Excellent sushi menu, great service, nice view. Perfect spot to eat after a stroll along the Inner Harbour. The Flaming King Crab Roll was amazing. read more

Amazing ambience and wonderful service, the server was incredibly attentive, friendly and helpful. I loved dining out on their patio. We ordered many dishes and most were very good. The yellowtail jalapeño roll was my favorite and the crispy rice tuna appetizer was delicious. I also loved the flaming king crab roll and shrimp tempura roll. The one roll I didn't care for was the crunchy tuna toro roll, it was just very bland. Absolutely will come back for special occasions, as it's on the pricier side! read more

The food and service was excellent the restaurant was very clean the service was excellent management the drinks was on the one I love the music the atmosphere was great was does Fallout marvelous experience just went to be hanging out with my sister we will return read more

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Came here for after-dinner drinks and indulged in beginner sake flight, which had 3 1.5oz pours of sakes of a spectrum of dry to sweet. They were all great, but the ambiance was phenomenal. The seats in the bar area are very unique - they are combined of wooden rods that contour to the same of your booty. It was fun to sit on one of those! The bar area also offers a splendid view of the water. Our server was one of the highlights as well; he was attentive but not overbearing and extremely hospitable. read more

One of the best restaurants I have ever been to! Came here for my friends birthday and it was a great experience. I believe our waitress name was Alicia. She took the time out to explain everything on the menu from start to finish, including the drinks. I had the margarita...so fresh and tasty. I then had shrimp tempura, salmon, green salad ( ginger sauce is bomb) and shrimp tempura rolls. These are kind of tappa style so that's why I ate so much and it was well worth it! I actually spent under $65 for it all. For was amazing, fresh, perfect seasoning. I kept asking my friend how she found out about this place because I am definitely coming back!! read more

DISCLAIMER: I am a sushi snob. I used to live in Japan. I'm a tough critic. I've been here once. This review is based on one date here. For the High PRICE, Azumi is Good, but not Great. My highest compliment I can give is this; the Sashimi tasted like it used to when I lived in Japan. Top Notch, and the fresh perilla leaves were a very nice touch. In addition to that, we ordered Crunchy Tuna Toro roll and Yellowtail Jalapeno Roll. The rolls were solidly good, but not the best, I'll give em' 7.5 out of 10. My lady ordered the Spider roll as well - This was my favorite roll of our order - well crafted and delicious - 9 out of 10. She ordered Assorted Seafood and veg Tempura for her entrée and it was another 7.5 out of 10. The Tuna tartar was Excellent - 9 out of 10. I was disappointed with the Rock Shrimp Tempura, I can actually do better than that in my kitchen at home. The ichimi aioli, baby lettuces under the shrimp were significantly better than the shrimp on top, this was a waste of nineteen dollars. The Alcoholic beverages at this establishment (the cocktails) are small and overpriced even by the expected "We're a fancy, hip spot and we're going to get away with this.." standard. I'm going to try to give our waitress a break here, I'm not going to nit-pick the little things because I know that being a server / waitperson is not easy at a place like this. That being said - If my lady and I indicate when asked that we are not going to order dessert then YOU SHOULD MAKE a REAL EFFORT to have my check placed on my table in two minutes or less and NOT HAVE my lady ask you for it some 10+ minutes later !! BIG FAIL. (I didn't stiff her on the tip) Ok here is my nit-picky thing. The window at our table was filthy with little kid hand smudges all over it. What that shouts to me is that the restaurant's staff overlooked cleaning it at all before they opened for dinner and the guests aren't important enough to management to check for kind of detail. At an establishment at this price point that is not acceptable to me - Lack of Attention to Detail. Overall I'm unimpressed with Azumi and the next time I want romantic Japanese fare in Baltimore I won't be returning here. If it was possible, I'd give 3.5 Stars, but I can't, and this place is not a 4 for me, so it's a big 3 from me. read more

Very disappointing . Was expecting better presentation and to be wowed for what they charge. Local sushi just as good . Service was very slow had to ask other servers for refills . Not impressed . read more

Azumi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The restaurant refused to seat me because I had ripped jeans on. Which is fine it is the policy, but as I walked away and looked in the window I saw two Caucasian people eating in the restaurant with ripped jeans. If a place is going to have a policy, it should be for everyone not for who they believe is acceptable to eat in the restaurant. I am a CPT in the Army and truly believe because I was African American with ripped jeans I was not "acceptable" to eat in there while the others could. When I mentioned the other individuals the manager said mine didn't meant the inch requirement. Either way they will not get my service and will be talking to the owner about this manager. Policy is policy and should be enforced with everyone not on the selected few. read more

