A mostly unknown gem, even to locals. I've visited on multiple occasions, and found that each time it's better and better. This little restaurant is well-decorated in a calm, friendly atmosphere with a view of the water. The sushi is excellent quality, and the entrees divine and in wonderful proportions. Highly recommend the sukiyaki. The tea options are also surprisingly good, with the Cherry Blossom being their standout. This restaurant may be a tad more expensive than some may be comfortable with, but it is more than worth it.

Very pleased with the large selection of vegan rolls. We had 4 rolls and they were all really good with creative flavor combinations. The atmosphere is very nice and the vibe is warm and inviting. The service was pretty good. I will be back for sure!

Went on a Wed night, was able to get a table fast. Service was excellent, menu had so many choices. Food was hot and fast. Can't wait to go back again.

The food is delicious. The Japanese curry with beef filet is very flavorful, and the meat is tender. There are plenty of items to choose from. The aesthetic is beautiful! I did notice that there was a 3% surcharge for using a credit card, so there's that.

Great find near the beach in Capitol. They have lots of veggie, gluten free options. Many rolls and fish is fresh at reasonably prices. Smart and friendly servers who know the menu well to guide you thru if needed.

I've been a patron of this restaurant for the last 21 years. I can only say good things of the head sushi chef David. He is creative and holds high standards for his ingredients. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is a fan of fun inventive combinations in their sushi and also to purists who want clean good quality fish.

Went here new years eve to celebrate our anniversary. We got the izzy bizzy(very spicy and yummy) the art attack (more flavor than the izzy) and then we added on the lemon drop... wow!!!! The lemon drop was superb!!! Soooo delicious. Crunchy tempura on the outside, and so flavorful. I wish we got 3 of those.

We absolutely love it here. The sushi is delicious, one of the only places you can actually taste everything that is described. The prices are fair and the staff is just wonderful. Parking is tight during the summer but its a short walk from our house which is nice. I would definitely recommend it.

We came to eat at Geisha on a family trip and were very impressed . The atmosphere and the freshness of the food made for a very nice evening. We tried many other sushi restaurants while we were visiting California and none even compared to Geisha. Thank you guys for the wonderful evening and some amazing family memories. We will be back next time we we're in town 💚💙💜

Joseph Santo

This restaurant has the best selection of vegan sushi I have ever encountered. Everything I tried was delicious. Thank you for offering variety and creativity in your vegetarian offerings.

Robert Saunders

My wife and I gave this place a shot for our anniversary and loved it! The staff was very friendly and the sushi was tasty. I definitely enjoyed the sashimi more than the rolls, but one of the basil rolls were surprisingly delicious. This is the only sushi place I have ever been to that had something actually spicy. You gotta try the Satan sauce if you are crazy about hot food!

Alexandra Lane

Truly amazing vegan sushi! One of the best on the west coast in my opinion and I’ve had a lot of vegan sushi across California + Oregon. They really dedicated a good chunk of the menu for creative options that are flavourful and affordable. You won’t see the common and unnecessary “vegan tax” here, it allows you to splurge to try more rolls! Highly recommended.

Cris Fleming

I have lived in Santa Clara California for 18 years since I married an American, before I lived in Kauai where I learned to appreciate Japanese culture and food. That's why whenever I can I choose start with edamame, miso soup, then sushi, sashimi, tempura, salmon or a classic bento box . Many weekends we go to different areas of the bay, Capitola is one of my favorites, especially in summer. We go to this restaurant for dinner, the atmosphere is incredible. They have many tables inside a very spacious room, there are always nice people, I love the decoration the quality of the food is excellent and the prices are very reasonable . They have vegetarian options and a good tea selection. The staff is friendly, professional the service is fast. I highly recommend this place for a fun moment with great food.

Scott Crowley

Wow blown away by this tiny spot I almost missed!! Such amazing vegan and vegetarian options not typical for a sushi spot, very cool and creative ideas Loved everything about it and our server Ray went above and beyond to ensure we had a special time for our first date night out in 2 years! Will for sure be coming back anytime I find myself in this area! Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Joseph Powell

This place is awesome. Superb! The staff is great. The food is amazing. I suggest trying the Little Mermaid or one of the other Gunkan Rolls. Absolutely fantastic. Go here if your in the area, although I’ve driven about 30 miles to eat here. Worth It!

Sheldon Logan

A Japanese restaurant that takes reservations in Santa Cruz!! Great ambiance (cherry blossoms inside). Very good food, I had katsu and sashimi and both were good. My wife had some rolls and those were also very good. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a Japanese restaurant to try.

