike was amazing! Great food. Great service. Great restaurant

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  5. Mark

    San Diego

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on December 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Their 10 course Omakase is very, very good. Almost to Michelin star level. Need to work on a bit more consistency from course to course. The Abalone course was amazing. A couple of courses after that were good, but not quite to the same level. A bit more focus and they could get a star. Price does seem a bit high since they don't have a Michelin star. Dinner for two with the wine pairing and a 22% tip was over $700. It's more reasonable if you don't do the wine pairing. The pairing was an excellent mix of white and red wine, plus a couple saki. They could do a better job in explaining the wine and sometimes the dish. We're pescatarian and they did a good job of adjusting the menu. While in a neighborhood of mixed use ( housing, auto repair, bar, etc) Matsu is quite nice inside. Bespoke wood tables/chairs/trim and minimalist decor make for a very pleasant ambiance.

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  6. Jon

    Detroit

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 27, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Matsu really is a hidden gem! The service under their general manager Kim is amazing. The food is absolutely heads and tails above any other restaurant I have been to. Chef William creates amazing combinations and wonderful depth of flavor without ever losing the essence of the ingredients. Their monthly tsuki night is an amazing chance to try some of their wonderful food and interesting new test dishes as well! How Michelin have overlooked this gem for so long is beyond a mystery for me.

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  7. Sean

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the 10 course tasting, not only was the food great, but the overall experience was very enjoyable. Staff was knowledgeable of the items, readily available, and cognizant of the time they spent within our meal. Perfect place to celebrate our anniversary.

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  8. Mark

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 19, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Totally worth the hype, came in for my Wife's birthday and was blown away. No words I could post would really do this place justice, just know it's as good as it seems, if not better than expected.

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  9. Jocelyn

    VIP

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every single aspect of this place was thoughtfully and meticulously designed with great quality--all the way down the table setting. Matsu's carefully-curated interior design starkly contrasts its unassuming exterior (and location). The modern take on Japanese aesthetics can also be seen in their creative, textured tableware--which were each uniquely chosen to enhance the experience of each dish. For example, the Amberjack (sashimi) sat in a mini porous tidepool rock, as if we were presented with the freshest catch right by the ocean. To reflect the kitchen's subtle use of pine flavoring--like in the Senbazuru cocktail--there was just the perfect amount of quiet emphasis of pine designs/imprints throughout the place: on the countertops, on the menu cover, in the bathroom candle. All the staff were professional, courteous, and quick to fill our cups. Coltrane welcomed us into our seats with a gracious smile so warm that we didn't mind when he told us the wagyu supplier that night was stuck in traffic. The food was impeccable. They first surprised us with warm towels and an amuse-bouche, which was a cute take on sushi: sashimi on taiyaki! Our drinks were strong without being spirit-forward, and I had the cutest little micro-crane with it too! Ebi (shrimp) tempura had a great soft crunch. Kakuni (pork belly) paired so well with the freshest wasabi and cilantro. The skin crisp off the Sakana (fish with oil-boiled skin) was densely tasty. Don't be fooled by Tsukune's appearance; yes, it is a glorified fancy cheeseburger, but it is the best glorified fancy cheeseburger. Take it from me: we were so blown away by this phenomenal experience that we are fully ready to sit in another hour-long northbound traffic the next time we come back.

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  10. Dai

    VIP

    San Diego

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on November 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Chef William is truly a culinary visionary. I’ve been several times and I am always surprised by his continued trying to wow his guests with new creations. I also rave over his master bartender - he too crafts exceptional cocktails. I encourage all to go and go often. Even sitting at the bar is an exceptional experience but the ultimate is the chef table!

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FAQs

Matsu is rated 4.8 stars by 54 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

A photo of Matsu restaurant

Matsu

4.8
$50 and over
Creative Japanese
Oceanside

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Matsu

626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Corner of Wisconsin St and Tremont St
  • Neighbourhood
    Oceanside
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Thu–Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Creative Japanese, American, Contemporary Asian
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access
  • Website
    http://eatatmatsu.com/
  • Phone number
    (760) 681-6152
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact info@eatmatsu.com for any buyout or private event inquiries.
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