If you have more than 2 or 3 people, you definitely want to make a reservation in advance. Usually it's only me and a friend so we can get away with sitting at the bar and ordering drinks and dinner :) My favorite go to's would include: the pork and shrimp shumai, the whole squid and any of their sakes. Next on my list to try are the noodle soups - especially the ramens! Definitely check Umami out! read more

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Hands down my favorite restaurant in all of Pittsburgh. Atmosphere, food, and music all on point. Top that off with extremely friendly staff and you've struck gold. I Love Umami. read more

Umami - Sashimi Plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Once you reach the building that Umami resides in, going up the stairs to the top floor is like an experience. With each flight of stairs that you climb, the wallpaper pattern changes and each design is beautiful. The staircase is a bit narrow and the steps are rather steep but it takes less than 5 minutes to reach the 3 flights of stairs. Once you emerge, the set up is small and cozy with a bar on your left and the kitchen along the length of the restaurant. I really liked the aesthetics of the restaurant and it even translates to the presentation of the food.  Food and Drink Ordered: * worth trying - [Suppai Shoga] : Beautifully presented. Tasted very refreshing and has a strong ginger taste which could be a hit or miss for some people. The foam on top had a lemony taste but I missed some of the other flavors in the drink.  - [Karaage] : Tastes like the description: fried chicken. The meat was not dry, which was a plus but I've definitely had better. I actually preferred dipping it in the takoyaki sauce rather than the sauce that it was provided with.  - [Takoyaki*] : Tasted like good classic takoyaki. - [Robatayaki] : Because we couldn't decide on which robatayaki to order, my friends and I ordered one skewer of the bacon quail egg, chicken heart, and Wagyu beef tenderloin. This appetizer was a bit disappointing because there wasn't any flavor for the chicken heart and Wagyu beef tenderloin. The Wagyu beef was also a bit tough. The bacon quail egg was delicious but it's usually pretty difficult to have a flavorless bacon quail egg.  - [Chirashi bowl*] : Overall, the taste was good. My friend said that this chirashi bowl was better than the one at Chaya Japanese Cuisine. Some of the fish tasted very fresh but others did not. Not to say that the fish tasted bad but it wasn't phenomenal. I did like the addition of the pipette; it controlled the amount of soy sauce necessary for the fish so that the flavors of the fish weren't smothered.  - [Tonkotsu Ramen*] : The ramen was very delicious, especially the broth which had a very strong sesame taste if you're into that. The only downside is that the pork ribs were a bit dry. Would I go back? : Of course! I believe that food should look as good as it tastes and for the most part, Umami hits that mark. I like all the options that Umami provides. Even after ordering five items, excluding the drink, there are so many other items that I wanted to try. This place is really nice to good with friends so that you can try a little bit of everything for a reasonable cost. The only reason I did not give a 5 star rating was because not everything that I ate hit the mark but if I could on Yelp, I would give Umami a 4.5 rating because it was pretty darn good. read more

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Umami-you're doing it right. Excellent experience on a Saturday night at Umami. Loved sitting with a view of the kitchen where the magic happens. Food came out super speedily: shrimp tempura ($10, huge shrimp! different breading than expected but still pretty tasty), chirashi ($18, so fresh! loved the roe and flower decoration and especially the quail egg), miso deviled eggs ($6, tasty but nothing to write home about), and...drumroll please...nasu shigiyaki ($10). It was the surprise highlight of our meal. Delicately spiced minced chicken filled it and paired wonderfully with the softness of the cooked eggplant. It was sweet and savory and once; my dining partner and I both agreeed we would get it again. All cocktails we tried were well-balanced! The vibe was high-end/classy without being pretentious. You could definitely bring a date here. It would set the mood well. We will definitely be back another time to try more items on the outstanding menu! read more

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Went here for a date night. Low lighting for ambience is super fun and the sushi is all really good. The waiters/waitresses are very friendly and attentive. On a cute little side street so it was harder to find than I thought it would be but we got there haha. read more

Cute, trendy place. Good food and sushi. Good service, Emily was great. Parking is metered street parking so not ideal but that's the area. The music is stupidly loud, much more than needs to be on weekends. Overall would return. read more

