From omakase to casual, these seven spots are a sushi lover's dream
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No Relation
No Relation
Hidden in the back of Shore Leave, a South End tiki bar, this nine-person sushi counter is a serene oasis from the moment you pull up a seat at the bar hewn from Japanese cypress to the first bite of the 17-course omakse menu. No Relation's rotating menu is always inventive, unpretentious, and unexpectedly filling. If you do find yourself craving more, there's several add-ons including two different sake pairings. It's an intimate dining experience you won't soon forget.
Address:
11 William E. Mullins Way, South End
Phone:
617-530-1772
Find online:
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O Ya
O Ya
Ask sushi aficionados where to go for a blowout meal and the answer is still likely to be Tim and Nancy Cushman's prix fixe hideaway near South Station, open since 2007. O Ya was one of the first to bring omakase to Boston, before everyone watched
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
on Netflix and began to seek it out. The format has evolved over the years, but it's now a 20-course prix fixe of sashimi, nigiri, and cooked dishes, with a worthy beverage pairing available. The menu is chef's choice, but expect exquisite bites like fried oyster with yuzu kosho aioli and squid ink foam, hamachi nigiri with banana pepper mousse, and foie gras with chocolate-balsamic soy sauce and cocoa-raisin pulp.
Address:
9 East Street, Leather District
Phone:
617-654-9900
Find online:
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Uni
Uni
Adam DeTour for The Boston Globe. Food styling by Sheila Jarnes.
Many sushi parlors are hushed and precious. Not Uni in The Eliot Hotel. This is a slinky yet scrumptious backdrop for all occasions, from a big date to a big deal, thanks to a tight list of pristine sushi paired with a broad izakaya menu of shared plates dressed up with surprises, like pork belly confit enriched with ramp honey. It's dark inside, and it's loud. That's perfect: You'll tumble back onto Comm. Ave. blinking and transported.
Address:
370A Commonwealth Avenue, Back Bay
Phone:
617-536-7200
Find online:
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Wa Shin
Wa Shin
Opened in 2024, this Bay Village omakase restaurant was poised and polished right from the start. Chef Sky Zheng, previously head chef at New York's Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa, presides over the sushi bar in this peaceful space decorated with pale wood, bonsai trees, and ceramics. Courses feature beautiful seafood — from live sweet shrimp to Hokkaido uni to fatty tuna topped with caviar — and are made with perfect rice, hand-grated wasabi root, and perfectionist soul.
Address:
222 Stuart Street, Bay Village
Phone:
857-289-9290
Find online:
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Washoku Renaissance
Washoku Renaissance
Chef Youji Iwakura's food has always been excellent, whether it was at Snappy Ramen or his ambitious downtown restaurant, Kamakura. During the pandemic, he began offering curbside takeout, a venture that grew into Washoku Renaissance, located in Charlestown food hall Foundation Kitchen. The focus isn't limited to sushi — Iwakura specializes in artful, multicourse kaiseki meals — but the sushi omakase are special, offered in several different formats and filled with carefully sourced ingredients such as baby eel and firefly squid. With just eight seats, the bar is as intimate as they come, providing an opportunity to learn more about sushi and Japanese cuisine.
Address:
32 Cambridge Street, Charlestown
Phone:
617-952-4211
Find online:
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Yamato Japanese Restaurant
If you're craving sushi – and mountains of it – head to this all-you-can-eat Brighton spot for lunch. For about $25 per adult, and cheaper for children, eat fresh fish to your heart's content. The lineup of rolls is predictably solid; for something different, try the Osaka-style pressed sushi – layers of rice, fish, and toppings put together in a mold. The catch (pun intended): Yamato will charge you for wasted food on unlimited meals. Another location, Yamato II, is in the Back Bay.
Address:
117 Chiswick Road, Brighton
Phone:
617-787-8881
Find online:
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