Thirteen Water is one of my favorite omakase spots in NYC under $100. The space is intimate, the service is attentive, and the quality of the fish really stands out for the price point. What I appreciate most is that they keep things more traditional instead of leaning into flashy combinations. My favorite by far was the salmon tomato, which I ended up ordering extra of. It is a spot I would highly recommend making the visit to. read more

Thirteen Water is an amazing, reasonably priced omakase in NYC. With fast and attentive service, the restaurant is efficient with their seatings (make a reservation) and they have delicious sushi! 13-courses for $85. Quaint sushi bar setting with around 15 seats and people are in and out within 1 hour. Given the time limits, some may feel rushed, but I personally did not mind it. Firstly, here are my favorite pieces and then I will go through each bite. Best: Tomato Salmon, Tuna Truffle, Toro Caviar - Madai: A basic piece, but a quality you can feel. Tender, not fishy, very smooth piece - Chutoro: A rich buttery tuna piece with a melt in your mouth texture - Hamachi: I have this tied with the chutoro. It is mild, not too fishy, and again a soft buttery texture. - Tuna truffle: Now we are getting into the heavy hitters! A melt in your mouth bite of tuna topped with a hefty amount of truffle shavings. Delicious flavor balance! Umami and rich but not too salty or "truffly". In fact I wouldn't say it tastes much like truffle since it's less of a truffle oil/concentrate and more of the shavings. - Shima Aji: This striped jack is a white fish. Buttery, slightly sweet, a mild flavor. More firm than the others (so less melt in your mouth) - Salmon Tomato: Melt in your mouth, a bundle of wonderful flavors that just melts on your tongue. It's sweet with a hint of tomato, creamy and juicy all at the same time. Oh so delicious even for people who don't like tomatoes. It even has a nice seared char flavor. - Ikura: Oh wow! A pleasant surprise for me since I expected a salty burst of flavor, but instead the ikura here was sweet. Big balls of a sweet flavor. SO good. The wrapping could have been more snappy, but nothing to complain about. - Ebi: I personally don't like shrimp like this very much, so I didn't really like this one. - Hotate: Hotate is great, a nice scallop, nothing too special compared to the others though. - Otoro toro caviar: Now this was one of my favorite bites! Melt in your mouth. While the caviar flavor did not really come through aka not a salty blast, the toro was good quality. - Unagi: standard - Toast: Hm I think I'm not an uni person because it was a bit too fishy for my taste, but it is a good bite overall. Very fish heavy, a good combination of everything - Toro hand roll: ending with a basic item. simple and done well. Overall, amazing experience! read more

I rarely leave negative reviews, but felt inclined to given the price and the nature of the experience. We booked a 75-minute omakase. I arrived about 8 minutes late and my friend about 15 minutes late. They told me I had to start the omakase before she arrived since we were running late, which I understood. However, the entire meal felt extremely rushed from that point on. Courses came out very quickly and the chef was visibly watching us finish each piece while other staff repeatedly approached the counter, making the experience feel uncomfortable and pressured rather than relaxed. We ended up finishing the entire omakase in about 45 minutes. What was most surprising was that we were the only two guests in the restaurant the entire time. At 6:00 pm we were handed the bill on an iPad and told we needed to pay because the next guests had arrived, even though the reservation was supposed to go until 6:15. For an omakase at this price point, pacing and hospitality are a huge part of the experience. Unfortunately this ended up feeling rushed and uncomfortable rather than enjoyable. Food was great but shocked by the experience. Unfortunately, won't come back here again. read more

had a memorable dinner here. we did the omakaSe for $85/pp. the sushi chef gave the birthday girl a caviar bump which was very kind. the fish were all super fresh and delectable! we ordered the "layers" handroll and it is a mouthful. kinda disappointed that there was tomato in a $25 handroll. you are on a time limit so you kinda get rushed at the end. they sent out green tea ice cream before our meal was complete. read more

