Sashimi, nigiri, tempura rolls – there are lots of reasons to love sushi. Especially in Sydney, which arguably leads the way in Australia, when it comes to this delicious eat.
A versatile cuisine, it is equally the go-to for many a city worker’s lunches, as well as a delicious dinner experience for those who want to enjoy a gastronomic feast.
Whether you prefer to eat yours by hand or take the more traditional route of chopsticks, there are plenty of sushi restaurants in Sydney that offer up a myriad of flavour and texture combinations for you to enjoy.
So next time a craving for temaki, narezushi or oshizushi hits you, here are 17 awesome venues you should consider going to.
Sushi & Grill
Located in the heart of the CBD, Sushi & Grill is one of Sydney’s best Japanese restaurants to hit up when you want to order something to go.
Offering freshly made pieces that are every bit as nutritious and delicious as to what you’d be served if you dined in their venue, their range of sushi is vast and varied.
Also dishing up a fabulous selection of spicy noodle dishes, this cosy basement venue provides a relaxed space to dine in. That said, as it is usually very busy, it is often a good idea to make a reservation there.
Address: LG 119 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9264 7888
Trading Hours: Mon – Fri 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-9:30 pm, Sat – Sun Closed
Sushi Hotaru
Over in George Street, Sushi Hotaru is another CBD venue that is always busy.
Established in 2011, it is renowned for its fresh and authentic sushi train which serves up some of the best and most specialist choices you can get in the city.
Think Tasmania sea urchin with squid, eel with cream cheese and tuna mentaiko and let your imagination run wild with the flavours they are packed with.
Bustling and friendly, the narrow restaurant has a great vibe and friendly service. It’s also a very popular joint. So don’t be surprised if you see queues snaking out the door.
Address: The Galeries, Level 1, 500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 92 64 9917
Trading Hours: Mon – Sun 11:30 am – 8 pm
Sushi Hub Chifley Plaza
Sushi Hub is a well-known brand that launched in 2006. Now boasting more than 100 stores you will find them in many shopping centres in Australia.
If you find yourself at Chifley Place, it is well worth checking them out as they offer a great range of sushi at very affordable prices.
Known for their excellent and varied platters, they pride themselves on serving up exceptional Japanese cuisine made from the best of locally sourced produce.
Address: Shop L1.F8 2 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9222 9618
Trading Hours: Mon – Fri 9:30 am – 5 pm, Sat-Sun Closed
Sashimi Shinsengumi
Over in Crows Nest, Sashimi Shinsengumi is an unpretentious eatery that lets the quality of its food do the talking.
Presenting an excellent menu of much loved Japanese seafood specialities like sushi and sashimi, Covid restrictions have unfortunately forced them to temporarily stop their in-house dining and omakase service.
However, don’t let that stop you from ordering from them, because their fresh sashimi packs and delightful sushi platters, which need to be pre-ordered at least a day prior, are absolutely delicious.
Address: 5/7-11 Clarke Street, Crows Nest NSW 2065
Phone: +61 04 0235 9697
Trading Hours: Wed – Sun 11:30 am – 7 pm, Mon – Tues Closed
Saké Restaurant
A stalwart in Double Bay, Saké Restaurant is a popular Eastern suburb venue that serves up scrumptious meals that are designed to be shared.
Focusing very much on dishes that feature sustainable and freshly sourced seafood, the cosy and relaxed venue provides you with seating options near the sushi bar, cocktail bar or kitchen.
If you can, try and score yourself a table near the sushi bar, as you will be able to watch the highly skilled chefs prepare these delicacies by hand.
It is also well worth requesting the omakase dining experience, where the chef will choose and prepare a wonderful meal for you.
Address: 33 Cross Street, Double Bay NSW 2028
Phone: +61 02 8388 8388
Trading Hours: Mon – Thur 6 pm-9 pm, Fri-Sat 12 pm-3 pm, 5:30 pm-10 pm, Sun 12 pm-3 pm, 5 pm- 9 pm
Sokyo
If you are wanting to experience an adventurous tasting menu, then look no further than the one presented by Sokyo in Pyrmont.
