SUSHISAMBA Gramercy

Very slow service. Took forever to get water. When the food came I had to wait 10 mins for soy sauce and spicy mayo. Food was ahh ok. Doesn’t compare at all to the sushi samba in vegas. Wont go to this place again

My review is pretty late especially since I am hearing reports of this location being closed.
I was introduced to this place through a friend. We came during restaurant week and though we had reservations, we still had a wait time after our arrival.
We ordered from the specialty menu in addition to sides from the regular menu. I do not recall all of the items we ordered but I do recall a cocktail tree with four or five different types of shots and purple mashed potatoes, which were delicious! I was very satisfied with the food.
The dining space, however, was extremely limited and very cramped after being seated. We were sitting next to a party of six and were so close together that the staff kept confusing us to be with that larger party. We had decent seat neighbors though so the experience wasn’t horrible, just a bit awkward.

This place is horrible! People that give this place 4 stars or more know nothing about sushi, fusion, or food period. The atmosphere is nice, but truly the worst food experience I have had ever in my life. From price, taste of food to staff service etc here is the breakdown:
–food price/​portion: we ordered the omakase– 70pp 5 course dinner and there were 6 adults so that is $ 420 right off the bat along with beer and pinot g. Chicken teriyaki was like $ 25 for like 4 pieces of chicken which we asked for with brown rice but instead came with white. They brought us brown rice pretty much after the kids were nearly done with the chicken (not that hard to finish) they still charged us for the brown rice which was their screw up. now i have been to many restaurants with a course meal, but this place, the portions are something to laugh at like are you joking?
–food taste: ok so the 5 courses are a surprise by the chef so the courses are not on the menu. Sounds divine right? Not. it was pretty busy last night so my guess is the chef conjured up bullshit dishes and made 6 of each of them. The food was CRAZY SALTY first of all, the flavor of the sauces were half ass, and there was absolutely nothing special about any of the dishes. I could have honestly walked down the block from my house to a take out joint and their flavor would have made more sense.
Staff and service: manager and waitress staff were nice in the beginning, but once we started complaining about we have been here over 2 hours and our 4^th course hasn’t even shown up, they were getting upset at us. We waited 30 mins plus for each of our tiny yet non delicious courses so we just had it. The manager said omakase takes some time, but that was just an excuse and ridiculous. Waitress was ok but you can see she was getting annoyed and the manager said what can we do for you? We were like wth. just wanted to get out of there so just said take out 2 omakase, we won’t eat the last 2 courses. Ended up still paying $ 450 with tip. i felt cheated. i felt duped. i love food, but this was hitting below the belt.
I will never go here again nor recommend this place for a good eat. it should just be turned into a club. People say the place is nice because of the ambiance.
0 stars if i could

last time i set foot in sushi samba was 7 years ago in chicago. i was really excited to try it again especially since i had scored myself a gift card here. the drinks were pretty good (yuzu cocktail was very citrusy, and spicy ginger was not that spicy). as for food, i really enjoyed eating the mushroom tobanyaki — the broth was so good and the seasonings were perfect. it’s a nice dish to go with a side of rice. the kumamoto oysters are always a nice start as well.
for rolls, i tried the sao haku (yellow tail, tuna) and bobo brazi (with seared wagyu beef). both were good, but i think i still prefer more traditional sushi.
the restaurant was lively and at times difficult to carry on conversation without being distracted by the side tables. still seems like a good date spot. glad i made a reservation for tuesday night because it was pretty busy!

I met up with a friend here after work. She was having dinner with her husband & I just crashed for dessert. So for the half hour or so I was at SUSHISAMBA, I can say that the s’mores are worth getting! Ice cream balls dipped in a coating of chocolate & graham cracker crumble and all of this enveloped in a sticky soft marshmallow pillow. Yum yum yum.
The restaurant is small & a tad cramped but it’s perfectly dimmed for intimacy. Perfect for a date night I suppose? But if you & your friends don’t mind squeezing, it’s also a nice place to get together with friends.

I visited this restaurant with five out of towners and we had a great time. The décor here is very modern and they played some great music all night long. Since we had a relatively «heavy» group, we decided to order every single special roll on the menu. They presented it to us on a pretty cool plating scheme.
Most of the rolls were delicious. Some were just OK. Overall we were very happy and had a nice time. Don’t come here expecting ultra high quality sushi made by world reknown chefs. Come here to enjoy the atmosphere, munch on some decent sushi and kick back and have a few drinks.

