The most divine meal with impeccable service and no better view. We celebrated my 20 year old daughter's birthday and this was the perfect choice. Noah (I think) was our server, and there is none better. We really appreciated the way he explained the menu, and each of the dishes as they arrived. We'll be back soon. Thanks for a perfect evening. read more

Good service, good drinks, great view of Pittsburgh. But the food was underwhelming. It was not bad and it was very fresh, tasty, consistent, and balanced. But there was not a lot of depth to the flavors. For this price point ($160 each after tip) I would expect to be blown away, which I simply was not. This is not a place I feel the need to revisit. read more

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Dinner at Otaru on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh was an unforgettable experience! Tucked away behind the iconic black and gold doors, this "hidden in plain sight" gem features two beautifully decorated floors--an inviting sushi bar on the top and a cozy alcohol bar on the lower level. Each floor boasts a serene ambiance with only a handful of tables on each, offering a light, airy feel and stunning views of The Point and Acrisure Stadium (it will always be Heinz Field to me). A special shoutout to our fabulous waitress, Angela! Her extensive knowledge and friendly demeanor made our evening even more delightful. She was not only animated and personable but also a fantastic storyteller who kept our table tidy and plates cleared. Her vibe was on point and added to the calm yet celebratory ambiance of the evening. We'll definitely be requesting her next time! And the food? Absolutely incredible! Fresh sushi shipped in daily from Japan provided a unique texture and flavor, unlike anything I've ever experienced--truly a culinary journey, not just a meal. If you're able to take this magical tasting exploration, please get the edamame as an appetizer along with some pork bao buns and tempura bao buns, and as part of the main entree, a treasure box, where you'll get to taste all the aforementioned "just flown in" seafood. The greens under the sushi (I posted a pic of our empty box) took me way back to my grandmothers garden.. it was SO fresh. Add some hand rolls to your main meal and... chefs kiss!! It was perfectly balanced, leaving us satisfied but not overly stuffed. While Otaru is on the pricier side, the quality is top-notch and absolutely worth it for a special occasion dinner. If you want a dining experience where every bite makes you close your eyes as the food transports you somewhere magical, go to Otaru! read more

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This place is fantastic, almost immediately they sat us, then right away they served water and an edamame amuse bouche/ appetizer. Our server was Penny, she was fabulous and working Christmas evening! Penny let me taste the wine to make sure the glass was something I liked. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and right on top of Everything! We ordered the chicken gyoza: 10/10! yellow jalapeño: 11/10, and tuna tapas 8/10, I'm honestly picky. I haven't left a review in a while but this was well deserved. And I didn't even mention the VIEW!!! read more

Otaru - Gyoza, yellowtail and tuna tapas. - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The best sushi in Pittsburgh that I've had by far. The fish just has such a higher quality taste than other sushi places. It is extremely expensive, and probably the most expensive per food ratio I've had in Pittsburgh, but the view, ambiance, and quality was worth it for a special occasion. The service is good but not special like similarly priced restaurants. read more

So many shareables and main courses that are so thoughtfully constructed. Portions are all different sizes which are well described by your server. Amazing view of the city. If you are looking for sake they specialize in cold versions read more

Otaru - Drinks and great view - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The Yo momo drink was fun, and the lace on the dumplings was nice and crunchy. The Chawanmushi with the uni was the surprise gift of the night. Ask for a window seat if you're looking for an intimate table. read more

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A new Japanese culinary haven! Just opened on Mt. Washington, immaculate views and a gorgeous space! The sushi, hand-rolls, and gin take center stage for sure!!! Their edamame is absolutely delicious! Reservations recommended- downstairs & upstairs bar & dining experience! Street parking available! read more

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Outstanding meal. Food and service from Amy could not have been any better! And the view made it that much more special.

