We went there tonight for an early dinner, our first time here. Everything we had was excellent. The ambience and service were also very good. We'll be back. read more

Butterfish Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

The fatty tuna is chef's kiss! The space is small but the food packs a punch. The perfect sushi spot does exist!

Wow! What an amazing experience. They just opened up 3 months ago. All of the servers are extremely friendly and they played up beat music. We went at 12PM on a Saturday. They have limited seating; a small bar area, a few inside tables, some outdoor tables. This is a true experience. They start by bringing you a hand towel, complimentary edamame, and complimentary miso soup. The Sapporo was extremely fresh, it may have been a draft. Their sake was extremely smooth. We ordered oysters which were very unique, it was a set of 4 oysters and I really enjoyed them. Then we also got a sashimi plate of 10, all of the pieces were fresh, it tastes like they just caught it this AM. By this point in the experience, I already decided they were 5 stars no matter if I liked my roll or not. I ordered the Atlantic roll and it was really good. Overall 10/10. You're getting an extremely high quality at a fair price. read more

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If I could give this place 10 stars I would. The staff and service is absolutely fantastic. The spot itself is so welcoming and cute. We had service at the bar top and were taken care of by a server and the chef. Oysters were out of this world delicious and refreshing. The spicy tuna roll melted in my mouth, as did every single piece of sashimi. Miso soup was hot and flavorful. So so glad we found this gem. Will come back the next time I'm in town. read more

Second time here. First table they sat us at was dirty- like filthy. We came back for the crab over albacore. That's why the second star. It's delicious. Everything else was gross. The crab crostini was so covered in sauce it was incredible. Hard pass. read more

Butterfish, where have you been all my life in the East Bay! What a jewel! Freshest of fish and beautiful presentation. In love with this intimate sushi restaurant. We stumbled upon it on our way to another restaurant and are so grateful that we did! Service was warm, welcoming and prompt! It was a deliciously endless parade of nigiri, rolls, and nigori sake. Standouts were Oysters, creamy scallop roll, Hamachi and crab small plate, and scallop/uni nigiri. Oh, and that parade was very reasonably priced. We're returning next week - can't wait! read more

Amazingly tasty. Smoked hamachi best ever. I mean, sushi doesn't get better than this. Small but mighty restaurant.

Hidden little gem in Berkeley! The place is very small on the inside with bar seating a few tables. They're supposedly owned by the same people that run the Thai place next door. I came on a weekday and was seated immediately for a party of 4. Fish is so fresh! Absolutely loved trying all of their handrolls. Parking was available right outside on the street. Service was great, they came by often to refill our tea. They had a mint tea that my niece loved. We tried their sashimi, hand rolls and some of their popular rolls suggested by the server, they were all so yummy! Upscale and chic location, gives you a nice Berkeley vibe and fresh taste of seafood! read more

Absolutely delicious and wonderfully made. The quality of the fish was outstanding and fresh - melt in your mouth. Especially loved the salmon (can't go wrong). The Atlantic roll had a great balance of fish and creaminess - I loved the miso aioli and the serrano pepper gives it a great texture and layer of flavor. Overall, 5/5 for taste and looks of course. Sashimi Set had great variety and the quality and taste of fish was excellent. I loved the addition of the perilla leaf which gave it a flowery layer of flavor. Really great food for the value. 5/5 Oysters has a great tangy sauce and lemony flavor. Really loved the multiple flavors and textures coming together - it just worked. It's more on the meatier side which I love and it wasn't too fishy! We even ate the seaweed in the middle that had sesame tastes. Dessert was a wonderful surprise. I wouldn't 100% recommend it since the waffle layer was a little hard or chewy but overall not bad. I liked the red bean that wasn't overpowering and who doesn't like vanilla ice cream! 5/5 We also got miso soup and they made it to perfection -- some restaurants have it too strong or don't put tofu and seaweed. It was warm and extremely comforting. Service: 5/5 AMAZING! Truly kind server who would check up on us frequently and the food arrived in a timely manner. They were so kind on my Birthday especially. We tipped 25% because we loved it so much and they were above and beyond. EXTREMELY WORTH THE SERVICE. Ambiance: 5/5 It's such a cozy and nicely aesthetic place. Little small but felt comforting. Loved the wood details and small Japanese touches. Their music was great and trendy but chill (charli xcx& others). Really loved the plating too, just made the experience all more enjoyable. Highly recommend for special occasions. read more

