12 Of The Most Expensive Sushi Restaurants In The US
When you think of particularly expensive meals and restaurants, your mind probably wanders to a few key ingredients or cooking styles: Wagyu steak, perhaps, or Michelin-starred molecular gastronomy. Sushi definitely makes the list.
Sure, you can probably pick up some really basic sushi at your local chain grocery store (or even, shudder, the gas station) for about $5. However, truly luxurious sushi comes at a much higher price point. There are many reasons why sushi can be bought for anywhere from $5 to $500 (or more). There are differences in the seafood used, as well as fish quality. Chef expertise plays a role in the price as well, as does whether you're getting made-to-order plates or something that's been pre-made and refrigerated in a grocery store cooler for who knows how long.
So if you want to experience the best of the best, where do you go? If price is any indicator, these are some of the best sushi restaurants in the U.S. — the sushi restaurants where you'll easily pay hundreds upon hundreds of dollars per person for a stand-out experience.
Masa
In NYC, Masa has gained quite the reputation, alongside two Michelin stars. As is the case with many sushi restaurants on this list, Masa offers up an omakase experience. If you're not familiar, omakase is basically a Japanese term that refers to a meal in which the diners leave it all up to the chef. They're completely at the chef's whims, and there's no set menu. The chef can even wait to decide what to serve until they're in the middle of a multi-course meal. Furthermore, when you dine omakase, it's typically in a more intimate setting and you're often watching the chef at their work — and all of this comes with a high price tag.
At Masa in particular, there are two dinner omakase options. You can sit a table and enjoy your meal for $750 per person, or upgrade to counter seating for $950 per person (the counter gives you greater access to the chef). Other meals can exceed $1,000 per person. (On a budget? Maybe consider the lunch experience for $495 per person?)
While you'll never know precisely what's going to be available (and the restaurant doesn't even allow you to take photos of your food), you can expect each dinner to include five to six appetizers, 15 to 17 pieces of sushi, and a dessert. The dinner requires about two hours and guests are explicitly advised to not wear any perfumes or colognes that are overly fragrant, as that may interfere with the vibes.
(212) 823-9807
10 Columbus Circle, Suite 401A, New York, NY 10019
Sushi Noz
Also in New York City (you'll find that the Big Apple has some of the most expensive sushi restaurants in the country), Sushi Noz also boasts two Michelin stars. Its omakase dinners costs $550 per person, and that price can quickly rise if you're bringing any alcohol. There's a corkage fee of $175 per bottle or $350 per magnum and, after two bottles, the fee increases to $250 per bottle and $450 per magnum.
Sushi Noz focuses on Edomae sushi, which is probably the type of sushi you're most familiar with — raw fish combined with cooked rice and vinegar — even if you're not familiar with the name. ("Edomae" sushi could basically be called Tokyo-style sushi, and first became popular in the 1820s). The Sushi Noz menu includes five to six otsumami (basically think appetizers or small plates) utilizing seasonal ingredients, followed by another dozen or so courses of nigiri, miso soup, tamago, and dessert.
(917) 338-1792
181 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075
Yoshino
With its one Michelin star and awards such as "top restaurant in North America" and "best sushi in NYC," you wouldn't expect dinner at Yoshino to exactly come cheap. At $500 per person, this sushi omakase experience with around 20 courses is a splurge — and one that very well might be worth it.
After stepping through the front entrance, made in the ancient Japanese Kumiko woodworking style, saddle up to the sushi counter made from over 300-year-old cypress, in one of the handmade chairs sourced from Japan (all flatware, stemware, and tableware are likewise sourced from Japanese craftsmen). There, you'll enjoy an expansive meal over the next two-and-a-half hours. As is the case with omakase, the dishes are always changing up, but past diners have enjoyed options such as pressed-mackerel sushi, gizzard shad and tiger prawn, and tuna belly. When you leave, after finishing up with dessert, you'll be treated to a gift to take home. The chef himself designs napkins that are hand-dyed in Japan, much to guests' delight.
Getting a reservation here, though, isn't going to be exactly a walk in the park. Reservations are released daily, 30 days out from the reservation dates, on a rolling basis. Waitlists are available, though, for both the 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. seatings.
(917) 444-1988
342 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
Sushi Sho
Sushi Sho has been given three Michelin stars — the highest honor the Michelin Guide bestows. The very first Sushi Sho outpost opened in 2016, in Hawaii, but the New York City location is relatively recent, opening in 2024. The restaurant offers both a shorter omakase experience, as well as supplemental à la carte okonomi options, so you get a blend of both "whatever the chef wants" and what you actually want to eat on that particular evening.
