LAGuide
The Best Sushi In Los Angeles
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
It’s easy to pick a fight with friends in LA about the best tacos, or Thai food, or kale salads in the city. But best sushi? That’s an entirely different debate. Ask for the ten best sushi joints, and you’ll get 25 different answers. And then there’s the price—sometimes you just can’t drop $150 on a Wednesday night nigiri outing. So what affordable places are actually great? And which expensive spots are worth the price of admission? We’ve got the answers.
These are the best sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, organized in priced tiers, ranging from under $75 to over $400, so you know exactly how much you’ll be dishing out on any given night. Consider it your complete guide to making sense of LA’s sushi spots.
$75 OR LESS
For Tuesday night sushi cravings (and you're maybe wearing sweatpants).
photo credit: Jakob Layman
If you’re solely on the hunt for great sashimi, head to Hama. You’ll notice signs around this busy Little Tokyo bar that warn, “No teriyaki, No tempura, No noodle, No rice alone,” so don’t bring your non-fish-eating friend who orders four rounds of gyoza. A la carte and set menus are available—the latter includes various sashimi, miso soup, and a basic California roll that does the job. The a la carte menu offers more wiggle room for sampling, including buttery uni nigiri, a seared albacore sashimi platter with citrusy ponzu, and some excellent toro that is somehow both delicate and beefy in flavor. Plentiful options aside, the best part about Hama is that it offers affordable but high-quality fish in a casual, intimate setting.
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto
Come any day of the week (except Mondays when they’re closed) and you’ll find a sizable crowd of parents, hip Gen-Zers, and grandmas running errands waiting in line outside Sakae Sushi. It’s a cash-only, family-run shop that’s been open since the ’60s, hidden behind an office building in Gardena that serves simple handmade sushi. Get a box of seven pieces for about $10, wrapped up in beautiful white parchment paper and a green bow, so you can try each kind of sushi on the menu. There are bright yellow tamago maki enveloped in a fluffy, sweet egg blanket and tongue-curdling sabazushi, a bite-sized piece of pickled mackerel placed on a mound of vinegared rice.
photo credit: Holly Liss
Lunchtime sushi bargain-hunting is a game that is not easily won. Unless, of course, your path ends at Sushi Gen. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anything about this Little Tokyo institution you’ll dislike, but if you go for lunch and don’t get the $23 sashimi platter, you’re doing it wrong. Just get there early—lines form well before opening. At dinner, said sashimi platter bumps up to $32, but we’d recommend you head right to the bar and go to town on their a la carte sushi options instead.
LA Guide
The Best Restaurants In Little Tokyo
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Walking into Chiba, the massive sushi restaurant in North Hollywood, is like walking into a sushi social club. No matter what time of day you come, this multi-roomed restaurant will be filled with birthday parties housing specialty rolls, solo lunchers making their way through the omakase, and booths of little old ladies sipping tea and complaining about their husbands. But Chiba is more than just a scene—they serve some of the freshest fish north of Ventura Blvd. If you’re coming in solo or with another person, sit at the bar, where the chefs will gladly inform you which nigiri is especially good that day.
photo credit: Sushi Tama
The phrase “affordable sushi omakase in Beverly Hills” may seem like an oxymoron, but Sushi Tama isn’t here to mess around. Nigiri hovers just under the $6 mark, and for $60, you can order their 10-piece omakase sashimi set. It’s a heavenly mix of fish, including ikura that bursts in your mouth, silky scallop hotate, buttery otoro, and uni so creamy, we thought we might need to bust out a Lactaid.
photo credit: Maruko X
LA’s South Bay has several great, affordable sushi places, but one of the best bang for your buck is at Sushi Chitose, an omakase spot in Redondo Beach. It’s $75 for the 15-piece omakase, which includes high-quality cuts of fish, a piece of toro, and a great miso soup appetizer. Be sure to call ahead for a reservation—this place fills up quickly.
$75-$150
For date nights, dinners with friends, and whenever your parents want to take you out for a nice meal.
photo credit: Garrett Snyder
If you don’t live in the SGV, making the drive to Arcadia can be daunting. But strip mall spot Sushi Kisen warrants a trip. A relative newcomer, Kisen is run by a chef who spent years at Sushi Gen and Shiki in Beverly Hills. Dedication to detail is apparent in the balanced vinegar-seasoned rice and pristine seafood that has been aged in traditional Edomae style, highlighting lots of seasonal fish like skipjack tuna and goldeneye snapper imported from Japan. There’s an $80 minimum to sit at the blonde wood bar, but spending that much will get you a kingly meal and the focused attention of whichever skillful chef is slicing the goods that day. Otherwise, opt for the dine-in sushi sets that go for $20 at lunch and $36 at dinner. Both are fantastic deals.
