Robin — Restaurant in San Francisco

4.5 star service, 4 star food, 3.5 star outside ambiance & comfort, 3 stars pricing / value for the money. Rounding up the average to 4 stars.

Service was friendly and accessible.

Food was universally tasty, but at times over-complicated; I occasionally craved more simplicity vs. a powerful mix of competing flavors.

Outside seating, well, that's really mostly beyond the control of this restaurant, but street noise was annoying, and the over-loud restaurant music just added to the din. At least the heat lamp was very effective.

However, I find the both the price AND the pricing structure of this restaurant to be... unfortunate. Our otherwise lovely waitress started the night out with something like this:

"Our dinners range in price from $89 to $189, with over 100 options! You just let us know what price point you're most comfortable with, and also note what foods you want or don't want..."

My friend and I were a bit puzzled. Without a menu or really anything to really guide us, we just said, "Um, no cilantro... and, er, we like uni and toro?"

"Great! Then, how about $125 per meal?"

"Er, is that the extra for the uni and toro?"

"Well, the price depends upon the both the amount of food and the specific dishes you want and..."

"Okay, um, sure, $125 is fine."

Like, is this "Let's Make a Deal" or? This just felt uncomfortable and confusing to me.

So this -- paired with a shared sake flight -- ended up costing us $425 in total for the 2 of us, which frankly feels a bit on the high side for the food we ate. What really got my goat, though, was that this restaurant separately itemizes (and incorporate into the suggested gratuity) a 5% "SF Mandate Surcharge" for which there's absolutely NO reason, much less any mandate to break out. I know they're not alone in doing this but it's a rude & IMHO unclassy move that one would NEVER see in Japan (or, frankly, most anywhere outside of SF). Please, just be up front with pricing rather than nickel-and-diming (and hiding) costs like this!

Frankly, I'd be happier if Robin just had three price levels, inclusive of service, say $120, $170, $220... just making things so much simpler for guests and probably also ensuring a more consistent & balanced income for the front & back of the house.

So do I recommend this place? Maybe, though I'd suggest waiting until you feel comfortable eating in the (I presume) less noisy inside. Personally, I won't be back, particularly after having been spoiled by incredible omakase meals in Japan that cost a fraction of what Robin charges. But if you're looking for an explosion of tasty flavors, very fresh fish, and quite good service, you could certainly do worse than...

We ordered the highest level omakase and loved a few of the courses brought out to us. The play with flavor and presentation is overall a fun/okay experience.

However; this review is geared toward the level of service and attention to detail expected for a $700+ bill (for 2 diners).

The tables are the average size for two diners (enough space for separate plates, plus multiple serving dishes in the center). Given that each course was brought out on a single plate (and we were given awkward 1mm thick chopsticks), it was an effort to reach to the center of the table and pick up the bites of food with the chopsticks. My husband is from Southeast Asia, uses chopstick regularly, and agreed with this sentiment. A smaller table might work better for the concept.

The sushi rice was too wet to hold its shape while navigating the above-mentioned table/plate setup. Odd, given that it's kinda hard to mess up sushi rice? Also for $700...

Our courses came out sporadically, we went for 20-30 minutes between two courses and then had 3 stacked on the table at the same time... a weirdly insulting way to rush diners who paid for a top experience. But then again, there were only 2 servers for an entire dining room of around 40 people. Of course there would be chaos with this setup.

Finally, and worst for us, we spoke to our server at the very beginning of our night (as we were seated) and made it clear that we did not want the wagyu tartare due to religious avoidance of beef. He agreed and promised we would get a different course. Then, in the midst of the chaotic dining session, we eventually were served the wagyu. We were very kind given the circumstances, but insisted that we wouldn't eat it. As discussed, we don't eat beef. The rest of the night, the entire wait staff changed their demeanor to one of coldness when delivering our courses. I have no clue what two tiny crackers of pate and wagyu tartare cost the restaurant to throw away... but I'm kinda shocked it was a big enough deal to permanently lose two...

I’ve come to Robin with a group about a year ago and had a great time. I don’t know if there were just some management differences within that year, but something changed. I wanted to take my mom to her first, nice, omakase experience while she was in town and was left extremely embarrassed and disappointed last night.

Food: 2/5. Tasty, but portions were noticeably tinier since December 2023. Soup course was smaller. The sashimi slice to rice ratio were definitely different than before for the nigiri (see pic).

Service: 1/5. …Come on guys. I’ve been a server. The table to waitstaff ratio did not justify the lack of service. Omakase is just as much about the experience as well as the food. While the host(?) was very kind and helpful with seating us, the actual experience was awful.

We didn’t get water until I asked like 30 minutes in We didn’t get to course 4 until an hour after we sat down. A couple a few tables from us outpaced us even though they came after us. I had to ask about the course timing, so after that it was just rapid fire for the rest. No one apologized, nor explained the weird cadence. I had to bring them the check back after I had put my card down and went to the bathroom.

Atmosphere: 1/5: It’s a “contemporary” experience- they were playing Drake all night?? In 2025?? In Kendrick’s America?? Please update the playlist- hip hop has evolved since 2012.

Was I cursed for sitting outside? Maybe. But as an omakase restaurant, I’d still expect them to provide the same service & atmosphere as inside.

—- I am generally pretty reasonable and understanding, but that was exceptionally abhorrent. No reasons given, no apology, no explanation from waitress. I understand not wanting to be confrontational- but a sorry would’ve went a long way guys.

I’m giving this place a two because of the kind host. But otherwise, I am actually rounding up for this one.

Am I missing out on something here? Please...