Sharon Bell

The sushi is so fresh and delicious. I remembered to take a picture when we were almost done. The roll on the left Izzy Busy (spicy) and the one on the right is the Blue Note, fresh salmon and house smoked salmon.

Usman Bhatti

Portions were large. They did not skimp on ingredients. I got spicy garlic edamame, fire goddess and unforgettable rolls. Food was A+. Place is 1 min walking distance from capitola beach.

Great sushi and a beautiful little restaurant close to capitola beach. It overlooks the village.

Portions were large. They did not skimp on ingredients. I got spicy garlic edamame, fire goddess and unforgettable rolls. Food was A+. Place is 1 min walking distance from capitola beach.

The sushi is so fresh and delicious. I remembered to take a picture when we were almost done. The roll on the left Izzy Busy (spicy) and the one on the right is the Blue Note, fresh salmon and house smoked salmon.

A Japanese restaurant that takes reservations in Santa Cruz!! Great ambiance (cherry blossoms inside). Very good food, I had katsu and sashimi and both were good. My wife had some rolls and those were also very good. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a Japanese restaurant to try.

+2

This place is awesome. Superb! The staff is great. The food is amazing. I suggest trying the Little Mermaid or one of the other Gunkan Rolls. Absolutely fantastic. Go here if your in the area, although I’ve driven about 30 miles to eat here. Worth It!

Wow blown away by this tiny spot I almost missed!! Such amazing vegan and vegetarian options not typical for a sushi spot, very cool and creative ideas Loved everything about it and our server Ray went above and beyond to ensure we had a special time for our first date night out in 2 years! Will for sure be coming back anytime I find myself in this area! Do yourself a favor and check it out!

I have lived in Santa Clara California for 18 years since I married an American, before I lived in Kauai where I learned to appreciate Japanese culture and food. That's why whenever I can I choose start with edamame, miso soup, then sushi, sashimi, tempura, salmon or a classic bento box . Many weekends we go to different areas of the bay, Capitola is one of my favorites, especially in summer. We go to this restaurant for dinner, the atmosphere is incredible. They have many tables inside a very spacious room, there are always nice people, I love the decoration the quality of the food is excellent and the prices are very reasonable . They have vegetarian options and a good tea selection. The staff is friendly, professional the service is fast. I highly recommend this place for a fun moment with great food.

+6

Truly amazing vegan sushi! One of the best on the west coast in my opinion and I’ve had a lot of vegan sushi across California + Oregon. They really dedicated a good chunk of the menu for creative options that are flavourful and affordable. You won’t see the common and unnecessary “vegan tax” here, it allows you to splurge to try more rolls! Highly recommended.

My wife and I gave this place a shot for our anniversary and loved it! The staff was very friendly and the sushi was tasty. I definitely enjoyed the sashimi more than the rolls, but one of the basil rolls were surprisingly delicious. This is the only sushi place I have ever been to that had something actually spicy. You gotta try the Satan sauce if you are crazy about hot food!

This restaurant has the best selection of vegan sushi I have ever encountered. Everything I tried was delicious. Thank you for offering variety and creativity in your vegetarian offerings.

Really good and fun atmosphere! Staff was very nice and our family enjoyed everything we ordered.

The service here is great. The atmosphere is great. Geisha Sushi also has what might be the best vegetarian menu in town. They definitely have the best vegetarian menu I've seen from a Sushi restaurant. My husband is gluten free on top of vegetarian and they were very helpful in answering all his questions. Our only complaint is they aren't open earlier. Perfect spot for dinner

We had some of the best sushi we’ve ever had here! The restaurant lacked in ambiance for sure… dead silent with no music, stuffy, dirty windows. And service was spotty. But the food more than made up for it and we will definitely be back!

d. hamilton doggett

Really good and fun atmosphere! Staff was very nice and our family enjoyed everything we ordered.

Dale & Melissa & Kids

We had some of the best sushi we’ve ever had here! The restaurant lacked in ambiance for sure… dead silent with no music, stuffy, dirty windows. And service was spotty. But the food more than made up for it and we will definitely be back!

Lizzie

The service here is great. The atmosphere is great. Geisha Sushi also has what might be the best vegetarian menu in town. They definitely have the best vegetarian menu I've seen from a Sushi restaurant. My husband is gluten free on top of vegetarian and they were very helpful in answering all his questions. Our only complaint is they aren't open earlier. Perfect spot for dinner

Great salad, good miso soup and California Roll. My son warned me to never get the chicken teriyaki there. I understand why now because it’s like dry shiny sliced pieces of plastic. Other than that I have been satisfied with the food.

Tim Del Chiaro

Great salad, good miso soup and California Roll. My son warned me to never get the chicken teriyaki there. I understand why now because it’s like dry shiny sliced pieces of plastic. Other than that I have been satisfied with the food.