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Best omakase I've had so far! $85/person for 13-course dinner. Online reservations super easy. My favorites were the chu toro, salmon tomato, and tuna truffle. I don't even like tomatoes, but the char, sweetness, and juiciness from the tomato complemented the salmon so well, absolutely shocking. I also loved how intentional the sushi chef was with each topping and the presentation. A5 Wagyu $18 add on was sooo good. Such a thick piece and beautifully torched on each side. Definitely worth it. read more

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Really enjoyed the DIY/omakase experience. Seems like such a basic idea but genuinely never seen it offered before. Our chef did a great job of coming up with creative pieces. I loved seeing his ideas live-time. The chef did not make me one piece, assuming by accident, but since it was endless style, I didn't speak up. The ambiance was very casual and relaxed, which I enjoyed. Sometimes I feel like omakase might be too proper for my mood. read more

Thirteen Water - DIY take home omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Overall this is a pretty good omakase experience. It's 13 course for $85, which is on the premium side as there's other omakase spots you can get 15 pieces for the same price. Some of the pieces are pretty standard that are served at every omakase restaurant, while they do have some unique standout pieces, which includes their Salmon Tomato, Otoro Toro Caviar, and Toast. The restaurant itself is in the basement and it's pretty dimly lit for the ambiance. The entire experience took about an hour, so it wasn't a rushed experience. Staff members are generally respectful and professional. Not left handed friendly as they keep placing the nigiri as if everyone is right handed, so missed the mark on little details like that. read more

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Thirteen water runs a 13 course Omakase for $85, the setting is intimate and like other value omakases, the food is served in an order. Overall the pieces feel slightly smaller than expected but the overall experience is not bad. The sauce they use is a bit sweeter than the traditional. If you have a sweeter palate this is a good spot for Omakase. Taste: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Value for money: 3.5/5 We had the 13 course and then added a spicy hand roll and layers. 1) Layers: okay 2) Spicy Handroll: not bad as well 1) Madai: a strong start 2) Chutoro: good 3) Hamachi: a good bite 4) Tuna Truffle: tuna is okay. The truffle seems a bit different from expected 5) shima aji: good 6) salmon tomato: this was a unique and a special one 7) ikura: small and done with an open wrap (not the best wrapping) 8) ebi: succulent 9) hotate: broken scallop 10) otoro toro caviar: this was great - fresh 11) Unagi: good 12) toast: great as well 13) Toro hand roll: good read more

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The restaurant is located in the basement, and when we arrived, we were the only customers seated in the front section. There were also empty tables in the back. Overall, the fish was very fresh and tasted good. The salmon with tomato was especially impressive -- a surprising combination that worked beautifully together. This visit was for a birthday celebration, and they offered green tea ice cream for dessert. Since there were no other customers, we took our time and relaxed. However, the waitress came over and rushed us, saying there were customers waiting outside which is only 4 people and they seated them at the rear section, not at the front. It was upsetting because the restaurant was completely empty with plenty of available seating. Even though the food was ok, the customer service was not. We didn't have a pleasant dining experience because of how we were treated, so I reduced the stars based on the service. read more

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This spot offers a fantastic experience that strikes a perfect balance between quality, atmosphere, and value. The environment is small and intimate, yet still manages to feel lively and fun. It made for a great girls night setting! The 13-course omakase was reasonably priced for the level of quality and the number of dishes provided. The entire staff was really knowledgeable, guiding us through each course. My favorite courses were the tuna truffle and the Wagyu add on. The hamachi was also a fan favorite. Their cocktails were also very tasty and complemented the menu perfectly. If you are looking for a fun, intimate, and high-quality omakase experience that doesn't completely break the bank, look no further. Highly recommended! read more

