New York City is the perfect place to indulge in Asian cuisine. So many cultures come together in this buzzing city to create an exciting array of restaurants. One of the most popular types of Asian food in New York is sushi, and there is a plethora of sushi restaurants to choose from.
Some sushi restaurants are very expensive, others more reasonable. But which ones are worth the money? Which sushi restaurants are hidden gems, and which ones are not worth a visit.
We have put together a list of some of the best sushi restaurants in New York and provided some recommendations for their most popular and delicious menu items, to help you plan a perfect sushi experience. Keep reading to find out more.
Sushi Nakazawa
This sushi restaurant in West Village was founded by Daisuke Nakazawa. He trained under Jiro Ono, one of the world’s most distinguished sushi chefs. The textures and flavours are Incredible and everything is served at the perfect temperature.
A particular favorite is the wild yellowtail from Hokkaido which is tenderly packed with rice, or the wasabi fluke. With a chic dining space decked out with black leather chairs, this is an excellent place to come for sushi.
Pair your sushi with some sake to complete the experience. This restaurant has received rave reviews from many food critics and has earned a Michelin star.
Nami Nori
The founders of Nami Nori come from fine dining backgrounds, but have put together a tasty and affordable sushi menu in this West Village restaurant. The Temaki hand rolls are especially good, with coconut shrimp, sea bass and scallops.
There is a great selection of beers, wines, cocktails and sake to accompany your meal. You can also order Japanese small plates alongside your sushi.
Shuko
This edgy and innovative sushi restaurant in Greenwich Village creates a lively atmosphere with loud modern music, like Kanye West, rather than the relaxing classical music you often hear in sushi restaurants. It has some famous regulars, like Beyonce and Jay Z.
The taster menus are experimental and brave, but it pays off. The Spanish mackerel with ginger is a real winner, and the tempura fried scallop cake is really delicious. If you want something light, the West Coast crab and cucumber salad is a great option.
If you want an indulgent meal, order the lobster with truffle and smoked lobster, or choose sushi garnished with caviar or gold leaf. You can even get dessert, with offerings like sweet apple pie served with bay leaf ice cream. This restaurant has been dubbed one of the most exciting sushi restaurants in New York City.
Sushi Noz
Sushi Noz is a luxury sushi restaurant on the Upper East Side. It is pricey, but you are paying for the location, the Michelin star chef and the champagne pairings. This restaurant serves up an excellent selection of Japanese seafood not found in other New York restaurants.
The meal is rounded off in the traditional way with a piece of Japanese fruit. This restaurant has a clean and modern feel, but with a nod to tradition. The waiting staff wear kimonos and the dining rooms are intimate and constructed using the ancient method with no nails.
Sushi Yasuda
Sushi Yasuda in Midtown East is one of the oldest omakase joints and it benefits from traditional bamboo decor and counter seating, so you can soak up the atmosphere and watch your food being prepared. It is particularly busy at lunchtime, packed with tourists, traders and Japanese locals. This intimate restaurant combines inventive cooking with the clean, purist style of Tokyo to create a wonderful menu.
The miso soup is amazing and a perfect way to start off your meal. Move onto thinly sliced scallop served on cubes of rice, rich eel, or buttery fluke. You can finish off your meal with sweet egg custard.
Sushi Ginza Onodera
This Michelin starred sushi restaurant in Midtown East is quite expensive, but worth every penny. The fish is flown in fresh from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo three times a week, and the flavours are perfect.
With lightly seared barracuda, slow cooked monkfish liver, marbled fatty tuna thinly sliced, and cod milt- this seasonal menu is designed for serious seafood lovers. This restaurant is definitely up-market, but if you have the money to spend then you will not be disappointed.
Sushi Azabu
This unassuming sushi restaurant tucked away in a basement in Tribeca is a real gem. Over 70% of the fish is imported from Japan four times a week and the soy sauce is made in-house. The edomae style sushi, salted and cured, is served perfectly.
The menu is traditional, and very popular with Japanese businessmen. The restaurant opened in 2004 and has been raved about ever since.
Sushi Seki
This New York founded sushi chain now has several restaurants across the city due to its increasing popularity. The restaurants are stylish with a touch of glamour, but they have menu items to suit almost every budget.
They take popular sushi cuts and flavour them in unusual ways, coming up with winning combinations that keep people coming back for more. Jalapeno yellowtail, snow crab with sesame oil, and tuna with an onion sauce are just some of the many treats on offer at Sushi Seki.
Tanoshi Sushi
This sushi restaurant in Lenox Hill doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it is very popular and you will struggle to get a table on most nights! The price is more reasonable than at many other sushi restaurants, and the flavours are delicious!
This isn’t what we would call delicate sushi, but it certainly is satisfying. Try the slightly singed salmon, smoked bonito with ginger, or the botan ebi with shrimp broth. This quirky and intimate restaurant is more relaxed than some of the fancy places, so it is a great place for social gatherings with friends.
Cagen
Cagen is a sushi restaurant in the East Village which focuses on a seasonal tasting menu. Their delicious soba noodles are made in house and the fish is flown in from Japan for an authentic experience.
