This is my take on how I enjoyed my experience at Cafe Ile. I understand other people may have differing experiences but I attempted to give my most honest solid review of this place. July 19th, when I walked into the restaurant, it seemed like it had a good amount of people already inside. I had to make a reservation in advance as I saw the waitress direct people with no reservations to the bar (and personally I don't like sitting/eating at a bar). I ordered my food and just to clarify, I'm an eater. I eat a lot and eat out a lot. The whole reason I came to ile is because I thoroughly read through almost all the Yelp (4.5/5 ~101 reviews) and Google (4.8/5 ~218 reviews) reviews where they stated for the most part that Cafe Ile had fresh sushi and it was better than Ariake. Since I'm a regular at Ariake (Fairfax location), I was like why not I try this place. My food came pretty quickly, and when it did arrive, my sashimi tasted warm but it was alright. Maybe it's just me but I didn't like the soy sauce at all. I didn't understand why it was so sweet. The biggest disappointment was the spicy tuna sushi roll. The consistency, the taste, the texture was completely off. It didn't have a hint of spiciness, it was sort of bland and overall not good. Originally, I wish I was more thorough when I scanned the menu because after looking at it over again, I noticed that almost every roll has a "mayo" or "creamy" sauce. Presentation was pretty but sometimes maybe I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I was so upset but couldn't express my true opinions since I didn't want to look like the crazy guy berating old Asian chefs. Unless, all the reviews on Google and Yelp are fake I have no clue how it is rated so high. read more

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Came for dinner. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. The chef even came out to explain what they made for us. Environment is very clean and relaxing. Food was fresh and flavorful. Overall I had a pleasant time read more

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I like the concept that the cafe sells coffee/breakfast in the morning and serves dinner (a friendly reminder, mainly sushi and cold dishes) during night time. I guess it makes sense, since it is located in an office building. Food presentation was pretty exquisite and tempting; unfortunately, taste wise was a little ordinary. Actually, the Hokkaido Uni was not very fresh. Sushi/sashimi was not much different from most of the Korean Japanese restaurants in Nova, but the service was certainly a lot better. The ambiance was quite nice, I saw many couples had their date night there, including me and my wife, haha. Overall, it was alright. Highlight for the night would be the berry crème brûlée; in fact, it was probably one of the best in Nova in my opinion of course. read more

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It's kind of hidden and I wouldn't have seen it unless I yelped it. I went before the dinner rush so there was no wait. I got the sashimi combo A - it was pretty filling. I wish they offered brown rice with it bc I picked off most of the white rice read more

Delicious and fresh sushi, with one of the warmest hospitality places I've ever been to. The staff are all incredibly kind and gracious. The restaurant is very small, only a few tables and the sushi bar area. All the food were incredibly fresh and delicious. We especially enjoyed the crispy nori, food portion was really good. We had a couple of wine recommendation which we both enjoyed. They even packed the rolls we couldn't finish home for us, all wrapped very beautifully and with care. Highly recommend this place, we needed a good sushi place in this area! read more

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This was good sushi. Everything from the portion size to the freshness of the fish to the uniqueness of the rolls. We also go a gratis item, todays special not on the menu, from the chef. It was a lovely, perfectly cooked piece of white tuna that I would come back for over and over again. Amazing. Advice- order one roll to start. It comes out fast so you can always order more. The waitstaff was so friendly also. 2nd advice- if you order coffee to go, check your lid! read more

Cafe Ile - Cafe Ile Roll and Spicy tuna shrimp tempura roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Great neighborhood spot. Small and hotel-like. Very delicious sushi with beautiful plating.