Serivce is extremely poor. Food is definitely above average. Definitely overpriced. However, the main atrraction here is that the patio area is one of the best places to enjoy dinner and watch fireworks on the 4th. As to the service, two of the items we ordered never even showed up. For dessert, 30 minutes after we ordered it, we were still waiting. Its not a compicated dessert. We just said forget it and left. read more

The setting and atmosphere are gorgeous! The outdoor bar is amazing on a nice night. The food was delicious and fresh, but the portions were on the smaller side. Wouldn't have been so bad except the price was on the high side. Beautiful setting mama presentation though and the service was also excellent. read more

Nice place, good service. However, the portions are tiny. Had the nigiri dinner. Total of eight pieces, each of which was the size of my little finger. I kid you not. In addition, the miso soup, while tasty, was too salty. I was with a party of eight and they all felt the same way. read more

Honestly, the food was fine but the service was absolutely terrible. We made a reservation only to show up and be told that there were 12 people in front of us. When we complained they told us we could sit at the sushi bar. We walked past a sea of tables on our journey there. Our waiter was fine (but still only checked on us once during the meal - we were here for an hour and a half), but ultimately it was not enough to make up for inconveniences. Management generally has a bad attitude. Shouldn't expect anything more from an Atlas restaurant. read more

If you are a millionaire who wants the best food no matter the cost in a swanky, trendy set up, this is the place for you. The food here is quite fantastic. Honestly it has some of the best sushi in Baltimore. The problem is the sheer price of everything on top of all the other annoyances associated with the restaurant. First off parking is a b***h. You can get valet for $14. If you're lucky you can get one of the 10 random street parking spots in the area or you can park in the garage for an absurd $15. The restaurant has a great design with videos of the aquarium on TVs in the bar area. It has lots of Japanese paintings, pots, and other stylings. Kudos to the designer, I'm sure it was very expensive thus necessitating the cost of the food. The staff is Extremely attentive really to the point of annoyance. If everyone is kissing your a** every second, I can kind of understand how uber wealthy people start treating people below them like crap...sometimes you just want some alone time. Next up, the music is super annoying. If you're going for high end restaurant with your design, staff, etc, play some non-electronic dance music. Show some class. On to the most important part, the food. We didn't get the rolls but none really jumped out at us based on the descriptions and photos on yelp, but at around $21 didn't seem worth it. The Nigiri dinner for $32 wasn't a bad price and the fish were a tender and delicious. The blue fin tuna nigiri albeit expensive was a great cut. I do have to give props to the ribs, which was a good deal at $16 for 4 ribs. The seaweed salad was different than typical ones and had some interesting seaweed but honestly just wasn't that good. The waiter talked us into the scallop and uni special which was amazing with a great presentation but probably wasn't worth $28. Be prepared to drop well over a $100 for a meal for two. I would come back here...if it's on someone else's dime. read more

Decent spot. The sushi is good but when I've tried dinner choices (around 5) I have yet to even like it a little. Brought 2 dates here and they felt the same. Additionally, valet parking has jumped up to $24! And happy hour prices only apply if you sit inside. So sitting outside is twice the price. This is officially my last time here. The patio is nice tho. read more

