Grab a Seat at Zuma, the Global Izakaya Brand Making its California Debut in San Diego
Zuma has spent nearly 25 years taking over the world – Hong Kong, Istanbul, Rome, Miami, Madrid, and more. Now they’re open in San Diego, and it’s their first California location.
The 12,000-square-foot space in downtown seats around 220, with a garden terrace, wraparound bar, and a dedicated DJ booth. Safe to say San Diego won this round.
Black Cod in Hoba Leaf, Chu-Toro With Oscietra Caviar, and Norwegian King Crab
The menu was shaped by Zuma creator and co-founder Rainer Becker, built around the brand’s izakaya-style sharing format – which means you order a lot, share everything, and somehow still wish you’d ordered more.
From the robata grill: gin-dara no saikyo yaki, marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf. From the sushi counter: Arjun’s chu-toro maki, prime tuna with finely diced spring onion and Oscietra caviar. From the kitchen: yaki taraba gani, Norwegian king crab with ponzu. Start there and keep going.
Forty Varieties of Sake and a Cocktail Smoked Over a Barrel Stave
The bar is not messing around. Over 40 varieties of sake, premium Japanese spirits, and a cocktail menu that deserves its own visit. The Burning History blends Suntory Toki whisky, Lagavulin 16-year-old, yuzu, honey, ginger, and egg white, smoked over a barrel stave.
The Zuma Paloma goes tequila, clarified yuzu and hibiscus cordial, and a grapefruit Himalayan solution. The Osaka Spritz – strawberry and basil-infused Aperol, prosecco, tonic – is the one for the patio.
Monolithic Boulder Walls, Timber Screens Made in Indonesia, and a Courtyard That Feels Like a Secret
Zuma’s in-house design team drew from the Baja California landscape, and it shows. Large-scale stone elements, monolithic boulder walls, woven glass handcrafted in Munich, and timber screens made in Indonesia that reference both Japanese motifs and the Balboa Park Botanical Building’s iconic wood lath structure.
Handmade ceramic faces, Japanese washi paper, a resin bar front with suspended bubbles. The secluded courtyard terrace feels like a retreat someone forgot to put on the map. It’s going to be the best seat in the house.
See you there!
The doors are open, the bar is stocked with 40 varieties of sake, and the courtyard is waiting. Make a reservation and go.
📍 500 W Broadway, San Diego
🎟️ Book now
ℹ️ See what’s in store for you here
See you there, San Diego!