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I returned to this place just two days after trying it for the first time-- that's how good it is. I've been searching for a great sushi spot in Berkeley for years and I'm so glad I finally found one that meets my expectations. The fish is fresh and high quality and the restaurant itself is small, cute, and intimate. The smoked hamachi roll is one of my favorites. They truly make dining an experience as every plate is beautifully presented. I recommend making a reservation since the space is small and fills up quickly. Definitely my new go-to sushi place. read more

Butterfish Sushi - Handroll set of 3 pieces - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Sushi was pretty good and the service was great. It's a smaller place so maybe leave the kids at home. Good place for 2-4 people. Pricey but worth it. read more

Took my husband out for dinner yesterday for Father's Day. We decided to try a new sushi spot and came upon Butterfish on yelp. Service 5/5 Dan was super nice, welcoming, and gave us complimentary miso soup and edamame since they are still soft opening. Indian roll 2/5 the tempura shrimp was hard and had too much batter. The sushi rice was also a bit mushy. Salmon belly nigiri 5/5 melts in your mouth and was delicious. Creamy scallop roll 4/5 I like that it had a tang of lemon and was creamy. Chan Washi egg 3/5 steam egg with mushroom. The texture was nice, silky, and creamy. It was almost like a egg soup. Kaisen nigiri toro, uni, and ikura don 3/5 decent, but not the best I've had. read more

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It's been almost a year since we visited Butterfish. We came from out of town for a vacation and I still think of this place. Their service and fish is impeccable. They have a keen eye for detail and they are... well... unforgettable! read more

Had a 7:30 reservation. Made us wait almost an hour after that to be seated. We gave up and went elsewhere.

Nice sushi restaurant on the west side of the city Definitely need to make a reservation since the restaurant is very small and popular. Food was delicious all rolls and sashimi were delicious and portions were generous. Service is good but you need to make sure to get their attention so you can place an order or you will miss last call all together. Very busy, good food and prices very reasonable. read more

5 stars for the food & service, I feel lucky to have found this place. The smoked hamachi roll was a whole experience that I will definitely be coming back for. Every bite of fish I had was better than anything I've had to my memory. The seating at the bar was very tight, so I'd make a reservation for a table if you're a bigger person. Can't wait to return, thanks for having me! read more

Stopped in for dinner before an Ashkenaz concert... sooooo good! we got two rolls, i wish i remembered which but they were both big portions and hit the spot. so tasty that we got some teriyaki chicken to eat later. quiet ambiance and really chic. service was quiet sweet as well. 10/10! read more

Butterfish Sushi - bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Very good. I got their food delivered so I cannot give 5 stars because I don't know what in house dining is like, but the sushi was very tasty. I would certainly order again. read more

The sushi and staff were great. My friends and I are big sake fans and we didn't like not having sake pricing by the bottle

Butterfish is the absolute best sushi around!!! I adore the recipes, combination of foods and flavors and the presentation is beautiful.

Had a lovely bite during their soft opening week. I am a sucker for oysters, and they had a lovely pacific oyster with some tobiko on it. So delicious! The shiro maguro was perfect and buttery, miso good. Atmosphere was good with nice lighting and hip hop music (which we liked). Everyone was very friendly and attentive! Looking forward to trying more things as they open! read more

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We had a terrible experience at this place. They completely misled us about the waiting time. On Yelp, it said we would be seated between 7:15-7:25 pm for our family dinner after we clicked joining waiting line. When we arrived, the waiter (who was very kind) explained that the restaurant is currently in a dispute with Yelp about this "waiting line" information. But that's no excuse--the restaurant should not allow misleading online options if they know it isn't accurate. Either make it clear that seating is first-come-first-serve, or only accept reservations by phone. Allowing customers to believe they have a confirmed time and then failing to honor it shows very poor management. Overall, a very disappointing experience. We will not be coming back. read more

Absolutely everything. From the sushi to the top shelf saki. Going back again soon.