Had a fantastic meal here! Riding on the coattails of a great restaurant like Pabu is a risk, but Azumi definitely pulls it off and has made some great improvements in the process. There are many remnants of its Pabu past (such as a few friendly faces, the general layout of the space, and the interior decor), but the new concept restaurant has a hip club vibe to it, which is quite noticeable as you walk in. The whole space, while it's just as open as it ever was, has more distinct areas than Pabu's (bar, sushi bar, classic dining area) and there have also been expansions the menu to include larger cooked entree dishes (A nice addition!). The restaurant feels different and it IS different! F O O D & D R I N K S Pretty freakin excellent and I approve of the expansion of the menu into cooked entrees. There were some misses however, such as the nigiri being a bit fishy tasting. Some shout outs would be the following: Yellow Tail & Yucca App Let's give credit where credit is due, I hands down loved this dish. It was pretty inventive and I detected a surprising dash of truffle oil on each piece of sashimi that added a fattiness to the fish that I didn't even know I was missing before. The Yucca strip created an unexpectedly pleasing texture that was both refreshing and delicious. Sawagani Crabs For the pleasantly surprising novelty of popping a whole crab into your mouth (terrifying... but only at first), do yourself a favor and order these bad boys. They're playfully crunchy, light, flavorful, and, as our server described, like crabby popcorn despite a spidery appearance ;) Sake (Masumi Arabas) Floral, delicate and aromatic (without tasting too much like perfume), this sake was a great recommendation from our server Micah. I was going to drink it hot, but he recommended serving it cold and gave a little backstory on how the Japanese started heating their sake in World War II. Much appreciated. Dashi Tofu Tofu cubes served with shaved daikon in a dashi broth. Had just the right balance of flavors and textures without being overbearingly salty or tofu-y. NY Strip Seared to perfection on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Presentation was great (It's served on a hot stone). Everything you'd want out of an NY Strip and also came with a delectable Japanese sweet potato puree on the side. S E R V I C E Our server was Micah and he was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, attentive, friendly and always able to offer up descriptions and personal recommendations. We found that there was always a staff member on hand to check on us or offer service. Dare I say... this place is "overstaffed," in a good way? L O C A T I O N Azumi sits in the bottom of the Four Seasons Baltimore in some of the hottest real estate in Harbor East. The views are amazing and you'll get a great look at the bay area sunset. A T M O S P H E R E Gorgeous restaurant! The concept has been given a facelift to attract a younger, hipper audience, while not isolating older folks with G's to burn. The music is pumping, the bar area is hot, and the decor is a mix of uber modern (think neon and DJ's) and Old World Japanese (think clay pots and rice paper paintings). V A L U E In the case of more astronomically priced menu items, in my opinion, the price did not match the product. If you're going to charge that amount in Baltimore, it had better be PERFECT, lest you lose the trust of your consumer base and everyone around you. Here's the thing: I'm from Seattle. Fish caught in Japanese waters or anywhere in the Pacific arrives to Seattle restaurants the same day or over night. Fishy nigiri is completely avoidable and therefore inexcusable. Having only eaten the good stuff for years now, my palate is, for better or for worse, overly sensitive to sub-par sushi. What did I think about paying 55 dollars for Chef's choice fish that was sometimes fishy, discolored or bland tasting when I can pay 10 dollars more in Seattle to get perfect omakase from Jiro's apprentice? Hmm... Yeh, I wasn't so happy about that, but I wanted to experience the best that Baltimore had to offer. On the plus side, though, the proportions of the fish to the rice were right, the fish texture was on point, and some of the nigiri was notably great, particularly the scallop, shrimp, and urchin (mostly creatures I am sure you can keep alive in a tank for freshness). It's just a matter of raw ingredients. C O N C L U S I O N Despite its minor flaws, Azumi is still one of the best restaurants in Baltimore and I'm giving it 5 optimistic stars. This place is definitely a step in the right direction for the Bmore food scene and it represents a new era of aspirational, food-driven (fancy pants? :) ) restaurants. It's also found some great partners (chefs, owners, dreamers) and is taking some great risks, which I hope to see more of in this city. We had a great experience here and will be back to see what improvements are made and how the restaurant evolves over time. read more

I'm torn. I was a big fan of Pabu before it closed. The food, the staff and value was great for the quality of food and service. I was excited to see a return of Japanese food in a great location. The layout is certainly club-like. The sushi bar and seating area are cozy but the DJ is a little loud. I can appreciate trying to be "lounge" like but for those of us who want to eat, chat it's a bit over the top. The staff is really nice. Informed, courteous and work pretty well for only being open for 5 days. So, maybe I was looking for just a sushi experience because you can't get fresh nigiri in Baltimore. They claim to fly fish in from all over the world and the uni is from Santa Barbara. Overall, the fish is really good, but not really great. Locally, If you've been to Sushi Taro in DC you'll know what really fresh delicious fish is. Azumi comes close. We didn't try any of the cooked dishes although the omnipresent miso cod looked good. So, a few pieces of o-o toro, chu-toro, sweet shrimp, uni and a sampling of other nigiri and a couple rolls (over priced IMHO) my tab was $250. Sadly, I eat a lot and was still hungry. I was not interested in dropping $60 for the A5 Wagyu (next time, I'll get an explanation of what this really is.. because I know this is not Kobe beef from Japan, rather some hybrid raised outside of Japan). Will I go back? Yeah, maybe to try some of the cooked items and satisfy any fish cravings I may have. Like I said, I was happy with the overall quality of the fish. But, it's soooo $, and similarly priced to sushi in NYC. Most of the patrons seemed to be eating entrees and this is likely their target audience. It's going to be the hot place to be seen. For people who are interested in eating the food, don't go on a Friday/Saturday. You'll be overwhelmed by the sounds and sights of Baltimore's "In Crowd," and the cougars, flashing their bling and other body parts. read more

