My friends and I got a takeout order last week and the hostess Tara was very sweet. and so helpful. Our food (Alaskan roll, midtowner, Cali roll, etc) were great and I definitely recommend. read more

Cannot handle to go orders instead of walk in's... same same but wouldn't even take a to go order at Aptos and Santa Cruz said 75 min + At least at Santa Cruz they would take the order... going downhill fast What a way to run down loyal customers read more

Love akira!! Always sooooo good, staff is great. Just very unfortunate most of their veggie rolls have nuts that contain almond , which means not a lot of options for someone who is vegetarian and has an allergy. Wish there was a way to change this! PLEASE consider an option of just macadamia nuts read more

Favorite Santa Cruz area sit-down sushi spot. Many vegetarian rolls and other veg menu items. All of which that I've tried are very tasty, with my favorite being the Yuri roll. Staff is friendly and attentive. Restaurant seems clean and taken care of. IMO the only thing that would improve it would be an expanded cocktail menu. read more

We love Akira. We don't live in town, but we're up here once a month and it's always in the rotation to go (it's one of my father in laws favorite places). My husband has been really enjoying getting the chicken teriyaki bento box with a Philly roll, our daughter always chows down on salmon teriyaki box (which by the way is a HUGE kids portions with rice, tempura and potstickers), and I've come to find I love the Call Me The Hunter and Natural Bridges rolls. So fresh and tasty! This last time we also tried the poke and that was great too. Service is always friendly, but it is on the smaller side and there are very few tables so sometimes you can wait a little bit. We've never had that big of a problem though. Cool spot with open kitchen where you can see everyone at work and interact. Will continue to come back month after month! read more

Akira in Aptos is pretty great and I thought I'd point that out here. We are regulars at Rumble Fish in Scotts Valley, which I consider to be the gold standard of sushi in our area, but thankfully they are closed on Tuesdays (and when I say thankfully, I mean I am happy for Luna and her crew getting a night off). My wife and I tried Akira in Aptos for the first time the other night and we had a nice meal. Warning that it can be a little bit pricey if you just want nigiri, but I think we unlocked a super high value proposition that's on the menu, which is their sashimi entree dinner. $30 for 12 pieces of beautiful, fresh hamachi, miso soup, a pretty substantial & excellent salad, a sublime selection of Japanese pickles (!!!), and a side of rice. Really couldn't have been happier There are tiny bit off of the beaten track (entrance is in the back of that center where the Warmth Company is), but the payoff is that it is not mobbed in there and you can have a nice relaxed meal in what I consider to be an appealing atmosphere. Also note that parking is good, and a nice outdoor dining patio is also available. Hope you get to check them out read more

Came here for my birthday dinner in November! Everything was fantastic! Great gluten free options! And the biggest rolls I've ever seen! Service was fantastic too, wish I could remember his name but he was super tall lol definitely come here if you are gluten free! I have celiac and had no reaction. Yay! read more

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The ambiance on the outside deck was lovely. Unfortunately, it took over 45 minutes for the first course of miso soup to arrive, and once again, unfortunately, it was barely tepid. The actual lunch arrived even later, and only after we had gone into the restaurant to check on the order at least twice. We won't be coming back to this establishment read more

First time I discovered this Akira with my gf it was literally more than amazing. Went back a couple weeks later on a date and was not very stoked on the sane rolls. Consistency is key to me. read more

Came here for a quick bite to eat while in town for a seminar. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they have a ton of options for rolls. They also have an entire page dedicated to vegan sushi rolls which you don't see very often! We were also pleased to find out that they have happy hour every single day from 2-5pm! We will definitely come back for more. What I drank: miso soup What I ate: baby yoda roll and the assorted sashimi 5/5 recommend read more

Amazing service and foodC great outdoor ambiance. It was really warm inside to dine indoor, so decided outdoor was best. Overall great experience and the food was delicious and flavorful! read more

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I LOVED this place because they had an entire page of vegetarian rolls that were the bomb ! One had sweet potato crisps on top, so good! Service was good too! The only complaint I have is the smell of fabuloso was too strong . We were there early when they first opened so it was probably stronger at that time . I can't wait to go back here next time I'm in Aptos . read more

Akira is a smallish restaurant with a limited number of tables, as well as sushi bar seating. There are a few tables on the front covered patio. Even though it was the busy lunch hour, we were greeted warmly and seated quickly. There is a large and varied menu to select from. We chose the Agedashi Tofu and the steamed pork gyoza for our starters. The Agedashi was prepared as Dōfu - the tofu was perfectly crisp with a dusting on the outside, and silkenly firm on the inside. The gyoza were steamed to perfection, with a nice thin, firm skin, and the pork filling juicy. Our server, LaMaya, waited until we finished our first courses before bringing over the entrees. The service was efficient. Our selections for entrees included the Tropical Poke, and the lunch Sashimi Combo appetizer (9 pieces). The tropical poke was similar to what some eateries call a Tuna Tower. It was built-up with Daikon radish on the bottom then avocado layered with plenty of pieces of mango, and topped with chucks of seared tuna, shredded beet, masago, and dressed with Unagi sauce. It was fantastic, with it's fresh tropical taste. The lunch Sashimi combo appetizer consisted of three thick slices each of salmon, yellowtail and ahi tuna, garnished with cucumber & shredded beets.The fish was fresh, firm and melted in our mouths. Akira's hours are: Wednesday - Monday 12 pm - 9 pm, with a Happy Hour from 2 pm - 5pm; Closed Tuesday. They are located in a small hidden mini-mall just off Soquel Drive. It is hard to locate, but well worth seeking out. read more

