Japonessa Sushi Cocina Reviews

Very busy...definitely recommend reservations for the weekends. The food was very good, and very well priced for the amount you get. Service was friendly and overall very good.

Our families favorite cuisine is sushi so upon arriving in Seattle, our first goal was to find a good sushi place. It was recommended by our hotel and on TripAdvisor. We ordered the chefs choice sashimi, Seattle crunch roll, spicy Seattle, spicy California, spicy tuna and an eel roll. All were superb (not overly pricey) and made even better by our most excellent server, Julia. Happy hour prices until about 6:00 pm which is a bonus.

The rolls are pricey but pretty good. They are decently sized and the food is fresh. They have a really decent selection and admittedly we are rather bland in our sushi ordering, but it looks like they have some really adventuresome, fun rolls!

My Lyft driver recommended Japonessa and being across the street from my hotel I gave it a try. Glad I did. Friendly service. Good food. Quality fish. I stuck mainly with sushi (fish and rice) as I am avoiding gluten. The roll descriptions and the passing food looked great so I wouldn’t hesitate to try them. I recommend the following sushi plates. Tuna Unagi (eel) Yellow fin (tuna) All were excellent. As with any sushi place, check to see what’s the freshest. If you’re in the area, check them out. Enjoy!

Extremely solid sushi spot across the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Seattle. The service by Joe in the bar area was excellent. He gave us great recommendations, all of which were on point (the union roll was a hit). The quality of the sushi was exceptional. The happy hour specials are also very generous. We will definitely make it a point to come back our next time in Seattle.

On our way to Pike Place Market, we passed a Japanese restaurant that looked interesting. However, once at the market, we decided we would eat there. When we couldn't decide which Asian food restaurant to choose from, we asked one of the merchants in the market to recommend a good Japanese restaurant. Without hesitating, she pointed to and described the restaurant we had passed: Japonessa Sushi Cocina. We were lucky to have arrive just before the dinner crowd began to gather and were seated right away. While we were eating, the line of people waiting to be seated extended outside the restaurant. It was clear to us that the Japonessa Sushi Cocina was a favorite of people who worked in the area. Since we are vegetarians, we were delighted that there were very good options for us. The food was very good and served beautifully. Well recommended.

I got a delivery from Japonessa yesterday since everyone always says good things about this restaurant in Seattle. It's a great location, however, I got food poising within 10 minutes after finishing eating, I'm always trying different sushi's restaurants since I love it so much, however, I'll will not be going here anymore ever again.

Great sushi, and great service as well. Would recommend this to anyone visiting Seattle - great place!

While in Seattle — we enjoyed the inventive signature rolls at Japonessa. We were not disappointed — it is a busy place in a prime location but well worth it. Staff was friendly and helpful with their recommendations. Will head back on our next trip.

We were looking forward to this because another establishment recommended it. Never heard of Japanese Mexican fission so we were game. Overall a great experience. Service was amazing and loved the sushi. We did get one of the Mexican inspired sushi rolls. It has Mexican taste but wasn’t our favorite. Would recommend in a heartbeat.

I had a great experience here. We arrived with out a reservation around lunch time. Very busy, small wait to get a seat at the sushi bar. Staff was very nice. Right near pike place. Everything on the menu looked so good! we ordered way too much food just to try some of the unique rolls and dishes we had never tasted before. We finished everything! Wow! Sushi was amazing, I would say this place made it to my top 3 star sho restaurants. Would come back again and again.

Excellent food very fresh. Inventive, original overall good value. Signature sushi rolls were very good. the Legend roll was our favorite

I don’t enjoy real sushi, but we wanted to take our Granddaughter who does. We had the California Crunch and the tempura. It was amazing and the service was excellent too. A nice place for lunch. 🍣

The sashimi we ate here was truly outstanding and melted in your mouth. It was arguably the best we had ever tasted. The sushi rolls were good, but lacked a little something to make them spectacular. The presentation was beautiful, sake flights were interesting and the service was very good. All in all, a great experience. Be sure to get reservations on busy nights!

We had their special chef select $150 worth of sashimi or sushi, we are sashimi fans and were not dissappointed, fish was fresh, exquisite, absolutely delicious and worth it, happy hour rolls are excellent too, Spicy Crunch roll was excellent and Sweet Seduction we tried and loved them. Service was fantastic, def reccomend the coconut dessert and not the japanese cheesecake, that was not our fav just worth trying something else.

Simply put, the best Sushi I've had since my last trip to Japan! My son and I meet in Seattle every Fall for a Seahawks home game, on our first night in town, the Japonessa Sushi Cocina is our first stop for dinner. Always a great dinning experience!! Very highly recommended.

My sister and I kept asking where to go for sushi and everyone we met, told us to come here. This place is undoubtedly one of the best in the USA. Our waiter, Ferry, was an outstanding waiter! The food and the presentation was beautiful!

Welcome to my city and beautiful trips with tourism in Morocco and a spectacular and amazing view in the desert of Morocco Welcome and I wish you all the best and thank you

There are lots of choices especially spicy options. The Happy Hour 3-6pm has less options but cost less. The Alaskan king crab avocado roll and grilled unagi snow crab tempura roll are delicious. Highly recommended. Nice ambience, friendly staff and fast service.

I ordered a meal through Uber Eats to be delivered in my hotel while temporarily in Seattle for business meetings and back-to-back calls. Unfortunately, the experience was quite disappointing. To start, no chopsticks or utensils were included—surprising for a meal costing over $100. I initially assumed it was an oversight, but things only got worse. I had requested a specific combination with sauce on the side, yet no sauce was provided at all. Imagine trying to eat sushi and raw fish with your fingers and not even having soy sauce—felt more like I was fishing on a boat than enjoying a prepared meal. Additionally, certain items like the cucumber paper were missing, yet still charged. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this experience.

The food is good and there are many options to choose from, happy hour available. Their house wine is good, ask first before you order a glass of wine, they run different kind of wine everyday.

Fun sushi place with great music, decor and AMAZING sushi! We had the sashimi and salmon sampler for appetizer and three rolls - Love Affair, Last Samurai, and Heatstroke. All delicious and fresh. Thanks to Jessica for her great suggestions and service.

It was very busy, but I was able to get a seat at the bar. The salmon sampler sushi was delicious, the sake sangria was alright, the tempura brie was very good, and the spider roll was just average. The bar staff were awesome though!

This is a great place to go for Happy Hour. Prices are fair and the sushi rolls are big and very good. Went there close to the close of happy hour. It’s not easy to get a table but worth it.

We got really lucky, didn’t have reservations, but right when we walked in, seats opened up at the sushi bar! It was amazing!!! We loved everything! Great customer service, they were nice and fast! Also very attentive. This is definitely on our list of favorite Seattle restaurants! We will be back!

