I ate at Akira Aptos for the first time! (Jan. 2026). They have a pleasant patio, with umbrellas and heaters, which is important to me. The food was excellent, generous portions, reasonably priced. And our waitperson, Nicolas, kept me to my vegan diet better than I would have on my own! Highly recommend, will be back regularly. read more

We were very excited to check out Akira in Aptos. We ordered a handful of things to share, such as the crispy rice, edamame, and a handful of rolls. The crispy rice was really delicious. Overall we were happy with the rolls as well, as everything was quite decent. The portion sizes were also extremely generous for the pricepoint. Overall a positive experience! read more

Maia was amazing she took care of me and my friends can't wait to come back and bring in more people for the service. Also the food was great. Drinks where great can't wait to come again read more

Had a nice lunch here at Akira Aptos. The staff is friendly and the food is delicious. Sat outside on the patio on an overcast weekday. Had some hot sake and a couple draft Sapporos while ordering the two item Bento Box of Grilled Salmon & Spicy Tuna Rolls. Best bento box I've had in a while with the salad and dressing, rice, and edamame! Our server was the co-owner and she was super nice and friendly. Definitely recommend. Thank you! read more

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Recently went to their location in Santa Cruz and had to try out this location too. We went for lunch on a Saturday, it wasn't too busy. The hostess allowed us to choose the table we wanted to sit at. They have indoor and outdoor seating. It was unfortunately too cold to sit outside, but they have a decently sized patio. It is located in a shopping center with plenty of parking too. The restaurant itself is very nice and clean. I of course had to get their edamame as a starter. Can't ever go wrong with some edamame! We tried their three-item lunch bento box which we shared among two of us. The bento box came with miso soup, salad, and rice. We chose to add chicken katsu, grilled salmon, and their cali roll. The only new item we tried was the salmon which was delicious, as was everything else. It was $25 for the lunch bento. The portions are of course smaller, but it was still plenty for both of us. The service was good, the staff were all friendly, but our food did take a bit to come out. However, no complaints and completely understandable! Definitely recommend! read more

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Pleasant restaurant. Very busy most times and hard to get seating, without a wait. The non fish protein, especially the steak (teriyaki), is not good. The steak was mostly inedible. In other words, grisly and tough. The chicken is somewhat better. The waitstaff are friendly and very efficient. No plans to return. read more

I've always wanted to try Akira and finally had the opportunity in their new location. The ambiance is nice, new and airy. It's well lit but not too bright. We were greeted aloud by the staff as we entered and the hostess and promptly seated us. We were offered a place at the bar or table. We sat a table. The menu was pretty typical: nigiri, sashimi, rolls and their special rolls. The special rolls are where Japanese restaurants try to differentiate themselves. We ended each getting 2-item combo dinners. We both ordered Chicken Karaage. For the second choice I ordered the sashimi (7 pcs) and my son picked the nigiri (4 pcs). Both included miso soup, salad and rice. The miso soup was fine. Nothing special. I enjoyed the salad and the dressing. Under the sashimi there was a bed of thinly shaved daikon with embellishments of red beet and cucumber. I thought this was a nice touch. The sashimi was average. The maguro slices were thick but lacked in flavor. The salmon was fine too but the slicing was irregular. I liked the hamachi. The chicken karaage was OK. I think they used chicken breast so it was on the dry side. I think chicken thighs are juicier and more forgiving than breast meat. The dipping sauce was ok too. It was more reddish (ketchup or chili sauce based?) and helped with the dryness. The scoop of rice as part of the dinner combo was fine. The nigiri rice pads had a strange text. The rice wasn't seasoned or glossy. This is a sign it was not prepared traditionally: fanned after cooking and seasoned rice vinegar carefully folded in. Also, there was no dab of wasabi under the slice of fish. We shared on the Mighty Dragon Rolls. The presentation was nice (bonus points for the orchid flower) and tasted good. I guess I've been spoiled by the sushi found in the restaurants outside of Tsujiki Fish Market in Tokyo. It's a high bar but it is possible to get quality sushi prepared properly in the states. You have to know where to look and be willing to pay for it. Overall, the wait staff was friendly and efficient. I want to try to a noodle dish (udon or soba) some cold evening. read more

