Solid Japanese style restaurant serving beautifully curated and thoughtfully prepared small dishes in a seemingly unexpected location on the Mendocino / Sonoma coast ! We recently relocated to Sonoma county (The Sea Ranch) from Silicon Valley (Menlo Park) and have had some nice meals along the coast since we moved here FT (Harbor House, Ledford House etc) but this little spot is a real gem. Friends recommended it so we had a double date night and filled the table with all sorts of goodies. Great evening and food. Highly recommended. Small, simply situated on a very quiet street in Point Arena. A few doors down from a decent locally sourced weed shop (also worth a visit BTW), and a local fish monger (Point Arena is a commercial fishing port) and solid local bakery (Pelican), this excellent restaurant serves up a variety of rotating locally sourced small plates and yakatori style grilled meats and veggies as well as some raw fish and stews as well. Highlights were the sashimi, the fish roe on rice, the grilled pork belly, the grilled cabbage salad, the tempura shrooms and the fried chicken oysters as well as the grilled chicken thighs. All excellent. They have a nice selection of saki's as well (we had 2 small bottles to share $20/each) and to close the meal we had the Matcha ice cream with passion fruit ! All in for 4 people including tax and tip $250...which in today's world seemed very fair to me. Great meal and great vibe overall. Chef/owners apparently have strong training and work experience in Japanese settings and fine dining restaurants- which may explain why this place does very simple things so well... Make a reservation on the weekends otherwise you'll miss out or end up eating at the bar. There are certainly worse things to do than that...however, trust me. Visit here and thank me later. Well done Izakaya Gama ! We will be back. This will undoubtedly be on our regular "locals dining out rotation" now. Bravo Izakaya Gama ! read more

See all

Izakaya Gama was a fantastic surprise, especially for the location. The food was genuinely delicious, and I'd even argue it's impressively authentic--no Japanese staff, but absolutely Japanese-level execution. Every dish landed. Fried, grilled, steamed, raw... not a single miss. We were staying just up the block on a short getaway, and this ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the trip. At one point we were talking about Rintaro in SF, and the chef overheard us--she mentioned he knew the folks there and spoke highly of them. Honestly, after eating here, I think Gama is better, and at a much friendlier price point. Warm atmosphere, great food, and a chef who clearly cares about what they're doing. This place is a win all around. read more

Get the tempura mushroom! The plates are small, so you can absolutely order everything on the menu for 2 people read more

See all

This restaurant is a gem of a place located out of no where in Point Arena. My husband and I were visiting Bryan Preserve and were looking for a place to have dinner. We were glad to have stopped here! They were completely booked for the weekend. So we got seated at the bar seats. We ordered a couple of skewers - pork belly, shisito peppers, shiitake mushrooms, Tsukune. All of them tasted so good. My favs were tsukune and pork belly. We also ordered a lamb stew and ended the day with black sesame ice cream for dessert. The ice cream was amazing with nice taste of sesame along with sourness from raspberry puree. I really liked the ice cream. read more

Izakaya Gama - Sesame ice cream - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

Architectural Ambiance Walk into a hush as you step into this perfectly designed and architecturally Complete picture. Tables cut to fit this unique whole. All nicely thought-out details. Flowers and framed forms are focal points for each view. From the Genmaimatcha clear tea pot to the masterfully arranged flowers Artistic simplicity of wood beams and themed ceramic plates and food so eye pleasing. Sunomono nicely garnished with white and dark goma, and a perfectly cooked egg beautifully arranged atop of the "poteto sarada" Maitake tempura new to me, love the flavor, the Karaage a nice surprise with a mild garlic flavor (I love garlic) was very tasty. I wish it had more crunch! Flavors & textures very different when comparing it to my "bachan's" (grandma's) food, it may be regional recipes, either way a tough comparison. I would say 5 stars for design and plating. 3 flavor & texture read more

See all

I was met with a very condescending and pretentious man who literally cut me off mid sentence when I spoke up about the other patrons who arrived before us. He stooped down to my face-- quite awfully close-- to let us know they were fully booked for the night. Understood. But what if I did have a reservation? It doesn't give you the right to act that way towards ANYONE. I felt incredibly disrespected. With menu items such as "poteto saradu" & "kare raisu", you'd think this was an authentic Japanese restaurant. It just felt like a mockery. The restaurant owners pride themselves in working in a Japanese kitchen for 16 years and following Japanese anti-tipping culture, though a 20% gratuity charge is added to every meal, regardless of their quality of service. I will say that I think it's great that they pay their employees a living wage & donate to the Japanese American Citizen League. I cannot speak for the owners themselves but I did not appreciate the unpleasantries from this employee, and I believe that is a reflection of how they run this place. read more