Stopped in for a quick lunch during a day of exploring the Market. Sat at the bar to get seated more promptly. For and service was amazing. Highly recommend!

Place was packed at 2pm on Sunday. We’d just taken the ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle and wanted sushi before heading to SeaTac - surprising how many sushi places are closed on a Sunday for lunch in a metropolitan city so we came here. There is no street parking but there are several underground parking places around there. We were sat quickly but overall service was slow. Ordered huge chef platters of sushi and sashimi for a family of four. There was good variety, portions are average and it was pretty good but not on my top 10 list which was a bummer for a “water town”. The server didn’t talk through what any of the cuts were just dropped it off. Ambiance of place is very lively, chic, and very loud - families, couple and friends all there. Shiro’s on 2nd Ave was what local friends recommended as the best sushi place but unfortunately they were closed. I’ll try a different place next time I’m in Seattle.

If you’re tired of walking around in the city and you want to have a nice meal and a great glass of wine, make sure you make a pit stop at Japonesa. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere, with a small terrace by the sidewalk for the hot sunny days. Very good dishes with great variety of sushi and sashimi.

We walked in without a reservation and we seated at the bar. The staff was helpful but the food was amazing. The sushi was very fresh with good flavors.

This place was so delicious - a friend recommended it to me and it did not disappoint. Delicious happy hour options and really incredible sukiyaki. Looking forward to my next Seattle trip to be able to visit again!

When they told me that this was a Japanese-Mexican fusion place I had my doubts. However the food here is really really good. It's basically sushi but with some Mexican flavors added in and they work wonderfully together. I would have given it a five but the service was a bit slow and our waiter gave the impression that since we had a large group he shouldn't have to be bothered.

Visiting from Boston, Japonessa came highly recommended. This sushi restaurant is superb! Just a walk away from Pike Market, the food and drinks were delicious. Above all, Ferry, our waiter, greatly enhanced our experience with his blend of professionalism and personality. He really made our night!

We ordered via DoorDash to our hotel. The food was hot and delicious! The sushi was fresh and the sushi rolls were large.good value.

We were looking for good sushi and were wowed by the inventive house rolls. The orange crush was one of the best rolls we have ever tried.

We ordered an $80 Chiefs sashimi combo and it was virtually the best sashimi I have ever eaten in my life. The variety was huge and the fish quality was incredible. I would guess that a $100 sushi sashimi Chefs combo would satisfy two people completely and still be affordable.

I visited Japonessa a couple of weeks ago. This is definitely a popular place. I had to sit at the bar to have a meal. Ther

Benihana’s doesn’t have absolutely nothing on this restaurant Lol. Miso soup and shrimp tempura came out super fresh. The drink selection was not too shabby at all. The yakitori and especially the yakisoba were so dang tasty. The Seattle food scene is second to none, and this restaurant is a good example of what it’s all about. Just across from the 4 seasons, go and have a meal that will leave you smiling and satisfied.....

We happened by this little treasure walking from the train to where we were staying and we were not disappointed! We had 2 happy hour rolls and the fried Brie and it was absolutely delicious! 5 stars, definitely recommend!

We were downtown, and there were few options for dinner after 10pm, so reviews on TA convinced us to try this restaurant. The food was delivered quickly and was delicious. The lettuce wrap beef with 2 dipping sauces (cilantro jelly and plum sauce), Sweet Seduction roll, and Spider roll were all quite good. Our server, Alessandro was super. Glad we tried this restaurant!

Sushi was good. I missed a selection of good wines and spirits in a place like that. But still it’s a good place to have lunch or dinner.

The sushi we had here was tasty. We couldn't see what the Latin twist, but maybe we didn't choose those particular menu items. Good quality sushi well presented, but I thought expensive compared to elsewhere. Their happy hour menu (before 5.30pm and after 9pm looked good value for money though

My daughter is sushi Mac and really wanted sushi as we were so close to the coast. We found this place and weren’t disappointed. The decor was modern, the place was clean and the food was amazing and so fresh. I ordered the octopus cakes, which my daughter pulled a face at but she loved them. We loved this place so much we went back the following evening too, something we never do on vacation as we try to sample as many places as possible.

I don’t like writing bad reviews. I was just so disappointed by this experience that I wanted to warn off folks visiting and looking for good sushi. We did not find it here. We came for NYE with a reservation. We were immediately informed that someone else needed our table in an hour and a half. OK... we didn’t plan to linger but not a super warm welcome. The first two things we tried to order from the bar were no longer available. And then our sushi arrived... We ordered Omakase. I’d say more than 1/2 of the fish didn’t taste fresh. Just meh. With all of the sushi options in Seattle I just think you can do better elsewhere.

The worst host in the universe! The rudeness we experienced and lies of the wait time were incredible! Hope the sushi is worth the wait...

We love going to Japonessa for happy hour or any time we are heading out to a show at the Showbox. This is a great place to get yummy sushi rolls, everything on the menu is delicious.

Came in and checked in with Host, was told we were going to have a 35 minute wait. An hour and a half later, they were seating our family. When I went to speak to Host/Manager he was very unprofessional. This was not what I expected. I come from Texas, and we don’t treat folks like that.

Stalwart for quality of fish and service. Highly recommend this restaurant. Belly combo was very fresh, and mini chirashi was precisely proportioned. I would recommend japonessa any day.

A group of 6 of us went to celebrate a wedding anniversary together. The outing was spectacular. Everything was delicious. It was our first time there, and the waiter, Ferry, was very helpful guiding us thru the extensive menu (as we are not sushi experts), making recommendations with consideration of all our different tastes, and how much to order as we all wanted to try many different items. The drinks were never empty and the food was delivered in many courses at appropriate times so there was never a feast or famine moment. We would definitely go back! Perfect service. Perfect drinks. Perfect food.

Miso soup was delicious. Our sushi rolls did not seem fresh-even the veggies used seemed on the slimy side and old. The rolls were overall “watery” and the flavors were not good. They fell apart if we tried to dip them in soy sauce. The service was bad. Very inattentive & almost on the rude side (with the exception of the hostess). It was a poor introduction to Seattle...

The host/greeting was great. We were put in the care of Chef Manuel. His food was amazing and service special. The fish was fresh and rolls creative and unique. Definite recommend!

This is one of my go to places for dinner in downtown Seattle. The quality of the food is great and they have an awesome happy hour.

Enjoyed this down town Sushi restaurant. Good rolls and good service. Very busy so expect to wait. Enjoy!!

We had asked one of our tour guides for recommendations for good sushi restaurants downtown Seattle. He came up with his restaurant. It was a great recommendation. The sushi and other dishes were super tasty and had some additional spicier flavor from Mexican fusion impact. Truly loved it. Yeah The Sushi was not pricier than buying it at other restaurants or the public market nearby . I would also like to mention that that other than some other restaurants they do not charge you a mandatory 20% service fee but let you decide yourself upon a tip. Very notable. Full recommendation from my side despite being very crowded even in the afternoon aside main lunch or dinner time. Calculate some more time, the waiters are super busy.

