Urara Japanese Cuisine -- An Intimate Omakase Experience Hidden Beside Pike Place Rating: (5/5) Tucked near Pike Place Market, Urara Japanese Cuisine is the kind of understated sushi spot that quietly wins you over through craftsmanship rather than hype. Small in size but rich in character, this restaurant delivers an omakase experience that feels personal, refined, and deeply satisfying. This visit easily earns a rare 5 out of 5 stars. Ambiance - 5/5 Urara embraces the charm of a traditional intimate sushi counter. The restaurant is small, cozy, and focused -- allowing the attention to remain on the chef's work and the quality of the fish. Sitting close to the sushi bar creates a more immersive dining experience, especially when watching each piece come together with precision. Authenticity - 5/5 This is a restaurant that respects Japanese sushi traditions. The omakase experience felt intentional and carefully paced, with every piece prepared individually and presented with care. There was no unnecessary flashiness -- just proper technique, quality fish, and a chef clearly dedicated to his craft. Flavor - 5/5 The 15-piece omakase was beautifully executed. The fish tasted exceptionally fresh, with clean flavors and balanced rice seasoning that allowed each ingredient to shine naturally. Every piece had a distinct texture and profile, creating a progression that kept the meal engaging from beginning to end. What stood out most was the presentation -- as seen in the video, each piece was plated thoughtfully and elegantly, reflecting the chef's attention to detail. Service - 5/5 The chef himself added greatly to the experience. Friendly, welcoming, and passionate about the food, he created an atmosphere that felt warm rather than overly formal. That personal interaction elevated the omakase beyond just a meal into something memorable. Cost - 5/5 Considering the freshness of the seafood, the quality of preparation, and the personalized omakase experience, the value here feels excellent -- especially compared to many higher-priced sushi counters in Seattle. Final Thoughts Urara Japanese Cuisine is proof that some of the best sushi experiences come from smaller, quieter restaurants where the focus remains entirely on craftsmanship and hospitality. Fresh fish, thoughtful presentation, and a genuinely welcoming chef make this a place I'll gladly return to. An easy and well-deserved five-star experience. read more

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Wonderful evening at Urara. Group of 4 enjoyed many MANY offerings - everything was fantastic. Excellent sushi chef. We will definitely be back. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Fantastic as always! Great lively space with excellent service. The food is fresh and flavorful. The 15 piece omakase and the shrimp tempura roll are the way to go with some hot green tea! Favorite place to grab lunch. read more

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Very authentic and delightful dining experience. They have a few easels set up around Pike Place where the fish looks super fresh, so my interest was naturally piqued. I met up with my friends and my boyfriend here for lunch, and we shared an unagi don, some sukiyaki udon, salmon sashimi, and uni nigiri. The unagi rice was seasoned very well, and the unagi itself was flaky and delicate. The sukiyaki udon came out piping hot and with a heaping amount of beef! I thought the broth itself was a bit bland, but the soup helped warm my bones for sure. My personal favorite was the uni nigiri- there wasn't a hint of fishiness in this, and they heaped on the most I've ever seen any sushi spot give. Service is good, I would 100% come here again and my local friends agree. read more

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3.9.2025 Urara Japanese Restaurant offers an authentic and delightful Japanese sushi experience. The restaurant is very clean with minimalist decor that reflects the simplicity and beauty of Japanese culture. Soft lighting and traditional Japanese art pieces create a warm and inviting environment, perfect for a relaxing meal. We sat down at sushi bar and ordered nigiri from chef's choice. Chef was very friendly and miso soup and tea came quickly after the order. Server was very attentive and our tea was always hot! read more

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Fresh delicious dishes, cutest interior, and a small and mightty staff. I would absolutely risk going into Pike Place market to go to Urara.

