The Most Expensive Sushi in the U.S. (That's Actually Worth It)
Experiencing unforgettable sushi can mean dropping a dramatic amount of money on dinner — whether for a showy business meeting, an anniversary, or a rare, calculated splurge. With the emphasis that high-end sushi restaurants put on sourcing their ingredients and the rigorous training that often goes into the craft of sushi preparation, prices at prime sushi restaurants can skyrocket — especially if you're going for the omakase (chef's tasting) menu, wagyu beef, a sake pairing, or all three. That's not to say that it's not worth it. These are 15 of the most delicious and splurge-worthy sushi destinations in the U.S.
Masa (New York City)
Masa isn’t just the most expensive sushi restaurant in America — it is, arguably, the most expensive restaurant, period. (Not to mention one of the best.) The price for omakase is $750 per person not including beverages or tax; the Hinoki Counter Experience is $950 per person. Masayoshi Takayama opened the restaurant in the Time Warner Center in 2004, the same year Thomas Keller opened Per Se’s doors just upstairs. Since then, it has been widely regarded as one of the finest and most expensive sushi restaurants in the city.
Kurumazushi (New York City)
This longstanding Manhattan restaurant isn’t the first sushi bar named Kurumazushi that Chef Toshihiro Uezu has worked at — in fact, it takes its name from the restaurant where he first got his training, near Tokyo’s world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market. This location is unassuming: It's on the second floor of an office building in Midtown, but don’t let that deter you. Here, an omakase dinner starts at $300, but there are a la carte options as well; the toro is a standout.
O Ya (Boston)
While Boston is better known for its clam chowder and lobstah by the pound, James Beard Award-winning chef Tim Cushman is making very elegant — and very modern — sushi, at his little restaurant tucked away in the Leather District. Here, $285 will get you a grand omakase that includes both sushi and composed dishes, like the “Fabergé” Onsen Egg: black river ossetra caviar, gold leaf, dashi sauce, and green onion.
Naoe (Miami)
In a quiet corner of a very loud city, Chef Kevin Cory serves just 16 guests per night: two seatings of eight guests each. The omakase menu, which changes nightly, costs $280 plus tax and service charge, and you can pair it with sake from chef Cory’s family distillery. In 2013 the restaurant won a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award, but it’s surprisingly unfussy given Miami’s glitz and the restaurant’s price point: One of the suggested Google autofills after “Naoe Miami” is “dress code,” but Naoe keeps things decidedly casual — there’s no dress code here.
Nobu (Miami)
Nobu is a multi-city sushi empire that once had a quote from Madonna on its website. Specifically, she said, “You can tell how much fun a city is going to be if Nobu has a restaurant in it.” Apparently, Miami is fun! It’s also a place where you can go to Nobu and spend $200 on an omakase menu inside the Eden Roc Hotel, in a dining room that’s the exact opposite of Manhattan’s hyper-minimalist counters: The design is opulent and verging on gaudy.
Mori Sushi (Los Angeles)
The nigiri omakase here starts at $125 and the regular omakase menu begins at $160; premium options are available for both. While the original chef — chef Mori — is no longer preparing the sushi, the restaurant still makes its own tofu and soy sauce in-house, a testament to its commitment to quality.
Q Sushi (Los Angeles)
Omakase dinner at this minimalist spot will run you $300 before tax, tip, or drinks. It leans hard into Edomae-style sushi, which treats the flavor of a piece of fish as its ultimate pursuit, often relying on curing and pickling to maximize the taste of a single cut. For those interested in a less expensive taste of chef Hiroyuki Naruke’s work, lunch omakase is available for $150.
Kosaka (New York City)
Kosaka is a newer addition to New York’s omakase rotation: a West Village operation manned by chef Yoshihiko Kousaka, who sources his fish from New York City and Tokyo’s esteemed Toyosu fish market. Omakase starts at $225; there’s an assortment of supplementary options to make the experience more complete. The matcha pudding for dessert is expectedly on-trend.
Sushi Nakazawa (New York City)
For several years, this was the only sushi restaurant in New York to hold four stars from The New York Times, awarded by Pete Wells from 2013 to 2020 — who described his experiences dining there as the “most enjoyable and eye-opening sushi meals I have ever eaten.” Given this fact, the omakase price of $150 in the dining room seems almost too reasonable. It’s doled out by Daisuke Nakazawa, a protege of Tokyo’s Jiro Ono, who appeared prominently in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. (“Mr. Nakazawa must have learned something,” Wells wrote in his original review.)
Sushi Zo (Los Angeles)
Sushi Zo is a well-loved Los Angeles sushi spot hidden away in a strip mall that serves a $250 omakase. Zo's downtown sister is a little more modern in its decor, but it’s still minimalist; the price there is $300.
Matsuhisa (Aspen)
Sure, you might not head to Aspen expecting a fine omakase meal, but the town breeds luxury, and with that, sushi. The omakase menu will run you $175, and it includes chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s signature fusion of Japanese and South American cuisines (plenty of sea bass and a house garlic sauce). There’s also an a la carte menu, for those in search of a little less commitment.
Roka Akor (San Francisco)
Central to this Japanese restaurant in San Francisco’s financial district is a robata grill — not exactly a hallmark of your typical sushi restaurant. But Roka Akor, which also has locations in Scottsdale, Houston, and Chicago, isn’t sushi-only. It also offers a wide variety of Japanese food: grilled wagyu filets, requisite edamame, salmon teriyaki, and a $148 omakase menu. Whatever you do, be sure to keep an eye out for the dessert platter.
Shuko (New York City)
Shuko has been part of Manhattan’s sushi scene since the tail end of 2014. Omakase begins at $270, with an optional $150 beverage pairing. The sashimi here isn’t strictly traditional; as Eater critic Ryan Sutton mentioned in his review, chef Nick Kim will often serve you a sole piece of sushi before offering it atop rice, to acquaint you with the flavor. But the food is still prepared with care and precision, in a beautiful environment.
Sushi Azabu (New York City)
This (literally) underground gem in Tribeca earned a Michelin star in 2007, serving traditional Edomae sushi alongside artfully composed dishes. Their omakase courses start at $180 before drinks, higher if you’re looking for uni tasting tucked in among the rest of your meal. The restaurant also has a location in Miami.
Sushi Taro (Washington, D.C.)
The omakase here begins at $250, but creeps up to $350 for the premium omakase if you opt to dine on a Saturday or holiday, or choose to upgrade on a Friday. The blow-out choice is the Surf ‘n Turf kaiseki tasting, featuring wagyu carpaccio and lobster and a sake pairing to boot. Taro is one of the district’s highest-regarded sushi restaurants, so whether you go all-out with wagyu or keep your purse strings tight, you’re in good hands.