Summary: I had the wonderful opportunity to experience Azumi during its second week. They were still working though a few grand opening glitches, but overall the experience was a remarkably good one. The décor was stylish and comfortable and the noise level created a good ambiance without being distracting or inhibiting conversation. The food can be classified as modern Japanese. Everything was incredibly fresh and expertly prepared. Azumi management, Chef Taka, and Sommelier Tiffany Soto have done an amazing job delivering high quality dishes and sakes worthy of the high price point. The quality and freshness is not only palatable, but many of the restaurant offerings could not make it to the menu without the extreme care taken to procure and deliver it to the customer. Most of the fish offered were sourced from the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest fish market in Japan and the World. The sake selection is also notable, with high quality, distinct, and enjoyable offerings at a variety of price points. Every plate was beautifully presented. Additionally, Sommelier Soto was on hand to help guests select the perfect beverage for their taste and occasion. To Start: ICHISHIMA's TOKUBETSU HONJOZO Sake: Smooth with a lovely balance, and an excellent value for the quality and flavor profile. EDAMAME: Served with coarse sea salt and a lime wedge which was a nice touch. *SAWAGANI*: small river crabs fried in oil and served whole. An excellent appetizer, great for sharing and breaking the ice. The frying oil adds delicious flavor and the crabs are satisfyingly crunchy. Perfect when paired with sake. Small Plates: ALBACORE TATAKI: With ichimi, temari soy, achiote oil, scallion, and crispy onion. This was a delicious new take on tataki style sashimi. Fish was incredibly fresh and was sliced thin so as to almost melt on the pallet. ANKIMO(monk fish liver) & Mango: Three rounds of monkfish liver divided by slices of mango and served with broccoli rabe, mustard miso, tarragon oil. Incredibly fresh with a slightly firm texture. A unique and incredibly enjoyable flavor combination. OCTOPUS WITH PINK GRAPEFRUIT: Ume pink grapefruit vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, and garnished with julienned radish. The octopus was cooked perfectly and had just the right firmness. The citrus and tomato was another successfully unique pairing, making the dish very light and refreshing. Mains: MASUMI ARABASHIRI "First Run" Junmai Ginjo sake: A higher caliber sake than our previous choice. Delightfully smooth with more body than our first bottle. It lingered well on the pallet and highlighted the elegant sweetness of the rice. UME SHISO HOSOMAKI: Delightful roll with a pleasant balance of salty and sour notes. SCALLOP SASHIMI: Large, moist, and amazingly sweet. NIGIRI SAMPLER: Fish waas incredibly fresh and well textured, matching well to the expertly seasoned rice. *AMAEBI* (sweet shrimp): Unbelievably fresh and sweet, indicative of the great care taken to bring them to Azumi. Beautifully plated with the fried heads which too were edible. Similar to the sawagani they had a pleasant crunch and were and excellent texture contrast to the softness of the rice and fish. SASHIMI sampler: Gorgeously plated in a manner resembling and deep sea culinary paradise. Included more delectable SAWAGANI and SHRIMP heads, IKURA (salmon roe), HIRAME (flounder), MAGURO (tuna), AMAEBI (sweet shrimp), SABA (mackerel), HAMACHI (yellow tail), SAKE (salmon). The plate also included CHYU-TORO (medium fatty tuna), which was very good and soft, however I personally prefer a higher fat content. The perfect chyu-toro should literally melt in your mouth, and this fell a little short of that. SPIDER ROLL: Soft shelled crab with avocado and tobiko (flying fish roe). The soft shell crab was breaded and fried making it delightfully crunchy. The roll was cut into proper mouth size pieces, allowing the diner to eat it comfortably. Dessert: SILK DELUX sake: A refreshingly crisp dessert sake. The light sweetness enhanced sweet food pairings and cleansed the pallet. MOCHI: Without a doubt homemade. Elegantly soft and filled with cooling ice cream in 3 flavors, green tea, yuzu, and mango. FUJI: Chocolate molten red velvet cake, was decedent and perfect with the raspberry sauce. KANTEN: Similar to panna cotta and served with raspberry sorbet. So smooth and light and melted in the mouth. The sweetness was well balanced making it a sophisticated finish to a meal. *YUZU BAR*: My personal favorite. Made with ganache cream and meringue. A slightly heavier dessert but portioned well and sweet but not overly sweet. The texture was creamy and heavy enough to linger on the pallet without feeling heavy. The yuzu was a bright citrus balance which matched our sake well. read more

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The sushi here is wonderful and the appetizers don't disappoint. However, don't come here on a Sunday because the sushi will not necessarily be fresh. We came on a Sunday evening and ordered uni along with a bunch of nigiri. The uni tasted rotten - i couldn't even swallow it. The waitress apologized saying the chef said it was their last day using it...really disappointing to pay $10 for a piece of rotten uni. read more

Azumi - Toro tartare - Sushi Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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So we went last night for my boyfriend's birthday. Upon arrival they tried to seat us basically on other people's laps while every single table by the window was open. When I asked the girl if we could please sit by the window, she gave us attitude but put us in the very last booth at the back of the restaurant. My boyfriend was facing the employee area and the door was open and it was cold. We had to ask them to shut the door repeatedly. It's very expensive there so don't get sticker shock. We ordered the calamari and it was super good, no grease what so ever and great flavor. I had two rolls for dinner and they were good but totally average. Boyfriend had some sashimi, tuna, and said it was good. He also had one roll. He had the warm saki that was $30 but it was his birthday. I don't drink. The bill came to $175.00 before tip. Now we can say we've been there but will never go back. We could have had the same meal for less than half and been treated better by the staff at Yama. read more

great food! we came here to eat for Mother's Day! The resturant is nice and fancy! you can see the beautiful view outside. The staff are nice and friendly! Answers all your questions if needed. read more