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I recently came here for omakase, and overall the experience was a mix of highs and lows. The space itself is nice, but the setup is a giant U-shaped bar, so it doesn't feel very intimate. Luckily, my sister and I were seated at the end of the counter, which gave us enough privacy to talk. That said, part of what I enjoy about omakase is interacting with the chef, and we didn't really get that here, the chef simply came around and placed the pieces on our plates without much engagement. The sushi itself ranged from really delicious to... not so great. There were a few pieces I absolutely loved, some that were just okay, and then a couple that completely missed the mark. The worst by far was the salmon with tomato. Those two just do not belong together....the texture was off and the flavors clashed badly. I genuinely don't understand why they'd pair them. The ikura was another miss for me; it was overly sweet, almost like sugar pearls popping in my mouth, with none of the umami I expect. Since the 13-piece omakase wasn't quite enough, I ordered a spicy salmon roll after, which was actually very tasty and helped make up for the disappointing salmon-tomato nigiri. Service was a strong point, they kept our waters filled, and all the servers were very nice and attentive. I also tried the yuzu matcha and would skip it next time. It was watered down with no real flavor of matcha or yuzu. Save yourself the $8 and get a beer instead. Overall, a decent experience with some standout bites, some misses, and great service, but there are definitely areas for improvement. read more

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We had an early evening reservation on a weeknight and it was fairly easy to get a reservation for a group of 6. Keep in mind that the chef doesnt start your courses until your entire party arrives--we realized this from the party next to us who didn't start until maybe 10 minutes later. The chef caught them up to where we were in courses! All courses we got were so good. Some highlights were the chutoro, the salmon tomato, and tuna with truffle. I liked everything we were served! I also have a shellfish allergy which they accommodated easily. Service was great--the servers followed up with us on drinks frequently and the chef was helpful in explaining the different courses to us. The omakase was $85 a person now which seemed like a recent price increase. Even then, i still think it was pretty worth it and fairly competitive with other NYC omakases. Would absolutely come back again, and hope to soon! read more

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This review is for their omakase and A5 Wagyu special. We were party of 2 with reservations at thirteenth water west on a Friday at 5pm. We got there about 2 minutes late and were greeted and seated right away. The bar was already full. The sushi chef was great and started making our pieces right away. Almost all the courses in the omakase were spectacular with my favorites being the chutoro, Botan Ebi and otoro with caviar. I was disappointed with the Hotate (scallop) which usually would be a favorite but here it was a bit fishy and also did not enjoy the ikura which was very fishy. The pieces were very generous in size with the fish exceeding the rice ratio by quite a bit. The rice was also very heavily seasoned compared to other places which I actually enjoyed. They had toppings that were different like charred tomato on salmon and mushrooms on tuna which were pleasant and unexpected. The main reason why they are only getting 4 stars instead of 5 is for the A5 Wagyu at the end. We were originally going to finish omakase and call it a day but saw the folks next to us ordering the Wagyu which looked very generous in portion and perfectly torched. We had to try it too. We opted for A5 with foie gras and it looks great on the surface but unfortunately the A5 was definitely not Japanese and did not melt and the foie gras was tiny with no flavor and did nothing for the piece. I would say def skip the Wagyu if you decide to give this place a try. Overall this place gets a solid 3.5-4 stars but without the Wagyu, it would be a 4-4.5. read more

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Wow - this was a fantastic experience. It's a 13 course omakase for $75pp and each piece was so well crafted. The toro, hamachi, and salmon tomato were some major stand outs. They had unique takes on sushi including new flavor profiles, different textures, sweet and savory pieces - each was so flavorful and perfectly executed. The shrimp piece was not my favorite so I'd probably request to swap that out next time, but my friends who like shrimp said it was good. There were two large rooms with chairs all around the chefs' station so we could watch the chef make each piece which was very entertaining. The chef was very friendly and kind and even gave us an extra piece at the end on the house! Overall I will definitely be coming back here and want to try the lunch special next time. read more

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Definitely worth a return for the price point. I've had omakase in Seattle for more than twice the price here and it was neck and neck. I'd say maybe a few more pieces for double the price. The fish was fresh and the toppings were creative. Service was good and we were in and out in an hour. Do it. read more

Thirteen Water - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Definitely recommend this speed omakase for its value; all pieces of fish are generous sizes and flavours are well done. There are only counter seats but there are 2 large areas. The service is fast and efficient. read more

