Reviews of Bar Masa (Restaurant)

Paul Maltby

Incredible experience from the minute we walked in the door. Food was amazing! Every bite was something to savor for as long as possible. If you think you've had sushi before think again. The tuna avocado was so good and the tuna so tender, we had trouble identifying whether we were chewing the tuna or the avocado! The staff was friendly, efficient and very helpful with the menu. Emily the General Manager made sure our every need was met.

RGSOUNDF

Bar Masa is the casual offshoot of 3 Michelin star Masa, next door, often described as the most expensive restaurant in the US. So, we were ready to pocket out "beaucoup d'argent" for our lunch there on a quiet July Thursday (only one other couple was present during the lunch). However, the lunch itself and a few questionable practices on the part of Masa felt like a major disappointment, if not a turndown. First, the restaurant's website advertises "Omakase tasting served with miso soup and kale salad", with seasonal nigiri sushi selection priced at $56 and seasonal sashimi selection at $76. Nonexistent. Instead they got sushi or sashimi tasting, with neither miso nor kale salad. The prices are equally higher, in reality vs website. The sushi tasting small is $60-plus and the "large" version is $115 or so. So, we ordered 2 large sushi tasting. Wasn't an omakase, but rather a shmomokase, just a plate featuring 2 kinds of rolls (6 pcs) and 13 pcs of sushi (nigiri). Wait! How 13 nigiris can be divided by 2, to constitute 1 portion? Each person gets, what, 6.5 pieces of sushi? To add insult on injury, the server inquired if we wanted a freshly grated wasabi. Sure enough, it resulted in extra $20 on the bill. Should have been disclosed, and then we still would have ordered 1 freshly grated and 1 regular to compare the experiences. Michelin Guide habitually deducts stars from restaurants deemed overpriced. Masa is an epitome of this shameful practice. A Chef Tasting Menu is Per Se next door is priced at $355 pp for a truly unforgettable gastro journey. $405 for a few pcs of sushi is as bad as it gets. Was the quality of the product served better than a sushi lunch served everywhere in NYC for $30? It was, somewhat. Wasn't better that much. Spend your money elsewhere for a comparable experience.

Steve G

no doubt it's the best. lives up to its rep in taste and expense, but can't beat the experience.

Stephen Bloom

don't believe it if you don't want to, but at least once in your lifetime go and have the best meal of your life. beyond exquisite. even after paying the bill, you'll dream about going back

Richard Brambley

It's tough to get over the prices at Masa, but I'll admit the food is tasty. Everyone who works there is polite and professional, and the food comes out pretty fast. If you can spend the cash, I recommend trying this place for high-end Japanese.

Vincent Tan

pretty inventive japanese fusion cuisine. price too high for the product delivered

Michael Raumann

Top Taste and Quality

Arthur Penas

Great sushi, over priced!! Time Warner Center a jewel in the city

Ron Greenberg

the most outrageously absurd experience in nyc. the fish must fly from japan in first class seats to warrant these prices. masa himself is cranky and allows the staff to clean up and hose down while you're eating a meal worth a down payment on a time war

Wes Devauld

Amazing food and service.

Ericka Hernandez

Great place love the food service is amazing

Timothy Peierls

Superb variety of dishes served from the same kitchen as Masa Restaurant next door, with flexible and well-informed service. Hard to pick a favorite, but if you can swing the $$, try the truffle ball; it's just rice rolled around in truffle shavings, but oh my!

Matthew Hanson

Best meal my wife and I have ever had. We love food and were surprised at how exceptionally good Masa was at every turn. So fun to be delighted by excellence!

Robert Miller

still bobby flay's best

The Corcoran Group

Well deserving of its three Michelin stars, you'll be hard-pressed to find any sushi that can top Masa's. While it's extremely expensive, you're paying for an unforgettable culinary journey.

Kay Y

Excellent foods, yet definitely overpriced. But, you are of course paying for the status besides the air shipping fees for the best sushi directly came from Tokyo tsukiji market. The service is great, yet one thing I noticed was the main chef seems "too nervous" about their services that the way how he was speaking to his staff also made us nervous as opposed to creating a relaxing environment to enjoy the meals. On top of the prefix price, of course, you have to pay for the drinks which are equally overpriced. I would not go back there unless you are treated by someone who has enough money to spend on anything.

Victor Jung

Awesome casual version of Masa. Quality ingredients, attentive service and true value. A la Carte options available.

Yasumasa Yamamoto

Too pricey.

