Met a friend there for a special dinner. First visit for us both. Reservation required a credit card and minimum spend of $50/person. Ordered a few different things. Nigiri, a fun Tuna handroll, Beef Okonmiyaki, a kind of Halibut-Cabbage soup and a couple of other dishes. All delicious and fresh. The service was good and we didn't feel rushed. Unfortunately It's a small place so the seating is tight and since it was unseasonably hot, and there was no air-conditioning it felt very close in there. If they'd had some fans going and no minimum spend I would have given them a 5. read more

Rly damn good!!! (and worth the price imo) but I try not to go too often cause it might take the magic away and Definitely not for any other reason. Changed my perspective on "good sushi" for better or for worse. Pretty busy tho so you better be there when your name is called from the waitlist or it's over read more

Had an amazing experience at Kiraku. Made reservations for a 7:30 Thursday night dinner, and was seated shortly after that time. Be sure to arrive early to get parking and checked in! Food was incredible, the beef tongue skewers were by far my favorite. Everything was tasty, well presented, and the service was great. Will definitely visit again in the future to explore the rest of the menu! Be sure to make reservations as the restaurant is fairly small and wait times can get very long. read more

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Have been having take outs of sushi from here so can't speak much of the ambiance. Service wise, they are good with taking orders and being a busy place for sushi, you just need to plan ahead as it does take some time before your order is ready. The sushi is superb. Delicious and fresh sushi. Definitely worth the price you pay for as this is not like those regular $10-13/roll sushi eateries. At this location, it's the quality and not quantity that counts for the price you pay. read more

One of my favorite Japanese spots in the bay! Definitely a bit pricey but you can get tons of variety of different things that are all incredible. Get on the yelp waitlist and hang in the area until you're called, but don't make my mistake where you didn't check in first and waited way longer than we should've. read more

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The best Japanese place I've been to in Berkeley/Oakland area! I was visiting this area and we had high hopes for this restaurant. The area is quiet and there weren't that many people on the streets but it was easy to spot the restaurant because of the line outside. We ordered a lot of food! Please see the pictures I have of each dish :) I forget the names of each but all of them were 5/5 I think the only thing I did not enjoy was the duck. I felt that it was too gamey and wished for thinner slices because it was getting tiring after 2 slices. However, if you are a big meat lover, I would say order the duck meat because it was cooked really well. For those who don't like gamey meat in general, maybe don't order this. 4/5 Everything else, 5/5!! They were presented beautifully and the ingredients were fresh. Every dish eaten ended with a smile -- that's how great it was! Really recommend trying this place out, but be aware of the wait times! We waited about 2 hours just to get a seat and they don't allow you to wait inside. It does get cold at night so bring a warm jacket and be prepared to stand outside for the wait. For us, we just waited in our car though so you can do that as well! read more

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Have been here multiple times, and this time skipped the line and got takeout. Their takeout menu is limited but high quality. We got a chiraishi box and the beef tongue skewers. The skewers were super flavorful and tender, and the fish was very high quality. In person my favorite is their ochazuke, all variations are delicious A great place for a special occasion read more

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Great food. Great atmosphere and nice service. They have a great selection for every taste.

The food here was excellent and very festive! Definitely a celebratory ambiance, it ends up feeling a little intimate with the shared guests. The skewers were definitely the highlight of our meal, but I do love the ability to try and sample so many different dishes. read more

This is hands down one of the best Izakayas in the Bay Area. Wait time is long unless you get there when it opens or book reservations in advance. Service is always friendly. I recommend their carpaccio/tatakis, steamed clams, mini kaisen don, corn tempura, and ochazuke! Wish more izakayas offered ochazuke like Kiraku. Super comforting. The cooked dishes are the stars but if they have the wagyu and uni nigiri special, definitely order it! Their take-out is a great alternative if you can't secure a table. read more

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We waited for an hour 1/3 but it was well worth it. I love everything we Ordered from the appetizers to main course. It was delicious Will be back soon. read more

The only reason this is not a true 5/5 is because of the long wait line. There is pretty limited selection for getting takeout compared to dining in, but the two types of boxes that we got were delicious. The fish was so soft and melted in your mouth. There was a lot of rice compared to the amount of fish, but that's expected with this quality of fish. One of the best places to eat in Berkeley in my opinion if you have the time (and dollars) to sit down and enjoy! read more

Kiraku - Sanshoku Don, Maguro Zuke Don - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love this place. Everything I ordered tasked great. Just be aware, the portion is small , and the bill can be pricy. read more