I should preface this with the fact that we came as a group of ten for a friend's birthday. We made reservations ahead of time. The staff was friendly and the sushi was good. But after waiting for a whole hour for our food to come out, we started to wonder what the holdup was. None of the staff came to reassure our group about the wait even though many of us started to glaze over and stare off into the haze that is "low blood sugar." The restaurant wasn't full completely and we observed as people who had been seated after we had get served their food and then leave. When our food finally started to trickle out our food it was an hour and a half from when we had ordered and dead silence about it from our wait staff. Mine came out the very last and all I had ordered was a sashimi platter - basically no assembly required! I would consider coming here again but I wouldn't recommend it at all for groups after this experience.

Food was good but service was really slow. It had good vegan options as well.

I went here with my friend and fiancee on a Saturday night, it was recommended by my friend. They do not have parking, which most places in the village do not. It was busy and we had to wait for a table about 15 minutes. Once seated it took white a while to get our drinks ordered and the woman who took our drink order forgot to report it to the kitchen and never got placed. Once our waitress came she took our order. The food was good, but it did take quite a while to get served. Overall the experience was good but I would still go to the sushi garden instead.

I've been to this place several times. In my experience the service here can be iffy depending on who's your server. Last time my husband and I went there the bossboy was so cold as if something had sucked the joy out of her. She came to our table several times asking if there were any plates for her to clear while we were still eating. Our server would not check on us despite the restaurant being somewhat empty. Their food can also be hit or miss at times. I had the stuffed eggplant and it was really delicious, my husband's food though was just ok.

Eliza

Ordered delivery through Doordash for the first time and was very impressed with the quality and variety of flavors. I am a vegetarian and had more options than just the traditional simple rolls. Pics taken after we were almost done eating. Plan to eat from here again 😸 Edit: Was really happy with the vegetarian offerings but asked that any items containing msg be removed from my order as it makes me very ill. No one contacted me and my full order was prepared so believed everything was fine. Was quite happy with the flavor of my meal but became ill just a couple hours after eating it so presume they ignored my request. Will likely be very ill for the next few days now. Changing my review from 5 star to 3 for disregarding my request.

Debbie Pieracci

Very nice. Sake boxes are fun. Good was fresh. Pork tonkatsu was crispy. I had not been here in a very long time. But will definitely come back. 2nd time not as nice, dinner. Saki was not full, sushi was ok service was ok, they were bored so on phones.

Kay S E

The somewhat hidden location and drab decor of Geisha hide a very pleasant staff and extremely varied menu. The Satan Roll was not the spiciest thing that I've eaten, but the lingering heat of the ghost pepper sauce did encourage having lots of water available.

The somewhat hidden location and drab decor of Geisha hide a very pleasant staff and extremely varied menu. The Satan Roll was not the spiciest thing that I've eaten, but the lingering heat of the ghost pepper sauce did encourage having lots of water available.

Ordered delivery through Doordash for the first time and was very impressed with the quality and variety of flavors. I am a vegetarian and had more options than just the traditional simple rolls. Pics taken after we were almost done eating. Plan to eat from here again 😸 Edit: Was really happy with the vegetarian offerings but asked that any items containing msg be removed from my order as it makes me very ill. No one contacted me and my full order was prepared so believed everything was fine. Was quite happy with the flavor of my meal but became ill just a couple hours after eating it so presume they ignored my request. Will likely be very ill for the next few days now. Changing my review from 5 star to 3 for disregarding my request.

Very nice. Sake boxes are fun. Good was fresh. Pork tonkatsu was crispy. I had not been here in a very long time. But will definitely come back. 2nd time not as nice, dinner. Saki was not full, sushi was ok service was ok, they were bored so on phones.

+3

Geisha used to be a quality sushi place, but my last two times dining there have been a disappointment. Prices no longer match quality, and a woman was allowed to be seated in the small indoor dining room with two pet dogs. Gross and unhygienic.

The decor inside is cute, and the tea was delicious. Unfortunately the fish here was absolutely not fresh. The sashimi was cut really thick to make up for the bad quality - it tasted fishy and some of it was falling apart at the connective tissue. Still had a fishy taste in my mouth about an hour later, and felt a bit sick. The tempura was also way too oily. Not the best service, our waiter had a bad attitude like he didn't want us to be there (even though there was only one other family in the restaurant)

The sushi here was good. All of the rolls were delicious and had a great selection. The service however was not good. I had called to make a reservation here two weeks in advance and when I had arrived at the restaurant they had reserved a table in one of the worst sections in the restaurant. Many of the people who had walked in received better tables. Upon ordering the rolls it took around 45 minutes to get any of the rolls and it was not a busy night. We also did not see very much of our waiter. Disappointing experience.