Tastefully done Izakaya and Sake Bar. I loved how passionate they were when discussing all the flavor profiles of their sake offerings. Got to try a new one from Den Sake Brewery in Oakland, which was quite nice and balanced. The fish collar was exquisite, with a dainty yet crispy skin and tender flesh coupled with very well balanced pickled accompaniments. This dish really sang. Another favorite was the curry and rice. The rice as cooked to perfection and the curry was full of flavor. The things from the grill were all delightful, from the chicken cartilage to the shitake mushroom. They all were grilled expertly resulting in skewers that were smoky, flavorful, and tender to the bite. The one dish I recommend skipping is the potato salad. Even though calling it potatoe sarada and serving it with a soft boiled egg on top looks unique, at the end of the day it just felt like a really expensive potato salad. Otherwise a lovely evening with excellent presentation, hospitality, and food. read more

What an incredible restaurant--amazing service, super friendly staff, and food that tastes like pure heaven. Every dish is a festival of flavors; we loved every bite! We followed Nathan's recommendations, and he nailed it with every single one. And the ice cream... unreal. We ended up ordering a second round because it was that good--the flavor and texture were out of this world. If you're anywhere near here, you need to get to Gama ASAP! read more

See all

If you are looking for Japanese food and sake this is a great place to go, the dishes were all great and very artistically presented. Loved all the items-- the Chawan Mushi, salad, local uni, the mushroom tempura, maguro tuna, and more ! My mom liked her miso soup but it didn't have any tofu. The only thing I noted is that the sales tax is so high in point arena that it's over 11 percent of the bill and you are charged 20 percent service , so combined it is hefty. It shouldn't stop you from going but it's good to be aware. read more

See all

This is our third time dining at Izakaya Gama and we love it! Fantastic fresh food, great service and an overall amazing dining experience. We have another reservation on Sunday. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a delicious meal on the coast in Point Arena. read more

See all

After driving in the dark (darn daylight savings) to our stay at the Point Arena Lighthouse lodging, I was so happy to see Gama was the only restaurant open in the area at 8PM on a Thursday night. My partner and I were the only people in the entire restaurant and felt incredibly welcomed and cared for by the waitress in a traditional Japanese dress. The warm wooden interior with soft lighting and traditional fish print decor felt very romantic at night. There was bar seating but we chose to sit at a table in the corner. We ordered à la carte and were recommended the salad and karaage since they were larger plates. Their housemade soysauce was incredibly yummy and great with the sweet fresh amberjack sashimi. Karaage and miso black cod were very juicy and tender but not anything amazing. We didn't feel like skewers but still got the Chicken Oyster skewers to try and the skewer was larger & juicier than expected and had a great smoky flavor. I was especially glad we didn't skip dessert as it was my FAVORITE item. The green tea ice cream was thick but not in a gelato way. The brown sugar sauce and toasted rice were the perfect flavor & texture to put on top. We didn't feel like drinking but the sake & wine selection looked very tempting. Overall, everything from the dishes, to the soy sauce, to even the clay soy sauce container felt very intentional and refined. Would definitely come again if I'm passing by or staying around the area! read more

See all

On a road trip through Point Arena, we kept hearing about Gama and I'm so glad we went. We grabbed a seat early before the Friday dinner rush (go early if you don't have a reservation). The cabbage salad was light, crunchy, and perfectly dressed! I want that recipe! The skewers were also incredible, full of flavor and cooked just right. It's a cozy, stylish date spot with perfect service. If you're in Point Arena, Gama is absolutely worth the stop. read more

Izakaya Gama - Cabbage salad is a must!!! - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

What a delightful find! We visited Gama last week based on a rec from a local in Gualala and were honestly blown away. This meal was one of the best we've had this year! Service was great at this low-key, small space and everything was delicious. The menu changes frequently, but we tried their chicken karage, fresh corn kariage, Japanese beef curry, black cod collar, potato salad, shishito pepper and pork belly skewers. We would easily order any of these again! read more

Izakaya Gama - Potato salad and dessert sake - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all