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I was craving authentic Japanese food in Berkeley. After about 3 months in the area, I was ready to concede to the fact that perhaps it's just not here. That was until I entered Kiraku. It's not just the music and decor that greets you at the door. It's not just the great service of the waitress and her willingness to tell you more about the various dishes just in case you never tried it before. It's the amalgamation of it all and THE FOOD! Whether you are looking for an izakaya night out with the boys, a cute sushi date or an evening meal with the fam. They have a variety of great food to accompany that night. Last time for me, it was a weary traveler looking for comfort food and I wasn't disappointed. Nice helping of chicken karaage, pork belly skewers, draft beer and Kannoko shochu to finish up. I left happy and you will too. read more

Super tasty and delicious Japanese food. Prices are worth it. Eat izakaya style and just keep ordering rounds of food rather than feeling like you have to order all at once. Servers are also extremely helpful and attentive and will guide you to what's best in both food and sake. If you're having trouble with sake, they'll also give you tasters to be able to evaluate. Some specific dishes that have stood out from when I've been here include the corn tempura and sashimi platter. However, because so much of the menu is seasonal, I really would recommend going by that and potentially working your way down the list as your experience will be different. The presentation is always a delight--and while some dishes are better than others, it's still always interesting to see how they get presented along with the chef's vision. If you get a reservation, come a bit earlier as you are not always seated exactly at your time. Additionally, the spacing of the seating inside is a bit tight, so bear that in mind for your occasion. read more

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A tiny venue with a picturesque selection of vintage Japanese decor. The food is amazing, though pricey, the experience here is pleasant for a fancy evening out. The service was fantastic and our server was sweet, attentive, and did a great job explaining the specials of the menu. Overall lovely experience. read more

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The Agedashi Tofu isn't pictured because it was so good I forgot to take a picture. We got black cod,Corn Fritters,Rock Shrimp Tempura, omelette, pig ears, and a bunch of other delicious stuff. I forgot the names, but this place is worth the try! The ladies/staff are soooo nice and do everything with a smile which is so nice to see. Also, the place is a bit small but that what keeps it intimate! Definitely a must try if you're in the area. read more

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COVID-19 Take Out update: ordered some sushi for a special occasion through their website. It was easy to order, but you have to do it a few days in advance if you want the Omakase. Daiki's Omakase with Fish Miso Soup ($70) was truly awesome. We've eaten a lot of sashimi, and could tell that the fish was high-quality and very fresh. A lot of attention was given to the preparation of each Nigiri. It was packaged beautifully in a box and included a color copy of a hand written menu. The variety of fish was interesting, but not so offbeat as to taste weird to western palates. Most of them were gently seasoned. There was one smoked fish that DH really enjoyed. The only minor gripes: the fish slices were not super thick and we wish the fish were in the same order as the menu. But still, given the care in preparing this, it is a incredibly good value at $70! We would gladly get two orders of Omakase the next time. The miso soup was also very good. It had the freshest seaweed that we've ever had. The seaweed was extremely tender and did not have a lot of fishy odor. For variety we also tried the DX Kaisen Bento for $65. This was super awesome too. Some of the stuff felt a little on the salty side, but were used to eating stuff that is lower in sodium. The Ikura was smoky and so smooth. Some of the best we've tried. Little one couldn't stop eating these! We prefer Santa Barbara uni over the Hokkaido, but it was still super fresh and delicious. Really, that's just nitpicking! It didn't seem like that much food, however, everything was very dense and we were plenty full by the end of the meal. They had a raffle and we ended up with a free beer. We got an Oyako Don for $13 which was grilled chicken and two organic egg omelette over rice. This was also pretty good, but obviously not as good as the sashimi! We also got a seaweed salad ($8), which had the same super tender fresh seaweed. So good! Overall, it is a bit of a secret that this Japanese tapas restaurant has incredibly delicious sashimi. The omakase is a fantastic value. Definitely order in advance and give it a try for your special occasion! read more

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This place has some of the most delicious sashimi to grace the bay. The quality is comparable to what I've had at omakase places in sf, but with more affordable options. Every bite of fish was creamy and delectable. Its almost a sin to be eating this good. Would definitely be back here again! read more

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Waited about half hour to get seated. Food is good and quite expensive. Environmental is cozy. Worth to go back again. read more

Kiraku - Bluefin Tuna Otoro - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Berkeley, California

The best meal I have ever had, the food was so fresh and delicious. You can tell they put a lot of care into the product they serve and the quality will not disappoint. This meal was slightly expensive, but refreshing and filling. You pay for the quality! The service was amazing, everyone was so nice. The restaurant itself is a smaller sized one, I can tell they have limited seating and reservations but that appeals to me because it ensures quality. Please check this place out, I want to go again! read more

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The server was so sweet and took great care of us! Although a little cramped inside, there's a nice warm ambiance. The food was all delicious, with so many different flavors. My personal favorite was the Uni Carbonara Pasta. read more