A haiku about my 8 minutes at the sparsely populated Sushi Samba Cocktail Bar:
«Not My Cup of Sake»
Bar staff ignored us.
Bad club music, we agreed.
We left. We soon left.

I’ve been here twice for dinner in the last year being that it is so close to work. And both times, all I think is that this place does not compare to the location in Miami at all. I wish it was as big and as spacious as the one in Miami. It’s just a different atmosphere. The Gramercy location is split into two sides, a dining area and a bar area that you see when you go through there to go down the stairs to the restrooms.
This last time I was here last Wednesday. And reservations were easy to make on open table for a 6:30PM reservation. I got there early and they were able to seat me before the entire party arrived.
We ordered the rock shrimp as appetizer. That tasted pretty good, but I’ve had better elsewhere.
For my entrée, I ordered the Sushi Combo that comes with 7 pieces of sushi nigiri and a roll. The sushi was pretty good.
For dessert, we ordered the s’mores. It actually came out with a flame pot for us to roast the marshmallows. And the s’mores was not like any normals s’mores. It was more like a cake pop covered with chocolate that’s covered with marshmallows. It makes it really easy to eat. I was actually surprised by how amazing it tasted! :)
And the prices are on the high side, but comparable to other sushi places in the city.

Overall this was a pretty decent restaurant week experience, with a few hiccups. Our waitress was giving us attitude most of the night because we weren’t ready to order when she came to our table the first two times, but aside from that, the service was adequate and the food was good. I like that you can choose to sit in either the main dining room that is large and brightly lit, or the loud, trendy, low lit room where the bar is located.
Shrimp ceviche was’t my favorite, but pretty good. A little too tangy for my taste, with lots of orange and grapefruit segments.
Branzino entrée was quite good. Very flaky and tasty, but perhaps a bit too salty.
Chocolate Bread Pudding — fantastic.
Favorites from the vegan menu included Mushroom Tobanyaki and Amazonia Samba Roll. Vegetable Taquitos were also excellent.
Great drink selection, we loved the flavored Caiparinas (watermelon, lychee and passion fruit).

Somehow I managed to become one of the last New Yorkers to have never eaten at Sushi Samba. I’m glad I managed to avoid it being that it was filled with transplants and tourists when I went.
My first trip here was nice enough. The food was good and the service was quick. The tables were a bit cramped and the lighting dark but I suppose this adds to the ambiance — which is a nice way of putting it. The mix of Japanese and South American foods is an interesting combination in a city where everything has already been done and Asian fusion usually means a Chinese restaurant that sells sushi and pad thai.
When I came here with my sisters we ordered a few rolls of sushi, ceviche, the rock shrimp tempura and some other dishes. Everything was pretty decent but nothing that really blew it all out of the water and made the meal memorable. Price wise, it’s a little expensive. You’ll definitely be able to find cheaper sushi elsewhere.
The best (and perhaps only) thing about SushiSamba is not the food but rather the large cocktail menu! My sisters and I ordered the Cocktail Tree, three cocktails of your choice filled into four glasses on a tree-​like display. It was the highlight of my meal! Cute and big and filled with alcohol! What’s not to like?

Sushi Samba claims to blend Japanese, Brazilian, Peruvian cuisines. It serves Asian Fusion cuisine catered to Western taste. Side note, it is a restaurant chain with locations in NYC, Chicago, Miami Beach, Las Vegas, and London.
If authenticity is what you’re looking for, then this is not for you. Come here if you want to be amused by experimental recipes which frankly will be hit-​or-​miss, or to impress your Asian-​cuisine-​know-​nothings friends from out of town.
The interior is tacky. Dark, neon lights, cramped tables, chatter-​noise-​confined dining room.
The dishes are presented very nicely. (So nice, I couldn’t resist to smoothly sneak pictures with my phone at company dinner… bad move. I guess I wasn’t so smooth criminal after all. Got caught red handed and got endless teasing for rest of evening. On bright side, I got to try most of their menu, so I can offer you reliable advice.)
Here are items that impressed.
Mushroom Tobanyaki (FYI you’re supposed to mix it with spoon)
Tuna Tataki
Crispy Taquitos (more like Wonton Tacos) with Yellowtail and Avocado
Rock Shrimp Tempura, spicy mayo
Ribeye Anticuchos (Meats)
Sea Bass Anticuchos (Fish)
Anything but sushi. Yes, I kid you not.

