The Best Sushi Restaurants in the DC Area

Dear Sushi

Chef Makoto Okuwa’s love letter to sushi is an $85 dinner omakase with snacks, a pair of hand rolls, nigiri, and a bite-size fruit-shaped dessert. The rustically sliced nigiri are presented in dueling old- and new-school styles—think a piece of bluefin tuna marinated in soy, alongside another adorned with torched uni and a touch of leek-miso paste. À la carte sushi, sashimi, and hand rolls are also available, as is a condensed $42 “omakase express” lunch.

Kaz Sushi Bistro

Kaz Okochi’s 26-year-old Foggy Bottom dining room isn’t the most exciting vibe, but no matter—the place has a lot to offer. Go heavy on the lineup of nigiri, which are creative without being showy. Seared salmon belly with soy-lemon sauce is a luxe bite, while a slice of Faroe Island salmon is jazzed up with mango purée, and tuna is paired with a dab of kalamata olive. The place does a robust takeout business, especially at lunch, when the bentos centered around teriyaki or tonkatsu are a terrific deal.

Kenaki and Kema

Love a spicy tuna roll? These brother-and-sister-run counter-service restaurants in the Kentlands and Cabin John are your spots. At both, menus from Raku alum Ken Ballogdajan feature nontraditional rolls that pop with flavor. His takes include the Black Magic roll, made with black forbidden rice, spicy tuna, pickled jalapeño, and truffle oil, and the New Spicy Tuna, amped up with sriracha, jalapeño, micro-cilantro, and pickled ginger. We’re just as happy grazing on fun small plates, fried snacks, and bao.

Kiyomi

Chef Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino, an alum of Sushi Nakazawa, brings his fine-dining experience and top-tier seafood sourcing to a 13-seat counter in the middle of the Square, the downtown DC food hall. His 30-minute lunch omakase—seven pieces of nigiri, a hand roll, and miso soup made from salmon stock—is one of the best values in town for $40, though a more leisurely 15 courses for $115 is available for dinner. Recently, Uchino was appointed executive chef at Logan Circle’s Bar Japonais, where he’s added an omakase dinner option.

Modan

On the surface, this Tysons newcomer seems all about showy luxury—caviar with wasabi salsa, lobster-filled nori tacos, A5 Wagyu shabu shabu. But the kitchen takes its sushi seriously, as evidenced by the whole fish hanging in the dry-aging case; unique nigiri offerings like golden-eye snapper and barracuda; and beautifully fashioned rolls (go for the Firecracker, with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna). You can dine here a few different ways: at the sunken sushi bar or the omakase counter; in the hopping dining room; or at the main bar, which gets packed when happy hour starts at 5. Don’t skip dessert—especially the passionfruit kakigori.

Omakase @ Barracks Row

If you ask chef Ricky Wang how he gets such beautiful fish, he might tell you about the personal relationships he’s forged with Japanese seafood brokers, whether through visits to Tokyo’s Toyosu market or at the karaoke bar. It all comes together in a procession of 20 or so seasonal bites ($180) that might include sea bream with an eight-hour-simmered sake sauce or premium Hokkaido sardine. Service director Gabriel Enjamio, an alum of Minibar and Disney World, brings a showman’s energy to the 14-seat counter, narrating for guests what makes each morsel so special.

Perry’s

This Adams Morgan Japanese restaurant has been known for many things over its 40 years—from one of DC’s first drag brunches to chef Masako Morishita’s accolade-winning Japanese comfort-food menu. But it’s also long been a destination for sushi, with the benefit of buzzy rooftop dining. In addition to a classic nigiri menu, there’s an extensive selection of rolls and a generous sushi happy hour every day at the bar.

Rakuya and Raku

These casual spots are our go-tos for everyday sushi. Some of the best deals are at lunch, when you’ll find filling bento boxes and a range of sushi-bar sets. One must-try combo: the toro tekka donburi, featuring fatty and lean tuna over sushi rice with udon noodle soup, shrimp tempura, and salad. Another favorite is the bara chirashi with slices of sashimi alongside sushi rice topped with a scattering of tamago, snap peas, sweet eel, and pops of ikura.

Sushi Cho

This minimalist dining room has a maximalist menu. The 100 types of maki are the main draw, and while choosing can be overwhelming, you can feel as comfortable with a straightforward salmon/avocado roll as with more ornate creations such as a fried-oyster-filled homage to the Chesapeake Bay. Also fun: tuna “nachos” with apple, avocado, and a base of crunchy rice.

Sushi Hachi

This low-key Barracks Row spot—our go-to for weeknight delivery—plays it pretty straight. Unlike its Arlington sister restaurant, Sushi Rock, there are no wonton nachos or Instagram-bait maki. Here, simple, affordable sushi is the thing. Classic rolls (such as yellowtail and scallion or spicy salmon) are $8. Pieces of nigiri get subtle accents: Sea bass is dabbed with sweet miso, while spot prawn comes with wasabi tobiko. If you dine in, go for the ishiyaki, slices of beef cooked at the table on a hot stone.

Sushi Nakazawa

If there’s one omakase restaurant in DC that embodies quiet luxury, it’s this serene destination hidden in the back of the Waldorf Astoria. The experience—$160 in the understated dining room, $190 at the more sought-after counter—features 20 pieces of perfectly calibrated nigiri, which might include hay-smoked ocean trout or Japanese scallop with yuzu kosho. Want to amp up the opulence? The restaurant also offers Burgundy truffles, caviar, and A5 Miyazaki Wagyu supplements, plus a wine-and-sake list full of splurgy bottles.

Sushi Snob

At first glance, this tiny downtown shop is a pit stop for office workers grabbing affordable tuna rolls and lunch sets. But from his eight-seat counter, chef Javkhlan “Jango” Enkhtaivan is also serving one of DC’s most underrated omakases. The $120 weekend feast includes 20-plus courses, in which traditional bites might be served alongside novelties like salmon marinated in sake and Pinot Noir or A5 Wagyu with miso-cured foie gras. A lunch omakase, starting at $45, is also a big draw.

Sushi Taro

Chef Nobu Yamazaki’s Dupont Circle destination is the all-around MVP of DC’s sushi scene. The lineup of premium nigiri is supplemented by a can’t-miss list of seasonal specials from Japan and beyond. Meanwhile, the unmatched omakase counter, which seats no more than two parties a night, offers a more exclusive experience, starting at $275. Raw and prepared dishes showcase many hard-to-find ingredients, but the highlight is a display of lacquered boxes filled with dozens of fish and seafood. Pick whatever and as much as you want and your dedicated chef will turn it into sashimi and nigiri.

Sushiko

Sushiko was DC’s first sushi restaurant when it opened in 1976, originally in Glover Park. It’s now a staple of Chevy Chase, where chef Piter Tjan turns out solid nigiri and fun rolls (try the soy-paper-wrapped “element roll” topped with tuna tartare). We also love the jewel-box-like chirashi bowl, great for casual lunches or date nights.

Tachibana

The parking lot always seems to be packed at this homey McLean mainstay. First opened in Arlington in 1982, the restaurant has resided at its current location for nearly three decades. The family-friendly dining room has an extensive menu spanning from tonkatsu to tempura with soba noodles, but multiple sushi chefs behind the bar keep up with the demand for combo sets and simple rolls. One of our favorite bites is the sweet shrimp nigiri served with its crunchy fried head on the side.

This article appears in the April 2025 issue of Washingtonian.