Last Updated on August 25, 2026 by Emma Fajcz | Published: March 29, 2022
If you’re looking for the best sushi in NYC, you’re in luck! There are many incredible restaurants which serve world-class sushi and are well worth trying when you’re visiting the Big Apple. Don’t miss our top favorite sushi restaurants!
At a Glance: Best Sushi in NYC
- π° Average Price: NYC sushi ranges from relatively accessible à la carte spots to ultra-luxury omakase. The restaurants in this guide run from about $130 for a lunch omakase to $950+ for dinner at Masa, with many of the featured omakase experiences costing $180–450 per person before drinks.
- π£ Kinds of Sushi to Expect: The best sushi in NYC is mostly omakase, where the chef selects the progression of sushi dishes. You’ll also find sashimi, hand rolls, otsumami (small Japanese dishes), and à la carte sushi at some restaurants. Must-try specialties include uni (sea urchin), toro (fatty tuna), seasonal Japanese fish, and tamago (sweet Japanese omelet).
- π Try Omakase for the Full Experience: If you’re visiting a high-end sushi restaurant for the first time, omakase is usually the best way to experience the chef’s specialties. The chef will pick what you’ll be eating.
- π Reservations: Yes, plan to reserve well ahead for the restaurants in this guide, particularly the tiny sushi counters with only 7-8 seats.
- π Save Money with Lunch: If you’re looking for exceptional sushi without spending $400–900, compare lunch and early dinner seatings before booking. For example, at Sushi Ginza Onodera, the omakase drops from $450 to $380 for a 5:30 pm seating.
- π₯’ Know Your Sushi Etiquette: At an intimate sushi counter, watch what the chef does and follow their lead. Eat nigiri soon after it’s served, and avoid drowning high-quality sushi in soy sauce.
A Brief Guide to Sushi in NYC
In 1963, Craig Claiborne—the very first food/restaurant critic of The New York Times— reviewed two new Japanese restaurants, Nippon and Saito. The former was the very first sushi restaurant in New York. In the review he mentioned sushi, noting that it “may seem a trifle too ‘far out’ for many American palates.”
Raw fish has come a long way since then. Sushi emerged even more on the New York dining landscape in the 1980s and, by the ‘90s, it exploded; everyone was eating it. Today, there are affordable (if somewhat ho-hum) neighborhood sushi spots in every part of town in the five boroughs as well as revelatory (and expensive) omakase rooms sprinkled all over Manhattan.
How do you sort through the proliferation of sushi restaurants? Here’s a pro tip: to eat great sushi in New York, you’re going to have to feel a bit like Mr. Monopoly for a night. There are some affordable above-average places, but for truly great, mind-bending, my-life-will-never-be-the-same sushi? Be prepared to spend a pretty penny.
Craving more Japanese food? Check out our list of the best Japanese restaurants in NYC that aren’t sushi or ramen spots!
Omakase Room by Mitsu
Located in a nondescript cellar where Christopher and Gay Streets meet in the West Village, Omakase Room is an eight-seat spot that serves up—as the name suggests—a 12-piece omakase menu for $180.
When Osaka-born chef Mitsunori Isoda’s fish hits the palate, it melts like butter. There’s also a small selection of a la carte sushi pieces available to order.
(Here’s more of our favorite West Village restaurants if you want to find other eats nearby!)
π Location: 14 Christopher St Lower Level
Masa
Since 2004, chef Masa Takayama has been raising eyebrows and exploding taste buds with his exotic omakase menu that only the one-percent (and the people who love them) can afford in his eponymous restaurant tucked away in the building formerly known as the TimeWarner Center.
Sushi is a luxury. Masa sushi is an extreme luxury. Masa’s specialty is serving extremely hard-to-find fish that is flown in from Japan regularly.
In order to eat like Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates, you’ll have to fork out $950 for a spot at the sushi bar (or $750 to sit at a table), making this two-star Michelin restaurant the most expensive place to dine in the United States.
Insider Tip: Looking for an unforgettable meal? Make sure to check out our list of the best Michelin restaurants in NYC.
π Location: 10 Columbus Cir Suite 401A
Noda
Walk into a nondescript office building, pull open the even more nondescript door, and enter the purple lounge. Soon you’ll be sitting at a half-moon-shaped sushi bar. Welcome to Michelin-starred Noda, a posh sushi den with one Michelin star in the Flatiron District.