Wow! Gama achieves everything they've set out to be. It's a causal easy going izakaya with uber high quality ingredients and a very intentional experience throughout. All in a beautiful setting in a small town nestled on the coast. Japan would be proud. The sake and beer selection is exciting. The food pacing was appropriate. The cost is reasonable. And you leave feeling great! Well worth the trip out of the way if you're not from the costal areas. The tebasaki were a revelation. read more

See all

Thank you for another fabulous year of dining with you. Especially on our son's birthday! Usually I take a lot more photos, but we had such a great time that you just have to go and experience it for yourself! read more

See all

I ate here two days ago and can't stop thinking about it. The space is a surprise, you could drive right past it. Very unassuming, but inviting once you're inside with a lot of local art, a nice bar, and just a few dining tables. First, I was called to the Yoho Nippon Citrus beer (yuzu and sea salt) and it was incredible. Best beer I've had in a long time. The beer list is short (sake list is longer), but options are great. We did a variety of dishes and were blown away by every single one. The local meat, seafood and produce were sublime. But what stood out to me the most was the bincho (seared local albacore tuna). It was absolutely the best piece of fish I've ever had in my entire life. I'm not kidding. The whole meal was outstanding, and we ended with black sesame ice cream (regrettably only getting one scoop - we could have had a lot more...so good). The service was wonderful, and they were all working together really beautifully. All of the servers working helped us out at some point in the meal. I can't say enough about this meal. I live in the Central Valley but will happily drive back to Point Arena to experience this again (and experience a new menu)! So glad I found this place while we were visiting the coast. read more

This place was CRAZY GOOD. Truly an unforgettable meal that I will crave. I had the cabbage salad (just get it, don't overthink it- it was perfection), the potatoes (the flavor was SO good with this one), and the karaage (best.I've.ever.had.). It was truly an incredible experience, you should NOT skip this place. read more

Wow! Wandered in here while visiting Point Arena recenly. We weren't sure what to expect, though we had several locals recommend them. We ordered a number of dishes. We tried two sashimi dishes, one was skipjack (I believe) and a steelhead from Mt Shasta area. Both of these were exceptional! The fish was so fresh and succulent! We also had chicken "oysters", fried chicken skin, and miso. Another highlight was the maitake mushroom tempura - the tempura was so light and delicate! Everything was amazing! We were genuinely floored by the quality of the food. We also really enjoyed the sake that the server recommended. Service throughout was excellent as well! If you are passing through - don't hesitate to try this spot - it really delivers! Sorry, no photos this time - I was too distracted by the food! read more

Outstanding restaurant on the Mendocino Coast! Service, room, food are all perfection. California Farm to Table with Japanese preparation. Prices are reasonable for the quality of the experience. Tables require a reservation. You can also eat at the bar. I go to Gama for special occasions and it has always delivered with quality dining. Highly recommended! read more

Izakaya Gama - Chawanmushi... absolutely delicious!!! - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all

Best food on the Mendocino Coast, hands down! Has the feel of a small Berkeley eatery. Farm to table with Japanese technique. Beautiful room. I've gone twice in the past month and both food and service were consistent for both visits. The Chawanmushi is a standout! read more

Izakaya Gama - Chawanmushi with mushrooms - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all

What a special restaurant in our little town. The ambiance is beautiful the moment you walk in the door. Alysa was helpful in her suggestions and the sake she recommended was outstanding. All of the dishes were presented beautifully and so delicious. We started with the potato salad. This is not your normal potato salad! At the table we had a mushroom Tempura (OMG), fried chicken thighs, a savory custard, skewers of pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, peppers and yes, a chicken knee. All were over the top. Highly recommend along the iconic Highway 1 in Point Arena, Mendocino County. read more

I didn't see the name of the restaurant in front of the restaurant, but I saw the logo and recognized it. It's a cute restaurant with limited table seating so make sure to get a reservation. Otherwise you might have to wait an hour or two. I got lucky and someone cancelled so I was able to get a bar seating in 10 minutes through a walk in. Once you come in, you'll probably be greeted by the owner. You can tell she's the owner just based on her confident answers and the amount of detail she describes the food with. She knows the sources of the items. I chose to get seated down at the bar area since that had a shorter wait time. The kaarage came with a yuzu aoli sauce and it was fried perfectly. Crispy but still soft and juicy in the middle. The black cod was my least favorite but I still enjoyed the freshness of the fish. I think it was a little too salty for my liking. The sukiyaki had soft wagyu beef with mushrooms and schezwan peppers marinated in yuzu. The peppers gave it a little kick with a burst of yuzu and followed by the numbing oil from the schezwan. The black sesame cheesecake was deliciously creamy and had a citrusy creamy yuzu dipping sauce on the side. Overall I enjoyed my meal, the well-knowledged service, and visiting such a cute restaurant :) read more

