Shino Sushi Reviews

Lovely decor, excellent service and out of this world food. The crab cucumber salad and the kobe beef appetizers were mouthwatering - perfect!! The sashimi and rolls were sooo fresh, perfectly/artfully prepared and delicious - oh so delicious! Hard to pick a favorite, but the special spider roll and the spicy scallop were to die for. Price was incredibly reasonable, five in our party, we all ate (maybe overate!) and our tab was only $200.

Wonderful new restaurant opened by experienced sushi chef with lots of imagination. Very comfortable interior with two rooms - the main room with sushi bar, tables, small lounge area and a separate room for a little quieter experience. Sushi is incredible!!! Request seat at sushi bar and allow the sushi chefs freedom to create a feast for you (called omakase). They will be happy to accomodate any requests that you may have and will give you a combination of cooked courses and the finest sushi that has ever passed your lips. You will NOT be disappointed!!! Downtown San Diego location is within walking distance or a short cab ride from all hotels and downtown attractions.

Pros: authentic Japanese food, fresh ingredients, delicious, helpful staff We had a sashimi platter, a sushi platter and a rainbow roll. Everything was terrific! The sushi platter includes some delicatessen as sea urchin. I highly recommend this place.

New Sushi place. Chefs are connected with Sushi Ota..other great place. Food was excellent. Sushi was top notch. Rolls were great. They have so many choices. Also loved the tempura and fried calamari. They were not at all greasy. Restaurant decor is great. Two rooms, either one is great. Service was as outstanding as the food. There is no parking on site, but there are lots across the street. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. Can't wait to go back

We really enjoyed this little place located near the tracks. We sat beside a person that noticed we were new and suggested that we ask our waiter about any items off the menu. We did for $18 and it was wonderful. The selections were plenty and you can have the choice of sitting near the sushi preparers or at a regular table. Either way you can see what they are doing. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how fresh the seafood is.

Many different types of sushi rolls to try, reasonably priced and excellent quality, all tasted very fresh. Short walk or Uber ride from Gaslamp area. Highly recommended!

My husband and I LOVE sushi. Everytime we go somewhere we try to find a great sushi restaurant. I noticed this place on TripAdvisor and that it was ranked very high by other customer reviews, so we decided to go for dinner on a Tuesday night. The place was full but there was no wait. We were seated right away and the service was great throughout. We ordered the hamachi jalapeño, the Del Mar roll and the Kitchen Sink roll. All were phenomenal! The sushi was super fresh!! Ken was our sushi chef. He made such beautiful presentations with the rolls, they looked almost too good to eat- Almost!!! We devoured them. If you love sushi, go to Shino! Only downside is the price, but still worth it.

We went for dinner but they were almost closing so we left, after a minute or so of us standing in the street looking for nearby restaurants, the host came back and told us we could order if we ordered everything at once, so we went back, we were hungry and tired. The kitchen sink was amazing, highly recommended.

LOVE the sushi and the chefs, but this place needs a serious rehire for the hostess the people who answer the calls are extremely unprofessional hanging up on guest while trying to book a reservation this has happen to me multiple times and I think it just ruins my experience as a local having to decide between amazing sushi or amazing customer service is really inconvenient.

We were in San Diego for a family event and needed some sushi. Small and minimal in decor, Shino is the perfect place to go. The food is extremely fresh, prices reasonable, and service excellent. we had a little trouble finding the restaurant since we were not familiar with the area. Location is just past the railroad tracks in the downtown area. It is a few short blocks from the ocean. Crowd is young and the restaurant accommodated a family with a small baby. My only complaint--but I have this at most restaurants--noise level was high and made it somewhat difficult to carry on a conversation.

Nice relaxing environment, food was excellent, servers were knowledgable on options and made great recommendations for new time sushi eaters.

