Best nigiri selection I ever had! Supposed to come with 10 pieces, they were missing 1, so they gave us 2 complimentary Sea Urchin nigiri pieces on the side . Pleasantly surprised with the sea urchin. Something I never would have thought of trying, but would now would order in the future! Delicious sushi rolls. Great ambience , great service. Will definitely be back again and would recommend to everyone. read more

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I had really high expectations for Zoto Sushi. Their social media is beautifully done, they emphasize that their fish is flown in from Japan, and they present themselves as having a very high-quality, well-curated team. I had been wanting to try it for months since they opened, and we finally went for our anniversary. I even noted that on the reservation, which made the experience feel like it should have been something special. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. Nothing was outright "wrong" with the host or wait staff, but the overall vibe just wasn't welcoming. For the price point, I expected to leave feeling like it was an incredible, memorable dinner that I couldn't wait to repeat. Instead, we left pretty underwhelmed and unlikely to return. One thing that stood out was that although we noted it was our anniversary on the reservation, nothing was acknowledged at all. That's totally fine, but it does make you wonder why the question is asked in the first place if it's not going to be recognized in any way. The fish itself was fresh, and I do think if I had ordered more simple sashimi or nigiri, I would have enjoyed the food more. However, we ordered a mix of sushi rolls and appetizers, and the rolls just weren't well balanced in flavor. Nothing stood out as something I'd order again. The potstickers (gyoza) were the highlight, honestly some of the best I've had. Beyond the food, there were a lot of small details that added up. The drinks were served in glasses that felt cheap. The silverware felt cheap. Our table was wobbly. The space felt small, loud, and a bit cold in atmosphere. Plates weren't cleared when they should have been, and there were noticeable service gaps. Our server didn't know the answer to a simple question about a drink on the happy hour menu (he did go find out, but it slowed things down). Our meals and desserts didn't come out together, with a pretty significant delay between, which took away from the experience. At the end of the night, it was about a $200 meal that felt more like a $75 experience. We really wanted to love it, but overall it just didn't live up to the expectations they set. There are several other sushi spots nearby that we would choose over this next time we want to go out for sushi. Overall, I'd rate it a 6/10. read more

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My wife and I found our new favorite date night spot in UTC! We recently visited Zōtō for a date night, and it was an absolute home run. The first thing you notice is the vibe it's dark, moody, and intimate. It's not a huge restaurant (definitely on the smaller side), so it feels exclusive and cozy rather than a loud, crowded hall. It was perfect for us, but I could see it being great for a small group of friends too. The service was excellent from the moment we walked in. Our server was attentive without hovering and gave great recommendations. Speaking of recommendations, the cocktails are a must. They have a fantastic beverage program that pairs perfectly with the food. And the food? Fresh is an understatement. The sushi was incredibly high quality--melt-in-your-mouth good. You can tell they pay attention to the details here. One tip: Since the place is intimate and getting popular, reservations are highly suggested, especially on a weekend night. We were glad we booked ahead. Pro-Tip for Dessert: While Zōtō has dessert, we decided to stretch our legs and walk a couple of shops over to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. It's a must-try if you are in the UTC area and was the perfect sweet ending to the night. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

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Nice service and good options for different dishes. The sushi rolls were too sweet for us and our favorite dishes were the 2 different tuna sashimi. Unfortunately, the next morning we woke up with diarrhea-so not sure if it was the sushi or not. read more

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We attended the soft opening of Zoto. A pre-grand opening, or soft opening, can be valuable for several reasons. For guests, it offers an exclusive early experience and often includes special perks. For the restaurant, it provides a low-pressure opportunity to identify and resolve any issues before the official launch. As a guest, however, I didn't find this particular soft opening especially worthwhile. There were no perks, incentives, or samples offered. No special reasons for early patrons to encourage others to try the place. What we experienced was a five-star Japanese izakaya dining experience, but it fell short of my expectations for a soft opening. Zoto clearly has its food and service well established and doesn't appear to need much feedback from this early event. Their official opening is sure to go smoothly for everyone. read more

MY WORDS! The moment you step into Zoto you feel as if you left SRQ. The decor is beautifully done all the way down to the Zoto staff uniforms. Having lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York it's a pleasure to see management in suits shows they care. I ordered the Shibuya Crossing, $100 pp. Chef Lwin Siss prepared some wonderful tasting fishes. Personally I'd rather not have the salmon, tuna, and crab roll to me that's basic. Maybe have the crab roll served on a bed of warm rice as a hand roll. I did throw Chef Lwin off when I had asked for Engawa, if you know sushi you'll know Engawa! I'm looking forward to seeing more special delicacies from Chef Lwin and premium sakes. How about a sake dinner tasing!! Ah yes, cannot wait for the space next door to open that will be exciting and fun!! If you're looking at future sites Gulf Gate could use a place like Zoto! Cheers read more

Zoto - Shibuya Crossing - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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10/10 stars for this upscale Japanese restaurant with the absolute best sushi in SRQ now. This place has the vibes, unique eats, and excellent service. Been three times. read more

Zoto is another nice addition to the UTC. Great atmosphere, Great service and Great Sushi. We weren't disappointed. We'll be back read more

Zoto - Fried Rice...yum! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Pricey & pretentious. Lovely atmosphere & good service & decent sushi but this place did not impress our large group. Take a look at the pic of the drink prices - insane! A 5 oz chardonnay pour is $21! Mocktails are $14! The crabby rice had very very little crab & was $30. My yellowtail roll was good but tiny. No low sodium soy sauce - they tell you it's regular & gluten free. Wasabi & ginger are not automatically provided but they will give it to you if you ask. The Thai roll was practically all salad & my friends did not care for it. Lobster roll was very good but it's $39 so it should be! Note there are no soups or salads on this menu. This was a one & done for me & my friends. read more