See all

Really this place is named Gama and is an Izakaya style Japanese emporium featuring a lot of sake and Japanese beer. During our extended stay in the Northern California coastal town of Point Arena we were intrigued by it as a nice place for my wife's next dah birthday. Gama features a Japanese inspired menu featuring an extensive list of sake and culinary treats served in a Japanese style. The menu is based on several hot and cold plate dishes with a couple of basic side dishes. Since it was a special night we decided to get several choices. We were first served the cold dishes of which we ordered several. We tried the delicious eggplant, a decent potato salad and a nice Half Moon Bay amberjack sashimi. The eggplant and sashimi were particularly tasty especially paired with their sake special... waterfall something which was served in a carafe, but, usually by the bottle. For the main course, we ordered a couple of specials, a grilled amber jack collar, Waygu beef heart in a skewer and a lovely local black cod steak. All really wonderful. We ended our dinner with a black sesame cheese cake which took me back, flavor wise, to the market in Tokyo where sesame dishes are plentiful. As one of the top restaurants in Point Aren't, Gama really hit the spot for our special occasion dinner and Northern California Coast travel experience. Definitely on my list if we return. read more

Izakaya Gama - Potato salad - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all

A beautiful quaint Japanese restaurant in Point Arena. I highly recommend making reservations as they're a pretty small restaurant. They also have open bar seating, but it's limited. We came for their final Ramen Night for the year. They host them on Sunday's during the winter months. They have a smaller menu then usual on these nights. I had the server recommend a sake and got a small bottle. It was super smooth and paired nicely with the meal. We started with Sashimi which was very fresh and good quality. We then had the Karaage friend chicken with yuzu aioli which was incredible. I could have eaten the whole portion myself! For our main course we had the Ramen that had super flavorful broth and big chunks of pork belly. We both said it's some of the best Ramen we've ever had. We can't wait to come back and try their full regular menu! read more

See all

exceptional food, exceptional design of the space (those beautiful ink drawings on rice paper!), that particular wooden smell inside transported me to japan. and they were so patient and kind to us despite one of us being a nap-deprived little kid melting down in between tasting all of the food and asking for more. can't wait to return to point arena and to gama read more

Amazing. They deserve a Michelin Star. Best dining experience we've had this year. We are planning to go back & spend the weekend in Point Arena just to experience it again. read more

Izakaya Gama - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

An unexpected culinary gem in Point Arena! Highlights were the trout sashimi, yuzu salad, potato salad, black cod collars, and unique sake selection. Food was served in beautiful hand made ceramic vessels. The cypress infused hand wipes provided as soon as we sat down were a nice touch. Minimalist, elegant interior design with cedar wood touches made for a cozy, transportative experience. It was more upscale than the izakayas that I've experienced in Japan! read more

Excellent fresh food and perfect service. I recommend ! They were booked and accommodated us at the bar. Very knowledgable. read more

See all

What a find! Some of the best Izakaya dining in the US in a place you'd never imagine. We dine regularly at Binchoyaki in Sacramento (recently James Beard nominated) and this might be better? Crazy! We visit this beautiful area several times a year and came across this little Izakaya Japanese restaurant in Point Arena in the middle of beautiful nowhere. HOLY COW! AS A FOODIE that's been a lot of places including Japan, this was THE surprise find we seek. Amazing food, detailed in so many respects (their secret) with subtle balance and full FULL flavors. So many details and handcrafted goodies. I'm a 3rd generation Japanese American - with a demanding palette - glad to encounter "old school Japanese flavor" that's very hard to find these days. We've been here 10 times now. Can't praise this enough. Worth a trip. Mine is 4 hours - one way. read more

Izakaya Gama - Amberjack sashimi, (local) potato salad w/soft boiled egg (enhancing details!), and an AMAZING esspresso stout! This was round 1 of several - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

Great food! Have been wanting to try this on recommendations from many at the Harbor House Inn in Elk for the last couple years. The food did not disappoint! Ate way too much! Servers were nice. Very casual experience. All dishes were very high quality, lots of attention to detail and flavor. Overall this was a great experience and would highly recommend if you're in the Mendocino area, worth the drive! We made the trek down from Elk on a Sunday to enjoy their Ramen. Docking one star for the fact that they ran low or out of multiple items before we got there. I recommend booking an earlier reservation (we booked a later reservation (8pm) on a Sunday. We will be back! read more

