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Elegant table beautifully lit by sunlight - Nisei, San Francisco, CA
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Nisei

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Visa Dining Collection

$50 and over
Japanese
2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109-1822

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
  • Fancy
Nisei presents a contemporary approach to Japanese American cuisine by combining deep Japanese flavors, refined cooking technique, and Northern California's finest ingredients. The restaurant is a personal reflection of Chef David Yoshimura's unique experience as a Michelin starred chef and second generation Japanese American, or Nisei.

Nisei can accommodate most severe allergies with advance notice, however due to the nature of the tasting menu format, we can not meet all dietary restrictions or aversions. In order to maintain the spirit of our cuisine, the following items can not be removed: Salt, sugar, soy sauce, and egg cooked into items.

All Experience prices below reflect a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax applied to the base price of each experience. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: David Yoshimura

  • Award icon
    MICHELIN 1 Star2024
  • Award icon
    MICHELIN 1 Star2023

From the OpenTable editors: Come to Chef David Yoshimura’s MICHELIN-starred spot for one of the city’s most innovative tasting menus. He expertly fuses Japanese techniques with Northern California ingredients to create bold, modern dishes that could include anago (salt-water eel) with fiddleheads or crispy kakuni (pork belly) with snap peas and ramps, paired with clever wines and sake for a singular dining experience.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Contemporary Asian, Japanese Speciality
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    For parties of 6 or more, we offer seating in our private Kimono Room. For inquiries regarding groups of 12 or more, or if you desire a tailored private dining experience, kindly click the link below, and we will promptly get in touch with you to curate a memorable evening.https://www.restaurantnisei.com/privatedining
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2024
    2. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Neighborhood
    Russian Hill
  • Cross street
    Polk Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Kazumi Wine Dinner

    $308.40 per person

    Prepaid

    May 30, 2025 only
    6:00 PM
    For one special evening, Nisei will be joined by renowned winemaker Michelle Kazumi. 6pm start time & the price of your ticket includes wine pairings and dinner. Michelle is the Japanese-American founder of Kazumi Wines. With her background in both fashion design and the wine industry, Michelle crafts wines that are a seamless fusion of timeless elegance and artful innovation.   Michelle was born in California, raised in Tokyo, and worked as a fashion designer in Milan and New York before coming full-circle back to California. For the past 12 years she has worked in Napa as General Manager for 90 Plus Wine Club, building partnerships with Napa Valley wineries and promoting premium wines in Asia.
    Kazumi Wine Dinner Photo
  • Spring Menu at Nisei

    $286.80 per person

    Prepaid

    Mar 26, 2025 - Apr 30, 2025
    The tasting menu at Nisei features the pinnacle of Japanese American cuisine and is a personal expression of Chef David Yoshimura. Nisei combines the finest ingredients of Northern California and Japan to create a truly unforgettable experience. Guests can expect 13 courses with over 18 bites total, with options for supplements. Please allow at least 3 hours for the dining experience. The price of this experience reflects a 20% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax. This Service Fee goes towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance.
    Spring Menu at Nisei Photo
  • May Reservations - AAPI Month at Nisei

    $298.75 per person

    Prepaid

    May 1, 2025 - May 31, 2025
    The tasting menu at Nisei features the pinnacle of Japanese American cuisine and is a personal expression of Chef David Yoshimura. Nisei combines the finest ingredients of Northern California and Japan to create a truly unforgettable experience. Guests can expect 13 courses with over 18 bites total, with options for supplements. Please allow at least 3 hours for the dining experience. The price of this experience reflects 25% Service Fee and 8.63% SF Sales Tax. The Service Fee splits to 20% towards paying our employees a livable wage as well as providing health insurance and 5% for AAPI charities for the month of May.
    May Reservations - AAPI Month at Nisei Photo

What 94 people are saying

Nisei reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    Innovative

  • San Francisco

    Japanese

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Nisei offers a stunning fusion of Japanese tradition and American innovation, featuring a remarkable thirteen-course menu. Guests rave about the "incredible" food and "exceptional" service, with Chef David personally engaging with diners. The ambiance is "relaxed upscale," providing a memorable fine dining experience "worth every penny" and perfect for special occasions.
94 Reviews
  1. hans

    New York City3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and Service was excellent. We will come back again

    Is this helpful?