Great experience at Otaru! A good selection of sushi, sashimi, and Japanese hot dish specialities. My favorite was the chawanmushi, which is a savory egg custard in dashi broth. We also got the wagyu appetizer, gyoza, spicy tuna hand roll, the toro nigiri, and for mains we got the miso cod and beef udon. Everything was well prepared and delicious! The views from Mt. Washington are stunning. read more

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Disappointed. Menu was confusing and it feels like this place is trying to be unique but it's lost. Left hungry despite a $200+ tab for 2. Maybe I'm biased bc Altius is nearby and the food is impeccable, and drinks are tasty (and probably a couple bucks cheaper which is wild). Doubt we'll go back. I echo the comments from another review - the service was awkward, uninformed, and again confusing. They had no idea what dishes they were putting on our table. One of us ordered the multi course dinner and literally every single dish that was served required the server to come over (the server wasn't the one dropping our food off), ask how things were, and then run to the kitchen to ask what was on our table. And we also heard every conversation and many employees standing around chatting. Just odd. read more

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Very nice restaurant with spectacular views of downtown Pittsburgh skyline and the three rivers. The food was really good and service is excellent. Highly recommended! read more

Was really excited to try Otaru for a special event! The view on Mt. Washington is unbeatable, and I liked the unique chic but bar-like vibe you might not find at a neighboring restaurant. However, the food and service were a bit disappointing given the price tag. Food came out in an awkward order. We had all of our dishes piled up at the table before drinks had arrived, and it was tricky to get a waiter or waitress's attention. The lychee mojito was fantastic! While some of the food was good, it didn't feel as special as the location. The treasure box (sashimi) was not my favorite compared to Umi, Gi-Jin and other Pittsburgh favorites. The cuts were very thick and sometimes overly fishy. We asked for some small bowls of rice to try to balance it out, and were a bit surprised to receive plain rice-- not even sure if it was sushi rice, but it definitely didn't have the usual accoutrements. (I guess we didn't specify, but was still a bit surprising!) Our waitress was very sweet, but most of the food was served by other people who seemed to not know what dishes they were bringing out. It would have been nice to hear from someone knowledgeable about the menu. It was also a bit awkward when our table was not cleared prior to dessert. I tried to exchange plates with the waiter, but it felt disorganized. I was also surprised when they commented on the dishes we had not entirely finished. While it was a fun experience, I don't think it was worth the hefty price tag. read more

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Closest you'll get to dining in heaven while still being here in Pittsburgh, it's a luxury experience so bring your wallet.

WOW. Talk about amazing. The food. The atmosphere. The view. THE BARTENDER!! Angela was our server/bartender for the evening, she explained the menu perfectly clear, walked us through every inch! After choosing the Otaru Experience , Angela gave a detailed description of every item as it came to the table. The food was rich with detail and freshness. The fish was more than I could have ever expected! I'm so happy we chose Otaru for our date night! I'd recommend 100 times over! read more

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Great three river views Treasure box and hand roll set was awesome Best fish and sushi experience in Pittsburgh! Good service Highly recommend read more

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It's quaint with limited seating, so get reservations. If you can time your arrival after sunset on a clear night, the view is incredible. That said, location in of itself isn't worth 5 stars. To earn that, a restaurant needs great service and incredible food as well -- and Otaru delivers on all fronts! The edamame was perfectly prepared and the gyoza (potstickers) are the best we ever had. The beef udon soup was delicious and our drinks were perfect. The price is a bit higher, but when you have the perfect view, great service, unique and delicious food along with tasty drinks -- you can charge a bit more -- so don't complain when you get the bill, you are worth it. read more

It was unique and the food was very good. It just felt a little impersonal. For the price, I'd like a little more interaction. Also, it was fast. I'd have liked a little more experience. We had the various rolls and both got the thing that is similar to omikase. Just not that unique. Service was great, it was just really not that much of a stand out. read more

One of the best fine dining experiences we've had in Pittsburgh! Walked in without a reservation on a Saturday at 6:30pm and got a table right by the window with a stunning view. Everything we ordered I would recommend! read more