I’ve been going to sushi samba for quite some time now since my brother and sister consistently rave about the place and I finally understand why.
Restaurants that manage to stay consistent are the best and such is the case at sushi samba. Their food is exquisite and simply put… fresh all the way.
The best thing on the menu is without a doubt their yellow tail toquitos. Little tacos of all the best ingredients. It’s a perfect play of balances between the spice of the julienne radishes and foamed hot sauce, and the fresh taste of the yellowtail in every bite. They’re simply Devine! While $ 6 a pop, they’re well worth the splurge and I can’t help but order at least 3 in every sitting.
You then have their tuna tetaki, WHOW. What an amazing appetizer. It’s the best cut of tuna sashimi with julienne green apples payed atop spinach leaves with this perfect sauce. Everything pairs so perfectly together, Devine. Each bite will keep you coming back for more.
Everything at sushi samba is excellent. Their fish is always the freshest and their flavors are just outstanding. Some other things is suggest trying are the sea bass skewers, get an extra side of Peruvian corn cuz it’s the best, they have a trio appetizer with tempura string beans, edamame, and grilled baby peppers, a grilled asparagus dish, and their tuna ceviche is amazing.
You really just can’t go wrong. Oh and if you’re there on a Sunday get the churros. They’re to die for.
Trust me this place is worth every penny you’ll send.

I was definitely disappointed with this dining experience.
I made a reservation, only to come into a pretty empty restaurant and get seated right by the door. When I asked if we could switch to a table further from the door, I was told they were all reserved… really? You couldn’t just make a quick switch?
The waitress was a little over-​eager, and kept interrupting us to ask if we were ready to order, which we kept telling her, «no, please give us a few minutes,» only to have her come back, interrupt us again, only to tell her that, sorry, we still weren’t ready.
I’ve never been to this location, but I have been to a Sushi Samba in Chicago, and I thought it was really wonderful. This location was just loud, cold and uninviting. The menu wasn’t all that much better. I wanted to order some sashimi, but at $ 5.50 for a single piece of fish, I didn’t want to spend $ 33 on a dinner that would leave me starving in a couple of hours. So we settled on sharing a shrimp appetizer, edemame (which could have been better — this one was a bit overcooked and was falling apart when you tried to eat it), and a $ 16 roll, which was good, but not great.
We asked for some tea rather than alcohol. The waitress told me they were out of the traditional green tea, but they could offer us something else. I was surprised when it came with a tea bag in it. When I asked for some more tea, she told me there was a charge for refills.
The bill came, and for 2 people, who shared an appetizer and only had one roll, the bill was close to $ 70. WAY more than I was expecting, and I honestly do NOT feel like it was worth nearly that. Definitely will NOT be coming back here.

The first time I dined here a few years ago (during my pre-​yelp days), I wasn’t terribly impressed with it. I recently dined here again last weekend with some friends from out-​of-​town who are sushi lovers and was not disappointed at all!
We made reservations for 6:30pm on opentable. The table we sat at was a little tight, but it was fine. I just wondered why we couldn’t sit at a larger table considering the restaurant was pretty empty until about 7:45.
Anyhoo, for apps, we ordered the short-​rib gyoza, calamari, and lime edamame. The short-​rib gyoza were fantastic! I hope they put it on their regular menu. The filling was flavorful and plentiful, one of the best dumplings I’ve ever had. The calamari was also great (comparable to Calle Ocho’s calamari — on the sweet/​spicy side). I always love edamame, and you can’t really go wrong with it.
For entrees, everyone pretty much got rolls. BF and I split the Pacific, Bobo Brazil, Rainbow Dragon, and Sasa handroll. The Pacific was probably my favorite of the three but all three were good. I also got to try my friend’s Neo Tokyo roll and El Topo rolls. Also delicious and the El Topo is pretty interesting. I like flavor/​texture compbination!
For dessert we split the cheesecake — VERY interesting presentation! *mind blown*
Service was also friendly. We had a great time!