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Food was excellent...service was great (Jordan was so attentive) and the atmosphere was great..highly recommend..will be back

Went here for a girlfriends night out and absolutely loved it! Top Five Reasons Why I Will Return: *Cheap Valet Parking! ($8) *Greeted Upon Entering- I was greeted by the hostess right away which is a pretty big deal to me. If I go anywhere and I'm not greeted I'm leaving. I don't patronize any business or establishment where I'm not greeted because clearly you don't want my business. *The staff was SUPER friendly and knowledge so they were able to answer all of my questions about different menu options. *The food was GREAT! *They stay open late compared to a lot of other restaurants in Harbor East. read more

Just came back from going to Azumi for a work lunch. Spent more than an hour at the restaurant and had to take our food to go... service was extremely slow and not particularly friendly. We were one of the first groups seated outside, but the only ones not eating an hour later when all the seats were filled. Very frustrating experience, considering the prices. To top it off, no one was apologetic about the obviously bad experience we encountered. Normally, I'm up for second chances, but with Ra around the corner with a better (more expansive and cheaper) lunch menu, and faster and friendly service don't really see the point. read more

Terrible customer service. No sense of urgency or appreciation of guests. Looking at some other recent reviews, this seems to be a pattern. Very disappointed. read more

*This review is written by two Pabu fans (one super diehard, and one less so), so we had high expectations and a low threshold for being judgmental going in. Finally made it to Azumi, 2 whole wks after it's been opened. Initially made a res for party of 4 but became a party of 2. The moment we walked in, we started comparing how the interior was the same/diff from Pabu. They kept some of the same basic arrangements (circular-layout for tables, the classic urns, the private room off to the side) but made some edits (got rid of the bar near the entrance, had a couple of aquarium digital screens that looked like real aquariums, etc). Kept hearing that Azumi feels more club-y during the wknds but didn't quite get that impression. The hostess had no problem that our party was 2 peeps instead of 4, but we were PISSED that they asked my bf to take his hat off. I mean, c'mon. Never seen that happen before. We were seated at a table meant for a party of 4 and felt awkward because it was towards the end, so we had too much space for ourselves and felt secluded from the rest of the group. Luckily, they were willing to re-seat us at the sushi bar. Immediately felt more comfortable being closer to the action scene. We were seated right in front of Andy, one of the sushi chefs. He was cool, down-to-earth, informative abt helping us pick our sushi choices and teaching us which sashimi was which. We got the tsuzki sashimi platter, which was a selection of 12 diff sashimi. Def recommend the buri (hamachi) and king's salmon. I was disappointed initially cause Andy said the tsuzki came w/ uni and I didn't see uni on the platter, so he graciously added on a uni. The sashimi overall were all very good. Def fresh and I could appreciate that it was high-quality pieces. A previous yelper mentioned that having the sushi fish on display at the bar didn't look very appetizing...I could see their point but it was also educational for me to see what the fish looked like, so I didn't mind that so much. For apps, we got the two apps that previous yelpers mentioned: aged-dashi tofu and the pork spare ribs. The ribs were a decent portion and flavored well, not overwhelming and helping to bring out the succulent flavor of the ribs. The ribs were also well-cooked, very tender-fall-off-the-bone. However, compared to Pabu's country ribs, they lacked a certain kick/tang. Still solid tho. The aged-dashi tofu..mmm...pieces of fried tofu floating around in a smooth, clean-based soy dashi broth. This was a very delicious app, even for non-tofu lovers, I suspect. Def recommend you eat it with a spoon, so that you get some dashi broth in each scrumptious bite. We also got a roll--jalapeno hamachi. I was back and forth this roll and the MD roll but glad I got this roll. Not sure exactly what was in it, but altogether the flavors worked well. Topped w/ this jalapeno/citrus-y salsa that really complemented the avocado/hamachi on the inside. Highly recommend; the other rolls looked good too though. Appreciated how there wasn't too much rice in each bite, of course. For dessert, I wanted the fuji (chocolate molten lava cake w/ yuzu ice cream) but bf didn't want chocolate so we were debating between the mochi ice cream and the yuzu, and got the yuzu instead, since we already both were familiar w/ mochi ice cream and had no idea what yuzu was (which apparently is some japanese tangy citrus).It was basically a lemon bar w/ graham cracker crust infused with a slightly citrus-y (I guess this is where the "yuzu" part comes in) flavor and surrounded by a lemony meringue/cream w/ dollop of mint, and decorated by some european wafers and hardened plate of sugar. Wasn't impressed. Think too many flavors that didn't work together. Would go for the molten lava cake or mochi next time Overall, Azumi is a respectable sushi place that is filling up Pabu's old space. Felt weird to eat it in, considering that it wasn't Pabu anymore and the menu was totes different. However, per Andy, the sushi chef/staff were all the same, with the addition of the main sushi chef. Prices also seem slightly steeper than Pabu. Def has more hot entrees available that I would be keen to try next time. read more

