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    AMA Sushi

    4.3 (53 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    AMA Sushi Photos

    AMA SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Upscale
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - AMA Sushi

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    Delia N.

    Ambiance is beautiful but the sushi feel short for me. Sushi was unfortunately fishy and that was a disappointment for me. We also had the teriyaki chicken which was deliciously delightful! The drinks were phenomenal! The mochi cake was heaven!

    Rija K.

    Honestly I'm always skeptical of Michelin starred restaurants but my god did this DELIVER. Best sushi I ever had (we did a la carte and got 4 of their specialty rolls). The lobster and jalepeno one was the best I've ever had. Their service was impeccable with our server bringing me all of the hot sauces he had when I told him I eat everything with hot sauce lol I was also craving Brussels sprouts so they made a special appetizer option for me and brought me my Brussels sprouts! Vibe was also so nice, in the rosewood hotel underneath tree/lights lit up at nighttime. Super cute patio. They also brought us complimentary matcha eclair type dessert when we told them we were celebrating! I don't always give five stars to places but this one really deserves it bc not one thing was off. Everything met our expectations :) def coming back when we come back to montecito/santa Barbara.

    Jon R.

    For the sushi enthusiast or just someone who love great food, I highly recommend the omakase AMA Sushi dinner. The other night we went out and from start to finish the dinner was an amazing experience. Hats off to Chef Daniel for taking care of us and the delicious he prepared. Every course was amazing from the appetizers to each roll. The rolls had a fresh ocean taste and were unique in their own way. The two desserts to end the meal were even complimentary of the meal as well. The setting was intimate with only 8 people in the room and getting to talk to the chef and asking him questions about each dish. 5 stars and would definitely go back again!

    Pre Fixe: sushi and 1 cut roll (Dungeness crab roll)
    Paula T.

    AMA did it again. Second visit this year but went for the pre fixe menu this time and WOW! This might be the best sushi restaurant, maybe even best restaurant, in town. I love the prefix menu because it gave me a little taste of everything. We started off with the seared tuna and king salmon and the quality of the fish is unmatched. Next round was the large plates. I ordered the sake cod and was appalled that my husband ordered the chicken teriyaki, but let me tell you, I'm so glad he did. The cod was cooked to perfection and you could taste the premium sake marinade. I don't know what he did to this chicken teriyaki, but it was as if I was eating high-quality picking duck. It was so juicy while the chicken skin was crispy. I literally could cry over the chicken. Service is always on point. We will definitely be back soon since they changed it over to their spring menu.

    OUBAITORI cocktail (lychee, plum, chamomile, vermouth, Japanese vodka)... heaven! So light and delicate.
    Tiffany M.

    Excellent service, excellent food... loved sitting at the 4-seat bar for an intimate date night (with secluded ambiance). IMPORTANT NOTE -- restaurant seating is always on the outdoor patio (thankfully they have heaters and blankets) UNLESS doing the omakase chef tasting menu, or if you can snag one of the 4 chairs at the small indoor bar. Bartender Justin had exquisite rapport (knew when to converse and when to let us enjoy our dinner). He gave excellent food descriptions + customized cocktails to our liking, and was so knowledgeable when we asked questions about Japanese whiskies, vodkas and sakes. Having relocated from LA/Palisades, I am so happy to find a sushi restaurant that is a cross between Katsuya & Nobu Malibu (quality and vibe wise) without being egregiously overpriced, which I was fearing with the restaurant being at Rosewood Miramar hotel. $28 for a spicy tuna/amberjack cut roll (8pc) not bad for an upscale sushi spot, IMO. Can't say enough good things and will absolutely be back, especially with Justin as our server/bartender. Note: Valet was free with validation from our server

    Sunny S.

    Went to AMA while we were staying at the rosewood. I honestly found it to be a very average type of meal. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything great either. We went during nye so it was a little elevated experience at $275 per person but I thought it was very average. The app course the osechi was not very good it had different items on it but I only liked the lotus root. Some of the nigiri options were great but some just fell flat! The chutoro, uni and toro with truffles were def the highlight of the meal. The soups course was also very average. Dessert also fell flat. The service and drinks were great! The head chef was also great with his attitude and the way he was preparing the sushi! I def think that AMA has potential but the flavor of the food needs to be enhanced!

    Momo D.

    Every time I stay at Rosewood Miramar, I book Omakase at AMA Sushi. I love the cozy lighting and the atmosphere feels calm. You feel taken care of as soon as you are seated with the diligent care of the staff. Each dish served has unique and memorable flavors. I enjoyed talking with the chefs every time, they're kind and bubbly.

    Andrea C.