I absolutely agree with the other 5 star rating fellow yelpers. My co-worker and I was looking for a place to sit and chat over a cup of joe/tea after attending a nearby event. Given the name, we thought this was just that. Yes, indeed and much MORE! So glad we stumbled upon this gem. Best hospitality hands down! Dare to contest! We were greeted warmly by three people upon entering. They constantly checked in on us to see how we were doing or needing something. I'm not going to go into further details, it's like what they say, when you meet the right person you'll know?! So just like that, you just have to experience yourself to know what I'm talking about. To match their hospitality, their sushi is superb! I ordered Toro and Salmon Belly Nigiri. It meets my expectation, very fresh. Their Jasmin tea is from France, very fragrant. Their baristas left early for the day but that didn't stop them from continuing their warm hospitality. My co-worker had an almond croissant with a cup of Americana coffee. If I live closer, I would be there everyday of the week. Prices are very reasonable for the area. The world would look brighter with more places like this :) Thank you for an amazing experience. read more

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Best sushi & Sashimi in the DMV! Fresh and delicious, price is very reasonable for the amount of food! Check this place out for yourself, you won't regret it. read more

TLDR: bad waiter service, above average fish quality- tasty Heard some good reviews regarding Cafe Ile, so my colleagues and I decided to make a reservation and give it a try. -Our reservation time was 545 and we arrived on time. Wait Service was pretty bad. There were maybe 2 other tables there when we arrived. It was maybe 20-25 minutes before they came to take our order. Another table that got seated after us, had their order taken soon after they sat down. I'm not sure why it took so long for the wait staff to come take our order. Our free appetizer came pretty quickly but our ordered appetizer didn't come until 630 and our main didn't come until 650. Over an hour after we sat down and maybe 50 minutes after we placed our order. We did get a complimentary green bean and shoshito peppers appetizer. -I read another review that made a good point- the staff was working on to go orders- they might have been prioritizing to go orders over patrons dining in- hence the long wait time. -The restaurant is small and parking was free when we arrived. I parked in the garage next door. The ambiance was nice. -We ordered the tuna tartar for the appetizer and I got the sushi combo C with the shrimp tempura roll. Tuna tartar tasted good. The quality of the nigiri was above average. this place definitely made its way into my top 15. My complaint regarding the entree was there were a lot of bone pieces in my eel. The shrimp tempura roll was tasty. Overall, I would give it another try. The fish quality is good but some things to work on. read more

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Food is terrific. Fresh quality, perfect ambience, and delicious. Except for the customer service. Waitress felt a little passive aggressive when we tried to reorder a roll and I noticed service is favored towards Koreans. We had the chef remake one of our veggie rolls because my mother is allergic to the cream- one of the chefs nicely asked us and suggested to make a new roll for us, and it was delicious! Unfortunately, right after that incident, the second chef proceeded to hold up middle fingers to our table, curse at us in Korean, talk to the other waitress about us, and downright just completely disrespect us as customers. Terrible TERRIBLE and unprofessional. I understand getting annoyed and upset you have to remake a roll, but this was a VEGGIE roll.. you don't even have to cut the fish. The fact that he looked at us multiple times for at least 6-7 minutes while cursing explicitives, waving his chopsticks at us, and giving us the middle finger... terrible. I have NEVER had this experience as a customer. If you're going to get angry and upset that you have to do your job, do it the back in the kitchen. Unprofessional and made us extremely uncomfortable. However, what looked like the lead chef and the server who helped with cafe drinks were lovely. Our waitress was nice as well until the incident. Please work on professionalism and controlling your chefs anger issues. Edit: I am adding onto this because I am still in shock of the chef's reaction. I hope no one else will experience this. Absolutely unacceptable. It is socially unacceptable to do that, ESPECIALLY to a customer who is paying for your service and food. Also, we went there on my birthday because I thought highly of the place. Very bitter, distasteful, and disappointing. read more

Cafe Ile - Sushi Bars Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Really phenomenal quality fish. Very reasonable price wise considering all of the extras you get. They give real wasabi here, no up charge like at other places. This is going to be my go to sushi spot from now on. Everything was super fresh, rice was perfect, and the ratio of fish to rice was spot on as well. Enjoyed the sushi here nearly as much as some of the Omakase spots I've been too that charged 3x as much for the same amount of fish. Truly a hidden gem in Tysons and hope more people learn about this place. read more

