(310) 235-2000

1803 Sawtelle Blvd (Nebraska Street)
Los Angeles, CA 90025 34.0438 -118.4462

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Neighborhoods: West Los Angeles, West LA

bar-hayama.com/

Hours:

Mon-Thu 12pm-2:30pm

6pm-10:30pm

Fri 12pm-2:30pm

6pm-11pm

Sat 6pm-11pm

Sun 6pm-10pm

Last updated 9.05.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Special Occasion Dining, Outdoor Dining

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Bar Hayama

Featured Review

Martha Burr

Contributor

Transformed from its stint as the original home of Sushi Sasabune, this bamboo-lined corner spot on Sawtelle is where chef Toshi Sugiura can be found, crafting his famed slivers of raw fish and sizzling kozara (small plates). The indoor space is at once romantic and neat (that's neat as is in clean and tidy, not as in "ooh, neat!"), with a small sushi bar and candlelit tables. But the outdoor patio is the real star of the show: a stone communal table, anchored by a center firepit, is where the crowd of mostly couples tends to congregate. Aside from the sushi and small plate favorites like…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The sake list is extensive and exotic--you'll be hard-pressed to find a more thorough selection of hot and cold options than what they have here.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The Sushi is awesome, the staff are friendly and the place has a comfortable, rustic feel.”
  2. “The food/wine/beer/sake selection is fabulous, the decor is inviting, and sitting around the fire is a really unique experience especially for such upscale dining.”
  3. “The sake flights are fun to try but the hot "house" sake is perfectly drinkable.”
  4. “Amazing food and ambience!”
  5. “Bar Hayama is unpretentious, authentic, delectable, fun, and a great value.”
  6. “Great food and great atmosphere!”
  7. “Went to Bar Hayama on a Saturday night and was promptly seated at the cozy fire pit.”
drinks
75.0% positive
  1. “Got a reservation no problem, showed up, and we were seated inside (the outdoor fire pit/sake bar is cool, but it was fully booked for a private party).”
  2. “The food/wine/beer/sake selection is fabulous, the decor is inviting, and sitting around the fire is a really unique experience especially for such upscale dining.”
  3. “We went on a recommendation and our only disappointment was that the outdoor firepit was full; however we sat at the sushi bar which was my second choice anyway.”
  4. “good wine and beer selections too.”
food quality
84.77999687194824% positive
  1. “I've been pretty fortunate to have been treated to some of the best sushi restaurants in LA by people who've been around for awhile and really know sushi out here.”
  2. “The food was incredible but make sure to get the small plates.”
  3. “Here are a couple must try dishes: Toshi's Special yellowtail sashimi with myouga (fresh fish with a delish light peanuty sauce), Black Cod with mushroom ponzu butter sauce (the cod melts in your mouth and the sauce is to die for), Main Lobster Dynamite (”
  4. “The food is delicious and fresh, the portions generous.”
  5. “The sushi was very fresh but the experience of the food was completely overshadowed by the poor service that we had received.”
  6. “The omikase (chef's choice) is expensive but well worth the cash as you are served countless courses of primo and exotic fish, some of it imported directly from Japan.”
  7. “We went on a recommendation and our only disappointment was that the outdoor firepit was full; however we sat at the sushi bar which was my second choice anyway.”
  8. “Bar Hayama is unpretentious, authentic, delectable, fun, and a great value.”
  9. “My favorite was the beef carpacio and salmon roe sushi.”
  10. “liked this dish.”
  11. “the albacore was quite fresh.”
  12. “Great sushi, extraordinarily poor service”
  13. “Love the communal stone fireplace and amazing food”
  14. “Maybe it was an off night, but I think at this point it's still fairly new & it seems like it's trying too hard to be a cool scene instead of having really inventive dishes or sushi.”
  15. “The fish seemed especially fresh.”
  16. “Amazing food and ambience!”
  17. “The food/wine/beer/sake selection is fabulous, the decor is inviting, and sitting around the fire is a really unique experience especially for such upscale dining.”
  18. “actually enjoyed the pumpkin with the peanut sauce.”
  19. “There were too many to list here, but there were some neat ones like a crab cigar, also a carpaccio that was very good, and so forth.”
  20. “The albacore was tasty but not the best I've had (go to Take Sushi on Sunset for the best albacore sushi in town) and the popcorn shrimp was crispy, but wasn't anything I couldn't get elsewhere.”
  21. “Because you are getting superb service, excellent appetizer and entree choices with amazingly fresh and tasty sushi, prices run a tad high for a post-college-grad student.”
  22. “Great food and great atmosphere!”
  23. “Zoran sings along to some of the music while he prepares your food, he and Toshi joke around -- are friendly with the customers but also maintain the standard of high end restaurants: they strike the perfect balance between letting the customers eat their”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The food/wine/beer/sake selection is fabulous, the decor is inviting, and sitting around the fire is a really unique experience especially for such upscale dining.”
  2. “Because you are getting superb service, excellent appetizer and entree choices with amazingly fresh and tasty sushi, prices run a tad high for a post-college-grad student.”
  3. “Yes, the outside firepit is a great place to sit and the menu is extensive -- they have japanese tapas & even have macrobiotics!”
  4. “Excellent new addition to Sawtelle with lots of choices for sake, interesting appetizers”
  5. “good wine and beer selections too.”
  6. “There were around 7 combinations of these little sake glasses--perfect for a beginner, or a sake connoiseur who wants a little variety.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is a great place for out of town guests, especially if you can get seated around the fire pit.”
  2. “Yes, the outside firepit is a great place to sit and the menu is extensive -- they have japanese tapas & even have macrobiotics!”
  3. “This is a great place but expensive.”
service
81.25% positive
  1. “Because you are getting superb service, excellent appetizer and entree choices with amazingly fresh and tasty sushi, prices run a tad high for a post-college-grad student.”
  2. “great service”
  3. “The Sushi is awesome, the staff are friendly and the place has a comfortable, rustic feel.”
  4. “The sushi was very fresh but the experience of the food was completely overshadowed by the poor service that we had received.”
  5. “Great sushi, extraordinarily poor service”
  6. “The service was generally pretty attentive.”
  7. “I've been pretty fortunate to have been treated to some of the best sushi restaurants in LA by people who've been around for awhile and really know sushi out here.”
  8. “Zoran sings along to some of the music while he prepares your food, he and Toshi joke around -- are friendly with the customers but also maintain the standard of high end restaurants: they strike the perfect balance between letting the customers eat their”
value
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “This is a great place but expensive.”
  2. “Because you are getting superb service, excellent appetizer and entree choices with amazingly fresh and tasty sushi, prices run a tad high for a post-college-grad student.”
  3. “The omikase (chef's choice) is expensive but well worth the cash as you are served countless courses of primo and exotic fish, some of it imported directly from Japan.”
  4. “The firepit is huge with guest surrounding it at a massive table.”
  5. “Bar Hayama is unpretentious, authentic, delectable, fun, and a great value.”
  6. “The food is delicious and fresh, the portions generous.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/28/10