During a recent dining experience with a party of seven individuals, we encountered several unsatisfactory service issues. Despite our initial intention to opt for the 15% tip, the waiter insisted on a higher 18% tip. We were all paying individually, and one of us who was paying with cash was also forced to give a higher tip. In addition, when another person in the party that was paying for 2 people, the waiter picked the highest tip option herself. This practice raises concerns about the management's tolerance for such behavior, which is deemed unacceptable. Furthermore, the seating arrangement was subpar. Although we had made a reservation for seven people, we were unexpectedly seated at a six-person table. In addition, our reservation was for a certain time, and we arrived about 2 minutes late. Because of that, they somehow cancelled our reservation, even though they already received confirmation from us that we were coming. This resulted in us having to wait another 30 minutes just to get seated, even though we had a reservation. Given these experiences, I strongly advise against dining at this establishment. The forced imposition of higher tipping rates constitutes a form of deception and is unacceptable. I will not patronize this restaurant again and will also disseminate this negative experience to my friends and family. read more

We walked by this place for ten years and never dined in. Tonight we went for dinner and they were phenomenal. The fish was so fresh. They also have really good agedashi tofu, which is one of my favorites. We got the omakase, spicy tuna roll, ceviche roll, agedashi tofu, and they were all delicious. The service was great too. We will definitely be back. read more

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Turning away a party of two when there are 12 seats available, two of them occupied BY BACKPACKS, does not make good business sense to me. No, I don't want to be put on a list. I understand the entire table was reserved, but did not realize there was bar seating reserved for backpacks. You just lost $200. You do realize we have other dining options, right? read more

The food is very good! The staff is amazing! And the place is clean and very peaceful.

Very small sushi spot by Pike Place Market. Always passed by it whenever I was in the area and I'm glad I've finally ate here for once. Sushi was great! Ended up ordering way too much because I thought I was ordering nigiris by the piece, but it was by the pair! So I doubled what I wanted to eat. Managed to do it luckily, but boy was I stuffed. Anyways, when I said this place was small, I meant it. Probably fills about 10 people or so, but I enjoyed my time there. Menu was smaller than expected, but I was able to make do and order something I liked which was sushi. Honestly was craving a Katsu-don that night, but they no longer offered that apparently. I liked their selection of sake, so that made my time more enjoyable and made up for missing out on getting what I was craving. Overall, I enjoyed my time here. It's a very small local restaurant that offers quality food. Very quaint and I dig it! read more

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We came in like 30 minutes before closing, and they were very attentive and fast in service. The waitress recommended the Seattle role and it honestly was my favorite. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Seattle Roll, California roll, tempura roll - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious food. Good portions. Decent prices. Very hole in the wall vibe. Lots of small tables for small groups. Super friendly staff. Staff are very patient, attentive, and informative. Will definitely be back. read more

Cozy spot tucked away in the heart of pike place market. It was dumping down rain so we decided to make a quick pitstop before roaming around the market. The Seattle roll was absolutely delicious and the service was quick!! read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Quaint, cozy place near Pike Place Market. Tempura Shrimp Roll and the Ramen with Pork Belly and Shrimp were both delicious. They also had Rainier longnecks, which I was looking for. Prices were reasonable, especially given how expensive Seattle can be. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Rainier Longneck - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love this spot! Not a single bad thing to say, food was amazing, service was great, and the place was so cozy. Definitely a place to come back to :) read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It was an intimate no frills affair. The people that served you were incredibly kind and had integrity behind their product. I got the omakase set, and the chef's choice did not disappoint. Beautifully cut piece of fish, awesome work dinner. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Omakase - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Not sure how there are any positive reviews on this place - none of the food, service, and ambiance was near anything on par. We got a sushi roll, sukiyaki udon, and some kind of nagasaki ramen. Sushi rice had the seasoning and handling of a grocery market roll. The udon had an underseasoned broth that had cilantro in it for some wild reason. The ramen was the worst of all, where the ramen noodle was defrosted and barely cooked, in a broth that was clearly not ready for service. We also waited 30 minutes between the first sushi roll and the noodles to come out - just for food that was lesser than store bought instant packs and costed way too much for what it is. Looking at the past reviews am not sure if the owner recently changed, but it's a shame that this is what we're serving to people in the heart of Seattle. Pike Place deserves better. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The online menu is completely different than actual menu. Super rude staff. Bate & switch, you are taking advantage of tourists that think they will get a decent meal at a good price, instead, it's completely limited and over priced. First restaurant I've ever walk out of. read more