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So, I had these high hopes for this cafe I found on Yelp. They had an omakase option that we went for, and boy, do I regret that $480 meal for three people. I should've known better to know that a cafe offered omakase . We started with a fluffy egg appetizer, which was good, but then things went downhill. The waiter said there were 7 courses, but it turned out to be 10, no wait, 12! Pace yourselves, folks! The confusion continued, and we ended up being too full to even touch the last course - they refused to pack it up, insisting we do it ourselAnd the dessert fiasco - insisting I must have coffee with it, but I don't drink coffee! Only two desserts for three people, seriously? This place was a mess, and I won't be returning. The memory of this Korean-run Japanese sushi joint's poor service will haunt me forever! read more

Cafe Ile - Salmon with jalapeño - Sushi Bars Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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I think i"ll be here more often. My mouth& stomach were happy while I was eating ;) Sophisticated yummy food read more

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A very cute and nicely decorated space that seems great for coffee and dinner. It's a great concept: coffee shop by day, upscale sushi restaurant by night. I think that's where the greatness stops though... everything else is rather meh. Drinks were watered down, sushi rice was WAY too salty (which.. why... why do you need salt in sushi rice), and they used imitation crab meat for all their crab roles. I'm fine with places using it, but say that it's not real crab on the menu. The appetizers were quite decent though. Those I did enjoy. read more

The best sashimi and sushi place in town. You should try it. Very delicate flavor. You will never tastes this kind of food in Virginia. read more

I would've given my meal a 5 star if it wasn't for the $3 miso soup that I had to pay for in addition to the sashimi combo. The soup had nothing in it and was just water with a dash of miso. It felt like I was drinking hot water. The sashimi combo was amazing tho. I really enjoyed the selection of fish and especially the rice that came with it. I was expecting just the typical sushi rice but instead was pleasantly surprised by the beautifully packaged box of rice mixed with veggies, egg, and nori. It paired so well with the sashimi and made every bite so tasty and enjoyable. The box of sashimi was also beautifully packaged. I liked that it sat on a bed of thinly sliced onion, radish, micro greens, and mango salad. I would definitely return to try their nigiri, but made a mental note to never get their miso soup again, ha! read more

Cafe Ile has been on my list of restaurants to try for a while and I finally had an opportunity to try it. I was torn whether to give it a 3 or 4 stars after my visit since I feel it deserves a 3.5. The restaurant itself is small, but with plenty of parking. I found it a bit strange that it was both a sushi restaurant and a coffee shop/cafe in the same space. I feel as though they should focus on the restaurant portion since it can be quite strange to have people walk through the already small restaurant throughout your meal to order and wait for a coffee order. Moving onto the food -- Cafe Ile's fish quality was absolutely top notch, I was very impressed. The biggest issue was the rice. As any sushi lover knows, getting the rice right is critical for nigiri and rolls. The rice for the nigiri was so loose that it would fall apart as I went to dip in soy sauce whereas the rice on the rolls was so densely packed that you could not see the individual grains of rice. The worst part was that the rice did not taste seasoned or vinegary. For the rolls, since the rice was so dense, you could only really taste the plain rice. I will say that I was glad that they didn't skimp and put cooked shrimp or any cheap fish on the sushi combo and in fact included some pieces of toro, which was appreciated. However, I felt that the nigiri was a bit plain, I wish they added some other ingredients or toppings to enhance the flavor, to elevate the dish as they would at high-end sushi restaurants. Also I had wanted to try the omakase but was disappointed to see it was not being offered at the time. Price-wise, taking into consideration the quality of the fish, I would say it was reasonable. I wish that the restaurant offered more cocktail options, there is only one offered and only a few wines are available by the glass. The dessert we ordered (berry creme brûlée) was fantastic, but really the highlight should have been the sushi. Overall, I thought the ambiance was a bit lacking for the price point of the restaurant and the rice really brought down the high quality fish too much to be overlooked. read more

