Vegan
Japanese
Vegan sushi bar and izakaya, eat. Jan 2015. Offers sushi, ramen, and Japanese food in small plates in a unique dining set-up with matching wood beams and tables. Open Mon-Thu 5:00pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 4:00pm-9:30pm, Sun 4:30pm-9:00pm.
237 Reviews
First Review by AshleyLorden
hetalshah24
Points +923
Great sushi and sake - Edit
Update - went here again and its still as good!
Read moreVisited this place for the first time and think I need to again to try all the other things on the menu! I had tomato nigiri, philadelphia classic roll, sweet potato classic roll, open invitation specialty roll and the boddy and soul specialty roll. Our favorite was the boddy and soul and the sweet potato roll. Loved the sakes we tried as well. Ginjo: Mizu no shirabe was my favorite.
Really good place to go with friends so that you can share rolls and small plates. Loved the ambience! Best to make a reservation to avoid waiting.
Updated from previous review on 2022-07-09
Pros: Great food, lovely ambience, great service
Cons: A bit pricey but expected it
Guest
FatmaBahri
Points +398
Quite Delicious! - Edit
Tasty starters, small plates, and desserts.
Read moreGuest
cnmangini
Points +160
Best vegan sushi there is - Edit
I was not expecting their marinated tomato nigiri to be my favorite item on the menu but I think about it often. Their brussels sprouts with the wasabi aioli were probably the best I’ve ever had. Everything we ordered was amazing. I don’t think there’s a vegan sushi place that will top this - especially with how amazing the service was on top of the food being out of this world.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-09-21
Pros: Nigiri, Brussels sprouts, Service
Cons: Nothing
Guest
tyhou
Points +81
Best vegan sushi I've had - Edit
Highly recommend the spicy tofuna, and the eggplant nigiri. There was so much more I wanted to try, but I was really full.
Read moreGuest
chelspea
Points +254
Highly recommend! - Edit
Make a reservation - We ordered 1 appetizer, 1 small plate, 1 ramen, 1 nigiri, 1 specialty roll and it was the perfect amount of food for 2 people(and $124 including tip and 2 alcoholic drinks)
Read moreGuest
babidi
Points +2792
Prime Suspect - Edit
An interesting sushi selection that includes both simple classics and playful creations. We ordered a lot of different items and my favourite was the Prime Suspect roll with tempura aspargus, shreded gobo, marinated eggplant, sweet potato crisps and torched gochujang aioli.
Read moreGuest
kferg
Points +59
Very inventive sushi - Edit
I took some non vegans here and they had a great time. My advice would be to stick their custom rolls. The traditional rolls are fine but nowhere near as flavorful and inventive as their own creations. Come here to experiment and you’ll have a good time
Read moreGuest
Malizay_Grey
Points +226
Special place in my heart - Edit
Ive been coming here for years and I always tell people that it's a different experience than fish based sushi. It's the similar environment and atmosphere but completely different flavor pairings so as long as your not expecting it to taste exactly like your favorite thing from before you became vegan you'll absolutely love it.
Read morePros: Flavors are genius, Feels like a sushi spot, New textures and flavors experience
Cons: Little pricey, Not the safest area , Reservations are hard
Guest
KatherineWinter
Points +1381
Loved it - Edit
I really liked this restaurant. The interior is raw wood and earthy. Decor was very good with moss framing. The colonel’s pipe was my favorite roll. The staff was friendly. While it is best to have a reservation, it is possible to do walkup. They add you to a yelp queue, and text when they want you back.
Read moreGuest
veganByTheWay
Points +32
Artful, delicious experience - Edit
Just beautiful and tasty! We got the surprise ending, spicy ramen, sweet potato tempura roll, and boddy roll. Expertly crafted vegan sushi - the place is busy, best to do reservations in advance especially on weekends
Read morePros: Beautiful, delicious food, Inventive flavor combos, Great and artful dining room
Guest
artoonie
Points +265
What!! - Edit
So good! We couldn’t stop ordering. What’s another $20, we gotta try it.