  2. Russell VIP

    Los Angeles56 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had late dinner on a short turnaround weekend in SF and have to say it was one of the best experiences we have had in a long time. Everything about the evening was fantastic from the food to the service to the ambiance. Food - It seemed like the courses were an endless stream of delicious and interesting choices that blended Japanese/Asian dishes with local suppliers. There was a wide range of foods and all were presented beautifully in different bowls and plates. Uni, unagi, crab, wagyu, duck, cod, oyster, curry, and miso soup were all delicious. Service - The servers were all very well trained and had a story for every course served. They gave a detailed explanation and answered any questions we had or got back to us if there was something they were not sure of. The flow of food was very consistent and were weren't rushed at all. Ambiance - The decor is muted and lighting is bright enough to read the menu but still have a relaxing vibe. The seating area is open but not cramped and a very quiet soothing atmosphere. Chef David came to our table and had a nice conversation and I saw him speak to almost every table throughout the evening. All in all it was an excellent night and I can see this restaurant having a long and successful run.

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  3. Chase

    San Francisco3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every staff member was magical and it was a spectacular experience. Thank you.

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  4. Zoey VIP

    San Francisco1 review

    4.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Some of dishes were quite impressive! But the service was rush.

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  5. rebecca VIP

    San Francisco5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first visit to Nisei and it did not disappoint! We celebrated my husband’s 60th birthday and it couldn’t have been more special. The entire tasting menu was incredible—each dish was a new delightful and delicious experience. Chef David is so talented and creative in the way he blends flavors. The entire staff was also exceptional—they were knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. I highly recommend Nisei for a special occasion or if you are just looking for an incredible dining experience. It is worth every penny!

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  6. Don

    San Francisco18 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very different, sometimes tasty, sometimes not so much. Wonderful culinary adventure that expanded our taste buds to the max. Service and ambience first class throughout.

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  7. JairoW VIP

    Los Angeles7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great. It pretty much worth going. The unagui and the duck were outstanding as everything

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  8. Makinna

    Denver1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wow, Nisei was fantastic! I think the service was a real highlight for me - the staff and chef were so personable. The food was gorgeous and delicious. I’m a huge fan of soups, so the ichiban chowder and the pine nut miso soup were definitely my favorites. The chowder foam was somehow light and hearty at the same time. Sourdough mochi was a great compliment- so delicious that I’d buy them by the dozen if I could. If you can, would definitely recommend the wine pairing - I found a new favorite wine (Lumier Winery, “Mitsuki” 2023) and learned so much from the sommelier. Overall, a 11/10 experience. I love going out to Michelin star spots for a special treat, but this will be the first time I return to a spot once they move to the next seasonal shift in their menu:)

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  9. Nicholas VIP

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My partner and I had our Valentines Day Dinner here and it was absolutely amazing. The service, the ambiance, the food were all incredible. Chef David was also very kind in greeting all of his guests! The staff are super friendly and we absolutely recommend it! We plan on checking out Bar Iris next door very soon! Shout out to the Chef Elle too! The desert was amaaaaaazing!

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  10. Nikko

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible. My wife and I like long dinners that give us time to enjoy the food, talk about it and connect. Nisei did exactly that and provided the perfect ambience of a relaxed upscale experience. The staff was excellent, both extremely kind and attentive. Every dish wowed us with complex flavors. We left full and feeling like we at the highest quality ingredients. It was an unforgettable experience.

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FAQs

Nisei is rated 4.8 stars by 94 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Russian Hill

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Nisei

2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109-1822

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2024
    2. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Cross street
    Polk Street
  • Neighborhood
    Russian Hill
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Contemporary Asian, Japanese Speciality
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    For parties of 6 or more, we offer seating in our private Kimono Room. For inquiries regarding groups of 12 or more, or if you desire a tailored private dining experience, kindly click the link below, and we will promptly get in touch with you to curate a memorable evening.https://www.restaurantnisei.com/privatedining
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  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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