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We found the food to be extremely mediocre for the cost. We got the Otaru Experience with sake tasting which ran $550+ for 2. The few sushi components were good, but the other courses were very underwhelming. They included a bland shrimp cocktail, a bland savory custard, and dessert was a couple mochi icecream balls that could have been bought from Trader Joe's for $5. Then they rudely asked us to leave mere moments after paying our tab when the restaurant was still 75% empty. Seating time limits should have been explained on our way in, not seconds after paying half a grand for a C- culinary robbery. At least let us enjoy the view for a few minutes, which was the only nice aspect of this restaurant. If one does go here, stick to the sushi and avoid the "Otaru Experience" at all costs. Unless you want to experience unremarkable fare at unforgettable prices served with unwelcoming service. Will not be back and would not recommend. read more

Amazing food and amazing service. We sat at the downstairs bar where Amy, our bartender took great care of us. Beautiful night!

Went here to eat by myself while on a business trip. Its a few steps away from the top of the incline. I didn't have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate me and gave me a table right by the window. The views are beautiful! I had the Otaru Course, which I highly recommend. It's four courses and was very filling and delicious. The fish was high quality and melts in your mouth. Penny was my waitress and was very kind and attentive. If I'm ever in Pittsburgh again, I will definitely be returning! read more

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Incredible food with an incredible view. This place did not disappoint. Everything we tried was delicious. Their sushi is so fresh and melts in your mouth! read more

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Sushi was super fresh - best in the city! Service by Lauren - she was informative, helpful and efficient! Ambiance is inviting, really quite nice. Highly recommend - will be back! read more

Otaru - Treasure Box, yellowtail sushi app to the left - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The food was absolutely amazing! Especially the uni pasta just melts in your mouth with every bite. The service was exceptional. We were there to celebrate a 30th birthday and they gave us dessert and a table with a spectacular view. I would recommend making a reservation ahead of time. The handroll set (make your own sushi) had a beautiful presentation. I would recommend that the kitchen provides more nori and rice for the amount fish that is given. All the slices were superb. But we ran out of nori and had to ask for more. They were accommodating and our server Randy was great! 10/10 recommend!! read more

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Great food, no waiting, goes the extra mile. Fresh ingredients and takes the time to do it right. Good service. Will be back.

Love this place! Great gourmet menu. Fantastic view if you want to impress your date that's the place! Last time I've been Brynn server took care of us and she was just amazing! Have been multiple times and will definitely say that's the best sushi in town' highly recommend Ps it was so delicious that for the first time I've never took a pic! read more

Took my lady friend there for her birthday. It was intriguing very pleasant. Great view the city delicious food. read more

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Excellent food, unique preparations, and our server, Lauren, was personable and knowledgeable. And, you can't beat the view of the city!

We went for a beef oton soup for my bf birthday but it was not available anymore. We tried the salmon mango but we preferred the soup . The service was ok but they need to bring back the beef uton soup read more

My wife took me for my birthday last night. The food was hands-down amazing. The ambience of the restaurant was very good for a Pittsburgh Japanese dining experience. However, the only thing that really brought down the entire experience was disservice and the pace of the meal. The service itself felt rushed, at one point I had three courses on my table at one time. By the time I got my salmon it was cold because I was eating course two. The price, there's different options available that would provide similar experiences. read more

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We are not new to sushi but we did need help with the menu. Our server Anthony gave us a great education on the various experiences available. We started with a couple of apps, then the Treasure Box, which I think is a must. Cocktails were great sake was great! The dish was extraordinarily fresh and tasty. We will be back soon! read more

The food was fresh & delicious + Noah provided great service! Will definitely be back :)

If I could leave this place 10 stars, I would. My wife and I came here for our anniversary and it was beyond amazing. Our waiter, Garrett explained everything so well and was seriously the best! Everything we got from drinks to appetizers to the mains dish, we just loved. We will definitely be back here! read more

