Izakaya Rintaro

“Rintaro SF has been on my list forever, so we planned ahead and reserved 2 weeks in advance for a Sunday dinner at 7:45pm. Definitely needed it as the place was busy and buzzing (typical izakaya energy). The space is beautiful, probably added to my expectations going in. And maybe that’s why the food didn’t quite land the way I hoped. It wasn’t bad by any means, just… underwhelming for how hyped it is. A few dishes stood out, but overall it didn’t feel as memorable as I expected for the price ($90 per person spring menu set) What I had: Ocha no ponchi cocktail: We started with some alcohol to warm ourselves up as it's cool outside. Light, refreshing and easy to drink. A nice start to the meal. Haru no shira-ae: First dish, seasonal veggies with tofu sesame sauce, nothing particularly exciting. San ten mori (sashimi plate with bluefin, yellowtail, halibut): Fish quality was mid, slices were very thin and small. We added uni and sea trout (+$10), was just ok Hitokuchi oden: Had simmered daikon, lingcod hanpen, and sweet potato satsumaage fishcakes. The broth was bland (or maybe because we had a very great oden at a omakase place at lunch that same day, so this broth flavor was less comforting. Yakitori tsukune: One of the best dishes of that night. Juicy, smoky, and very fatty dipping into the egg yolk. Would love to try it again. Chiizu tori katsu (chicken and cheese) & Sakana furai (fish): We had 2 people so we ordered both to try a bit of everything. I prefer fish katsu Chikara udon: Comforting broth and chewy noodles. I like the texture of the grilled mochi. Hojicha panna cotta: My 2nd favorite dish of the night. Smooth, nutty, not too sweet (if you don't pour the syrup - I don't of course). A perfect finish. We also get a free strawberry jelly as a birthday present, so very appreciated the staff! Overall, I’m glad I tried it, but for $100++/person and lacking flavor, I wouldn’t rush going back soon.”

“April 2026: Enjoyed a wonderful dinner. Reservations seem mandatory here. We tried the tasting menu. Had a lot of variety. My favorites include the sashimi (like the yuzu paste with the tuna, yellowtail and trout), the sakana furai (yellowtail katsu), and the oden (daikon, fishcake with sweet potato, lingcod in a delicious broth). Next time, I would like to try the pork tonkatsu. Service was friendly and attentive. Would definitely come back again!”

“So cozy and delicious. From the exterior to the delightful interior to the restrooms, this is a beautiful restaurant. Wonderful service and the food was all delicious. We loved the ume welcome drink. We tried the sashimi sampler, the gyoza, duck mizuna salad, trumpet mushroom and chicken thigh sansho yakitori, matsutake udon and passionfruit profiterole. Our favorite was the mushroom yakitori. If we came back we'd try more yakitori and the whole fried fish. Tricia and our server were awesome. Excited to try recipes from the cookbook!”

“My kids gifted us a certificate to dine at Rintaro. Luckily we were able to reserve it for our anniversary dinner. We were seated in the room further back from the entrance. At first it was quiet with 2 other couples. Then 2 tables of 3 and a table of 6 girls were seated and with the background noise of one of the staff slapping and cutting the udon it quickly became pretty noisy. Our server and the team that brought us beverages, dishes and cleared our plates were very professional, well-informed about sakes and suitable pairings and looked happy to be there. This made dining there so wonderful! They confirmed that we were celebrating our anniversary and gifted us glasses of sparkling after confirming where we were planning to imbibe alcoholic beverages that evening. So sweet! The sashimi , salad and grilled mushrooms (yakimono) were 5 stars. Oden and fried items were 4 stars. The desserts were a mix - one so good and the other just okay. Overall it’s a good place to eat and experience authentic Japanese eats with a California flourish.”

“A beautifully designed space with a great ambiance, Rintaro delivers the feel of an upscale izakaya serving traditional Japanese dishes like katsu and oden. I have heard about this place for years and was excited to finally try it, but I left feeling it was just alright. You can clearly taste the quality of the ingredients, but nothing truly stood out or felt imaginative. I appreciate the simplicity of Japanese cooking, but several dishes leaned too far into blandness. The cold udon, for example, lacked depth. Aside from a strong hit of ginger, there was not much flavor to pull from. The katsu, made with Berkshire pork, had good meat quality, but the breading did not hold together, which was surprising at this price point. As someone who cooks at home, I made katsu this week and my breading stayed intact, so that was disappointing. The mini cold crab dish was enjoyable, but the portion felt unbalanced. There were too many pickled cucumbers, which overshadowed the crab and left each of us with only a few small bites. I did like the chicken yakitori with sansho, though it is hard to fully appreciate it given how expensive it was for what you get. I understand that dining in San Francisco is expensive, but the pricing here set expectations for creativity and innovation that the food did not meet. I left feeling underwhelmed, and my wallet definitely felt it. I really wanted to like this place, but it did not live up to the hype. I do give props to the service. I really appreciated their attentiveness and willingness to explain the menu to you.”