I was excited to check out this new sushi spot based on the multiple great reviews. It is a cute cafe vibe and the ambience is nice and quiet. The service was attentive, but the waitress was little confusing when we had some questions about the rolls. The side dishes were free but we ordered the side of edamame. We didn't expect it to come already peeled so that was disappointing. The baked tuna roll had shredded mexican cheese on top and it came out room temp.. was not satisfying. Usually baked rolls have cream cheese so was a bit surprised by the cheese. The spicy rolls were not what we were expecting; the spicy was not marinated well. All the rolls had bits of pickles... that was a bit of a turn off. It did not go well with the rolls so we had to start picking them out. The yellowtail sushi and sashimi was good, but not amazing. The japanese castella roll was on the house. First we were told it was japanese egg, then overhead next to our table it was castella roll...it tastes like a sweet bread. The fillings are odd. For the price, presentation was good but if you are looking for great sushi I would not recommend this spot especially for the price. We were definitely disappointed with the overall meal. read more

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stopped in for a light lunch before a wedding. the server was so kind, she gave us free samples of edamame and corn soup, and very fast service. the rolls were delicious and beautifully presented. if i lived in dc i would come again! read more

On my first visit I wanted to try out their 'Omakase' dinner. I have been to Japan on many occasions and had never had this treat while I was there. They had been open only two days but I was happy to see the service was top notch and the food both delicious, prepared with a sushi chefs love of their craft and in the way only they can; with a fine attention to detail. Stop by for some sushi or a tartine for lunch and do it with style at dinner! True, The 'Omakase' dinner is something for an occassion even if it is only because you are the occasion and have not had one this month. Check out their unique beers and array of wines as well. Their breakfast will be open soon and all the pastries I have been told are baked for us fresh each morning. And for dessert - I suggest the Berry Crème Bulee (indulgent) and a Oatly Latte. Mamma Mia! read more

Cafe Ile - Sushi Bars Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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This cafe located very closely to the Boro Tyson's. The place is very quaint and loved how calming it felt when you walked in. My friend and I enjoyed the salmon set and sashimi set. Both fresh and delicious the cuts of fish were absolutely perfect. We were both very full and satisfied towards the end of our meal. The chefs were also very kind and gave us a sample of small side dishes. There is a omakase menu offered during the weekdays which we will try next time. read more

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This sushi place is amazing. The fish is so fresh and the cut is very exquisite. You will easily spend 50% more in DC for such sushi quality. The toro and uni are both amazing. I would definitely come again read more

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Best sushi since my time in Japan. Warm welcomes every trip (4). Beautiful presentation. Insightful descriptions. Homemade soy. Freshly made, real wasabi. read more

It's Korean, not Japanese, if you're looking for authentic sushi as it was intended. Coupled with the unpleasant odor, it made for a very disappointing experience. read more

My sister and I had a wonderful time at Cafe Ile. The cosy restaurant itself was cute and chic - nice woodwork, interesting light fixtures, and comfortable chairs. They have a small coffee cafe area with a display of baked goods (muffins and croissants), a sushi counter in front of the sushi chefs, another small counter by the window facing the parking lot and a small smattering of tables (which may be configured for parties of 2 to 6). The food was excellent. Before we received our dishes, the server provided us a seaweed salad, cooked octopus and fresh octopus. We enjoyed our first course - the miso salmon which practically melted in our mouth. The chef's island combination (we chose tuna) was amazing and so special - everything (rolls, sushi, and sashimi) were so fresh. We also ordered the scallop carpaccio which had a light sauce - it was also yummy. The soy sauce was made in-house and had a wonderful aroma and was ever so slightly sweet. The service was charming and attentive. Our water was refilled constantly. I can see that the servers and the chef have such pride in the restaurant and deservedly so. The restaurant was open only a few weeks ago so right now it is not so crowded - we were one of two tables occupied and a gent had coffee. However, I imagine that soon more people will become aware of this hidden gem. We were pleasantly surprised by the two complimentary small dishes the chef gave us. The first was a toro tuna tartar that had wonderful contrasting textures of creamy (silky toro) and crispy (from the chili sauce) and crunchy (from the finely chopped vegetables). We also received two squares of egg custard with yam and shrimp - very subtle tasting and also delightful. We definitely plan to come back with our nephew who loves sushi. There is a parking garage as well as a few outdoor parking spaces in front of the restaurant. read more