Denny Lager

Topppppp

Carolyn De Melo

Excellent quality of food and service, but unfairly overpriced, so don't go unless you have a trove of money to burn. Each dish I had for lunch with very thoughtfully prepared and delicious and I have no complaints about the service or the ambiance, as both were outstanding, but for the quantity and simplicity of the dishes (including the subtle nuances), everything is incredibly overpriced. For a similar experience at half to a fourth the price, some good options are EN Japanese Brasserie, Sush of Gari, and Morimoto.

David Lee

One of the best dining experience ever!!

Irit Ben-Harosh

Best sushi in the world! Great place!!!

Ron Greene

"""wow! great food, special service and all! love masa's cuisine."""

Clarissa Silva

I am a native New Yorker and will keep to the directness of how we are known to be :) Top Pick for Japanese Seasonal Tasting Menu Food: Great! The quality of their sushi is always fresh. Outside of sushi, my favorites are: the Toro Roll, the Lobster Tempura Roll, and the Shrimp Tempura Roll. They offer an exceptional Seasonal Tasting Menu! Drinks: Great sake! Lots of specialty cocktails I liked the Ginger Mojito! Space: Japanese minimalism in an elegant, modern, sleek, clean dining setting with the best quality and innovative dishes. The bar has a dining section that is curtained off for added intimacy. The main dining is spacious elegant and romantic making it a great place for date night, business meeting, family or friends get-togethers and special occasions! Scene: Date Night. Family. Upscale. Trendy. Service: Excellent! Attentive, courteous, professional and efficient!

Dan Sternick

They have foie gras fried rice which is incredible

Cheng Lin

i came here for dinner with reservation and the food is good but the portions they give you is so little, they serve you like one pice of sushi per plate. i left hungry after the entire omakase. chef Toshiaki was behind the sushi bar that day. i wish the staff will ask if we're still hungry and offer more food at the end.

Oliver Kot

While everything was excellent, I still believe this place is slightly overpriced. But the food, being asian fusion, was definitely very exotic in the best possible way. Came for a date and solved my relationship problems.

Maxime Roblot

A real sushi bar with exceptional food quality. I love Japanese food and I had the chance to spend some time over there and I can tell you that Bar Masa is the closest to the quality over there! A very good tip: lunch menus with Bento Box for as low as $25! Great staff, great atmosphere and very good sake menu.

madison D.

Took my son there for his graduation. Great original sushi but I'd rather go across the hall to Per Se. I really don't think the price justifies the food. Meant more for business dinners where the bill can be deducted from business expenses.

xkk

bar masa非常好的一点在于他们不接受reservation,属于去了Columbus circle想起来直接就能去还肯定不满人的那种店。目前为止的几次经验没有一次碰上过没位置的,这次去更是几乎成了我们单桌包场,衬托的比较阴沉的环境和差强人意的服务都稍微感觉好了一些lol 这里sashimi的新鲜程度异常之高,这点每来一次都能被wow一次。这次最惊艳的是甜品,我本人算是在这次吃到了出生以来最合胃口的一份甜品, lemon mille crepe。在这一点的衬托之下连面无表情说着口音奇怪的英语的latino大妈都被显得可爱了起来。 总的来讲这里虽然不适合庆祝活动但是随便一吃的话可能总体满足感会比大部分jacket required的店要高。 不多写了反正真能来这里的估计也没几个人看dp了...当我自己碎碎念好了

Ganna G

Loved the food!

Max Jacobin

Very exquisite. The fish were very fresh, very decadent. Awesome drinks to have while eating your meal.

Garner Marshall

This place is awesome, but very expensive. I still would recommend it if your willing to lay down that kind of cash. The spot is small, i counted 26 seats but the experience is exquisite. This is Japanese fine dining at its best. There are no menus at this restaurant and the server explained to me that it's not a restaurant it's a "dining empiricism". (and yes i had to look that one up, thank you Google). The whole experience took about 3 hours. In my opinion the best seats in this restaurant are at the bar so you can get the full omakase experience. Definitely try this place out, you won't regret it. (Unless of course rent is due the next day, LOL)

Semih Sen

Used to be great. Now just mediocre. Tasteless food, lousy service, same high prices.

Fred Alluso

My most recent visit to Chef Masa's Bar Masa was just a few days ago. Lunch with a colleague culminated with our sharing of the Australian Beef Sukiyaki with Foie gras and the Donburi Tempura Bento Box. Each dish was meticulously placed and made for a beautiful lunch that was quite satisfying in all respects. If you have a sweet tooth, you will not want to miss the scrumptious Cocoa and Black Sesame Ice Cream. Great atmosphere, service and lunch!

Reyginald Rabel

Best sushi experience!

Philippe Dauman Jr.

