The 17 Best Sushi Spots in Miami

Pick up your chopsticks, tuck in your napkin, and gear up for Miami’s top sushi spots.

Sure, Miami might be known for our bevvy of Latin cuisines and world-famous Cuban sandwiches. But is any meal more quintessentially “Miami” than sushi? It’s low carb. It’s expensive. And even people who prefer to enjoy their dinners out of a martini glass are more than happy to pick at a sashimi platter until the wee hours.

Case in point? Miami recently saw an onslaught of high-end omakase experiences land in our city. And while the Hidens, Nossas, and Sushis by Bou of the world are undoubtedly well and good, if you’re simply looking for a place to enjoy a delicious, light, and ocean-fresh meal, we’ve got plenty of those, too. Read on for the best sushi spots in Miami, from suburban strip mall outposts to buzzy South Beach scenester magnets.

Kosushi
Photo courtesy of Kosushi

Kosushi

SoFi
$$$$

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to eat sushi inside the wooden man sculpture at Burning Man, but lack the requisite Bitcoin balance to make that happen, here’s Kosushi. The interior of this SoFi sushi den is Miami’s most unique, an intricate wooden maze constructed with nary a nail in sight and years of painstaking precision. The food’s fantastic too, giving you Otoro, Kobe Beef, and all the high-end stuff you’d expect in a space this alluring.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery via Uber Eats and GrubHub.

Uchi

Wynwood
$$$$

This Austin import landed in Wynwood to great fanfare, and unlike so many ballyhooed transplants, Uchi has successfully lived up to the hype. The multi-course omakase menu has become one of the most sought-after meals in the city, but if you’re not looking for an all-night affair, the a la carte offerings are just as satisfying. Uchi also boasts the best cocktail menu of any sushi joint in the city, making it just as great a spot for drinks and light bites as it is for dinner.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable, order take-out online, or get delivery via Uber Eats.

Those who spent the best four years of their life in Gainesville most likely remember Dragonfly as the sorority special occasion go-to, as well as a TV hangout for Ryan Lochte. But you don’t need to be a Gator to appreciate what this Downtown Doral izakaya is up to, plating fantastic sushi alongside Seafood Pancakes, grilled meats, and epic sashimi spreads.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out via Toast.

Omakai

Wynwood
$$$$

There are many instances in life when the phrase “you get what you pay for” happens to ring true. Strip club buffets. Spirit Airlines. And, typically, sushi. But Omakai bucks that trend big time, offering full omakase menus for about what you’d shell out for a couple of Bento Boxes from the Publix cooler. They’ve even got an inventive vegan omakase experience, too, so even non-partakers of the flesh can enjoy the show.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out via Toast.

Azabu

SoFi
$$$$

Dining inside the sultry, low-lit environs of this Japanese restaurant inside the Marriott Stanton South Beach is one of the best all-around dining experiences in Miami. As is bellying up to the sushi counter at The Den and watching the chefs do their thing. But Azabu also holds the distinction of having the best delivery sushi in Miami, as its ghost kitchen offshoot Bubusan brings you the same spectacular menu, inside colorful containers that are works of art unto themselves.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery from Babusan via Doordash.

Taikin

Doral
$$$$

The “best sushi in the most unexpected place” award goes to this bustling hotspot, tucked in the shadow of a Publix in deep, deep Doral. But suburbanites seem to be in on the secret, packing this place nearly every night for its collection of ceviches, bao buns, and a burger made with four different kinds of meat. Taikin also boasts an entire menu of riceless rolls, if you’re leaning Keto but still crave sushi. The drive may be far, but the unusual lineup makes the trek to the almost-Everglades more than worth it.
How to book: Reserve online or order take-out via Toast.

Conveyor belt sushi isn’t usually what discriminating Japanese food connoisseurs would call “great,” but perpetually-packed Kura will have you thinking otherwise. It’s a full-on trip to Tokyo inside an Aventura strip mall, where a rotating belt brings Toro, Yellowtail, Crab Rolls, and other high-quality fish past your table, all for $2.95 a plate. If what you desire isn’t in front of you, a screen at your seat enables guests to get it on-demand. An added bonus? The near-frigid temperature gives you an excuse to show off your winter wardrobe on days when the weather refuses to dip below 70.
How to book: Stop by for first-come, first served seating or order take-out and delivery online.

Sushi Garage

Multiple locations
$$$$

Since “gas station sushi” has become a bit of a punchline, one might wonder why this spot from the Juiva folks would associate itself with auto repair. But the Sunset Harbour original has proven itself a massive hit, doling out stellar rolls, nigiris, and sashimi, plus hot entrees like the Miso Maple Sea Bass. It’s so popular, in fact, it spawned a second location on Las Olas, and recently opened yet another outpost in Coconut Grove.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery online.

