Nobu Washington D.C.

Reviews

• CW

  Collins Wedding

  Mar 13, 2026
  2.0
  Do you like 3 star hotel lobby vibes? Overpriced grocery store quality sushi? "Fresh" fish drowned in sugary sauces? Then Nobu DC is for you. Didn't live up the hype, unsure if there is some brand dilution issue, but save your money and try Kyogin Georgetown.
• RR

  Rouse

  Mar 1, 2026
  5.0
  I’ve dined at Nobu in Tokyo, New York, and Budapest, so I came to Nobu Washington DC with high expectations — and it did not disappoint. The food quality was outstanding, and the service was attentive. Our first table wasn’t ideal, but the staff kindly moved us to a quieter area, which we really appreciated. It’s a fantastic spot for birthdays or special occasions though a bit lively for a romantic dinner unless you have the right table. Highly recommend the Black Cod Miso, Yellowtail Jalapeño, Tuna Tataki, and the chef’s sushi selection. We’ll definitely be back!
• JC

  Jenell Collins

  Feb 19, 2026
  1.0
  My friends and I chose Nobu DC for our Galentine’s dinner because we’d heard it was a beautiful restaurant with amazing food and drinks. We had an 8:15 PM reservation and, since we were running late, I called ahead to move it to 8:30. The hostess assured me that wouldn’t be a problem. When we arrived, there were several groups waiting near the host stand. When I checked in, we were told they were waiting for our table to become available, which was confusing, as the purpose of a reservation is to secure a table. I completely understand that it was Valentine’s Day weekend (our reservation was on the 13th), and as a former restaurant hostess myself, I know how intense busy nights can be. That said, communication and organization are key. While waiting, I asked a gentleman who was checking coats if he provided coat check services. His response was, “Don’t you see me checking coats?” which felt unnecessarily rude, especially since he had been pleasant with other guests. A few minutes later, he kindly offered us seats in the lounge so we could rest our feet, which we appreciated. However, when we asked if he knew when our table might be ready, he said he wasn’t the right person to ask. The hostesses also couldn’t provide an estimated wait time. At around 9:15 PM, nearly 45 minutes after our updated reservation time, we were still waiting with no clarity. A manager came over after we requested one, offered drink menus, and apologized, but still couldn’t provide a timeline for seating. At that point, we decided to secure a last-minute reservation at Ruth’s Chris instead. We even told another couple who had also been waiting, and by the time we left Nobu and arrived at Ruth’s Chris, they still had not been seated either, so they joined us. As we were leaving Nobu, the manager said our table was ready. However, when he pointed to it, it had not yet been cleaned and there were no bussers present. We decided not to waste any more time. On our way out, the coat check attendant apologized for his earlier comment, which showed he knew it was inappropriate. Overall, it was a disappointing experience, especially for a girls’ night on Valentine’s weekend. Service is at least 50% of the dining experience, and while Nobu has an incredible reputation (especially on the West Coast), the DC location unfortunately did not live up to expectations. 0/10 — would not recommend based on service alone.
• DG

  Didn’t Ger

  Feb 19, 2026
  4.0
  We made reservations then we waited at the bar because our table wasn't ready. It was our 2 year anniversary and our first time, Kim and I were very excited to celebrate here at Nobu. We had drinks at the bar. Great Japanese beer on tap. Kim had a cocktail she enjoyed. Then we had sat at our table. I was already impressed. The server has greeted us that he sees we already had drinks from the bar. Kim loves sushi, but was hesitant to try anything raw or uncooked. I reassured her we're in the presence of the best quality ingredients that a chef can produce. We let our server know that it was our first time. He quickly explain to us about the menu. But he didn't mention any specials for that day. We got the nagiri sushi, Japanese eel 2pc and bluefin toro 2pc. Sushi cut roll, spicy tuna and shrimp tempura. Then the famous black cod with miso. Kim loved the nagiri, sushi roll and black cod. We shared them family style. Another server brought our black cod. She was very elegant and poise describing our dish. Only negative thing I can say, it's a hit or miss. Food was wonderful. But getting the nagiri which was surprise that the price was per piece. For $4 more, our server could have made a suggestion to do sushi selection or sashimi selection. The service felt rushed. Kim ask me to wave down the server. Kim says do you remember his name. I don't, he never mentioned it. We didn't get dessert. They surprised us with a dessert for the table that another brought to the table singing happy birthday. He says it's your birthday. We both had a laugh and said no it's our anniversary. Our original server came back told us it's a mochi vanilla ice cream. He was surprised to find out it's out Anniversary. The Host didn't mention to the server it's our anniversary. Finally, no manager came to our table to ask us about our experience. On our way out. No thank you or come see us again. Only person who gave us a warm farewell was the valet Kim cried outside for 15 minutes because our special day was ruined. Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
• MK

  Massy Khan

  Feb 15, 2026
  1.0
  I rarely leave negative reviews because I understand how hard the hospitality industry works. But this experience has been so disappointing that I feel compelled to share it. My husband and I are new parents and don’t get out to DC for date nights anymore. Our generous friends gifted us a $250 gift card to Nobu DC so we could enjoy a special evening out. We paid for an expensive Uber into the city and ordered dinner, even adding additional items beyond the gift card amount because we were enjoying ourselves. When it came time to pay, we were told the gift card “wasn’t working” and that we would need to use another form of payment. We were confused but didn’t want to create a scene, so we paid the $360+ bill with our credit card. After getting home, we contacted our friend, who confirmed she purchased the gift card in person directly from Nobu DC. This was not a third-party retailer purchase. It appears to have been an activation error on the restaurant’s end. We called Nobu to resolve the issue and provided proof of purchase. Instead of correcting what was clearly an internal error, we were told their gift cards are handled by a third party and that we needed to contact them ourselves. We did. The third-party representative requested detailed purchase information (what card was used to buy it, where it was purchased, etc.), which we promptly provided. He stated the issue would need to be escalated to Nobu headquarters. Our dinner was on November 22nd. It has now been months with no resolution despite weekly follow-ups. At this point: • Our friend is out $250 • We are out $360+ • Nobu has effectively been paid twice Beyond the financial aspect, it’s incredibly disappointing that no one has taken ownership of what appears to be a clear activation mistake at the point of sale. Instead, the burden has fallen entirely on the customer to chase down a resolution. For a restaurant of this caliber and price point, the service recovery has been extremely underwhelming. Until this is resolved, I cannot recommend supporting a business that fails to stand behind its own gift cards.

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