My cocktail was extremely weak. I had to ask the waiter to put more alcohol and pour some ice out (sounds like lyrics from T.I.‘s song). He came back with the identical drink. I let my friend have a sip and even he said it was a virgin. To sum it up, I paid fifteen dollars for juice.
I am not pleased fellas. Unlike the previous Unilocaler, I will not return for drinks.

Best. Sushi. Ever.
I think we had the Neo Tokyo, Sasa Roll, California Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll and each one was simply out of this world. I can’t wait to go back!

For my boyfriend’s birthday, I decided to take him out for dinner. Recently, we have been talking about traveling everywhere together and the places we keep talking about are Brazil and Asia. I thought that SushiSamba Park, with it’s Brazilian-​Asian blend, would be a perfect start before he and I embarked on our future trips together.
We arrived right on time for our reservation and before our table was set up, one of the girls at the front audibly murmured to the other girl that she should give us the table in the corner since we’re a couple. I loved that! A cozy corner in the restaurant with a tiny candle with a view of the sushi chefs was exactly what I had been hoping for.
Salomon, I do hope I spelled his name right, was our server for the evening and he was fabulous. We loved him! That aside, we started off with drinks — one Caipirhna and Chucumber. Eventually followed by a second and third Caipirhna and Nina Fresa (strawberry, guava, vodka with lime and sugar.). I really liked how my Caipirhna came with a huge sugar cane, fun!
We looked over the menu for what felt like ages unable to decide what delicious foods to order! Salomon suggested that we just hang out, take our time and chill and decide what we would like to have over a couple of sushi rolls. Great suggestion. We went with a spicy tuna roll, a couple of yellowtail rolls and an eel and avocado roll. Le Boyfriend and I cuddled and ate while sipping away on our drinks. Looking around, we both agreed it was a nice, modern space. Small and cozy. However the music was a bit strange, one moment I heard the instrumental to Kanye West’s ‘Stronger’ then a bizarre soundtrack with Brazilian beats with what sounded like a Brazilian woman moaning over the music. In the middle of it all, a tall dapper man checked on us to see how we liked everything.
We enjoyed drinks and eventually decided we wanted a little something more as we started to feel a bit full after the sushi. That ‘little something’ ended up being two tiny Crispy Yellowtail Taquitos. It came with extremely flavorful, spicy aji panca sauce in a square glass on the side. For the grand finale, we decided to skip right to dessert and enjoy the Peach Tiradito which consisted of coconut-​lime sorbet, white peach tuile and some red sugar wafers on top of the sorbet. Interestingly enough, it included ‘five spice’ which to us was black pepper. It was a delightful, foreign taste. Though it may seem like Le Boyfriend and I didn’t have much to eat, we were fully satisfied.
The dinner was very pricey but well worth it. I’ve been to this location before as well as the location in Greenwich Village and they’re both fantastic. Both locations have definitely earned the Finlay seal of approval.

My friend had been raving about this place for quite some time now so when I picked a place to take her out, I thought of Sushi Samba. The service is friendly and the atmosphere fun even on a Tuesday evening. Food was pretty good but felt there were a few misses with the hits.
Hits were the yellowtail ceviche and the special soft shell crab sliders but a clear miss is the Peruvian scallops where the foam masks very small scallops that were more chewy than tender.

We had 8PM reservations, but my friend was running late. I was able to be seated anyway and they were very patient while I was waiting. Once she had gotten there, we ordered the Neo Tokyo and El Topo (personal favorite), as well as Rock Shrimp Tempura and Coconut Rice. Everything was delicious and just enough for the two of us. I had edamame while I was waiting, which had the perfect amount of salt. The waitress was pleasant and kept checking in to make sure we were okay. The Samba juice is my recommendation. It was well blended and nothing was overpowering. The restaurant itself is kind of tight. Although this restaurant was good, I still prefer the West Village location.

I really really wanted to hate this place. The ambiance and music are just wrong for a sushi and omakase setting… but then again it’s a japanese fusion place so why not…
Still the food was very good and the service even better.
We had the chef choice 7 course omakase. The chef spaced each course out perfectly that we didn’t feel overstuffed or hungry after our meal. Each course was perfectly executed in visual appeal and all dishes were seasoned well. Can’t say any course stood out more than the rest, but can say all courses were very much enjoyed.
Also order a peruvian corn because i love corn and wanted to see what made this cob special, and special it was!