Akira has been a consistent part of my dining experience for years, starting with the original location off Morrissey in Santa Cruz. I frequented that spot often during the lunch hour, and what always stood out to me was the value. The lunch specials offered a balanced variety with thoughtful combinations, making it both affordable and enjoyable. Their sushi menu was well crafted, with each roll offering something distinct. Ordering never felt routine because the options had personality and intention behind them. I've also brought my nephews along on several visits. Whether it was chicken teriyaki or a selection of other dishes, the meals were always well received. The flavors are approachable yet satisfying and clearly made with care. I've sat down many times myself, ordered sushi and sake, and had a great experience every time. The quality has always been there. In recent years, my visits have mostly been to the Aptos location, where I'll often pick up a few pieces of nigiri to go for my dad on the weekends. Every phone call is met with a warm and attentive voice. The staff are consistently professional, friendly, and efficient. When I bring the food home, my dad immediately notices the quality. He always comments on how fresh and well made it is, and he looks forward to it each time. That kind of consistency is rare. The Aptos location, in particular, deserves recognition. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, with a nicely arranged bar and plenty of inviting seating. There is a quiet energy to the space, one that makes people stay and enjoy themselves. Each time I step inside, I hear other guests talking about how much they enjoy it, and the room is full of genuine conversation and laughter. I've recommended Akira to many people over the years and I stand by that recommendation. All of their locations have something to offer, but the Aptos restaurant has a warmth and sincerity that's hard to find. It is a place run by people who take pride in their work and who truly care about their customers. That alone is worth returning for. read more

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Outstanding...deal of the day!!!...patio service allows good dogs too!!!...superb food and flawless service!!!...I'll be back!!

I was so impressed with the special rolls here!! I ordered my sushi to-go, since it was a sunny day and great to sit by the beach and eat. I ordered the Cowboy Beebop, which included tempura unagi, cream cheese, fried garlic, mango, avocado, toasted sweet coconut, nuts, honey, and unagi sauce, plus I added lemon slices. It was so incredible flavorful and fresh, it has to be my new favorite roll, like anywhere. I also ordered the Zen Fusion, since I love a baked roll! It had avocado,mango, nuts, topped with shiro maguro, basil aioli, unagi sauce, and green onion, and baked to perfection. The savory, indulgent roll was a lovely compliment to the lighter, fresh one. While I was only inside for a moment to pick up my food, the service was so attentive and friendly, and made sure I had everything I needed. I can't wait to come back! read more

Akira Aptos - Top roll: Cowboy Beebop Bottom roll: Zen Fusion Both incredible! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

A nice little modern, sushi joint with a huge menu. Hubby and I went for a cute lunch date. This place was recommended to us and it was warm enough to sit outside. Dog-friendly patio. I love a good bento box and their's was solid. The California rolls and chicken teriyaki were good, but the tonkatsu was super dry. I'd skip that. I also tried their Cadillac roll with steak. It was huge, but I wouldn't order it again. The best part of the meal was the salad dressing. I kid you not. It was the best Japanese salad dressing I've ever had. It's so good, they even bottle it! It was $9, but I had to have it. We'll be back to try more rolls. read more

Akira Aptos - Lunch bento. The salad dressing is amazing! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

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Love Akira! Been a local fave for years. The service can be a bit slow sometimes, but they are BUSY. They get TONS of to-go orders as well. But the sushi is amazing, and they have a great happy hour and cocktails as well. I love the outdoor seating at Aptos Akira! So cute and has heaters. read more

