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Where To Eat Omakase Sushi In NYC For Under $100

Our favorite high-end sushi meals that cost less than what you'd pay for a set of AirPods.
Where To Eat Omakase Sushi In NYC For Under $100 image

photo credit: Sushi Lin

There are many ways to eat sushi in NYC. If you want a three-roll lunch special delivered to your Midtown office, you can do that. If you want to buy a shrimp tempura roll at Duane Reade, you can do that too. At some of the city’s best sushi bars, you can also spend more on an omakase meal than you would on a new TV. But if you just want to try an excellent chef’s choice sushi for under $100 a head, check out the places on this list. Some of them let you BYOB, and others have limited time slots, but all of them are worth a visit.

THE SPOTS

photo credit: Hannah Albertine

Japanese

Jackson Heights

$$$$Perfect For:BirthdaysDate NightImpressing Out of TownersSpecial OccasionsUnique Dining Experience
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We can't think of any other restaurant experience that combines sparklers and hand rolls, torched tuna topped with chili garlic crisp, and the level of sake-fueled fun that you’ll find at Sushi On Me in Jackson Heights. There are four nightly seatings, each of which last around an hour. For $99 (cash or cash apps only), you’ll get 15 pieces of nigiri, a couple of appetizers, and unlimited sake. You can also visit the newer, pricier location in Williamsburg, but we prefer the original.

When anyone asks us where they can eat incredible, creative sushi for under $100, we wish we could pick them up like a Monopoly house and place them outside of Sushi Katsuei in the West Village. Sit at the bar here, and you’ll wonder why there aren’t more places that serve raw fish this good for this price. Omakase options start at $65 for nine pieces and a hand roll, and they often include unusual pieces like firefly squid or barracuda. Sushi Katsuei also has a location in Park Slope, where the omakase starts at $60.

No matter what sort of night you’re looking to have, Sushi Lin has options. You can keep things relatively tame with a $35 mini omakase, or you can order a $120 omakase with three appetizers, a sashimi plate, nine pieces of nigiri, a hand roll, and dessert. We suggest something in between. For $70, you’ll get a hand roll along with 10 pieces of nigiri like salmon topped with sautéed tomato. The little room in Prospect Heights feels like a secret (although there are now four locations), and you can sit at a table and order a la carte if you don’t need a multi-course buffet of fish.

From the near-perfect texture of the nigiri to the constant refilling of your water glass, Kazumi Omakase in Greenwich Village earns its $75 price-tag thanks to its level of attentiveness. Like a lot of the other spots on this guide, you get an hour to eat your 12 pieces, made with classic fish like kanpachi, madai, and all three fatty levels of tuna, and the meal finishes off with the world’s most adorable piece of yuzu Basque cheesecake. The difference with Kazumi (besides the soundtrack of outdated Top 40 hits) is that there is no gimmick here: it’s just you, your chef, and the fish they put in front of you, making it great for a casual experience that’ll leave you satisfied and, with all that water, well hydrated.

If you just walk by and peek in the window, Sushi 456 in the West Village just looks like a somewhat nicer version of your average casual sushi spot. It’s a tiny space with a small counter up front, and a few tables to the side, and the soundtrack consists of smooth jazz. But most casual sushi spots don’t serve pieces of nigiri that are as perfect and precise as what you’ll find here. The king salmon is buttery, the scallop is fruity and floral, and even the leanest tuna melts in your mouth. You can get 10 courses for $70, or 15 for $100. Either way, remember to BYOB.

photo credit: @fotographeats

$$$$Perfect For:Date Night

There must be some sort of tax incentive that encourages sushi businesses to open in the East Village. There’s no other way to explain the huge number of omakase spots in the neighborhood, most of which are relatively new. Thirteen Water is one such place, and it sets itself apart with a creative array of toppings that actually enhance the nigiri, rather than overwhelm the fish. For $75, you can sit at a casual U-shaped counter and eat 13 pieces that might include scallop with finger lime, barracuda with yuzu kosho, or hamachi topped with ribbons of shishito pepper.