photo credit: Sylvio Martins
Sushi Tsujita is a great option if you want to do omakase on the cheaper side without sacrificing quality. This Sawtelle spot from the people behind Tsujita Artisan Noodle offers three omakase levels—$49, $69, and $89—all of which include three appetizers and a little scoop of sake ice cream for dessert (a nice touch). We recommend the priciest tier (the Tokyo) which includes premium items like a toro hand roll and buttery wagyu nigiri. An a la carte menu is also available, but unless you eat three pieces of nigiri and call it a night, you’re not getting much of a deal.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
One of our favorite spots for straightforward, high-quality omakase, Sasabune is pretty old-school. But in the LA sushi way—which means warm rice, stern instructions not to dip in soy sauce, and everything else you’ve experienced at Sugarfish. For around $110 (or $150 for the highest tier), you get a bunch of tuna, salmon, hot butterfish wrapped in nori, and a crab handroll to finish things. Sasabune is our sushi old reliable—we keep coming back.
photo credit: Holly Liss
Sushi Fumi is a place that makes sense for pretty much anyone, at any time, for any occasion. This plain-looking storefront in the heart of La Cienega is no longer the hidden gem that it once was, but despite the crowds, it’s still one of our all-time favorites. While you’re going to want to put a few of their sashimi platters and cut rolls on the table (especially the moon roll), we recommend sticking almost entirely to their daily specials. The amberjack, yellowtail belly, and toro are some of the best you’ll find in the city.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
You’ve no doubt stumbled past Jinpachi on a late night out in Weho and wondered what actually goes on there. Well, we can tell you—really, really good sushi goes on there. Jinpachi is one of our favorite sushi spots in Central LA and it starts and ends with their omakase: quality, crowd-pleasing cuts of fish in a calm atmosphere. It’ll run around $150 (or more, it's billed at market price), so if you’re looking for something more affordable, their $50 special with eight nigiri and a roll is also excellent.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Most of the time, ordering the omakase at a sushi restaurant is a no-brainer. One exception is Matsuhisa, where we’d advise you to skip the multi-course set menu and just order a whole bunch of nigiri. Yes, it’s expensive, but the quality of fish you get at Matsuhisa is second to none. This place is best when you sit at the sushi bar, order piece after piece of sushi (preferably off the specials board), and contemplate what life was like before you had golden eye sushi that costs more than a shot of tequila—and seems way more worth it.
$150-$250
For when you’re in the mood to ball out, impress a client, or just achieve personal sushi glory.
This minimalist sushi bar in Gardena mixes traditional Japanese techniques with Korean touches, and the result is a two-hour, 19-course omakase that delivers much more than a nigiri marathon. For $200 per person, the chef serves you creative seasonal dishes that are unlike what you’ll see at other omakase spots in town. A meal might include tiny monkfish liver tarts with caviar, dolsot bibimbap with sweet snow crab, and nigiri topped with delicate baby shrimps packed together like commuters on the subway. The only downside to Sushi Sonagi is that it can be a tough reservation: there’s just 10 seats, only open Friday to Sunday.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Pull up to this tiny sushi bar in a Beverly Hills parking garage, and you’ll see a bubbling fountain, fluorescent lights painted like clouds opening up to heaven, and a beige wooden door. Inside is a sleek omakase-only restaurant that feels a world away from the sterile medical offices one floor above. Just like its sister spot in the Valley, Sushi Note is as much about the wine as it is about the fish. The $110 wine pairing totally enhances the experience: you'll drink old-world nebbiolo with fatty tuna and funky pinot blanc with caviar-topped squid. All told, you’re in for about 20 pieces of simple, elegant nigiri for about $190 per person. Similar spots nearby often cost double that price.
Compared to the high-end, once-a-year sushi spots on this list, Matsumoto is probably the one you’ve heard the least about. And that’s exactly why a meal at this tiny strip mall spot in Beverly Grove is so exciting. Matsumoto is one of LA’s premiere sushi experiences and yet it still feels like a complete secret. You don’t need a long-standing reservation or a lengthy IMDb page to get a seat here. Just head to the bar, let chef Matsumoto know your likes and dislikes, and be whisked off on a tailor-made, 18-ish course omakase. Prices vary based on available fish, but you can generally expect to pay around $180.
This high-end sushi bar in Woodland Hills exemplifies dining in the Valley in the best way possible. Although the energy here is laid back and casual (you can almost guarantee there will be a table of small, loud children with their parents), the food coming out of the kitchen is absolutely top-notch. The chirashi is one of our favorites in the city, packed with creamy uni, sweet and succulent scallops, and fatty toro that has so much marbling, it almost feels like butter in your mouth. Combined, it’s a dish that resembles a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado, or this scene from Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. In other words, an instant classic. Not up for a trek to the Valley? Brother's Sushi has a second location in Santa Monica.
When it comes to nigiri, Sushi Takeda hits Little Tokyo’s sweet spot: traditional and luxurious, minus an excessive price tag. Compared to flashier spots like Sushi Kaneyoshi or the crowd-pleasing Sushi Gen, Sushi Takeda’s subdued approach is easy to overlook. Hidden away on Weller Court’s third floor, you’ll find a $110 lunch omakase (dinners range from $140-$280 per person) that’s fairly fancy and ideal for special occasions. Take a seat at the light wood bar. Cold towels are dispensed. And despite the thumping house music played in the surrounding shopping plaza, the energy here soothes, as you watch the chef nimbly shape then plop pieces of sea bream, saba, and otoro nigiri onto the stone in front of you with the rhythm of a metronome. Hypnosis is to be expected.
