LM
Love, Makoto
Elevating Japanese cuisine with fresh, artful omakase and barbecue in the heart of DC.
4.8(5 reviews)
$$
japanese
japanese
Chef's tasting menu featuring today's freshest selections, available for dinner with a focus on sushi and barbecue.
Artfully prepared sushi, nigiri, and hand rolls using high-quality, vibrant fish, including options like tuna and yellowtail.
Grilled dishes served in a dedicated section, offering rich, flavorful meats and accompaniments.
Includes miso soup, hamachi with serrano chili, tuna tartare, and rock shrimp tempura for a varied start.
Features items like peach Basque cheesecake and lychee martinis to complement your meal.
Seating options including private booths for intimate experiences, with attentive service and a relaxed vibe.
Elevating Japanese cuisine with fresh, artful omakase and barbecue in the heart of DC.
No photos available
Love, Makoto is a premier Japanese restaurant in Washington, DC, offering an exceptional dining experience with multiple sections dedicated to sushi, barbecue, and more. Known for its vibrant, melt-in-your-mouth sushi, rich miso soup, and buttery fresh fish, we serve omakase, hand rolls, nigiri, and dishes like chicken katsu in a beautiful, welcoming atmosphere. Our attentive service and consistent quality make us a top choice for sushi lovers and those seeking an authentic, upscale meal. Perfect for dinner, lunch, or special occasions, we bring the art of Japanese cuisine to life with every bite.
Dear Sushi for restaurant week was the most perfect meal down to every detail, including the fresh mildly pickled ginger. The wasabi is real wasabi of course. I don’t like wasabi, fake or real, but for those who appreciate authenticity, this is the place. Needless to say; the fish is buttery and smooth. This was my second time here and will definitely not be my last.
Dear Sushi, I came in for lunch today, my first time experiencing Love Makado, and the food did not disappoint! Everything was spectacular; the sushi was so vibrant and fresh... the rolls melted in my mouth. This was exceptionally some of the best sushi I've had in DC. I came for the restaurant week menu, but will definitely come back for dinner. Many thanks to Robin and Isabelle for being so welcoming and their warm hospitality. Love, A new fan!
This place is dangerously delicious. We did the today’s omakase for dinner on the beloved BBQ side, and every bite was fresh, rich, and melt-in-your-mouth good—the kind that makes you slow down just to appreciate it. Service was excellent: attentive and smooth without being overbearing. One heads-up—the restaurant opens at 5pm. I couldn’t find the hours online and ended up waiting a full hour, but once the food hit the table, all was forgiven. Final verdict: five stars. Worth the wait and absolutely worth the omakase.
Love, Makoto is essentially multiple restaurants under one roof, with different sections for barbecue, sushi, and more. I dined at the sushi section. The food was absolutely delicious. The miso soup immediately stood out—it was much richer and deeper in flavor than the miso soups I’m used to. Instead of the usual lighter color and taste, this one reminded me more of a Korean soybean soup, in the best way possible. Deep, savory, and comforting. We ordered the hamachi with serrano chili, which was perfect—clean, balanced, and flavorful. The rock shrimp tempura with chili mayo was good, though I felt the shrimp itself could have used a bit more seasoning. Still enjoyable, just not as standout as some of the other dishes. The tuna tartare with miso dust was excellent, and I really appreciated the very generous portion size. I also had two spicy yellowtail hand rolls, which were both excellent. The otoro was good—high quality—but not particularly memorable compared to the rest of the meal. One unexpected highlight was the chicken katsu. This ended up being one of the best non-sushi items of the night. The breading was perfectly crispy, the flaky salt on top was a great touch, and the cabbage slaw and sauce tied everything together beautifully. For dessert, we had the peach Basque cheesecake. Overall, it was very good, but I think it would have been even better served warmer or at least at room temperature. It was quite cold, and I also wished it used fresh peaches rather than what tasted like canned peaches. That said, it was still an enjoyable way to end the meal. The restaurant itself is beautiful, and the service was great. I had requested a booth, and our server kindly seated us in a lovely corner booth with lots of privacy, which I really appreciated. It’s definitely an expensive meal, and I wasn’t a fan of the automatic 20% gratuity, but the service quality was solid. Overall, this was an excellent dining experience, especially if you’re a sushi lover. I’d absolutely come back and would happily recommend the sushi section at Love, Makoto.
This was my second time at Love, Makoto, and at this point I can say the place is genuinely consistent. Both visits were smooth, the fish was fresh, and the quality matched what I expect from a spot that takes its sushi seriously. On my first visit, I went straight for the hand rolls and nigiri — simple, clean choices. The tuna nigiri had a nice texture, nothing mushy or overly cold, and the seaweed on the rolls actually had some crunch left to it (a small thing, but sushi people know how rare that is). Even the soy sauce heart was a cute touch without feeling gimmicky. This most recent visit, I kept it light: yellowtail, a lychee martini, and the crab meat roll. The yellowtail was the standout — fresh, thinly sliced, and the jalapeño/ginger combo gave it just enough nudge without masking the fish. The lychee martini was balanced and easy to sip, not one of those overly sweet versions. The crab roll was solid and didn’t rely on heavy mayo, which I appreciate. The vibe at the bar is relaxed, the service is steady, and the space feels open without being loud. It’s a good spot for a solo meal, a lunch break reset, or easing into the evening. Next time, I’m finally doing the omakase lunch. If the regular menu is already this reliable, I’m curious to see what they do when they’re leading the experience start to finish. Would definitely keep this in my rotation.
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