    I'm so glad we chose to eat at AMA Sushi. We did the 4 course meal which included zensai, mein kosu, sushi, and dessert. The price was very reasonable for the amount of food we got. I got the Maguro No Tataki which was good if you're a fish lover. I ordered the prime filet as my main dish which was delicious. It was cooked perfectly. For the sushi options, you get to select from nigiri, sashimi, or a veggie sushi roll. I got the Kani and the Yasai which I loved! The roll tasted fresh and delicious. For dessert, I tried the cheesecake which was okay, I wished there was a chocolate option! The service was outstanding! Sean and Chikara took great care of us. Sean took his time explaining the menu to us and checked on us throughout the entire night. He provided outstanding customer service and made our experience very special! The restaurant itself is really cute and cozy. I loved the vibe and ambiance. This is the perfect spot for a date night!

    agemono
    Kelly L.

    I came here for omakase, and I'd say it's not your traditional omakase where it's mostly nigiri pieces. There were a lot of extra courses such as soup, tempura, and veggies as well. I liked the nigiri course the most, which consisted of eight nigiri pieces. The fish was fresh, and the chefs took the time to explain each fish in detail, highlighting their unique qualities and advising us on how best to enjoy them. I also enjoyed the sashimi course, featuring red snapper, bluefin tuna, and kanpachi. The freshness of the fish was evident, and the addition of fresh wasabi was great. Each piece had its own distinct flavor profile, making it a memorable dish. I loved the creativity and uniqueness in the other courses as well, and the desserts were especially good. Note that most things were already seasoned and not intended to be consumed with traditional soy sauce and wasabi. Personally, I would have preferred a more traditional approach to sushi. For drinks, I tried the Yugen cocktail, which caught my attention due to its combination of yuzu and champagne. However, it ended up tasting predominantly like sake, with an overwhelming rice flavor. It was a bit too strong for my liking. The interior of Ama Sushi exuded a fancy ambiance, and I enjoyed the overall vibes. The pace of the meal was well-maintained, with a suitable amount of pauses between each course. It lasted about two hours for us. Overall, Ama Sushi provided a great and very unique dining experience. The variety of courses was impressive, although I did wish there were more traditional nigiri and sashimi offerings. Considering the amount of raw fish provided, I found the price to be a little on the higher side, despite the exceptional taste.

    Chef Scott making the ngiri course.

    I had dinner here with a friend at the 8p seating for pearl omakase with sake pairing. This was a phenomenal experience with delicious food every one of the 6 courses. Chef Scott was an absolute gentleman in the way he welcomed us and was very interactive with me and the other guests sitting at the bar. He answered my questions and explained his food and his concepts so clearly and kindly. Watching his hands making the ngiri was epic. There was such a rhythm to the way he crafted each peace. I do not drink much sake, but the pairing with the meal was so nice and educational and delicious. The service from entering the restaurant was attentive and added to the great experience. I highly recommend the omakase experience with Chef Scott! It was a dinner and a show that I will not forget.

    Erin L.

    I had an excellent experience at AMA. The staff is extremely professional, the sushi was fresh, the drinks were unique and tasty, and the atmosphere was sophisticated and relaxing. I went with a group of my girlfriends and we booked seats at the sushi bar for the Omakase experience. We booked the first (of two) seating's at 5:30pm, the second seating was at 8:30, so you have 3 hours of a tasting experience - and we used the whole 3 hours! I really enjoyed this Omakase experience, our sushi chef, Scott, was very friendly and made an effort to include us in his process as well as explain in depth what we were eating. I really wish I took notes, but I wanted to fully enjoy my experience. The raw fish here was so fresh, the highlight for me was the Suma Ika which is a small squid. There were a lot of unique bites in the tasting, another interesting one was fish liver...which was really decadent. Our waiter, Jonathan, was also extremely attentive and was available for anything we needed. When we got settled he came around and asked us what we wanted to drink, a few girls got their valentines specialty cocktail, some others got rose, but one friend and I asked Jonathan what cocktail he would recommend to compliment the sushi. He made the best rec, the Boketto. After my one friend and I got this drink, the rest of the girls hopped on board and 1/2 way through the meal we were all sipping on the Boketto cocktail. It is so light and refreshing, yet unique. Would highly recommend to compliment any sushi dish. I was so thrilled with this experience and will definitely be back. Next time I will have to try some of their a la carte items, as they all looked great coming out of the kitchen as well,

    Beautiful presentation of delicious food
    Marilyn L.

    We went here for my birthday. Food, service, and ambience were all superb. Portions much bigger than I expected. We did the price fixe menu and it was entirely too much food for the two of us. We had a wonderful time.

    Masunosuke dish was delicious
    Brian C.