**Reservations in advance is highly recommended!!** I have heard so many good things about Umami from friends so I couldn't wait to try the place out on my trip back to Pittsburgh. In a city where Japanese cuisine never really stood out to me, this restaurant really stands out. The lighting and the atmosphere are really great. The walls are decorated with different wallpapers that represent different cultural aspects of Japan which makes me very excited about my trip there. Dinner: Takoyaki: Nice and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The spicy mayo is a perfect compliment. It is a fun and playful dish that's great for sharing with friends and family Yaki Udon: These stir-fried udon noodles are vegetarian-friendly and it is a very interactive dish. My favorite part was breaking the egg yolk and mixing all the veggies together. I can't wait to be back! read more

Umami - Yaki Udon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Wonderful spot for a birthday celebration, great food, exceptional service, loved the music. Emily took great care in explaining all the dishes. Thank you Derrick read more

Umami - Birthday celebration wonderful food - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Hmmm.... maybe I had an off night but was incredibly disappointed. Myself and 2 friends sat at the bar on a Thursday night. We ordered drinks first, they were fine. Ordered the deviled eggs and the pancake. Both were good, interesting flavors, close to 4 stars. I ordered the udon and my both ordered the tonkatsu ramen, add chili. The udon was pretty good, 3 stars. Knife cuts on the veg were very small so difficult to eat with a chopstick with the thick/heavier udon noodle. One of my friends got the unagi hand roll and thought that was the best hung we ate ("bomb.com"). The ramen deserves its own paragraph. To levelset, we just got back from Japan and that is my standard. Regardless, I am beyond confused why some think this ramen is the best ramen in Pittsburgh. The ramen broth was inedible. Basically drinking ocean water. I guess some are considering that flavor? The meat on the bone is difficult to incorporate into the ramen with chopsticks. It is nothing like the tonkatsu ramen we had in Tokyo and I will never be back for it. Negative stars. Overall giving 3 stars because appetizers were ok and our bartender did end up taking the ramen off of the menu. read more

Umami - Great hand roll. Tonkatsu ramen, looks pretty but the ocean saltwater broth was inedible. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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fresh seafood and pretty good cocktails. it's a bit pricey but worth it if you want to get good japanese food in pittsburgh. read more

Umami - Chirashi Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The food here is top notch! Which must be why it's so hard to get a reservation! It is truly the best sushi I've had in Pittsburgh. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because we made a 10:30 reservation and the rap music was so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. I don't mind loud music but I felt like I was walking into a club and standing next to the speaker. It took everything in me not to ask them to turn it down. I'd recommend making an earlier reservation if that's not the environment you're looking for. Food was AMAZING!!! The yellowtail was my personal favorite. read more

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Ughhh everything is amazing and delicious and well executed. I wish I could be more specific but it's all so wonderful I'm not able to adequately articulate it. Just go, you will NOT be disappointed. Also a cute, intimate vibe, good for dates and such, fun music. read more

*HIGHLY RECOMMEND* *4.5 Stars* If you are looking for a good Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh, this is the place to go. Out of all the Japanese restaurants in Pittsburgh I've been to thus far, Umami is the best. Walking up the stairs to get to restaurant, you'll be able to see unique Japanese wallpapers and decorations that marks their territory. The restaurant is set up with an izakaya style in mind with a bar, an open kitchen bar, and large party rooms with floor tables. This place is super popular with an hour or more wait during weekends so I recommend reserving at least 2 weeks in advance for weekends, and 1 week in advance for weekdays, or go right when they open. *DINNER* Suppai Shoga (alcoholic drink): the ginger taste comes through strong. I personally do not like ginger so I did not enjoy this as much. Karaage: crispy and tender and full of flavor. I love the spicy mayo sauce that came with it. Takoyaki: Delicious, one of my favorites here. Food chew, not too doughy, comes hot. Robatayaki: we got the chicken heart, quail egg, and wagyu beef and it was a bit disappointing. There was not flavor besides the char. The meat was tough as well. Chirashi bowl: Definitely one of the freshest raw fish you can get in Pittsburgh. I love that it came with a soy sauce pipette; gave just the right amount of flavor to the fish without overwhelming the natural flavors of the fish. Tonkotsu Ramen: good ramen with a good chew; nice flavorful hearty broth. The meat, however, was dry. *VERDICT* I would definitely go back again as this is probably the best Japanese food you can get in Pittsburgh. They have great food with a seasonal menu and nice presentation. read more

