New York is something of a goldmine when it comes to sushi restaurants. You’re very likely to find more than a few options in your neighborhood, and new restaurants keep adding to our ever-expanding sushi scene each month. But all of that means it’s very hard to choose from the sea of options, and that’s where we come in.
Midtown in particular has seen a recent boom of sushi openings, and we’ve rounded up three of the hottest destinations that have arrived on the scene in the last six months. Pick from a new sushi bar that does 100% sustainable seafood, a plant-based joint that has creative options like charred mushrooms with shaved truffles, and an omakase counter hidden inside a historic Midtown building. Read on for the full list.
Crave Sushi Bar
The Crave team has built a reputation for serving some of the best seafood in the city, so you already know you’re in good hands with Crave Sushi Bar, which opened in February. Like all of the other spots, this sushi joint serves 100% sustainable seafood. Don’t come expecting fish flown in from Tokyo, but what you will get is top notch domestically sourced fish.
Chef Todd Mitgang makes it shine in exciting dishes like sea scallop with brown butter, fluke with black tahini, and kanpachi topped with shiso pesto. Pair it with one of the sakes (there’s a large selection) and Japanese whisky cocktails curated by owner Brian Owens. Post up at the snug six-seat bar for a more intimate evening, or the 60-seat dining room is just as memorable with its oceanic murals, light-wood tables, and blue booths.
Omakaseed
Plant-based sushi destination Omakaseed was already making waves in its first iteration at the NoMad Hotel back in 2022, but now the popular Sushi by Bou folks have brought it back in all its glory in Midtown. Expect more of the same creative spins in an 11-course, $60 menu or a larger 15-course version for $100.
Chefs Ryan Chon and Camdyn Healey are now leading the kitchen at this new Omakaseed, which debuted in February. Come for plates of charred mushrooms with truffle shavings, eggplant nigiri with toasted corn flakes, and beluga lentil caviar all served at a cozy, 10-seat wooden counter at the Sanctuary Hotel.
Coral Omakase at Point Seven
It’s always fun to be in on a good secret, and that’s what it feels like to find Coral, an omakase counter tucked inside Midtown seafood spot Point Seven. Since October, chef Robby Cook has been dazzling New Yorkers with a 17-course feast of baby amberjack, horse mackerel, uni hand rolls, and more.
He brings years of experience from top NYC spots like BONDST and Morimoto, plus long-standing relationships he’s built with local fishmongers and at Tokyo’s famed Toyosu Fish Market (where some of Coral’s seafood comes from). It’s all very personal to Cook—the rice comes from the same region in Japan where his in-laws’ rice fields are—and that will make you feel extra taken care of at this 10-seat spot.
Known for her pioneering food blog, The Strong Buzz, Andrea Strong has been writing about restaurants, chefs, and life around the table for the past 25 years. She lives, eats, and loads and unloads the dishwasher in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram @strongbuzz.