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An unforgettable omakase experience. The sushi were quite big pieces and had some unique flavor combinations that paired well with the fish (e.g., salmon with tomato). Would definitely recommend a visit! read more

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Inventive, interesting pieces. Not super filling. I liked the truffle and the tomato courses. I don't think I'll crave coming back but happy I tried it. read more

Good quality ingredients, but lack of attention to detail to the preparation, and very bare ambiance. The dining area where you dine is completely devoid of any decoration or ambiance. You feel like you're sitting in someone's basement. The actual ingredients for the omakase course are decent quality, especially the hamachi and tuna. But the preparation is rather sloppy; gobs of sauce and toppings are thrown onto the fish, so much so that the flavor of the fish can be completely obscured. For example, the "toast" had so much sauce and toppings on it that I couldn't even taste the uni, and considering how strong of a flavor uni is, that says something. We were in and out in less than an hour. This is definitely an omakase spot designed to quickly turn tables, rather than create a special experience. read more

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My husband and I love trying new omakase spots and decided to visit Thirteen Water as our last date night before we moved. Thankfully, Thirteen Water didn't disappoint! $75 for 13 pieces is a pretty decent deal. As others mentioned, the pieces are on the smaller side, so we did add on a few extras at the end. It can be difficult to spot the entrance, as it's an unassuming storefront. Once inside, there's a very small lobby (got a little cramped) and then the main dining room. The omakase seating was well paced and the sushi chef was friendly and took time to explain the fish and flavors in each piece. Although we agreed there wasn't a piece we didn't enjoy, the most memorable were the yellowtail with shishito pepper (had a great smoky flavor), tuna with mushroom and truffle (out of this world), and the sea urchin and tuna on toast (first time having omakase on toast instead of rice, so inventive)! For our extra pieces, I had to get another tuna truffle because it was that good. I also tried the spicy scallop hand roll. It was super spicy and a great way to end the meal! I'm sure we'll come here again in the future or try their other location! read more

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Probably the best Omakase experience for first timers!!! I feel $75 for 13 pieces is a very good deal! Plus you can add on at the end of the experience. The sushi chef was friendly and explained every piece with detail. All pieces had unique flavors and elements that distinguish them from other omakase experiences that I have tried. I was surprised with the freshness and quality of the product. Some of my fav pieces were the tuna with mushroom and truffle, Otoro toro tuna with caviar, Chutoro and the uni/tuna on toast. The ambience is chill and relax and the staff were very attentive. Becoming a regular for sure! read more

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TikTok strikes again! Tons of reviews on Thirteen Water both locations had me intrigued on my trip to NYC. Booked on resy two weeks prior and got the $75 13 pieces per person. Got here and the ambience is chefs kiss . Our chef was interactive and made it such a great experience watching him set up and prepare each dish delicately. We had a great meal and it was affordable with options to add on at the end. I would recommend to any first timer, solid choices for an intro to omakase. read more

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Every piece was good and their hojicha was brewed perfectly + came in a large cup, and they added refills, no extra charge. I told them I didn't want uni and they replaced it with caviar, perfect replacement - I greatly appreciated this. While every piece was good, I thought they were very small. Also I didn't care much for the tomato piece- I had this at another omakase and didn't like it either. It doesn't add anything to the piece imo. It tasted like tomato and didn't really complement the fish. That's the only piece that I thought was whatever. While the pieces were small, I left decently full but I also don't eat much. We also told them that it is our friend's birthday but they didn't do anything for her, so service could be better. Location also wasn't ideal hence the four stars. But we made the most of it and went to the vessel area + the mall, which was very crowded during the holiday season. read more

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I came here for my friend's birthday and it was such a pleasant experience and great vibes. The servers were attentive and kept refilling our drinks. The price was affordable - $75 for 13 pieces. However, the pieces were on the smaller end compared to other omakase places. I ended up ordering an add-on because I was still hungry. As for the food quality, I was impressed. The fish was fresh and the flavors were on point. This place had to be in my top 10. read more

