Best Japanese Restaurants in East Nashville

10/10 experience. The service, food and atmosphere at O-Ku is top notch. We celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday and the way they catered to us was so intentional and thoughtful! Our waitress and the manager both were so kind and attentive and made our experience so special!

We were super excited to get a reservation at Noko because our friends (who are serious foodies and excellent home chefs) recommended Noko as their favorite restaurant. Noko did not disappoint! The welcome as we entered was warm and generous, they took my coat and hung it for me. : ) we had a small table in the dining room that was reserved, but opted to sit at the bar! It was fantastic! Our bartender Jena was super knowledgeable and so kind. She had many diners at the bar and took great care to engage with everyone. We started with sake and beer, a very interesting sake selection, and had spicy tuna crispy rice & hamachi crudo to start both so flavorful and delicious, then moved on with burnt ends with lettuce both of us LOVED this dish and really enjoyed the delicate crab fried rice! We had the Caesar salad which we shared but could have had my own it was so tasty! Our meal was so delightful we didn’t save room for dessert! We might try to go back tonight for dessert to try the coconut cake with wood fired pineapple or the brookie with Chocolate brownie, black sesame cookie, miso caramel, vanilla gelato! Our only missed opportunity due to dining so late is we missed the dumplings!! No doubt they are as fantastic as all the dishes we tried! Make a reservation ASAP, the food, drinks and staff are⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Might I add that we went to a distillery recommended by Jenna and ran into another couple that was seated at the bar too!! Great recommendation, thank you Jenna! You nailed it!

Our first time visiting and the food was amazing! We sampled an assortment of dishes and everyone was so good. All four of us would return!

Each year at Christmas, we gather for a special family dinner that has become a cherished tradition. This time, when we arrived, we noticed that our friend Marvelous wasn’t working. After texting her, Marvelous made the incredible gesture of driving 45 minutes just to join us and celebrate together. There are many places we could eat, but none offer the experience we share here—it’s not just about the good food, but the meaningful relationships that make it unforgettable.

The sushi is top notch and one of the best in Nashville. It’s in the touristy part of town but tucked away enough to be nice and cozy. Ambiance and noise level are good and I’ve had great service here, even when service had been at fault through miscommunication, the restaurant was willing to correct the issue. Sushi is fresh, creative, and tasty and there are lots of selections for Vegan sushi, more than I’ve seen compared to other places. Highly recommend this place if you’re downtown and want some high quality sushi.