Sushi Marina

Great sushi, fresh and delicious. Beautiful dining area and welcoming atmosphere right in the heart of Ventura. 5/5

Hands down one of the best sushi restaurants I’ve been to. My boyfriend and I have been on the road traveling for 8months across the US and haven’t treated ourselves in a while. We saw this restaurant while walking around the area a few days prior and it had this vibe that we knew we wanted to go back to. We called ahead and made a reservation for outside since we had our pup with us. They were super welcoming to having our pup on the patio with us. They even set out a doggie bed, provided her with a water bowl with cold water, and a small jar of treats on the table for her. I mean how sweet and accommodating is that to our pupper?! Seriously the nicest thing any restaurant we’ve been to has done. The sushi was phenomenal. The tuna and salmon skin we had was extremely fresh, out of this world delicious and the carrot ginger soup was soo good too. The owner came out and greeted us and asked if we wanted a heater but it was so lovely out we did not need one, but was so very kind to ask. Again very accommodating!! Staff was super friendly and the atmosphere was great. We had such a lovely time and felt so very well taken care of and left with full bellies and happy smiles. Highly recommend!! Love loved our experience here! Can’t say enough good things :D

Amazing sushi, sashimi, tempura, everything so good. Nice ambience and great service. Incredible tuna tatare tower and lunch specials.

Delicious food and superb service! I especially like the peppered tuna with salsa and the mahalo ahi.

Quick Summary Great food, great prices, and great service. Their lunch specials and happy hours are fantastic. Easy parking at the parking structure. Best sushi spot in downtown Ventura. Food- 5 stars Their weekday lunch specials at 12.99 keeps me coming back. The sushi is fresh, portions are good, and the value is splendid. I recommend the fried oysters as well. Pacing was perfect as well to fit into the lunch hour. Happy hour is fantastic as well! Service- 5 stars Our servers were fantastic. Very attentitve without being overbearing. Bottom Line Banzai Marina checks every box: great food, service, and value. It is one of my favorites in downtown Ventura

delicious fish by the ocean with very kind and friendly servers! so happy I ended up getting to eat here.

My favorite sushi spot, everything is AWLAYS PERFECT! I’ve been coming here for years, and will never stop coming. I always start with an oyster shooter and a Sapporo on draft. If it’s happy hour you are lucky and they have some great deals on hand rolls. I’m not a huge fan of crab or lobster in general, with the exception of the lobster dynamite roll, it is outstanding. The ninja roll is like an elevated spicy tuna crispy rice, never had anything like it and once again is outstanding. At this point I will try anything they will make me, if you are an adventurous eater, ask if they have any specials. The most delightful couple runs the place and always has, you can typically find the husband behind the sushi bar making your food with precision and love, so be kind be patient and get ready to leave so full and happy.

Price was amazing considering the quality of the food! I will be back, might be my new favorite sushi restaurant.

This place shocked me! My buddy from SB recommended coming here. I’ve passed by this place multiple times and didn’t think much. After a couple of recommendations from my friend I decided to try it out! Wow. Banzai did not disappoint! First of all, locally sourced and you can taste good ingredients. A bunch of celebrities have gone here as well. Do not let the appearance trick you, the food is awesome. Definitely recommend the pork & chicken gyoza, crunchy tempura roll, spicy salmon roll, and then California roll. Yew, will for sure walk back to here!! Make a reservation!!

5 Stars Banzai Marina is easily one of the best sushi restaurants in Ventura County. The fish is always incredibly fresh, and the chefs do an amazing job with both traditional sushi and creative specialty rolls. I highly recommend the Kumi Roll and the yellowtail sushi — both are consistently excellent. The quality here is top-tier and remarkably consistent. You can tell the chefs take pride in their work, and the ingredients are always high quality. The location in downtown Ventura is ideal, especially if you’re spending the day near the beach or looking for a great dinner spot in the area. Banzai Marina is a go-to for anyone who appreciates fresh sushi, friendly service, and a relaxed, coastal atmosphere. One of my favorite spots in Ventura.

Sushi by the beach, this restaurant has dining with raw fish to accommodate your tastes. Great location here in Ventura, California. Service is fast. Buy 1 drink next one free. Private entrance for celebrities and private parties.