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Okay, I travel quite a bit, eat at numerous sushi restaurants, but I have never had a more horrible experience than eating here. The wait was too long...I sat at the sushi bar and it took over 20 minutes to get a beer. The food was just okay...nothing to warrant the prices they charge. Lastly, the sushi chef dropped a piece of Uni in front of the customer next to me, and they never cleaned it up. I won't be back. read more

Azumi - Bad service, okay good, long wait. I won't be back. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Went here for happy hour, and I'm glad I didn't pay $$$ for regular dinner. Their HH offerings are beyond terrible. "Spicy tuna roll" $8.. is basically a tiny tuna maki roll with zero spice or sauce you can eat at any sushi joint for $2.50. Pork ribs come completely charred. Sushi grade fish on display at the sushi bar didn't look very appetizing either. Omakase for $100? Service: I understand they just opened so I'll overlook the mistakes. Not sure if they are trying for authentic upscale Japanese sushi-ya VS lounge/hip DJ club-scene. I'm afraid they are failing on both ends. They've done a much better job at Ouzo Bay (owned by the same group) Go only if you have clients to impress (great views from the windows) and your company is pickin up the tab.. read more

I recommend not dining here if you can avoid it. Everyone's opinion can differ in preference but calling sushi fresh doesn't make it so. As an avid sushi diner, the sushi I had on my visit here was clearly less than edible and perhaps had even gone bad. I visited for dinner and there were not many diners on Wednesday night. My guess is due to the restaurant's pricing which is equivalent to a rip off. The problem isn't that it's high priced-the issue is that the food is not up to par and way below value. If you want to serve 30 dollar Nigiri dinners then the sushi needs to be fresh. A restaurant pretending to be of this caliber should be able to pull off seven pieces of Nigiri. read more

We had a special night out and choose Azumi. We knew it was pricy but worth it. We were sat 30 minutes after our reservation time which could be expected on a busy Saturday night. The food lived up to the reviews. The King Crab was excellent as was the Rockfish and the Mochi dessert was good and alot of fun to eat. My disappointment came when we got the bill And the house red wine was 18 dollars a glass.. Two glasses and 20% tip means those two glasses of wine cost 43.50...!!! A glass of house red that's anymore than $10 should be mentioned to you by the waiter. ..when I mentioned my surprise at the cost the waiter mumbled something about it being their only red??? I have learned my lesson and will always ask to see the wine list before assuming the house red will be reasonably priced. The three stars are from feeling a bit "duped " ..... read more

The restaurant was 35 minutes late to seat our part, when we had a reservation. Hostesses we're dismissive when we asked when we would be seated. Food is extremely over priced for what it is. The fried rice is average, the sushi rolls are average. The bill is incredibly expensive. Portions are very small so you will leave hungry. Absolute bullshit restaurant. read more

*sigh* I wish I made enough to eat here monthly. I went for the first time last weekend in celebration of my bday. My partner and I sat at the sushi bar; we both love to watch the action, and this show was first-rate. We shared the sawagani crabs and the octopus with pink grapefruit starters. Both were fabulous! I was particularly impressed with the tenderness of the octopus . . . so gooood. We then both ordered from the Omakase; we each had the nigiri plate. When going for high quality sushi, trust the chef! The selection did not disappoint. I'm not sure which was my favorite since so many were new experiences for me. All were wonderful though . . . *backpedal* actually, the mackerel was meh. But I've never been a fan of it. Service was perfect. Hannah was the best blend of personable and professional. After our amazing meal, we plopped ourselves in the lounge area where Octavio, one of the best bartenders in the City, mixed up a couple wonderful cocktails for our enjoyment. Overall, it was a great night for getting dressed up and feeling special. read more

