This place has been in the Inner Sunset for over thirty years, and is still packed with people for straightforward rolls, nigiri, and handrolls, and superb appetizers, like miso-glazed eggplant and agedashi tofu. Although Ebisu is loud and the tables are somewhat cramped, the service is quick and the people running it are always checking in on you. Sit at the sushi counter where things feel less chaotic, stick to the rolls, and pay attention to the specials on the board, like half-shell oysters.

Dinner at Ken on Divisadero feels like an exclusive dinner party—and one filled with flawless nigiri, silky chawanmushi, and dashi-soaked tomatoes that burst like water balloons in your mouth. As you move through the seamless 14-course meal, you'll fall into a comfortable silence as Ken precisely scores pieces of butterfish, torches a set of neatly lined up nigiri, and explains the process of poaching the house-cured ikura to its sticky, delicate consistency.

You'll probably have to wait for a table at this walk-in-only spot in Noe Valley. It’s tiny, with just a few seats at the bar and a couple of dining room tables. But when you finally sit and the friendly staff starts bringing perfect pieces of fatty tuna and yellowtail belly nigiri to the table, you’ll know the wait was worth it. Come to Saru to share the more basic sushi rolls, like sweet potato tempura or tuna maki, and specialty ones like the White Out with seared escarole and garlic ponzu.

Dinner at Eiji, the snug Japanese restaurant in the Castro, always feels like gathering around a good friend’s kitchen table—and that friend happens to make the best sushi rolls, delicate ankake tofu, and soy-glazed tuna belly. The theme at this somewhat pastoral spot is light, bright, and simple: A juicy halved cherry tomato to cap off the pickly ceviche roll, single shiso leaves to liven up slices of the spicy tuna poke roll, and a punchy vinegar to marinate a crunchy cucumber sunomono.

There aren’t many spots that are trendier than a NYFW runway, serve great omakase, and let you pay on a sliding scale. That’s how it works at Robin: Tell the waiter exactly how much in the $99-$199 range you’re willing to spend. From there, you’ll receive a proportional amount of things like roasted kabocha squash miso soup, truffle sesame noodles, lots of nigiri, and A5 wagyu dusted in melty shaved foie gras.

You'll probably have to wait for a table at this walk-in-only spot in Noe Valley. It’s tiny, with just a few seats at the bar and a couple of dining room tables. But when you finally sit and the friendly staff starts bringing perfect pieces of fatty tuna and yellowtail belly nigiri to the table, you’ll know the wait was worth it. Come to Saru to share the more basic sushi rolls, like sweet potato tempura or tuna maki, and specialty ones like the White Out with seared escarole and garlic ponzu.

Shoshin Sushi is the answer to all your casual weeknight sushi needs. The low-key spot has range: You can walk in alone for some quality nigiri at the bar, meet a few friends to inhale fantastic baked rolls doused in spicy aioli, or have an extra fancy date night with their $80 omakase. Whatever you do, start things off with the decadent “Daigo Shot,” a nod to the old menu favorite that comes with yellowtail, truffle ponzu, and a tiny quail egg yolk.

You probably aren’t picturing an open hallway inside of a mall when you imagine an omakase-style dinner. But that’s exactly where you’ll find Oma San Francisco Station, a small omakase counter in the Japan Center where keeping it casual is the appeal. That, and the fantastic nigiri sliced with precision. Here, you’ll also make small talk with the chefs while listening to ambient mall chatter and eating slow-cooked duck breast and plain udon with uni sauce.

The rice at Sushi Sato, a new Japanese restaurant in Polk Gulch, is life-changing—it’s wonderfully sticky and vinegar-y, and holds its shape before dissolving into a sweet finish in your mouth. You will never look at sushi rice the same way, ever again, whether you get it in simply-prepared sashimi and nigiri, handrolls, and decadent chirashi bowls. Rice aside, come here for the appetizers, like a refreshing tomato ceviche brightened with shiso oil and black cod in a light yuzu miso broth.

Sasa is another Japantown mall sushi spot, but it's one you and all your friends can easily walk into to order some beautifully-presented fish. The dining room is spacious, and there’s a long communal table perfect for groups. The menu also has something for everyone, from uni and ikura donburi and well-balanced specialty rolls to golden-brown chicken karaage—and they're spot-on every time. We recommend going for the “mystery box” filled with chef's choice sashimi alongside balls of sushi rice.