My co-worker brought me here and I was pleasantly surprised. The food was so delicious and service was top notch. I’ll definitely be back for more.

Banzai Marina has been our go-to sushi place for a few years now. They have the best staff, the best sushi chef/owner, and super good high quality fish. Everything here is reliably delicious from the melt in your mouth toro to the rolls. We’ve taken many friends here over the years and every one of them has always been impressed. Definitely the best sushi in the area if not for many many more miles.

Our favorite local sushi place, and one of the most dog-friendly eateries anywhere. They not only provide a bed and bowl of water (on the patio) they provide a basket of snacks and dog-grooming product samples. Very attentive service, even though they were shorthanded. Everyone enjoyed their food.

Excellent sushi, every time. Yuji, his wife, and their staff are attentive and kind. I savor every bite.

The service, quality and atmosphere of this beautifull little place is impeccable. Sit at the bar and talk to the masters as they create their art in front of you. Albacore sashimi PX was one of the best things I have ever eaten.

tenaya romero

My favorite sushi spot, everything is AWLAYS PERFECT! I’ve been coming here for years, and will never stop coming. I always start with an oyster shooter and a Sapporo on draft. If it’s happy hour you are lucky and they have some great deals on hand rolls. I’m not a huge fan of crab or lobster in general, with the exception of the lobster dynamite roll, it is outstanding. The ninja roll is like an elevated spicy tuna crispy rice, never had anything like it and once again is outstanding. At this point I will try anything they will make me, if you are an adventurous eater, ask if they have any specials. The most delightful couple runs the place and always has, you can typically find the husband behind the sushi bar making your food with precision and love, so be kind be patient and get ready to leave so full and happy.

Dan Rettinger

This place shocked me! My buddy from SB recommended coming here. I’ve passed by this place multiple times and didn’t think much. After a couple of recommendations from my friend I decided to try it out! Wow. Banzai did not disappoint! First of all, locally sourced and you can taste good ingredients. A bunch of celebrities have gone here as well. Do not let the appearance trick you, the food is awesome. Definitely recommend the pork & chicken gyoza, crunchy tempura roll, spicy salmon roll, and then California roll. Yew, will for sure walk back to here!! Make a reservation!!

Christin Fleming

Price was amazing considering the quality of the food! I will be back, might be my new favorite sushi restaurant.

Ryan Melsness

5 Stars Banzai Marina is easily one of the best sushi restaurants in Ventura County. The fish is always incredibly fresh, and the chefs do an amazing job with both traditional sushi and creative specialty rolls. I highly recommend the Kumi Roll and the yellowtail sushi — both are consistently excellent. The quality here is top-tier and remarkably consistent. You can tell the chefs take pride in their work, and the ingredients are always high quality. The location in downtown Ventura is ideal, especially if you’re spending the day near the beach or looking for a great dinner spot in the area. Banzai Marina is a go-to for anyone who appreciates fresh sushi, friendly service, and a relaxed, coastal atmosphere. One of my favorite spots in Ventura.

alan daniel

Sushi by the beach, this restaurant has dining with raw fish to accommodate your tastes. Great location here in Ventura, California. Service is fast. Buy 1 drink next one free. Private entrance for celebrities and private parties.

Felix Franco

My co-worker brought me here and I was pleasantly surprised. The food was so delicious and service was top notch. I’ll definitely be back for more.

Hilary Delladio

Banzai Marina has been our go-to sushi place for a few years now. They have the best staff, the best sushi chef/owner, and super good high quality fish. Everything here is reliably delicious from the melt in your mouth toro to the rolls. We’ve taken many friends here over the years and every one of them has always been impressed. Definitely the best sushi in the area if not for many many more miles.

Art Friedman

Our favorite local sushi place, and one of the most dog-friendly eateries anywhere. They not only provide a bed and bowl of water (on the patio) they provide a basket of snacks and dog-grooming product samples. Very attentive service, even though they were shorthanded. Everyone enjoyed their food.

Michelle Sevilla

Excellent sushi, every time. Yuji, his wife, and their staff are attentive and kind. I savor every bite.