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Came here with a group for dinner and ordered a bunch of food. We were super excited to try this place, but we were unfortunately pretty disappointed. We ordered a few bento boxes, spicy salmon rolls, nigiri, tempura yam rolls, and spicy edamame. Honestly, the only thing that I liked was the tempura yam roll. The skirt steak in my bento box was so chewy that it was inedible. The miso soup was cold and had no flavor. The salmon roll and nigiri did not taste very fresh. The service was also very slow. There are so many other amazing sushi places in town, so I will most likely not be back unless they make some major changes. read more

The food is so amazing. So yummy I could eat a million rolls. The people who work here are so nice and attentive. I love Akira and the food there so delish! read more

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First off, let me say that I love Japanese food, and I really wanted to love this cute neighborhood place so much so that I've come here 3 times (2x for dinner and 1x for lunch). The food can be summarized as mediocre to deliciousness, depending on what you order. Basic rules I follow at Akira are: choose sashimi over sushi (the sushi rice is on the hard side), rolls over plates (roll sizes are massive), skip the barely warm miso soup, skip the green tea or any customizations (they cost extra), and the sizzling sushi appetizer is always a Yes. The strangest thing about Akira is that 2 out of the 3 times I've been there, I somehow must have put on an "invisibility cloak" because my servers forget about me, my food, removing dirty plates, filling water glasses, giving the check, etc., even when the restaurant is NOT busy and the tables around me are serviced well. Once, customers at another table had to tell our server to help us when he asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" to the table he had visited a couple times in 5 mins. The woman said, "Yes, can you help them?" and pointed to my table! Apparently, everyone in the patio section of the restaurant saw me wave and call out for our server...except the server. The server didn't check on us or make eye contact, even when he walked by us repeatedly to help the tables around us, so we couldn't ask him where the rest of our order was or to get the check, for example. It was hilarious and humiliating at the same time because the other tables noticed this discrepancy also. Prices are steep for this kind of service and the hit or miss menu items. No one should feel invisible or be humiliated when dining out. read more

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Revisited Akira aptos, it was better in the aspect that my food wasn't raw, however it was just okay, nothing really stood out. I ordered the same thing minus chicken, however, portions were inconsistent. I ordered two of the same bento boxes, they both had completely different portions in each. The service was great today just like last time I was there, which at least that stayed the same. We did order a few others items, like the kids bento box. read more

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What a great spot! Akira is tucked away in the back of a parking lot in a small shopping center in the Aptos Village area. It has a relatively small interior with a row of seats at the sushi bar, and maybe a dozen or so tables spread throughout the space. They also have a few tables out front for some patio dining. I first heard about this Akira from my mom who loves coming here! She is all about the Bento Box, and loves introducing people to this place. I was just recently visiting for her birthday, and she chose Akira for her celebration dinner! We decided to order takeout to enjoy at home. Nicholas took our order and was very patient with making sure he had everything correct, which we appreciated. We ordered: Bento Dinner (3 items, $30) Teriyaki Salmon Combo Tempura Sashimi Bento Dinner (2 items, $25) Chicken Teriyaki Combo Tempura Akira Roll (Tempura Ebi, Spicy Tuna, Avocado, topped w/ Hamachi, Shiro Maguro, Krab Salad, Jalapeño, Unagi Sauce, Spicy Miso Seamount Aioli, Masago and Green Onion, $21) The Cadillac (Crab, Tempura Ebi, Fried Garlic, topped w/ Avocado, Grilled Steak, Unagi Sauce, Spicy Miso Sesame Aioli, Green Onion and Masago, $18) Combo Sashimi Entrée (Chef's Choice, $32) Scallop Crunch Hand Roll (Spicy Scallop, Katsu, Cucumber, Unagi Sauce and Tempura Crunch, $12.5) Combo Tempura Starter ($12.5) The food was all very tasty! While the prices are a little on the higher end, the serving size makes up for it. My mom's Bento Box had two good sized pieces of salmon and a full size order of tempura. She also only likes the Magura (tuna) sashimi, and they were nice enough to accommodate her request. The miso soup was delicious, the salad dressing had a good flavor, and the serving size of both the rice and salad was solid--enough for her to get 2+ full meals! The sashimi was fresh and thick. The entrée came with (14) total pieces, with a combo of salmon, hamachi, maguro, and peppered seared maguro. The rolls were packed full of ingredients, and piled high with more fish, sauces, and toppings! I can't recall ever having steak on a sushi roll, which was a fun experience! The steak itself had a good grilled taste, but was a little chewy. Overall I definitely recommend checking out Akira for some high quality sushi in Aptos! The staff is all really friendly and it definitely has a local vibe. Can't wait to come back! Additional Akira content on Instagram: @bbnem.food read more

