Hostess was not very warm to me on my birthday. Acted like I was an inconvenience after putting in my name in. But after I was seated, amazing service from Louis. And food was phenomenal. Thanks for making my bday awesome Louis :) read more

A big fan of Akira sushi out in Aptos so came to the Akira sushi e Santa Cruz Food was equally good as well as service.My friend and I both got the two Items bento box I got the teriyaki salmon and Cali roll with salad,rice and miso soup and a diet Coke Food was excellent read more

Akira - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

Come here on a date nite. I swear this place is an aphrodisiac ^o.o^ The line is long on weekends, but it's very much worth it. Our rolls were incredibly fresh and flavourful and we were well taken care of! But, you have to get the Karaage. Literally the best I've ever had ( T - T) Will be bback soon ( *w*)b read more

Akira - Karaage - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I came for the crispy rice appetizer and it definitely delivered. The crispiest rice I've ever had. So that was good. I got a couple of other items. The decor is nice and the two waiter gals were very nice but I probably won't be back. I parked across the street and walked in from the back entrance. When I walked up to the bar everyone turned and looked at me with zero smiles or welcome in. It was as if I walked into their home. It was a little after 12 noon and there was one person at the bar and two at tables, so it's not like I came in right before closing. I sat at the bar and tried to make small talk with the sushi chefs but they were not having it. None of the men working there smiled or asked me how I was the entire time I was there. Only the two ladies. I ended up getting half of my food to go because the environment wasn't conducive to eating and enjoying my food. Maybe they save their energy and welcoming spirit for the evening crowd??? I won't be back unfortunately. read more

See all

Honestly so impressed by this spot. The fish tasted very fresh and the rolls were innovative and fun. I'm not sure I've ever had a roll with so many types of fish in it before - YUM! This location also has happy hour which included apps like the fried chicken I ordered. Lastly, the service was great - our server had great suggestions! read more

See all

A group of friends and I were visiting the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk from out of town and decided to try this place and I am obsessed. The service was great, but the food was even better. The sushi was great. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bento dinner, which was delicious, but what really surprised me was the skirt steak my friend let me try so flavorful and absolutely delicious. If and when I return to Santa Cruz, I will definitely make it a point to come back here! read more

Akira - Golden Cali - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

beware of the steamed veggie gyoza. this place is super expensive for subpar food, I mean $28 for a bento box with mediocre tofu and gyoza, is ludicrous. read more

This place is amazing! I haven't eaten sushi in a millennia, and I'm so glad this is the place I went to. We got the 16 piece sashimi platter ($35.50) and the dragon scales. I think the dragon scales were overkill because we ate soooooo much and it's pricey for what you get ($17 for 4 pieces during happy hour). The sashimi platter would be more than enough for 2 since it comes with rice, soup, and a salad. For the dragon scales they were definitely unique? Sweet from the lime sauce (?), crunchy from it being fried, creamy from the filling, but fresh from the raw fish on top? It was such an interesting blend it feels almost like overkill, but somehow it works. And on the fish quality, it was so good! No fishy taste, they're so generous with their cuts, and the fish just melted in our mouths? There was also seaweed salad, sliced radish, lemons, wasabi, tobiko, jalapeños, ginger, and green onions on the side. The yellowtail was our absolute favorite, which surprised me because I'm usually an unshakable salmon fan. Service was friendly, and there's some cool art on the walls. Definitely coming back! Oh, I'm not sure if this is what's always happening, I think the server said it was only during happy hour or something? But it's self seating, and we grabbed our own menus but that might've been us being impatient and voracious. read more

Akira - Dragon scales and sashimi platter (entree) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We Love Akira. It is a must stop on our visits to Santa Cruz. The food is awesome. The staff is friendly and knows the menu well. The sushi beats anything in our hometown area! read more

This place is not getting the credit it deserves. Food was really tasty. They were extremely busy when we went, and they were able to seat us fairly quick. We ordered a couple of rolls, and some teriyaki plates and we were impressed. Prices were fine and the food delivered. We entered from the rest of the restaurant to be put or name in and get seated. It was weird with the bathroom being right there when you walk in and a line began forming. Oh well. Not a deal breaker. read more