I went to visit this place as I've used to love it before. I've ordered lux Rolls from happy hour menu plus ceviche from regular menu, they both came with significant lower quality than use to be. Staff unusually and unnecessary pushy with tipping.

Went for the chefs sashimi selection. Probably 9 different types of fish/sea food. All very fresh - but it is just down from the fish market. Enough for 2 people ($30). And a couple of sushi rolls (one crab & one prawn). Nice light lunch after an hour at the Seattle Art Museum. A nice way to spend a day.

I like the layout of this place, allowing for privacy and not crowding too many tables or chairs in. They also have a long happy hour, including in the dining room, but aside from house wines, beers they prices aren’t that great. We sampled a lot of rolls and bowls and everything was really good.

Came here in time for the late night appetizer special. If you're looking to go a little crazy and treat yourself to some nice sushi here's your chance! They have a huge variety of rolls and some fun appetizers like their delicious fried brie. I got the Salmon Skin roll which was very tasty. We also got a plate of sashimi to share. We really went all out... But it was worth it!

This was our second visit to Japonessa while visiting Seattle. The food is outstanding, the ambiance comfortable, and the service excellent. This time I had the tofu in garlic tomato sauce with a tempura appetizer while my husband ordered a few rolls. The tofu in the tomato sauce with cuts of asparagus was delicious and had a deep, rich flavor. The tempura was light, delicious, and perfectly cooked. My husband polished off his rolls. We will be back!

We were recommended to eat here by the reception at our hotel and we are glad we did. As UK sushi virgins only used to YoSushi we asked the waiter to help us choose and was blown away. Huge portions, fantastic tasting sushi, reasonably priced with good service, none pushy wait staff. This is only in Seattle so worth a visit but wish it was a chain and would definitely go again.

OK, so the name of the game was the Salmon Sampler. We had the sashimi version (you can also get the sushi version). It was so good we could hardly stand it. And the specialty rolls, the Emperor (spicy with jalapenos), Barcelona, and Legend Rolls, were fantastic too. Also, the Basic Beach cocktails, with cinnamon--I had to have two of those. Service was perfectly accommodating and nice. Again: the Salmon Sampler stopped us short. That was so good that we could almost schedule another Seattle trip just for that alone. Mm!

I LOVED THIS PLACE. The Sushi is some of the best I have ever had. The decor is fun and gives a great vibe. Location is wonderful if your out doing touristy things and walking around. I'll Be having dreams about Super Bad Boy roll for a week, no big deal. To Top it off our server was wonderful. She was fast, responsive, and has extremely good energy. She had super long curly hair and was a rock star. Thank you for making our dinning experience 500X better. This is the kind of restaurant you make road trips for.

Ordered $50 worth of sushi and they did not include soy sauce, utensils nor did they answer the phone. NOT ordering from here again. So frustrating.

Best sushi in Seattle, do happy hour. So fresh and so good. The service was spot on. Last you have to try the tiramisu green tea cake. This may look strange but it’s so good. Highly recommend.

Very delicious and creative rolls! The sushi was super fresh and tasty and really good drinks too.The atmosphere was very lively as well. Nice staff. When in Seattle and wanting sushi, this place is legit!

Super fresh sushi rolls. Great variety with a flare of Latin. Seemed a little pricey compared to other sushi we've had in our travels but on par with Downtown Seattle pricing. I'd eat here again for sure.

We came during lunch time for the Happy Hour and ordered the sashimi set and the bento box. The taste of both dishes was wonderful. We believe the restaurant uses really fresh high-quality ingredients.

Went to Seattle for a few days. Stumbled upon this restaurant. Loved it. We sat next to the window people watching while we ate and drank. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. The sushi was spectacular and so was our server. Very friendly staff. We came back again during our trip for Happy Hour. See you next time!!

Our group stopped in for happy hour after exploring Pike Place Market. We were seated quickly, and the waiter was very attentive. Drink special was a crowd pleaser at the table, but I just had a local cider. The sushi was delicious, super fresh and a good size. Everyone at our table was content with just 1 sushi roll each as a light lunch. The happy hour deals were super affordable. Big shout out to our waiter, he was fantastic. Possibly the best service we had all trip. He was engaging with our group of 6, brought the food out fast and made sure that we always had a drink! He split out checks by couple as well without hesitation. He even offered great suggestions for how to fill the rest of our trip!

The food was good but the service provided by Jeffrey was nothing short of amazing. He recommended great dishes and went out of his way into making sure our daughter would get what she wanted to eat. Just for his service and attitude we would go back and recommend the restaurant anytime. Restaurant manager, please take good care of Jeffrey, his attitude and service makes a huge positive impact on everyone’s experience

ORDER THE SPANISH LOVER. You’ll thank me later — it was one of the most delicious and interesting sushi rolls I’ve ever had. The Spanish Lover was surprisingly creamy from the scallops with a vibrant yet mild flavor from the avocado and cilantro. The other rolls we tried included the Last Samurai, Spider Roll, and Love Hunter — all solid choices, flavorful and filling (the fish was good, but more watery than what we expected fresh Puget Sound fish to be). We also ordered the Seattle Crunch roll; we saw a lot people mentioning it in their reviews, but felt it was over-hyped (the breading was doughier than we would’ve liked). You can skip this one. Also of note, some of the rolls weren’t particularly tight and on several occasions the pieces fell apart as we tried to eat them — it’s an inevitable outcome when eating sushi, but we still thought it happened more than usual. The restaurant’s best feature is its location, close to Pike’s Place and near a lot of hotels. The restaurant is very clean, but the decor is a bit tacky — the black chandeliers and striped wallpapers creates a gothic/art-deco feel, which doesn’t exactly match the modern Mexican-Japanese-fusion fare. The service was okay, although we waited about fifteen minutes past our reservation before being seated. The host and waitress were both professional but cold — you could feel the staff was stressed behind the scenes, so we did our best not to make things more difficult for them. All-in-all, this would’ve been a 3/5 for me were it not for the Spanish Lover roll — it was seriously that good. I’d brave the negative aspects again in a heartbeat for another taste of that delicious creation!

While on our city tour my son requested a good Japanese place to eat. This place was recommended so we thought we would give it a try for lunch/early dinner. When we got there we were told that we could be seated but we would have to eat within an hour because they were all booked up with reservations after 5 PM. We were told to look at the happy hour menu as it was a very good deal and it was. We had all types of sushi including rolls and shumai along with tempura and a teriyaki chicken dish. Everyone was satisfied and thoroughly enjoyed their meal. We would go again but I highly recommend that you call and make a reservation if it’s anytime after 5 PM.

