Otaru in Oude Pijp

We had an amazing dinner at Otaru! Everything was absolutely delicious. The sushi quality was fantastic, and the sashimi was incredibly fresh. The sashimi portions were also very generous—thick slices and great quality—which made it excellent value for the price. The service was friendly, attentive, and efficient throughout the evening. Honestly, I don’t understand why the restaurant wasn’t full on a Friday night. It definitely deserves to be much busier. We’ll definitely be coming back!

I have been coming to Otaru for over 20 years and have always enjoyed eating here. In the past, the quality was truly top-notch: you got delicious sushi and sashimi for a good price. Unfortunately, I have noticed a clear change in recent years, and not for the better. Prices have risen significantly, but the quality has actually declined. I find that very unfortunate. In my last order, the gyu tataki was very tough and stringy, with a lot of tendon in it. I also found the tuna sashimi to be less good than I was used to. There were strings running through that as well. It is a pity, because I used to enjoy eating here. But based on this experience, I will be skipping Otaru for the time being.

Understated and excellent food for reasonable price Surprisingly good airco.

Had miso soup and the mixed sashimi starter, really good. The unagi maki was excellent, and the coconut and mango mochi were really refreshing

Excellent!!! Wonderful sushi, clean place, everything fresh!

Have been coming for years but never left a review so here we go. Best authentic Japanese sushi you can find in Amsterdam center. Always friendly staff and the food is always on point and fresh. They have nice cozy seating for private or casual meetings or gatherings. Will keep coming back for sure!

Decent sushi but the damp smell in the restaurant was slightly unpleasant

Top top! Delicious authentic Japanese food at very resonable prices. Friendly welcoming service too.

Some of the best sushi I’ve ever had! It was so fresh. 🍣 The service was amazing & the interior was very lovely and calm with traditional Japanese styling, water fountain etc Servers were very friendly. Very affordable as it was only €20pp and we had a bottle of wine too

A decent enough place with the right price points for above average sushi. Cannot recommend the spicy tuna enough - possibly the top 3-5 I've had worldwide (to include Japan). Service was unusually quick and the deserts were excellent. Food wise, the biggest sticking point was the rice. Also, although a Japanese restaurant, it is ran but folks from Hong Kong- not the biggest fan of non-Japanese sushi chefs bc something, usually the rice, is not done correctly. Probably won't ever go back but not disappointed one bit. Service - excellent!

My family and I had dinner at Otaru this afternoon, and everything was great. The food was delicious, and we really enjoyed it. Both the quality and portion sizes were good. I would definitely love to come back again!

(A Taiwanese visitor) The oolong noodle soup was delicious, similar to what I've had in Taiwan. The oolong tea wasn't bitter. If you're visiting the Dutch Asian Soul, I highly recommend this place.

It's not easy to find Japanese food in Europe, but the quality is decent. If you're craving Japanese food, I think it's worth a visit.

I have eaten a lot of sushi, but this is the best I have ever had! Very friendly staff and a cozy restaurant. I will definitely eat here more often.

I love Otaru, and I love the sushi, the people and the atmosphere here. The only thing (and this is very specific to me and wouldn't be a biggie for others), I think the portion sizes for the rest of the menu for the prices seems off to me. So if it were me: I would do a sushi day here with tea, the food quality is great but I have a big appetite. The size of teriyaki chicken and noodles just didnt do for me. But always a special place in my heart for the sushi!

Delicious sushi and affordable too. Very friendly people as well.

March 2026: Was visiting Amsterdam for business and had an evening free. Decided to try the Japanese food at Otaru. Overall, was pleased with my meal. Started with three pieces of nigiri. The yellowtail, salmon and mackerel. Fish tasted fresh and was good. Also tried the tempura udon noodle soup. Hit the spot. Service was friendly and attentive. Thank you for a delicious dinner.

Excellent service and food. Very reasonable price. I highly recommend it.

