Nihon Whisky Lounge

Very impressive selection of whiskeys in an elegant dark bar. Waiters are very knowledgeable and friendly.

I may be biased, since this is where I had my first date with my now-fiance. It's a super cool dimly lit loft-like atmosphere with tons of Japanese whiskies, as well as some wonderful snobby small plates. And they used to have like a 4.5 star Yelp average. Not sure what happened to knock it down to 3.5 but I'm still in the "love it" column.

Very good food served here with a fun trendy atmosphere. The walls of whiskey are impressive to look at. I was there on a saturday night and the music choice was awesome. Funk and R & B, great way to get the evening started. I highly recommend the Hon maguro tasting which was the freshest bluefin, Toro, akami and chutoro I've ever eaten.

Cocktails were great and their whiskey list is second to none. The seating was comfortable and the vibe was relaxed but not slow. Definitely recommended for a small gathering. Did not try food though.

The Japanese whiskey selection is very good. I was apprehensive about the food, but everything we tried was really, really good. A bit pricey for what you get, but a nice place to go if you're looking for something different and a little fancy.

So. Many. Whiskeys. Service is easily $$$, almost felt guilty asking for a beer to start the might however the kyara pale ale is deservedly excellent. Staff have great recommends and the vibe is perfect for catching up with friends.

Incredible selection of whiskeys, Japanese and otherwise, and the bartender made great recommendations including accurate tasting notes. Groovy DJ on a Saturday night, and not busy at all... which I love!! I hope nobody else finds out about this place. ;)

Excellent cocktails, especially for whiskey fans. Music was good (live DJ on a Saturday night) but a bit loud, and the atmosphere was warm and lively. If not for the location, I would make a point of visiting more often.

The best collection of Whisky that I have seen in San Francisco. The kitchen is excellent and service is welcoming and attentive. Atmosphere is fantastic with regulars. Absolutely a place to repeat

My second favorite restaurant in San Francisco. This place has amazing cocktails, wait staff and a secret seating area away from the music and bar downstairs. Their whisky list is like reading war and peace the selection is both long and full of variety. Sashimi and sushi are on the menu and come to the table artfully plated and so fresh the fish tastes like fruit.

Fun small two-level spot in the mission. The fun here is trying a whisky you haven't had before. First level is a bar and lounge with that impressive whisky selection on display. Second level has tables for dinner. Sushi and small bites are the highlights. Small dishes are in the 10 to 20 range each for the most part. A couple drinks and 2-4 small plates will easily get to $100+.

This place is so cool! Who thought there would be a bar that serves whisky and sushi. Nihon Whisky Lounge, located in SoMa, has the most impressive selection of whisky's I have ever come across. Specializing in Japanese whiskey. They have a tasting menu as well as a cocktail menu. I tried a Whisky Sour, made with Japanese whisky and it was great. We also tried a few sushi items from the menu, which were delicious.

Great lounge vibe, never gets crazy like a bar. The staff is amazing and lets you enjoy your time there while making sure you have everything you need. We asked for some recommendations at a certain price range and our server brought us out some fantastic scotches that we wouldn’t have known to try. Definitely a good spot.

My favorite chill lounge spot in the city. Great selection of whisky with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Unfortunately not the cheapest of places, but understandable. Food was also surprisingly good. Highly recommend!

If you're a whiskey enthusiastic, you will love this place. It seems that you can eat really good Japanese food here, but I've ended up here for the whiskey. This lounge was suggested to me when I said I like drinking whiskey. Well, you're in for a treat. The moment you step in this establishment, it's the golden glow that comes from the whiskey wall at the bar. The first floor is definitely the lounge area, but on the second floor there is the dining area. A quick glance at the menu, I saw the prices were fair. But again, I didn't eat here, so it's your own risk. When arrived at the bar, I took five minutes for me to try recognize as much whiskeys as I could, but then the barman reached me the menu. Well, I though it was the menu, but it was the whiskey list. Fun fact: the whiskey list is bigger than the eating menu. I can, of course, describe how my evening went, but I will let out the details. You can take a world trip through the whiskey list, because everywhere they make whiskey, this lounge has it. Did already mention the vinyl mixer? There was a DJ with mix booth with only Blues and Jazz vinyl. This place is just perfect.