Our takeout order took 1 hour! With only one table of people in restaurant, it took 30 min longer than expected, steamed gyoza is inedible mush. 2/4 rolls were fully fried without mention in the menu. Do not recommend unless they are handing it to you for free, even then, it’ll probably come late.

The service was slow and the atmosphere was zombie-like. The sushi was lifeless looking. Not sure how Santa Cruzians have grown accustomed with lackluster restaurants that do the bare minimum. When I go out and pay a 20% tip I expect some decent service, or else what’s the point of eating out?

Garrett Mahan

The service was slow and the atmosphere was zombie-like. The sushi was lifeless looking. Not sure how Santa Cruzians have grown accustomed with lackluster restaurants that do the bare minimum. When I go out and pay a 20% tip I expect some decent service, or else what’s the point of eating out?

Chris

Our takeout order took 1 hour! With only one table of people in restaurant, it took 30 min longer than expected, steamed gyoza is inedible mush. 2/4 rolls were fully fried without mention in the menu. Do not recommend unless they are handing it to you for free, even then, it’ll probably come late.

We were in the mood for fresh sushi. Where better than at the beach! Right? Wrong! It took over one hour to get 2 sushi rolls and a teriyaki chicken bento box. We were initially told 45 minutes. The chicken for the bento box tasted like Tyson grilled chicken that you'd get at the grocery store. Cold too. The teriyaki sauce wasn't very flavorful. As far as the sushi rolls, one of them may have contained some of the chicken that was used for the bento box. This was based on taste, texture and looks. It wasn't the listed fish on the menu. The other roll didn't contain the crab and salmon as described. We were highly disappointed and will not return. We did call to air our disappointment and were only met with excuses and no offer of resolve. We would not recommend this place for sushi if you are in the mood. The steamed rice was good.

I’d give it zero stars if I could. This is the second time they have given our takeout to the wrong person. The short angry male behind the register decided that he wanted to close and resolving the fact that they gave our food to someone else was not his problem. We did nothing wrong. We just ordered dinner. I gave them an opportunity to fix the situation. He replied we’re not staying here late to cook your food. I asked if he cared that he was losing my business. He did not.

My husband and I waited 30 minutes for them to open at 4:00, then stood outside the locked door for another 10 minutes—even after an employee made eye contact and ignored us. We were the only customers waiting. At 4:10, the same man finally opened the door and told us we could come in but would have to wait another 10 minutes because they were working on a large order. He seemed annoyed, and when I asked if it was a to-go order, he just repeated, “You’ll have to wait 10 more minutes,” in a rude and unwelcoming tone. We didn’t feel welcomed, so we left. We would’ve gladly waited, but not to be treated like that.

My Mom and I were looking forward to a nice Japanese dinner and this place was far from that! The Beef Teriyaki was extremely tough and flavorless, the dish my Mom ordered was not at all like the description on the menu. The staff was unconcerned, and unfriendly as if we were a bother patronizing their establishment. The only good that came from this is the server knew we weren’t happy and comped our meal.

This place has the worst service in Santa Cruz. Recap of our last 2 experiences. 1. Order food to go. Wait time 35 minutes. I show up on time. It takes them another 35 minutes once I show up to get my food. Wasted time. 2. We order food online for pickup. Order is accepted and gives us a 25 min eta. We go to pick it up and the restaurant is closed. The charge on the card went through which we now have to challenge and we wasted 1/2 hour waiting to eat dinner. Overall this place is incredibly unreliable.

Dane Nabal

This place has the worst service in Santa Cruz. Recap of our last 2 experiences. 1. Order food to go. Wait time 35 minutes. I show up on time. It takes them another 35 minutes once I show up to get my food. Wasted time. 2. We order food online for pickup. Order is accepted and gives us a 25 min eta. We go to pick it up and the restaurant is closed. The charge on the card went through which we now have to challenge and we wasted 1/2 hour waiting to eat dinner. Overall this place is incredibly unreliable.

M L

My husband and I waited 30 minutes for them to open at 4:00, then stood outside the locked door for another 10 minutes—even after an employee made eye contact and ignored us. We were the only customers waiting. At 4:10, the same man finally opened the door and told us we could come in but would have to wait another 10 minutes because they were working on a large order. He seemed annoyed, and when I asked if it was a to-go order, he just repeated, “You’ll have to wait 10 more minutes,” in a rude and unwelcoming tone. We didn’t feel welcomed, so we left. We would’ve gladly waited, but not to be treated like that.