Sushi Rinda — Restaurant in Tokyo

The fish is excellent and the staff are incredibly fun and welcoming to English-speakers, but we were disappointed by the end of the night for the following reasons:

1. Lack of pricing transparency: the final bill was frankly shocking. For 2 people, our total was ¥67,000. I knew going into this it was ¥24,000/person + a 10% service charge (per my Tabelog reservation), but I could not explain the difference when my partner only got 3 beers and I only got a hot tea. When we questioned it and asked for an itemized receipt, we were told that they don't do itemized receipts and that the pieces of the "special roll" we were offered at the end had bumped our original final bill from ¥59,000 (? also confusing?) to ¥67,000. First, there was no clarity around how the pieces of the special roll would be an extra cost - it was made to feel that it was an offering if you weren't full yet. Second, everyone who declined the special roll pieces got a different ending course which we didn't receive. Third, we were offered sake that felt like a gift, but now I'm questioning if that was charged too. Fourth, it's unclear if the guests who drank more were charged more than us, which doesn't seem fair if they were indeed charged the same. If you do go and pricing matters to you, ask before you receive/order any beverages or are offered anything "special".

2. Safety: another guest had clearly drank too much and was doing things that could've harmed them, other guests, or the staff, but no one spoke up. The staff were just too polite to push back on what they were doing that was dangerous or to stop serving alcohol to them.

3. Duration: the dinner took 3.5-4 hours...I had expected 2.5 hours, but not more than that. If you do go, I'd recommend making a reservation for 7 pm instead of 6 pm (everyone seemed to end around 9:30-10 pm no matter when you arrived).

If you don't mind these things, it's worth going for the experience. But for me, I may not have chosen this had there been more transparency about the costs. I never spend this much on eating out, but I had specifically chosen Sushi Rinda for a special occasion dinner and was intentional about my budget, so a surprise bill was just a terrible way to end the night. Looking back we should've questioned the pricing more, but we wanted to be good guests so we just paid it after the superficial...

Pros:

The food and experience as a whole was amazing. Some of the best sushi my partner and I have ever had by far. The chef and his assistants are all really friendly and speak English alongside Japanese which is great for foreign customers. Really good atmosphere as well, everyone’s seated pretty close to each other without it feeling too cramped so you can have a chat if you feel like it.

Cons:

Lack of transparency about pricing. We ended up paying around ¥40,000 yen pp which was ¥8000 more than we anticipated. We rock up to the place and a beer has been poured for us before we even sit down. Throughout the night the chef repeatedly asks why our beer glasses are empty and makes other remarks sort of nudging us to drink more. We also had 2 small cups of sake throughout the night, one “for tasting, on the chef” and another “for everyone at the end of the night” that they pretty much just hand to you without you saying anything. I suspect we were also billed for water but I don’t know because I didn’t want to look broke in front of everyone and ask for a break down of the bill. We also didn’t get the final “rinda roll” which the chef tried to slide in at the end since thankfully we read a review that said it costs an extra ¥7000 or so.

Overall:

Great dining experience but lack of transparency about pricing and constant nudging to drink more with the suggestion that it’s free was a bit misleading imo. If you’re warren buffet’s second cousin the cons probably won’t phase you. Yummy food but was it ¥40,000 yummy?...

Last night we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant that offered us an authentic and meticulously curated culinary experience. The highlight of the evening was the Sushi Rinda — an impeccable selection that combined technique, freshness, and flavor in every bite.

The fish was exceptionally fresh, expertly sliced, and served on perfectly cooked rice: compact, tender, and delicately seasoned. The flavors were clean and well-defined, enhanced by high-quality condiments like wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger, which were served in the right amount to cleanse the palate between bites without overpowering the fish.

To complete the experience, we enjoyed a tasting of three artisan sakes, each with its own personality. The first, Yamamoto Junmai Ginjo (blue label), was fruity and smooth — a perfect opener. The second, Daïa Junmai Chokarakuchi (yellow label), was extra dry, sharp, and clean on the finish. The third, Fukuju Junmai Ginjo (white label), was a more traditional dry sake, elegant and well-balanced — ideal to close the tasting on a refined note.

The service was impeccable: friendly, professional, and always attentive. The atmosphere was minimal yet warm, creating a relaxed and welcoming dining experience. The chef, cheerful and engaging, added a personal touch by explaining each detail with passion and enthusiasm.

In conclusion, this is a restaurant we highly recommend to anyone looking for top-quality sushi and an exceptional Japanese sake selection. We will...