Brilliant little whiskey and sushi bar. Easy 5 stars for great cocktails, delicious food and an awesome atmosphere (and music). Very cool. Didn't know what I was doing with whisky selection but the waitress was really helpful. Whiskey menu looked like a phone book. They served me an amazing rye old fashioned. Sushi was super fresh and everything else was super tasty. 👌

Great selection of whiskey (although some are definitely over priced). Happy hour is pretty generous though. Lasting from 5:30-7:00 with a lot of items from the menu half off. The skirt steak is a must have along with the lychee mermaid. There is also a very nice VIP space on the second floor where you can enjoy your purchased whiskey bottle.

Nice laid back environment if you arrive before 10pm. Food is good but some items can be disappointing. Last time I was there the shishito peppers were extremely hot and I could not eat them. Their whiskey selection is extensive with some great choices. They also serve cocktails and I believe a few wines. There's also DJ playing some lounge music which helps creating a laid back vibe. My only complaint: some customers can be disruptive after a few drinks and staff is not effective at dealing with them, i.e. does nothing.

Innovative cocktails. Crazy selection of whiskey. Fu n bartender. Happy hour menu from 5:30 to 7. Very good deals.

Nihon is a whisky-lover's paradise. I've only ever come here to try out different whiskies before purchasing them, since they have something like 500 in house. I wouldn't recommend it for large groups since it's a somewhat small space, and I'd recommend getting a reservation as well.

Cool place for friends and if you like whiskey or sake. Their wall bar has a ton of selection. It is a little pricey for food. I had a party of 10 and with food and maybe 3 rounds, our tab was $1,100.

Rated this nicely decorated comfortable space for a bar, a 4 only because they were out of some whiskeys on the menu. Didn't try the food so I can't comment on that but I've heard the food is good as well. Excellent service.

By far the largest whiskey and whisky selection in the City. Only better ones I have seen are in NY, London, and of course Scotland. Good price and age range also, and they also do half pours for half the price which is a good way to try a variety of whiskies. The food is mmmK as long as you treat is as munchies to go with your scotch, and not a full flegded dinner as the portions are small and the kitchen seems to have trouble keeping up with lots of orders.

For some reason the on-tap Sapporo here tastes better than any I've ever had. That keeps me coming back. I haven't even tried the whiskey. The sushi is fine, the atmosphere is fun, and the bar is very well done. I'm sure it's great for a whiskey lover. Word of warning: if you sit upstairs during happy hour, they don't give you the special rates, even though you'll probably order twice as much as those below. They did not inform us of this rule until after we got our check. Not cool.

Impressive whisky selection here, and the guy behind the bar (maybe the owner?) was clearly very knowledgeable. Slight disappointment that the staff weren't actually Japanese given the name of the place etc - but that's probably something only I would be disappointed about. Overall I can easily believe this is the best bar for (predominately Scotch) whisky in San Francisco.

Come here for the wide selection of whiskey and skip the overpriced food. We got a Groupon of $30 for $70 worth of food, but the bill without alcohol when we were done was $125+, and we still drove to Daly City for In-N-Out! The whiskey selection is enormous, so it was very worth it to try a few different types of scotches, though our bartender wasn't too familiar with the atypical brands. The hostess was very helpful in seating us promptly, especially since we didn't have reservations on a Friday night, though I still won't be coming here for a full dinner anytime again. Food was delicious, but like it's sister restaurants Tsunami Sushi, the food seems overpriced for very small plates.

It's super expensive and I wouldn't say the food is particularly worth it, but the whiskey selection is extraordinary. They are happy to work with people to help them find new whiskeys. I've seen this place both empty and crowded so I'm not sure what to expect on any given night, but it's definitely a nice place to take your whiskey-drinking friend.

The food here is pretty damn good. The selection of whiskey is REALLY good. I'd have to say that the price per pour of Hakashu 12y was a bit off putting. That and the Yamazaki 18y. It's a bit much in my opinion. Best thing about my experience here was the fact the gave me water with an eye dropper. You have no idea how much that means to me since 95% of places just pour water in there. I'd come here if you haven't been already. Definitely worth checking out.

Love Nihon! Exceptional scotch/whiskey selection (hundreds of bottles from all over), knowledgeable bar tenders, and good vibes. Sushi is just okay and everything is a wee bit over priced even for SF (my standard scotch is $22 a glass here, but usually $12 to $15 elsewhere). But! I always find new scotch that I love so it's worth it. I usually tell the bar tender what kind of scotch I like and ask for a tasting flight of 3 similar to it (I constrain it to no more than $20ish per taster because it's extremely easy to spend tons of money here if you're not careful). All in all a wonderful experience for sctoch and whiskey lovers.

