Santoku — Restaurant in Accra

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated or associated with any restaurant I review.

My pregnant girlfriend and I chose Santoku for our Christmas Eve dinner. Despite the not having a specific festive special/menu, the restaurant created a warm, holiday atmosphere with pleasant music. Though we don't celebrate Christmas, we really appreciated the subtle ornimants and nuances.

I have visited Santoku on countless occasions and it continues to be a popular choice for couples, families, and larger groups.

The culinary experience at Santoku was impressive. My girlfriend opted for cooked sushi items, which were fresh and expertly prepared. While I can't recall every dish we ordered, each was a testament to the restaurant's excellence.

One aspect that sets Santoku apart, especially in comparison to other Japanese or Asian restaurants in Ghana, is their sushi. Often, you find sushi that's disappointingly heavy on rice, resembling something you'd get at a food court. Santoku, however, demonstrates careful attention to detail in their menu items.

The beverage selection was another highlight. The mocktails and dessert options were adaptable to our preferences without any compromise in quality. Although the dessert choices were limited, finding lactose-intolerant-friendly options in Ghana is a rarity, and Santoku caters to this need.

Our server, Comfort, was a standout. She effortlessly accommodated our dietary restrictions, ensuring a seamless dining experience. This brings me to a broader observation. While service in Ghana often receives criticism, I've noticed a significant improvement overall. Our experience with Comfort at Santoku was on par with some of the finest restaurants we've visited internationally.

The positive service culture seems to trickle down from the management. The tall South Asian manager (or possibly the owner – this is just an assumption) on duty was notably involved and effective in his role.

Santoku might be pricier compared to other places in the city, but it's a worthy choice for those seeking quality and a memorable experience.

I hope this review offers a current perspective on what Santoku has to...

I am very disappointed and upset.

Before going to santoku, I called to make a reservation and also enquire on their timings. The guy who answered told me the kitchen closes at 3pm and reopens at 6pm but the bar would still be opened. I then asked if we would be allowed in since the kitchen would be closed and he said yes we would be allowed for drinks. After, I asked if we had to make any reservations, he answered no, we didn’t have to.. We could just walk in. So I thanked him and hanged up. My friends and I got to the venue about 4:30pm only for one staff to rudely tell us “go and come back at 6pm, kitchen is closed” That was the reply we got when all we had said was “hello”. I then told him I called early and was told to come. He then directed one lady staff to us who gave us a seat outside. She later brought the drinks menu and left. Few mins later, the rude guy came to where we were seated and stood for about a minute or two without saying a word. I then noticed he wanted us to call out our order. His tone and body language was so rude! The drinks were served and I must confess they were juicy. At 6pm, my friends and I decided to go in so we have dinner only to be denied entry because we didn’t make a reservation! Really!!! I told the guy at the entrance I was told reservations wasn’t needed when I called earlier. He just brushed me off and told one lady to book us. After booking I told him their call service agent needs training because this is so disappointing. As a “customer service personnel”, I would have apologized to the customer but no, he didn’t even care.. I was so upset I just had to leave without having dinner...

Best restaurant I've tried so far in Accra and one of the best sushi I've had. Highly recommended.

We went with my wife on a Sunday lunch without reservation and we had the Santoku tasting menu + a bottle of South African white wine. No wait to get a table despite not having reservation.

Food overall was extremely high quality: Super fresh ingredients (with a wide variety of seafood taking part of the menu) with an awesome combination of flavors. The good: Second dish of sushi was perhaps the best ones I've ever had (particularly the Unagi one). The ceviche was also quite impressive with a great balance of flavors (spiciness and citrussy).

Opportunities: The scallop dish was quite good but perhaps a bit of crunchiness was missing on the dish. The meat dish...not sure what it was doing on this tasting menu; I feel that whilst the menu had very good dishes, there wasn't too much thougth put into the order or which ones made more sense to include (meat dish took out of balance the experience and it was too much to finish with).

-Service was quite attentive. Haven't seen this ratio of waiters to tables in a long time.

Atmosphere was relaxing with very high-quality live music. Definitely made me enjoy more the experience.

Would recommend and...