Let me start by saying Otaru is new and has a lot of potential. That being said, we saw several things that needed improvement on our first visit. We are going to wait a while before giving them another try. We arrived for our reservation and were promptly seated on the lower level of the restaurant. The restaurant has two stories of dining, both with incredible views of the city from a prime spot in Mt. Washington. Our server approached us with warm hand towels and stated she would give us a few minutes with the menu. She then went over to the bar area and loudly chatted with the bartender, someone in training, and another server. I understand the lower level has a bar and the space isn't huge, but at this point I was expecting a fine dining environment and hearing gossip didn't give that impression. Our server eventually came back and asked us about drinks. We ordered two cocktails and two appetizers. I have a dairy allergy, so I asked her about the ingredients in a dish. She went to check with the chef, a conversation I also overheard. At the same time I heard the bartender and trainee noisily discussing how to make very basic cocktails (as in how many shots go into a Manhattan). She came back to report there was milk in something we wanted to order, so we selected an alternative. At this point she'd made three visits to our table and not once asked if we had questions about the menu or offered to explain portion sizes, suggested cadence for ordering, other items that didn't contain dairy, etc. Our drinks arrived as did the appetizers, we went with the new-style sashimi and the wagyu. Everything was delicious and presented very nicely. Our server eventually came back and asked if wanted to order more food. We went with the Otaru Course, a few additional pieces of nigiri, and the miso black cod. Again, nothing was done to explain portions or make suggestions. She was also struggling with the electronic handheld device used to put our order into the system at this point. Food started arriving, beginning with the salmon tataki and the extra nigiri we ordered. The person running food dropped the paper tickets on our table and had no idea what anything was. This person then walked two steps away from us and discussed what occurred with our server before they both walked away. We love sushi and regularly consume it (Umami, Umi, and Mola are favorites) so we didn't have much trouble deciphering what was what. The staff openly failing in their role was more irritating than anything else. The tataki was tasty but barely seared and cut extremely thick. The rice in the nigiri was dry and cold. This was a theme that continued with the rest of the nigiri as well as the hand rolls. Sushi rice is an essential aspect of this cuisine that I hope Otaru can place emphasis on in the future. On the upside, the quality of the fish was superb. I really wish the rest of the preparation could have matched it. As the rest of our food came out, other runners were similarly ignorant of what they were carrying. Our server came to ask if everything was okay once or twice and brought us both ice cream for dessert, forgetting about my allergy. I felt like the only thing that didn't happen was someone dropping a drink into my lap! Given the high price ($350) for the meal, I found myself disappointed. It felt as if the opening of Otaru had been rushed and nobody on the FOH team knew what they were doing. Furthermore, important aspects of the food were lacking. We will come back after this establishment has had the time to get their bearings, the environment and food could be superb with more care and skill. read more

Can't say enough good things about this place. Service was exceptional (thanks Garrett!). Food exquisite. Top quality sushi with some great touches and an easy to navigate menu. Amazing view also. read more

Otaru - View from the sushi bar. - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Excellent service for a large party. Food was great, party had a good time, staff were kind, courteous, and attentive. We started with the shishito peppers which came topped with saffron and were cooked to perfection, as well as the gyoza which were also quite good. The beef udon and some of the hot menu items were nice options for those who may not care for sushi. The toro nigiri was a particular highlight and we ended up ordering extra. This was a lovely birthday dinner and we would definitely recommend. read more

Otaru - Place setting - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Really good service - Amanda was so nice and gave us great service and water. View was also amazing. 10/10 would definitely come again. read more

Otaru - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Amanda the bartender was very attentive and informative. She acknowledged me as soon as I sat down and handed me a menu right away. She is so friendly and relatable. Will definitely come back. :) read more

Otaru - Bar - Japanese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Very cool Japanese restaurant, love the view. It is easy to find a parking spot as well. We also enjoyed the excellent service by Penny. read more

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