Zuma San Diego

Reviews

• BG

  Brandi Glenn

  1 day ago
  5.0
  Absolutely incredible experience from start to finish. The sushi was exceptionally fresh, beautifully presented, and you could really taste the quality of the ingredients. Every roll and piece of nigiri we tried was thoughtfully prepared and perfectly balanced. The atmosphere is upscale and elegant without feeling stuffy, which was perfect for my birthday celebration. Service was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. Our server Nicole gave us some excellent recommendations and went above and beyond making the entire evening feel special. Definitely one of the best sushi experiences we’ve had. It’s on the pricier side, but the quality, service, and atmosphere make it worth it. We’ll absolutely be back!
• MF

  Maryam Famourzadeh

  6 days ago
  1.0
  They don’t deserve even one star. Extremely disappointing experience at Zuma San Diego. The front desk staff were incredibly rude and unwelcoming, and the managers were no better. We arrived with a group of friends expecting an enjoyable evening, but the way we were treated was so disrespectful that we left before we were even seated. For a restaurant of this caliber, the lack of basic courtesy and professionalism was shocking. We will not be returning and I will advise anyone we know not to go there. The entire experience felt unnecessarily hostile and poorly handled from the moment we arrives. Rather than making any effort to understand our concerns or resolve the situation, the staff seemed dismissive and indifferent. We had been looking forward to spending the evening there, but the attitude we encountered completely ruined the occasion.
• JL

  jessica lyn

  Sep 10, 2026
  1.0
  $10 per bottle of water with no warning, they asked "sparkling or still" and "still" apparently meant "eira still @ 10.00" a bottle and they just keep bringing them even though two glasses weren't even touched. Honestly this should be illegal. They add gratuity for parties of 6 and over but put it down as "Other" so unless you ask how would you know? Seems like they want you to tip twice and the second tip suggested percentages include the tax and the obligatory tip!! So they are literally trying to get a $210 tip on an already $522 bill that included $50 of WATER (that's a 40% tip!!!!). The food was okay but not for the price. The service was insanely slow and it was so loud, one person ended up with such a bad headache they didn't even make it to dessert. I would never recommend this place, it's just a social media gimmick for wannabe socialites to take photos of overpriced food. Don't waste your time or money. Oh and we still waited over half an hour for a table when we had a reservation. Also I want to add the one star was for service as a whole, our specific server was doing their best and if the restaurant blames this review on that server they missed the point of this review.
• SS

  Susu

  Sep 7, 2026
  1.0
  ONE STAR — Nearly $3,400 for terrible food, terrible service, and a ruined 30th birthday We flew from Arizona to San Diego specifically to celebrate my cousin’s 30th birthday, and we chose Zuma because we wanted the dinner to be one of the highlights of the trip. Instead, it ended up being the biggest disappointment. We had a $2,500 food and beverage minimum, and after everything was added, our estimated total came to about $3,400. That included a ridiculous $200 “administration fee”. We did an omakase-style dinner for 7 people, and the food did not taste fresh or remotely worth the price. We also ordered two rounds of Fortaleza shots, and the second round tasted completely different from the first. The difference was noticeable enough that we were genuinely questioning whether we had even been served the same tequila. Then, after we had already finished ordering and were basically done with dinner, we were told we were around $400 short of our food and beverage minimum. Why would you wait until the END of the dinner to tell us that? We would have gladly ordered another $400 worth of food, drinks, desserts, or whatever else was needed. The restaurant knew we had a minimum from the beginning, so why was nobody keeping track and communicating with us before it was too late? Our waitress, Rachel, was honestly one of the worst parts of the entire night. From the beginning, her attitude made us feel like we were bothering her just by being there. She came across as rude, dismissive, and annoyed throughout the dinner instead of welcoming or attentive. For a table celebrating a milestone birthday and spending thousands of dollars, we expected at least basic hospitality. What really bothers me is that this wasn’t just some random dinner. We flew in from Arizona for my cousin’s 30th birthday and trusted Zuma with an important night. We spent nearly $3,400 and somehow walked away feeling like we received some of the worst food and service of our entire trip. For the amount Zuma charges the experience should have been exceptional. It wasn’t even close.You can make the money back. You cannot redo someone’s 30th birthday. Based on our experience, I would never trust Zuma San Diego with another important celebration.
• LM

  Laith Madain

  Sep 6, 2026
  1.0
  My wife and I visited Zuma on Saturday night to celebrate our anniversary. The restaurant has beautiful décor and an impressive atmosphere, but unfortunately the food and service did not live up to the reputation or pricing. Given its presence in cities like Dubai and New York, I expected a much higher standard. When we first looked at the menu, I ordered the spicy edamame, which was recommended by our server. About 20 minutes later, a bowl of regular edamame arrived, and it was overly salty. When we asked about the spicy edamame, we were told the dish we received was a complimentary item from the manager. However, the staff then removed it from the table. I also explained to our server that I did not want the spicy edamame arriving at the same time as the spicy beef tenderloin because the timing would not make sense. The server ended up putting our meat order on hold without discussing it with us. About seven minutes later, the spicy edamame finally arrived. Ironically, the edamame and the roasted potatoes ended up being some of the best items we tried. The sliced toro was cut unusually thick but tasted decent. Unfortunately, the chirashi maki, dynamite spider maki, and ebi maki rolls were disappointing. The presentation and cuts did not reflect the quality I would expect from a high end sushi restaurant. The rolls contained very little fish and were heavily covered with mayo. They were also quite salty, to the point that soy sauce was unnecessary. Later, the spicy beef tenderloin arrived. Considering the tableside presentation and the delay, I expected it to be served hot and fresh. Instead, the meat was lukewarm to cold. In fact, the tuna in the sushi tasted better than the beef. Dessert was equally disappointing. The lava cake with ice cream felt like something you could order at a casual chain restaurant such as BJ's. For a restaurant charging premium prices, I expected a more memorable dessert with richer chocolate flavor and better execution. The service was another weak point. While the staff clearly tried hard to be attentive, the experience felt scripted rather than genuine. Different servers gave conflicting explanations regarding the edamame, and our beef order was delayed because of decisions made without consulting us. Staff members took time to explain ingredients in each dish, but no one ever returned to ask whether we were enjoying the food or needed anything. The service came across as performative rather than thoughtful. To make matters worse, our server appeared to watch me while I was calculating the tip, which felt uncomfortable and unprofessional for a restaurant that positions itself as world class. Overall, Zuma offers a beautiful setting, but the food quality, execution, and service did not justify the price. Compared with many local sushi restaurants, the sushi quality was not competitive, making this a disappointing choice for a special anniversary dinner.

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