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Came in for lunch with my husband and two kids. The restaurant only had a couple of tables with customers so I was glad it was less busy than it's sister location in midtown. Ordered my boys their own kids bento boxes and shared one three item bento and two rolls with my husband. The service was slow and we had to request refills on water as well as iced tea. The food was just ok as were the rolls. The food and service at the midtown location is so much better. Super sad and disappointed with lunch today. read more

Akira Aptos - Kids bento - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

Akira Aptos is a awesome restaurant for sushi! They have a huge menu with options for everyone. My husband always gets the sashimi and nigiri , the fish is very fresh. Akira also has a great selection of combination rolls, love the Santa Cruz, Crystal Emotion and Scallop Crunch roll. The sweet potato truffle fries are to die for! Yummy salads and offer a good selection of veggie rolls . Wine, beer and recently acquired a liquor license for those who enjoy a cocktail. There is an outdoor patio for sunny days alongside patio heaters for when it's a bit chilly . The staff go above and beyond, this is a happening sushi spot, even when they are slammed seem to have it all together! read more

Absolutely recommend! I am all about customer service. If someone has a good attitude it can really make your whole experience amazing. Moon is one of the most delightful waitresses I have come across while living in Santa Cruz. She has a bubbly personality and enjoys her job and is personable. It was refreshing to have such a great waitress and someone who enjoys her customers. The chef was also very impressive with his kind and personable attitude. I wanted a roll that wasn't on the menu and asked if he could do something different. Chris was BRILLIANT! He made one of the best rolls I ever had. It was my personal "Rachael Roll"(California roll sub the cucumber for mango, topped with sliced salmon, drizzled with spicy mayo sauce, topiko, and garnished with lemon slices). It was a work of art. Thanks so much Chris and moon for making our lunch experience out of this world. read more

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First time at Akira Aptos and was delighted with the experience. Our waitress was attentive and kind and checked in the perfect amount. Our food was very tasty too, as expected. This is a much smaller (or so it seems) location and for a Wednesday night, they were pretty full. My only feedback is the freaking lighting. Same with the midtown location. It feels like surgery lighting which is just so overly bright + intense as a guest (I get that it is probably for the kitchen line). If you're a sensitive creature like myself, bring some blue-blockers. read more

The food here is so fresh, flavorful, and reasonably priced. I went here last night for dinner with my family, and the staff were so nice. Even though it was packed, the food came within five minutes. I highly recommend this amazing sushi restaurant read more

Came here for lunch with a friend after school while visiting from Monterey. I'm a big fan of sushi, so I was excited to check this place out. The gyoza appetizers were delicious, and the service and atmosphere were both really great. That said, the sushi roll I ordered wasn't quite what I hoped for the rice reminded me of grocery store sushi, which threw it off for me. I'll definitely come back and try a different roll though maybe I just didn't pick one of the stronger options this time around. read more

I'll be honest, I come from San Jose where the Asian food is amazing. I didn't really have any expectations of this place, but it was one of the two popular sushi places in Aptos, and I didn't feel like going far. We ordered a 3 set bento (probably too much food, $30). With the bento I got chicken katsu, combo tempura, and shrimp tempura roll. The tempura set was massive, I wasn't expecting that much food. The roll was standard. And the chicken katsu felt like it coulda used a little more panko crumbs, and maybe it was a little over cooked. 1 roll - can't remember what it was but it was decent for something out here. And another side of miso soup - for some reason very salty. Would not recommend. Overall the place was decent. They had the warriors game on. Service was a little slow. I thought the prices were just a smidge too high for what we got. Not too sure I'd come back if I'm ever in Aptos, but it didn't feel like there were many options in Santa Cruz either. Just the different locations of the same chains. read more

