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Best Sushi in New York City: 7 Spots Ranked for 2026

New York City has more sushi restaurants than any city outside Japan — and the range is extraordinary. You can eat a $20 hand roll on Bleecker Street at noon or sit at a counter on 43rd Street for a two-hour nigiri omakase that rivals Tokyo. Here are the seven spots our picks keep returning to, ranked by what they do best.

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Published November 11, 2026

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Quick tips before you go

Book ahead

Sushi Yasuda and Nami Nori book out 2-3 weeks out. KazuNori and SUGARFISH are walk-in only — rare in NYC's sushi world.

Hand rolls: eat fast

Hand rolls (temaki) go soggy in 2 minutes once the seaweed meets the rice. Order them one at a time and eat immediately.

Best-value omakase

Tanoshi (1372 York Ave, Upper East Side) offers one of NYC's best omakase under $100 — a fraction of comparable counters elsewhere in the city.

The 7 Best Sushi Restaurants in NYC

1 The short answer

If you have one night and want the best sushi NYC can offer, make a reservation at Sushi Yasuda (204 E 43rd St) and sit at the counter — the nigiri there is the standard by which most New York sushi is judged. If the reservation window is closed, Tanoshi on the Upper East Side offers an omakase of comparable quality at a lower price and books more easily. For a relaxed evening without a reservation, Nami Nori in the West Village serves creative hand rolls from a chef who trained at Masa.

New York's sushi scene is unusually deep because the city draws talent from across Japan and from Japanese-American chefs who have trained in both traditions. The spots on this list range from a 1990s SoHo institution to a hand-roll chain from Los Angeles that opened multiple NYC locations in the last five years. All seven were verified as operating as of November 2026.

2 The full ranking

Details checked in November 2026; hours, omakase prices and tasting menu formats change, so confirm with each restaurant before you go.

1. Sushi Yasuda — 204 E 43rd St, Midtown East — 2 min walk from Grand Central Terminal; Metro 4/5/6/7 or S to Grand Central-42nd St — $$$$ — Naomichi Yasuda opened this counter in 2000 and trained a generation of sushi chefs before returning to Japan in 2010. The restaurant continues at the same address under the team he built. The nigiri is as pure and disciplined as any in the city: rice temperature, fish age, knife work. Omakase is the way to go. Closed Sunday. Lunch Mon-Fri; dinner Mon-Sat. Reservations via OpenTable or the restaurant's site.

2. Tanoshi Sushi — 1372 York Ave, Upper East Side — near the Q train at 72nd St-2nd Ave station — $$$ — Tanoshi is the best-kept-not-so-secret omakase deal in New York: Google reviewers give it 4.7 stars across hundreds of visits, and the counter seats only about 10 guests at a time. Chef Toshio Suzuki sources fish on the day and builds an omakase that runs about 25 pieces. The price is notably lower than comparable counters elsewhere in Manhattan. Lunch and dinner Tue-Sat. Reservations essential.

3. Nami Nori — 33 Carmine St, West Village — 5 min from the A/C/E at West 4th St-Washington Sq — $$ — Chef Jihan Lee (a Masa alumna) opened Nami Nori in 2019 as a counter dedicated entirely to open-style temaki hand rolls. Each roll is served in a wax paper cone immediately after assembly — the format is designed to eat right away. A NYC Tourism feature from June 2026 noted the Carmine Street location and a Williamsburg branch are both active. The menu is creative: sea urchin and wagyu hand rolls alongside more accessible options. Walk-in and reservations both available.

4. Sushi of Gari — 402 E 78th St, Upper East Side — near the 4/5/6 at 77th St station — $$$ — Chef Masatoshi 'Gari' Sugio opened his first Upper East Side counter in 1997 and built a reputation on composed nigiri: a piece of yellowtail topped with tomato and onion, a slice of salmon draped with a warm mushroom sauce. The composed preparations are the reason to come; they're unlike what you'll find at a more traditional sushi bar. OpenTable shows the restaurant responding to guest reviews in mid-2026. Dinner daily. Reservations via OpenTable.

5. Blue Ribbon Sushi — 119 Sullivan St, SoHo — 5 min from Spring St station (C/E) or Prince St (N/R/W) — $$$ — Blue Ribbon opened in SoHo in 1995 and has been the benchmark for accessible, high-quality NYC sushi ever since. The menu is broad: nigiri, maki, sashimi, and hot dishes alongside the sushi. It stays open until at least midnight, making it the best late-night sushi option in Manhattan. The raw bar section is excellent. No specific dress code. OpenTable shows diner activity through 2025.

6. KazuNori — 205 Bleecker St, Greenwich Village — 5 min from the A/C/E at West 4th St — $$ — From the team behind Sugarfish, KazuNori is a hand-roll bar: a short menu of made-to-order temaki served one at a time at a counter or communal table. The concept is disciplined — four or five items, served in a specific order, eaten immediately. Walk-in only; no reservations. Additional NYC locations at 125 University Place (Union Square). The menu is designed around speed and quality; expect to be in and out in under an hour.

7. SUGARFISH — 210 W 56th St, Midtown West — near the B/D at 57th St-7th Ave station or N/Q/R at 57th St — $$ — SUGARFISH is a Los Angeles-born chain built around the 'Trust Me' menu: a fixed set of sake, tuna sashimi, nigiri and hand rolls priced in tiers. The fish quality is consistent and high, the format requires no decisions, and the no-reservations policy means walk-ins are always possible. It is the most accessible sushi experience on this list. A second Midtown location is at 152 E 53rd St. Hours roughly 11:30am-11:30pm daily.

