New York City has a standout sushi scene, with neighborhood joints, dedicated handroll destinations, and omakase counters galore. But the most exciting players in the crowded landscape focus on higher-end offerings. While there’s a strong field of à la carte options, diners chasing a more traditional Japanese experience are competing for seats at the city’s best omakase spots.

Omakase allows the chef to curate the menu, focusing on seafood, rice, and technique. Diners can expect fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, uni sourced from Santa Barbara, and scallops straight from the frigid waters of Hokkaido. Usually, the evening will unfold in courses of pristine nigiri, sashimi, perhaps a handroll or a futomaki (“fat roll”), maybe a marinated raw fish or even a light-as-feather tempura—that’s part of what’s so special: you won't ever have the same meal twice.

Over the last decade, the omakase landscape in New York City has exploded. Sky-high Yūgin, two-Michelin-star Sushi Noz, and three-Michelin-star Sushi Sho have become some of the most sought-after seats in the Big Apple. Omakase, especially in New York City, at the present, is more than just dinner; it’s an experience—elaborate, precise, and, in many cases, exorbitantly expensive with sake pairings that drive up the price—and elevate the spare-no-expense evening. Some places put pomp and showmanship front and center, while others are quiet, more sparsely decorated, and lean into tradition. With so many superlative choices, even sushi enthusiasts could use a cheat sheet.

Consider this your roadmap to navigating the must-try omakase counters around New York City.

Sushi Noz

181 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075

Over the past eight years, Sushi Noz has established itself as one of the city’s most enduring and exceptional omakase destinations—a place without frivolity or gimmicks. Hokkaido-born Chef Nozomu Abe runs his two-Michelin-starred Upper East Side restaurant with immense skill and precision. The streamlined, almost sacred, temple-like space, anchored by a 200-year-old hinoki counter, is devoid of embellishment, mirroring the subtle allure and restraint of the meal itself, which begins with otsumami (hot and cold small plates) and moves on to 12 to 15 pieces of nigiri, miso soup, Chef Noz’s signature tamago (Japanese omelet), and seasonal fruit for dessert.

Yūgin

767 5th Ave 37th Floor, New York, NY 10153

Anyone tracking the rise of omakase in New York City is, at this point, no doubt familiar with Yūgin. Set on the 37th floor of the General Motors Building, within Coco’s at Colette, the Big Apple’s highest—and among its most ambitious—omakase counters debuted in October 2025 and has already garnered as much acclaim for its soaring Central Park views as for its sensational food. Chef Yugin Zubco, a Masa protégé, puts on a show—but it’s not all theatrics and tricks. At the two nightly seatings, the meal plays out on custom ceramic plates. The ticket price is $475 a head.

Sushi Sho

3 E 41st St, New York, NY 10017

Since opening in March 2024, Sushi Sho has already amassed many accolades from critics—including Michelin inspectors, who awarded it a whopping three stars. Helmed by Chef Keiji Nakazawa, an industry veteran with 30 restaurants under his belt, the Midtown arrival serves an exquisite 20-course set menu, which leans heavily into Japanese fermentation techniques, for $450 per person, as well as an okonomi option that allows patrons to choose. Like the flawlessly cut fish, the curved hinoki counter and carved wood ice boxes beg to be snapped, but the no-photograph-or-video policy means a welcome reprieve from the camera-clustered scenes elsewhere.

Yoshino

342 Bowery, New York, NY 10012

When Tadashi “Edowan” Yoshida closed Sushi no Yoshino in Nagoya and announced plans to relocate to New York City, it made waves in the sushi world. Now settled at his buzzed-about Bowery restaurant, the acclaimed itamae exudes a quiet confidence and mastery that flows through his precise knife cuts (crafted by Katsumi Sakashita in Saga Prefecture) and permeates the entirety of his high-end NoHo sushiya. At Yoshino, character and cuisine create inspired moments—sitting at an omakase counter crafted from a 300-year-old Japanese cypress tree, savoring sushi and cooked fare, and sipping Japanese sake.