This was by far the worst sushi restaurant I have ever been to in the United States, and I have been to tons of sushi restaurants. The sushi itself is OK with small slices of raw fish and mediocre rice preparation. But I also had a piece of rotten sushi that got me sick that night and I continued to have stomach problems the next day. This is absolutely inexcusable for $50 sushi platter!!!

Ate lunch here with 4 adults and 2 kids before boarding cruise ship at port of San Diego. Not too crowded at lunch time mid week. Casual atmosphere. Reasonable prices for lunch deals and decent sushi. Service was quick and polite. Walk to port.

If budget is of no concern then by all means, order omakase, which allows the chef to serve you his choices of fresh catch. Amazing!

We had our first visit here and were so impressed! I am a sushi fanatic and this was probably the best I have ever had. The freshness, quality and service were wonderful. This is a quality place with a bit higher price-but well worth it. This is our new favorite sushi spot!

What a lovely surprise right near the bay. We stumbled on to Shinto while walking around city. Beautiful calm decor. Food was so fresh and the skill of prep and presentation was outstanding. Our service was quick and our server was so welcoming and attentive. Don't miss this amazing spot in san diego

The combo sushi is a win, excellent green tee (warm or cold), white wine, also good peppers appetizer, attentive service, good location. Even though next to the rail tracks, you don't hear the trains/trolleys inside. It's the Quiet Zone of SD

I think it is the best sushi restaurant in San Diego. The food is prepared mostly by the owner. Excellent service. The food is pricy but you have never had such a big and fresh pices. Downtown San Diego. It's really worth to go.

The name of the restaurant is Shino Sushi + Kappo, which describes exactly what the restaurant is, a fusion of two styles. Everyone knows what sushi is, but most don't know what kappo means. It means "to cut, to cook." In some dishes Shino combines the classic sushi experience with non-traditional touches, which include delicate flavorful finishes. For example, we had the Japanese octopus, which was presented as a carpaccio and included grapeseed oil and other flavors. Outstanding!! We also had kobe beef served in the same style as sushi. It's very hard to describe these innovations but they are well worth trying. If you want traditional sushi and sashimi, that too is excellent. Robert Nakamura, the owner, worked with Master Ota for a number of years here in San Diego. The restaurant typifies the best of the classical with this modern twist and includes some cooked dishes. Yes, it can be as expensive as you want it to be or you can select your price range.

Great sushi! You might find it to be a bit of a job to order a full meal since you will have to order a lot of different sushi bites. We did the wagyu sushi real excellent

I liked the location and inside of the restaurant. Too much attention from the server as it feels like they are watching you eating and waiting until you finish your plate to run and take it away :) The sushi were ok, but I expected much more for the price we paid. I had much better sushi and was not impressed. I would not go there again nor recommend it to the others.

This place has excellent sushi, it is a tad expensive (but we have really poor exchange rate from our home country). Everything is freshly prepared, dining is a fun experience. Waiting staff help with suggestions and quantities. This a little gem hidden away from the bland restaurants that line little Italy main streets. Go try it

Had lunch there. Ordered a chirashi and seaweed salad. Very fresh and good sashimi. The staff is very friendly and nice. Price is very reasonable for that quality of food. Would recommend it.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this newer sushi restaurant in Little Italy. I had the Sashimi Dinner with 8 fresh pieces, miso soup and rice. It was delicious! Fresh and served promptly. Added a hot green tea and relaxed. Quaint and authentic. They serve lunch and dinner. Make reservations if later evening, it fills up! Finally getting a great sushi fix in my neighborhood!!

We ended up there by chance. Outstanding experience: world-class sushis and friendly service. Going back tonight.