Hayama, Heaven on Sawtelle

by cenzonico at Citysearch

This is one of the best neighborhood restaurants in town. Ambience is great indoors and out by the fire. The Tazmanian salmon is quite superb. The garlic edamame is an unbelievably tasty snack. If you can get someone to show you how to operate the cotton candy machine n the way out your trip will be complete.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/17/09

Love the communal stone fireplace and amazing food

by DebbieMarketing at Citysearch

Nothing like eating outside in December at a stone firepit. The food was incredible but make sure to get the small plates. Rice/Tuna dish incredible as was the lobster bisque. And banana tempura for dessert.

  • Pros: Incredible Japanese
  • Cons: None
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/02/08

Amazing food and ambience! Love the fireside dining.

by jin20 at Citysearch

Make sure to try Bar Hayama when you want to treat yourself. It's best to come with a couple friends. This way you can share the small plates and try a variety of dishes. Our bill came out to $50 each (in addition to food, we got a bottle of sake and 2 desserts) and we left stuffed and extremely satisfied with our meal. Here are a couple must try dishes: Toshi's Special yellowtail sashimi with myouga (fresh fish with a delish light peanuty sauce), Black Cod with mushroom ponzu butter sauce (the cod melts in your mouth and the sauce is to die for), Main Lobster Dynamite (yum!).

  • Pros: Dining outdoors by fire pit, FOOD, large sake selection
  • Cons: The fire pit can get full fast on busier nites so try to call ahead.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/03/08

Superb sushi

by drusillamay at Citysearch

We went on a recommendation and our only disappointment was that the outdoor firepit was full; however we sat at the sushi bar which was my second choice anyway.

The food is delicious and fresh, the portions generous. By the end of the meal, we were requesting half orders (we were unable to finish some of our previous dishes and didn't want to keep wasting food!) The sake flights are fun to try but the hot "house" sake is perfectly drinkable. Do try the bluefin tuna with bleu cheese - a surprising combination, but not surprisingly delicious! (though it is rich and you'll probably want to share amongst your tablemates)

Admittedly, we did find ourselves waiting for certain hot plate items, but that could be attributed to sitting at the bar as well as dining there on a Friday night.

  • Pros: Delicious, fresh sushi
  • Cons: Can get pricey - good for a special occasion/outing
1 Star Rating: Poor

09/30/08

Still Waiting

by ieatz at Citysearch

I made a reservation, but we had to wait for our table. Our server couldn't explain the sake that we should order with our entrees, I thought this place specialized in sake and the owner is an expert. When I asked if someone else could help us, the server was brought us some garlic edamame on the house. My throat was getting dry, still waiting for that sake and it made my fingers sticky. We asked for a wet towel before the sushi came, had to wait for it. The sushi and dishes from the kitchen were OK, nothing to write home about. Still waiting for our drinks, we gave up on a sake pairing by this time. I'm not saying that this is a terrible place, I just don't understand what all the hype is all about. By the way, we're still waiting...

  • Pros: Water refills, garlic edamame
  • Cons: reservation, service, sake

The Details on Bar Hayama

Place Categories:

  • amazing food
  • very fresh albacore sushi
  • generally pretty attentive service
  • great place
  • expensive cash
  • not incredible everything
  • excellent appetizer
  • especially fresh fish
  • tasty albacore
  • liked dish
  • good beer selections
  • delish light peanuty sauce
  • favorite beef carpacio
  • friendly staff
  • like nothing
  • inviting decor
  • cool outdoor fire pitsake bar
  • perfect combinations
  • perfect sake connoiseur
  • great value
  • cool scene
  • great atmosphere
  • nice warmth
  • good wine
  • best new restaurants
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