21 Best Sushi Restaurants In NYC

Inspired by Japan's listening bars, this hip spot in Alphabet City is a vinyl bar-meets-sushi joint, impeccably blending two of life's greatest pleasures. The mood is set by low lighting and funky decor and complemented by the house's record selection. You can choose from the 12-piece omakase — the chef's daily selection — or an á la carte menu featuring sushi made with ingredients like fresh hamachi, fatty tuna, and caviar, as well as temaki in versions like salmon ikura or spicy scallops. Whatever your choice, make sure to book your table in advance. Open til 2:00 a.m. from Sunday to Tuesday, and til 4:00 a.m. the rest of the week, this spot saves you the hassle of finding an after-dinner bar. As the night progresses, sip on a selection of sake, whiskey, or craft cocktails.

The story of Shuko takes us back to 2005 when chefs Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau met at the Michelin-starred Masa. A few years later, the chefs teamed up to create Shuko, an omakase-only spot near Union Square. Exposed brick walls and industrial lighting give the space a cool, modern air.

The $270-dollar omakase menu changes seasonally and can include a caviar course and sashimi to make way for the chef's current selection. To elevate the parade to even higher levels, you can order additional options, like a spicy trout hand roll or a charcoal-seared tuna belly. For $150, you can include beverage pairings in your experience or choose from the impressive wine and spirits list, featuring European and American wines, Japanese whisky, sake, and cocktails like the Yuzu Shiso Sour (Nikka Coffey gin, shiso, and yuzu cordial).

A veritable East Village icon, Hasaki is about to celebrate its 40th birthday — no easy feat for a New York restaurant. Yet its commitment to authenticity has earned it a solid spot in the city's sushi scene, with fantastic sashimi and Edomae-style sushi. Whether inside its dining room or in its outdoor zen garden, Hasaki promises an experience of authenticity and variety.

Take your time as you explore the menu, starting with appetizers like mixed seaweed salad, kanisu (snow crab meat with vinegar), and beef teriyaki. The main event, of course, is the omakase, available in several versions. Choose between a Sushi & Sashimi combo, a Sushi Omakase (with nine or 12 pieces of sushi), or a Chirashi Omakase (the chef's selection of sashimi on a bed of rice). There are plenty of à la carte options to choose from, including yellowtail, clam, and eel, all available as sushi or sashimi.

2002 was the year that saw this Upper East Side legend emerge when chef Seki Shi opened the doors to Sushi Seki. More than two decades later, he continues to impress diners with his classic sushi, made with high-quality ingredients and personalized to each guest's taste. There are three ways to enjoy the omakase at Sushi Seki: Sushi, Sashimi, or Sushi Kaiseki, a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner built with seasonal ingredients and the utmost care.

Going à la carte is an excellent option, too, as the menu features a wide variety of appetizers, including yakitori, steamed shrimp dumplings, and entrees like yuzu miso cod and chicken teriyaki, as well as noodles, sushi, and sashimi. The comprehensive sake and wine list was designed to offer the ideal pairings for each meal. Today, Sushi Seki boasts two additional locations — Chelsea and Times Square — and plenty of praise.  

Tribeca is home to this revered sushi spot, led by Executive Chef Shion Uino. Born in Amakusa and trained in Tokyo, Uino's impressive talent for handling seafood, most of which comes from Japan, is on full display at the restaurant's 12-seat sushi counter. Every evening, Uino welcomes guests during two seatings and serves an omakase that includes delicate sashimi, appetizers like poached octopus, and crab salad served in its shell.

Sushi at the Michelin-starred Shion 69 is Edomae-style. Born a couple of centuries ago as Tokyo's first "fast food," Edomae style essentially means using Japanese ingredients and curing or cooking the fish to preserve it. Perfect pieces of nigiri are made with soft rice, topped with impossible fresh ingredients such as reef squid and otoro (fatty tuna), and sparsely dressed, allowing the main ingredient to shine. Meals end with Uino's signature tamago, a perfect, creamy egg rectangle that brings the omakase to its sweet conclusion.

With homes in the West Village, Williamsburg, and Montclair, this casual joint focuses on temaki rolls, including vegan options. Created by partners Taka Sakaeda, Jihan Lee, and Lisa Limb, Nami Nori serves top-quality ingredients yet maintains a relaxed, friendly vibe, equally enjoyable inside the sleek dining rooms, outfitted in light wood or outdoor areas.