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Zoto is a great addition to the Utc area and what I love is that they are getting Michelin starred level service at a great price point. We had a great time at the new restaurant and I love that they have a lot of gluten-free options. The plating is beautiful and so much like their sister restaurant Kosen. I frequent SRQ a lot and it's good to know if I am here I can get some of what I am accustomed to back home. I think the fish and the cut and execution of the plating for the chef's selection was great. The crudo was beautiful. The Karaage was great as well. We tried so many items all I can say is you have to check it out for yourself. There is free parking as well and it's easy to find because it's on the other side of the traffic circle facing the mall. I also want to not this is one of the most upscale Izykaya like pubs I have ever been to in FL. I cant wait t o come back. read more

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Best sushi spot in Sarasota! Everything we ordered had a unique new taste. The wagyu nigiri was definitely the best. Only negative is how expensive it is, if it was affordable I would go here every week read more

Zoto - Chefs choice nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Amazing sushi finally in Sarasota! Looking forward to the omakase aspect opening soon! read more

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Ordinary sushi, presentation is unimpressive. Limited menu. The fish was not that fresh. Underwhelming. The atmosphere was not inviting nor was the staff. The word comes to mind is mediocre. Overpriced and the wine list is also limited. I won't be back. Kuro is far superb!!!! read more

It's so refreshing to have Zoto finally open!! We went for dinner as a family and everything was beyond delicious and novel. The sushi was super fresh and I can't wait to go back and try all the other items on the menu. The sommelier picked out the perfect crisp white and was very knowledgeable. And Janet the manager was so attentive, polite and fun to talk to! Fab job on the decor too, I'llgo back 100%!!!! read more

Really great! Good cocktails, good quality sushi, nice service and atmosphere. I love all the GF options.

Newest Japanese restaurant in Sarasota!! Had a very nice meal there with fresh sushi and izakaya dishes. When in Sarasota, I typically don't eat sushi because we haven't found a place that has fresh enough fish or prepped the right way. We ere in for a pleasant surprise here. The nigiri and sashimi were fresh. Otoro from Spain and the rest from Japan. The only disappointing one was scallop...didn't taste like hokkaido scallop. Other faves include the shrimp tempura, crab fried rice; yakitoris were great. Didn't care for the karaage chicken - the batter felt heavy and not very flavorful. So happy that Zoto is in Sarasota! read more

Zoto in Sarasota was amazing! Delicious food, great atmosphere, and excellent service. The dishes were fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Highly recommend -- can't wait to go back! read more

The menu offers variety assortment of foods but currently doesn't have visual representation of menu offerings yet. The food is really delicious and unique. Each item we ordered was complex but complimented extremely well. Chicken Karaage cooked to perfection, and my favorite was the Red Dragon. Food also came out very fast and fresh. The service was very attentive and friendly, especially our servers Jenny and Chris. Both were very friendly and knowledgeable, offering great recommendations and handle foods with care. The ambiance was perfect for cozy and romantic dinner. Interior is very inviting with warm lighting and modernized Japanese style. Overall gave it a lively but not overwhelming environment. Seatings are comfortable, however our table has a slight tilting but our servers came over and fixed it for us. Overall, great experience at Zoto! Quality is worth every penny, and highly recommend for a date night. read more

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Delicious dinner! The sashimi was very fresh, probably the best dish. Lovely service and atmosphere, will be back! read more

Zoto - Kushiyaki chicken thighs with dirty martini - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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First of all, I want to compliment the staff. They were all so friendly and kind and went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. The food was fantastic and so fresh. Our notable standouts were the Miso Salmon, the A5 Wagyu ribeye, the corn ribs, and the chu toro. I would highly recommend this place if you're in the UTC area over any of the surrounding restaurants. They are very passionate about what they do here, and it shows. The vibe was cozy and intimate and I look forward to coming back. read more

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Amazing service. Insanely fresh food. 10/10 will be back!!!! Crab fried rice was amazing and red dragon roll read more

Zoto - Red dragon roll 10/10 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Warning to everyone don't go to this restaurant on the website look good but the food so pricy it's not worth better to buy in the grocery store sushi for $24 8 pieces. Me and my husband order only 2 sushi 2 appetizers 1 chicken tidbits breaded and 2 mushroom cut i. Half and 1 bear the total bill is $91. Worst part you can eat inside It's for reservation. No wonder nobobu eat outside only us. They don't give a wasabi I asked for wasabi and the waiter with the beard came told me you need wasabi I said yes and when he came he gave me a wasabi and his face look upset. We always eat in an authentic Japanese restaurant here in Sarasota I thought this is authentic and good restaurant it's a lie in their website Never ever come back here again! read more

Great sushi! Very flavorful and fresh. Loved that their sushi rolls weren't overly large. Edamame and gyoza also delicious. Great ambience.

Went in for my birthday dinner with my partner and was blown away but the food and the service! Kaylin took amazing care of us and the shibuya crossing was spectacular from its presentation to the flavor!!! Thank you to Kaylin for making our night so special, we can't wait to come again!!! read more

Sushi melts in ur mouth absolutely delicious !service was full of smiles and helpful ambiance is upscale fun and classy, the outdoor area not open yet but they said it will be soon great music fun new place at the UTC area will return read more

Do you want to outstanding and authentic! Everything we put in our mouth is exceptional! Jenny was our server and she is off the charts exceptional! We will be back as much as we can! Do not pass this restaurant up if you are a sushi lover read more

We have been here twice in the last week and both times we have had an exceptional experience. The food, the service, the drinks, the ambience, the value for all of that is very impressive. We are grateful that Sarasota finally has a five star sushi restaurant. Our server tonight was Jenny and she was great. read more