If you're looking for a unique dining experience in Pittsburgh, Umami is it! Situated up two flights of stairs and using primarily red lighting, it has a different atmosphere than any other restaurant I've been to in the city. If you want a table, definitely make a reservation, otherwise the bar seating is first come first served. We went at 11:45pm on a Friday night, and I was a little worried that the quality of the food wouldn't be as good so late at night. I couldn't be more wrong! Everything came out fresh and delicious. Since it was our first time, we ordered a wide variety of items, and I appreciated the pace and order that everything came out in. It's really hard to pick, but my favorites from our meal have to be the chirashi bowl (so fresh and such a great opportunity to try fish that I would never pick on their own!) and the spicy tuna onigiri (it was ACTUALLY spicy, unlike the spicy tuna at a lot of other restaurants). The prices for everything seemed really fair given the quality of the ingredients. We tried 9 different dishes between the two of us, and those plus a 24oz beer came out to about $80. Our waitress was super friendly and helpful which is always a good thing. If you're looking to have some really cool Japanese food in the city or impress a guest from out of town, Umami is definitely the place to go. read more

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Had an amazing experience at Umami the other night. Atmosphere was nice with the neon lights and live dj that played some modern music. Great vibes for our later dinner reservation. Everything we ordered was excellent, but I'm sure anything on the menu would've been. Cocktails were all super different, but tasty. At the end of the night, I asked the bartender to make me his drink of choice, and Idk what it was, but it was out of this world. Will definitely be back 10/10 read more

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We came here for a belated birthday celebration. The service was very good and our server was very knowledgeable. My friend had talked up the food, especially the ribs, and we were just a little bit underwhelmed. My two favorite things were the Japanese pancake and the Ramen. They both had very deep flavor and were very satisfying. The old-fashioned was delicious and unique! read more

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After coming to Umami three times and not being able to get a seat, I finally learned my lesson and reserved a table -- this spot is popular! The atmosphere for this place is everything a millennial dreams of. The DJ is always playing amazing music, while the interior is decorated oh so "Instagram worthy." I was pleasantly surprised by the price of this place. It's also very affordable during happy hour! The sashimi was fresh and cut into pieces that weren't too thin or too thick. This was my first time trying scallop sushi. Where has this been all my life?! The Hokkaido scallops was a huge mouthful of soft buttery goodness. One of my favorites! Besides sushi, we got the okonomiyaki and wagyu beef. It was also my first time trying okonomiyaki and it was DELICIOUS. Very filling topped off with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayo. The wagyu beef was a disappointment however. We were surprised by the price when we saw it on the menu, but it turned out to be four pieces on a skewer and burnt. Honestly tasted like something my dad would burn at a church barbecue. Lastly, we got the fried matcha ice cream for dessert. It was very interesting and would be great for someone with a huge sweet tooth. The toppings were very mysterious to me and was basically sugar styrofoam. Besides the wagyu and the ice cream, everything was delicious. The drinks were also strong yet bet drinkable and pretty! read more

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Love this place! The decor and the whole vibe is perfect! They have amazing skewers and the best Brussels sprouts I've ever had in my life and I've had a lot of Brussels sprouts! The sushi is also great and super fresh and I usually don't like sushi read more

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This has to be one of my new favorite places in Pittsburgh! The food was delicious, he drinks were phenomenal and the environment was incredible. Despite being a mainly sushi focused menu, there were plenty of vegetarian and vegan options that I loved. My personal favorite was the chawanmushi (so flavorful my jaw dropped) read more

Umami - Chawanmushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Very nice Ambiance, feels secluded and bougie. The food was all good. Sushi was on par with other similar places and they have an amazing takoyaki among other fried asian delicacies. One issue, the stairway up is extremely dark, steep, and long. Not disability friendly and it was very difficult helping my grandma up the stairs. Even as a fit young guy I had trouble getting up and actually into the restaurant. read more

Great place to hang for parties less than 4. Great decorations and bar, but the food is not authentic Japanese. The sashimi was fresh, but pricey. Grill skewers looks great, but sub-par. We had the pork belly - nice texture, but cold in the middle (hope it was fully cooked). Also ordered a short rib Raman, but the soy milk broth was way too salty to drink. The Raman noodles had good texture. The ribs were deep fried, but lack flavor. The place is likely good for a drink with some appetizers. Not a place for an authentic Japanese dinner. Cannot recommend for dinner or a meal. read more

Umami - Grilling station. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great food, great service, great atmosphere!! We had a party of 6 and made a reservation through Reso. If you go to Umami's website there is a link to make reservations. I would recommend making a reservation as many days in advance as you can as this place fills up fast! One member of our party was gluten free and our server was able to make great menu recommendations to accommodate (the zucchini dengaku app was the best). We ordered four apps to share then each ordered our own entree. We were full but not disgustingly so. Every dish we ordered was very good and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I highly recommend the Okonomiyaki. It is like a potato pancake appetizer with bacon, broccoli and delicious sauces on top. To enter the restaurant you must walk up several flights of stairs so keep that in mind if needed! read more

