fish & bird sousaku izakaya to close

downtown berkeley izakaya fish & bird will close after service on june 14, as announced on instagram.

the modern, stylish restaurant and bar opened in january of 2020 at 2451 shattuck avenue, and was an original, named for a tom waits song, focused on showcasing broader, 'new japanese food' flavors trending in japan, including international and westernized dishes. it was a great date-night spot and a unique destination for local diners. small-batch spirits were used for creative cocktails. seasonal, special seafood and sashimi, french-inspired dishes such as duck leg confit, and traditional dishes such as katsu, karaage and hotpot all featured creative execution and fresh, high-quality, organic ingredients.

founding owner yoshika hedberg made the announcement. (two other founding co-owners, asuka uchida and shin okamoto, who hedberg met through local restaurants utzutzu and b-dama (now closed), have since departed.)

hedberg said there were various reasons for the closure ('it's been a tough 6 1/2 years') and that she was semi-retiring. she shared the following statement with berkeley eats:

'thank you so much. we really loved being in berkeley. the support we received, especially during the tough covid years, was so touching. meanwhile, we are here for the next few weeks and looking forward to serving the best, authentic japanese food to our beloved customers.'

the restaurant is open thursday-monday.

fish & bird sousaku izakaya is at 2451 shattuck avenue in berkeley, and will close after service on june 14, 2026.

may 17, 2026

updated.