Read moreThe wasabi was super spicy too, I’ve never had wasabi like that.
Guest
oskeewowwow
Points +1111
Best Vegan Restaurant in SF - Edit
I’ve been coming here for many years whenever I can get a reservation. The sushi is astounding with its use of a wide range of ingredients to make complex flavors and textures. The space is cozy and best for 2-4 people. Make sure to get a noodle dish if you’re very hungry!
Read morePros: Truly incredible vegan sushi, Cozy , Wide selection of dishes
Guest
latzar
Points +57
Best sushi ever - Edit
How do they do it? Such weird descriptions on the menu, then you eat it and almost cry from happiness. It’s all delicious.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-19
Pros: Delicious , Innovative , Amazing
Cons: Not the friendliest staff, Only one location, Cannot teleport sushi to me
Guest
Chrissyanne
Points +884
Worth the Hassle - Edit
I've been to Shizen many times, but I have to say that it's becoming quite a hassle to eat there! We had a reservation for their opening time at 4:30 p.m. . It's a busy place and as soon as they open the doors at 4:30 it will fill up immediately, mostly with people with reservations. This means that everyone is seated at once and everyone orders at about the same time. You are constantly reminded that you only have your table for 90 minutes. And later you will see that they really mean this! The problem was that even though we were ready to order, our order wasn't taken until about 4:55 because everyone is trying to order it once. As a result, our food didn't start to arrive until 5:15. At that time we were given a reminder that half of our allotted time had passed and we only had 45 minutes left at our table. We felt constantly rushed and had to vacate our table after we had barely finished eating.
Read moreThat being said, the hassle is really worth the wait. The food is delicious! I especially enjoy the ramen which is generally served hot in the winter and cold in the summer months. The various specialty rolls are all creative, beautiful and delicious. I would pass on the brussel sprouts. They are seared a bit too much and are almost burnt. And then they're covered in a thick, salty sauce.
There's usually one dessert every night. Your server will describe it to you. You should ask the price because you might be surprised.
There's a sister restaurant in Berkeley, Tane Izakaya which has almost the same food at significantly lower prices, as much as 20% lower for the same dish. So if you're in the area you might want to check that out.
Just a quick update on another dinner here in April 2024. This time we had a reservation for 6:30 and we were seated immediately when we arrived. I would definitely recommend making a reservation in advance for a time other than the opening hour of 4: 30. We arrived 15 minutes early so we actually managed to add 15 minutes to our allotted table time. We were still constantly reminded of how much time we had left at our table! This time we had the spicy garlic ramen, a greens roll, the prime suspect and Colonel's pipe. All absolutely delicious!
Updated from previous review on 2023-11-09
Pros: Delicious creative food., Fantastic Ramen, Nice interior
Cons: Rushed service, Expensive when compared to similar restaurants, A lot of dishes are too salty
sara213
Thanks for the tip about the Berkeley location! I avoid Shizen because the crowds and parking stress me out.
Read moreChrissyanne
You're welcome Sarah213! I'm happy that you found my review helpful. BTW, there's also a sister restaurant in Honolulu.
Read moreenygma
I miss when they took to-go orders for this exact reason! Thank you for letting me know about the Berkley spot
Read moreGuest
tj9045
Points +441
Best vegan food in the city - Edit
Amazing sushi options with complex flavors and textures
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-03-22
Guest
Julieha
Points +16
Disappointing - Edit
I was so excited to go there… the food was disappointing with respect to the price…. Service was extremely rude …would not recommend it to anyone…
Read moreGuest
gabs1205
Points +210
Best vegan sushi in SF - Edit
Not too many vegan sushi places in SF, but this place definitely does it best. Try the karaage too!