See all

Had the best experience here!! Our waiters were very knowledgeable and attentive when I asked about my food allergies, and the ambiance of the restaurant is super special and unique. Food was absolutely fab too!! Our particular favorites were the black cod, karrage, and cabbage salad. read more

Izakaya Gama - Black cod! - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all

Exceptional! The food was delicious and creative, and the staff was awesome. We received totally great service and were made to feel special on our honeymoon trip. Will definitely be back here anytime we're close by. read more

3 years later this is still our favorite restaurant. Since my last review they have moved into a gorgeous brick and mortar. We've so many special dates and celebrations we've had here, birthdays, anniversaries or date nights we couldn't imagine eating anywhere else. Even after all this time we look forward to the feeling we get when we walk through the doors. The ambiance, the art, the staff is so knowledgeable and kind, the chefs , all the small details from stone ware to rotating food & sake menus: just 10/10. The foooooddd Mama Mia the food. *swoon* If you're thinking about having a meal here, no need to think further, book your table and get excited for a wonderful dining experience. We feel so lucky to have this as our local dinner spot. Pro tip- get the Karaage, it's the best I've ever had. And if you're debating on when to go, earlier in the week is better so you can get the best stuff before they sell out :) Enjoy! read more

I admit I was disappointed but in no way did I raise voice or not let your staff speak. I can respect good food and the work possibly the labor of love for the greatness of striving to be a great place for everyone. With exceptional food. Take it as a stepping stone and I'll do the same. I will remove the 1 star rating and if ever that way will try again. Hopefully the experience is better next time. read more

We were walk-ins on a Saturday night and were able to get a seat at the bar right away. Great service! Food and sake selection was delicious! read more

Walked in on a Wednesday night and the place was full. We had a party of four and were able to be seated about 15 minutes later. We ordered the trout sashimi, Gindara Kama, braised rockfish, chawanmushi, chicken karaage, and few skewers of the wagyu heart, wagyu tongue, chicken cartilage and chicken oysters. Everything was delicious but I definitely wouldn't go there on an empty stomach. The dishes are on the pricier side but it is to be expected for the products they are offering. It was a nice surprise finding such delicious Japanese izakaya outside of the Bay Area and we would definitely splurge here again when we are in the area. read more

See all

Point Arena is pretty small so restaurants are limited but I feel very fortunate that i got to go to Gama! I came in pretty soon after they opened and was sat at the bar, Nathan and Violet helped me out and they were so friendly while still being very busy, I appreciate the chats and the recommendations. The food was great as well, I would get the Yamistsuki over and over.Thank you!! read more

Izakaya Gama - Chawanmushi - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all

I was staying next door and tried my luck walking in. The restaurant is small and was very busy but they were able to accommodate our party of 2! The staff were very attentive and everything was beautiful. It was a great place for a bday dinner. I wish I took more pictures but I was too busy eating. All the seafood was really fresh. I especially liked the kanpachi sashimi and kama as well as the gama-ae. We tried a wide variety of the hot food options and found some of the skewers to be salty. They they also had a large, unique selection of sake and beer. We were able to try some and the hot tea. I'd go back if I was ever in the area. read more

See all

This is one of the best meals I have had in the last decade! Every dish was better than the one before. The service was amazing. The drinks were perfect - get a one cup sake. I recommend the one with the eyeball. Trust me. They will know what that is. My favorite dishes were the Hamachi, Chawanmushi, karaage and the trumpet mushrooms. Everything is local. Everything is delicious. read more

See all

What an amazing gem in Point Arena! Loved the seasonal menu- we ordered the chazuke topped with uni, abalone, chashu skewers, and the maitake mushroom Everything was delicious! Definitely pair with sake- was excited about the extensive menu. The waitress made excellent recommendations- I ordered the green mountain sake and my partner had a refreshing nigori that wasn't too sweet and paired well with the food. The level of detail is also wonderful to call out- from fresh hot towels when you arrive, to the ikebana decor throughout the restaurant- it has a great ambiance. Looking forward to revisit when we're back in the area! read more

Izakaya Gama - Chawanmushi topped with uni - Izakaya Near Me - Point Arena, California

See all