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In true New York fashion, Thirteen Water is located underground and easily passable when walking in the street if you're not actively looking out for omakase. We all ordered the 13 course $75 menu and it was superb with each piece elevating and building off each other. Because this location is in its growth stage, they operate on a BYOB scale so we were able to enjoy our dinner with seamless refills of sauvignon blanc. Highlight pieces below: Chutoro Tuna Truffle with Shiitake Mushroom Otoro Toro Caviar Uni Toro Toast There are a lot of affordable, intimate omakase spots in the city so I wouldn't say Thirteen Water is the end all be all, nor the bottom of the barrel. read more

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Hands-down, one of the best omakase experiences that I have had in New York! When you first arrive, it might be a little bit confusing because based on the address you go a little bit to the right and you go downstairs. However, right when you enter, it's like a beautiful speakeasy. The ambience is welcoming, the staff is friendly, and you are greeted by Stephen in the Host with a big smile on his face. Enter into the main sushi bar, and it's bustling with a lively unfriendly environment. The waiter greets you immediately and ask you what you would like to drink. The set omakase menu is the way to go! I was so blessed to have Chef Edison and his sushi pieces were all delectable. I can't believe 13 pieces of omakase was only $75 per person. This is a steal! I live in California and omakase's with all of these offerings is usually way more expensive. I indulged in really fresh cut fish, Uni, Wagyu, caviar, truffle, and a whole lot of flavors. The chef was so welcoming that we had to buy him a shot. I always recommend that if you're fine dining at a Japanese restaurant, you need to give your kudos to the Chef and buy them Asake shot! I can't remember the name of the sake that we got but it was well balanced where it was dry with a little bit of a sweet finish. It was so good. We ended up getting three bottles. At the end of the meal, we were full after 13 dishes, but we ended up wanting more. Each piece was perfectly crafted with different flavors. I think my favorite though. I think my favorite had to be the O-Toro Toro caviar. I really loved the toast too! Because it had a big piece of Uni. Honestly, there was not a piece of sushi that I did not like. Again, big kudos to Chef Edison! This is a perfect spot whether you are here for a date night, by yourself, or with friends. Now, this has become one of my favorite sushi spots in New York for an affordable omakase. Don't think the quality is in any way diminished by the prize. I guarantee you this is one of the best affordable omakase that you will have in New York. The staff again is so friendly, you will want to come back! Cheers to Chef Edison, Stephen, and Ryan for a phenomenal experience! === Hi I'm @jetsetjanine. 100+ country world traveler and 100+ Michelin Star diner. Join me on my next adventure: jetsetjanine.com. read more

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Thirteen Water has two location in Manhattan. This is their second location and has gained lots of traction. Reservation is made online through Resy. Thirteen Water is not a street level restaurant. The entrance is below street level and can be easily missed. I had to backtrack because I passed it. The counter seats 20 people with 4 chefs. The omakase is a 13 course meal with options to add on at the end. All of the fish was precut in preparation for the course. It was finalized and garnished in front of us. Everything was well flavored and paired together. My favorite was the otoro toro caviar and my least favorite was the tomato salmon. The tomato overpowered the fattiness from the salmon. read more

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Fantastic omakase deal with high quality fish. Really good deal with the pricing. Service was great and ambiance was chic. read more

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One of my new favorite omakase spots in the area. High quality fish and inventive preparation that shined all throughout the menu. The salmon tomato and the truffle tuna were two of my favorites. The ambiance is minimal but felt right, the service is timely and helpful. Absolutely will be back soon read more

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Amazing omakase experience for $75 a person, which is a great price in NYC. Sushi was extremely fresh and every dish was packed with flavor with an interesting garnish to give it that finishing touch with flavor and crunch. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Thirteen Water - Oyster - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Don't go here!! I booked this for my son's 16th birthday and booked the same day BY ACCIDENT. It was 6 hours before the reservation. I meant to book it a month out. When I cancelled it 30 min before because I got a reminder that I was due at the restaurant, I tried calling. No one answered or called me back. They charged me $150 for three people. They told me that they made our food!! 30 min before at an omakase!! Where they should be preparing it right in front of you!!! Maybe that is why it is less expensive then others in NYC They give everyone old fish and they prepare it ahead of time!!! When I contacted them again by text cause they never called me they still wouldn't refund my money. Don't go here unless you want raw fish prepared for you 30 min before you get there and maybe given to you from someone else who didn't come!!! Terrible !!! read more