Sushi Fly Chicken
Photo courtesy of Sushi Fly Chicken

Sushi Fly Chicken

South Beach
$$$$

If Spicy Garlic Lobster Rolls served beneath a stripper pole is your jam, look no further than this Tokyo-inspired sushi bar in the old Firestone station on Alton Road. The interior’s done up like the Blade Runner set, except with dancing poles strategically placed behind every booth. It’s also got some pretty top-notch sushi on the menu, alongside fried chicken that can make a worthy claim as Miami’s best. Drinks come in cartoonish ceramic glasses, too, so a meal here is as much entertainment as it is fuel.
How to book: Reserve via SevenRooms, order take-out via Toast, or get delivery via Uber Eats.

Makoto

Bal Harbour
$$$$

Stephen Starr's Bal Harbour outpost is helmed by Iron Chef alum Makoto Okuwa, whose thrice-weekly shipments of fresh fish ensure his namesake restaurant stays in the top echelon of Japanese restaurants. The impeccable sushi menu is reason enough to stop in, but the rest of Makoto’s offerings like Wagyu Short Rib, Certified Angus Beef Prime Steaks, and knockout Brussels Sprouts make this the best way to reward yourself whenever you're forced to go shopping at Bal Harbour.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery online.

Zuma

Downtown
$$$$

Even legends know they have to keep it fresh to stay on their game, so this venerable waterside spot for see-and-be-seen-dining recently shut down completely and reopened in December with a slick new look. You’ll still get that same robata-grilled deliciousness you can smell from the Brickell Avenue bridge, alongside meticulously prepared sushi and the occasional megayacht obstructing your view.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable.

Pubbelly Sushi

Multiple locations
$$$$

You know the Pubbelly crew is doing something right when they can open up a sushi joint and still boast one of the best beef dishes in the entire city. Yeah, the Wagyu Roll might be the tastiest beef tartare you’ve ever had, but if you're going for seafood, the ever-changing roster of rolls makes this a place you'll want to put in your regular rotation. This year, the PB empire expands even further, with new digs at the Shoma Bazaar in Doral, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, and Pembroke Pines on deck.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery online.

Nobu

Miami Beach
$$$$

It's freaking Nobu. We could pretty much drop the mic there and anyone who knows anything about sushi would accept it. But if you don't want to take our word—and seemingly the word of every Instagram model who posts her dinner on the Internet—listen to the local sushi chef we had rank his favorite sushi joints. He put this place at #1. And if you’re in the market for a full-body immersion, you can even book a night at the Nobu Hotel inside the Eden Roc.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery via Postmates and Uber Eats.

Katsuya

South Beach
$$$$

Kinda like it's also-from-LA cousin Bazaar next door at the SLS, this South Beach sushi den takes what California did and makes it better. Not only will you get a fresh-caught menu crafted by chef Katsuya Uechi, you can also chill upstairs in the Asia-chic dragon lounge, whose Happy Hour makes this vacation dining go-to accessible even to locals.
How to book: Reserve via Resy.

Matsuri

Coral Gables
$$$$

The Red Bird Shopping Center is a fantastic place to go get your license plate tags renewed. But for sushi? Yep. For a fraction of what it'll cost you to get new tabs for that leased BMW, you can gethard-to-find cuts like Yaki Ika, Hotate Yaki, Madai, and Otoro, plus an all-you-can eat option that's easily the best of its kind in town. And even if you opt for alacarte, you're getting the same quality fish for a lot cheaper than you’d find elsewhere.
How to book: Stop in for first-come, first served seating.

It's gotten to the point where you could throw roast pork and plantains in a roll and they'd just call it "Cuban sushi."Not here. Sushi Chef is as traditional and old-school as they come, sticking to Japanese ingredients and Japanese style. If you want spicy mayo or tempura, look elsewhere, but if you wantan experience that's as close to eating sushi inJapan that you’ll be getting for the foreseeable pandemic-fueled future, this is your spot.
How to book: Stop in for first-come, first served seating.

Toni's Sushi

South Beach
$$$$

Even the most insufferable of South Beach denizens, for whom dinner is as much about being seen as it is about actually eating, will tell you this Washington Avenueinstitution is as good as it gets in Miami. For locals who love good seafood, it's a multiple-nights-per-week kind of place. And its unassuming facade keeps tourists away very effectively, allowing those of us who live here to enjoy brilliant service, fresh sushi, and neighborhood restaurant vibe that's all but impossible to find in the Beach.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order take-out and delivery via Toast.

Matt Meltzer is a Miami-based contributor for Thrillist.