I was amazed at the food , service & location . I mean wow ! Butterfish is the best ! They definitely live up to their name . Each fish is fresh !! Tbh I feel like anything you try on the menu wouldn't dis read more

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Downright delicious food. Great service. Very cozy ambience. Their sushi is off the charts! Some of the best tasting and freshest fish I've ever had, hands down. You can see the chefs working the magic if you grab a seat at the bar. Was blown away by the flavors their dishes packed in! read more

Butterfish Sushi - Behind the bar. Mastery at work. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

This restaurant was highly recommended by college peers from UC Berkeley, so we had to give it a go! There is some street parking available, but it might be limited. The restaurant is rather small and has more seating at the bar, nevertheless it was very aesthetic and comfortable. The service was super nice, and explained everything to us as well as checking up on us frequently. The quality of the food was definitely living up to its hype. The fish tasted very fresh, and was almost melting in your mouth. We ordered two of their special rolls that I believe are changed weekly or monthly(?). They were super interesting combinations. My roll was salmon with yuzu, lemon, aioli and cherry tomatoes. It was a great combination with flavors that complemented each other. However, there was just a tad of too much oil in their aioli, which overpowered my taste buds, and impacted the overall enjoyment of it. But if there was less oil, it would've been perfect. Overall, this is a great restaurant with quality fish and I would definitely recommend it! read more

Butterfish Sushi - Sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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If you've read other reviews of this place complaining about service, then I'm here to tell you that it continues to be a problem for them. Staff are not particularly welcoming, and for us, they screwed up something with our order and it took an hour to be delivered. No one checked up on us, thus the egregious delay of our order was not noticed. It was only until we complained that they tried to placate us with small serving of edamame. No attempt was made to rectify the situation. The chefs were just automations, no acknowledgement of anyone seated at the counter. Food was OK, sort of fusion, though uni was not fresh and rather bitter tasting, but to their credit, they comped it when we complained about the quality. They were attentive after we complained but it shouldn't have come to that. We'll go elsewhere next time. read more

The food - several orders of nigiri and a few special rolls - was fresh and delicious, and the service was excellent.

Great quality sushi, really enjoyed the Indian roll and matcha cheesecake. Cute but small restraint ambiance so I'd recommend making reservations read more

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Super good sushi, soft opening so a little bit slow bc they're kicking in gear but very nice and attentive staff. Really enjoyed the rolls and hand rolls, fish is fresh! Very cute local eatery, really enjoyed it and highly recommend. read more

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I really loved my lunch at Butterfish Sushi. Great service and high quality ingredients. Team was very friendly. I will definitely go back. read more

Butterfish Sushi - From sushi menu. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food was good and interesting. Cute little space. A bit tight space but intimate. Service was attentive.

So yummy and amazing, it's nice and very cool. Servers always nice! Very cool vibes in there!

Great food and even better service! This was our second time here and everything we've ever had was delicious and the service was even better. Definitely my new favorite sushi restaurant. read more

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Great sushi, kind staff, small cozy interior. Make a reservation on the weekends, there was a big line as there are so few tables. read more

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It is our go to spot for sushi! The sushi chefs, kitchen staff, and servers are always on point. We had the privilege to sit at the bar where head chef dazzled us with our sushi skills. He personally breaks down all the fish himself. It is an "every occasion" place. I highly recommend read more

The food was delicious. I only got one roll because everything on the menu was incredibly expensive. The service was slow. We waited 45 minutes for a table with no reservation. Only a few parties can be seated at a time. The ambiance is very nice and is good for date night or get together with friends. read more

Wow.... Again....I have lived in Japan and the quality of fish from Chef Wan..... don't order off menu.... Sit at sushi bar if you can... If you cannot... ask to talk to chef Wan...... He will create magic for whatever you want.... The music and decor are so on point ..... But who cares about that .... The sushi matters .... Rolls for beginners ..... nigiri for pros....imatsu..... engawa slightly seared.... Never wasabi.... Only yuzu kosho on the side... you'll thank me... This place is banging!!! We drive 1 hr to eat here once A week. read more

Top quality sushi. Friendly service. This cozy place is ideal for a date night. It's definitely a notch above most of the decent sushi places in Berkeley. read more

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Best sushi I've had in a long time. Might be the best sushi I've had ever. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great staff. Will be back.