Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar image

Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar

Restaurant Sushi restaurant

Extensive roster of sushi & modern Japanese dishes served till late in a spacious, urban setting. People often mention sushi, roll, good, service, great, amazing, Ybor, fresh, recommend, restaurant,


Address

1600 E 8th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605, United States

Contact

+1 813-242-6688

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.20 (1.1K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Monday: 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 to 11 pm
  • Tuesday: 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 to 11 pm
  • Wednesday: 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 pm to 12 am
  • Thursday: 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 pm to 12 am
  • Friday: 11:30 am to 2 pm, 5 pm to 1 am
  • Saturday: 5 pm to 1 am
  • Sunday: 5 to 11 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: sushi (27) roll (15) good (12) service (10) great (10) amazing (10) Ybor (8) fresh (7) recommend (7) restaurant (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 1/5 KEVIN T. 2 years ago on Google
    Ybor Tampa Samurai Blue - Japanese Restaurant Server is friendly but the host is not Food not really really good ! It is just fusion ! Price is ok Sushi rice is very bad . Too much water when cooked . Sashimi not really fresh . need to be colder . Temperature Ramen noodle is too hard overall not really recommend if you want real japanese food . I focus on the food so i just give one star ⭐️ one more thing ! i went to bathroom right the way after eating all the food 🥘
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joseph (. 10 months ago on Google
    Perfect atmosphere for Ybor City. Classy, yet casual. Majestic, yet simple. Food and service excellent. The Sunomono Salad had a wonderful flavor with nice textures as well. This is a winning cucumber seafood salad. And the sashimi was perfect. The garlic tuna and mackerel both had the texture and flavor profile and freshness to rival anywhere else in town. This place is worth a try to see if it becomes part of your regular Ybor City rotation.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 isabellagoria 1 year ago on Google
    SO GOOD! Top quality sushi. I am unsure if it is handicap accessible and if there are elevators within the building, there are two sets of stairs you have to take before reaching the restaurant. I had the Mexican roll, blue crab roll, and salmon sashimi. 10/10 recommend for high quality sushi.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jeanne D A. 1 year ago on Google
    We went to explore the historic Ybor city and came across this restaurant. The wait wasn’t long. The food was great. Our waiter was great, polite and professional, provided amazing service. The place itself was nice, tall ceiling, brick walls and very nice ambiance. We will definitely try again when in the area.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 John M. 7 months ago on Google
    Let me start by saying the food and atmosphere were both quite nice. However we had absolutely abhorrent service from Andrea W. Possibly the worst I've ever experienced. She never gave us all of our drinks, and the ones we did recieve weren't correct. She proceeded to get our food orders wrong, then stated we were making false claims about what we ordered. While this is going on she spills a drink all over my mother's phone and clothes. She says "oh I'll go get you some napkins." She never returned with anything to clean up the spill. Meanwhile my mother's phone was having problems from being covered in the spilled drink. Manager came by later to help with our orders being incorrect only to tell us that the incorrect food they had given us had to be taken back even though THEY had put them in to go boxes and tied them up for us to take. They left us with the choice of no food, or paying double for the wrong food we hadn't ordered. A shame really because the food is good. If only the management and servers weren't a bunch of clowns. I would give them a 0/5 if I could. Never going to visit again. Have pictures of some of the leftover food I guess.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rich 2 years ago on Google
    HUGE shoutout to Marilyn for making our dinner extra special. Your effervescence elevated our time there. The sushi was out of control. We ordered so many rolls and not one missed the mark on freshness and presentation.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Vincent N. 1 year ago on Google
    Samurai Blue is a local sushi establishment that many friends have recommended to me. Unfortunately, I cannot do the same to others. The location and building for the restaurant is beautiful and located in Ybor! There was no wait when we arrived at about 5:45 for dinner. The service was excellent and we had a great waiter who checked on us and provided alternative recommendations for food. The thing that disappointed me was the food itself. The pressed sushi roll and the Inari box sushi was delicious and I would recommend it. However, the other roll was not at all and the ramen's consistency was too thick and not to our liking. Mind you, this is our experience, and half of the meal was good, but we were expecting a lot better given the hype. Additionally, I had gotten a Tokyo Mule cocktail that tasted like sprite and didn't seem to have alcohol. Regarding sushi restaurants, there are better options in my opinion. However, everyone should come here once to form their own opinion. I would definitely be giving them another chance in the future to see if maybe it was a bad day or I had ordered a bad dish!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Maranda 3 years ago on Google
    90% of the time we decide to splurge on food we end up ordering food from here. Our go to is a Hawaiian (two because one is never enough!), Blue Moon and a Kyoto(not pictured) The Kyoto is awesome! The blue moon is a awesome fried roll if that's you're jam! This is one of the only places I'll trust to UberEats Sushi from. DIVINE!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mike V. 1 year ago on Google
    Tried the blue moon roll and inari box. The sushi was delicious and the inari was sweet and so so good. Great pricing and awesome atmosphere on the restaurant. Our waiter Brandon was amazing and very informative. We had a party of 10 and he provided very sufficient service.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cassandra B. 1 year ago on Google
    We went for my moms birthday and this place is amazing the staff is so polite, amazing atmosphere, and great food the ramen was outstanding aswell as the sushi(I got the caterpillar roll) . I am most definitely coming back when I visit ybor agian. If you are walking up and down the streets of ybor passing by the shops and what not definitely check this place out!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Paul D. 8 months ago on Google
    Incredible sushi is an understatement. This place absolutely lives up to its reputation. Thank Gosh my coworker recommended it this evening.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cypress D. 2 years ago on Google
    Excellent sushi place in the historic Ybor City. I got a veggie roll(asparagus, cucumber, avocado, mushrooms) and a geisha roll(avocado, sweet potato). Both were very delicious, with the first being more refreshing. The geisha roll was more savory though. The service was good, as our waiter was attentive but not overbearing. Special note, the space has an incredibly high ceiling that gives the entire restaurant a cool ambiance in my opinion. All told, I 100% recommend a visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Linda V. 4 months ago on Google
    Samurai is my favorite place for sushi, the selection is always so fresh and carefully crafted. 10000/10!!!