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This is a small place located in a office building and only two parking spaces in the front. We tried the lunch sushi/sashimi and they showed decent quality, much better than regular sushi places and comparable to those high end sushi places in dc. The waitress was not super fluent in English tho and the coffee was just average. read more

Great little sushi spot in the Tysons Boro. Fresh ingredients. Rolls are made with care. Love this place. The Shrimp Tempura Roll and Salmon Avocado Roll was delicious. They were so kind and included an octopus side and Seaweed Salad in my take out order at no additional charge. My go to for sushi take-out. So glad they moved into the neighborhood! read more

Cafe Ile - Sushi Bars Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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I have nothing but good things to say about Cafe Ile. I came twice to this establishment and each time the service and quality of food was excellent. It is a small place. Only 6 tables max? The ambiance was cozy and modern. The prices of sushi were on the higher side than other sushi places but they are worth it. The sushi was amazing. They were cut to perfection and fish were very fresh. I definitely recommend checking out their desserts as well! I was surprised by how good the pecan tart was! Definitely coming back again read more

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The best sushi I've had in years! Super fresh and crafted to perfection! The nori spicy tuna tartar appetizer was delicious and the complimentary appetizers were a nice treat as well. People on here have complained about the service, but I don't know what they were talking about. The wait staff was attentive and courteous and the chef greeted us when we came in, visited our table to check on our meal, and thanked us as we left. The ambiance was lovely - clean and upscale with calming music and beautiful orchids. Will return. Highly recommended! read more

Incredibly disappointed by Cafe Ile. I went in with very high hopes based on reviews and made a reservation for two. We arrived at the restaurant and were immediately greeted by a stand-offish hostess who seated us next to someone's ~accident~ all over the ground and under neath our table. After it was eventually wiped up everything was okay until we went to order and requested gluten free soy sauce which they confirmed they had but were told that absolutely nothing on the menu could be made gluten free except maybe some types of sashimi. Typically having at least SOME gluten free options are pretty standard I've found after eating at multiple sushi restaurants in the DC area as well as throughout the country. Most times a GF soy sauce or tamari can be used as a substitution or ingredients can be omitted! We inquired about this and the waitress very rudely told us that if we wanted any gluten free options, we needed to go to a gluten free only sushi restaurant, "this restaurant is for ALL people", she kept saying, scolding us. We kindly thanked her for answering our questions but decided to leave and try Kusshi Sushi which was an incredible experience! We ordered everything we wanted on the menu and they easily made substitutions when needed to make each item gluten free! The atmosphere was drastically better and non judgemental. I would not suggest giving Cafe Ile your business. read more

Service and quality of food is amazing. The restaurant has a very cozy and chic vibe. The serving size is very generous, especially for the quality and price. In addition to what you order, they offer complimentary appetizers, so you always walk away full and feeling appreciated. This is a hidden gem of Tysons! read more

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Will be returning! Omakase was one of the best! Fresh fish, airy and bright atmosphere! read more

Such a lovely experience! A cute new cafe with some super fun options! They offer sushi, coffee, brunch and dinner menu!! We loved our sushi, coffees and avocado toast. Perfect spot for a date or fun hangout with friends. Highly recommend!! read more