One of my favorite Sushi places in Seattle. Reservations are a must as they get busy. Def. go for the Fried Brie for app and Green Tea Tiramusi for dessert. Delicious!

Yes, it's a tease because the Happy Hour menu is limited and you'll see some other things you'll want to try. But we got a $20 bottle of the house red wine and tried a couple of sushi rolls, spicy and not so spicy, and they were both good. The full menu looks good and worthy of a second visit. We arrived without reservations and sat at the bar but by the time we left at 7pm there was a line...even on a Wednesday in December!

Come during happy hour and with the happy hour menu all items are HALF price. Every item from the sushi bar has been EXCELLENT. The fried calamari dish is placed on top of a bed of greens salad is very popular, the agedashi (lightly fried tofu in bowl of soup top with bonito flakes) are prepared prefectly. Even the standard Sushi Deluxe (comes with 7 pieces sushi) is classicly done perfectly.

A very nice menu of some traditional Japanese dishes but a heavy focus on fusion cuisine. The tempura Brie is unique and delicious. A good assortment of specialty fusion rolls. Service was friendly, prompt and professional. Good prices at happy hour.

On a recent trip we stopped into this fine restaurant for some sushi. We were not disappointed. We started with the Toro trio which consisted of the three finest cuts of Ahi tuna including Toro and the even rarer Otoro! Hard to describe the mouthwatering texture and flavors. The freshness was at its peak and it was beautifully prepared. We also did the salmon sushi sampler which consisted of different species of locally caught salmon. Once again, ultra fresh and beautifully prepared. We also had one of their seasonal sushi rolls which was to die for The service was impeccable the room is lively. Really a great place for lunch or dinner if you love Fresh fish and sushi.

The worst service and staff I’ve ever encountered. don’t bring your kids either. Food is not great and we all got sick.

Had a wonderful lunch here- highly recommend the tempura brie appetizer. The sashimi and garlic short ribs were both fantastic as well.

Perfect dining experience to have before a show. Sushi is prepared quickly and presented as works of art. Very friendly service and delicious food. No stress about getting out in time for the show. Loved the Takoyaki and tempura sushi rolls.

Our second time @ Japonessa. Solid Japanese restaurant. We had both the sashimi & sushi deluxe sets, an order of the calamari, chicken karaage and the salmon karaage tacos. Fish was fresh and the best tasting was the salmon karaage tacos - great balance in taste and super healthy (served on boston bibb lettuce). The chicken karrage was also on point. Tasty and juicy. High price point, however.

Stopped by on Saturday after a visit to the Seattle Art Museum for a late lunch. So glad I did. I really enjoyed the Beef Yakatori Tacos & Fried Calamari on Spring Salad with Miso Dressing. Perfect favor and exactly the right amount of food. Quick service and very friendly staff. I’ll be back.

My husband and I had dinner here based on a recommendation from a friend on our recent trip to Seattle. The restaurant was very crowded, even on a weeknight, and we waited for a table, but not too long. There isn't much room to wait though, just a heads up as the entrance/lobby is small and what looks like it may have been a bar/sushi bar to sit at is now dedicated to take-out orders lined up (which is great, any way a place can stay busy right now is a good thing!). The service we had was very good, and our food was good as well. The tempura I ordered was cooked perfectly and was delicious. My husband ordered a few rolls, which were Japanese/Mexican inspired and he enjoyed them, but they had so much sauce on top that it was almost overwhelming (I'm talking to you, Barcelona Sunrise). I don't think aioli is Japanese or Mexican, but there was too much of it. Japonessa has a great happy hour that isn't just traditional happy hour times (I believe from open to 5:30), but also from 9pm to close everyday. Also, the tables are pretty close together if that is a Covid concern for you, and the restaurant was crowded when we were there.

Tried this place as it’s rated well on trip advisor. We ordered a $80 mixed sushi and sashimi plate based on the chefs recommendations. The salmon and tuna pieces were amazing, a few of the other local fish options were a bit more interesting, there was also prawn and clam sashimi which was not as nice. Overall this restaurant had a nice atmosphere and staff were friendly.

I discovered a fly inside the glass containing the soy sauce. The glass arrived already covered, so the insect had to be inside before serving. When I informed the server, they brushed it off saying it “comes from outside.” I didn’t argue, but the dismissive response and the cleanliness concern were disappointing. Didn’t even bother to offer a refund or a gift card! I’ve enjoyed the Seattle branch before, but this Bellevue location makes me hesitate to return.

I was only in Seattle a few days and asked my nephew, who had lived there for a bit, where to go. His first thought was Japonessa. It was so delicious. If I make it back to Seattle I would for sure go back.

We went to lunch here after touring the Pike Market. We chose it because we were hungry and it was convenient, but did we luck out. Very extensive sushi and sashimi choices with some very creative chef specials. All the sushi we ordered was outstanding with very generous portions of fish. We had a tuna salad special which we particularly liked. The service was very good, the waitress was attentive and had many good recommendations.

Food was very good. Eric our waiter was fantastic - a real pro. Took away a star because they told us 25 minutes wait without a reservation and was over an hour. Not that good to wait so long, but it was my son's birthday and we were on vacation.

Being our first time in this Japanese restaurant , lunch, we ordered what’s familiar. A cup of miso soup , calamari, sushi called The Legend, and The Mediterranean. The soup was not your regular miso soup. Soup was made from scratch and ingredients used tasted fresh. Love love love the soup. Both sushi were amazingly delicious. Not the typical sushi. Having said that, we went back the following day for dinner, and confident in ordering more and tried something different. Enjoyed every last bit of the food.

Delicious! Found this place last year on a trip and came back and was so glad I did. Lovely sushi, lovely wine and even though the place is looking a little run down it was still very good. I will be back on my next trip to Seattle.

Very unwelcoming. We had popped in the night before for a drink in the bar area and sat outside. The food coming up looked good so decided to eat there next night. On arrival we were asked for id, are you kidding me, four of us our age ranged from 50 to a young looking 60. No one had asked for it the night before how bizarre. The impression was they really didn't want us there. Insisted we should show our id, anyway manager came and sorted it out. Very nice guy. Got a table food was good. Not really sure what's going on here.

Everything was amazing! We just picked up take out to bring to our hotel so can’t speak to the service or atmosphere but definitely one of the best sushi places I’ve had.

Amazing the white king salmon! Fish super fresh and the rolls great too! Great service and the place good too!

Don’t waste your money! Way overpriced for what you get. The tempura vegetables and shrimp were just okay, the short ribs not so much. The short ribs portion was slight to say the least and for 16$ each we were expecting more for sure!

Super fast and fresh. Love the Spanish take on the dishes. I started out with the Yuzu Margarita and it was delicious. We had several of the specialty rolls and all of them were outstanding. We made a reservation for a Thursday evening and we were seated right away. Server was over very fast to take drink orders and appetizers. Everything was outstanding and arrived to the table quick.