But it’s not just the noodles that draw people in- the Hokkaido style uni and wagyu from Miyazaki are also very popular.
Kanoyama
Kanoyama in the East village serves up top quality sushi at much lower prices than some of the other restaurants on this list. The large menu is packed with tasty dishes made with fresh fish that is imported daily. If you like to play it safe with your sushi, then go for the old favourites like rock shrimp tempura, fried oyster hand roll, or fluke with ponzu sauce.
If you are feeling more adventurous then you can try the wasabi white eel, striped jack fish with lemon salt, or the child corn soup topped with tempura corn. You can finish off your meal with a pair of traditional Japanese desserts- tomago and monaka. Head chef, Nobuyuki Shikanai has been awarded a Michelin star for his delightful creations.
Shoji at 69 Leonard Street
Derek Wilcox is the head chef of this Tribeca sushi restaurant. Originally from Northern Virginia, he spent a decade learning about sushi in the restaurants and fish markets of Tokyo and Kyoto before coming to New York. The restaurant receives deliveries of fresh fish 5 times a week, and offers some very rare fish to its customers.
Some of the best options are the uni from Hokkaido, spot prawns from Santa Barbara, triggerfish from Montauk and Atlantic bluefin tuna belly. The menu is well constructed, with unique spins on traditional dishes that will leave you wanting more.
Noda
Chef Shigeyuki Tsunoda relocated from Japan to New York to open this sushi restaurant which is considered to be one of the best in the city. With plush chairs, violet curtains, and well stocked Japanese whisky bar, it certainly has a different atmosphere to the minimalist sushi restaurants in other parts of town.
The food will astound you, from mackerel maki rolls, cherry sea trout, to grilled scallops served on toasted nori seaweed. Towards the end of the meal, the chef serves tuna tartare folded into nori hand rolls to all of the guests, giving the evening a personal touch.
Sushi Amane
Sushi Amane is thought by many to be the most authentic Tokyo style sushi experience in New York. Most of the fish are caught wild in Japanese waters and flown in daily for ultimate freshness.
The chef, Shion Uino, started an apprenticeship in a three star Tokyo sushi restaurant at age 18, and has developed a simple yet precise cooking style which makes his job seem totally effortless. If you want classic Japanese sushi prepared perfectly every time, this is the place for you.
Kura
This cheerful restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere and is more casual than some of the more swanky sushi restaurants on this list. The prices are reasonable and the staff are friendly. The fish is served in larger portions than you would typically find in a traditional sushi restaurant, but the regulars love it! Some of the most popular menu items are yuzu tipped scallops, and thin slivers of jack fish and sardines.
There are also plenty of tasty tuna options. If you want a relaxing experience at a restaurant with a neighbourly feel, then you should definitely visit Kura.
Sushi Zo
Sushi Zo originated in L.A., but the New York branch has proved to be just as popular. There is a zen aesthetic and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere, which draws your focus to the food. The fresh fish is cut and presented beautifully, and prepared using traditional methods.
Due to the expert sourcing, you can get some rare cuts of fish here, and there is plenty of caviar on offer. The prices are not unreasonable, and this restaurant offers an excellent sushi experience.
Katsuei
This sushi chain has multiple locations across the city, but the Brooklyn branch is arguably the busiest and the best. It received a great review from The Times, and offers some of the most affordable sushi in New York without compromising on quality. There is an excellent choice of fish, including different sourcing options that come at various prices.
For example, if your budget is tight you can choose the uni trucked in from Maine. If you have a bit more money to spend, then go for the uni flown in from Hokkaido. This bustling restaurant has a great atmosphere, making it a real taste of New York as well as Japan.
There are a few other restaurants that are worth checking out. Tomoe Sushi in Greenwich Village does excellent top rolls at a reasonable price, and you can usually get a table quite easily on a weeknight. The Omakase Room by Mitsu has a fantastic seasonable menu with dishes like marinated tuna and aged toro.
Ennju on Union Square is a minimalist market and cafe, serving sushi, udon and donburi. Sugarfish is one of the cheapest sushi chains in New York with several locations across the city. Momoya is considered to be the best sushi restaurant in Chelsea, with delicious dishes like crunchy salmon rolls and lobster tacos. You can also get popular Japanese meals here like chicken teriyaki and gyoza.
If you want dinner with a view, then head to Masa at the top of the Time Warner Center, where you can enjoy a menu studded with luxury ingredients like truffle and caviar.
Summary
As you can see, New York City has fantastic sushi restaurants to suit every budget. From traditional restaurants with classic preparation styles, edgy modern restaurants with experimental menus, to rustic friendly restaurants that are easy on the wallet- there is something for everyone.
Many of the restaurants on this list will require booking in advance, so make sure you check first to avoid disappointment. If you can’t get a booking at any of these restaurants, then feel free to browse and explore. Remember to try and find one that serves fresh fish, and if in doubt then see which places are most popular with the Japanese locals and you won’t go far wrong!
