Izakaya Gama
Michelin-pedigreed coastal izakaya in Point Arena — Mendocino County's only dedicated sake bar.
- Mon Closed
- Tue Closed
- Wed 5:00 – 9:00 PM · Today
- Thu 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Fri 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Sat 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Sun 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Along Highway 1
Leg times are driving estimates along Highway 1.
South to north along Highway 1: Stewarts Point Store, then ~5 min to Sea Ranch Lodge, then ~15 min to Gualala Downtown, then ~25 min to Point Arena Downtown. Izakaya Gama is the venue on this page.
Nearby
Within a short walk
Arena Market & Café · B Bryan Preserve · Franny's Cup & Saucer · Little Green Bean Roastery · Sign of the Whale · The Record
A short drive
- Cove Coffee 1.0 mi NW
- Point Arena Pizza 1.0 mi NW
- Pelican Bluffs Trail 1.0 mi SE
- Pier Place 1.0 mi NW
Restaurant
A tiny coastal izakaya on Main Street in Point Arena from husband-and-wife team David and Elyse Hopps. David trained at Saison in San Francisco and was sous chef at the Michelin-starred Harbor House Inn in Elk; Elyse was Harbor House's opening pastry chef and is now a certified sake sommelier. Opened as a sold-out pandemic-era pop-up in 2020 before settling into its permanent Main Street home. The kitchen leans hard on local sourcing (farmers, fishermen, the MendoLake Food Hub) and deliberately skips flown-in fish, even for sushi.
Bar
Gama pours the only dedicated sake list in Mendocino County — more than thirty selections — alongside Japanese craft beer, curated by certified sake sommelier Elyse Hopps. Sit at the ~10-seat cypress bar to be close to the bottles, and ask staff for a pairing — the list is deep enough to be worth the guidance.
What to Order
The menu rotates around a Kushiyaki (skewer) grill, so treat any dish as representative rather than fixed:
- Karaage — crispy fried chicken with aioli and house-made shichimi togarashi; one of the most-mentioned signature dishes
- Kushiyaki skewers — chicken, duck, or Wagyu beef off the grill
- Komatsuna — locally grown greens with goma ae and chili threads; one visiting diner called it the best dish of the meal
- Saikyoyaki — miso-marinated local black cod with a strong, distinctive flavor
- Fort Bragg uni, when it's on the menu — ask about it
- Sukiyaki — Wagyu beef, Maitake mushrooms, and bok choy with a raw egg yolk dip; reviews are mixed on the beef, but the broth over Koda Farms rice redeems it
Lean into the grilled skewers and vegetable-forward plates over the simmered dishes.
Before You Go
- No traditional tipping — since July 17, 2024, a 20% service charge is added to every bill in lieu of tips; extra gratuity is optional
- Small room — a ~10-seat cypress bar and a ~20-seat cypress table side; sit at the bar to be close to the sake list and staff recommendations
- Limited hours — Wed–Sat 5:00–9:00pm, Sun 5:00–8:00pm, closed Mon/Tue; arrive early or reserve ahead on weekends given the small room
- A splurge, not a cheap-eats stop — prices run higher than a typical small-town Japanese restaurant
- Service can vary — at least one report noted a newer server unfamiliar with menu details; not the norm, but possible
What visitors say
- The sake program is the differentiator — the only dedicated sake bar in Mendocino County, backed by Elyse's sommelier certification
- Chef pedigree shows in the food — Saison and Michelin-starred Harbor House backgrounds set it apart from a typical casual izakaya
- Quality can vary dish to dish — vegetable and greens dishes have outshone simmered proteins on at least one detailed visit; treat any single critique as one data point
- Sustainability-minded, not just marketing — local sourcing and a JACL donation back up the restaurant's stated values