Kirala
Japanese · Berkeley
About Kirala
En Kirala, te damos la bienvenida a un rincón de Japón en Berkeley. Somos un restaurante japonés acogedor donde podrás disfrutar de sushi de alta calidad, reconfortantes platos de udon y deliciosas opciones a la parrilla. Ven a descubrir por qué nuestros clientes nos valoran con una alta puntuación...
En Kirala, te damos la bienvenida a un rincón de Japón en Berkeley. Somos un restaurante japonés acogedor donde podrás disfrutar de sushi de alta calidad, reconfortantes platos de udon y deliciosas opciones a la parrilla. Ven a descubrir por qué nuestros clientes nos valoran con una alta puntuación y disfruta de una experiencia culinaria auténtica y memorable.
What Customers Say About Kirala
Kirala is a popular Japanese restaurant known for its fresh sushi and flavorful dishes like Sukiyaki and Nabeyaki Udon. The service is consistently praised, with special mentions for Taka, the bartender. Expect a wait, especially during peak hours, but many find it worthwhile.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Arrive early, around 4:45 pm on a Sunday, to avoid long wait times. Bring cash to avoid the 4% credit card fee.
Features
What to see nearby
Data from Wikidata
Explore the area around Kirala
Kirala is located in Berkeley, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- Corder Building (A 870m) — historic place in Berkeley, California Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Tupper and Reed Building (A 985m) — historic building in Berkeley, California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
Religious Buildings
- St. John the Baptist (A 687m) — Russian Orthodox Church in Berkeley, CA
Parks & Gardens
- Grove Playground (A 582m) — park in Alameda County, California, United States of America
- Willard Park (A 906m) — park in Alameda County, California, United States of America
Other Points of Interest
- Berkeley Public Library (A 995m) — public library system in California, USA
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Kirala
Kirala Berkeley Reviews
Very amazing sushi everytime. I got the white tuna as an extra nigiri, honestly it was the best tuna out of the bunch tonight and was completely melt-in-your-mouth. Absolutely delicious!!
I’ve been dining at Kirala for many years, and it remains one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. The staff is consistently warm and welcoming—especially Taka, the bartender, who always provides exceptional service. The sushi is fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Japanese cuisine or trying it for the first time, I highly recommend Kirala for a top-notch dining experience.
OMG! Just had my first experience here. Wanted to treat myself. The moment I walked in, the smell of food excited me. Asked for Sapporo and they have it on draft! Told the waitress what I like for sushi and she recommended a roll. AMAZING! She also asked if I’d like an appetizer, sure! Got the Saba. OMG! Was cooked perfectly! My waitress was Sagan and was a gem! I just left thinking, “That was sooo good!” I’ll be back for HH and with a friend! Thanks guys! 😁
Visiting from Colorado and looking for great sushi. Walked from University of California campus about 20 minutes. Walked in greeted and seated right away. Service was outstanding! Atmosphere busy yet pleasant. The Sushi here prepared to perfection! Definitely recommend if looking for Sushi along with other Japanese cuisine.
Really high quality sushi with simple design. Price is pretty hefty but the rolls are really good especially the eel and rainbow rolls. A bit of a wait if you arrive right as they open. Recommend ordering the rolls and the short ribs. Squid is okay, shrimp skewers are not worth it. The terrayaki salmon is pretty good, and the katsus are all definitely very crispy but I would order raw fish if I were here as that is definitely their specialty.
We came for a late dinner. It was packed but everyone was still super warm and welcoming. Our server and hostess were so nice. The sushi and sous chefs were amazing and went above and beyond at the end of the night. We had the chawan mushi, gyoza, uni, tsukemono, sukiyaki, and beef katsu, and a taste of the tamago. Everything was superb and full of flavor. Eat in and make sure you try the tamago. You won't regret it.
Food was really good, although we didn't try the sushi. Service was good. They kept our water and green tea filled. It's a small eating area, so be aware that there's a wait time get table. We came early: around 4:45 pm on a Sunday and they open at 5pm. There was already a short line. The line lengthened by 5pm. If your party is more than 4 people, definitely get there early before opening to get a table. I had the grilled marinated mackerel and it was delicious! My uncle enjoyed his salmon teriyaki. My nephew liked his udon - the broth was very yummy. The tonkatsu my brother ordered was perfect. We also ordered edamame, Agedashi Tofu, and grilled eggplant for appetizers and loved it.
I haven't found a downside to this place. Yes, a line forms but it's not too crazy. I've arrived right at five and got a seat immediately. Arriving around seven will cause a little bit of a wait, but there's a bar and they serve food off the robata. I've tried almost everything and highly recommend the spider roll, squid off the robata (order two if your with someone, because sharing its NOT an option), blackened cod (recommended by the waitress and now will always be on the order), and the wagyu beef is cooked to perfection. Not heavily seasoned and automatically cooked to medium rare.
It's a legacy established sushi place in Berkeley. Great variety of Japanese Cusine. Rolls are limited but delicious. It's a bit pricy but good quality. Service a bit slow and messy sometimes but OK. Free and paid street parking available. Accessible by ramp but narrow paths inside. Only outdoor seating. Credit card payment incur extra 4%, cash preferred.
Good spot for sushi, it gets very hectic and there's little space when it gets busy so id say call in advance. I'm so happy they had natto because most restaurants don't! I liked all my dishes so not much to say except props to the chef. We were waiting almost an hour after an order mishap but they were kind enough to not charge us for one of the rolls. I'd recommend this place for parties since I saw some birthday celebrations going on and they sing along with you. May or may not come back, probably with more people since it's hard to get a table for one or two.
Came here on a Wednesday night and the place was packed. Luckily, despite the full house we only waited for about 10 minutes before we got our table. Once seated we ordered a whole bunch of stuff. Everything was pretty tasty, except for the Japanese salad which is not my favorite. Also everything was rather small in portion, if it weren't for the udon, I would have definitely needed more food. All in all, it was a good meal and the food was yummy. I just need to order more food next time to make sure I don't leave hungry. Lol...
It was okay. There were bones in my sashimi. The grilled scallops were tough. The prices are high and the wait to get in is long. I've had much better sushi elsewhere for less. Maybe this place is better for its grilled food?
Some of the worst After all the hype I'm sorry to say, it's expensive and ORDINARY My sisters husband was a chez panisse chef for years and they dined here back in the day. Sadly it needs a food menu upgrade. Plus they shuffled us out after an hour. As patrons for dinner I understand? But seriously, to have to do so, and have mediocre food after all these years (some of which the waiter couldn't describe), was a big let down. Sorry Kirala. Too many others in the neighborhood for you to get a better review.
Best thing I ate here? The gyoza. And that's not that much. Heard that this place was great, but after a 45min wait on a weekend evening what I came out with was overpriced mediocre sushi. Sat at the bar and the waiter didn't even do the courtesy of coming by to get my order. Had to shout to him across the bar. Which, he ended up getting wrong. I know, shocking... Honestly, there are way better ways to spend your hard earned money.
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About Kirala
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2100 Ward St, Berkeley, CA 94705
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2100 Ward St, Berkeley, CA 94705
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