So tasty!!! For our sushi rolls, we ordered the seabright special and the stormtrooper crisp. The seabright special was so fresh, with basil, cucumber, nuts, lemon, hamachi, and avocado. The nuts added such a nice texture and flavor to the sushi that i've never had before! One sushi piece was a mouthful lol! The stormtrooper roll was great too. It had salmon skin, spicy tuna, avocado, topped with unagi sauce. Quite a good roll, definitely have to eat in one bite, as it can easily fall apart lol. Flavors were amazing though! Sides: We also got salted edamame and miso soup. The miso was umami and had a strong miso presence. It also had small tofu bits! The edamame came out super steamy, with a generous amount of salt. The lemon is optional, but really adds a great kick, enhancing the salt. Servers were kind and attentive too, and the establishment was clean! Parking was a little tough to find on a saturday night, but there's street parking that may be available. Would recommend this spot!!! read more

See all

WOW! BEST underrated sushi place in Santa Cruz!!!! As a socal native, this place has a such an unexpected level of variety, unique flavors, and great vegetarian options!!! Went here 4 years ago, went here again now, and it's still so so GOOD!!! I recommend any of their special rolls. Ambiance instead is a little bland and slightly warm. But just focus on the food and it'll be alright. Service was also very quick and friendly! THIS PLACE is one of my TOP 3 in santa cruz EVER!! read more

See all

Stopped by for dinner and decided to try their three item bento box, which two of us shared. It was the perfect amount of food for us. We went on a Saturday night, so it was very busy. We were seated at the bar which was perfect because the game was on. Only downside was that the space is very limited. We were having a bit of trouble fitting our bento box. We started off with edamame which was delicious. Always a must have for me. The bento dinner comes with miso soup, a salad, and rice. We chose to add chicken katsu, skirt steak teriyaki, and their cali roll. Everything was very tasty. I did ask for the sauce that usually comes on the chicken katsu on the side, as I'm not a fan. The service was quick, and we were able to see how the sushi was made since we sat at the bar. While there is a lot of parking, it is located in a shopping center with plenty of other shops around so it can be difficult to find a spot. Everything was so good, we had to try their Aptos location too. read more

See all

The food was excellent! So fresh and Tasty. Highly recommend if you are in the Santa Cruz area. The service was impeccable, 5 read more

See all

Party of 5 consumed $250 of delicious food. Service was just as excellent. Very crowded and noisy, but otherwise a pleasant experience.

Best sushi in town! It's always our go to for all of our birthday dinners! Great food and service!

The sushi was incredibly fresh and beautifully prepared. Each roll had great flavor and perfect texture. The service was friendly and quick, making the whole experience even better. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Akira - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

WOW, was visiting Santa Cruz and was in the mood for sushi and was not expecting to find such a great place. We ordered the 16 piece sashimi which came with soup, salad and rice It was served beautifully with edible garnish and was only $35.99 We were SO STUFFED and so happy. The salad dressing was a stand out too- I mentioned it to the hotel and they said they sell it by the bottle- wish I would of known, I would of bought some for sure. read more

Akira - 16 piece sashimi dinner- SO GOOD - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Came here for lunch and found a table easily. It's often crowded for dinner so I haven't been here in a long time. Saul was our server and he took great care of us. The sushi is some of the freshest and best in Santa Cruz. We ordered the House salad and the miso dressing was bomb! The lettuce was so fresh, I asked where they get it from and they said it's from a farm in Salinas. Highly recommend, we definitely will come back. The restaurant has stained glass windows and art on the wall, a cool vibe. They serve all day happy hour on Tuesdays, so that would be a good time to come back and save money. Otherwise, the happy hour is 2 to 5pm. Next time, I'll take photos! read more

went here for the first time ab's it did not disappoint. it's pretty small in there but did not get too packed. service was good. it was getting a little slow by the end but thats bc more ppl came in. food exceeded my expectations. dragon lady was my fav of the two that we ordered but would still recommend the fire dragon as well. the flavors were some that ive never had before in sushi. would def come again!! read more

Akira - fire dragon(top) dragon lady(bottom) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I had a really nice dinner at Akira with my mom -- the food was great, and we genuinely liked our server. However, one thing stood out that didn't sit right: before we were finished, the server brought the check, ran the card, I filled out the tip, and she picked it up while we were still sitting there. In my experience, you never pick up the signed check until the guests have left the table. It made us feel rushed, which took away from what was otherwise a really pleasant evening. Everything else was excellent, but that's a basic point of service that should be corrected. read more