Start your meal with a glass of wine or sake or perhaps a house cocktail like the Matcharita (matcha, green apple, soju, mint, and cucumber). Share appetizers like the addictive furikake fries or the popular tuna crudo before you hit the temaki. Choose from the house's sets of five temaki, like the Signature or the Classic, or create your own set by choosing from the menu. Options include coconut shrimp, spicy lobster, California, and eggplant. And don't forget to save space for the sesame-miso chocolate chip cookie!

Chef Nozawa is the legend and mastermind behind this beloved spot. He began his career as a sushi apprentice in Japan, which inspired him to travel across the country to learn all about regional preparation methods. After opening a restaurant in Tokyo, he moved to California with a dream to share his love for traditional sushi. Fast-forward to 1978, when he opened his restaurant, Sushi Nozawa, in Studio City. Today, his name is a synonym of a multi-restaurant group that includes Sugarfish, boasting five lively locations in New York.

Simply prepared fresh fish and warm, loosely-packed rice are essential to the Nozawa philosophy. The best way to experience it is to order one of the Trust Me omakase menus, featuring dishes like tuna sashimi, toro hand roll, sea bass sushi, and bluefin otoro sushi. For pairings, choose from a short and sweet selection of beer, wine, and sake.

If you're a sushi lover, you've heard of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," the Netflix documentary that focused on Jiro Ono and his Tokyo temple of sushi, Sukiyabashi Jiro. Jiro's former apprentice, Daisuke Nakazawa, is the chef and co-owner — along with Alessandro Borgognone — of his namesake restaurant in New York. Since 2013, this elegant Greenwich Village spot has wowed diners from the city and beyond, earning a Michelin star for its flawless food and equally glowing service.

Using fresh fish and seafood from around the world — and mostly Japan — Nakazawa and his team of chefs create a 20-course nigiri-only omakase. Sitting at the sushi counter (for $180) is the ultimate way to dive into this experience, although you can also enjoy it in the dining room (for $150). Your sushi parade may include pieces boasting Hokkaido cherry salmon, fatty tuna, tiger prawn, and golden eye snapper, delicately dressed and prepared. The eye-popping beverage list features beer, champagne, wines from Europe and North America, and Japanese tea.

Partners TJ Provenzano and Jeffrey Miller (also the chef) created Rosella with the goal of showcasing sustainable domestic ingredients. The fish and shellfish served at this East Village restaurant are approved by NOAA and Seafood Watch, meaning you can rest assured that you're enjoying locally caught, responsibly sourced fish. The seasonal menu can feature items like watermelon and tuna salad, uni toast, and rolls like the Bagels-on-Hudson, prepared with smoked trout and dill cream cheese. On the sushi and sashimi front, you can enjoy items like New York fluke, Massachusetts bluefin tuna, Texas Wagyu, and South Carolina shrimp. On the beverage list, Rosella also keeps it local, as all wines are produced in America. Japanese sake breaks the rule — but we think it's totally valid.

An Upper East Side staple since 1997, Sushi of Gari is the creation of Chef Gari, whose mission to teach us how to eat sushi properly inspired him to open his own restaurant. It all started when Chef Gari was working at other Japanese restaurants, and seeing diners use way too much soy sauce shocked him. Now, almost 30 years later, there are four Sushi of Gari locations where you can eat sushi as Gari intended it.

The omakase experience at Sushi of Gari is available in three formats: Omakase Sushi (12 pieces), Omakase Sashimi (12 pieces), and Omakase Sashimi & Sushi (four kinds of sashimi and eight kinds of sushi). Dreamy bites of eel, kampachi, and fluke might make an appearance during your feast. If you're in the mood for an à la carte dinner, the menu offers nigiri, sashimi, and creations like fried oyster hand roll, shrimp tempura, and vegetable gyoza.

Dining at Chef Satoshi Tachikawa's intimate Upper East Side spot is the perfect way to expand your sushi horizons. With more than four decades of experience, Chef Satoshi knows what he's talking about, so book your seat at the counter and get ready to explore. At his omakase-only restaurant, each meal is meant to introduce diners to the diverse world of sushi, leading them beyond the well-known flavors of crowd-pleasers like tuna or salmon. Using ingredients sourced from Japan and other international waters, the seasonal menu features delicacies like salmon roe, hairy crab, uni, and firefly squid. Each piece is prepared with traditional techniques, including aging, roasting, curing, and smoking, resulting in an impeccable experience. At $145 per guest, the omakase is worth every penny.