Marrying fresh, Sydney-sourced ingredients with the traditional techniques of authentic Japanese cuisine, your taste buds will be in for a real treat when you indulge in such delights as the Japanese Barbeque roll. A mouthwatering mix of Karubi short rib, cucumber and shiitake sauce.
Set within chic and refined surroundings, each of their sushi plates are beautifully presented. The restaurant is also known for its grilled meats and extensive sake menu, as well as an excellent happy hour for both food and drink, that runs from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Address: The Darling, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009
Phone: 1800 700 700
Trading Hours: Sun – Thurs 7 am – 10 am, 12 pm – 3pm, 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Fri – Sat 7 am-10 am, 12 pm – 3 pm, 5:30 pm – 11 pm
Toko Sydney
Toko Sydney is a major player in the Sydney sushi scene.
Winner of several awards, including the best Japanese restaurant in NSW back in 2015, this popular eatery is known for its izakaya vibe.
Formerly located within a renovated Surry Hills warehouse, it now occupies a prime location within the CBD.
The menu is outstanding, featuring artfully presented dishes that are made from the best quality ingredients available. Highlights include incredible grilled Japanese mushrooms and one of the best spicy tuna rolls you can get in the city.
Address: Lower Ground, 275 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9357 6100
Trading Hours: Wed 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Thurs – Fri 12 pm – 3 pm, 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Sat 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Sun – Tues Closed
Sushi e
Want to be entertained while you eat? Then head on over to George Street in the CBD to the hip venue of Sushi e.
Here, the act of making the food is part of the overall dining experience, as you can watch each dish being made in front of you using traditional handmade ingredients.
The range of sushi they have available is extensive and perfectly prepared every time. They also offer a robust selection of sake to go with your meal, which can be poured hot or cold.
Address: 252 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9114 7314
Trading Hours: Tues – Fri 12 pm-3 pm, 6 pm – 10:30 pm, Sat 6 pm – 10:30 pm, Sun – Mon Closed
RK San Contemporary Japanese Restaurant
Named after its head chef and owner, RK San Contemporary Japanese Restaurant can easily lay claim to being the best sushi restaurant in Sydney.
Having trained since he was 15 years old, the highly talented chef RK delights his diners with some of the tastiest and most authentic Japanese sushi and main meals you could ever hope to enjoy.
Set within an elegant venue in Surry Hills, the restaurant offers a truly upscale fine dining experience. Which makes it a terrific place to come to for date night or a specific celebration.
As well as world-class sushi, you’ll find favourites like edamame and pork dumplings on the menu here too.
Address: 462 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: +61 02 8960 3131
Trading Hours: Tues – Wed, 12 pm – 10 pm, Thur – Sat 12 pm – 11 pm, Sun 12 pm – 10 pm, Mon Closed
Sushi Rio
Over in Haymarket, Sushi Rio is another excellent venue that offers a fabulous sushi train.
Set within a charming space that offers casual, relaxed and low-lit surroundings, it offers a great selection of nigiri and tempura prawn rolls that rank as well as anything you can get in the city.
Providing simple, yet delicious sushi that is perfectly made, their menu is so extensive, you will need to get into the practice of grabbing what you want as soon as you see it. As you’ll rarely see the same plate go around more than twice.
Should you want something specially prepared for you, the chefs will be only too happy to make it.
Address: 90 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Phone: +61 04 1104 7996
Trading Hours: Mon – Sun 12 pm – 9 pm
Masuya Japanese Restaurant
Another popular CBD venue and another place where watching the preparation of the food is part of the experience.
Nestled within O’Connell Street, the centrepiece of the Masuya Japanese Restaurant is a five-metre sushi counter that isn’t so much a counter, as it is a stage.
You’ll marvel at the sight of the fresh, daily purchased fish, being crafted into the most eye-catching sushi you could ever hope to find in the city.
As with the sushi, there are also plenty of varieties of sake to choose from as well.