Quite disappointing overall. The service was nice, friendly waiters and quite fast. However the food did not achieve the expectations. The sushi came to our table very quickly after being order, and it felt microwaved warm or preheated, which really reduced the quality of the product. Very low quality sushi in my opinion… also, charging 1.50€ per glass of tap water!!??? We do not consider returning to this place

The best sushi in the Netherlands! A true hidden gem. The service is also excellent and the prices are reasonable. If you appreciate good quality and ambiance, this is definitely a must-try.

We've been coming here for sushi for years. They used to have three different menus, but thankfully, they've now settled on just one. No frills, just delicious sushi and friendly staff.

Perfect , we had a perfect lunch , yummy

Quite decent unagi don: soft and tender texture, nice sause. I would not return here specifically to eat it again but it was MUCH better than in ISSHIN nearby.

We stopped in one afternoon to get some work done and warm up from the cold. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We didn’t eat much, but what we had was solid sushi. The drink menu was limited, though I did enjoy a glass of scotch.

Fast service, tasty and fresh food. Reasonably priced.

Nice place. We've been here on a family reunion, 10-people party with small kids. The staff were very helpful and accommodating, and the food was great.

The best sushi in Amsterdam for over 20 years!

We had a fantastic experience at Otaru in Amsterdam! The staff were so kind and welcoming, and the service was impressively fast without feeling rushed. The food tasted truly authentic — the tempura was light, crispy, and genuine Japanese style, unlike many places in Paris. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The beef was tender and perfectly cooked, and everything came out quickly and beautifully presented. A lovely bonus — they are pet-friendly, and our small dog was warmly welcomed. If you’re looking for real Japanese flavors, fast service, and friendly staff in Amsterdam, Otaru is absolutely worth visiting!

Really friendly place and good sushi. Perfect to get away from the crowded places and get a bit of peace and quiet.

Very nice food and fast service. Would definetly recommend visiting

Thanks for a nice evning. Friendly service, quite atmosphere and delicious food at a reasonable price. No complaints, just perfect.

Really nice place for lunch or dinner, the food comes quickly, is freshly prepared and the staff are pleasant

The food was absolutely amazing the service was one of the quickest I've ever seen the waiters and pepole were the kindest I've ever seen for a restraunt and it was very peaceful I really enjoyed the time I spent and It was also money well spent in my opinion after paying they even throwed in a free snack (that was a lollipop) the bathrooms were very easy to access and very kid and disable friendly too I really see no flaws and problems with this restraunt

Everything was delicious, the service was excellent, I highly recommend it.

Otaru has been our go-to place for years, as the sushi is incredibly delicious. No Michelin-starred restaurant can compete, and the service is so kind to us and our daughter. We always go home feeling great, thanks for that! 🤗

Utterly amazing. The food is incredible and service was exceptional. Have a drink on their top floor bar before, it has amazing city views.

I had unagi box which came with Sushi, rolls, soup and eels on top of rice. The portion is surprisingly big and the taste is amazing. I will definitely come back again.

Yes!!!!!definitely worth it to come over to enjoy ur meal !!!! Try fry udon noodles super delicious and bento with soup

Lovely food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. While in bustling area, it is nice to have a quiet place to eat!

I am rarely so surprised but this place exceeded all the expectations.

We were in a huge rush and they got us our food really fast. Also it was tasty. Thanks Otaru! (Pictured: Wife)

The day was hot and we wanted to find a restaurant without a line of tourists. We stumbled into Otaru. It was everything we needed, cool temperature and good sushi and tempura. Despite how good it was, the restaurant was near empty.

great Japanese restaurant. Clean and spacious, with kind and efficient service. We thoroughly enjoyed our food: various sushi dishes, mushroom skewers, soft-shell crab salad, teriyaki salmon, gyu tataki. Otaru will now be our favorite spot for Japanese food!

Had it delivered to my house for over 70 euros. Everything was thrown away. Unaware. Reheated fried shrimp, dry, tasteless sushi, overcooked beans, and a nasty sauce. Absolutely disgusting. I don't understand the positive reviews at all.

What can I say, sushi wasn’t fresh.. staff smoking outside..

There are definitely much better Japanese restaurants in the city. I don’t know what extra they use, but I went twice and a taste, a smell bothered me in both of them. Their sushi also fall apart very quickly. It doesn’t taste bad, but I had a hard time eating it both times. The service is very good, they are very friendly and helpful. It is debateable whether the environment is authentic enough.

