The restaurant doesn't open until 5pm which is a good indicator of a traditional Japanese restaurant but no one answers the phone to see if reservations are needed. We stopped in an empty restaurant sans one occupied table of hipsters. The waitress who seems to be the chef's wife asked if I had a reservation. I said no. She said come back in an hour and walked away without asking for my name. The patrons that were there let out a pejorative guffaw in unison ending in a snort ( like Joe could you NOT have a reservation). Given the level of pretension and the clientele it draws. We decided not to come back. NO SUSHI for you...one year!!! read more

Such a hidden gem, so hidden, there is no signage for this restaurant. My friend and I had just finished the 17 mile drive and wanted to catch an early dinner. I saw on Yelp they opened at 5:00. This quaint little Japanese restaurant seats only a handful of people at a time with the Master Sushi Chef and 1 server. Service was excellent. The place is very clean. I noticed all tables fill shortly after opening, regulars in the neighborhood who knew the Chef well. Upon sitting we ordered Sake and Beer and were given complimentary Edamame. We ordered the Jumbo Soft Shell Crab with Ponzu, Snapper, Salmon, Yellowtail and Toro Nigiri. We also ordered the Yellow Tail Green Onion Roll along with a Salmon Skin Roll. The quality of the fish was excellent along with the preparation. I would definitely go back when visiting the area again. Funny thing, the next day we went back to Carmel and went to the Farmers Market where I saw the women who was serving us the night before buying produce and she recognized me and came over to say hello. Now I know why this place is a favorite with the locals. Atmosphere: small, quaint, and very clean. Service: excellent. Food: excellent read more

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I was so impressed with the sashimi at this restaurant. Every piece was sliced perfectly, and the fish tasted incredibly fresh. You can tell they use high-quality ingredients, and it makes all the difference. read more

Akaoni - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

Quiet and unassuming, you really have to look to find this place. We came in early on a weekday, around at 5:20pm, and there were already a few patrons seated. I got the impression that they prefer reservations, but they were able to seat us. We tried the 10 piece selected sushi (pretty much the omakase), and some fresh yellowtail sashimi. All the fish was delicious, fresh, and well-prepared. The yellowtail was thick-cut and plentiful. Don't expect any frills, but service was good and pleasant; you could tell this place was usually filled with regulars. read more

Akaoni - 10 piece selected sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

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Leaving this review before even eating. Called this place multiple times for weeks with no answer. Came at 5pm on Thursday. One couple and nobody at the sushi bar. Super unfriendly lady would not let my 9 yo son and me sit at the sushi bar. Wouldn't say why. After multiple times asking she said no kids. Even when I asked if we could eat fast and get omakase. We've sat at sushi bars all over the world many far nicer than here. read more

This was a nice authentic Japanese sushi experience. The quality of the fish was good, and the prices were a little higher than the average sushi restaurant. The restaurant is super small so everyone keeps their voices down, and there is a $30 minimum requirement per person when eating here. read more

Akaoni - Jyo sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

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Sushi by the Sea Carmel and Carmel-by-the-Sea are gorgeous coastal cities but what they've lacked is a Japanese sushi ya to match the scenic views Akaoni changes that and the intimate, reservations-only restaurant offers sushi bar and limited indoor table seatings for sushi lovers in the know We enjoyed the delicious clam dishes, fresh nigiri, and beautiful sashimi platter for what is easily the best sushi in this lovely area Tokujyo Sashimi $80 / 10 Piece Selected Nigiri $60 / Marina Clams Miso Soup $12 / Clams with Garlic Butter Sauce / Steamed Egg with Mushroom & Shrimp $12 / Tuna Maki $10 / Hamachi Maki $10 / Kubota Sake $35 Akaoni (Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA) Akaoni accepts credit cards and is indoor seating only. Reservations required on many days and by phone only. read more

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Amazing 10 piece sushi! Really large juicy pieces of seafood. The grilled eggplant was delicious too! 100% would come back next time we're in carmel. read more

Likely the best sushi in town, service could be better though Tofu and sashimi are must order read more

Akaoni - 10 piece chief's choice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

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Always a fantastic meal. Great service and pace. We love to come here around 5 with our kids. They love the food and decor! Tried their homemade tofu for the first time, it was delicious. Thanks again for a great meal! read more