We’re on a no/low sodium diet so traveling means being very selective about what restaurants serving certain cuisines are definitely out. One of our fall backs is Sushi given the fish is very reservedly handled. Almost everything else is hit with soy sauce or miso which are salt bombs but fresh unadulterated fish works for us. We avoid the sushi rice and really just get sashimi. We had trouble finding a sushi restaurant in or near the central district but decided on this place making sure we stuck to the sushi. Dark and trendy, we 60 year olds were at least 3 times older than anyone else including staff. High ceilings painted dark with black crystal chandeliers, this place is super trendy and sited kitty corner to the Four Seasons, it’s not cheap. Still the fish was definitely fresh and tasty, quality was there for the price but the quantity not so much.

I was meeting two folks for the first time, so we wanted a special place. I live in NYC, so wanted the freshest possible West Coast fish. Japonessa came through on both fronts. The tables are lovely and large, always nice when you come from crowded country. The noise level is pretty high, between hard-surface walls and wooden floors and the music. But once we got a cocktail and a nibble, we fond our way to holding a conversation. The omakase offered several different price levels, based on how many fish you wanted. We got 26 pieces for $80, which is pretty reasonable per piece. The choices were excellent: a melting albacore tuna belly, Alaskan crab, sockeye salmon. In like fashion, the specialty rolls here adventurous - and HUGE. The eel roll displayed almost the entire beast draped across the top. There were lots of rolls with contemporary ingredients - lots of cilantro and other things I basically can't stomach. Our waiter was attentive and friendly but not over-present. Wonderful. I would eat here again in a heartbeat.

Excellent sushi and happy hour! Unique rolls and great drinks. Be sure to grab a reservation tho. They were booked when we got there. It's a busy place.

I am not much into sushi but do love their take on adding a SW flair to some of their items. Yes, love their happy hour. Service has always been attentive. Layout and decor very classy. Great place to have a quick bite before a show at nearby Benaroya.

This is a very nice sushi restaurant right in downtown Seattle. But being centrally located and very popular, this place can get crowded in a hurry. So my advice is to go a little early. This way you can beat the rush, avoid the line-up and take advantage of their happy hour specials (both food and drink). The sushi and rolls were delicious, with generous portions. During happy hour, a good idea is to order several plates to share. Don't forget the edamame. And service was friendly and helpful too.

Although I marked the place with three stars, this was a "good" meal. The fengshui of being opposite the Seattle Art Museum will probably always ensure that this is a rocking locale, but I'll just supply a few notes. It was happy hour when we came in and there was a crowd of young people in JSC. (There is also a location in Bellevue, by the way.) We ordered a pot of green tea, the deluxe set of sushi, the "crunchy guy" roll, salmon nigiri, and the spider roll--that last is soft-shell crab, quite an interesting item of sushi. As I remarked to the server, I don't think I'll be doing the "Crunchy guy" special again. What arrived was something like a California roll, but dipped in batter and deep-fried. Just go with tempura plates, that seems the better choice. As for the soft-shell crab roll, I have to say "Zen" up in Whatcom County does this item better (and they'll be thrilled when I tell them so on the next visit there). But this was okay. The deluxe sushi tray was good, as I would expect it to be. My wife wasn't in awe of the salmon nigiri. I thought it was okay. All in all, we would come here again, but maybe with somewhat lowered expectations. Our server was cheery and friendly. Bon appetit!

Good variety of both unique and creative as well as traditional sushi rolls. Definitely come during the long happy hours for some really great deals.

My friend and I decided to drop in for a few appetizers for lunch. The Calamari Japonessa was the best calamari I have ever eaten. Lightly fried with a sweet duli glaze, mixed greens and yuzu aioli, it had a delicious, delicate crunch. My friend, who has eaten far more Japanese food than I have, said she had never had calamari served that way and loved it, too.

A busy place with a youngish vibe. Service was exceptional...sushi a little less so. Some dishes were superb - sashimi set and Seattle rolls were outstanding. However, spicy tuna and super bad boy rolls were just average. Sushi deluxe was a little better, but IMO go for sashimi unless you really want rice.

My daughter loves sushi, and wanted to try this restaurant after we saw it on a Pike Place Market tour. The food was good, not great. There were no great disappointments, but the service was average as well, so all in all, a 4 star rating. It wasn't bad, but I won't be back.

The place is always crowded and don’t accept reservation. It could be frustrating to have a waiting list for more than 45 min. Once you get your table, you understand why the place is so crowded. The menu offers so many creative roll, that you feel overwhelmed and excited about your future dish Cocktails are really great and you can even select your liquor brand

We have been to Japonessa multiple times, and have always loved their great food. This time we returned with our new baby, and had a terrible experience. The service was slow and inattentive. I had to request times before I got a refill on my drink. Then I realized what the issue was when my check came. We were four guests with my baby asleep in her car seat. The server had gone ahead and counted us as 5 guests and given herself a 20 percent service charge, so she didn’t see the reason to provide good service. Very disappointing!

The Fairmont concierge recommended J to us. It was late afternoon and our stomachs were on NY time. Happy hour was in progress when were arrived. The restaurant was busy. J served solid sushi and had a nice location close to the Market.

I was referred to here from the hotel concierge for one of the best sushi in town. Little did I know that service will even exceed the quality of the food. Visited this restaurant twice in 4 days as Julian and Austin at the bar were extremely helpful in providing information about going to places and places I should skip. They were not wrong about ANY of the places as all the places I visited were amazing and did not disappoint. I was in Seattle for the football game and they advised me where to go before the game and after the game, late night places to go check out. It is amazing how friendly and attentive they were and genuinely wanted to ensure I got to enjoy the city for the 4 days that I was. While sushi was great, it was the service aspect of this place that made me want my friends back second time. Will definitely see you guys next time I'm back in Seattle.

I had ramen with sake. Friendly and attentive service, good (somewhat eclectic) food ('Japanese fusion cuisine'), reasonable prices. Popular, considering the long wait list.

Visited Japonessa Seattle in June 2021. This is the sister restaurant of Japonessa Bellevue, and this is the original. Located right at the heart of downtown, across from The Four Seasons hotel, it’s a good place for human watching. Patio dining is available, as well as indoors. Good food, good service, and reasonable prices especially during happy hours. A good place for downtown dining. Highly recommend.

Used to be a great place to come relax and have an awesome happy hour . Now happy hour is only half the things that were there before and the rest of the prices are ridiculously expensive , I guess to give that downtown pricing and the food is not worth it anymore. There is barely anything Japanese about any dishes, it’s all over fried and too spicy and the sushi taste bland and have that bad fusion cuisine feel to them . The prices are as high as the high end sushi places with no such finesse and quality The food makes you feel stuffed and not satisfied with that greasy after taste and tiny portions. And the worst thing is that it’s always crowded with long wait and tourists crowds. Locals stopped coming here long time once the place stopped having fresh fish Come at your own risk only to wait 30 min for a bad meal

I'm not going to pretend I'm a sushi "expert" But we all know what we like. You will find what you like here and some things I have never heard of and they were delicious. Very convenient to walk to downtown.