I visited Azumi for my bff's birthday with 7 other people. We were seated in the big table toward the back of the restaurant which at first was a treat as we all fit comfortably in our own little corner of the restaurant. We started with a couple bottles of wine and Sawagani crabs, grilled octopus, shishito and rock shrimp tempura for the table. The crabs were a happy little buttery, crunchy treat that we all enjoyed. Even the non-believer in our group tried it and likened it to a kettle chip. The shishito, like the crabs, had a novelty factor as one in ten of these fingerling green peppers would be super spicy, though the flavor of the peppers in general was not memorable. The grilled octopus and rock shrimp tempura were tasty, but reminded me of something you could find at a less expensive local sushi bar. We did have a few late comers and all three late guests complained separately to me that the server gave them no attention upon arrival. One guest had an appetizer in mind to order that she was unable to place and another guest, seated on the opposite side of the table was not asked if she wanted to order a drink. Several of us have been servers and we get it: it's difficult to keep track of large parties, but given the fact that we had a birthday party and we were dropping serious $ on bottles of wine, just one, 'is everyone doing okay' would have sufficed. After ordering our fourth and fifth bottles of wine with our entrees, the service in our comfy little cove went from acceptable to poor. For 30 minutes we ALL sat there with empty glasses of wine, waiting for entrees or the wine bottles we had ordered earlier to arrive. When our wine arrived not the waiter nor his supervisor could answer any questions about it. Finally they had the good sense to call the sommelier for help. As a group we are not wine snobs by any measure, but at the prices we paid we expected better. The sommelier should have delivered the wine, not the newbie server assisted by an equally unhelpful supervisor. If they are trying to compete with the likes of local major league players like Cingale, The Charleston, or even Wit and Wisdom down the street, they need a more well-trained and/or knowledgable general staff. Heck, we joked with the waiter that a one comped wine glass could make up for the admittedly slow service, and the waiter laughed it off replying that it was not going to happen. We were stunned at the lack of professionalism. Did he really say that?! For entrees I had the Md roll and black cod roll and my husband had the Tsukiji Nigiri Plate Chef's selection of twelve pieces of sushi. The stand outs off my husband's plate were the touro and sockeye. He had a couple of 'fisher' bites of fish from the dozen but noted an overall high quality in the dish in comparison to any fish he has had in Baltimore and more reminiscent of the cuts he has had in San Francisco. The black cod roll had a very satisfying ginger bite that made it very enjoyable. My personal preference will be to skip the Md roll the next time as it was doused in a creamy sauce that was only mediocre. For dessert my friend's husband had two sampler dishes put together for the table which were both beautiful and delicious. The sorbets were very mild, but delectable. The molten chocolate cake was enjoyable with an oozing warm center and delicious and mild yuzu ice cream accompaniment. The kanteen and shiroi kumo were A-MAZING. The kanteen is this light and whipped creamy concoction that wiggles like jello on the dish but melts like the best French mousse you can imagine when it hits your tongue. The flavor of the cream is delicate and just sweet enough. The cream is complimented well by the fruit sorbet scoop on top. The shiroi kumo is exactly how it is described, a parfait-like layered dessert with butter cookie crumble as a kind of crust under a cream cheese mousse that is topped with fruit and caramelized nuts. The flavor is that of a cheesecake but the mousse texture elevates the dessert. One other thing I noted was that there were a couple of flies lingering around our dessert and drinks, which made me uneasy as this is a sushi restaurant with raw food everywhere.. They may benefit from a more thorough cleaning of the place before it becomes a big problem. Overall: Food was good:4 stars Service was spotty, and presence of flies: 2 stars Average of 3 stars. read more

Azumi - Bite-sized fried Sawagani crabs. Fun, crunchy eats that deliver a unique experience for sure! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

If you are not of African American heritage and threw on some ripped jeans, and wanted sushi after your workout, don't worry about that sign out front saying you can't, because it apparently does not apply to you. Only exceptions, would be the famous ones i.e. Drake. Who was allowed to wear his hoodie and sweatpants during a visit. My point is, Azumi is not consistent with their dress code policies and as a result a certain manager (Steven) may be giving this establishment a bad rap. No one should have to deal with paying $15 minimum for parking while management figures out how to turn them away. The manager (Steven) had initially offered my friends a seat at the bar, but they asked for a table instead since it wasn't particularly busy and there were numerous empty tables available. While Steven had another one of the many empty tables cleaned and appeared to be busy on a phone call, a host and 2 waiters checked in with my friends to make sure they were being helped. Still no one seemed to have an issue with the attire. Roughly 15 minutes later, Steven leans forward and informs them about the ripped jeans policy. The unnecessary wait is one issue, but noticing two other guests with similar style ripped jeans is another. He may as well had a big sign on his forehead stating "You are not Welcomed Here!", because the only difference between the other two guests already seated comfortably and my friends was the color of their skins. Shame on you Steven. You wasted their time and money. Which is the reason for the provocative opening to this post. Had Steven been up front about his selective enforcement of the policy, my friends could have found a more welcoming place to dine, without being duped with a useless parking bill. Steven/Management should at the very least be retrained on discriminatory practices and apologize to my friends for ruining their evenings. I love trying new things and believe in forgiveness so when that happens and Ownership/Management makes this right, I would consider updating this review and paying this establishment a visit to determine whether the chef/experience is worth frequenting. read more

