ATLGuide
The 12 Best Sushi Restaurants In Atlanta
photo credit: Amy Sinclair
Atlanta’s sushi situation makes it hard to believe we’re a four-hour drive from the nearest ocean. But fresh, raw fish can be found in every corner of the city, and especially on the Westside where there’s a sushi restaurant on every block. And in that sea of options, there are a few standouts. Yes, that exclusive omakase counter is worth every penny. And there's a few places you can go with friends for a fantastic, wallet-friendly sushi spread. However you roll, these are the best sushi spots the city has to offer.
THE SPOTS
At $235 per person, this whopping 20-course meal gives you more for your dollar than the other high-end omakase dinners on the Westside. Behind the 12-seat counter, an expert sushi chef walks you through the details of all the dishes and may even give you a coveted look at his prized collection of vintage sushi knives. They now have a beverage menu, but you're still invited to BYOB with a $100 corking fee. You’ll just want to aim higher than that regifted bottle of grocery store wine to pair with the silky cuts of fish like toro and kanpachi.
photo credit: Amy Sinclair
At $315 per person, this eight-seat omakase counter in the Star Metals building is a quintessential “big night out” spot. The exclusive setting and elegant, minimalist interior fit the bill of a posh, buttoned-up restaurant. But then the chef starts sharing Dekalb Farmers Market war stories, and now it feels like you just grabbed a stool at your neighborhood bar. But as the 16-course menu progresses—from beautiful small plates of marinated vegetables to lusciously smooth chicken pâté cubes—you’re reminded why you’ve paid so much to be here. Unlike a lot of other spots, Hayakawa slices its Japanese-imported fish selections into thick, meaty cuts (a preference of the chef’s hometown). Yet despite that bulk, everything from bluefin tuna to the striped bass melts away with a few chews.
#3
Dining at Mujo feels like a secret spy mission. First, you need to secure a reservation (good luck), then you need to find the place (it’s a discreet door beside their sister restaurant Cooks & Soldiers). Once inside, yet another door reveals a tiny, dark room that looks more like a setting for a high-stakes poker game. You may not see Daniel Craig here, but maybe you'll see Soulja Boy at this 15-seat omakase counter. Your 14-ish course mission begins with small plates and nigiri flown fresh from Japan. The experience is $225 per person, and that tag can easily climb with add-ons like crab fingers artfully displayed in a half shell. But we'd pay that price again to live out our clandestine dreams over a great meal.
Umi has been the sushi spot in Buckhead for more than a decade. While a regular rotation of celeb diners keep them in league with Nobu, the A-list attachment is useless if they weren't on their A-game. This consistent kitchen has the most robust, high-quality sushi menus in the city. Specialties like the foie gras roll are plated like an art piece and taste as rich as that lady in the corner table wearing her sunglasses indoors. And more standard rolls like the rainbow come fully loaded down with tuna, shrimp, salmon, and whitefish. It all proves they don’t skimp on the sushi or the decor (the golden light fixture in the main dining room could be an installation at the High). And if you really want the star treatment, book a reservation at M, their new upstairs omakase counter.
photo credit: Amy Sinclair
#5
After leaving their old space in Decatur, dropping “izakaya” from the name, and picking up a totally different fancy-pants identity in Buckhead Village, Brush is all glown up. And it’s become a go-to for an impressive first date because the emerald green venue feels exclusive—like you had to pull strings to get a table. Your date doesn’t have to know it’s pretty easy to book the same day. The small menu of excellent sushi and entrees helps curtail indecision if lots of choices normally overwhelm you. Plus, we’ll make it even easier—get the delicious citrus salmon maki rolls or the jalapeno yellowtail with crispy fried leeks.
This quiet Buckhead Japanese restaurant looks and feels like a straitlaced corporate lunch haven—and it is. But other than those using Tomo as an excuse to expense wagyu steaks and platters of very good sashimi, this place is a great option for folks who want a high-end sushi restaurant with the menu range of an izakaya. Get your usual sushi favorites, and also try some specialty maki rolls like the spicy crab with garlic pepper toro, which has a light sear on the fish to bring out the flavor.
This tiny sushi spot is hidden on the lower level of the Interlock in West Midtown. It’s a prime location for date nights when intimacy is a requirement. With only ten tables, moody lighting, and a fashionable, back-lit bar, it’s the perfect place to cozy up and share one of their 11 specialty rolls. And if the date somehow turns sour, the square-shaped lobster maki or A5 wagyu beef topped with truffle soy will woo you. We know the Westside is teeming with sushi restaurants, but for affordable exclusivity, Kinjo Room is our spot.
Good sushi can be found anywhere—gas stations, grocery stores, and in the case of MF Sushi, in a sophisticated (but not stuffy) restaurant next to an Inman Park parking garage. MF Sushi is an Atlanta classic and has been a consistent high-end sushi sanctuary for years. The specialty rolls are the reason we come here, with the lobster box being our favorite. It’s topped with tobiko and gives you your dollar’s worth with a heap of meaty lobster meat. And when we really want to impress a date or a work colleague, we ask for the off-menu crispy rice roll. Because going off-menu is another kind of elite.
#9
Eight Sushi Lounge hit the Westside in 2015 and has since cemented itself as a neighborhood staple. Layered wooden planks lining the walls and hanging wood art give the interior a relaxed earthy feel. Tables packed with everyone from suits to the usual scene-seeking assortment are your clues that this isn’t the venue for a meditation retreat. Yet, we reconnect with our souls just fine after one bite of the Cassanova roll topped with a buttery scallop and a slice of serrano pepper—it's our favorite. And you should take friends here to impress them with the creativity of their “This Is How We Roll” menu section, where things like the mango puree-topped Island Breeze roll elicit "wow" faces around the table.
photo credit: Nina Reeder
#10
On Friday nights, finding a spot in the Northside Drive shopping center would be good training if there was an X-games version of musical chairs. Inside, Ginya Izakaya feels just as frenzied—but in a fun way. Chatter and laughter fill the air while bowls of steaming ramen make contrails from the kitchen to the table. It won't be easy to decide what you want from the novel-length menu of sushi, noodles, and small plates. That’s why this affordable Japanese pub is our favorite spot to bring a group of friends, so we can order big platters of sushi and really get creative with their BYO maki roll menu.
This Japanese restaurant will solve all your date night dilemmas. With a sleek decor and a solid $175 omakase, the West Midtown spot impresses enough for an anniversary dinner. And their $12-and-under Happy Hour menu helps take the pressure off if it's just a first date. There’s also a covered rooftop patio that works well in all seasons when you want to hang out and slowly work your way down the menu from nigiri and small plates like toro tartare with ponzu to entrees like meaty scallops. Just make sure you get an order of the lightly smoked hamachi nigiri, which is a bold yet smooth and tasty mouthful.
photo credit: Amy Sinclair
#12
As one of our favorite spots in Emory Village (they also have a sister restaurant in West Midtown), it's no surprise that the narrow, tight-quartered dining room stays packed with Emory students and Druid Hills locals. Stay away during peak dining times to avoid a wait. Wagaya is our go-to when it’s a sushi in sweatpants kind of night. But don’t let the relaxed, college town atmosphere fool you, the fish and the experience get high grades (we’re talking cum laude). For sushi and a show get the Devil’s Breath, and watch as the seared tuna is blowtorched right at your table. Other rolls like the panko fried Crunchy 14th with cream cheese and three types of fish have less flair but solid flavor.