My husband & I recently spent 4 days touring Seattle. Japonessa was our #1 restaurant. It is located at 1400 1st Ave. also across from Pike Place Market & the pier. Their food is outstanding and fresh. Sushi is wonderful! Do try Japonessa. If you live in the Seattle area, it will become a fast favorite. If you are visiting, you are sure to return.

And boy were they right.....we made a reservation for our first day in Seattle but had to cancel it because we were in Bainbridge Island (and went to Bruciato instead). So we made a reservation for our second night and it was worth it. The restaurant wasn't packed but everyone looked like a local. We got seated towards the back and everyone was socially distant. Our server dropped off water, plates and utensils and the scannable QR code menu. A lot of stuff at the time was in happy hour and ordered drinks as we looked. I ordered their Hop-ponessa IPA and our server (Zach was his name per our receipt who was a good waiter BTW) said good choice. We then got our drinks and ordered food - agadashi tofu and hamachi app to start, one of the big rolls for my girlfriend and the sushi deluxe set and the chef's choice sushi set for me. We asked Zach if that was enough and he suggested maybe one more thing and he asked us what we liked and after some deliberation we got one of the tuna apps that was a close cousin of the hamachi app. Apps came out first and everything was really good. Then our mains and my sushi was even better than the apps. Zach checked on us and refilled our water several times. We then ordered the fried cheesecake dessert and that was pretty good too. The bill came out to 180 bucks including tax, tip, 4 drinks, a lotta food and great service from Zach. Everyone has a favorite local sushi place that flies under the radar (ours is Geido in Brooklyn). Whoever it was on TA who said their relative told them to go here, we thank you.

We arrived in Seattle looking for a great sushi place. Showed up and the place was jam packed. They told us an hour and fifteen min wait time. We walked around and returned at our said time, but had to wait an additional 45 minutes. Because of this, the General Manager made sure to accommodate us as best as he could. The food was delicious, the service was fantastic! At the end of our meal, he sent us 3 desserts for the inconvenience (wasn’t necessary, but very nice of him).

Eh. We are from Denver, CO and have had better sushi. Anything with spicy tuna in it tasted like a packet of tuna. Very fishy and not good. Service was great. Just expected more from a sushi restaurant near the water. If you accidentally find yourself here, get the salmon tartare that was the best thing on the menu.

I visit Japanese restaurant a lot as obviously I am an Asian. But this restaurant was by far has the worst service my family and I have ever received in an Asian restaurant. Our server was a racist. He has the dark comb over hair style. He was very nice and welcoming to other people but was very rude to us (Asian). He racial profiled us. He even has the audacity to ask for a tip despite of his attitude which I still did because I am a nice person. But I will never come back to this restaurant ever again.

1. Hostess made us wait “outside” for a table when the restaurant was literally empty and the seats waiting area was clearly free. 2. automatically Charged us 20% gratuity for a “large group” of 4 people! Convenient …. 3. Over all experience was below average and wont go back. Service was poor. 4. Food decent. There are too many wonderfully kind people running sushi restaurants in the area without the attitude to choose from. I’ll happy spend my time and money there

Japonessa is located in the heart of downtown Seattle. It offers contemporary Japanese food. Their happy hour menu is good and more reasonably priced than the regular menu. One thing i did not like was the crunchy roll. They deep fried the entire roll, opposed to adding crunchy items to the roll. Not my cup of tea.

Went during lunch, the service was friendly and prompt. The sushi presentation was great and the taste was fantastic. Highly recommended.

Sometimes you just have to wait too long for sushi- especially at a place that has its fans. But this was efficient, graceful service- and the sushi was excellent. Their spicy sauce was a bit much for me, but I am a weenie when it comes to anything resembling a hot sauce. Reasonable prices-- and the room also has personality. I gather they have a sister restaurant in Seattle- so I will try that as well. It could take me a long time just to go through this one's sushi list- there are a lot of offerings I've never heard of, but sound delicious. I am pretty timid and conventional in my tastes though- and they did all my favorites extremely well .

We came here the last time we were in Seattle and loved it so came back and it didn’t disappoint this time either. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the food is soooo good.

Pretty good rolls, but a bit pricey at the same time. I tried their Japonessa Signature Rolls, specifically their Orange Crush and Street Fighter. Luckily we got in right before the lunch rush. The service was friendly and quick. I stuck with their suggestions, and it was delicious! Would highly recommend if you don't mind spending a few extra dollars.

We immediately saw how popular Japonessa was when we walked in and the place was packed Sunday night. After a bit of a wait we were seated at the bar. The service was fantastic. Everyone was so friendly and our food and drinks all came quickly. They have an excellent Happy Hour. Our server/Bartender asked immediately about allergies. Food and drinks were delicious! Highly recommend and would go back in a heartbeat!

The sashimi and nigiri were great. Very high quality and very good, like at a high end restaurant. The speciality rolls were a miss for me. Big portion but a lot of crab meat on some of them. Sashimi saved the day though.

the rolls were very good, but sorry the serviced sucked. our waitress was obviously busy, but she was also kinda rude. if someone at our table took one second to think or ask something, she was gone or giving you body language of disgust, but what did she care? we had a group of 6 and the tip was already added into the bill - so whether she sucked or not she would be getting paid. she was a good of why a tip/service fee should be based on "service". i would give it a better rating based on the food, but our waitress brings it down.

Second time at Japonessa. What a great place and reasonably priced. The service is exquisite and courteous: the busboy, the multiple waiters that served our table. The sushi is very good and the drinks were great. They also seem to have a good happy hour menu. Highly recommended!!!

A bit scary if this indeed is Seattle's best sushi as its really on the lower quality side IMO coming from Southern California. The fish didn't taste so fresh and the rolls were not that inspiring. One of the rolls I ordered featured rubbery fish and old avocado -- not the mark of an A+ sushi restaurant. They cram you in and hold tables for reservations while allowing first come, first served at the upper bar area which isn't too comfortable for dining. Sorry to say, its not the kind of place I would ever return to as I had higher hopes based on recommendations I was give by local residents. Note that their Happy Hour prices (until 8P are much less than the overpriced main menu so take note. You can do better!

No booking just walked in, got a table for two around 5pm. Restaurant was busy with good atmosphere. Our server was great, explained drinks and food and own opinion on some of the selections. We weren’t disappointed, chef selection was delicious, battered crab amazing and the tempura prawns a must. Prices are good, pleasant, relaxing meal with good quality produce, will return next time we’re in Seattle

Have been trying to get some good sushi ever since arriving in Seattle. We found Japonessa Sushi Cocina in Downtown Seattle to be reasonably good. Tried different dishes and all were pleased. The yakitori was simple enough, yet tasty. Had different type of sushi rolls that were very good. If looking for a comfortable place to try, this may be the spot.