The food is great. We tried the omakase sushi and also chirashi bowl. The quality is very good. It is very small space. May not be good for a big party. Two to four is good. May expect to wait in the line. read more

Urara is a cute Japanese restaurant located within walking distance of Pike's Place. It has minimal space with seating in front of the sushi chef, at the bar, and 4 small tables (for 2) against the window/wall. It seemed to be only two people working there, the chef and a lady who was serving. Both did not interact as much with us but they were kind when entering and leaving. As far as the menu, they have a small menu so there aren't many choices but that allows them to focus more on the quality of their food. My husband ordered a shrimp tempura roll, I ordered a spicy tuna roll, and we shared an order of gyoza. The gyoza had a nice flavor and a light crispness to it. The sauce was also good that we had to double dip, sorry. Everything was sooooo fresh and delicious. It was the freshest sushi I've ever had, so of course we finished it. You pay for the freshness, so it might be pricey for some but it's good for a quick bite. read more

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The place may look small when you walk in, but the food is mighty. We sat at the bar watching the chef cook up our dinner. It was incredible and fresh and everyone was friendly! Great food great vibes. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Beautiful little restaurant right near pike place! Great quality fish, fair prices, good service! I loved their seared salmon dishes a lot! I'd go here again, and if you're in seattle, 100% check this place out! read more

We love this authentic and quaint Japanese restaurant in the heart of Pike Place. It's honestly a hidden gem as there are about 4 or so tables. We were seated at the chef bar. The sushi chef was friendly and explained the different types of fish as we order the chef's choice. Everything tastes super fresh. The Agedashi Tofu was fried perfectly and still was crispy when we received it. The spider roll had a generous amount of fried crab in every piece. We will definitely be back! read more

Authentic Japanese food. Every bite was a mouth watering experience and the presentation of their dishes was amazing. Will definitely go again! read more

By far THE best sashimi I've ever had. It melts in your mouth with a burst of flavor. So delicious! A mouth-watering core memory. The ambience is great, very nice and clean. The staff is wonderful, very polite and knowledgeable. Every visit to Pike Place must now have Urara on the menu. read more

I visited Seattle for work last week and stumbled upon Urara. The food here was delicious! I had the crunchy shrimp roll and the spicy tuna roll. There was so much flavor in these rolls that I had to order more. The staff was also great - I chatted with the Chef, Yoshi, throughout my meal and he was really cool and nice to talk to. May also provided great service and was also friendly. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Seattle area! read more

Urara was delicious! The staff were very nice and it was so cozy inside. The food was so delicious. We would definitely come back! read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Seattle Roll on the left and Rainbow Roll on the right - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's been awhile since I've enjoyed Japanese cuisine in the heart of downtown Seattle. Most often the food around this area is either overpriced or extremely hard to walk in and find a table. This wasn't the case for my sister and I on a Saturday afternoon around 4:30/5:00 we were generously greeted and seated at the bar. Food: 4.9/5 Service: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Quaint, cute, great quality fish and wonderful environment that isn't too loud. By 6:55, they allowed customers to still come in for dinner although they close at 7:00. Food worth mentioning: - Chirashi bowl: for the amount you pay $22, you will find a load of fresh, melt in your mouth fish on a bed of rice. You get ebi, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, tamago. Also comes with 1 bowl of miso soup (made in house) - Rainbow roll: oh so fulfilling with 8 pieces and plenty of fish! - King salmon & toro nigiri 2 pieces per order. The fish was so amazing... Would definitely recommend it. - Sukiyaki Udon: great udon noodle texture, chewy, broth was a bit too sweet but very flavorful. We love the crown daisy, soft beef. Highly recommend this noodle soup. - Hot sake for 2 $14! Overall we had one of the best Japanese dinner at a very affordable price. $120 for all of that food! No wait, simply able to walk in. read more