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On their menu it states you MUST spend 30 dollars per person. No way am I taking MY money to a place that wants to control my budget! Their sushi is not that great and their service sucks. read more

Very quaint place with fresh seafood. Experienced chef that focuses on the quality of food. Be sure to call ahead to make reservations since the place is quite small read more

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A nice gem in Carmel. Make sure you call them for reservations. We booked 2 weeks ahead of time and snagged a Friday night 7pm. Sat at the bar, ordered a la carte... everything was excellent! Edamame to start (on the house) and green tea, got the tofu with mushroom sauce (that mushroom sauce is delish) , and some rolls and nigiri. They have the specials on the board... so of course uni and toro, and the bite was worth it! Will definitely come back! read more

Akaoni - Dinner! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

Great Sushi and Japanese food for a reasonable prices. Chef Special Nigiri read more

Akaoni - 10 piece sushi. Lots of variety - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

My wife and I reserved a table and came in for dinner on last Thursday. This is our second time coming here for dinner. We ordered homemade tofu, soft shell crab, 10 pcs sushi and chirashi. We loved the food here especially the 10 pcs chef's choice sushi -- fresh and nicely done by Chef Jyo's finese. We will definitely come back for more. read more

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I almost hate to write reviews when we find new restaurants that we LOVE. We are afraid to make them too busy where we can't get in. This was some of the best and freshest sushi we have ever eaten! It's a tiny place, but it's fantastic! read more

Delicious, but not so friendly or welcoming. My party liked the food, but I'm giving two less stars as they were not allergy friendly. I appreciated that they told me that the food I ordered is not safe for my allergies. So I ordered another sushi, which didn't arrive. When I checked it with them, they said that they are too busy to clean the knife and cutting board to make sure it is safe. I understand if the allergens are already cooked in the food, but I've never heard them say that they can't clean their cooking tools. So I only ate the homemade tofu, which was delicious! Unfortunately they said none of their other foods are allergy safe. read more

UNBELIEVABLY UNACCEPTABLE...made reservations months in advance for a special occasion, 4 hours before our reservation they called me and said they were closed tonight, I can't express how upset and disappointed I am...definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND this place read more

For every angry yelper out there let me spell this out for you...Reservations only and only if you eat above $50... Been here a while ago but I feel like I need to spell this out for certain angry reviewers. This restaurant let's gourmands of a certain IQ, income and googling ability in. Hence the angry comments about rudeness. Yes the lady doesn't say goodbye and just hangs up and she doesn't care to answer but once you're in your treated like a respected guest who did the research. And that's the ticket. I don't believe Japanese culture does exactly this for every restaurant of course but there are plenty of quirky restaurants in Japan where you need to research before you eat there or you'll get looks like you are a moron. Anyways once you set foot in akaoni it indeed feels like a different dimension. I usually give a lot of what to get suggestions but frankly anything here is delicious. White board especially. This is the best, most authentic to Japan sushi in the central Coast. You do not need any soy, wasabi or what not. The fish stands on its own. Though there are plenty of other best American sushi spots in Monterey county Akaoni has the best sashimi. Also the service is impeccable if you care to do your research. If you don't you get no sympathy for getting thrown out into the street from those who called to reserve. You can complain it's pretentious but we waited in line. They do have a Michelin rating after all. Anyways Easiest 5 star rating ever for the fish quality and service. read more

This was a hole in the wall sushi place I happened to see on Yelp when I was searching for new foods to try in Carmel. I was reading reviews on how service was bad and the hosts were means. That could not be further from the truth. I called on a Monday night and no one picked up the phone. I called again on Tuesday night and I was able to get a reservation for Thursday night. My boyfriend and I arrived early and they were able to accommodate us even though we were early. The service was impeccable, hosts kept checking in on us and filling our water. We could hear our neighbors saying that the sushi is comparable to Japan. We got the homemade tofu, Jyo sashimi and chirashi bowl. Homemade tofu was super soft, just melts into your mouth. The home made soy sauce went perfectly with the tofu as it is not too salty. I have never had tofu this silky in my life. Jyo sashimi and chirashi bowl were amazing as well. The quality of the fish is so fresh. Every single fish we tried melted into our mouths. My favorite was the Tuna and hamachi! The rice was perfectly cooked in the chirashi bowl. Usually I don't eat the rice at sushi restaurants but I found myself eating all the rice in the chirashi bowl. Overall, this was a wonderful experience. My boyfriend and I will be coming back. I would recommend calling to get a reservation before coming as the restaurant is small and most parties have a reservation. read more

