The Ten Best Sushi Restaurants in Miami
You’ll see these chefs at a number of sushi bars that dot the Miami landscape. But with so many fish-focused restaurants, which ones are a cut above the rest?
Below, listed alphabetically, are the ten best places to get sushi in Miami, from out-of-this-world omakase (chef’s choice) menus to wildly creative sushi rolls to plump hand rolls and freshly sliced sashimi for every palate and budget — all available without a passport.
Azabu’s hamachi jalapeño
Photo courtesy of DeepSleep Studio
Azabu
161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach
786-276-0520
azabuglobal.com A Michelin-starred import from New York City, Azabu offers sushi in several different areas, but sushi lovers should check out “The Den,” a hidden counter behind the kitchen. The 11-seat bar, which requires reservations, offers omakase-style dining with seafood flown in from Japan. If you prefer to dine at home, Azabu’s Bubusan is a delivery-only offshoot that delivers omakase boxes (including a vegan offering) in exquisite packaging (order via
B-Side by Itamae serves up innovative rolls with a Peruvian kick.
Photo by Fujifilmgirl
B-Side by Itamae
1-800-Lucky
143 NW 23rd St., Miami
305-768-9826
bsidemiami.com Valerie and Nando Chang, along with their father Fernando, offer modern and zippy interpretations of sushi rolls at B-Side by Itamae in Wynwood. Located inside the 1-800-Lucky food hall, B-Side offers a menu of sushi items with whimsical names like “Madvillain,” “Only for Dolphins,” and the aptly titled “Damn.” The fish is incredibly fresh and traditional sushi is married to Peruvian flavors for an extra burst of spice and acid.
Hiyakawa’s stunning interior
Photo by Luis Mora
Hiyakawa
2700 N. Miami Ave., Miami
305-333-2417
hiyakawamiami.com Hiyakawa, the stylish Wynwood sushi restaurant, is the more sophisticated sibling of the Upper Eastside’s Wabi Sabi. Its clean, minimalist interior design allows the colorful sushi to hold the spotlight. The menu features micro-seasonal fish and ingredients flown in daily from the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo, along with offerings from small, local purveyors. The restaurant restricts its book to 50 meals nightly, each skillfully executed by a team of sushi chefs.
An assortment of sushi at Makoto
Photo by Laurie Satran
Makoto
9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour
305-864-8600
makoto-restaurant.com Led by Iron Chef alum Makoto Okuwa, Stephen Starr’s Bal Harbour restaurant Makoto is faultless in its preparation and presentation of immaculate cuts of sushi and innovative interpretations of the chef’s native cuisine. In early 2022, the restaurant moved to a new spot on the third floor of the tony Bal Harbour Shops. The new dining room is bright and decorated in citrus tones, with a lush outdoor patio around a circular sushi bar. Though the décor is new, the quality of chef Makoto’s sushi remains topnotch. Take note of the omakase dinner, priced at $175.
Naoe’s Kevin Cory makes some of Miami’s best sushi.
Photo courtesy of Naoe
Naoe
661 Brickell Key Dr., Miami
305-947-6263
naoemiami.com Kevin Cory is your host and sushi chef at this uber-intimate restaurant, which holds a spot on Forbes Travel Guide’s “Five-Star” list. This reservation-only private dining space serves omakase dinners using fish flown in overnight from Japan. The chef’s-choice menu ($280 per person, plus a 20 percent service charge and sales tax) takes two to three hours to savor, so relax and enjoy the ride. Everything from the sake to the wasabi is served with meticulous care. Reservations are required, and children under 12 are not permitted. There are only two seatings per evening, at 5 and 9 p.m.; and the current capacity is limited to four per seating.
A nigiri plate, including kanpachi, saba, hotate, and unagi, at Nobu Miami
Photo by billwisserphoto.com
Nobu Miami
4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
305-695-3232
noburestaurants.com/miami Despite the sprawling space, Nobu Matsuhisa’s Miami Beach spot Nobu Miami is surprisingly intimate. The menu is an expansive list of expertly curated shshi that ranges from Japanese red snapper to A5 Wagyu beef. Better yet, let the chef choose your dinner with a full-blown omakase experience ($150 and up).
Sushi Erika
1700 John F. Kennedy Cswy., Ste. 100, North Bay Village
786-216-7216 Sushi chef Erika Kushi is pretty much a one-woman show at her intimate North Bay Village sushi bar. Here, Kushi celebrates the legacy of her father, Michio Kushi of Sushi Deli fame, by serving the freshest sushi imaginable at ultra-reasonable prices. Everything is bright and flavorful, including an octopus tiradito and tuna tartare.
A sushi platter at Sushi Garage
Photo courtesy of CocoWalk
Sushi Garage
1784 West Ave., Miami Beach; 305-763-8355
3015 Grand Ave., Miami; 786-946-4222
500 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-727-3533
sushigarage.com Originally a standalone restaurant in Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbour neighborhood, Sushi Garage has expanded to encompass three locations, including one in Fort Lauderdale. At all three, chef/partner Sunny Oh offers fresh sushi and interesting rolls, including the lemon vegetarian roll, made with cucumber, avocado, micro arugula, crispy shallots, and holy yuzu mustard; a rosemary eel roll with avocado and rosemary aioli; and the Garage bagel roll, packed with salmon, cream cheese, crisped capers, onions, chives, and furikake seasoning.
Uchi chef/owner Tyson Cole is all about delivering the perfect bite.