    Ok - just to clarify - there's TWO different ways to book AMA Sushi. Booking A LA CARTE means you'll be seated at a table (probably outside) and you'll be able to go through the menu at your base. Booking Omakase Experience is something totally different and usually has 2x sittings a night. SO, if you mess up (like I did), you may be disappointed expecting the Experience when you're just going to be ordering items at your leisure. With that out of the way, I pulled a classic ADD booking manuever: first, I didn't book the Experience, and second, I showed up on the WRONG night :+) Classic! They were able to accommodate the second mistake but the experience bookings were taken but we made do. The waiter was super knowledgeable despite being a young guy (I heard him say he was 21 to another table). He had a firm grasp of the menu and everything we ordered we enjoyed. Strong flavors and I was pleasantly surprised to see the menu was priced reasonably and not significantly overpriced for the bougee-ness of Montecito / Miramar. We ordered a couple of the drinks which presented well and were flavorful (Hinode and Tsukimi), the Namagaki which was really tasty, the Asari Miso which was "eh" for flavor but not sure you can do much - it tastes like Miso. We continued on the the Masunosuke, enjoyed the unique taste of the Ebi & Vegetable tempura, and concluded with the Hamachi Jalapeno and the Nigiri Toro. It was really delicious, filling, and we felt satisfied leaving. We'll be back for what I thought I was booking too ;+)

    At the chef's counter

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    3 years ago

    Best of the best! the chef was amazing! enjoyed every bite of the omakase. The atmosphere was intimate and the service was impeccable.

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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - AMA Sushi

    How do you make reservations for omakase? I used the online option and got a regular reservation instead and noted that there was only three reservations for the slots.

    How much is their omakase? And are they very strict on the dress code? Also do they let patrons order to go?

    Dear Stacey, The omakase experience is $165 per person. We do kindly ask that patrons adhere to the dress code in order to enhance the experience for all guests. We do not… Read more

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    Oku - Santa Barbara's premier waterfront restaurant

    Oku

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$$
    Rooftop seating
    Gluten-free friendly

    Andreina was our server and provided outstanding service from start to finish warm, attentive, and…read moregenuinely hospitable. She made the entire experience feel elevated and personal. The sushi was some of the best we've had in Santa Barbara fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The ocean view from the second floor made it even more special. What really stood out was Andreina offering my girlfriend a blanket to keep her warm such a thoughtful touch that you don't see often these days. We'll definitely be recommending this spot and coming back with friends. Highly recommend! -Ian Lantz

    My husband and I dined here for an early dinner with a reservation. I think after checking in it…read moremight've taken 5-10 minutes to be sat. Our server was really kind and on point with everything! Everything came out quickly. We ordered the otoro sushi, ikura sushi, rainbow roll, and two orders of the filet mignon. I have zero complaints about the sushi. It was incredibly delicious! I do think the filet mignon had beautiful plating, but it was very underwhelming, and didn't come out the requested way of cooking. I don't think I'd order that again, but we enjoyed our food overall. We chose to dine outside since it was a nice day and I thought that was pretty nice. We did bring our baby and had enough room with a high chair etc. we'd come back!

    Photos
    Oku - Gorgeous place for our post-work drink!

    Gorgeous place for our post-work drink!

    Oku - Yellowtail Carpaccio paired with Sakuna Rose Sake

    Yellowtail Carpaccio paired with Sakuna Rose Sake

    Oku - Way of the Dragon Roll and Piranha Roll. Paired with unfiltered Momo Kawa Sake!

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    Way of the Dragon Roll and Piranha Roll. Paired with unfiltered Momo Kawa Sake!

    Santa Barbara Fish Market - Smoked salmon pepper and og

    Santa Barbara Fish Market

    4.2(531 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    Really fresh live sea urchin prepared upon order served on a tray of ice and some lemons. Santa…read moreBarbara Sea Urchins are known around the world as being sweet, buttery and bright golden orange as you can see in the photos. They were still moving when it was handed to us. You don't need anything else but just a spoon or chopsticks since they're so delicate. Price: $18.95 + tax per sea urchin. As of April 2026. Also try the prepacked halibut ceviche $18.95/lb or ahi poke salad $25.95/lb. You can just get a small container for like $8. Parking is $3.50/hour on the main harbor, in front of the water. If you're lucky you can score free parking right before entering the lot.

    My friend and I popped into Santa Barbara Fish Market while on the Santa Barbara Harbor. It's a…read moresmall fish market with no seating inside so keep that in mind when going. We went specifically for fresh live uni, but unfortunately they did not get any in that day. So I would suggest calling first before heading over if you are very rigid in what you are ordering. The fresh uni is SO popular so best to double check first. However, if you do snag their fresh uni, it's more than $10 less than another place I won't mention on Stearns Wharf - that's a big win! We ended up getting a whole lot of cod to munch on instead. We got a whole pound's worth of smoked black cod - half candy flavored and half savory flavored for $32 with tax & tip. Absolutely loved them both and prices seemed great for such well flavored, fresh fish. We liked the candy a touch more than the savory but enjoyed both. Staff was pleasant enough, plus they have a bench outside that we sat at for a few minutes to eat. I'd love to go back in the future and try their acclaimed live uni~!

    Photos
    Santa Barbara Fish Market - Inside

    Inside

    Santa Barbara Fish Market - Blue point Rockefeller

    Blue point Rockefeller

    Santa Barbara Fish Market - Live sea urchin

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    Live sea urchin

    AMA Sushi - sushi - Updated May 2026

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