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Wow. What an incredible dinner after a 3 hr drive from SF to Carmel by the Sea. Made the drive totally worth it. Hostess remembered we came from out of town and asked us about our drive, which was incredibly thoughtful. Table near us seems to be regulars and they made a reservation for 2 weeks out at the end of their meal, a good sign and also made me wish I lived nearby, because I'd also stop by multiples times a month. What we ordered: Monterey Abalone sashimi House made tofu Dungeness crab and avocado roll Skip jack, amberjack, scallop, o-toro nigiri and tamago Tuna roll House special sake Fried Monterey squid (calamari) Everything was so good but definitely recommend the tofu, all the nigiri (fish imported from Japan), and their house recommended sake. read more

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So thankful we got to dine here on our trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea! I was looking up sushi restaurants while we were in town and this came up as a local gem. After reading reviews I knew reservations were hard to come by so I wasn't sure if we would get one but I'm so glad I tried. I called every hour until they picked up and was able to get a reservation for that upcoming weekend! When we got to the restaurant there were people who tried to do a walk-in but they were turned away because they were fully booked that night. The restaurant is cozy and located in the heart of town. We ordered the miso eggplant appetizer and omakase. Both were so delicious I highly recommend and would order again! I'm not usually a fan of omakase as I typically like to order the nigiri I want but given their fish is brought in from Japan I knew we were in good hands. Every piece of sushi was carefully prepared and so fresh! read more

Akaoni - Omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

The food is the freshest in town for authentic sushi it melts in your mouth like butter, the flavors of the fish with garnishments is perfectly balanced. Toro, uni, & squid were my favs. The homemade tofu and steamed eggs are delicious. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to try everything on the menu. Shin and Yoko were very welcoming and gave us some yellowtail belly on the house!!! I am so happy to finally have a sushi place to enjoy when I am in the mood. Thank you Akaoni for making my tummy happy and giving me the opportunity to enjoy your beyond amazing sushi! read more

Akaoni is the best sushi in Monterey County, period. I've been coming here for years and what I appreciate most is the consistency. They only serve what is available and fresh. If you're looking of a place with a bunch of different rolls, this isn't it. It's a family business that's been in Carmel for over 20 years and they take great pride in their craft. I highly recommend, if it's available, the dungeons crab salad. While the price may scare some, the amount of crab you get, is well worth it. read more

Akaoni is the best sushi you will find. The family is the most professional, gracious artists practicing their craft of authentic food preparation and hospitality. That said, if you're looking for sushi rolls made with mayonnaise and a bunch of rice, and a rambunctious server who makes you feel as if they are your bar buddy, this is not your place. This place serves the highest quality food with the elegance of Japanese hospitality. They perfectly time each plate, allowing you to savor each bite. They are not crowding the place or turning tables. Make sure you have a reservation and plan ahead. My husband and I loved the dumplings, yellowtail gill, and the ten piece plate. We were full, but it was so good my husband ordered the yellowtail roll. Nothing was typical and everything delightful. An experienced to be cherished. read more

I'm glad that I could be back for my birthday omakase here this year. The Master and everyone in the restaurant are wearing face masks all the time. You can be reassure of your safety from Japanese people about wearing face masks to keep other people in the society safe. Wearing face masks for Japanese is their norm to keep other people safe when they have cold. Therefore, wearing face masks at all times during the COVID19 pandemic is not the problem for Japanese. We had not only a fabulous authentic Japanese sushi & sashimi meal again, but also good conversation throughout our dinner with the Master. It's as if we were in Japan for a typical omakase dinner. Thank you, Master, for making delicious foods for us! We definitely be back again and again! read more

