If you want real sushi this is the place The best quality fish i ever had!!! Worth the wait!!! This has been my Go to sushi spot for years!!! read more

Great service, great food! The staff is so sweet and attentive. This place is tiny, but I went there for a late lunch. read more

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Excellent service provided by the Chef and Staff. Restaurant is small but intimate. The Giant Clam Sashimi was very fresh. Great prices on their Sake selection. Happy to support local small businesses. read more

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Pretty good! We sat outside. Service was attentive. Udon was chewy and fresh. The black cod bento is super tender. Sushi rice and salad it comes with is nice. Blue crab roll is good and similar to a ca roll. Wasn't impressed by the soft shell crab roll. Server accidentally spilled a ton of udon broth all over the table when setting it down. If I went back I'd try the sashimi. read more

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The food is traditional, authentic, and truly magical! This small hidden restaurant provides cozy food that is very filling, and very peaceful overall. Additonally, the service is standard, so overall one of the best places to hit up, especially DURING HAPPY HOUR! Happy eating! read more

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Tiny gem in old town Monrovia. Because we had the traveling circus that consists of my toddler and the dog, we had the perfect table outside on the sidewalk. The service was so friendly and warm and they really made sure we had what we needed for a comfortable dinner. We had been here once before last year and sat at the sushi bar. Food was amazing then, and still is now. The chirashi had a generous portion of assorted sashimi and the rice was just perfectly seasoned. I would say I got a good amount of uni in there too. The fam had a bunch of appetizers and everyone was happy. Yes it's a bit of a splurgey dinner but it's nice to treat yourself every once in a while, especially on well crafted food. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Pickle plate & dinner chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

Fresh seafood and brought back memories of my childhood with fried smelt. Enjoyed miso soup with clams, fresh salad with tasty dressing and sashimi (chef's choice). Food rivaled Nobu. My husband mentioned the fish could be cut better. Tiny restaurant with bathrooms accessed outdoors and shared with other restaurants. Amazing service by a lovely Japanese woman and even recommended when we should visit Japan. read more

Small sushi shop in old town Monrovia, friendly service, casual ambience. Free parking on street was easy to find. Happy hour 5-6pm saves you a few dollars off each item! We ordered the Dinner Chirashi $45, which came with good miso soup (could tell they used fresh clams), and tasty salad. Good amount of sushi rice which was made perfectly. Fish was very fresh, I liked that they put yuzu kosho on a few pieces, gives it a nice blend of tastes, uni and toro was my favorite in the bowl -- solid chirashi! Curious to come back to try the $125 omakase. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Dinner chirashi bowl...so fresh! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

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Easy reservations via Yelp waitlist or reservations link on Yelp app FOOD 4/5 They kindly offered complimentary assorted pickles as an app. Overall, fresh sashimi and sushi - Got their specials and a few others that all hit the mark. Satisfied with the quality and selections! SERVICE 4/5 Amazing courteous service from the entire staff throughout the dining experience PARKING 4/5 Easy free parking and a lot nearby or street parking Small clean ambience and love the expansion read more

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Elegant, cozy sushi spot in Old Town Monrovia. All our rolls were super fresh and light, and they had some unique, authentic dishes that you don't find at the other sushi spots in town like Chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard) and Agedashi tofu. For our sushi rolls we tried the Lime Roll and Salmon Truffle Roll. The Salmon Truffle Roll is exactly as it sounds - crab on the inside with salmon and truffle on top. I don't usually like salmon sushi rolls anywhere but this was a pleasant exception. The Lime Roll has spicy tuna and crab inside topped with albacore and yuzu miso. It was my fave - very light and refreshing. And all their fish was super fresh! We had their miso soup to start which was good - what you'd expect from a quality sushi spot. The Agedashi tofu was fantastic!! It was lightly fried with a delicate texture and came in a deliciously umami sauce - highly recommend! The Chawanmushi was very unique - it's a small cup of Japanese egg custard - it's savory with a fish-forward profile and served slightly warm. I'm not a fan of strong fish flavors and this was too much for me (I was actually expecting a sweet custard desert haha!) - but my hubby loved it. It's a quality appetizer and I would recommend if you like those sorts of dishes. Prices are just a tad more than the other surrounding sushi spots but this experience was definitely a little more elevated. Staff were warm, welcoming, and attentive. The shop is very small and space is tight - but it has excellent views of old town and felt very cozy. They fill up fast during busy night like the Friday farmers market but they take reservations I think. Definitely had a great dinner and will be back! read more