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3 How we ranked these

These are our picks based on fish quality, the distinctiveness of each restaurant's approach, value relative to price tier, and whether we'd send a friend there on a first visit or a tenth. We deliberately included a range of formats — full omakase (Sushi Yasuda, Tanoshi), composed creative nigiri (Sushi of Gari), hand roll bars (Nami Nori, KazuNori), a classic all-rounder (Blue Ribbon), and an accessible walk-in chain (SUGARFISH) — because the best sushi for you depends entirely on what kind of night you're having.

A few omissions worth naming: several high-end omakase counters in Midtown (Sushi Sho, Yoshino) operate at $400+ per person and require reservations months out; we left them off because they're inaccessible to most visitors. Sushi Zo closed its NYC location, and Neta has also closed. This list represents the spots most likely to be reachable by someone spending a night or a weekend in the city.

This ranking reflects our picks as of November 2026. No paid placements.

4 Best for every kind of sushi night

Best omakase under $100: Tanoshi (1372 York Ave, Upper East Side). The price-to-quality ratio is the best in the city for this format.

Best for a first date: Nami Nori (33 Carmine St, West Village). The room is beautiful, the hand rolls are interactive and fun, and the vibe is lively without being loud.

Best late night (after 10pm): Blue Ribbon Sushi (119 Sullivan St, SoHo). One of the few serious sushi restaurants that stays open past midnight.

Best when you can't get a reservation: KazuNori (205 Bleecker St) or SUGARFISH (210 W 56th St). Both are walk-in only and serve high-quality fish.

Best creative/composed nigiri: Sushi of Gari (402 E 78th St). The composed toppings were innovative in 1997 and still surprise today.

Best for someone who doesn't eat raw fish: Blue Ribbon Sushi has the broadest menu — cooked izakaya dishes alongside the raw bar. KazuNori's crab hand roll is fully cooked and excellent.

Best for a business dinner: Sushi Yasuda — quiet, counter seating, no distractions. Conversation flows easily, and the food is good enough to warrant undivided attention.

5 By neighborhood: who's closest

In Midtown or near Grand Central: Sushi Yasuda (204 E 43rd St) is two blocks from Grand Central Terminal and three from Times Square. SUGARFISH has a Midtown East location at 152 E 53rd St for a quicker walk from the Lexington Ave subway lines.

In SoHo, the Village, or the Lower East Side: Nami Nori (33 Carmine St), KazuNori (205 Bleecker St), and Blue Ribbon Sushi (119 Sullivan St) are all within a 10-minute walk of one another. The NYC Subway guide for visitors has the fastest routes from Downtown and Midtown.

On the Upper East Side: Tanoshi (1372 York Ave, near 72nd St) and Sushi of Gari (402 E 78th St, near 77th St) are both on the same 4/5/6 line, one stop apart. Doing both in a week is a reasonable goal for anyone staying on the Upper East Side.

Near Union Square or NoMad: KazuNori has a location at 125 University Place, just south of Union Square. It's one of the more central options for visitors staying in the Flatiron or Chelsea neighborhoods.

6 Practical questions

Do I need a reservation? At Sushi Yasuda, Tanoshi, Nami Nori, and Sushi of Gari: yes, and usually 1-3 weeks in advance. KazuNori and SUGARFISH are walk-in only. Blue Ribbon accepts walk-ins but reservations are available and recommended on weekends.

What's the difference between omakase and a la carte? Omakase means 'I'll leave it to you' — the chef chooses the progression of fish, often responding to what arrived that day. A la carte lets you order individual pieces. Sushi Yasuda and Tanoshi are omakase-focused counters; Sushi of Gari and Blue Ribbon offer both formats.

What should I expect to spend? KazuNori and Nami Nori: roughly $20-35 per person for a satisfying set of hand rolls. SUGARFISH: $25-55 depending on the Trust Me tier. Blue Ribbon and Sushi of Gari: $60-100 per person with drinks. Tanoshi omakase: around $80-100. Sushi Yasuda omakase: $100-150+. Prices shift; confirm with the restaurant.

Is cash required? No — all seven spots on this list accept credit cards.

7 Nigiri, hand rolls, and sashimi: what to order

At Sushi Yasuda: Let the chef guide you. If you're at the counter, tell the chef what you want to spend and whether there's anything you won't eat. The best pieces are whatever came in that morning.

At Tanoshi: The omakase is set; the chef will describe each piece. Expect tuna in multiple preparations (akami, chutoro, otoro), several white fish, sea urchin if available, and a few hot dishes at the start.

At Nami Nori: The sea urchin and king crab hand rolls are the standouts. The spicy tuna is a crowd-pleaser. Eat each roll within 90 seconds of receiving it.

At Sushi of Gari: Ask the server what composed preparations are running that night — these change and are the reason to come. The salmon with cream cheese preparation is a crowd favorite; the more adventurous yellowtail with tomato is better.

At Blue Ribbon Sushi: The yellowtail is usually excellent. The raw oysters from the raw bar section are worth adding. The maki rolls are reliable but the nigiri is the focus.

At KazuNori: The Santa Barbara sea urchin hand roll is the item to judge the restaurant by. The toro tuna is excellent. Order the entire short menu once if it's your first visit.

At SUGARFISH: Order the 'Trust Me' menu without modifications on a first visit. The salmon nigiri and hand roll at the end are the best pieces in the set.

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