Address: Basement Level, 12-14 O’Connell Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9235 2717
Trading Hours: Mon – Fri 12 pm – 2:30 pm, 6 pm -10 pm, Sat 6 pm – 10 pm, Sun Closed
Azuma
Featuring a stylish decor of traditional and contemporary Japanese art, Azuma is one of the most pleasant dining spaces within the Sydney Sushi restaurant scene.
Like the décor, the food served here reflects the authentic culture of the country’s cuisine. Offering stunning plates of sushi and sashimi that look like they have come straight from Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto.
A sophisticated venue that offers both an a la carte and a tasting menu, their tempura scallop with caramelised soy and shabu shabu hotpot are particular highlights.
To accompany your meal, the venue also has a great range of premium sake and whiskey available.
Address: Level 1, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9222 9960
Trading Hours: Mon – Fri 12 pm – 8:30 pm, Sat 5 pm – 8:30 pm, Sun Closed
Ryu
A favourite in Bondi, Ryu is another sushi train you should hop on board with.
The term ‘Ryu’ translates in Japanese to ‘grilled meat’, which is a fair indication of what you can expect to find on the menu here.
Located in the Westfield Bondi Junction, it offers a much more gourmet standard of sushi, than you will find at the franchise-operated train venues which are often located in other shopping malls.
Indeed, the food here is so good, you’ll just want to keep on eating!
Address: 500 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Phone: +61 02 9387 7040
Trading Hours: Mon – Sun 11:30 am – 4 pm
Makoto Sushi Bar
One of the first things you’ll notice at the Makoto Sushi Bar is the quality of its customer service. This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that term ‘Makoto’ translates in Japanese to ‘from the heart’ or ‘sincerely’.
Incorporating meat and fish that have been specifically hand-picked by expert chefs, as well as rice and sauces that are made by hand, the dishes might be a little expensive for some.
However, if you believe that you get what you pay for, then you should rest assured that the prices they charge, do in fact reflect the overall quality of the food you are served.
Address: 119 Liverpool Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9283 6767
Trading Hours: Mon – Wed 11:30 am – 9 pm, Tues – Fri 11:30 – 9:30 pm, Sat 12 pm – 9:30 pm, Sun 12 pm – 9 pm
Sushi on Stanley
If you are looking for something that is priced at a more affordable level then head on over to Sushi on Stanley.
Offering a terrific range of teriyaki and sashimi among many other options, this Darlinghurst institution features cool streetside tables and lanterns. Which makes for a pleasant dining experience.
With a menu that features delicious shrimp tempura, teriyaki chicken and avocado roll, unsurprisingly it is always busy here. But thankfully there is a terrific takeaway menu for you to enjoy if the wait time for a table is too much for you.
Address: 85 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Phone: +61 02 9357 6465
Trading Hours: Mon – Thur 12 pm – 9:30 pm, Fri – Sat 12 pm – 4 pm, 5 pm – 9:30 pm, Sun 12 pm – 4 pm, 5 pm – 9:30 pm
Tetsuya’s Restaurant
While the sushi at Tetsuya’s Restaurant is exceptional, their overall food offering goes far beyond that.
Arguably one of the most respected of all Japanese restaurants in Sydney, their French-Asian degustation menu will blow your mind with its exquisite presented and unique range of flavours, textures and smells.
Set within a charming, art-filled space that looks out to a Japanese garden, the dining experience, which is set over 8 courses, is something you will never forget.
Address: 529 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 9267 2900
Trading Hours: Thur 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Fri – Sat 12 pm – 10 pm, Sun 12 pm – 10 pm, Mon – Wed Closed
Zushi Barangaroo
Tucked away in the heart of the CBD, Zushi Barangaroo presents relaxed izakaya-style dining in a cool, waterfront setting.
Using only seasonal and sustainable produce, they dish up an excellent range of fresh, high-quality sushi which is packed full of flavour.
The menu here is extensive and includes plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Which means there is something available here for everyone.
Address: Shop 10/33 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo South NSW 2000
Phone: +61 02 8072 7383
Trading Hours: Mon – Thur 12 pm – 3 pm, 5 pm – 9 pm, Fri – Sat 12 pm – 10 pm, Sun 5 pm – 9 pm