Best Sushi in NYC for Every Budget

Sugarfish has multiple locations (Flatiron, Midtown, Williamsburg) and it’s the place I recommend more than any other sushi restaurant in the city. Full stop.

The move is the Trust Me prix fixe ($50). You sit down, and they bring you a progression of nigiri, a hand roll, and a few other courses. You don’t choose anything. You just trust them. The fish is pristine. The rice is warm. The portions are generous for the price.

The catch? They don’t take reservations at most locations. Walk-in only. I’ve waited 45 minutes on a Saturday night, but weekday lunch is usually quick. The Williamsburg location tends to have shorter waits if you’re flexible.

Nami Nori (33 Carmine Street, West Village) is a hand roll bar, which means you’re getting individual temaki rolls assembled to order. Each one is $6-8, and you can easily make a meal out of four or five of them for under $40.

The lobster hand roll is obscene. The spicy tuna is exactly right. And the nori (seaweed) is warm and crispy, which makes a bigger difference than you’d think. Cold, chewy nori is the enemy of a good hand roll, and Nami Nori understands this.

This is my go-to for a fun dinner that doesn’t feel too serious. The vibe is casual, the sake list is good, and you’re in and out in an hour.

Daigo Hand Roll Bar (28 W 46th Street) is what I wish every Midtown lunch spot was. You sit at the counter, order a few hand rolls at $5-7 each, eat them in 20 minutes, and walk out having spent $25 on one of the best lunches in the neighborhood.

It’s small. It’s efficient. The fish is fresh. If you work in Midtown or you’re killing time before a show, this is the answer to the eternal question of “where should I eat near Times Square” that doesn’t involve a chain restaurant.

Sushi Nakazawa (23 Commerce Street, West Village) is where I go when I want the full omakase experience and I’m willing to pay for it. The prix fixe is $150+ per person before drinks, and it’s worth it in the way that any truly great meal is worth it. You don’t do it often, but when you do, you remember it.

Chef Nakazawa trained under Jiro Ono (yes, the Jiro Dreams of Sushi guy). The 20-course omakase is meticulous. Every piece is perfect. The sea urchin still shows up in my dreams sometimes.

Make no mistake. This is a special occasion restaurant. But if you’re going to splurge on sushi in New York, this is where I’d do it.

Blue Ribbon Sushi (119 Sullivan Street, SoHo) has been open since 1995 and stays open until 2am. This is where chefs eat after their own restaurants close. That tells you everything you need to know.

The sushi is excellent, the atmosphere is dimly lit and buzzy, and there’s something about eating pristine yellowtail at midnight in SoHo that makes you feel like you’re living in the right city. Expect to spend $60-80 per person.

Sushi of Gari (402 E 78th Street, Upper East Side) is for people who want their sushi to surprise them. Chef Gari does things to fish that traditionalists might object to. Seared salmon with tomato. Yellowtail with jalapeño. Tuna with tofu sauce.

It sounds weird. It works. The omakase ($100+) is the way to go here, because the whole point is letting the chef show you things you wouldn’t have ordered yourself. I’ve had pieces here that I’m still thinking about years later.

Katsuei (210 7th Avenue, Park Slope) is the sushi restaurant I tell every Brooklyn friend about. The omakase is around $65, the à la carte is excellent, and the space is unpretentious in a way that makes you want to come back every week.

Park Slope isn’t where you’d expect to find some of the best sushi in the city, which is exactly why the prices are so reasonable. If you live in Brooklyn or you’re visiting Prospect Park, don’t skip this.

Sunrise Mart (4 Stuyvesant Street, East Village) is a Japanese grocery store that sells pre-made sushi that has no business being as good as it is. A tray of nigiri runs $9-14, and it’s genuinely fresh and well-made.

Is it Nakazawa? Obviously not. But for a quick lunch or a late-night snack when you don’t want to sit down anywhere, it’s remarkable. I’ve eaten it on a bench in Tompkins Square Park more times than I’ll admit.