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My friend lives local and we finally tried this spot out. We were hesitant due to others reviews. I'm glad we did because we had a wonderful dinner and experience. We loved the nigiri !!!!! We found each piece to be flavorful and fresh. I would highly recommend coming here for fresh nigiri and fish. They have a fresh fish bar and prepare in front of you (if you sit at bar). We got a selection of nigiri, miso soup, cold sake and mochi ice cream. 10/10. Our server was friendly and attentive. read more

Akira Aptos - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

We went with our family of 8. We ate outside and they gave us a heater which helped keep us warm. The food was good. We all got different things. The salmon was excellent. Those that got sushi loved it loved it, and I got a Bento box which was artistic and delicious. read more

Akita is tucked away in middle of downtown Aptos. But it's worth going. My husband had the Akita roll, he enjoyed it. Since it was happy hour I had gyoza and TNT sticks, we split tempura. That was the only thing I wasn't to happy about, it had shrimp tempura, but shrimp was maybe 2 inches long, yet it was about 5 inches long. It was a lot of fried batter. The rest of the vegetable tempura was fine. The service was good, our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable, but all the staff was great. It was a beautiful warm fall day so we ate outside, they have a nice little dining area outside, but they also have dining indoors. We definitely want to return for more sushi, oh and they have a great playlist. read more

The service was good but unfortunately the food was so bland. We ordered agadashi tofu that looked yummy but had no taste. I thought it was me until I ordered and ate the tempura. Blah it was mostly tempura and little shrimp and veggies. I've heard a horrible rumor that the Aptos community like bland and not so spicy food. Ridiculous! I can't believe the food here is Aptos standard! read more

Akira Aptos - Edamame appetizer - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

If you come to the Aptos location make sure you have Gade! Great customer service with a great personality making your dining experience that much better! BTW, I'm a vegan and my Midori Michi is always amazing and my non-vegan friends ALWAYS love mine! But I add fresh jalapeños on the outside, fresh mango on the inside, and have the roll tempura style. Amazing! read more

Excellent service from host to sushi server. Fresh nigiri hamachi was great. Fun Bento box too!

Our server moon was the sweetest person in the world. She was so kind and had such a great attitude. She gave my friend and i so many compliments and she was just so kind. Great sushi and a very nice location!!! read more

Akira Aptos - Amazing food!!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

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So delicious! Fresh yummy sushi! Never actually dinned in but it's always good Togo always order when I'm in town!

Hands down my favorite sushi place in the area. Amazing and innovative selection of rolls. Good local wine and beer selection. Awesome staff. read more

I came here for lunch today.I got their two item bento box.My two items I chose were the teriyaki salmon and the California roll.Both were very yummy.The box also came with rice, edamame,miso soup and salad with a very delicious miso salad dressing.I also ordered a diet coke.Eveyrhing was very tasty.The service is good here as always.I recommend this place read more

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If I could give this place a 0, I would. My husband and I waited so long. We never got asked if we needed anything. People came after us and they got their food and drinks first. Once we received our sushi it tasted so bitter and the rice was gross. We tried to finish eating it but we couldn't. DON'T come here! I'm sure there's better sushi places with quality and service out there. Beware the charred edamame. The whole thing was burnt not even edible. read more

Friendly staff, parking lot, gluten free menu options well marked, gets busy so be aware. Outside seating on nice days. read more

Akira Aptos - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

I have eaten at Arika's a few times. I like the Bento Box and Tropical Poke. The food is consistently good. The service is really hit or miss. The menu choice and quality of ingredients good, but the service needs to be improved. I had to get up from table to remind the server a few times for utensils and the bill. Their attitude reminded of Portland, Oregon where it's an inconvenience to have customers and treating them poorly is cool. Since there are the sushi houses in the neighborhood I think I'll go to other places. When there is a lot of competition in the area, treating customers as if they are an inconvenience doesn't win return business. I think I'll wait till this group of servers phase out before going back. If I go back at all. Hostelry, its good but not good enough to go out of your way for. read more

After spending a lazy day at Rio Del Mar Beach, we took our sunburned faces to what ended up being one of the best Sushi and Japanese places I have found during my get-away-visits to the coast. (40 min. drive from Santa Clara) Our server, Maddie knew her stuff, was friendly, (like family) informative, (she really knew the menu describing items in such a mouthwatering way) I have my favorites, the menu is extensive but at a new place I like to untie the hands of the chef to be creative. AARON did NOT disappoint! Who'd a thunk that HAMACHI, drizzled with a little basil/olive oil, topped with jalapeno slivers, thin sliced lemon would have such an explosion of umami in one's mouth. When sushi is that good I like to thank the chef personally... he was very humble and gracious with very cool body/art too : ) Everything Aaron and Maddie suggested was a "flavor bomb" YUM!! I loved it when one of my rolls came in an artfully decorated special plate for my Birthday The outdoor tables were cozy and we had a nice sunset...Already planning my next visit to this fabulous place! Mmmmmmaybe I'll see ya there! read more