Having lived in Kobe, Japan and having experienced what sushi is to the culture that invented and perfected it to the art that it has become, I would highly recommend Shino. They will absolutely make you the kind of amazing stuff you'd expect in Japan - or at least with 97% accuracy. The chefs are the real deal, hands down. My advice: stick to the nigiri and sashimi menu. Forgo the rolls. They'll happily make them for you, as any SD sushi place will, but they're not the stars of the show. As far as I can tell, they have the best aji in town, which I tend to use as a barometer of quality and authenticity. And the chawanmushi is as good or better than I've had in Osaka (and that blew me away). The fact that they even have that is a testament to them being the real deal too. It's a bit pricy; however, if you think it's overpriced, then you simply may not be familiar with high quality Japanese foods, which, even in Japan, does not come cheap. This is not strip-mall sushi; it's the good stuff! It's the real deal! Enjoy!

Family run; fresh; authentic; friendly; we have been sushi fans for 30 years eaten at the best in Japan, LA, NYC; and this is up there with the very best. Make sure Robert serves you and just let him serve you what he recommends.

Not a big restaurant. More like hidden gem. Every sushi was excellent. Locally caught Sea urchin was good in particular. Nice atmosphere. Most of the chefs are Japanese.

Looking for sushi that is walking distance from W San Diego. This little gem serves up a great variety in very original presentations. Good taste, great value, and ice cold Sapporo on tap!

My wife and I ate here on a recent business trip to the area. Shino is within walking distance of most downtown hotels. As other reviewers have noted, it is a bit pricey but well worth it. My absolute favorite was the Kobe Beef Sashimi. What an exceptional idea and the many layer of flavor made this a wonderful dish. We ordered several rolls and all where of the highest quality. The décor is a modern design. My only real negative points are that it is a bit loud and I personally do not like having TV's blaring when I am dropping over $100 for a dinner out with my wife. I felt this sport's bar addition really detracted from what is otherwise a very classy atmosphere. They do have a separate dining area that is more intimate and private, but we ate here on a Wednesday evening and that area was not open. We attend this conference every year and I look forward to eating here again next year.

Albeit not cheap, it was well worth it. The miso soup can't be beat. The threesome roll is awesome. The rice was delicious. The sashimi was super fresh. Didn't have dessert.

An excellent sushi option in San Diego if you're staying in downtown. Both the meal and service were great. Do yourself a favor and sit at the sushi bar........and order the omakase if you're adventurous and able to splurge on yourself. Shino offers typical sushi you can find at other joints, but the quality is superior. As well, you can get other items that you can only find at more authentic Japanese restaurants (eg. cod milt). Good sushi doesn't come without a price. My omakase meal, which included just about everything Keith (the sushi chef) could find in his case, was $85........a little on the pricier side but well worth it!

We got carry out to our hotel room. All the rolls and pieces were fantastic. Everything was fresh. Recommend the Del Mar roll. Called ahead and it was ready within my 15 minute walk.

Although pricey, you get your moneys worth. Great sushi! Maybe the decor is not that great. The place is not that evident form the street, there is only a small sign.

Best sushi I've ever had! Beautiful presentation. I also ordered an appetizer of veggie tempura, and the portion size is extremely small for how much they charge for just some veggies, but they did taste really good!

Found this place close to my hotel. Great selection of sushi. Not too bad prices. Great service too. Checkout the specials they have on the wall. Very fresh fish. I will return.

We are fans of sushi and we were not disappointed in this restaurant. Pricing is reasonable, food is excellent and well presented. Recommend it highly.

We asked the chef for Omikase and he was happy to oblige. He asked for the $$$ figure, and we said $100 each, and were served 2 dishes with uni, and one with sweet shrimp, and all the fish we were served was super fresh, tasty and nice portioned. We went overboard with 2 bottles of junmai gingo sake and tap Sapporo! Only disappointment was the prep of the sweet shrimphead. Not crunchy at all.

Visited with a friend and loved the food! After 10 minutes of trying to remember how to use chopsticks and dying to have some more of the bomb squad, I finally gave up and got a fork. Staff and the owner were very friendly, food was great and the drinks were cold. I will go back!