So ridiculously amazing, it was even better than what I've had in Japan. Unaffordable unless someone else is paying though!

Dindi Roman

Love the ambiance and the food is exceptional! Perfect for date nights.

Andy W

Wow. What a good meal. Don’t miss this place. Everything was fresh and delectable. The service was impeccable, as was the food. The sushi was interesting and delicious. It may be a little pricy, but worth every penny. I’ll be going back soon.

Van Gogh

Delicious Japanese food. The ambiance is very nice

The Doctor

Incredible experience

li henry

this place is very awesome, we love it, also very good food, very rare fresh fish.....love it.

aurelie julien

All I can say is Mmmm... the sushi here is delicious, more affordable than the real formal restaurant also

Taylor Paras

Everything was fantastic. My sister works at the NoMad in NYC and the manager of Bar Masa allowed us to tour the sushi bar of Masa which was nice of her. Excellent upper management but wait staff is a little rude.

elisa courtney

Good place for sushi, fish and sashimi. Very decadent and fresh. Wonderful meals and good drinks.

Lars Christian Andresen

Expensive but excellent place for cocktails and a chance to sample some of the dishes served as part of the legendary Masa tasting menu

Peter Gold

Perhaps the best Japanese restaurant in NYC. While Masa's omakase menu is amazing, it's more casual sister is more fun & lively. Excellent staff.

claude monet

(Translated by Google) I was looking for bar weight and no (Original) szukalem masy baru a nie

Daniel Harvey

This is the meal of a lifetime, I believe it's the best sushi you'll get stateside. Masterfully crafted and worth the price if you have the means

Saif Abraham

It's a nice place with tasty cocktails!

Sheila Martinez

Really good YUMMY

Ryan Duffy

Very good restaurant. Extremely pricey but the service and food more than justifies it! There was a short Hispanic guy who really made our experience extra special. Would have preferred him be waiting our table.

Julio Nunez

Loved everything about the place..very expensive but worth it

Paul Yoder

One of my favorite sushi spot's in NYC, also has fantastic crafted cocktails.

Jerry Lavish

The a la carte version of Masa - great for a quick bite!

S R

Great experience

דניאל שמר

Very good food

lynn dept

So bad experience. The food and the price aren’t fit at all. The beef shapo has few pieces of slice beef only, I don’t know if the chef knows what it is shapo in Japan. The soba noodle i only tasted salty soup with cheap mashroom. My husband ordered sushi plate, it is like roll, you can get much better one in wholefood sushi bar. Don’t throw your money in the water

Sofia Gunawan

The ultimate vegetarian Japanese dinner. Attentive service, superb flavors and ingredients, pleasant atmosphere... Couldn't ask for more.

Rasmus Thielsen

Epix

Daimian dai

I like everyone know that Masa is not kid friendly .... The manager asked to cancel out reservation because we brought our one month old baby... The manager said " normally people don't take kids out for dinner" that really means a lot.... What kind person is that would say something like this? I rather go to Japan for a good sushi and I would never go to Masa for "Kid not welcome here" dinner.... Btw, my friend from Japan said if Masa open in Japan, it would be able to be rated this high...

Dina Sullivan

Well, yes of course, good service, food, decor but...no! No! Not worth that money. Definetly.

Farah Jan

Average food. Sushi at Nobu is a million times better.

Amy Banet

Best if someone else is paying ...great and different food

Guillermo Gonzalez

Private, elegant and tranquil; especial spot in the Time Warner Center. Fresh and vivid plates.

MAX POLOZANI

wonderful place

Ryan Stonehouse

Sushi at Bar Masa was great.

Gene Lewis

Masa is amazing food and service - a true experience. Bar Masa next door is *better* value (still crazy expensive) but easy to get into and a relaxed environment.

Jo Chen

Delicious sushi is here. But the cooked dishes are great too. The location is convenient for midtown. Service is outstanding! But some aspects are overpriced.

Len

Love the food there.

Alexandria Johnson

The prices are outrageous for the quality. My $18 teeny tiny bowl of calamari came out lukewarm and very chewy, no sauce. I am glad I had the $24 lychee martini to cloud my judgement when that calamari came out. Martini was great, tuna hand roll was fine. Not worth the price. If I come back it's only for drinks.

Jill O'Dom

This restaurant is the worst restaurant i ever tasted everything taste old and dry and never go there never i'm glad i made it out alive the food is poisoning

Romeo Valdez

hg

Sharon Hurley Hall

Excellent, quick service. Impressed with the vegan and vegetarian options. Lobster risotto was delicious! And don't miss the Yuzu lemon sorbet - my lunch date said the flavor was so intense she could taste it up to her eyeballs.