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Very poor dining experience, feels like I'm getting nickel and dimed. There is a mandatory minimum per group /per person of $30 but they up it to $35 if you are walk in, but it's not even listed on the menu so it's some arbitrary rule they just made up. They say whatever amount $ they wanted - for example they quoted the table of 2 next to us $90 minimum spend. WTF?? also we waited in line for almost 2 hours. Def not worth the wait, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. Very expensive for mid quality sashimi. They also required us to order 2 order of sashimi platters minimum So many dumb rules. Big turn off for customers. Would not visit again. read more

Kiraku - Sashimi platter - this is 2 orders we are forced to order by the way - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Berkeley, California

Honestly can't say enough about this place, and was very disappointed I just discovered it my last semester at Berkeley. On the whole, I would say they source some of the freshest and highest quality ingredients I've ever seen - always the best, most tender cuts. They also have very unique variations of ingredients that other restaurants don't have/use. They're also pretty good at working around gluten allergies. However, you really need to put yourself on the waiting list at exactly 5:30. I put myself on at 5:32 and was like 24th on the waiting list and had to wait until 7:30. Super popular and super cramped inside, but the food is stellar and worth it. From their to-go menu, I got the negitoro mini jars at the end of every school week as a little treat to myself - the negitoro was super soft and the rice was very flavorful. The star for me was their deluxe kaisen box though, and am sad they don't offer it for dine in. It has generous amounts of uni, amaebi, toro, ikura (for me they substituted this with salmon since ikura isn't gluten free) along with some veggie sides and very flavorful rice. I've also gotten their king salmon sashimi multiple times, and it comes with some really cool seaweed that I haven't encountered anywhere else (clear crunchy and two other types). The sashimi comes with lemon and it started my habit of eating salmon with lemon slices because it was so good at Kiraku. I've also dined in twice. They have a limited selection of nigiri but always the best cuts and very tender. My friend and I usually get multiple orders of the negitoro maki because it's such a luxurious mouth feel - the entire roll practically melts in your mouth. However, my absolute favorite is their beef sirloin skewer. Their apple sauce has gluten so they substituted it with yuzu kosho and that goes so well with the very tender beef. The portions are very small but they are very soft, flavorful, and delicious. read more

SOOOOOO Friggin Good!!!!! If you are a fan of Japanese Izakaya then Kiraku is a MUST TRY!!! But first a couple things you should know.. 1. MAKE A RESERVATION via Yelp! I cannot tell you how many people try to come without a reservation, put there name on the waitlist and end up waiting outside for over an hour! If you come in the evenings, there isn't much in the area to pass the time. So do yourself a favor and make a reservation via Yelp. 2. There is a $50 PER PERSON MINIMUM!!! It's honestly easy to get to the minimum per person but if you are planning on bringing your kids...NOT a smart move at all unless you want to pay the $50 minimum regardless of what they eat. **Honestly not really a place for kids or babies in strollers! Its packed, tight and loud** Now that thats out of the way...let me tell you how delish Kirkau is! SUPER FRIGGIN DELISH! *Ankimo Mouse with Sweet Potato Chips were killer. A nice portion of ankimo mouse that was whipped and seasoned to perfection. The chips were a nice addition and were warm, crunchy and fresh! Great combo! ($22) *Black Belly Pork Skewer. FLAVOR BOMB! I am telling you you will want to eat 2 of these by yourself! But everything in moderation because there are so many great things on the menu! ($10each) *Beef Intestine Skewer. Grilled to perfection, slightly crispy, but soft and tender and friggin yummy! Best intestines I have had at an izakaya! ($12each) *Tender Beef Tongue Skewer. Tender, delicious and super tasty! ($12each) *Roasted Duck Kiraku Style. KILLER!!!!!! Smokey, tender and juicy! ($16) I cant remember what else we ordered but everything was insanely delicious. As you can see, its pretty easy to get to the $50 limit per person just ordering 4-5 skewers alone. The staff is also super kind, sweet, and stoked that you came to experience their flavorful dishes! I love this place and highly recommend it! Again, its a pretty small place and the seats are close together and its loud but SOOO worth it. Your mouth will be so happy that you wont even care! Trust me! read more

This is my husband and my favorite date night spot and we went there last on 12/2/23. They are very popular so be sure to make a reservation before heading there on the weekends. If not be prepared to wait in line for a little bit. If you go there at opening time, the wait is usually pretty short. The menu has seasonal flavors and there's also a section with mainstay items. This time we picked all items from their seasonal menu and it did not disappoint! The one that stood out was a tuna appetizer done three ways. There was so much depth to the dish, the first was pickled, the second was braised and simmered in a type of sauce, and I cant remember the last one, however, every one of them were on point and tasted so well together. Whenever we have a chance to sneak out without our kids, we always return to Kiraku. read more