Umami - Chirashi. Basically a sashimi bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

So good and such a cool spot!! We arrived right before 5, and there were a few others. No regular seating available, but we got two seats at the bar, which IMO is always a bummer, but in a small spot like this, you settle for the bar seats because it's actually interesting to watch them cook. We literally purchased one thing per section on the menu because me and my mom DO. NOT. MESS. AROUND. lol but actually we don't. We are pigs. Yolo. A list of the foods we ordered, rated hahah: - beef tenderloin (9/10) sooo flavorful - salmon robata (9/10) perfectly cooked, so much flavor - sashimi maguro (7/10) just plain tuna. Nothing overly exciting - sake nigiri (10/10) my favorite kind of sushi so duh it's 10/10 - temaki hamachi (8/10) interesting; first time trying raw yellow fish and I liked it - edamame (8/10) a little undercooked but tasty - pork & shrimp shumai (8/10) I liked it. Mom didn't. Idk how you wanna take that. Personal preference I guess bc they're not like normal dumplings. My mom said it's like a meatball hahahah - yaki udon (10/10) SO GOOOOOD ORDER THIS! Such a cool take on ramen. No broth I recommend ordering one of each if you're feeling like absolutely balling out. It's worth it. You deserve it, tbh. Do it. read more

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I came here with a friend to catch up. Definitely make a reservation in advance! We ended up sitting at the bar which was fine, and I got to watch the chefs, make some of their food. The very tall server was happy to give suggestions on the menu items, and he pronounce the words fluently and didn't stumble over them like we did. He gave us his honest opinion on each item we pointed at. Everything we ordered was phenomenal. I will definitely be coming back! read more

I'll start by saying I lived in walking distance of Umami and also I was in the habit of grabbing a late night bite when I was eating there frequently. There aren't many kitchens open as late but out of the few there are, Umami was by far my go-to in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. They had a DJ on the nights I was there making it feel lively and the red lighting makes it feel like club atmosphere. I think you might have to have a man-bun to be a server there. My favorite spot to sit is at the sushi bar where it's like watching art being made one order after another. The small plate options make it easy to try different items until you reach your fill. Reservations are recommended at prime times. read more

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Very nice atmosphere,makes me feel like I'm in NYC. Tried the whole squid which was fantastic,not too much sauce on top that you can taste the squid flavor. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful,the sashimi was fresh. read more

Umami - Restroom - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My friends and I always try to make a reservation because it gets so crowded at night! If you're just a party of 1 or 2, you can probably get seated at the bar though. This is definitely the place to be on a weekend. The food and cocktails are great. Their takoyaki and okonomiyaki are must-orders! read more

Umami - Takoyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Definite 5 star. Great little place, amazing food, fantastic service, makes for the perfect date night. Make a reservation if you can!!! read more

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I have to say I'm underwhelmed. It's s nice place don't get me wrong but it's more hype than anything. The drinks are pricey and the food is ok. It's not awful but it's just nothing to write home about. It's packed with millennials in a cramped space. The floor plan is well laid out considering the small space. I'll probably give it another shot but if I do I won't rush out to do so. read more

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I found an abdolute go to spot for everytime I am back home in Pittsburgh. I will now not come back home without coming here. My friend and I sat at the bar since they are super booked (and I totally see why) and the bar service was perfect. We both started off with the Cloud - I creamy whiskey cocktail with peach and almond notes. It was delicious. The bartenders are also riddled with knowledge. Learned a bunch of Japanese whiskey trivia. Wagu beef skewers - what an awesome way to start off for food. It is skewer per order for o my $4.50 and is so tender and bursting with flavor. This is one juicy skewer. MUST HAVE: The karrrage chicken is an absolute must have and it is so hard to come by even in Philadelphia. When I do find it, it has always been thigh meat which I do not prefer but I like karrrage chicken enough to put up with it. I think Umami uses chicken breast... so it's like Japanese Chick-Fil-A nuggets or popcorn chicken. It is so delicious here. Salmon sashimi (3 pcs) annot go wrong with this as long as you like salmon. They do top it with the salmon roe which I am not crazy about. I'm fine with tobiko though so maybe next time I can ask if I can sub. Gyoza... another favorite of mine. Unami serves it differently (in a good way) than what I am used to seeing. When they bring it out, it is circular so it looked like a mini pizza. When when you up it over you can see that's where they deal in the filling. So it is like amazing stuffed stuffed breadsticks. Finished off with more cocktails (Tiki which is Jamaican rum with lychee and violet) and some 1.5 ers of Japanese whiskey variety. I will reiterate that bar service is amazing and perfect... for those sitting AT the best AND those just standing around waiting since there were no more seats. Most restaurants have this crazy "no seats no service" which is absolutely ludacris. Umami has raised the bar... for bar service! Also... the restaurant is up two flights lol. Go through the door directly I got of the street entrance door. The restaurant bathroom is second floor and dining is third ;-). read more