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This truly is an underrated gem in Old Town Monrovia. Having grown up in the area and eaten at the local sushi spots, I'm surprised that this past weekend was the first time I had the pleasure of dining here. On a busy Mother's Day Sunday, I was stressed not knowing where to eat--upon looking at available reservations for lunch, I saw that Sushi Nakata had ample spots and I made a reservation 30 minutes before the set time. Entering the restaurant, you'll find that it's a bit cozier than the fancy sushi places you'll see these days with ambient lighting and chic furniture. Instead, Sushi Nakata feels more like a hole-in-the-wall spot. Don't get it twisted, their sushi is the real deal. My parents and I all got the various lunch combos: Sushi Set, Sashimi Set, and Chirashi Set. I'll say it right now, with all of them being the same price, the sushi set is the best one. The sashimi set had 3 slices of 3 different fish (tuna, salmon, and yellowtail?), while the chirashi also didn't have any wow factors. The sushi set felt more like a steal given that it's an 8-piece set + a hand roll of choice. It was really filling for me and I enjoyed how each of the nigiri already had wasabi inside and garnishes on top. What you don't need to order is the uni pasta. It was almost as expensive as the lunch specials, but the pasta and sauce were incredibly bland. It felt less like eating pasta and more like noodles. They give you 2 small slices of uni and call it a day. My mom and I were naive to think that the pictures and old reviews would mean that the pasta was a winner--it was not...don't waste your time or money on that. Aside from the food, the service consistently attentive and friendly! The two ladies who were serving the afternoon were extremely kind and made sure that we had everything we needed. Their smiles clearly warmed everyone up and I could tell that they are making an active effort to create a comfortable/family-style environment here at Sushi Nakata. I wouldn't say this is my favorite sushi restaurant, and the prices aren't the best. However, it's a solid place to come here for a lunch or craving when you're in the mood for sushi. I'll be back! read more

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The service was great, attentive and friendly. My friend and I had several happy hour plates, spicy tuna, albacore, blue crab sushi, garlic edamame and salmon sashimi. The sushi was pretty good, and the garlic edamame was superb, loved the garlicky sauce. However, the salmon sashimi, 5 very small pieces for $17.50, was beyond expensive for the portion. Their wasabi is fresh and flavorful. The location is intimate and small. I would return for lunch, another meal deal and the kind service. read more

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Say it with me, UNI PASTA! Great service, definitely a popular place. The salad was soooo good. (I don't even like salads like that) fish was delicious, but the star of the show, you guessed it, UNI PASTA! It's definitely a must get if you haven't yet. The buttery unit with the bits of seaweed and a mouthful of pasta = dream come true. My only complaint is, I had more food than my table was able to handle! read more

Best tuna sashimi ever, customer service was great and the sushi was great. It's small inside but comfortable, highly recommend. They also have a awesome happy hour selection, We will be back! read more

Sushi NAKATA - Tuna sashimi Truffle roll Spicy tuna roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

When we are in San Gabriel Valley this is our go to for Sushi. Excellent service, fish is fresh and we just love the atmosphere in the restaurant. We moved out of the area in September 2025 and really miss it! The rolls, uni, etc...is really good! We hope to see you soon! read more

This place is the best sushi in Monrovia. Delicious fresh food. Great. Definitely try this here.

Such friendly staff! They were very attentive during our visit. The food was great and definitely try the house sake!

My son brought me here for my birthday on Christmas Eve 12/24/2024 and it was AMAZING!! The sushi was so delicious and fresh!! The service was awesome!! We felt welcomed and we really enjoyed our meal!! It's so clean and inviting!! It's cozy and very nice!! Small restaurant but so full of charm!! Located in beautiful old town Monrovia! We can walk here from our house!! Just great!! Highly recommend!! Arigato sushi nakata! We will return! read more

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It is without a doubt this restaurant has my heart. After over a year of near weekly visits, this treasure has been a comfort-spot of mine where I can unwind, indulge in quality Japanese cuisine, and create joyful memories with the staff, friends, and other customers. With an intimate, authentic setting, it's always a good time at Sushi Nakata. read more

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SOOO GOOD!!! I love the homey and comfy vibe of this sushi place. The server was extremely sweet and took care of me and my husband. The fish was fresh, chicken kaarage was crispy, and my favorite was the miso soup. I've never had clams in my miso soup from any other place in the area so I was extremely happy. Best of all, they had the suntory premium malt. My husband has been looking everywhere for this in markets but we haven't seen it anywhere. So it was a very pleasant surprise to see them offer it here. Amazing food and refreshing beer was the perfect way for us to end a stressful day at work. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Sashimi dinner (comes with clam miso soup, salad, and rice) 2 piece sweet shrimp, and Chicken karaage - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