You must book the omakase experience to dine here (like we said, the okonomi options are supplemental only) and the price starts at $450 per person, with that only increasing as you add on okonomi favorites or beverages, as well as tax. You'll get 10 otsumami, seven sushi, and three palate cleansers. There's also a 10% administrative fee, which is not a gratuity. You likewise have to prepay for your reservation. (And forget taking photos of your food here, too; it's definitely frowned upon — though if you purchase one of the more affordable takeaway boxes, snap away!)
Still, the Michelin Guide makes all the cost seem worth it, specifically citing the environment as worth its own nod. You sit at a Hinoki (a revered type of cypress used often in shrines and temples) counter. You're surrounded by ice boxes. The entire experience feels intimate, close, and overall special.
(646) 863-2023
3 E 41st St, New York, NY 10017
Joji
New York City's Joji touts one Michelin star and an omakase dinner menu that's at least slightly more palatable in terms of cost. You'll be paying $410 per person, or $295 per person for the lunch menu, with a $150 per bottle corkage fee ($300 per magnum, with a limit of four bottles and all bottles must not be available at the restaurant already). The restaurant exclusively only hosts 10 people per seating, and there are two seatings in the evening, plus one for lunch on Wednesdays to Saturdays.
If you don't care for the omakase experience, though, and you want to experience the elevated offerings of Joji without the hefty price tag, there is another option. The restaurant now offers takeout boxes. While some say that the in-person experience is overall better, the boxes are tempting, with starting price points of $21 for a maki flight that includes a selection of rolls. You can also build your own box, or go for an omakase takeout box of 10 chef's choice pieces for $62. Better yet, for even more convenience, you can purchase the takeout boxes on Uber Eats — you'll just probably pay a premium.
(212) 597-9025
1 Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017
Noda
It's difficult to get more intimate and exclusive than Noda, with its speakeasy aesthetic and seating for eight diners only. The one Michelin-starred restaurant was founded by Chef Shigeyuki Tsunoda, who still interacts with all of his guests today, as they hover around the half moon-shaped counter made from 800 pounds of unfinished wood. There are two nightly seatings at the restaurant and, rather than bringing your own alcohol to the omakase, Noda has its own sommeliers, a wide range of Japanese whiskey, and pairings already pre-decided for the meals.
The seasonal tasting menu is the only option, and it consists of 20 courses for $400 per person (really not a bad deal when you consider the course-to-cost ratio!). Past diners report that these courses range from crispy scaled tilefish and chilled chawanmushi with uni and caviar, to aged spot prawn with roe and akami tuna. They also find that the staff are highly engaging, though the variety of sushi is underwhelming to some. In short, it seems that many really enjoy the restaurant's vibes, as well as the chef's personal touches and the overall value of the meal, even if other options throughout New York City may show off more expansive culinary chops.
(212) 481-2432
37 W 20th St, New York, NY 10011
N/Naka
Across the country, in Los Angeles, N/Naka offers a 13-course, seafood-focused tasting menu that incorporates seasonal ingredients from both California and Japan, at a price of $395 per person excluding tax and gratuity. The culinary style here is kaiseki, which differs slightly from omakase. Whereas omakase is changed up on a whim, kaiseki is more like a traditional Western prix fixe menu, though with a seasonal focus. Kaiseki can include up to 15 courses and often those courses include an amuse bouche, soup, sashimi, rice, cooked dishes, and sweets.
As for N/Naka in particular, past diners say around half of the menu is made up of sushi, including uni, sashimi, and nigiri. So, if you want a mix of sushi and cooked ingredients (like simmered shishito peppers paired with sea vegetables, tiger prawn and uni flan, all on one plate, or grilled Wagyu and scallops, or even spaghetti with abalone, cod roe, and black truffle), then you may just love N/Naka.
There are many reasons why N/Naka has earned its Michelin star, but one stand-out factor is the service. Chef Niki Nakayama, who helms the restaurant, even greets each table at the end of their meal.
(310) 836-6252
3455 Overland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Q
Another spot in Los Angeles, Q's pricing may be a bit more agreeable for some. Sure, dinner is still a splurge, at $300 per person, but that's not quite the car payment you might be forfeiting at some other restaurants on this list.