  • 5/5 Ann F. 2 years ago on Google
    Delish! Bento box was filling and sushi lunch set options were fantastic. I was thrilled to see conch ans striped bass as an option for the price! Can't wait to come back

  • 5/5 John M. 5 months ago on Google
    Some really unique menu items. The staff was quick, efficient, and pleasant. The restaurant felt a little cramped, and I felt like I was going to get hit in the head several times because it was busy and tight corners.

  • 5/5 Stephen S. 2 years ago on Google
    My fiancée has hyped this place up as the best sushi spot she’s ever been to… and I have to agree. Everything was amazing; including the service and ambiance. Jason was extremely professional and polite and helped us make our choices. We finished every last bite and we’re already planning another trip back to Ybor City just to eat here again!

  • 5/5 Luke 7 months ago on Google
    Food is great. Service was fantastic. Always a good time when I come here So good. I ordered many things and they were all great. Especially the cheesecake.

  • 5/5 [-] G. 7 months ago on Google
    The food here was amazing I loved the Mexican and tampa roll along with the blue moon roll. The mayo in the Mexican really went along well with the sesame flavor. The tempura appetizer was also just so good the only let down was the sauce that came with it, it was just dirty water. The fried cheesecake was one of the best desserts I have ever had as a foodie and I can't wait to come back next time I visit.

  • 5/5 Stuart H. 8 months ago on Google
    The atmosphere was great. It was neat to look around at the architecture. Our server did not know the history of the building but it was still a great experience even without knowing the history. Food was good. Good prices. Good spot for a date night.

  • 5/5 E O. 8 months ago on Google
    I enjoyed my meal so much I only remembered to take a picture of the corn. Great flavor and the miso was wonderful.

  • 5/5 Sandra S. 9 months ago on Google
    It was over an hour wait, but we did go on a Friday evening when Ybor is typically busy and with a large party of 8. They were very accommodating and we were very patient. When we got to sit down, the server was very attentive the entire time of dinner. The sushi tasted very fresh. I always say if I can't eat the raw tuna from my rainbow roll and enjoy it, then that's bad sushi. But if I enjoy it, the sushi is fresh, clean and delicious! This place was absolutely delicious! Even the tempura ice cream was amazing!! I have no idea how they did it, but it is amazing. Highly recommend!

  • 5/5 Veronica K. 10 months ago on Google
    Beautiful architecture and good sushi. Service was great as there were not many people dining around 5pm on a Friday

  • 2/5 Kayla G. 1 year ago on Google
    I feel like the sushi was lazily put together. There’s NO way this should have been $31.00. I was looking for a good sushi place in Tampa and decided to try this place because of the reviews - and I am definitely let down. They barely covered the roll in shrimp, and the conch bake was chewy in the volcano roll. Really wish I had a different experience, tbh. The ingredients tasted fresh, but again, I feel like it was just lazily executed.

  • 5/5 Anastasia 11 months ago on Google
    Delicious rolls, miso soup, green tea. Fast and nice service. Also the loft style of the restaurant is lovely. Highly recommend this place!

  • 5/5 Laia G. 10 months ago on Google
    I'm pretty shocked this place is rated 4.2, I've eaten at way worse sushi places that were rated 4.5+ Crab rangoons- to die for. Sangria- delicious Sushi rolls were gorgeous to look at, delicious, and unique. Not to mention the space is gorgeous and waitstaff is friendly! Fast service too! I'll be back for sure.

  • 5/5 Daniel J. 2 years ago on Google
    Absolutely amazing lunch from the time we walked in until we finished our food. The sushi was the best and freshest I’ve eaten in 6 years in the area. Lunch felt like fine dining. Allie our server was just as amazing!! 6 stars from Me!!!

  • 5/5 Jake S. 1 year ago on Google
    Such great sushi! My friends and I went here and all split the Crab Rangoons, Miso Corn, and the Dumplings all as starters. These were both a big hit.... Both sushi rolls tasted very fresh and were excellent. The wait staff were very friendly and even gave me all the sauces free of charge.

  • 4/5 Lawrence 1 year ago on Google
    A pretty typical sushi place. The price was average, the food was average, the drink was average. It seems like they're trying to be a little classier than they are, and I can't blame them. I would return. I got a seat right away and I feel the balance of price-quality-quantity was good.

  • 5/5 Jason R. 2 years ago on Google
    We have been going to Samurai Blue almost 5 years and this one of the best places in the Tampa Bay Area. Yes, the service is a little slower after the pandemic but this is a place to relax, have some saki and wait for exceptional sushi. The people leaving 1 and 2 star reviews are impatient most likely content with Publix sushi and smother it with YUM YUM sauce. I highly recommend Samurai Blue for their fresh fish and it’s the perfect place to propose.


Call +1 813-242-6688 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Paid parking lot
    • ✓️ Paid street parking
    • ✓️ Paid multi-storey car park
    • ✓️ Somewhat difficult to find a space
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy-hour drinks
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway

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