At the original Sushi Nozawa in Studio City, Chef Nozawa was such a stickler that he earned the nickname “the Sushi Nazi” (kind of like Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi”), but luckily this omakase-only space at the back of the Beverly Hills Sugarfish has dialed the craziness back a bit. You still take what you’re given to eat, and can only eat at one of the two 10-person seatings (God forbid someone is running late), but you probably won’t get kicked out just because the chef doesn’t like your look. It’s all worth it for the 22 courses of familiar and unfamiliar, always excellent, sushi.
photo credit: Go's Mart
Getting to Go’s Mart is probably a journey no matter where you’re coming from, but trust us when we say this sushi bar next to a dance studio in Canoga Park is always worth driving the few extra miles. With bright orange walls, fluorescent lighting, and white-tiled floors, eating here feels a bit like you’ve stepped into a janitor’s closet, but one that happens to serve some of the highest-grade sushi in town. There’s not a physical menu to speak of, just a daily specials board hanging in the back, but the real move is to ask for the omakase. Most days, your check will go well above $200, so Go’s certainly isn’t your once-a-week sushi stop, but if you’re looking to experience one of LA’s great omakases, this spot is worth every penny.
photo credit: Shin Sushi
Shin Sushi is exactly what you’re looking for in a once-a-year omakase spot—incredible, hard-to-find fish prepared in interesting ways, and a memorable experience that’ll tide you over until the next time you decide to drop around $250 on sushi. The chef, Take-san, will chat with you the whole time you’re there, ask you about your favorite football team, and offer his own predictions for the upcoming season. Then he’ll get busy making you a fantastic, fresh meal, including in-season standouts like freshwater trout from Nagano, sea eel, and Mexican uni.
$250+
For when you’re a ruler of a country, a Powerball winner, or just sold everything you own to go live in Patagonia.
Morihiro should be on every sushi enthusiast’s to-do list, and on your mind whenever you wonder, “Where should I take my hard-to-please mother on her birthday?” The crown jewel of Atwater Village, Morihiro is fine dining at its best—the $400 omakase at the sushi bar can go head-to-head with the biggest names in LA. We prefer the slightly cheaper $250 table omakase here, though: a rapid-fire journey that bounces between traditional nigiri and creative seasonal dishes. It’s the best way to try everything, from abalone on the half-shell to perfect mounds of uni. On past visits, we’ve had sea bream, red surf clams, fatty tuna that melts like butter, and the chef’s favorite, silver-skinned kohada, or gizzard shad.
This omakase-only spot in the Arts District is $350 per person (before tax and tip), which is a financial undertaking for just about everybody. But if you’re in the market for a splurge-y meal or celebrating a Powerball win, 715 Sushi is a very exciting place to do it. For starters, the food is exceptional. The menu changes almost daily, but you can generally expect about ten meticulously built pieces of premium nigiri and ten small plates ranging from belt fish tempura to surf clams in a creamy miso sauce. Secondly, there’s a youthful exuberance inside 715 that makes a night here feel less like you’re in an upscale omakase spot and more like you’re hanging out with a group of friends who happen to have a sushi bar in their apartment.
At $400 per person, Sushi Ginza Onodera is one of the most expensive dining experiences in LA. We’ll let you decide if you ever need to drop that kind of money on one meal, but what we can say is that every bite of food at this West Hollywood sushi bar is exceptional. You’ll eat around 23 courses ranging from uni and caviar egg custard to gold-crusted abalone to a green tea dessert served in a martini glass. The service is equally impeccable with the waitstaff moving around the tiny space with the grace and fluidity of a lyrical dance troupe. Sushi Ginza Onodera is a complete experience from start to finish, and one that if you’re down to spend money, you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
POWERED BY
Sushi I-Naba is like the Rainbow Road of seafood restaurants—simply put, it’s not for beginners. Upon entering, you’ll be ushered to the bar and inducted into the Secret Society of Sushi. There are chirashi bowls served in shiny, lacquered boxes, plus an omakase featuring symmetrical cuts of ultra-fatty bluefin toro and golden eye snapper. But you're here for the omakase, a $280 journey executed by the slightly serious, extremely knowledgeable chef waiting for you at the finish line.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
POWERED BY
Getting into Sushi Kaneyoshi, by far the most upscale sushi option in Little Tokyo, is a battle. Not only making the reservation but physically entering the premises. You'll have to wander through a hotel lobby, buzz in, and descend a staircase to what looks like a dungeon lair that happens to serve a $300 omakase to 10 people per night. Each meal includes 20 courses of appetizers, sashimi, and nigiri, all prepared behind an elegant wood sushi counter. Expect to be seated next to serious ballers who don't blink at dropping several hundred on a bottle of sake. Kaneyoshi is tailored towards high-level sushi purists, but your meal will involve some of the most flat-out delicious bites of seafood in LA, like the seared saba handroll or the fatty tuna sprinkled with flaky sea salt "snow."