On a recent visit to Baltimore, I enjoyed Azumi happy hour drink and sushi specials. Catch here is you have to sit in the bar area, which is really nice, but it was chilly inside and it would have been nice to be able to sit outside. Other than that teeny restriction we had a great meal. Some traditional sushi rolls, pork dumplings, Delicious Drinks! I got the saki sangria. Our waitress was great and the happy hour prices are the way to go. read more

Every sushi fan should try this new place in Harbor East! Being one of the most unique and eclectic menus I've seen for Japanese cuisine, I was a little ballsy and tried the Sawagani crabs--waiter assured us they tasted like kettle chips (since you eat them whole) and dear lord I had to keep telling myself that as I crunched on each one, haha. Aside from that, the cuts of fish were so fresh. I ordered the Nigiri Dinner which consisted of 7 different types of fish and a tuna roll. I blame the liquid courage for allowing me to try types of fish that I never thought twice of before. The servers were extremely professional and accommodating, I felt like a celebrity. read more

We spent our first anniversary here and let me tell you! We sat at the sushi bar and hung out with Andy and John-- great, great chefs. We started with their mixed drinks (10/10) and edamame (10/10), but it all 'went down' when we got the chef's recommendation sashimi with uni and mackerel. Soon after the sake has us feeling good and to our surprise we were taking shots, drinking champagne, and had a dessert platter on the house. Our server, the manager, and the chefs were great to talk to!! We couldn't have asked for a better first anniversary! Thank you Azumi and the whole crew who served us. read more

Azumi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Upscale Japanese restaurant. Price is VERY EXPENSIVE. Is it worth it? I'd say Yes for a special occasion. Food quality for that price? Yes. When you go to Japanese restaurants around the neighborhood, the chances are... 95% of them are owned by non-Japanese. Oops let me re-phrase, they are not authentic. You will constantly be exposed to generalized menu and similar taste. Well well, that's not how it is in Azumi. They have unique menu and have great options for you to experience. For a special night, I do not prefer going to Japanese restaurant because of above reasons, yet i am glad I did with Azumi. Service and Atmosphere, satisfying. Although they seem they are lacking # of staff. I'd definitely suggest requesting booth tables. I saw many guests were having a tough time due to the sun light shining on them even with the window shades down. Multiple occasions I noticed people asking if they can move to the booth. Pretty fat check but overall satisfying experience. read more

Update- Went back to Azumi this past Saturday for dinner. We got there before the rush and sat at the sushi bar. Last time we went I tried the set omakase; this time around I was going to do sashimi, maybe a handroll and call it good. Then I started talking to Andy, the sushi chef and since it wasn't super busy he said he would do a special omakase based on my price point. After setting the price point, we talked about some preferences and then he started cranking out masterful sushi. As I said in my first review, the quality of fish is unmatched in Baltimore and DC. Unlike the first visit, this time every plate was balanced and perfect. All in all I believe it was about 15 plates, and each one was a piece of perfection. Additionally I have to recommend the roasted fresh water crab appetizer. It might be a little much for the faint of heart- cute little fresh water crabs served whole. They are roasted, served with a little salt, and they are delicious. We also ordered a sushi roll to share as I was the only one to eat the crabs. I don't remember the name of the roll but it had an onion salsa on top. Definitely recommend it, just look for the roll with onion salsa- it's the only roll that has onion salsa. If money was no object I would be at Azumi once a week doing the special omakase with Chef Andy. read more

Came in on our anniversary (a Thursday night) and sat at the bar. Lucky for us, the restaurant was pretty quiet because of snow forecast. We were so impressed by how fresh the sushi was and by the high quality of drinks that we cancelled other dinner plans to stick around for more. Enjoyed everything! Orin was a fantastic bartender and server - made our experience great! Would definitely recommend to others. read more

As a fan of Pabu, which I thought to be very special, I couldn't understand why the restaurant closed and a new Japanese restaurant opened in its place. Azumi has a more frenetic place, a larger bar area, and more tables packed in to make it seem incredibly busy and also be terrifically loud. The bar is nice, if one could afford to relax and enjoy drinks, but they are priced high, so keep that in mind. I tried the habanero salmon roll and the jalapeño hamachi roll, two of their signature rolls, which were tasty, but I wondered what I was missing, because they were fine, but not out of his world. The Scottish salmon crude appetizer was a big deal. I really liked it. And my husband said the pork spare ribs were falling off the bone delicious. It seemed like it took forever between courses and a long time to get the bill, and while some tables got a lot of attention (they must have known someone), our service was lacking. It took another very long time to get the car. They need to work on the valet situation. It is a bottleneck. It is just another overpriced, overrated restaurant which will be the place to be seen for a while. Not sure how it can sustain itself. read more