Cute izakaya with good service. The yakitori was tasty and the sushi was solid. The onigiri were a little disappointing to me as I felt they were a bit soggy but otherwise very solid meal. Definitely for a drink with food I'd think this would be a good time read more

Umami - Whole Branzino Robatayaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I feel like most Japanese restaurants don't have Tare as an option, so I need to point out that Umami definitely has an amazing variety of food. This place is unique and has some of the best sushi you can find in this town. I tend to make my own Tare platter when its an option and as you can see from the picture I posted, I was most definitely happy with the food. I highly recommend reserving a table for a fun date night (the app they partnered with isn't the easiest to navigate but its worth knowing you have a reserved spot at this hard to get into restaurant). read more

Umami - Tare Platter - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Food and drinks were great, and cool atmosphere. service was a little slow but overall very enjoyable would recommend

Me and my beautiful girlfriend wanted some sushi and Miso soup for our 4th date. It was amazing! Out server was really cool and he knew the menu like the back of his hand. It was my girlfriend's birthday and the waiter gave us free birthday shots. I enjoyed the atmosphere and vibe, cool neon lights on a top floor building. It was a bit difficult to find because of the small sign and awkward doorway area, but it was more than worth it. I enjoyed the shrimp skewer and some kind of steak and rice bowl, and she enjoyed the TNT Sushi platter and Miso soup. It was the best Miso soup she's ever had! Would totally come back again! read more

Cool ambiance and an open kitchen, but calling this a sushi place is a bit of a misnomer in my opinion. They only offer rudimentary nigiri/sashami at fairly high prices. The cooked selections - like the octopus balls are quite good and more resoanbly priced. Drinlk list not bad, but somewhat weak/small for my tastes. Overall this is far more of a $$$ than a $$ place IMHO. The reason for 3 versus 4 stars is the level of service - while our server was friendly, we went 20 minutes waiting for our first drink order. The food came out in a rush, then another long wait to order second round. when it gets to the point that i'm annoyed, its worth mentioning. I can't lay this at the establishments feet, but i found the clientele offputting somewhat. Neither my son nor i felt comfortable - and i'm the gregarious sort. Just not our kind of crowd i guess - not really hipster, but a vibe i can't put my finger on. read more

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A good time and delicious. I have been here several times and with others. Both them and I rave about the options as well as the general vibe of the place. Although I will say actually getting to the location is a bit confusing as the sign is dark and doesn't light up at night and that the entrance was confused for the bottom apartment door instead of the upstairs. Once you're it has a very cool atmosphere! Doesn't feel like any other place in Pittsburgh matches it with the street art decor and DJ. We ordered drinks, which were vibrant in flavor and refreshing. For the apps, the Robatayaki were great. But would recommend getting at least 2, if you wanted to share. The bacon quail egg was a unique option and paired greatly. The prime steak was at first when I went here labeled as wagyu, but now prime. Regardless it was very good, with a great sauce/marinade and wasn't over cooked. The pancake was surprisingly filling.The sushi was fresh, presented well, and would highly recommend. The akami maguro/lean tuna was mild in flavor and very tender. The eel bowl was absolutely delicious and is my go-to meal. read more

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Great restaurant, amazing service, and a fun view of the kitchen. Always recommend getting the taiyaki!

This is one cool place. Awesome meal and awesome service! We sat in the side room with these cool tables where you have to step down into the seats. Love the atmosphere and the food presentation was gorgeous. Great sake and really enjoyed the meal. We ordered all the dishes to share - make sure you leave room for dessert - so good! read more

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In the 34 years of my life, i never once experienced the majesty of a quail egg. And Umami has the best around. The best in town.

I try to visit every time we come to Pittsburgh. It has amazing food, the best vibe, and feels like a secret that no one knows about yet