We love this place! Always happening. High energy. Quality seafood. Great sake and other drinks. Friendly service. What more could anyone ask for?! read more

Akira Aptos - Akira poke. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

My food was pretty good, though the tropical poke (all raw tuna) I ordered def needed to come with a side of wonton chips, which I ordered separately and did taste pretty good with the dish. I did like the dish, particularly when paired with the wonton chips. My biggest complaint is that even though it was completely dead inside and out of the restaurant, our waiter took forever to take our order, get us refills of anything including water, and get us things like napkins and forks which I feel are pretty standard (like I didn't have a utensil to eat my poke when it was served to me - I wasn't just gonna grab some raw tuna with my bare hands). Just seemed a bit out of place for the small amount of people that were there. I will say they are dog friendly on the patio, but I was a bit irritated at the lack of dog etiquette by the customers, and I guess staff. Literally every other patio table was open around us, and the next customers chose the table right next to us with two big dogs that kept growling and barking at my little dog. I ended up picking up my Lilo and having her in my lap the entire lunch so she wasn't scared by the barking dogs next us, which ngl was kinda annoying when trying to eat poke. I wish the the waiter had directed them to a seat a bit further away (which there were plenty of) so they wouldn't have been so upset by other dogs - like there were plenty of seats. Overall, would probz come back for some poke or sushi, but not sure I would take my Lilo next time, which is who I travel with most frequently. So maybe I won't I guess. I'll just see if she's with me the next time I'm nearby. read more

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Food was great. Salmon teriyaki was perfect. Bento box was priced right. Portion of rice was too small. Price for a pint of Japanese beer was good - thanks. Only negative was the rock and roll music was too loud and did not make for good dining ambiance... read more

Akira Aptos - Akira - Aptos ... beautiful city by the sea. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

Love having amazing in our neighborhood! The Sushi is always so fresh and I have to say they have the best beef teriyaki around! All the staff is so helpful and explaining their different rolls is something they do effortlessly! Their dog friendly patio is definitely a bonus! read more

We've been here twice and both times were awesome! The calamari & jalapeño appetizer is my favorite!! Great portions, great options, no complaints. read more

The service here was AMAZING. We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and walked away with such a positive experience! Our server Brittney was so sweet and even brought out a birthday dessert to and the night, despite none of us mentioning it. I would recommend Akira to anyone looking for a yummy sushi roll and great service. Outdoor seating was pleasant and indoor seating available as well. Reasonably priced food and drinks for sure read more

We came here before for dinner and it was great. I happened be in town again and thought I would pop in with my daughter. They are certainly consistent which is something I look for in a restaurant. Its so disappointing when you hit up a place because you had a good experience and then you don't the next time. Akira delivered and then some. The food is beyond excellent. The staff are all super nice and communicative. Nick was our waiter and he was super kind. This place is so kid (family) friendly. The kids menu has lots of options and they are very accommodating to dietary preferences. We will for sure come back. I also want to add that we are vegetarian and they have a whole page and then some of options. I can't praise this place enough. No pics because we ate the food before I could get some, but they also have great presentation. Thanks for having us! read more

Akira Aptos is our absolute go-to sushi spot. We are big sushi eaters and Akira is a fantastic spot, both for great sushi, excellent, fresh fish, creative rolls, and they aren't afraid to make something special and honor requests. The servers are friendly and efficient. The prices are very reasonable. Seating both inside and outside is great. It's always hoping, full of locals, and the popularity is no surprise. Also, the family who owns the place is absolutely delightful and great at recognizing regulars. We so appreciate this spokt. Highly recommend the Akira roll, spicy dragon, kama collar, J poppers. Honestly, though, there really isn't anything that isn't delicous. read more