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Fish in my sashimi dinner seemed fresh and wasabi was good. My chawanmushi was more "seafood-y" and less "eggy" than what I'm used to, but I liked it and would get it again. Solid sushi spot with great service since it's a smaller place. Pricing is average - I'd come back. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Dinner sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

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I did not think I would love Sushi Nakata until I came and finally tried it. My friends suggested it for lunch on a Sunday, and so I agreed. We made a reservation but honestly there weren't many others, so you don't really have to. I ordered the premium nigiri set and it comes with 10 nigiris and 1 handroll. The nigiris were DELICIOUS. Very cute and well-made. I loved the little sauces/toppings they put on each fish. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The premium nigiri comes with miso soup and salad - and the miso soup has clams in it! I opted for the toro handroll, and it was delicious. Service is very quick here. They have a pretty extensive menu and can make changes based on your preferences. I would definitely come back again. read more

I went during happy hour to try the food. The rolls were very good (salmon/spicy tuna) and the plum wine was very good. Excellent service.

We opted for the omakase and it was pretty good. Not the best I've had. The fish that he recommended us not to dip into soy was a little bland and could have used more salt. The usual sashimi fish was great as expected. I will go back here and just order from the menu. I think that's the best option. It's a small place but they did expand and they working through those difficulties of feeding more people at the same time and I think they are doing a pretty good job although service was a bit slow. read more

For a small dining-room, the people here are always in a fast pace, they were always running until maybe the closing time... But they definitely provide anything you need quickly and refill the water often. Food is good, sashimi is fresh... the sauce in the garlic edemame is bit salty but my daughter like the sauce a lot. The rice they use does not taste like japnese rice, at least not the rice come with the bento box nor the sashimi combo... price is resonable. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

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Came here for lunch recently and was craving sushi. Will have to say, I was quite disappointed in the fish quality. Chirashi bowl portions are also on the smaller side. We probably only got 6 different kinds of fish, 1 piece each... Not worth the price tag and much better options if you drive west one city over to Arcadia... read more

Cannot praise this restaurant enough, everything from the service to the food is top notch. It is Japanese owned and the sushi chefs all speak fluent English so they can always recommend the best for what you are looking for. They have a great happy hour menu to have a few drinks before dinner. The restaurant is normally very relaxing and can get very busy on the weekends, make sure to make reservations. I had a lot more food but ate it before I could take pictures! read more

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Enjoyed dinner there the other night. SOLID 4 stars. Tables inside and outside, but would call it a smaller sushi restaurant with 1 main chef on a Thursday night. The service was great. There was a couple hard working women who were very nice. The sushi and fish were good. Loved the Toro and Scallops. Prices are very fair, yet you will easily spend $50-$75 per person or more with drinking a lot. Includes tip. Definitely the best place in Monrovia. We never tried before, but enjoyed. We normally try to find Japanese authentic sushi places vs these giant restaurants. You pay a touch more sometimes, but the quality is worth it. WE RECOMMEND! read more

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I had seen this restaurant during the Farmers Market on Fridays and told myself I needed to stop by. I stopped by recently for dinner. The restaurant is on the smaller side with a few tables inside, a few outside, and a few areas around the sushi bar. The servers were great. They were both friendly and attentive. I tried a few items: spicy garlic edamame, ono sushi, salmon truffle roll, shrimp tempura, and a California roll. All of the items tasted great. The edamame was delicious. The ono was probably my favorite. The salmon truffle roll was packed with flavor. The shrimp tempura had perfectly fried shrimp. The California roll tasted good. Unfortunately, they were out of toro, so I need to stop at another time to give it a try. I recommend this restaurant if you want to have yummy sushi. read more

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I ordered the omakase for dinner. Some of the items that came with meal: Chawanmushi Ankimo Fanny bay oyster Amberjack sushi Red snapper sushi Halibut sushi Live amaebi Iwashi sardine sushi Bluefin tuna sushi Toro sushi Fried shrimp head I was happy with everything. Everything was delicious! Most of his ingredients are from Japan and so if Chef Nakata! Freshness of food/fish: 5/5 Cleanliness of establishment: 5/5 Customer service: 5/5 I'll definitely be back again! read more

Service is 6 stars. Chef is skillful and nice. Food came out timely and everything was delicious. He is always checking if you're ready for next course. Servers are always checking and clearing out dirty plates. They are all so nice and friendly. The small setting makes it so they pay 110% attention to all of us. Food is excellent. All cuts are good quality, nigiri has great ratio of fish and rice. Chawanmushi is very delicious. We got the omakase set. All reviews are right, they have the most affordable and bestest omakase set in the area. $70 and $125, you get a full set of appetizer, first and second course, side, dessert, and great service. They have 2 entrances/restaurants. The 1 in the corner is for ramen, the other 1 is for sushi. Both are pretty small and intimate setting. You can see and talk to chef, pretty close proximity. They have outdoor tables too. Great neighborhood/downtown overall. read more