Angela Levy

Delicious sushi 🍣 we were very hungry! Tried an assortment of rolls! Very satisfying 💕🎄⛄

Patrick

The service, quality and atmosphere of this beautifull little place is impeccable. Sit at the bar and talk to the masters as they create their art in front of you. Albacore sashimi PX was one of the best things I have ever eaten.

This place is one of the best sushi restaurants in the area, my aunt and cousin usually goes here once a few couple of weeks. I finally went and omg it was so good. The fish was fresh and the service was remarkable. Our waiter Claire was so nice and kind. 10/10 would definitely come again!

Excellent and charming local sushi spot. Their menu is surprisingly diverse, with lots of unusual nigiri options that are a real treat to try out. The servers are really sweet and will keep pouring you unlimited green tea if you order it. The sushi is super fresh and very well made. Also, it is surprisingly affordable for the quality of the fish. Highly recommended.

The BEST sushi around! Yuji definitely knows what he's doing. The sushi is the freshest sushi I've ever eaten (and I try all sushi restaurants). We live 25 min away with other sushi restaurants near us but I would rather make a reservation and come see Yuji. Highly recommend and I promise you will not be disappointed! Some of my favorites are Black Snapper sushi, Halibut sushi, yellowtail and octopus sushi. His Uni shooters are hands down the best around.

Incredible cuisine from a legend in the sushi world. Luckily he liked surfing in Ventura so he came here to make some of the best sushi my wife and I have had in a long time. Service is great and friendly and the vibe is laid back. They will get sick of seeing us there as we plan to come back often.

Amazing food and great service. The staff was welcoming, and the food tasted authentic. The portion size was good, and we were glad that we made the right decision to come to the restaurant.

Really generous sushi portions and lots of gluten free options. They even have GF miso soup and tempura!

Carolyn Cutting

The best sushi in ventura! 10/10 highly recommend

Sonnia

The BEST sushi around! Yuji definitely knows what he's doing. The sushi is the freshest sushi I've ever eaten (and I try all sushi restaurants). We live 25 min away with other sushi restaurants near us but I would rather make a reservation and come see Yuji. Highly recommend and I promise you will not be disappointed! Some of my favorites are Black Snapper sushi, Halibut sushi, yellowtail and octopus sushi. His Uni shooters are hands down the best around.

Subhalakshmi Kanakavel

Amazing food and great service. The staff was welcoming, and the food tasted authentic. The portion size was good, and we were glad that we made the right decision to come to the restaurant.

Zen Ellingson

The food was terrible, and the owner seemed rude. My experience, however, was amazing, and soully due to Zenani being my server, she was the best and super nice to meet and my family. And she answered all of my questions and she helped me understand what the dishes were with great clarity.

Kraig Hamady

Incredible cuisine from a legend in the sushi world. Luckily he liked surfing in Ventura so he came here to make some of the best sushi my wife and I have had in a long time. Service is great and friendly and the vibe is laid back. They will get sick of seeing us there as we plan to come back often.

GuardianOfThe Salad

This place is one of the best sushi restaurants in the area, my aunt and cousin usually goes here once a few couple of weeks. I finally went and omg it was so good. The fish was fresh and the service was remarkable. Our waiter Claire was so nice and kind. 10/10 would definitely come again!

E.J. Z.H.

This is the best sushi I've had in my life. Yuji (ゆじ) roll is highly recommended, spicy but not too spicy. Very filling for less than 20 bucks. The service was amazing waitresses we're very friendly and we're very happy to help. The place is very peaceful and a great place to go. If you need a fancy food experience without burning a hole in your wallet. Come here. 11/10. (Reservations recommended).

This is one of the best sushi restaurants in downtown Ventura. It can get a little crowded so be prepared to wait if you decide to go on a weekend. They have a wide range of food for you to choose from, staff could be a little better but all in all a great place for a Sushi meal.

Had a great dinner for three. Real good quality fish! Friendly staff. highly recommend.

+1

One of my favorite sushi spots in Ventura. More on the traditional side, and very good quality sushi. They seem to have forgotten our order, but we're quick in getting the sushi out once they realized. All in all it's a solid place to go downtown.