Kiraku - Tuna done three ways - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Berkeley, California

Small restaurant and if you can get a seat right when it opens, you'll be in for a culinary experience. Great service combo with variety of tasty dishes on the menu. Reserve, get there early, or wait.. read more

This is by far one of my favorite izakayas in the east bay. The food is creative and tasty. Always a fantastic experience! read more

Kiraku - Cauliflower panna cotta with Hokkaido uni and sweet potato chips - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Tiny spot with cramped seating, adorably friendly staff, super solid menu. Make sure you use the waitlist feature or make a reservation! Waits can get up to 70 minutes. Literally you can't go wrong with any dish here. The staff is super knowledgeable are ready to give recommendations or explanations. They really completed my friend's and my experience! A Berkeley gem for sure. Pricy but I think it's pretty standard for izakaya. It would be a perfect date spot if it weren't so cramped and noisy! Nonetheless, I enjoy it with good friends! read more

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Food is the best in entire bay clean,fresh and delicious. Service on point Ambiance good for drinking and the beer good cold We will go again for celebration my 30 birthday tonight I can't wait. read more

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Kiraku is a pretty solid spot here at Berkeley. The setting is like a small Japanese izakaya place. At first when I looked at the long live waitlist, it was pretty demotivating. However, when we got there, they told us it was on a first come first serve basis, so we only had to wait for 10-15 minutes. We ordered the beef tongue, scallop rissoto, monk fish liver whey sweet potato, and clam ramen. All the good was pretty solid but the ramen was definitely a stand out. The broth had great clam flavor. I would definitely come back again. read more

Love the food and service and ambiance. I feel very welcomed in the restaurant! I would recommend for others! read more

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One of the best izakaya in Berkeley! Service is nice, but seats are finely. Fried Chicken Cartilage Corn Tempura read more

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This restaurant on Southside Berkeley is small yet bustling. There are always groups of people waiting outside to get a spot. Although the space is certainly packed with customers, it doesn't feel suffocatingly crowded. A lot of this is due to the exceptional service offered. The food is also amazing. For someone who loves to snack on small bites, I enjoyed this experience very much. Some of my favorite dishes are the jumbo squid and the roasted duck. There are a variety of dishes to try (including a very interesting pesto udon), and with each very reasonably priced, there is something for everyone. I recommend joining the waitlist right at opening, especially on busy nights, as the list can fill up pretty quickly. read more

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The food here is amazing every single time. I want to come back to try everything that I haven't been able to yet. I was skeptical about how good the desserts were, but the grapefruit sorbet blew me away. Service is fast, and the restaurant is pretty packed and busy all the time. If you're on the waitlist, come early and they might seat you early if they have room. read more

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Great atmosphere, friendly service, solid nigiri/sashimi and specialty dishes. No complaints whatsoever. Draft Asahi showed signs of a properly maintained tap system. Be prepared for a wait, as the yelp waitlist fills up quickly as soon as they open. You can try showing up in-person at opening hours, the manager will sometimes fit you in because a majority of yelp waitlisters are still commuting. What we tried: Ankimo Mousse w/ Sweet Potato Chips : 10/10 Nigiri Deluxe Sampler: 9/10 Corn Tempura: 8/10 Roasted Duck Kiraku Style: 8/10 Roasted Tea Blanc-manger: 8.9/10 Will be back soon! read more

Every dishes here are so good. And the staffs are so polite too. It's hard to get a table, but it's worth the trouble. This is one of my favorite restaurants. read more

Classic Japanese dishes with a modern twist. All expertly prepared. Eating here is your chance to have something that you never imagined possible but is just right. Eg, we had a "salad omelette with pork belly" on our last visit Definitely not fancy but always both innovative and comforting We like to eat late so the fact it seems impossibly too popular before 8 is no problem. Parking's not bad then, either read more

I've been wanting to try Kiraku for awhile so since it was my friends birthday I dragged her here. Yes it may have been a present for her but selfishly I may have wanted to try this place it! Ha ha. Good thing it was delicious! We mainly tried things from their daily specials menu which included a lot of interesting items like this fish that had a very soft interesting texture (I think monk fish) and this tuna truffle nigiri that I could have had 10 of. It's very small inside and a bit cramped. They require vaccinations (last time I checked) which is great because it is tight inside! Probably would only recommend groups of 4 or more. Also they have long wait times so check in on Yelp or just plan ahead. It's worth it though, you won't regret it! read more

Kiraku - Age dashi tofu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yummy!! Would definitely get the pasta & tostada again :). Excellent service! Will definitely be coming back! read more

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