The man cutting fish behind the bar is lauded erstwhile Tokyo sushi chef, Tsunoda. The 20-piece omakase here will set you back $315 before sake or wine and tip.
π Location: 37 W 20th St
Noz 17
Opened at the end of 2021, Noz 17 is an offshoot of lauded uptown Michelin-starred sushi institution Sushi Noz. This Chelsea sushi eatery deviates from its older uptown sibling by serving up somewhat more adventurous and flavor-exploding fare thanks to the long-term aging technique they’ve mastered.
This seven-seat restaurant has a menu that intersperses pieces of nigiri with otsumami, Japanese beer-drinking snacks. The 30-course omakase costs about $400.
π Location: 458 W 17th St
Rosella
A lot of high-end sushi restaurants boast that they have fish flown in from Japan several times per week. Rosella, located in the East Village, does the opposite.
Most of the sushi handed to you by the sushi chef here was caught in the United States, and much of it comes from in and around New York City, making Rosella one of the most sustainable sushi restaurants around. It also happens to be fantastic-tasting fish!
In addition to the a la carte sashimi and nigiri, they also offer excellent Asian-inspired items too—like the spicy shrimp laksa and crudo amberjack pesto.
π Location: 137 Avenue A
Sushi Amane
Sushi Amane is a Michelin-starred Midtown East raw fish sanctuary with just eight seats. It serves up a preciously delicious omakase menu of seafood flown in daily from Japan.
The $200 menu includes four small dishes, nine pieces of nigiri, a handroll, and a bowl of miso soup.
π Location: 245 E 44th St
Sushi Nakazawa
Sushi Nakazawa is perhaps one of the most famous sushi restaurants in New York City, thanks to chef Daisuke Nakazawa’s supporting role in the popular 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Nakazawa spends a good portion of the 111 minutes on film trying and failing—and ultimately perfecting at the very end—to make a tomago.
Now, he’s in his eponymous West Village sushi restaurant and, given the high-quality sushi here and the popularity of the place, it’s a relative bargain compared to some of the other sushi sanctuaries in town.
A seat at the bar costs $180 for the luscious 20-piece nigiri-only omakase delight. Yes, you’ll get one of Nakazawa’s famous tomagos too!
π Location: 23 Commerce St
Explore One of NYC’s Most Famous Landmarks on Tour
New York’s Grand Central Terminal holds countless untold stories within its halls. Save your spot on our Official Grand Central Terminal Tour to see a side of the world’s most famous train terminal that even the most frequent commuters never encounter. You’ll get to discover the station’s 150+ years of history, step into a 1920s railroad tycoon’s office, peek at architectural marvels, see a surprising former movie theater-turned-wine store, and explore the Whispering Gallery with one of our expert local guides showing you the way.
Featured Comment: Official Grand Central Station Tour
βββββ “Our schedule while in Manhattan had a space for one more special thing to do. With no real expectations, we booked this tour of Grand Central. Wow, we still talk about it! Highly recommended.”
– Mark
Best Sushi in NYC FAQs
What’s the best sushi in New York City?
There isn’t one definitive answer, but Sushi Sho, Masa, Sushi Nakazawa, and Sushi Noz are some standout options for high-end sushi and omakase in NYC. There are also many excellent à la carte sushi restaurants and small local counters if you’re looking for more affordable options.
Is sushi good in New York?
Yes! New York City has one of the world’s strongest sushi scenes outside Japan. It’s home to many skilled chefs, has excellent seafood shipped in, and even has many Michelin-starred sushi establishments. In particular, many of NYC’s sushi chefs have mastered Edomae-style sushi, which includes special techniques such as aging, curing, and seasoning fish.
What are the best Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in New York City?
Sushi Sho and Masa are NYC’s only three-Michelin-star sushi restaurants currently. Other acclaimed Michelin-starred sushi spots include Sushi Noz (two stars) and Sushi Nakazawa (one star). Make sure to check the current Michelin listing when booking a reservation for current stats.
What day of the week should you not get sushi?
There’s no reliable reason to avoid sushi on a particular day of the week, including Monday. The longstanding idea that Monday sushi is less fresh comes from older restaurant supply chain practices, but today’s reputable sushi restaurants receive seafood shipments multiple times a week. More importantly, many types of sushi fish are intentionally aged or cured to develop better flavor and texture, so freshest doesn’t necessarily mean best tasting.
