“We’re passionate about making our guests happy by serving sushi with a Californian ethos in a fun, high-energy space. While many high-end sushi restaurants take pride in sourcing from Japan, we look to our local oceans and farms as much as possible.”

Mount Lassen steelhead trout with candied kumquat; Pacific albacore with walnut miso and wasabi furikake; Santa Barbara uni with shiro dashi emulsified yolk.

San Francisco has plenty of sushi bars, but none of them are quite like Robin, a sexy, lively omakase-only spot where chef and owner Adam Tortosa makes sushi that swims easily between Northern California and Japan. Tortosa’s concept – sushi with a Californian ethos – is manifested in both the provenance of his ingredients and the way he uses them: you might find tomato confit on top of New Zealand salmon, or candied kumquat paired with Mount Lassen steelhead trout. Tortosa’s flavor and textural combinations are as improbable as they are thrilling – Robin is probably the only sushi restaurant that uses house-made potato chips in its repertoire – and make each course an invigorating surprise. A well-curated list of beer and sake rounds out Robin’s menu, while plush caramel-colored leather chairs make it that much easier to linger over the restaurant’s sophisticated yet unpretentious pleasures.