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I forgot what good, melt in your mouth tuna is like thanks to supermarket sushi and poké bowls. This nigiri was outstanding. None of it really needed soy, but the chef asked that we not mess with his salmon with radish. We honored that. The chef was so friendly and personable, you couldn't. When in the best seafood market in the world, why not eat sushi?! This is the place. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Tako, Hamachi, Toro, Sake, Hotate (seared and not) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a quaint hole in the wall tucked on Stewart Street near Pike Market. The restaurants and staff are friendly and patiently explains the menu and fish of the day for Omakase. The Chirashi bowl has large slices of fish and has fish of the day as well. Good deal for the price. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

On my recent visit, I greatly enjoyed a couple delicious rolls. Seafood was tasty, the restaurant, lovely, and the service prompt and thoughtful. I'll be back on my next visit to Seattle. read more

Went to dine near the Pike Public Market. Pretty much most of the places closed at 6 so options were very limited. We were walking away and saw this place. There were seats at the bar and were welcomed in. Menu mostly consists of sushi items and don't have much kitchen menu other than simple such as tempura & gyoza. Unagi don- $18 (3 pieces) never had unagi don with avocados & unagi was cold Poke bowl- $23 on the sweeter side but it was fine with me. Served with mixed tuna & salmon. Service size was good. Both came with miso soup, perfect for a cold night. I also ordered gyoza steamed. It typically comes deep fried but they were able to accommodate for me. Server was nice; looked like a small family business. Bathroom itself is clean, but walking to the bathroom, you walk through unorganized kitchen area. read more

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Grabbed lunch here with a friend. The couple running it were very kind and friendly and attentive throughout our meal. My friend got the chirashi and liked it and I had some sushi that was pretty good. I tried the spider roll and veggie maki rolls. The vegetarian options were more than I expected but seemed different from what I found online. We both had miso, which was good too. I had some hot tea, which didn't seem like the powder was very well mixed in because I got several clumps on the bottom. Aside from the tea though I'd order the same items again. It's a little shop right by the market with limited seating (sushi bar maybe 6-8 seats and 4 small tables) so it feels quaint and intimate. read more

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Cute little place, though not a lot of seating. I got miso soup and offered to let my companion try mine (they had never had it). Our server apparently overheard, because she brought us two bowls and didn't charge for the extra. My sushi was some of the best I've had, and there was much more of it than I'd expect for the quality and price. We had a bit of difficulty ordering and paying, and they only have a QR code menu, but it was overall a lovely place and I would go back. read more

Visited Urara before covid times. My husband and I really enjoyed this cozy little Japanese restaurant. Visiting Seattle again after several years this restaurant is still standing and food was still good. I ordered the Chirashi don and it was very fresh and the rice was sushi rice. I went around 3 in the afternoon and it was still packed. Great little restaurant and I hope it will still be here when I get to visit again. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Tasty food and friendly staff! Split appetizers that were hot but delicious. Chirashi bowl was well presented and good.

everyone listen up, the food here Www the drinks here WWw and also guess what, the service and sushi chef WWWW and the vibe was a wwwww, would recommend 5 stars! read more

We have ordered from Urara through Grubhub, where they offer several deals. We enjoy their chirashi bowl, which comes with about 3-4 pieces of fish across salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, and tuna. It also comes with seaweed salad and white rice. Another great dish is their seared salmon bowl which comes with about 8 pieces of fish and white rice. Urara also has cheap basic fish rolls for around $5-10, which make a good appetizer with a meal. I would recommend ordering food from Urara and anticipate ordering from them again. read more

Urara Japanese Cuisine - Urara to-go: chirashi bowl, Seared Sake Don Bowl, maki rolls. - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great little place near Pike place market . We had the sashimi omakase and a salmon nigiri . Everything was fresh flavorful and the chef obliged us with some sushi rice and extra ginger . Highly recommend this place . read more

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