Sushi and sashimi were both wonderful but sashimi was amazing: hotate, saumon and ebi were awasome. Service was very nice and quick. Without any doubt, if you like raw fish is the place.

Flamed salmon nirigi, beef odon, and salmon maki were good.

For sushi, I ordered amaebi, shrimp, squid, egg, mackerel, and crab meat maki, and miso soup with oolong tea. 25.90 euros. Amaaebi was barely sweet, and the egg in the egg sushi was mushy, and the sushi had too much shari, so it was not balanced. The miso soup didn't come out until I finished the sushi, so the oolong tea was....necessary?

Have been to otafu numerous times and it has been consistently great every time. Favourite Japanese restaurant.

Very tasty and fresh food and great atmosphere! Would recommend!

Perfectly nice sushi, not too pricey, lovely staff. Had a game trying to guess what song the pianomusic tried to cover.

Surprisingly very good. Very authentic, great service and super tasty food. Saved in my restaurant list. Totally recommend.

Food was amazing! Very pleasantly surprised that you can find quality Japanese food in Amsterdam

I’m Japanese. I ordered tempura udon, yaki udon, and hand-rolled sushi. Everything was delicious! It was a real comfort to have proper Japanese food – just what I needed after all the rich meals. The staff were also very kind.

Not what it used to be, the quality is way down and the price is way up. Very disappointing!

The food was very delicious and fresh, I recommend this restaurant if you like Japanese food and are in Amsterdam

Never (‘!!’) eaten such delicious sushi!!! We asked the owner for ‘omekase’…, i.e. give us whatever the chef likes! 4 different courses with the most delicious, fresh sushi and sashimi, we can honestly say, divine!! Delicious Serbian (!) wine and sake with it and hours later we continued very satisfied😘!! In short, highly recommended!!!!

Cozy Delicious Sushi🤩 Wow! What amazing sushi!! Firstly, the ambiance of the restaurant is so cute and perfect for date night! The staff were nice enough but very attentive so you’re never left needing anything. The fish itself is so fresh and fatty and overall delicious! My favorite was the Salmon Nigiri and Fried Salmon & Asparagus roll😍For ~15 euros a roll (8 pieces), the quality is definitely worth it!! As someone that isn’t the biggest fan of Miso Soup, this place convinced me! Will be coming back soon🫶🏻

Nice Ambience, Delicious Authentic Japanese Foods with matching friendly service team. Will defintely be back.

The most atmospheric place in Amsterdam for sushi lovers 😍

Ordered food via Thuisbezorgd, 17.50 for three pieces of Ebi Tempura is really excessive, even for Amsterdam.

A very nice restaurant, with very friendly service. We received a greeting from the kitchen and the food came very quickly and tasted good. Upon request, we were even allowed to charge our cell phones there. It was a very nice visit to the restaurant, where the price was right and we were served in a friendly manner.

Absolutely great! From the moment you enter, you feel the relaxed atmosphere. My body immediately relaxed in this peaceful environment. The service is professional and friendly. The portions are generous and the food is delicious! Plus, both the food and service were incredibly fast – a nice surprise! My husband and I walked in last minute to celebrate our anniversary – and we haven't regretted it for a moment. Thanks to the Otaru team for a wonderful evening and the delicious food. My partner and I highly recommend this place! Good luck to the Otaru team. We will definitely come back!

Tasty food, nice entourage, bathroom is less nice

The food standard is high, the fish is sashimi, the rolls are fresh and delicious😋.

Found this place randomly and it had the best salmon sashimi and the salmon maki roll with avocado. Their seaweed salad was yummy too!

I would like Japanese people to come here when they travel. I am completely satisfied with Japanese food.

We enjoyed our early dinner in this restaurant. We ordered the spicy scallop sushi, the seafood udon soup and the vegetable yakisoba. The food was flavourful and the soup was perfect! The service was fast and the staff are friendly and courteous.

Close to Rijksmuseum. We stopped for a quick lunch before heading back into the city center and it was delicious! A little bit of construction makes it less convenient, but it was worth the few extra steps.