Photo courtesy of Uchi
Uchi
252 NW 25th St., Miami
305-995-0915
uchimiami.com In the middle of the pandemic, James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole brought his popular Austin sushi restaurant, Uchi, to Wynwood. In Miami, chef de cuisine Dina Butterfield serves up a bevy of sushi and sashimi offerings. Uchi also boasts three different omakase experiences, including a complete vegan tasting menu that offers the same delicious precision to plant-based offerings for diners who prefer a plant-based meal.
A colorful offering at Wabi Sabi
Photo courtesy of Wabi Sabi
Wabi Sabi
851 NE 79th St., Miami
305-890-7228
wabisabibyshuji.com Wabi Sabi serves simple, impeccably fresh, ingredient-based nigiri, sashimi, and maki, along with bowls such as the “Wabi Sabi,” filled with tuna, salmon, crab, tobiko, cucumber, avocado, seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms. In addition to the bowls and à la carte offerings, you’ll find daily specials and cooked entrées.
Raw fish and vinegar-rich rice are two simple ingredients that revolutionized the worldwide food industry. Nowadays it’s a bit more complex than just a means of preserving fish in fermented rice. It’s an art form for a master itamae who spends decades perfecting the craft of sushi-making.You’ll see these chefs at a number of sushi bars that dot the Miami landscape. But with so many fish-focused restaurants, which ones are a cut above the rest?Below, listed alphabetically, are the ten best places to get sushi in Miami, from out-of-this-world omakase (chef’s choice) menus to wildly creative sushi rolls to plump hand rolls and freshly sliced sashimi for every palate and budget — all available without a passport.A Michelin-starred import from New York City, Azabu offers sushi in several different areas, but sushi lovers should check out “The Den,” a hidden counter behind the kitchen. The 11-seat bar, which requires reservations, offers omakase-style dining with seafood flown in from Japan. If you prefer to dine at home, Azabu’s Bubusan is a delivery-only offshoot that delivers omakase boxes (including a vegan offering) in exquisite packaging (order via eatlikebubu.com ).Valerie and Nando Chang, along with their father Fernando, offer modern and zippy interpretations of sushi rolls at B-Side by Itamae in Wynwood. Located inside the 1-800-Lucky food hall, B-Side offers a menu of sushi items with whimsical names like “Madvillain,” “Only for Dolphins,” and the aptly titled “Damn.” The fish is incredibly fresh and traditional sushi is married to Peruvian flavors for an extra burst of spice and acid.Hiyakawa, the stylish Wynwood sushi restaurant, is the more sophisticated sibling of the Upper Eastside’s Wabi Sabi. Its clean, minimalist interior design allows the colorful sushi to hold the spotlight. The menu features micro-seasonal fish and ingredients flown in daily from the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo, along with offerings from small, local purveyors. The restaurant restricts its book to 50 meals nightly, each skillfully executed by a team of sushi chefs.Led byalum Makoto Okuwa, Stephen Starr’s Bal Harbour restaurant Makoto is faultless in its preparation and presentation of immaculate cuts of sushi and innovative interpretations of the chef’s native cuisine. In early 2022, the restaurant moved to a new spot on the third floor of the tony Bal Harbour Shops. The new dining room is bright and decorated in citrus tones, with a lush outdoor patio around a circular sushi bar. Though the décor is new, the quality of chef Makoto’s sushi remains topnotch. Take note of the omakase dinner, priced at $175.Kevin Cory is your host and sushi chef at this uber-intimate restaurant, which holds a spot on Forbes Travel Guide’s “Five-Star” list. This reservation-only private dining space serves omakase dinners using fish flown in overnight from Japan. The chef’s-choice menu ($280 per person, plus a 20 percent service charge and sales tax) takes two to three hours to savor, so relax and enjoy the ride. Everything from the sake to the wasabi is served with meticulous care. Reservations are required, and children under 12 are not permitted. There are only two seatings per evening, at 5 and 9 p.m.; and the current capacity is limited to four per seating.Despite the sprawling space, Nobu Matsuhisa’s Miami Beach spot Nobu Miami is surprisingly intimate. The menu is an expansive list of expertly curated shshi that ranges from Japanese red snapper to A5 Wagyu beef. Better yet, let the chef choose your dinner with a full-blown omakase experience ($150 and up).Sushi chef Erika Kushi is pretty much a one-woman show at her intimate North Bay Village sushi bar. Here, Kushi celebrates the legacy of her father, Michio Kushi of Sushi Deli fame, by serving the freshest sushi imaginable at ultra-reasonable prices. Everything is bright and flavorful, including an octopus tiradito and tuna tartare.Originally a standalone restaurant in Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbour neighborhood, Sushi Garage has expanded to encompass three locations, including one in Fort Lauderdale. At all three, chef/partner Sunny Oh offers fresh sushi and interesting rolls, including the lemon vegetarian roll, made with cucumber, avocado, micro arugula, crispy shallots, and holy yuzu mustard; a rosemary eel roll with avocado and rosemary aioli; and the Garage bagel roll, packed with salmon, cream cheese, crisped capers, onions, chives, and furikake seasoning.In the middle of the pandemic, James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole brought his popular Austin sushi restaurant, Uchi, to Wynwood. In Miami, chef de cuisine Dina Butterfield serves up a bevy of sushi and sashimi offerings. Uchi also boasts three different omakase experiences, including a complete vegan tasting menu that offers the same delicious precision to plant-based offerings for diners who prefer a plant-based meal.Wabi Sabi serves simple, impeccably fresh, ingredient-based nigiri, sashimi, and maki, along with bowls such as the “Wabi Sabi,” filled with tuna, salmon, crab, tobiko, cucumber, avocado, seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms. In addition to the bowls and à la carte offerings, you’ll find daily specials and cooked entrées.