Matsuhisa Vail: Is the Omakase Worth It? Reservations, Prices and Hotels Nearby

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By Michael Gonzales · Updated October 29, 2026

Matsuhisa Vail is Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's restaurant in the Solaris building at 141 E. Meadow Drive in Vail Village, open nightly from 5 p.m. Book by phone up to 30 days ahead, or try the bar and sushi bar, which are first come, first served. The omakase is an eight-course tasting menu, listed at $175 per person on the restaurant's posted menu.

That posted menu is dated Winter 2024 and is still the one on Matsuhisa's website, so confirm the price when you book. If you want the easiest table in town, stay upstairs: Solaris Residences guests get priority reservations at Matsuhisa through the concierge. More hotels a short walk away are further down.

Is the Matsuhisa omakase worth it?

For a first visit or a big celebration, usually yes. Matsuhisa calls its omakase "a complete 8-course tasting menu" built from Nobu's signature dishes plus seasonal preparations. You don't have to order it ahead: you ask your server on the night, and a wine pairing is available on request. The kitchen chooses, so nobody at the table has to work through a long menu.

The catch is the price, and how much you'd spend anyway. Using the prices on the same Winter 2024 menu:

Prices from Matsuhisa's posted Winter 2024 food menu, checked October 29, 2026, before drinks, tax and tip. Confirm when you book.

Ordering those four classics to share comes to $130 for the table. The omakase for two is $350. So the omakase makes sense when you want the full tour, with seasonal dishes you wouldn't pick yourself, and you're happy to let the kitchen pace the night. If you mainly want the black cod and the yellowtail jalapeño, order them yourself and share.

The ratings point the same way. On OpenTable, Matsuhisa Vail scores 4.8 from 1,591 reviews, with food at 4.9 but value at 4.3, its lowest sub-score. Google shows 4.5 from 853 reviews.

How do you get a reservation at Matsuhisa Vail?

Call. Matsuhisa takes reservations by phone and doesn't accept requests by email. The dining room opens nightly at 5 p.m., and the phone team answers from 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time on 970-476-6628, option 1. You can book up to 30 days ahead.

Matsuhisa also takes online bookings through OpenTable. If no time shows there, OpenTable's page says to call between 3:30 and 9:30 p.m. Walk-in and waitlist sign-up is in person from 4:45 p.m. daily.

Tables are held for a set time, by party size:

From Matsuhisa's reservations page, checked October 29, 2026. Recent OpenTable reviewers advise booking ahead even outside peak weeks. OpenTable lists the restaurant as closed on Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, November 26 this year.

Does Matsuhisa Vail take walk-ins?

Yes, at the bar and the sushi bar, which are first come, first served every night. Get there close to opening, when the waitlist starts at 4:45 p.m. Discover Vail recommends the long wooden sushi bar for watching the chefs slice and plate. It's a good seat for a party of one or two.

Takeout is another option. Pickups run nightly from 5:15 p.m., you can pre-order up to five days ahead, and Matsuhisa adds a 20% service charge to takeout orders.

What is Matsuhisa Vail known for?

Matsuhisa names three signatures: yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, black cod miso and whitefish tiradito. The cooking is Japanese with Peruvian influences, served family-style in multiple courses. The menu also runs to lamb chops, Miyazaki beef and what the restaurant calls a vast array of vegetarian options. OpenTable notes gluten-free options.

To drink, there's Hokusetsu sake from Sado Island in Niigata, which Matsuhisa says is exclusive to Nobu Matsuhisa restaurants, a wine list overseen by beverage director Andreas Harl, and cocktails such as the Matsutini (vodka, shochu, passionfruit and champagne).

The room has a stone fireplace, custom woodwork and floor-to-ceiling windows facing Vail Mountain, plus outdoor fire pits and a seasonal patio. OpenTable lists the dress code as casual.

Is Matsuhisa the same as Nobu?

Same chef, different restaurant brand. Nobu Matsuhisa opened the original Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills in 1987. The first Nobu came later, in New York in 1994. In Colorado, Matsuhisa opened in Aspen in 1998, Vail in 2011 and Denver in 2016. Tasting Table, citing Forbes, describes the Matsuhisa restaurants as smaller, more intimate and more upscale than Nobu, with the same style of food.

Where should you stay near Matsuhisa?

Matsuhisa is on the ground floor of the Solaris building on East Meadow Drive, at the east end of Vail Village. These hotels are all in Vail Village, so you can walk to dinner and skip the parking:

Locations are from our own listings. Rates change by date, so check your own dates; Thanksgiving week and the holidays book up first. For a group, a condo with a kitchen can cost less per person: compare Vail condos on Vrbo. For more choices, see hotels in Vail Village.

If you drive in for dinner, Matsuhisa validates complimentary valet in the Solaris driveway at 141 E. Meadow Drive.

Where else can you eat sushi in Vail?

If Matsuhisa is booked, Vail has several other sushi restaurants, including Yama Sushi, Zenshi Handcrafted Sushi, Osaki's, Joy Sushi and Snowfox Sushi. Yama scores 4.7 from 785 OpenTable reviews. For more, see the 40 best restaurants in Vail. Groups planning a private dinner can ask about Matsuhisa's event menus, which run from $125 to $250 per person. The Nobu Room seats 40.

Plan your trip

• Vail hotels on Expedia
• Vail condos on Vrbo
• Tours and things to do on Viator

Frequently asked questions

How much is the omakase at Matsuhisa Vail? Matsuhisa's posted food menu, dated Winter 2024, lists the eight-course omakase at $175 per person, before drinks, tax and tip. Confirm the current price when you book.

Do you need a reservation for Matsuhisa Vail? For the dining room, yes. Call 970-476-6628, option 1, from 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time, up to 30 days ahead. The bar and sushi bar are first come, first served.

Does Matsuhisa Vail take walk-ins? Yes, at the bar and the sushi bar. Walk-in and waitlist sign-up is in person from 4:45 p.m. daily.

Is Matsuhisa part of Nobu? Both belong to Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Matsuhisa is his original restaurant name, from Beverly Hills in 1987, and Nobu is the separate brand he launched in 1994.

What time does Matsuhisa Vail open? The dining room opens nightly at 5 p.m. Takeout pickups start at 5:15 p.m. OpenTable lists the restaurant as closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Is there a dress code at Matsuhisa Vail? No formal one. OpenTable lists the dress code as casual.

Where do you park for Matsuhisa Vail? Use the complimentary valet in the Solaris driveway at 141 E. Meadow Drive. Matsuhisa validates the ticket.

Sources

• Matsuhisa: About Matsuhisa Vail (signatures, room, address)
• Matsuhisa: Vail menu page (omakase, drinks, menu PDFs)
• Matsuhisa: Vail food menu, Winter 2024 (PDF, posted prices)
• Matsuhisa: Vail reservations (phone, table times, walk-ins, valet)
• Matsuhisa: Vail take-out
• Matsuhisa: Private events
• OpenTable: Matsuhisa Vail (ratings, waitlist, Thanksgiving closure, dress code)
• Solaris Residences: Amenities (priority reservations)
• Discover Vail: Asian food and sushi in Vail Village
• PR Newswire: Matsuhisa restaurants in Colorado (opening years)
• Tasting Table: Nobu vs. Matsuhisa

Checked October 29, 2026. Hotel locations are from our own listings. We didn't list hotel prices because they change by date.