I agree with the other reviews, this place is a gem in San Diego. Just off the tracks off Ash, you'd miss it if you walked right by it. But don't miss it, because the sushi is outstanding. The salmon belly was one of the best things I ate while in San Diego. And the San Diego Roll was so different and refreshing. Only a few tables, so make sure you make a reservation. Enjoy!

Excellent sushi. Laid back place, friendly people working at the sushi bar. High quality sushi. Expensive. If you can afford it, highly recommended.

definitely belongs in the upper echelon. The sushi and sashimi are phenomenal. The sashimi is very fresh and of the highest quality. The sushi rolls are creative and flavorful. My favorites, ordered at the suggestion of our chef, were the Salmon tempura roll and the Del Mar roll. The service is excellent. Everyone was quick, courteous, and polite. It is evident that they aim to exceed expectations and make guests feel comfortable. Basically, Shino Sushi is offers everything one would want in a sushi restaurant. I think it is the best in San Diego. My only complaint is they are very expensive so be prepared and bring a lot of cash!

This location had very fresh sushi/rolls. The location is perfect if staying near the bay. Service was great. They event have tips on some unknown San Diego places to visit. Will definitely go again.

Visiting from Vancouver, BC and having spent a lot of time in Japan, I had high hopes for sushi in San Diego. I was only in town for a few days and so I didn't have enough time to try a bunch of sushi restaurants here. After reading a bunch of reviews from different sources, I decided on visiting Shino. I can safely say that I was not disappointed. The protege of Master Ota apparently opened this restaurant 4 years ago and if he's learned anything from Master Ota, its the quality of the sushi he presents. I was lucky enough to be served by Keith, a 4th generation Japanese who served my girlfriend and I at the sushi bar. He was very welcoming and very friendly. I asked for the omakase and he did not disappoint. Each piece was well presented and came with a nice introduction. There was so much variety of sushi that there were pieces I've never had before. We were served sashimi, a couple of appetizers, and at least 15 pieces of nigiri sushi. Ice cream for dessert of course at the end! All in all with green tea, it was about $100 US per person. Apparently the omakase starts at around $60 US and goes up from there. The average he said was about $80 to $100. Definitely worth it and would go back. To note, lots of regulars visited for dinner and were on first name basis! Great atmosphere!

You must pay 100$(excluded tax.) for smelly humble dishes. Even if chef don't understand what is 'omakase' . Look at the pictures!!

Hidden gem in downtown SD!!!, every thing is so fresh, excellent service, they even made one dish out of the menu for my son. No doubts giving them 5 stars!!!

This has become my favorite restaurant when Visting San Diego. This is not about a shee shee environment. It's about eating the freshest most amazing sushi available that day. The chef/owner takes pride and care in serving some of the best sushi you can find. I recommend just having them being what is fresh and spectacular. Shino thank you for making my last night in SD a meal I will remember

Shino was a real treat. We were looking forward to our dinner. I ordered the Chef's Choice dinner. The sashimi was superb as was the presentation. I complemented dinner with a new to me Japanese ale, also excellent. The most creative dish was a deep fried fish head and skeleton. The fish provided sashimi first while skewered to give the appearance of swimming on the plate. It was later fried as the last item into a "fish chip". I loved it. My wife preferred not to watch me eat the head. Go to Shino.

Extremely fresh sushi. Order Omakase, which lets the chef choose what you eat. It is a great way to experience new tastes.

This is one of the Best Sushi restaurants I have ever been to. The food is out of this world. The service is impeccable and the ambiance very cozy and clean. I love it !!! Will be back !!!

What another exquisite dining experience!!! There's a reason this restaurant has an average rating of 4.5 stars......they deserve it!!!! I know this is a pricey establishment, yet I can't comment on the cost of the Omikase as I was fortunate to be treated by someone. Everything was utterly delicious. OK, one or two items were just very good, but everything else was far ******* out and delicious!!! I had three beers and a couple of shots of sake....sharing some with the ita-mae-san or "sushi master" Robert, also the owner. I know he was serving us his best stuff, and my friend and I enjoyed every morsel.....I wanted more of several, particularly the salmon belly and the beef wrapped fish. I've been here before and enjoyed it immensely, but tonight was extra special, and I know I'll return soon for another culinary extravaganza.