There’s not a millisecond wasted at Shinn East, an East Village spot with two 12-seat bars. Wait outside for the previous group to clear out, then take your seat quickly and get ready, because they’ll serve your 12 pieces of well-seasoned, flavorful nigiri and a toro hand roll over the course of a very short 40 minutes. It doesn’t feel rushed, but it’ll be over before you know it. As long as you’re ok with eating sushi with the voraciousness of a shop-vac eating sawdust, for $69, Shinn East is a really good option for taking yourself out, or the first stop of a casual date night. They also have a location in Hell’s Kitchen.

Don’t be fooled by the tile floors and teriyaki lunch specials. Suzuki Shokudo knows sushi. The fish is superb, and the owner himself works the omakase counter. He’s extremely generous with extras, and you’ll feel very well taken care of, especially for this price. Their basic, 11-course option is $60, but for just $20 more, the deluxe option comes with a full plate of sashimi, an ever-changing appetizer—like sliced monkfish or a tasty seasoned prawn head, and dessert.

Of all the spots on this list, Takumi is our top choice for low-key birthday celebrations. The LES restaurant is the perfect middle ground between the raucous sake-fest at Sushi On Me, and fish-first places like Sushi Katsuei. For $89, you get three appetizers, 11 nigiri, and one hand roll. They’re not afraid to bust out a blowtorch or a tasteful amount of caviar, but nothing ever feels cheesy. Unless the super friendly chefs start singing Happy Birthday. Which, they will, if your friends let them. But they’ll probably also give you some free sake and dessert, so you’ll forgive your friends in the end. There’s a sake menu, but you can also BYOB.

Genki is in a bare-bones Greenwich Village space with pastel green walls and a muzak soundtrack. It isn’t the most atmospheric setting, but the 13-course, $68 omakase (there’s also a 17-course option for $98) is pretty high quality. The pieces are large and heavily seasoned, and we especially like the fatty kanpachi, buttery shima aji, and wagyu with uni. Just keep in mind that the chefs here are very serious about getting you in and out in 60 minutes. If you want to supplement your omakase with “Fun List” creations like salmon and toro with tomato and quail egg, you’ll have to be quick.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

$$$$Perfect For:Dining SoloLunch

At Sushi W on the Upper West Side, you get exactly one hour to eat one of the most affordable omakase options in NYC. The most affordable meal is $54 (or $38 at lunch), and there’s also a $68 omakase that comes with 15 pieces and two hand rolls. Highlights include the torched sablefish and silky unagi, but the best piece is the chutoro sprinkled with salt. There’s very little time for conversation, so Sushi W is a great place for solo dining.

Matsunori on the Lower East Side is a casual BYOB spot with reasonable pricing. For $68, you’ll get 12 pieces of high-quality and decently-varied fish, plus an appetizer, a handroll, and homemade mochi for dessert. Past highlights have included soft-then-crunchy needlefish and a crispy piece of eel with a tiny square of melted foie gras on top. Bring a date to one of their five nightly seatings, and make sure to stop at September Wine & Spirits nearby for wine or sake.

Uotora in Crown Heights is an another cross between a neighborhood place and a somewhat high-end sushi spot. The staff is friendly, the space is small, bright, and minimally decorated, and there are some sushi and sashimi platters that aren’t outrageously expensive. But at the same time, you can sit at the bar and eat a serious $85 omakase. You’ll get things like uni and toro, along with an interesting selection of whatever fish they have in stock. If king salmon is on the menu, ask for it to be dressed with dashi.

Omakase By Masser is a tiny West Village spot on Bleecker Street with some of the most special fish you can get in a tiny white box. The space has 14 seats around a counter, and there are two options for omakase. The first is $95 for 12 pieces, and the second is $135 for 17 pieces. Expect things like medium-fatty tuna with pickled wasabi and some really lemony baby yellowtail. For the price and the interesting fish, Maaser is worth checking out with a date. Just know that we’ve experienced some slow and inconsistent transitions between seatings.

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