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Elegant table beautifully lit by sunlight - Nisei, San Francisco, CA
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Nisei

$50 and over
Japanese

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 3 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
  • Charming
Nisei presents a contemporary approach to Japanese American cuisine by combining deep Japanese flavors, refined cooking technique, and Northern California's finest ingredients. The restaurant is a personal reflection of Chef David Yoshimura's unique experience as a Michelin starred chef and second generation Japanese American, or Nisei.

Nisei can accommodate most severe allergies with advance notice, however due to the nature of the tasting menu format, we can not meet all dietary restrictions or aversions. In order to maintain the spirit of our cuisine, the following items can not be removed: Salt, sugar, soy sauce, and egg cooked into items.

All Experience prices below reflect a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax applied to the base price of each experience. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: David Yoshimura

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN 1 Star

    2024

  • Award icon

    MICHELIN 1 Star

    2023

From the OpenTable editors: Come to Chef David Yoshimura’s MICHELIN-starred spot for one of the city’s most innovative tasting menus. He expertly fuses Japanese techniques with Northern California ingredients to create bold, modern dishes that could include anago (salt-water eel) with fiddleheads or crispy kakuni (pork belly) with snap peas and ramps, paired with clever wines and sake for a singular dining experience.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Contemporary Asian, Japanese Speciality
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (415) 827-6898
  • Website
    http://www.restaurantnisei.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    For parties of 6 or more, we offer seating in our private Kimono Room. For inquiries regarding groups of 12 or more, or if you desire a tailored private dining experience, kindly click the link below, and we will promptly get in touch with you to curate a memorable evening.https://www.restaurantnisei.com/privatedining
  • Location
    2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109-1822
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2024
    2. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Neighbourhood
    Russian Hill
  • Cross Street
    Polk Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Fall Reservations at Nisei

    US$311.56 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    The tasting menu at Nisei features the pinnacle of Japanese American cuisine and is a personal expression of Chef David Yoshimura. Nisei combines the finest ingredients of Northern California and Japan to create a truly unforgettable experience. Guests can expect 13 courses with over 18 bites total, with options for supplements. Please allow at least 3 hours for the dining experience. The price of this experience reflects a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.
    Fall Reservations at Nisei photo

  • Kimono Room Private Dining Experience

    US$501.88 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Treat yourself to a private and intimate dining experience with Nisei's Tasting menu, exclusively available in our Private Dining Room. Gather your family and friends, or host your next business event in a setting that's both elegant and comfortable, while enjoying a delightful feast that showcases the best of Nisei's cuisine. Perfect for groups of 6 to 12 guests, our Private Dining Room offers the ideal ambiance for a memorable dining experience. For larger groups or more customized events, please contact us at events@restaurantnisei.com and let us help you create an unforgettable experience.
    Kimono Room Private Dining Experience photo

  • Day in the Life of Chef David Yoshimura

    US$521.42 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Experience a day in the life of a restaurant owner with Chef David. Start the day off with a visit to the Farmers' Market, sourcing ingredients and planning the menu for the evening. Return to the restaurant and put on an apron where you'll be cooking along side the professional chefs at Nisei. After a day's work, enjoy the fruits of your labor with a sit down & enjoy a complementary full tasting menu from Nisei to you. We also encourage you to invite a guest to dinner to be able to share the dining experience. Ticket is good for one person only !
    Day in the Life of Chef David Yoshimura photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 70 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
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Japanese

  • San Francisco

    Best Ambience

  • San Francisco

    Innovative

  • San Francisco

    Good for special occasions

  • San Francisco

    Japanese

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Nisei is a standout destination for culinary artistry, offering a "wonderful experience" with "exceptional" service and "creative" Japanese fusion cuisine. Guests rave about the "beautifully" presented dishes and the intimate, art gallery-like ambiance. Chef David Yoshimura's innovative menu promises a "memorable" dining journey, perfect for special occasions.

70 Reviews

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Mexico City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We celebrated our anniversary and we had an espectacular experience. We enjoyed everything and the staff amazing

    Is this helpful?

  2. Tiffany

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the moment you walk through the doors, you're met with a beautiful modern room that is perfectly decorated with Japanese flower arrangements. The persimmons hanging down from one of the tables is stunning. Every server seemed to be doing a perfectly choreographed dance, as they moved across each table delivering beverages, different courses, or simply providing new utensils. Definitely an experience that I won't forget. The little bites were small in size but big in flavor. They were all perfectly plated with such attention to detail. My favorite dish, one that the chef wasn't sure about, was the omurice. I joked that I was having a "Ratatouille" moment with that first bite. Being taken back to childhood and just eating a bowl of rice for lunch. Everyone was so knowledgeable and so very friendly. Natalie, our main server was so sweet and such a blast to be around. She even knew the brand of the drinkware!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jonathan

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 27, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    “20% service fee is not inclusive of gratuity” - what is someone supposed to do? Tip another 20% on top of that? The server said explicitly it was not gratuity. Never going back.

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Tracy

    WA

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We would highly recommend Nisei for a special occasion. Exceptional food and service. Every dish was a piece of art.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Francisco

    Mexico City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sublime service and excellent food - great experience overall.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Michael

    New York City

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on September 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What an amazing experience, we sat at the counter and could see the team preparing our courses, the staff was amazingly attentive and the Chef presented a few courses himself.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Adnan

    Chicago

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on September 28, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    An amazing well curated seasonal tasting menu. Chef David Yoshimura delivers a great creativity menu with homage to several elements of his background as a chef. The cocktail program is equally creative with one of the strongest NA programs I’ve seen.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Robert

    New Mexico

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on September 23, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Utterly mind blowing. The service was exceptional and the food was phenomenal.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Greg

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on September 22, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Creative and inspiring Japanese fusion cuisine with impeccable service in a relaxed elegant environment. Definitely recommend

    Is this helpful?

  10. HunterM

    Seattle

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible, from the start to the finish. The knowledgeable and entertaining staff, meeting the chef personally and getting a small chance to talk to him and ask how his night is going as he does the same to you, and the food itself. It is 1000% worth every penny and you will never forget your time. They were also incredibly nice and accommodating to my fiancée’s shrimp allergy and helped us celebrate a special evening. 20/10, I will be talking about this dinner for years to come.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Nisei is rated 4.8 stars by 70 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

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

2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109-1822

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2024
    2. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Cross Street
    Polk Street
  • Neighbourhood
    Russian Hill
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Contemporary Asian, Japanese Speciality
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.restaurantnisei.com/
  • Phone number
    (415) 827-6898
  • Private party facilities
    For parties of 6 or more, we offer seating in our private Kimono Room. For inquiries regarding groups of 12 or more, or if you desire a tailored private dining experience, kindly click the link below, and we will promptly get in touch with you to curate a memorable evening.https://www.restaurantnisei.com/privatedining
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