Here, the omakase menu focuses on Edo sushi and each and every ingredient is given thorough attention. For example, the chef uses rice that has been perfected via a careful blend of red vinegar and sea salt, with the red vinegar sourced from aged sake cakes. Fish are aged and cured, and the temperature of each piece must be exactly right before it's served. The restaurant pickles its own ginger. The team also provides instructions as to how to get the most out of each bite. For example, nigiri sushi must be eaten in one bite, not two or three. Sushi must be eaten with hands or chopsticks. Ginger should be eaten the same way, but between pieces of sushi. In other words, you're not gonna want to wing your sushi etiquette here. People are watching.
The dinner omakase features seven to eight small dishes plus typically 11 pieces of nigiri sushi. For half the cost, you can get the lunch omakase, which includes three seasonal small dishes and about 10 pieces of nigiri sushi.
(213) 225-6285
521 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
O Ya
The large majority of the United States' pricey sushi restaurants can be found in New York City or on the West Coast, which makes O Ya a little bit of an outlier. This restaurant is situated in Boston, of all places. Sure, Boston may have its connections to a range of seafood (clam chowder, anyone?) but sushi? At O Ya, though, that's exactly what you'll find — an omakase experience to rival what you'd get at any NYC or West Coast spot.
O Ya's nightly tasting menu is $295 per person and consists of 20 courses — nigiri, sashimi, and even a few cooked items. Keep in mind, though, that while the tasting menu is listed at $295, that doesn't include the taxes and fees, which bring the total up to $383 per person. The menu changes up every day, depending on the seasons and available ingredients, but you can expect to see everything from fish roe to sea urchins, wild prawns to salmon, and Wagyu to foie gras on the menu.
Better yet? While many of the above restaurants may be restricted in what specialty diets or food allergies they can accommodate, O Ya actually offers options for pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan diners.
(617) 654-9900
9 East St, Boston, MA 02111
Naoe
Naoe serves up high-end sushi in unique setting beyond the West Coast and NYC sushi scenes — in Miami's Brickell Key. This restaurant only serves five people at once, with around a dozen seatings each week, and the menu changes daily. You can expect to pay $280 per person, plus sake and service fees, for a three-hour dining experience.
Beyond the food — which could include anything from lion fish to geoduck, uni to sea cucumber — one thing that diners here love is the very personal approach to service. When you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by name with a personalized menu. The restaurant actually tracks what every individual customer orders, so that you're not treated to repeat meals if you visit on a more regular basis. The chef serves your food from an open kitchen.
Another stand-out factor is that this restaurant is very casual for its caliber. There's no strict dress code, but that hasn't stopped Naoe from earning a range of accolades. It's a Forbes 5-star restaurant, as well as an AAA 5 Diamonds restaurant.
(305) 947-6263
661 Brickell Key Dr, Miami, FL 33131
Kosaka
In Greenwich Village, Kosaka earns its Michelin star through a blend of carefully constructed omakase experiences and a refined environment that includes a smattering of tables and a sushi counter with seating for 12 diners. If you sit at one of the few tables, you'll pay $270 for your experience, while those at the bar will pay $295.
Regardless of your choices, the lineup will include seasonal otsumami, sashimi, sushi, soup, and a dessert. The main difference is that, obviously, at the bar, you get to interact with the chefs, but in the main dining area, each piece will come out three at a time, rather than being served individually, as they're made. Still hungry after the meal's concluded? You can order extra add-ons or repeats of some of your favorites from throughout the experience, for an extra charge.
As far as reviews go, though, it's a mixed bag. Many say that, while the food is delicious and the service (if not always the chefs) are very attentive, you can find better omakase at a greater value elsewhere throughout the city. Common complaints include that there's really no "wow" factor to any of the sushi offered. Some also question if the restaurant can truly live up to its Michelin ranking.
(212) 727-1709
220 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
Sushi Zo
Sushi Zo opened in West Los Angeles in 2006. Quickly, one of the city's first omakase spots gained rave reviews and praise from both the Zagat Guide and the Michelin Guide, with a star awarded in 2009. Now, Sushi Zo has expanded far beyond LA, where it has two locations, and you'll find outposts outside of the country as well.
Still, many prefer the original flagship location, where you can book either a $230 per-person counter omakase experience, or a table experience (both are the same cost, and both require an $80 deposit per person). The menu changes up from day to day and fish is picked by the chefs each morning. According to reviewers, though, past dishes have included king salmon with kelp, squid soba noodles, blue crab handroll, and pricey toro tuna hand roll. Reviewers describe the atmosphere as low-key and casual, and not as busy as some other omakase spots. Additionally, many say that you get a ton of dishes, as many as 20 to 30 — which some saw as an amazing bonus, while others said that it was too much and they grew too full before the end of the meal.
(310) 842-3977
9824 National Blvd, Unit C, Los Angeles, CA 90034