Sola Japanese Izakaya Dining — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Who knew tWow. Unexpectedly incredible. Sola Japanese Izakaya is the kind of hidden gem that makes you feel like you've discovered something truly special in the San Fernando Valley.

The sushi was unbelievably fresh, beautifully presented, and every bite was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You can tell they care deeply about quality and craft -- nothing felt rushed or average. Every dish was balanced, flavorful, and clearly prepared with intention.

Whether you're a longtime sushi lover or just dipping your toes into Japanese izakaya-style dining, Sola is the real deal. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming without being pretentious -- the kind of place you want to come back to, again and again. It's clear this team puts pride into what they serve. The staff were amazing - very attentive, helpful in explaining things. They even let my friend and I stay until closing to work in a booth. Cannot thank them enough.

If you're looking for a place with elevated flavor, freshness, and a soulful dining experience, skip the chains and head here. You'll be so glad you did.

5 stars

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I'm not sure why this place didn't have a wait list at 7pm on a Friday night. It seems like maybe there was a prior owner and these are new owners? It's the only reason I can possibly imagine there isn't a line out the door.

As I told my husband tonight, every dish we had, if I wanted someone to know what a well executed, authentic version was, this is it, beautifully prepared.

We had the potato salad, the smashed cucumber, gyoza, dashimaki tamago (savory style, not very sweet, I prefer the one here to the very sweet ones, the one here is delectable), sake-kama which was beautifully grilled, crispy edged, flaky, so juicy), and the menchi katsu, which isn't a common find but absolutely amazing. I also had the ume ochazuke which is something I always have to order when I see it. It's comforting and soul soothing in the way Americans find chicken soup, but lovely, delicate Japanese flavors.

Please don't come here expecting speedy service. It is not slow, but everything is prepared fresh, and the point of izakaya isn't to rush in and out. It's to eat a little, talk a little, drink a little.

Or you can do what we did and get there way too late after a busy day and eat way too much because you're ravenous. And enjoy every minute because it's exceptional.

So, here's hoping next time I'm back I have to wait because this is a gem you don't find every day. And I will definitely be back. I'm only here for a few weeks and I want to enjoy as much as I can...

Horrible service, very rude waitress/owner!!! DON'T GO TO THIS RESTAURANT!!! We had a horrible experience today dinning at this Sola restaurant. When we arrived, the waitress asked us to sit in the corner table. We waited for 20 minutes, the waitress finally came. She didn't understand much of English, every sentence I spoke to her, she asked "what?". As if she didn't understand anything. While we were trying hard to order food from her, she suddenly ran away and went to hug and talk a person who just came in the restaurant. We waited again for a few minutes until she came back to us to continue taking our order. I asked her why she ran away. She stared at me and said to me "so what?". No any apologies at all! I then tried to continue finishing the order. But she was extremely impatient and keep saying "what? What? Hurry up", and gave me a nasty look. I could not stand it any more. I told her that I had to go due to the terrible service. She then snatched the menu off from my hand and left.

I was startled and speechless! I have never seen any waitress acting so disrespectful and so rude to the customer. This waitress/owner is in her late 40th and early 50th, very chubby, also wears glasses. She is also the owner! I want to let everyone know about her. Please DON'T go to her restaurant!!! Her business will not...