Jōji

1 Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017

Midtown East, right near Grand Central, might not be the first place you’d think of for a trendy yet tranquil sushi date set to a soundtrack of hushed rap music. But hidden within the One Vanderbilt skyscraper sits Jōji, an intimate, upscale 18-seat omakase spot from George Ruan and Wayne Cheng, backed by culinary tycoon Daniel Boulud. As one might expect from two Masa veterans, the menu is a love letter to fish—prepared with technical precision and subtle flourishes like a dollop of caviar or a sprinkle of shiso flowers. And, of course, with a bar bigwig as a partner, there’s plenty of superb sake and wine.

Sushi Ouji

196 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Emily Li—one of only a handful of female omakase counter owners in New York City—opened Sushi Ouji in early 2024, alongside Chef Ben Chen, a mentee of Toshio Suzuki at the sadly now-closed Satsuki. Already a favorite among foodies and the fashion set (Alexander Wang dined just last month), the 12-seat gem, tucked below street level on SoHo’s Prince Street, nods to Tokyo's underground dining scene and provides a more approachable omakase. The intimate atmosphere, 14-course menu focused on quality fish (don’t expect made-for-Instagram caviar bumps), and comparatively reasonable prices have earned the fledgling operation a coveted spot on the NYT 100 Best Restaurants List for 2025.

Noz 17

458 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011

The follow-up to Sushi Noz in Chelsea operates independently from convention without turning its back on tradition, delivering an exceptional Edomae-style experience on par with its uptown predecessor, but done in a different way. Chef Junichi Matsuzaki plays on seasonality with a daily-changing menu inspired by micro-seasons, centered on nigiri, interspersed with a few unexpected bites like steamed shiitake, presented in an unconventional order that keeps diners salivating in anticipation. The interiors, designed by Kyoto-based firm Sankakuya, reflect the simplified, almost spartan beauty of sukiya architecture. The $195 price point makes it more accessible to the omakase-curious.

Sushi Koju

252 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Sushi Koju recently opened in the Ace Hotel Brooklyn, sending sushi-loving Manhattanites across the bridge in search of creative bites at a pretty stellar price ($165 per person). Headed up by Chef Kevin Garrison, who earned his stripes at the much-lauded, now-closed Zo Hanare in Los Angeles, the plant-filled Brooklyn newcomer puts a modern spin on traditional omakase. Expect bolder flavors than the tried-and-true soy-and-wasabi combo, and artful presentations to match. Unlike some of the silent seating elsewhere in the city, Sushi Koju brings sound into the mix with a curated vinyl music program influenced by Japanese listening bars.

Icca

20 Warren St, New York, NY 10007

With a coveted Tribeca location, a nondescript entrance that belies the Michelin-starred experience within, and an itamae with a prestigious pedigree, Icca is a sushi spot for the quiet-luxury crowd. Continue past the bar, which hosts an Italian Kappo experience, and Kazushige Suzuki’s stage comes into focus. The former head chef at Tokyo’s renowned Sushi Ginza Onodera dazzles NYC diners with a $495-per-head omakase. All the fish is air-shipped from Japan, and traditional Edomae-style sushi receives a brush of nikiri (Japanese savory-sweet glaze). Creativity emerges in the David Herbstman pottery and in dishes like Hokkaido hairy crab.

Kosaka

220 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011

Sushi traditionalists who enjoy a bit of pageantry will love Kosaka, an elegant one-Michelin-star spot in the West Village, where Chef Masatomo Soma showcases his mastery of Japanese artistry and technique. The omakase progresses through a series of seasonal otsumami, sashimi, sushi, soup, and dessert. The ichimatsu looks like a work of art. There’s also smoky, creamy aburi (flame-seared) sushi, such as shrimp topped with uni and Miyazaki beef with a dollop of caviar. And if the sake does its job, you might end up purchasing some handmade cups that add to the bill ($295 at the 12-seat counter, or $270 at one of the tables).