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Love the food here, truly authentic! Can be hard at times to get through to make a reservation, but your persistence will pay off. Their yuzu glazed cod is among the best Nipponshoku I've ever had--and that includes Japan! Definitely on our regular places to go list whenever we're in town. read more

Incredible omakase experience. I love that this place feels like a hole in the wall, but the quality is incredible. Call ahead for reservations for omakase, it's a splurge but easily at least 10 courses (some of which were bigger, (like a whole sashimi plate, fish collar soup, tempura, toro don with uni, and homemade tofu) in addition to individual pieces of nigiri. Very special experience. read more

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We were really nervous going here after reading reviews. We knew the food would be amazing but we're super nervous about service, especially since we were bringing our 3 year old. Making the reservation - We called a little after 5:30pm and it rang unanswered. Tried again the next day around the same time, no answer. Called again an hour later, no answer, immediately called back and they picked up and I gave them a couple of days that we were open to and they gave us a 5pm reservation. We made our reservation about 2 weeks prior to when we would be in the area. Getting there - if you follow waze you will not find it. Parking in the nearest lot (on mission st) was kind of expensive. We ended up finding a spot on the street right outside. There are ample 2 hour free street parking spots everywhere but you just have to find a free spot. We got there an hour early because we were done with our prior activity and knew it would take some time to find the restaurant because it is unmarked and to give time to find parking. Since we had so much time to spare, we parked and then walked to the park on Mission and 6th. They had clean restrooms and a pond my son threw pennies into. The restaurant is located on Mission just past 6th street. It is a white building that is just passed a driveway. Service - I read a few reviews of people having bad experiences bringing kids so we were prepared for possibly getting turned away. In hindsight the reviews said things like their kid was playing with the soy sauce, which is a small breakable piece that could easily be broken and the person then out their child's shoes on the table. That's just bad mannered. We had a completely different experience. The hostess and the server went out of their way to be accommodating to our son. They always warned re: hot bowls, wasabi in the sushi, brought him a fork. And overall treated him so kindly and said how cute he was. The customer service was so pleasant. We felt so welcomed. They were not at all racist, we are mixed race and I have dark complexion. Food - everything was exceptional. The fried chicken was tender and crispy. It was light and flavorful. There were ample clams in the delicious miso soup. The sashimi was so fresh and melted in your mouth and even the aftertaste was amazing. We were getting pretty full after the sashimi so we didn't eat much of the 10 pc sushi. We ate the uni and once you put it in your mouth the uni melts over the rice which is also amazing. The grains of rice are like tiny little balls. That was our first time having uni and we will always get it. It's my favorite. We ate here and tried the uni because of YouTuber FeedMeimei. The salmon roe was so fresh and burst in your mouth. We ate the toro and it melted in the mouth. We were so full at that point we ended up taking the rest home. We enjoyed the rest of the sushi a couple hour later and it was still delicious. I am obsessed with the rice and wished I could get a bowl. We cannot wait to go back but we will probably get less food. Definitely trying the tofu next time. Kid-our kid is very well behaved because he is an observant shy kid so I think that helped a lot. He is pretty adventurous and tried a bite of all the sashimi. He ate the fried chicken which was super tender, and had the miso clam soup. We didn't give him the sushi because of the wasabi but honestly the wasabi was very light and when we ate the sushi at home I didn't even taste it. read more

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I put three stars because they were able to accommodate us for one hour time limited dinner. I don't mind to only spend only one hour however I'm very curious that the owner and wife don't do any improvements their customer service after looking all of feedback. We Japanese were taught how to be able to improve, Kaizen. Here, they don't do kaizen the services.I think they don't want to improve themselves. Maybe they simply don't like their job. That's why they just stay the way they are because they still get customers even thought they treat customers like ****. I feel very sorry for them. Wish they smile and say thank you as the most basic customer service. I saw the family really want to come back and try to make a reservation with following their instructions but they said no at the end even though he said please , anytime you have an earliest availability. I feel very sorry for them. As they named their restaurant as Aka Oni, maybe they are really red demon in their mind and demonstrate it. read more

Best sushi around, some stellar sake, and great ambiance. To all the haters, plan ahead and get reservations. Its not that hard. We did and were seated immediately. Our food and service was really good, so as long as you don't act like the typical LA snob expecting to walk-in without a reservation and be catered to, get over yourself. read more