We had a great lunch after spending the morning at the Seattle Art Museum. It is only a block away. We were told there would be a 10 minute wait for seats and that is about what it was. This is not cheap sushi, but it is so fresh it is worth the extra cost. The rolls are very inventive, a lot we had not seen before. The service was very good for being packed for lunch on a Friday. The food was excellent.

Food 5. Service 4. Presentation 5. Selection 5 Atmosphere 5 Taste 5. A wonderful overall experience. Pricing is a bit steep but worth it. A great place! Enjoy

We went for an early dinner while on spring break with our two teen boys. We have on the doesn’t eat sushi. We got the Legend roll, Seattle crunch and spring crunch(?) all three were excellent as filling. We also had a tropical roll. This was only liked by me and tasted more like dessert.

This place is fantastic, some of the best sushi I have had in Seattle. Rolls are pricey but well worth it. Excellent C19 precautions. You can't go wrong here!.

My daughter, granddaughter, 15, and I ate lunch here. It was my granddaughter's first time eating sushi. Our server was helpful and made suggestions as to what she might like and the level of spiciness the rolls were. Another server assisted with her using chopsticks. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and we recommend this restaurant if you are in the mood for sushi.

Paradise for sushi, sashimi & rolls’ lover. Love to be here and enjoy assorted rolls, udon kimchi, fresh sashimi with lively ambience. Booking is required for large groups & please be one time .

I am crazy sushi lover for like 15 years or so but I've never eaten such a great sashimi in my entire life! I am ready to flight all the way from Massachusetts just to eat there again. It was soo tasty, so fresh, no words! And the atmosphere of the restaurant is a very pleasant too.

Had dinner with my kids there- what a Great way to kick off ourSeattle trip. I ordered special Love Affair - perfect combination of fish and mango. Kids ordered shrimp tempura roll and .. something else .. (can’t remember). All three rolls were amazing . Sashimi appetizer was great too. Good wholesome place .

We went there for dinner, and tried lot's of different things on the menu. There was not a single plate that was just "ok", everything was really good. We had to wait since the place was realy crowded, but they send you a text message when your table is ready, so you can do as we did, and go to a bar nearby (we went to the bar at the four seasons across the street), and when we received the text message, we went to get our table. They have a large list of different kinds of Sake, and the staff is really helpful when trying to make your mind on what to get (both for food and drinks). It was well worth the wait.

This was some of the best sushi I have ever had- we went on our first visit and without trying to, made it in time for happy hour - which has some great offers including cheap beer and 5$ salmon rolls. We returned two nights later and sat at the sushi bar which enhanced our experience even further and this time treated ourselves to the nigiri of the day which was a more expensive salmon, but worth every $. Loved it and have recommended to friends since.

Dined here for an early dinner, and just beat the crowd. It was definitely starting to get busy, given it is in a good location, not too far from the market. They have a large list of signature cocktails and sake, so I opted for a glass of the Suijin God of Water. It's a heavy pour so if you're by yourself, one glass should be good for lunch or dinner. They offer half and full bottles as well. We started off with standard edamame, which was what you'd expect. Next, the garlic short ribs were very tasty, with the grill char flavor, coupled with the garlic sauce that made it a tasty appetizer. In addition to the standard and some unique sushi and sashimi options, they have a ton of different house rolls to choose. They do have a "happy hour" and omakase special, so be prepared to make some tough decisions, given everything looks good on paper. We opted for the Mexican Ninja, Super Bad Boy, and Mr. Wonderful rolls, in addition to the sushi set, wild greens salad, and ride dish. The rolls came with a great presentation, and we really enjoyed the sauce on top, which complemented the fish nicely.

Great Japanese restaurant downtown Seattle with an excellent Happy Hour sushi sashimi and drinks. Wide selection of maki and nigri along with some great sakis. Reasonably priced. All fish was very fresh. Fun atmosphere

Nice clean atmosphere, very busy but would be worth the wait. Very quick service and delicious food. The roll options have something for everyone (and non sushi goers)

We stopped in for Happy Hour to test out the place. My husband is picky about sushi and was very happy with the quality of the items he ordered. I am not sushi eater and found vegetarian items that I enjoyed as well. The service was spot-on as well.

We had a near perfect dinner. Good food good prices great service. My only complaint was the wine by glass selection. Had to drink a New Zealand sauvignon blanc, which confirmed I don’t like Nee Zealand wines. At least it was only $11. Loved the restaurant though and we’ll be back.

Absolutely the best sushi we have ever experienced! The preparations of each serving from apps to main rolls - an unforgettable meal! We ordered the Himachi Usu which was fabulous, yellowtail so fresh, with a pico de gallo topping. We then had a special nigiri with Ora King salmon - learned this salmon is only in New Zealand. OMG doesn’t describe how delicate it was, it just melted in our mouth. We then ordered rolls and no doubt a meal in itself. The rolls were not lacking a thing. Highly recommend a visit here…was so good we went back for lunch the next day and just ate the Nigiri and Himachi!

Very nice restaurant with great customer service. They have an extensive menu and all options sounded amazing. I decided to order the Spicy Chorizo Ramen. The Spicy Chorizo Ramen has pork broth, spicy pork chorizo, wheat/egg noodle, corn, bamboo shoots, green onion and itokiri togarashi. When I tell you life changing?? Listen!! I would fly back to Seattle just for that. It has a good kick but not too much that it overpowers the other flavors. 5/5!

After a day in downtown Seattle as a tourist, my daughter had a recommendation from others and we weren't dissappointed. After a short wait, the friendly hostesses were accommodating to my sleeping grandson in his stroller. Our server, Misty made it a fun time. She helped with recommendations off the menu, the Mexican sushi roll was a bit spicy but tasty. The portion sizes were generous. A little help to pick a tasty wheat beer- perfect afternoon. The restaurant busy and spacious, so obviously a favorite.

Great Happy Hour menu in the bar lounge until 8:00 pm. No reservations required. The chef’s choice sashimi omakase was great to share - very fresh and delicious. We also ordered the the spider roll (fried soft shell crab) and the unagi roll (seasoned eel). Draught beer was $5. This was a very filling meal for two people. Our total bill for two people were slightly over $50. This was a great deal for the quality and quantity of sushi and sashimi.

Visited this place during my visit to Seattle with my friends. Tried couple of items like veg tofu, and other sushi items with were very great. I loved the sushis at this place.

We were touring Seattle and a friend recommended Japonessa. It was, by far, the best sushi I have ever tasted. While it is pricey, it is soooooo worth it. The four of us all agreed that this place is a find. We were able to walk in and get a seat on Friday at 4:00pm.

