Robataya Oton

Reviews

• BE

  Barry Evans

  Jan 5, 2026
  5.0
  The sushi is excellent. The chef prepared it with subtle finishes that created really interesting nuance - a light charring, a brush of simple marinade, a light salt, lemon, some other things I could not recognize, or a combination. I had the chef’s choice and each one stood alone, apart from the others in taste-experience. I will definitely be back! I want to try the sockeye salmon from a lake on Mount Fuji (sadly, they ran out before I arrived).
• KZ

  Kris Zhou

  Jan 3, 2026
  3.0
  So expensive. Add Sukiyaki soup extra charge. Because you have to, they start a little bit soup. sukiyaki only have some slices beef, cabbage, mushroom….for $80. That’s horrible robbery.
• NN

  Norikil

  Nov 16, 2025
  3.0
  Non-existent service, food is good. This place is hard to get a reservation so we were exited to try it. The food tastes good but the service is terrible. I guess there’s not a lot of good Japanese options in sd. Each time it took us 5 minutes to get the server’s attention and another 5 minutes to get the thing done - to order, to give us the wasabi that they forgot to add along with the sushi, to refill tea, to serve the rice we ordered, to add water to the sukiyaki (the sukiyaki was too salty to eat for more than 10 min towards the end and we just turned off the stove and waited), to get the check etc. They also had the 90 min limit which made us anxious. ~half of the fish menu was unavailable today. Perhaps it’s from the storm. Also the tip is calculated from after-tax amount, not pre-tax. We still tipped 18% after-tax since it’s a stormy day, but might not come back again.
• GH

  go hoashi

  Nov 12, 2025
  5.0
  Hidden gem, cozy Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. Food reminds me of Japan. Definitely go back to try out different menu items
• JJ

  Jennifer Jones

  Oct 30, 2025
  5.0
  An unforgettable night at Robataya Oton! We had such an amazing dinner, easily one of the best Japanese meals we’ve ever had in San Diego. Every dish was outstanding: the fish was unbelievably fresh, the uni was the best we’ve ever tasted, and since it’s monkfish liver season, that was an absolute standout, rich, silky, and perfectly prepared. The shabu shabu was insanely good, full of flavor and beautifully presented. OMG, the meat!!! We dined in one of their traditional horigotatsu rooms which was super cozy, private, and beautifully lit, which made the whole evening feel like we’d been transported to Japan. We were laughing, eating, and drinking nonstop, completely in the moment. We shut the place down, and the owner, Kenji, couldn’t have been more gracious and kind. Truly a gem of a restaurant, warm hospitality, incredible food, and an experience we’ll be talking about for a long time. Looking forward to going back soon. Thank you to Kenji and his wonderful staff!