Akaoni - Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - Carmel, California

The sushi here is way overhyped. It was average at best. I think they suffer from having not enough real competition. Having eaten at some of the best sushi restaurants in the world, this place is just average. I'm shocked that it is Michelin starred. read more

This place was a little hard to find, mostly because it just looks a little inconspicuous on the street so we almost missed it. For the most part, dinner will require a reservation or the staff (which appears to consist of the chef and his wife will give you a polite but short "no" (both are Japanese so there is a slight language gap but they were quite mannerly). With that said, calling within a day should be enough. As for the food, it was truly top notch. We got the assortment plate. The fish was freshly and expertly prepared, with excellent sushi rice and high quality tea. Presentation was elegant and classy, and service was prompt. Ambience was like that of some of the small sushi restaurants I have experienced in Japan and was something I was glad to find in the Monterey/Carmel area. read more

We had an excellent experience at Akaoni. Thanks to Yelp reviews, we appeared in-person on Thursday night to make a Saturday reservation. We were not sure what exactly to expect but the pictures I saw of the fish looked good. When we sat down for dinner and looked over our menus we were happy to see that one of their specials was doubin mushi. Matsutake mushrooms are a seasonal item and it's not common to see it offered. Akaoni's doubin-mushi had generous servings of whole matsutake slices and chunks. From there our night got even better. I ordered the 10 piece assorted sushi and thank myself that I did. The Japanese scallops are the best we've had, so tender, delicate, and flavorful. There was a piece of uni which I find to taste like seawater at most places. Akaoni's uni was wonderfully rich with zero taste of salty seawater. It is in the top three for uni I've tried in the USA. (one of the other three being Urasawa) The yellowtail was rich in flavor, tender, and not chewy at all. The toro was also amazing. I could not chew it at all because it simply melted away in my mouth. I've never experience a piece of toro that completely melted in your mouth without leaving at least a tiny bit of sinew. Most of all, the slices of fish for each piece of sushi was very generous, especially for the quality of fish being served. We would not hesitate to visit again. read more

Some people have complained about the difficulty in making reservations. Most of the time they are full and are not taking further reservations. If they don't answer the phone or they do and you are hung up on, don't take it personally. It means that you can't get in. The restaurant is very small, and is in high demand. Getting in can be a challenge, but it is definitely worth it. The difficulty in getting a reservation is an attribute, not a negative. Oh, and another thing. This is real sushi, not "sushi for beginners". Hard-core. Chef may be a bit on the brusk side, but you will not find butter fish or preparation elsewhere. He is dedicated to his craft and being friendly isn't as important. read more

I strongly believe being nice to people is one of the basic quality for restaurants. You may have best dishes, but still, should treat people like humans. When your customer ask you questions and talking to you politely, saying "I don't care" is rude. I guess that's your strategy, right? Rude services make customers feel the dishes more delicious? read more

Best sushi I've ever eaten in my life. The their sushi will Melt in your mouth. Make a reservation and make it happen. You will thank me. Amazing!!!! read more

Did my research and made sure to reserve a table in advance because yelp reviews had many complaints when you just show up. One thing that wasn't mentioned was to request ordering the omakase when you are reserving a table. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn't get the $30-$40 omakase and have to end up spending a lot more on the a la carte. All in all the experience was good but nothing close to what you'd get in Japan. Don't come here with high expectations but rather someplace you'd get decent quality fish. Check out my dining experience! http://www.youtube.com/c/MissfoodaddictEatTravelVlog read more

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Had a super good din din Lastnight . Thank you Akaoni for the great service!!!! The price is reasonable!!!! The toro here are cheaper than most places . We order a hamachi Kama and some toro which I forgot to take a picture of. Overall the food and service is amazing ! read more

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Says they offer takeout on multiple Internet addresses-they don't. I only found this out after walking in the front door where I was yelled at by the man behind the counter, who followed it up with telling me 'you don't have reservation' which I didn't, but he didn't really ask, just kind of again- yelled at me. I've never left a review for a place I didn't get to eat, but was made to feel like I was a solicitor or nuisance- not a potential customer. It's was going to be my birthday meal out. read more