When I lived in Seattle, I was fortunate enough to have a job where they took us here frequently for work outings. I would take my girlfriend here all the time, and now that I am back on the East Coast this Restaurant is what I miss the most. I would give anything to have Japonessa open a location in Upstate, NY. Seriously the best food I've ever had. If I meet someone from Seattle, or who is going to visit Seattle, I make sure they know about this place. If I ever visit Washington State again, I will 100% be eating here. Twice.

This was my 2nd visit from years ago and this experience lived up to what I remembered and what made me come back. Some of THE best rolls I've ever had. Beyond sad that they are located on the other side of the country and I can't have them on the regular. These rolls mean business. Big, bold, unique flavors, and hearty portion sizes. They are badass rolls and they have so many incredible flavor combinations. Big fan of orange crush and the deadliest catch (special). I 100% would come back again as this place is a dream. Service, appetizers, and sake are top notch too!

We had their Signature Rolls. There is an extensive choice to select from and they all sounded good. We had the Sweet Kiss and the Mexican Ninja. Both were excellent. Will definitely go back if I’m ever in Seattle again.

Because I have a Japanese mother-in-law, I eat a lot of sushi and other Japanese cuisines. I practice making it at home, too. She always tells me American sushi isn't at all the same as actual Japanese sushi. I've heard this from American friends in Japan, too. But, until this trip. I didn't realize how true that was. Japonessa was A-MA-ZING! Because of the pandemic, we ordered ours to be delivered to our hotel room in lieu of dining in the restaurant so you would THINK it would be subpar but WOAH! This was SO VERY GOOD we ate absolutely every morsel delivered to us! Not a bad bite in the bunch - and we ordered a HUGE amount between the two of us! The sashimi was oh, so fresh and the sushi rice ... oh my ... it was the single best standout of the meal because it had more delicious texture and layers of flavor than any I have had before - just the way I've been told it should. I look forward to enjoying this experience again!

Found this place after visiting SAM across the road at lunchtime. Glad we did. Modern decor and very busy. Very much a place where the diners take photos of the food ! Recommend sushi rolls which were delicious and really well presented. We had a tempura roll where the whole roll was fried and battered. Very nice but not quite what we were expecting. Service was quick and just a good experience especially if you like sushi. Not cheap but we felt good value given quality of food and also location. Given how busy it was when we visited a lot of locals felt the same.

Japonessa was recommended to us by a friend that used to live in Seattle. We made a reservation and I’m glad we did because it was pretty crowded even at 9:00 p.m. The sushi comes in very generous portions and the prices are not outrageous. Try the garlic edamame with bacon. You won’t regret it!

We had a very nice meal at Japonessa, which was very busy so I would recommend reserving a table. I had the spicy king crab soup which was spicy but very good. We followed with the crispy skin salmon salad which was excellent and four portions of sashimi- two salmon and two tuna. The white salmon was delicious but one of the tuna was very fatty and had a hard outer layer (if you removed the hard layer it was tasty) Service was very good. A nice evening.

Went here with a couple of friends after reading great reviews. We were promptly shown to a table which was great in a busy restaurant. Order process was good, waiter didn’t seem to want to offer too much advice on the menu. Ordered 3 rolls, first 2 arrived and the third a few minutes later which the waiter announced as a different roll and not the one we had ordered. I asked her to check. Our original waiter returned and he brushed off the other waitress saying she was wrong. I still wasn’t convinced as knew my roll did not contain salmon... the one in front of me obviously did. Still annoyed I asked another waitress to check and she confirmed it was wrong, lifted the wrong sushi and returned with the correct roll. All topped off with an incorrect bill which had a second bottle of wine added.... no apology or anything. Wouldn’t return here..... or would request not to have this waiter. Totally letting this restaurant down!!! Sushi was good but have also had better. Disappointed with the meat content in some of the rolls.

We heard about this place from Lam, the bartender at Capital Grill. (Side note, always ask locals where to go) we walked in at 640pm and the place was jam packed. We asked to put our name in and were told it would be over an hour wait unless we wanted to go to the lounge. We said yes the lounge. The hostess pointed us in a direction and said ask for Taylor. We walked to the lounge and were greeted by Taylor who said our wait would be 5 minutes! Wait what! How could this be? To our pleasant surprise we were sat almost immediately not even 3 minutes after walking through the front door. Our server was absolutely phenomenal and to make things unprecedented happy hour in the lounge was until 8pm. We have found our go to spot whenever we come back to Seattle! I will leave it at this and tell you that you MUST stop in here and MUST sit in the lounge. No disappointment will be made, that’s a promise!

The menu here has a variety of both sushi & meat rolls. Some very spicy and some not. They also have variety of Japanese items. The portions are large and tasty. The service is good & staff very friendly.

We were staying at the Kimpton Alexis and the hotel staff suggested the Japonessa for sushi happy hour from open to 8pm. Be advised that happy hour in the restaurant is only until 6:30. The extended happy hour is only in the bar area. We are a black and Chinese couple and both LOVED it. The sashimi was incredibly fresh and we ordered 3 orders of salmon and tuna. We also had the seattle roll, crunchy California roll, shrimp tempura roll and sushi set B. We loved it all. Definitely recommend Japonessa!

We stopped here for a quick lunch on the way back from Pikes Market and had a great feed. I ordered the Legend Sushi and was delighted. My wife had the Ultimate Dragon and I had a bit of her serving and was very impressed. I would go back at the drop of a hat!

Opted to try this restaurant based on TripAdvisor reviews and we were not disappointed. Dropped at 6:30 in on a rainy Friday night without reservations and were told the wait would be 1 hour. They took my cell number and promised a text message when a table was being prepared. It only took 30 minutes which was enough time for an after hours a stroll through the empty Pike Place Market. The restaurant was full so the speed of service was measured. Our server, Barry, was lovely and his quiet appearances tableside made us feel like valued and welcome. For openers, we paired a local IPA with very tasty gyoza and takoyaki topped with a hearty helping of bonito threads. I would have liked a bit more octopus in the takoyaki, but the bonito really upped the flavor profile. For the main event, we ordered three rolls (ca. $20 each) Tres Diablos (spicy), The Fireman (crunchy), and the Ultimate Dragon (sweet/eel). One of the things that makes this sushi restaurant stand out is the thoughtful and deft addition of heat through use of various chili infusions, aolis, and toppings. The Tres Diablos was labeled with two chilies on the menu, but the heat level never threatened pain and served to enhanced the overall flavor. My wife can stand the heat, but is no fire-breather, and she said she would happily order Tres Diablos again. The bill for the evening was $111.11 exactly (before tip), but we walked away feeling full after a very satisfying meal.

Very good sushi in Seattle. Fish was fresh service was incredibly quick. I ordered the sashimi sampler and the Mexican Ninja. I would have loved for the roll to have a bit stronger and defined flavor