Zento Japanese Restaurant

I have dined at this restaurant more than 5 times. It’s a charming sushi restaurant with around 10-15 tables, and the experience was always delightful.
The small size created an intimate atmosphere, perfect for enjoying the expertly crafted special rolls. Each bite was a burst of flavors, showcasing the chef's skill and creativity. The freshness of the ingredients elevated the overall dining experience. The quantity is very good and the you get a very good value for money. I will gladly pay 20% more for this type of food.
The attentive staff and cozy ambiance make this hidden gem a must-try for sushi enthusiasts.
Restrooms are clean and diaper changing station is available. Abundant parking available in the same building, just behind the restaurant.

The food was amazing, service was good, and the atmosphere was okay. There's a variety of sushi rolls, great quality, and decent prices. Plum wine was amazing as always.

We got three rolls: Zen baked roll, Japanese bagel roll, and Japanese firecracker. The Zen baked roll is an experience. Highly recommend it!

This is my favorite neighborhood restaurant. Always very good service and food. The happy hour nigiri special is always a hit in my family. I do avoid some of the rolls because they are a little too sweet for my taste

For 2 people, we love to order the sweet potato and avocado roll (underrated item), spider roll, white tuna and avocado roll, and tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and scallop nigiri. The scallop nigiri is my absolute favorite item on the menu and I would recommend trying it.

Great food and quick customer service , I’ve been going to Zento for over a yeah every once in a while and they are amazing as ever . The bento’s are my favorite as well as the tonkatsu and fried calamari.

This is our go-to restaurant for sushi fix. The food is terrific, price is great. The garage parking is only 30 seconds away, easy, and free. The staff is fast and efficient and the owner is a super nice lady. This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Old Town!!!

This place is delicious! The complimentary salad was a really nice touch and they have a great peanut sauce.
The spring rolls were bigger than expected and lovely.
The sushi was definitely the star of the show. It was expertly crafted, beautiful, and enticing.

The staff was also really sweet and helpful.

We came in for dinner with a large party and the staff handled it so well. They didn’t seem stressed at all. They took our orders and did separate checks with no issues. There were no problems with getting the food to the right person or the checks to the right people. The food was amazing, some of the best sushi I have had. The staff was super friendly and efficient. I definitely recommend this place.

Have gotten takeout from here before but tonight stopped in, as Sunday in Saigon was closed on Sunday night, reviewed menu and came upon the Tuna Poke Salad. Wow! Got home and it's now my go to take out dinner. Absolutely delicious - fresh, tasty and well packaged. Quick out of the kitchen, too. Thank you Zento. Great job!
PS I'm an old restaurant guy (44 years) and I don't put up reviews unless I feel strongly. This place is worth the enthusiasm shown here

So good! I got take out here a couple of years ago when we first moved here and wasn't thrilled with it. Glad I gave them another chance, as Zento is one of my favorite places to eat in North Old Town now! With their Bento Boxes, it's great even for non-sushi lovers such as my husband. Their small sushi rolls are good, but more recently I've been ordering their specialty rolls...YUM. Definitely try the double yellowtail roll...one of my favs. I really like the friendly staff, and just overall feel of the place. It's somehow soothing. Plus...SUSHI!

Zento's is probably my favorite sushi spot in the National Capital Region; so I can't believe I have not posted a review before now. My husband and I have been customers since around 2017 and before the pandemic it was our go-to happy hour place. Sadly, during the pandemic, we did not make it here as often, but we are glad to be back now. I do recommend a reservation because they can get busy, but they also can usually accommodate walk-ins. The staff is super friendly and the prices are really reasonable; especially if you come for happy hour. The biggest reason I love Zento's is the quality of the fish. Their sashimi is consistently top quality...the kind where the fish practically melts in your mouth. I also love their rotating specialty rolls and again, I cannot understate how great their happy hour pricing is for sashimi, appetizers, and drinks. The parking garage and relatively close access to Braddock Road Metro station are a bonus for this area. I highly recommend Zento and plan to come back soon. Thanks for a great experience every time! :-)

Everything I come to Zento, I am greeted with a wonderful atmosphere. The quality and authenticity of Zento is what keeps me coming back! Ive brought numerous friends and family to this Japanese restaurant. Everyone always has a great time and wants to return.
If you ever find yourself at Zento definitely grab yourself lemon ginger tea & check out the chef specials menu. By far my favorite Japanese restaurant!
Also special shout out to Jesse. She is always very welcoming kind!

Best soy sauce I’ve ever had. Very pleased with the bento box. House salad was good. Not the usual ginger dressing. A sweet sesame dressing maybe? Very happy with the tempura. Rice was good and sticky like you would get in Japan. Miso soup had a very flavorful broth.

Food and atmosphere were amazing. Delicious and fresh sushi, that was packed with flavor. Taste buds were on a roller coaster with every bite. Service was great and very intimate atmosphere, friendly for family or partners

Today is the first time I ate food that is actually Japanese authentic. The service here is very friendly. The tables and area is clean as a whistle. Ordered takoyaki and ramen with pork. First bite, very good and delicious. Finished the whole meal. If you want to eat food that is close to Japan, this is the place to be.

Sushi was fresh, miso soup was tasty, and delivery via door dash was reasonable. Even my first time sushi friend enjoyed the spicy tuna roll 👍 We did not dine in, so no rating for atmosphere. Enjoy!

Wow this place is amazing. Everything was delicious! The salmon sushi roll, the dumplings steamed, the teriyaki chicken was so simple but the best I've ever had. The place is small but great service and excellent food. The price blows me away too as so affordable. If this wasn't our last meal in DC we would have come back every night!!

Place is small and can get busy so make a reservation for the weekends. Sushi is great and we always love the food here!! One of the best spots in old town area

This was our last day in Washington, and we were looking for something to eat when zento popped up on Google maps.

We ordered ramen and definitely did not regret that decision. Having been to Japan before, we simply loved the food being served here.

The place was rather full, but staff managed to arrange a table quickly and the service was great. Definitely recommend this place when passing through Alexandria.

Zento was a lovely place for date night with my husband! We arrived at 5pm on a weekday and got seated right away but I’d recommend arriving early as they definitely got busier as the evening went on. Our server was lovely and prompt in taking our orders and then delivering appetizers and drinks! But the entrees were what really impressed us! I got the Tonkatsu Don which delicious while my husband ordered lots of sushi and the Tofu Teriyaki which he was also very satisfied with! Everything was very fresh, reasonably priced for the quality and great portions. Highly recommended if you are in the area!

Great little restaurant with fresh sushi!

The decor inside was done very well and reminded me of many other Japanese izakayas in Asia.

I enjoyed the Yellowtail Jalapeño. It had a slight kick of spice and nothing over the top. The Atlantic Roll is like a double salmon roll, but the sauce made it slightly sweeter than what I would’ve normally liked. Regardless, every cut of fish was very fresh and did not feel like it was frozen at any point. The Tonkasu was made well and had a nice, light crispy crust.

The staff was very friendly and provided spectacular service.