I have came here 10+ times (and also tried out 20+ omakase in nyc). This is arguably the best omakase in nyc. Flavor is nicely layered in every piece of nigiri. Each bite is an adventure. Service is also attentive. read more

Thirteen Water - Uni toast - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

It's amazing sushi I never had:) so good so fresh so clean. The service was great I went there with my friend I recommend this restaurant for Omakase they have 2 locations now . I will be right back read more

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If you want an intimate experience book the earlier seating where the chef has all of his attention on you. Fresh pieces perfectly balanced flavours. The location is super convenient. read more

Thirteen Water - Toast with Chu-toto and uni - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Unlike the East village location, this is a very big establishment with triple or quadruple the capacity. With such a big demand and such a short turnover, you can only imagine how it was a well oiled omakase machine. Water was laid out quickly. They are no longer BYOB. The fish was all pre cut, which definitely took away from the experience. I would've given this a four but the rice was just cold so was a touch hard/crunchy. This is of the same caliber as a lot of the more affordable omakase places like Shinn East/Shin West. They're all so similar that there's nothing abt Thirteen water in particular that will bring me back. read more

A truly wonderful experience!! The service is next level and the chef was so kind and talented. Everything tasted fresh and nothing was over seasoned. They let the quality of fish speak for itself and it was delish! Ambiance is very cozy and great for a group! read more

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Enjoyed the $75 omakase, the pieces were decent size and would recommend if you are East Village area. My favorite piece was the toro with caviar on top. read more

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The sushi itself was delicious! My friend and I went and we got each got at least one additions add-on. The items are not cheap but also not too pricy considering other omakase prices! Our chef, Sean, was delightful and explained every piece that we tried. He made light conversation which was just enough to feel welcome but not too much to interfere with our conversation. Would go back again just to be able to eat what Sean prepared for us :) The ambience was pretty nice, it was dim but had warm lighting and was pretty quiet despite having around 15 customers seated at a time. Would definitely go again! read more

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DO NOT and I mean DO NOT recommend this place. The experience was terrible from the start. There is a little waiting hall when you walk in but NO ONE to greet you or to bring you in. It's just all other guests that made reservations. There were guests walking out and told us we had to go find the host?????? We were then led to the back room where there were four counter laid out in an oval with four chefs. I would have to say it was louder than a bar in there. I asked to be moved over to the middle of the counter in front of the chef so I could see the preparation of the food but was ignored by both waitresses. The servers walked around pouring water (also spilled water all over the counter for another guest and never went to clean it up) and never came back to ask for our alcohol order even though everyone else got theirs (some people are probably saying why didn't you flag them down and place the order? That's because there was no one around). So we didn't end up ordering alcohol. There was a bone in the first course (the couple sitting next to us found one as well) and we told the waitress and she took the plate and left. Came back with another plate and left without giving us time to say anything and she did not apologize for anything. None of the courses were outstanding. Just fish on rice. We asked for the check the minute we finished our last course and my boyfriend was nice enough to leave a 10% tip for the bad experience and lack of service we got. read more

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Amazing as always! I've been to Thirteen Waters before, but this is my first time at this location. Location wise, it's a bit hidden. My friend and I actually walked right past it as we were getting there. However, the place itself is decorated nicely and is very clean. Our server was friendly and the staff were very fast to fill our waters whenever our cups were empty. The omakase here is one of my favorites in the city! The ingredients are fresh. The pieces were crafted beautifully. They didn't serve alcohol when I went but it appears to be BYOB. Overall, highly recommend this spot to everyone! read more

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