My Macho Hamachi at Akira Aptos. 2:30 pm. No compromise to some limited lunch menu...7 days a week. If you want to know about my Hamachi, it was plentiful and delicious! read more

Akira Aptos - Hamachi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

Finally got to try the Akira in our neighborhood area. Came here for lunch for a change from our usual go to Japanese. Two of us ordered Bento Lunch Boxes: * 3 item Combo Bento with Teriyaki Skirt Steak, Combo Tempura and Grilled Salmon -- Skirt Steak was tasty and good in parts, but some pieces were a bit grisly and chewy. Tempura was somewhat disappointing...a bit greasy and the shrimp was miniscule where 2/3 of the piece was pure batter and you could barely taste any shrimp. No tempura sauce offered. Grilled Salmon was a generous portion, but a bit overcooked and dry. Mixed Green Salad and rice served as standard sides. * 2 item Combo Bento Box with Sashimi and Grilled Salmon - The sashimi is probably their strongest point. It was tasty and fresh. Grilled Salmon was again a bit overcooked and dry. I got double salad instead of white rice. Also interesting to note that my 2 item Combo came with an additional side of edamame that our 3 item Bento didn't. Complementary miso soup was rather bland. No brown rice option for those avoiding white rice. They charge for green tea, and there was an upcharge for my double side salad (but I wasn't warned) -- incidentally, all this plus complementary edamame for the table are still free at Sushi Garden. Ambiance indoor & outdoor were rather uninspired, but their outdoor patio is pet friendly. Service was good. Friendly and attentive. Overall not so impressed and I think we'll go back to our regular preferred Japanese haunt at Sushi Garden down the road. read more

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What a gem! It is pretty rare a place is open all the way through lunch into dinner. Post appointment we were hungry and decided to come here because sushi garden closes at 230. Glad we made the trip! The staff here is so nice! They answered all our questions and made some great suggestions. I recommend checking out the Happy Hour specials in the back that starts at 2 pm Monday-Friday. The SO got the calamari Happy Hour special and it was a good balance of fried calamari and jalapeños. He also liked the sauce that came with the order. He also got the sushi lunch special and everything was fresh. I was not that hungry so I just got the aloha roll and some green tea. The tea was constantly refilled without asking and the 8 maki style rolls was just enough for me to feel full. There are plenty of vegan rolls and items that do not require a lot of modifications. The birthday party next to us got a matcha dessert that was in four slices and looked pretty delicious- keeping that one in the back of our minds for next time. There is both street parking and a parking lot. They have an outside patio with heaters, counter and table seating options. read more

Amazing ambiance & good vibes. The fish is very fresh and everything is always delicious. We come here very often and the service is always spectacular. Especially if you ever have Britney or Bob as your servers. The chefs are so talented and Hugo knows how to make some very tasty, delicious rolls! read more

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The sushi is about as good as you can get in our area. The service is subpar at times because they are so busy and always appear to be under staffed. I tried on two occasions as well to phone in an order and no one answered the phone because they were so busy. It's too bad that during busy hours they are unable to accommodate phone orders. The ambiance is OK and the place is clean. read more

They never answer the phone for call in orders. I have tried several times. Just not worth the hassle. Especially when sushi garden is right up the street read more

The food is amazing and delicious, the ambience is just as great and comforting. The service of the food is awesome and the presentation is great as well. 10 out of 10 l highly recommend. (: read more

***Updated review***So my daughter wanted sushi for her birthday dinner and on a rainy night we headed for Akira. We were a group of 6 adults and a toddler. Service was fast, professional and welcoming. Annie was on top of it during the whole meal. The fish was exceptionally fresh and of course, the pork gyoza were delicious. We had a variety of rolls, tempura and I had my usual Omakase. All wonderous. The only thing I would recommend to the kitchen is go light on the unagi sauce. It was a fun and delightful meal and our special thanks to Annie and the young man who helped her rotate all the empty plates etc to make room for more yummy fish. Many thanks and see you again soon. read more