Atsushi (Robert) is a master of arts when it comes to quality and design of his sushi plates. His hospitality is second to none, and this is one of our favorite places to dine for sushi.

I was with a group of ages between 19 and 56 we have all had experiences with sushi.Shino was for sure the way sushi should be done.We were very happy with the food and drink.The location was within walking distance from The Four Points Shereton on 1st ave. After dinner we walked to the Extraordinary Bakery on 5th ave, of course it was yummy and quite an experience!

When you go by you don't even see it and it's a surprise when you get in. A cozy Japanese restaurant with the best service and food !!! We just love it and can't miss it every time we are in San Diego. They have a great menu !!! Great ambiance !!! The service is unbelievable and you eat so good you just don't want it to finish. Really I think this is one of the best Japanese restaurants in town. Don't miss it !!!!

Fish is so fresh and tasty that you can clearly distinguish one flavor from the other. Miso soup is very delicate. Service is kind, all the crew is welcoming and make you feel like a princess.

Had the vegetable sushi made to order and the spicy tempura sushi. I was sick n upset stomach they made the chicken n rice to order very clean n good service.

Sashimi was very fresh and the service was excellent. We sat at the bar and the chefs were very friendly and I enjoyed talking with them.

I had walked by this place earlier in the day and then saw it on Tripadvisor when I put in restaurants near my hotel. The reviews I read were the experience I found, except that I went at 6:00 pm and got right in. The Sushi chef was very helpful as I tried many different fish for sushi. He had me try the rock fish after seeing what else I ordered and I loved it. If you like sushi, don't pass this up.

I've eaten at sushi restaurants all over this country, and Shino is the best by far. The fish is extremely fresh, tasty and expertly presented. The entire wait staff is extremely atttentive to our needs. We were not rushed but simply relaxed, enjoyed our meal, sake and environment. Wonderful!!

In my constant quest to find over the top sushi in an understated environment (hate the big sushi chains) Shino is one not to be missed! The elegant but understated decor tell me this is all about the fish. I followed the chefs direction and let him select my meal. The fresh octopus from Japan was amazing, sweet and tender, not usually the case, served with a dried plum spice. The raw jumbo prawn locally caught was sweet and perfectly prepared. The head was delivered on the plate, still alive, now that's fresh. After I was done they baked the head, what a treat. Serve with a green tree salt and fresh lemon, didn't leave anything on the plate. Fresh sea urchin, toro, and hamachi we're equally delicious. Was afraid to try anything else because everything was so good, but when in Rome do as the Romans, bring it on. The scallops with two drops of fresh lime juice and a house made citrus salt were unbelievable, a must. All I can say is I can't wait to get back to San Diego and eat at Shino. Be sure to say hello to Robert, the sushi chef.

The most fresh sashimi, japanese good!!! This place has made us not like sushi anywhere else!! there is nothing to complaint about this place! Yes the price is high, but worth it!

I had a dinner with my friend. Our table was in front of Sushi Chef. All of Sashimi and Sushi were tasty. Especially, Sushi with Sea Urchin was very impressive for its taste and volumes. It was the first time to see such a heaped Sea Urchin on the rice! The total cost for two of us including tax and tip were $260, and this was not cheap. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend having Sushi with big volume of Sea Urchins.

The sushi and sashimi are some of the freshest I have ever had in my entire life but I don't know if it's worth the amount of money I payed 120 dlls for two peolple! The service is great but there are some rolls in the 20 dlls range that will put a dent in your wallet fast I recommend going and really seeing if it's worth it! Maybe for a rare treat.

This was a place we chose for my wife's birthday, we were not disappointed. The chef Keith and the quality of food were second to none. I am fairly new to sushi but my wife has been into it for some time now and we both could not believe how good everything was. This a great place for any sushi lover, a must try. Great job Shino's!!