By far the best whiskey selection I've ever seen with knowledgeable and attentive service. The food is also very good, but mostly tapas. We fed 6 easily enough with multiple rounds of karage though. While I would come back for a whiskey tasting it was too expensive for me to ask a large group to go with me again.

Love the set up of this place. The whiskey selection is awesome. The split level design of the restaurant gives the place a great open feel. The uni slider and whiskey sour are a must try. The happy hour prices are also great here.

Food tasted amazing, the sushi was spectacular, whiskey selection is mind boggling. The whole place was very cramped, it's packed way too tight with tables. The lounge area seemed spacious enough, but we were there for dinner. There was some portion issues, as the sweet potato tempura was an entire potato in several slices, and the bacon wrapped prawns were 2 small shrimps. Also the waiter was awkward and overall provided poor service.

Amazing whisky selection. Prices are super steep and sometimes quality is not up to it, like when they "recommended" the salmon and by looking and smelling at it it was obviously a kitchen clearance recommendation. They do have food happy hours where the price is tolerable or even good.

This is a great little place to taste and enjoy various types of whiskey from around the world, not just Japanese blends. The downstairs is good for lounging, sipping on whiskey, and hanging out with friends for a chat, while the upstairs is for dining (I can't speak to the service or food quality as I haven't eaten there). You can get appetizers while in the lounge as well. The servers are really helpful if you tell them the type of whiskey you might like. The prices for the whiskey seem a little on the high end, but since their whiskey list is so comprehensive, it's worth a little splurge to find out what you may want to purchase at the stores.

I like whiskey, and I like lounging, but I have a hard time getting behind this place. Particularly without a reservation, I've never felt particularly welcomed by the staff. That said, if Japanese whiskey is your thing, they undoubtedly have the best variety in town.

On one hand, pretty good sushi, other Japanese bites, and good service On the other hand, back breaking prices on whiskey, and this is coming from someone who's lived in SF for 7 years. It's tough to recommend since they're famous whiskey list is so out of reach for anything but a special occasion.

Whiskey selection is extensive with a lot of Japanese and Scotch whiskeys. The food is not good and over priced. Sushi has been hanging out for a bit, rice isn't the right texture, and service can be really slow when it's busy.

I was really excited for this restaurant/bar and was sadly disappointed. The upstairs area is completely booked with reservations which is fine, but when I sat at the open seating area, the service was mediocre at best. The waitress was irritated that we had a large party even though we were diligent about working with her to make it easy on the check and drink orders. On the other hand, the whiskey selection is top notch and the food is good. If you love whiskey this is definitely worth a visit but might be best to make a reservation beforehand.

This place is great unless it is a hot day. They do not have AC and it is unbearable. Food is good, but can't enjoy it. Drinks are hella expensive.

Holy disappointment. I have tried the cocktails here (lychee mermaid) and had enjoyed it. Drinks I think are good. As for food, don't waste your time. The food is insanely overpriced. And that's for San Francisco! Teeny tiny portions at giant prices. Not a great combination. We had: * 2 Uni Spoon (uni with quail egg) - each order only comes with a single spoonful, which is a bit insane at $12/spoon. Instead of it being a creamy bite of uni with some notes of the other flavors, the quail egg and soy sauce overwhelmed the uni. * "Torchy my Belly" - good but tiny. I had hoped it would be nice chunks of salmon belly instead of thin slivers * Japanese Chicken Wings - $15(?); 5 small tiny chicken wings. The size of quail wings but without the taste. Sigh. * Salmon Roll with Lemon and Salt - Salty to the point (they put a good amount of sea salt over it) to the point you can't taste the salmon. What's the point of using good ingredients if you can't taste it? * Millionaire cocktail - $18; good. Also: I had called several times in hopes of getting a same-day reservation but was always told they couldn't accommodate me. When we showed up, we found out half the upstairs was empty. Even then, it took about 20 minutes before even one server started talking to us. She wasn't even our server. Apparently the server for our table was nowhere to be found until she showed up much later. Edit: Forgot to mention - the decoration is really nice though.