Read moreGuest
AmberXXX
Points +105
Wow !!!! - Edit
So I asked a local travel group where I should eat that's vegan in san fransisco and this was the #1 suggested spot. You can only book a reservation 1 week in advance and the spots booked up right away, I was able to snag a Sunday at opening (4:30pm). We had a great seat right as you walk in the dinning room and ordered as soon as we could. We tried the garlic edammame, seaweed salad and the miso soup as the appetizers and for rolls we tried the boddy and soul and missing peice. The garlic edammame was amazing if you like garlic like I do, miso soup was boring..nothing special and the seaweed salad was great minus the cucumbers. The specialty rolls..... boddy and soul was insanely good! Perfect amount of spice and crunch...all in all probably the best roll I've ever tried in my life... as for the missing peice ...it was an experience but I probably would never order it again.... too many weird flavors in my mouth from the tomato and the pickled mango. The service was great and fast.. with tip we spent $85 usd for 2 rolls and 3 appetizers. I highly suggest this place if you're ever in san fransisco and book that reservation asap.
Read morePros: Good portions, Nice presentation, Quick service
Cons: A little pricey
Guest
dogwooddesign
Points +277
Well, that was the most amazing thing I've ever eaten - Edit
Just go. You have to make reservations because it's so popular, but make sure you go here!
Read moreAll other sushi will pale in comparison to this place.
Pros: Creative and unique, Delicious, All vegan establishment
Guest
abipatterick
Points +2098
Incredible - Edit
Booked on a whim for the final night of our trip as a treat. So glad we did! We could only get the 5pm slot, but we did book last-minute.
Read moreThe food was incredible! We weren't too hungry, due to the early sitting, so we ordered fairly conservatively and ended up ordering more!
Service was also lovely. Our server was really friendly and advised us of the best things on the menu.
The food arrives as and when it's ready, which is a great way to eat as you're constantly getting fresh plates.
Particularly loved the eggplant nigiri and the Candlestick (specialty) which genuinely arrived on fire. Edamame are also done very well!
Pros: Great food - a proper treat
Guest
vegandinosaur
Points +374
Shizen asks what vegetables can be - Edit
Many sushi places with vegan options offer plain vegetable-stuffed sushi. Shizen asks, what can vegetables be? You can’t go wrong with any item on the menu, but you may have to wait a while to get in. Get on the waitlist when they open, or hop across the Bay to their sibling restaurant, Tane Vegan Izakaya. #Veganuary
Read moreGuest
smcgu
Points +20
My favorite restaurant in San Francisco - Edit
This is the only place I go out to eat in San Francisco! I haven’t found any other vegan spots in town where I have been 100% happy with everything I have ordered. It is so delicious you can bring meat eating no friends and they will be happy here too. It’s all vegan so I can order anything on the menu and I have tried the entire menu at this point. Everything here is delicious!
Read moreGuest
jtoskey
Points +192
Fantastic rolls - Edit
I was really pleased with the three rolls I ordered. Each one had unique combinations of flavors and textures. Really excellent value as well
Read moreGuest
welder
Points +74
Wonderful food! - Edit
The Proud Peacock was by far my favorite! The secret weapon was also good. The gyoza were just ok and I wasn’t a fan of the surprise ending. Giving them four stars because of the price. It cost $100 for dinner for two.
Read morePros: So many choices!, High quality food , Nice ambiance
Cons: Expensive , Reservations required , Tables are fairly crowded together
Guest
JohnWaldum
Points +750
Hands down best vegan sushi - Edit
We've been coming to Shizen for over 6 years. It has never disappointed. We bring family and friends whenever they visit SF. Get reservations and be prepared to enjoy.
Read morePros: Options. Lots of rolls and other choices., Always tasty, Atmosphere
Cons: Location can be hard to find parking
Guest
jollieduck
Points +2238
Super duper yummy - Edit
This place was amazing and everything we ordered was delicious, especially the gyoza and the "open invitation" specialty sushi roll. The rolls are inventive, complex, and totally worth it. They were able to seat us for dinner on a Saturday night without a reservation, but I thought the server was kind of rude.
Read moreGuest
NevenMonster
Points +437
Amazing - Edit
I understand completely why it's a top rated restaurant. Unique sushi, amazing ramen
Read morePros: Ramen, Sushi, Service
Guest
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