Went here with my wife and we LOVED the place! Very very good food and a very nice place. Our favorite was the Kitchen Sink roll, out of this world! We were wanting to eat some good Sushi while in San Diego and they hit it out of the ball park. Best Susi we have ever had.

Disappointing sushi place. Many things were wrong: The rice wasn’t cooked properly, is was to soggy. Sashimis were not fresh, the meat didn’t have consistency and was tasteless. Unagi sushis were burnt! Waiters were nice and friendly. At the too expensive for a very disappointing meal.

I love sushi. I love fish. I love sunshine and the ocean. All three of these things combined would make almost any restaurant with decent food, really good. But Shino could be placed in the middle of New York garbage dump in the heat of summer and still blow anything away I have ever had. The staff is awesome, the atmosphere is great, perfect balance of everything but the food...oh my god the food. I could have, and tried to, eat everything on the menu and then I was given things that were not even on the menu that I would have never tried before and loved them. Everything is fresh and I mean I watched my shrimp meal come out of the holding tank, beheaded and served right away. All the fish, with a few exceptions, come straight from Japan and it's worth trying things you haven't before...you will be very surprised. It's located in Little Italy, so you can't walk it from downtown but it's a 5-7min drive and worth it. Right next to the tracks, somewhat hidden away. If you love sushi, go here and be adventurous. Rolls range from $9-$25

The threesome roll is truly excellent. Had the Philadelphia roll and I would not kick it out of bed for eating crackers. Their service is prompt and attentive.

While visiting San Diego, we went to Shino which was conveniently near our hotel. The wait staff provided special and excellent service. The sushi was excellent, with very fresh fish. The habanero spicy roll was was extra spicy but get the sauce on the side and you will be ok. Soft shell crab roll was delicious! Definitely recommend. Prices were higher than we are accustomed to but it is San Diego after all.

This was the best sushis I have had in a long time! Everything was perfectly fresh and prepared... I really loved the Kitchen Sink roll, so tasty! Very good and pleasant staff. And this fabulous place isn't even noisy or crowded!

Its easy to walk by, but don't. The fish is fresh and ingredients like crab are real. The albacore roll was great as was the sashimi. Service was excellent and prompt - lots of interesting combinations and quite a few daily specials that all looked great.

The place looks new and clean, the sushi quality is good , a little pricey as the small portion

Checked out this place based on the reviews on tripadvisor and the proximity to our hotel. Fantastic sushi!! Sat at the sushi bar and did 'omakase' sushi - meaning chef's decision. It was great - would definitely recommend it. Tried sushi that I never would have ordered for myself, and everything was excellent and super delicious. The chef and staff were great- accommodating and attentive. Would definitely go again!

For more than 3 years I've been a regular at Shino Sushi + Kapo, In my opinion it's the best sushi place in SD. I love to sit at the sushi bar, Robert and his crew never dissapoint, always fresh, always delicious, always friendly. My recommendation "Ceviche Roll" (not on the menu). Enjoy!

We tried to get in on a Friday night, but there was a long wait list. Went back on a Wednesday night early and glad we did. Far fewer people. Great sushi, well presented, especially the monkfish liver pate. Standard sushi place ambience.

We just moved to Little Italy area and we’re recommended Shino as the best local sushi spot. We went for dinner this past Saturday and I now understand why it was highly recommended! The sushi was incredible, the staff was quick and on point, and it was the best little spot for a great date night! We will be back and highly recommend for anyone looking for the best sushi joint in little Italy!

We love sushi, and enjoy it often. On this trip to San Diego we discovered a restaurant close to our hotel. Shino Sushi was wonderful; I highly recommend it to others who are visiting San Diego.

Food was absolutely fabulous. Appetizers such as cucumber sonomono & agedashi tofu were the best we have hade. Entrée portions were well prepared and portion size more than adequate.