Bonzai Marina Sushi: A Tempura Triumph Bonzai Marina Sushi offers a delightful dining experience in Ventura. While I haven't explored the full breadth of their menu, one dish undeniably shines: the tempura. The batter is light and crispy, and the seafood is cooked to perfection. It's a testament to the kitchen's skill and attention to detail. The restaurant boasts a pleasant atmosphere, making it a suitable spot for both casual gatherings and special occasions. While the tempura stole the show for me, I'm eager to return and sample more of their offerings.

Not impressed with the food here. However, the service and wait staff were excellent. I thought this was a sushi place but it isn't. They sell chicken, steak, pork dumplings, fried rolls, and some raw fish. The raw fish quality was underwhelming, not worth visiting for. The rice came cold and kind of hard to the table. No wasabi provided. The place is nice for a quiet dinner, perfect to have pleasant conversation. But the sashimi dinner I had was not good. Will not visit again.

Food was fantastic, and Yuji and Stan were great at the Sushi bar. Unfortunately the service from the clearly overwhelmed server left a lot to be desired. Was left without so much as water after having ordered another beer and it never arriving. Was going to order more, but without a drink it wasn't going to happen.

Okay sushi and rolls. Service was very friendly. Good prices

The food is good but not exceptional. The service is awful — as soon as you walk through the door, the vibe from the staff (especially the chef and manager) is sullen and resentful. I’ve been in here several times, and my experience was the same each time.

Ewwwwwwww…. What a disappointment. I’m not sure why anyone on the internet would recommended this place, Reddit is like roulette I guess. WAAAYYYY OVERPRICED for what you get. And the sushi is only ok. It tastes like any other sushi restaurant, but more money and smaller pieces. Save yourself the trip if you’re looking for something new.

King Raggler

Ewwwwwwww…. What a disappointment. I’m not sure why anyone on the internet would recommended this place, Reddit is like roulette I guess. WAAAYYYY OVERPRICED for what you get. And the sushi is only ok. It tastes like any other sushi restaurant, but more money and smaller pieces. Save yourself the trip if you’re looking for something new.

I gave a two star review in hopes that the food makes up for the terrible service and gloomy environment. The happy hour menu was inaccurate at best and intentionally misleading it worst. The server with whom I interacted and ultimately paid for my soda (I was not going to give that restaurant any more of my time or my business) refused to take my number for the owner to call me (so that I could express my concerns about my experience). She also refused to give me her name and she refused to give me a number where I could reach her supervisor. She claimed there were no managers in the restaurant. It is my experience that when people are doing something wrong or unseemly, they refuse most adamantly to put you in touch with their supervisors. When people are confident that they haven’t mistreated or discriminated against a customer, they’re perfectly willing to have their boss step in. I don’t know a single person who’s been to this place who has anything good to say about it. So shame on me for even bothering to give it a try.

I rarely write reviews, but our experience here was not good. My boyfriend and I had been wanting to try this place for a while, and were excited to finally find it open (it was always closed when we'd go, we live within walking distance so we'd just pop by). We were seated quickly and got our waters and appetizer (edamame) without issue...but that’s where the good service ended. After that, we were ignored for no clear reason. Tables seated after us were getting served drinks, appetizers and sushi rolls while we sat waiting. It took 30 minutes just to place our sushi order, and another 30 to get our food, which came out separate 15 minutes apart with our server not updating us, he barely acknowledged us the entire time. He'd glance at our table then look away and serve other tables like he was embarrassed or too scared to deal with us. The other server actually seemed to have taken over for him. We ended up paying at the counter after waiting 10 minutes for them to take our payment. Our original server said "have a good night" not even aware we hadn’t paid. Which how would he since he didn't serve us. We ended up not tipping, which was strange, but it wasn't deserved. The whole dining experience took almost an hour and a half. The sushi itself was actually great, which is the only reason I’m giving two stars instead of one. But the service left a bad taste, and unfortunately, we won’t be returning. Don't bother with Bonzai, Maki Sushi down the block has much better service and their sushi is good too. We've been there several times plus they're always open, and even open late now.