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The best sushi I have ever had and for 3 people it was pretty cheap. Nice staff who were really helpful. The place felt very cozy and very clean. read more

Cafe Ile - Sushi Bars Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Just wow... I am amazed at the level or hospitality and quality of food at Cafe Ile. My husband and I decided to come here for dinner before we went to a movie tonight and I'm just so glad we did. The food was delicious, the fish was fresh and the nigiri was so mouth watering... every single piece! And to top it off every single staff member was so kind that it just elevated the entire experience. Highly recommend coming here if you want amazing sushi and amazing service! read more

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We've been here a few times now, and have loved it each time. Their chef's island selection is great - a very nice variety of sashimi, nigiri, and fish jaw. I especially like that it comes with three different types of fish jaw, which is not a very common thing to find. All of their fish has also tasted fresh each time we've come here. And we usually get one of their sake - they have a small but nice selection. Their appetizers are also good - we've gotten the crispy seaweed, the shishito peppers, and calamari. All have been pretty well executed - none too salty, and the crispy seaweed is new to me. It's like a crunchy seaweed tempura that you could use like chips to pick up spicy tuna or salmon. Service is also pretty fast and attentive. Will definitely keep coming back to this place. read more

First of all I would like to say that food and interior of the restaurant is excellent.But it doesn't matter how tasty if the service is bad. We've been there several times and every time the hostess woman answered us very rudely and treated us with contempt. That's why we started taking out only. But even today when we ordered take out, she was rude and spoiled our mood. Seeing others' comments about this hostess, we realized that she was very incompetent. Please take action, because such a service repels people, even if the food is very tasty. read more

Food is excellent.We love all dishes.But hostess lady is mean .She always answers in rude way. On other days we can still put up with it. Today she was rude on the phone and when we came to pick up the order, on such a holiday she spoiled the mood. But we always come back because of delicious sushi. I don't know, maybe she doesn't like us, but it doesn't give her the right to be rude to us every time read more

Our group of 6 came here on a Wednesday night and the cafe was quite busy. We had a reservation. They have a small sitting area but nice decor and lighting. They gave some complimentary small side dishes. We ordered food as family style to share since we wanted to try as many as we could. Appetizers - Scallop Carparccio: this has only 2 bites...I wish we were informed since our group had 6 people. The people who had it liked it. - Sautéed Calamari: this was enough to share and it was really good. I like the texture of the veggies which still had a crunch to it. (Not pictured but I wish I did) Entrée - Sashimi Combo: this came with some sort of fried rice which is different than regular sushi rice or white rose but it was good. Fish was fresh and presented beautifully. - Yellowtail Combo: my boyfriend like the sashimi that came with this dish but he was expecting some rice with it. I thought the rolls were okay. Sushi rolls - Salmon Double Roll - Tuna Double Roll (not pictured) - Rainbow Roll - Shrimp Tempura Roll - An Eel Roll that I might not get the name correctly (not pictured) They were all pretty good though the Salmon and Tuna Double Rolls can be a little spicy for some. I liked the Shrimp Tempura roll the most. The soy sauce they use is a little sweeter than what we're used to. My boyfriend is 1/4 Japanese and he found it a bit strange to have sweeter soy sauce. Desserts - Adffogato: it was really good thanks to the espresso. I didn't think it needed the chocolate syrup. - Mocha Latte: it was pretty sweet but acceptable. - Matcha Latte: quite disappointing because we could only tasted the milk. There was no matcha flavor. The color was more minty than the vibrant green you get from culinary matcha. I would suggest changing this recipe because matcha is a staple in Japanese cuisine. (Not pictured) My friend had a highball but I didn't ask if it was good. Overall we had a good time but wish it was better. I think it was just enough for us and we could have more food. For 6 of us, we paid $300 plus tip. I would come again to try other things from the menu or even try their omakase that's coming in May 2023. read more

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