9 hours ago
The Longest Sushi Bar In New York Is Now Open In Flatiron
The stunning sushi bar is the longest in NYC.
You can't swing a sashimi knife in Manhattan without hitting an omakase counter these days. But Aqua Kyoto, the Japanese dining room inside Aqua New York in Flatiron, isn't just adding to the pile. It's carving out something bigger—literally. They've opened what's now the city's longest sushi bar. It stretches a staggering 77 feet. Yes, feet. This thing could double as a runway during Fashion Week.
The sushi bar anchors the Kyoto side of Aqua New York's dual-restaurant setup, which also includes Aqua Roma (Italian, naturally). The bar feels theatrical—expansive without being cold—and, surprisingly, doesn't overpower the food or the experience. You'd expect something this size to turn into a gimmick. It doesn't.
At the 22-seat counter, Chef Mitsuru Hara serves up a ten-course omakase that's equal parts sharp technique and unfussy pleasure. It's $158 for the full ride, and nothing feels inflated—either in portion size or pretension.
Things kick off with a spinach salad dressed tableside with toasted sesame. It's not showy, but it lands. Then comes a Tuna and Salmon Tartar with a hit of caviar, a bit of yuzu kosho, and some wonderfully crispy lotus root chips. It's precise, not precious.
Sushi purists and skeptics alike will find something to like here. The Scallop & Caviar Crystal Sushi is a standout—not just for the glimmering jelly on top (which, yes, sounds ridiculous) but for the subtle flavor it brings. Then there's the Spicy Tuna Maki. You've had a thousand of them, sure. This one's better—clean, punchy, nothing dripping in sauce or buried under fried onions.
The Prawn Tempura is textbook in the way you want it to be: crisp, greaseless, salted with matcha, and dipped in a ten-tsuyu that's warming but restrained. The Miso Black Cod? You've had it before, yes, but here it feels grown-up—less sweet, more elegant, with just enough char to remind you it's been tended to.
And then there's dessert. "Forest Floor," it's called, and it sounds like a Pinterest board. But the execution is surprisingly restrained: Tonka bean panna cotta, chocolate brownie crumble, a matcha soil, and a tart raspberry sorbet that cuts through the sweetness like a sharp exit line. It's plated like something out of a Nordic tasting menu, but—mercifully—tastes like dessert.
Optional sake pairings are available, and they're worth the extra cost. They're not overly explained or turned into a seminar, which is a blessing these days. Just well-matched pours that make sense with the food.
But the bar—and the meal—are only part of what Aqua New York is offering. This is a dual-concept restaurant, after all, where Aqua Kyoto shares space with Aqua Roma, a modern Italian operation located just across the dining room. And here's where things get interesting: you can order from either side of the menu no matter where you sit. Sushi followed by osso buco? Absolutely. Uni with your burrata? Nobody will stop you.
The Italian side, Aqua Roma, focuses on seasonal regional fare and features a strong wine program built around a newer generation of small-production Italian winemakers. The Japanese side leans into contemporary Kyoto-style cuisine with an emphasis on seasonality and clean flavors. It's not fusion. It's a culinary two-hander. And somehow, it all plays well together.
It helps that the dining room is a spectacle. The sushi bar might be the longest, but the central oval cocktail bar—Aqua Spirit—makes a bid for the largest in the city. It's a vast, curving statement piece, and yet it doesn't make you feel like you've wandered into a casino. It just feels... generous.