A great restaurant, wonderfully quiet and calm. The staff is truly excellent! The shushi was delicious and the cocktails were also very popular.

Delicious food, lots of choice, everything fresh, friendly staff. Highly recommended!

Excellent sushi for a great price. No special interior but otherwise comfortable food. Staff always super sweet and helpful. Price is good, especially for sushi in Amsterdam, if you want cheaper, eat delicious kibbeling outside on the market😂🥶👍

Delicious sushi, good menu. Friendly service and cozy atmosphere. We will definitely come back!

Excellent service and the atmosphere is amazing

I've been coming here for 20 years and it's always good! The service is good. The people are extremely nice and the sushi is good. The price-quality ratio is enormous.

It was delicious and friendly staff, thank you!!!

Really nice service and super tasty food. Surprising cocktails and Japanese beer.

I liked to order Sushi at Otaru every now and then, it used to be really tasty sushi. Not cheap, but no problem with tasty/good food. Had it delivered again yesterday and it was the last time. Prices have gone up, sushi pieces have gotten smaller. But the worst part is that all sushi is no longer freshly made, which is an absolute shame for the prices you pay. I think it's a shame, because I always enjoyed eating from Otaru.

Got terribly ill after ordering two different rainbow rolls. I don't mind paying dearly for good sushi. It looked well cared for but then completely sick within 1.5 hours. So intense that I think it was in the shrimp. Not being able to eat anything for 6 days and keep it down. Not to be done. Never again

Fresh and tasty fish, prices and portions are reasonable.

Had a delicious meal with my son. Everything was fully booked on the site, I called and there was plenty of room.

We ate very well and the people were super friendly!

Food is good and Japanese. The End

The food was not bad. But the location is good. Considering Amsterdam has not that many sushi restaurants with dine-in option (yes, there are lots of Japanese restaurant here but most of them are only available for take away or delivery), this is good place to visit

Very delicious sushi, so fresh and so authentic. Totally recommends it! The mixes in the makis are to die for. Especially the salmon and tuna. Closes a bit early so be there before 9:30pm. Very quick in serving

Honestly I found this place to only be OK in ratio to the price. It's a sushi place and yet my favorite plate was probably the vegetable tempura!

Had an excellent late lunch here! Tea and nigiri, all great

We had a very good dinner! Very good attention from the waiters and the place is very cozy with a very quiet terrace.

The store didn't convince me. The food was ok. Everything average

Poor service, food not good at all.. only good thing is the price.. but everything else is soo poor. I don’t recommend it to anyone with an appreciation of good food

This sushi restaurant is not for sushi or sashimi purists, but it has its merits. The location is convenient, although there was a noticeable fishy smell in the dining area that detracted from the experience. On the positive side, the dessert portions are generous and perfect for sharing, and they were accommodating of my allergies, which I appreciated. I frequently order takeout from here, and I find the quality to be consistently good. While I prefer takeout over dining in due to the ambiance, it's a reliable option for a casual sushi fix.

Very friendly staff and delicious food. Fast service.

I ordered vegetable udon soup. Was disappointed, because there was no vegetables in it. Just green onion, sprouts and udon in a broth, so I left hungry. The place offers no vegetarian meals. Wasabi waits on the table for a long time so it looses all strength! No wasabi strength at all

By far the best sushi I've tried in Amsterdam, it's all amazing, the price is good and the service is flawless

Cozy tables in 'alcoves' that give you the feeling of a little privacy. Or you can sit somewhere else, of course. Delicious Japanese food (sushi-like things) and the price was very reasonable.

The food was very bad! Way too much rice for sushi and the fish for sashimi had no taste. The Philadelphia Roll had way too much cream cheese and not enough fish! Wouldn't come again.

Classic, clean but uninteresting kitchen

Sushi rolls are mediocre, nori is soggy, Philadelphia rolls have very small amount of salmon.

Central location, excellent food and good, professional service. The price is fair. The three of us paid 180 euros, but we mainly consumed expensive dishes (sashimi, black tiger shrimp, etc.).