Akira Aptos - Special Birthday Artistry - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

My husband and I really like Arika's veggie rolls at Seabright restaurant and it's the best ever. We have had two times from Aptos restaurant and it was terrible. I definitely not recommend that restaurant. If you can, please order from Seabright, you will thank me latter. Aptos manager, please provide better training to your staff. read more

I'm giving 3 stars because on a regular basis, I've been pleased with Akira. Though this time the rolls were soaked and swimming in special sauces. So much that i couldn't taste anything but the sauce. Was like a puddle of sauce under the rolls. The tempura green tea ice cream is pretty delicious, but the ice cream is hard to scoop. It comes with chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. read more

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I ordered a sushi lunch, which left me disappointed for three reasons: 1. Portion was small and had no salad, ref picture. (By contrast their Capitola location has generous portions of chicken in the bento box) 2. They had 6+ slabs of salmon and tuna sitting out on the counter for at least 5 minutes while I awaited my order, not how one should protect fish from microbe growth, yuck, means I can't go back from safety perspective. 3. They charged a 6% take out fee, WTF. I find it is listed on the menu, but still rubs me the wrong way. read more

Akira Aptos - Portion sizes, smallish nigri...they do specialize in fancy rolls, great for not tasting the fish. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Aptos, California

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Excellent Japanese food and excellent service. A busy small restaurant with the freshest sashimi around. We have never been disappointed and give this place a high recommend read more

The portions given is pretty good and the food was very tasty.... aside from the food. It took a while for them to bring the food to us and it wasn't that busy when we got there. The floors were slippery and being pregnant it's pretty scary. The restroom is ok but the floor was super wet. If the waitress paid more attention to the customers and update us it might have been an ok visit. We felt it was a lot of waiting around especially when we asked for the boxes we had to ask for the check and on top of that they took awhile to take the payment. I may consider getting a to-go order but based on one of the other comments it said they charge a "packaging fee." So maybe not. read more

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Everything was great the food was great and the service was great the food did take a little bit to come over but overall it was amazing

We were so excited to try Akira as we've yet to find a good sushi restaurant in Aptos. We ordered take away...2 bento boxes with sashimi and salmon and the Akira roll. The sashimi was extremely fresh. The spicy tuna roll had a lot of rice and was not at all spicy. The salad was good enough. The salmon was a little charred for me but the flavor was not too bad. The Akira was good but the sauce did taste out of the bottle (if you will) and not homemade. The restaurant itself was definitely busy with plenty of outdoor seating. read more

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Sushi is okay but I've had better. The miso soup was way too salty. Very uncomfortable ambiance. I felt Get Out vibes. I question the diversity here. read more

I visited my daughter and her family in Aptos and dinner plans were made at Akira. Oops. I'm not a sushi fan. She told me they offer things like Bento boxes so I was in. We arrived at round 6:30 on a Friday evening and got seated immediately. Indoor seating was a bit close but not uncomfortable at all. The interior is bright and the patrons lively. Outdoor seating is also available. The menu was extensive. I honed in on the vegetarian options and it's not cuz I'm a vegetarian. They all looked yummy and I could not decide. My son-in-law said, "just get the ghost roll" (or a name like that...wish I could remember exactly.) Since ingredients in all of the veggie options sounded good, I decided to go with his suggestion and he was right! My dish was beautifully presented and the portion HUGE! The sprinkle of fried sweet potato bits on top provided the perfect crunch. They had enough heat to really enhance the dish and I was in heaven. I was so full but extremely satisfied. Again, I don't fancy myself a sushi person, but OMG maybe I'm a convert because I want to go back TODAY! Service was great and wait time for a busy Friday night was not bad. I live in Arizona so likely won't be able to so here again soon. I've already told my husband that this is where we're going on our next visit together. He's going to love it and I am going to have a very hard time deciding what to eat...again! I highly recommend this establishment! read more

My favorite part is the ultra yummy vegetarian and vegan sushi menu A total treat read more

I really like the veggie options And lovee the portions size. Generally for sushi you have to eat few plates to feel full. But here 1 or 1.5 is enough.. love the flavors as well read more

Always a great meal ! Service is always welcoming and helpful. Wish at times it wasn't so popular so we could sit sooner :)

I haven't yet dined in... But, we recently placed a rather large to go order with some friends. i.e. veggie potstickers, 8 rolls, 4 salads and 2 miso soups. This was the perfect amount of food for 4 adults and 2 toddlers. All the rolls were delicious and not fishy, so in my opinion very fresh sushi. The salads were pretty large. I would recommend ordering 1 salad per every two people. The veggie potstickers came in the green wonton skin and were light and flavorful. Also, to go orders some in paper boxes and not plastic like some other sushi spots. We appreciated the more environmentally friendly packaging. Minus one star for the "no reservations." read more