Kamakura Sushi & Sake House is better known to locals as Kamakura Japanese Restaurant in Los Gatos. The menu offerings are wider than sushi and sake, though of course they are prominently offered. If you enjoy Japanese food of all kinds, this is a place you’ll be happy to try. I visit there at least a couple of times each year, and would not mind going a lot more often.
Patio dining at Kamakura Japanese Restaurant in the Covid era
Earlier this week Jim and I enjoyed lunch in the parklet out front at Kamakura. I’m adding comments about our December visit to an older article (below) from pre-Covid days.
We were the first patrons at Kamakura Japanese Restaurant that day, and we asked if we could sit outdoors with the heater on, and the hostess quickly said yes and got us seated there. (Not so long ago I was at another Los Gatos eatery for lunch with clients and I had phoned ahead to see if they would be willing to turn the heaters on for us – it was equally frigid that day – and they said they didn’t know if they had any propane! And those heaters did not get used.)
The metal chairs were initially a little icy (so next time I might bring a sweater to sit on!) but it didn’t take long to be comfortable. The tables are spaced apart at a good distance. That’s not something we see everywhere and we really valued it.
Sometimes when guests are seated outdoors they can be overlooked by the staff. That did not happen in the least. The service was extremely attentive. As always, the food was delicious and hot. Our server and the hostess both brought us refills of our hot tea many times. We were there on a particularly chilly day, December 12, and the hot tea was wonderful to enjoy.
Of special note: many restaurants with crab dishes use a cheaper imitation crab, but Kamakura boasts “real crab” on their menu.
Our hostess was also great with the heater when it glitched. At one point it turned off and she quickly moved us to another table (and later was able to get the first heater working.)
The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. It felt like a very Covid-safe setting. The food was memorably good. On a scale of 1 to 10, it warrants at least an 11.
Indoor dining at Kamakura Japanese Restaurant
(Older info and photos are below.)
Located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos, Kamakura Japanese Restaurant is wonderfully situated for those working or just enjoying downtown. It is a busy eatery at both lunch and dinner, but I have never seen long waits for a table. The service is pleasant and quick, everything is clean, and the food delicious.
We always sit at one of the tables, but there’s also a bar area next to where the chefs are working. That seems to be more filled up in the evenings than in the daytime. Additionally, there’s some upstairs dining, too, which again seems to be used mostly for the dinner crowd. (The restaurant is accessible, with a ramp from the sidewalk into the main dining area.)
One of my favorite menu items at Kamakura is the miso soup. It is consistently outstanding. I enjoy the bento boxes and the variety they present, with my favorite items there being the California roll (although it’s fake crab, it’s leagues better than what most Japanese restaurants use for imitation crab), tempura, and teriyaki chicken. My family members do order sushi & udon dishes and rave about them.
Something to know is that Kamakura does close in the mid-afternoon, so don’t swing by at 3 and hope to be seated! You can find their hours listed on the website link, below.
Kamakura Sushi & Saki House
135 N Santa Cruz Ave
Los Gatos, CA 95030
(408) 395-6650
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