Hands down one of the best sushi in the entire state of California! Visited a friend who lives in Santa Cruz & they brought us here for sushi & Akira did not disappoint! Line wasn't bad for dinner & we got seated fairly quickly. Service was attentive & catered to us as soon as we were seated. Our group of friends eat family style so we picked a few specialty rolls & apps to share and everything came out delicious and timely. The Tokyo Tower & Cowboy Bebop rolls are a must try! Will definitely visit again when we are back in NorCal. read more

Akira - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

They do what they want and do not take customer service as a priority. They are listed as open until 9pm. My son and I arrived at 8:54 very hungry after basketball practice and they refused us. Two people who wanted 2 sushi rolls....it's just lame. We are long-time Santa Cruz locals and are done coming to Akira after poor experiences like this. read more

This place gets so crowded and it's LOUD. They do have a patio outside in the back, think we'll eat outside next time, as it was too loud for me inside. But the food is excellent! Good portion size too. The service is ok considering how busy they are. We'll be back! read more

See all

I ordered many things i was starving lol forgot to take photos Shrimp dumplings- delicious Calamari- very light and cooked perfectly Fried gyozas -yums Ninja sticks - good Steak roll - good but not meant to go on sushi lol Fire dragon- frieckn delish Dragon lady- definitely my favorite super tasty My daughter got the bento teriyaki chicken very tasty cooked perfectly Service was great our server(saul) recommendations were tasty He was on it , sauces , drinks anything we needed :) Everyone smiled and felt welcomed always a plus! Decet lil spot. Will definitely be back when in town for my daughter. read more

Akira - Happy hour rainbow poke - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

Stopped by for a last-minute dinner on Friday and was able to be squeezed in despite a line - nothing major. I tried 3 simple rolls and miso soup - they were fine, though they didn't have much protein in them, which was surprising for the pricing! The rolls were more rice than anything. At least the miso soup came out very quickly and it was good! Our server was awesome, though! He was very energetic and kind, so I appreciated that - the staff is great overall, just not sure about the food read more

We stopped here to satisfy our sushi craving and left wondering why all sushi restaurants don't have rolls like Akira Seabright. They offer the most unique flavor combinations I've ever seen for sushi rolls and they all worked beautifully together. The fish was fresh as well as the other ingredients. If I lived in Santa Cruz, Akira would be my go-to sushi spot. No questions asked. read more

Akira - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

Akira sushi has been my go to spot for sushi in Santa Cruz. They offer the highest quality fish and the most creative selection of dishes. I am always pleasantly surprised by the chefs and the servers are always preforming their best to provide you will the best dining experience. The dining space has beautiful and colorful stained glass art to set your gaze on and a upbeat ambiance to energize you at whatever time a day you decide to attend. read more

Akira Seabright is located in the Seabright Plaza, off Soquel Ave. This small, funky, laid-back sushi eatery serves up a tremendous amount of must-try sushi and veggie specialties. Some of the selections contain non-traditional ingredients that make their sushi rolls a big hit. There is a very large veggie roll menu for those who prefer not to eat fish. Happy hour every day, except Friday and Saturday, is from 2 PM to 5 PM with specials on appetizers and drinks. The service at Akira is attentive and efficient. We greatly enjoyed our 3 selections of Chicken Karaage, their specialty roll The Creature, and the Mushaboom from their Veggie roll menu. The Chicken Karaage was perfectly fried, while the chicken was moist and tender. The Creature roll consists of spicy tuna, avocado, cream cheese, krab salad, unagi topped with unagi sauce, spicy mayo, green onion, and tobiko. A single word to describe this roll, would be - Magnificent. Mushaboom roll contains shiitake mushrooms, tempura green beans, fried garlic, spicy nuts, and topped with avocado, lemon, chili-lime salt, honey, Ryu sauce, and toasted sweet coconut. What a great, flavorful combination. read more

See all

Enjoyed dinner here by recommendation. The moment we walked in & saw that the restaurant was packed, we knew this restaurant was not going to disappoint. The restaurant itself gives off young and hip vibes. And, although all tables were full, we probably waited 20 minutes to be seated. I enjoyed watching the cooks create delicious sushi rolls. I'm still thinking about those delicious shrimp dumplings, they were tender and juicy - so good! read more