We just left this place and had a weird experience where I feel like the representative, an older woman, may have been untruthful. As we walked in, we were two African Americans with a Caucasian friend and a dog. It looked like there was a spot outside for the dog to lay down while we sat and ate. The woman looked at the dog and then told us “they were all booked”. I wouldn’t have minded that comment but no one was there. And she kept looking at the dog and us. I didn’t get the sense they were “all booked” but she had a problem with us it the dog. I’d prefer an honest response, but we will not go back. We went to down the street to Maki Sushi.

We spent about $200 for a terrible experience. We don’t have high expectations at all when going out, but there are so many negative reviews about this place I wish I would have seen before bringing my family here…. My family had received all their orders so I asked about mine. The server said it was coming. We were being very patient and polite. It was embarrassing to have my family offer some of the food they ordered just so I could have something to eat. By the time everyone had finished eating my order had still not come so I had to get up from our table and remind one of the managers. To which she could only “delegate” back to the serve who repeated that the order had been placed. If an item is going to take longer than 20 minutes it should be mentioned or at least followed up on. If there is a problem like this the item should be compensated for. Terrible representation of management. I will not be coming back here and I hope you found these reviews before coming here too.

Place was decorated nicely and had a nice vibe. Staff was very nice. Food was shockingly bad. bland, small, and just had no real flavor. Second worst sushi I have ever had. The “spicy” tuna literally was just shredded tuna w no sauce. Would not go again.

One of the worst dining experiences I've had. The food options were questionable at best (e.g. clam miso soup? Teriyaki sauce on an eel cut roll? Egg plant tempura?). The food was low quality and under prepared. The service was non-existent. It took 20 minutes and 4 asks to get a glass of water. I left an extra star for the busser, who was the only attentive staff. Don't waste your money. I would not recommend eating here - do better.

Good environment but horrible fish only good thing was the miso soup which is 4 /5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and the california rolls were 3/5 and got worst as I ate wouldn't recommend this place for anyone

Food was pretty bad. Tasted like it all came out of a can.

My family came into town, and I wanted them to try out our favorite spot in Ventura. We called ahead to make a reservation for 6:30 pm. However, when we arrived at the restaurant on time, they informed us that the party at our table was taking longer than usual. They apologized and gave us a new time for 7:00 pm, mentioning that they had tried calling but had the wrong phone number. Hungry and thirsty, we waited for almost 50 minutes. Finally, fed up, we asked the waiter what was going on. They told us they didn’t know when the table would be available and that they were unsure how much longer we’d have to wait. To make matters worse, we saw other people being seated before us, even though they had just arrived. I reached my breaking point and asked why three guys were seated before us when they had just come in. Supposedly, they had a reservation, but I’m not sure if that was the truth. They were being served beverages in the outside patio before they were brought in and we weren’t offered anything while we waited for our reservation. The icing on the cake was seeing a table for eight remain empty the entire time we were waiting. Upset, we decided to leave and found another place just one block away. The sushi at Maki Sushi was fantastic—fresh, big portions, delicious miso soup, and very attentive service. Don’t waste your time here—head over to Maki Sushi instead! 500 E Main St Ventura, CA 93001 United States

Pablo Acatitla

My family came into town, and I wanted them to try out our favorite spot in Ventura. We called ahead to make a reservation for 6:30 pm. However, when we arrived at the restaurant on time, they informed us that the party at our table was taking longer than usual. They apologized and gave us a new time for 7:00 pm, mentioning that they had tried calling but had the wrong phone number. Hungry and thirsty, we waited for almost 50 minutes. Finally, fed up, we asked the waiter what was going on. They told us they didn’t know when the table would be available and that they were unsure how much longer we’d have to wait. To make matters worse, we saw other people being seated before us, even though they had just arrived. I reached my breaking point and asked why three guys were seated before us when they had just come in. Supposedly, they had a reservation, but I’m not sure if that was the truth. They were being served beverages in the outside patio before they were brought in and we weren’t offered anything while we waited for our reservation. The icing on the cake was seeing a table for eight remain empty the entire time we were waiting. Upset, we decided to leave and found another place just one block away. The sushi at Maki Sushi was fantastic—fresh, big portions, delicious miso soup, and very attentive service. Don’t waste your time here—head over to Maki Sushi instead! 500 E Main St Ventura, CA 93001 United States