Wanted to give a quick shout out to their happy hour. It's every day they are open from 5 pm to 6 pm. Love it because a) it has a comprehensive HH menu - you can stay within it and get a decent meal with a drink, b) it is extremely affordable, c) it has more than just Cali rolls on it, including sashimi and sushi, and d) it's a very nice quality, too! We walked in at 5 pm, and by 5:30 the place was completely full - I guess a few locals know about this place' secret! read more

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Lunch menu for the win, sushi chef is Japanese so feels like legit sushi place in Monrovia. $28 for that nigiri or charashi bowl and it comes with a side salad and miso soup I feel the nigiri is the same price but a better deal as you get a choice of roll. The best fish was the red snapper it just melts in your mouth. Other pieces of fish were just as fresh and delicious too. A couple ordered live lobster sashimi and the chef dismembered it so fast that the antennas and legs on the head part were still moving when plated. You can get lobster sashimi as long as you pre-order ahead of time. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Charashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

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Monrovia... you have three solid choices for sushi but there is one clear winner. This little hole in the wall is a stand out. Menu is more traditional, it's all about the quality of the fish. It's the perfect midweek night out kinda place. If you live in the area feel fortunate you have this place in your backyard. read more

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Best sushi and service! Fish quality is superior and very authentic. It's our go to when we want delicious sushi! They have more space which is a huge plus! read more

Fantastic place. I've seen this place for years on the side street here in Monrovia, and finally decided to try it out tonight. Wow, so glad we did, as it was simply amazing. It's small enough to be quaint and the food is perfect. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Sushi NAKATA - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

This sushi spot is tucked away on a side street in downtown Monrovia ( next to the theatre). They expanded since the last time I was there and it certainly brighter out the place. It is very cozy and chill. We went early to beat the dinner crowd and were lucky to be seated quickly. I saw all but a couple tables with reserved tents on them. SCORE! They sat us in the corner window table, which a bit small and tight. They realized they had to move us to a bigger table with everything we ordered. The service was outstanding. The sushi was brought to the table at a good pace and everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I can't remember all the rolls my friend ordered, but I have pics! The sashimi was so fresh and delicious. Like butter!!! The miso soup was one of the best one I've ever had. Nakata Sushi is authentic and not commercialized. The presentation of the unique rolls and the selection of the very fresh fish is the reason you pay a bit more here, but it is definitely worth it. This is my new go to place in Downtown Monrovia. A must try. If you tend to eat on the later side I definitely recommend making a reservation. Honkaku-tekina oishī sushi read more

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Introduction: - Hidden in the corner of Old Town Monrovia by Basin 141 - Came here with my cousin for lunch. We were craving some fish! Pros: - The Nigiri was extremely fresh and fatty. It was delicious! - Provides you an array of sets to give you an opportunity to try out all different types of fish. - Servers were extremely attentive. - Small space, but provides a nice warm cozy environment. Conclusion: - This place is a sushi gem of Monrovia. Serving quality at its finest compared to the sushi restaurants down the street. Highly recommend to try out. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Regular Nigiri - Blue fin, yellowtail, albacore, sea bream, halibut, shad, shrimp and a spicy tun hand roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

A hidden gem in Old Town Monrovia -- this sushi spot is probably the best sushi joint in this neighborhood. The quality is superior to some of the other places, but this definitely makes it a bit more expensive. It's a very small sushi restaurant, with only about six spots by the sushi chef and eight other spots inside, so reservations are highly recommended. My favorite sushi was the monkfish liver, which in all honesty I was a bit surprised that I was going t This is a treat yo' self kinda sushi joint, where it'll be a bit more expensive, but it won't necessarily break the bank. read more

Sushi NAKATA - Sushi Bars Near Me - Monrovia, California

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This is a tiny restaurant located on a side street in downtown Monrovia. Although small in space, the food speaks volumes. We ordered the fresh shrimp sashimi, salmon sashimi and albacore sashimi. The fresh salmon sashimi was my favorite out of the three. It tasted fatty, smooth and scrumptious, and the price was reasonable. We also ordered the Lime Roll and the Nigitoro cut roll and they both had great flavors but not overpowering to a point where you can't taste the freshness of the fish. The savory egg custard was just alright. The texture could have been more smooth. Service was excellent and since we were celebrating a birthday, we got a complimentary birthday dessert (Ube cake with Mochi). If you live in the area and don't want to drive too far, this is a great spot for fresh sushi! read more

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