See all

Sorry. Just don't get it. The sushi was mediocre at best. Fish had no flavor and the combinations, while inventive, were just kinda strange. Honey and nuts in a sushi roll? If you like Philadelphia rolls (cream cheese) then you might like this place. The fish flavors were not the star. They seemed to want to rely on the sauces. Watching the chefs make the sushi was even more disconcerting. They just seemed to grab a piece of fish, cut to size and roll it up. Sushi as a craft or art this isn't. If you're looking for subtle flavors this is not your place. If you want fish with habanero and nuts on top, well maybe you'll have a good time . Add in the volume of the place and feeling like they needed to turn the tables, and overall unpleasantly surprised. I'll pass... read more

So we have been going to Akira for a couple of years wondering why we didn't go there before because the rolls were wonderful and large. We endured a price increase but every restaurant has had to and then we noticed over the last 3 months or so that the rolls got significantly smaller to the point that we would need to order an additional roll to get our fill. So we have paid a price increase to the rolls, then the next way to cut and not raise their prices is to reduce portion size (shrinkflation). I would have preferred another price increase to the rolls and keep them the same quality/size to this. Rolls changed in size by about 1/3 so it's not insignificant. read more

Wonderful, fresh fish and innovative combinations! Was too hungry and forgot to take photos (next time) but we had the half order of Ninja Sticks and Magic Carpet off the Happy Hour menu. Both were unique, fresh and delicious and I highly recommend them. We then had the sushi lunch which included a selection from the chef. Again, all was fresh, delicious and portions were generous. Will be back! read more

Good food. Great service. Really nice staff. Food came out quickly. Pretty noisy but happy to see that they're so busy! read more

Akira - Cucumber sunomono - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

Sadly I don't think my glowing review from 2019 applies anymore. The quality of the food here has degraded drastically while prices have almost doubled. First of all, do not try the salmon -- I've tried all the rolls -- basic, special, hand, every variety they have -- and each has been a letdown. Which sucks because I've given them so many chances to get it right and have just come to accept that this is a place to skip the seafood rolls (granted I usually stick mostly to salmon). The veggie rolls really shine here, but even my fave -- the T-Pain -- is hit or miss these days. Ambiance is blah (it IS too noisy and crowded, like all the freakin time). I'm just sad that this went from a place I'd proudly declare as my favorite to not thinking twice about them these days and actually driving far distances out of SC just to find better sushi. read more

Good sushi, and plenty of vegetarian options. The restaurant is small and you can be in for a wait during busy times. But overall, YUM!

The food is great. The ambience is horrible. Dirty, loud, cheap metal chairs, plastic coated tables. When I'm spending $100+ on dinner for two, I expect something more comfortable than Burger King. read more

Akira - Yucky tables - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

Akira has some of the best sushi in Santa Cruz! This day we got a fresh roll, fried roll, and veggie roll, all super delicious and satisfying. I was really surprised by our veggie yam roll which ended up being one of my favorites! The service is always great, super accommodating, but be ready to wait a little, especially on busy nights. I also recommend making reservations before coming so you can beat that wait! The atmosphere is fun! Pretty intimate, perfect for date night or a night out with friends. read more

Akira - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Went in to try and get a quick bite on a busy Saturday and sat at the sushi bar. I ordered their dinner bento box with sashimi, salmon roll and mixed tempura. It was a mixed experience. First, service was lovely. Attentive at the right times and gracious, professional staff. The ambience was pretty loud, and the music selection not to my taste to put it politely. But the artwork was interesting and fun. The noise level was almost overwhelming though--guessing the concrete floors don't help. Wait for food was longer than I would have expected but they were busy. Portions were generous- I could really only finish half and took things home. Sashimi was delicious and fresh as was the salmon roll. Salad was really nice as well--not the wilted afterthought it is at some places. I didn't care much for the tempura or the miso, mainly because both the tempura sauce and the miso tasted like the dashi was either incredibly weak or absent. It's rare to get tempura at a restaurant that's as good as you can make at home because the batter needs to be fresh and cold. But what can I say--it's still fried and usually fine so I order it anyway. Their batter was too thick but the veggie selection was nice. The tempura sauce was overwhelmingly sweet though and didn't have any dashi funk to it. Even if they aren't using bonito to keep it vegan there should be enough flavor from a vegetarian dashi. The sauce tasted like sugar water with soy to be honest, and kind of ruined the tempura. Miso as well had no bonito or kombu umami that I could taste. I'd go back maybe at a quieter time for the generous portions and quality ingredients. Just wish I could get a little bonito next time. read more

My favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Cruz. The food is consistently good and there are so many things to try. It's always hard to choose. I'm always satisfied though. read more