20 Best Sushi Restaurants in Chicago

It is a common myth that one can only find the best sushi in states bordering the ocean. Even hundreds of miles from the beaches, Chicago eateries serve some of the most exquisite and fresh sushi nibbles. Whatever style you choose, our guide to the best sushi restaurants in Chicago has everything you need.

Whether you’re looking for a cheap nigiri roll or a wonderful omakase fine-dining experience (in a hotel room), there are plenty of options created by great chefs in Chicago to satisfy your palate.

Best Sushi Restaurants in Chicago

Although Chicago is best known for its meat and potatoes, it also has some of the best sushi in the country.

From suburban steakhouses to Michelin-starred favorites, it’s time to get your chopsticks. Here are the best sushi restaurants in Chicago right now.

1. Kyōten

Kyōten in Logan Square delivers one of Chicago’s most lengthy (and pricey) omakase experiences, with chef Otto Phan offering up to 20 plates at his eight-seat sushi counter.

It’s an expensive culinary experience, priced at $440-$490 per person depending on the day, but the menu goes all out, with dishes prepared specifically for each visitor.

You can expect to eat seafood such as uni, ebi, kanpachi, and maguro.

2. Mako

At this modest West Loop restaurant, celebrated sushi chef BK Park provides a lengthy omakase menu for $185 per person for 15+ dishes.

The menu is strewn with sashimi and nigiri and changes with the seasons to showcase decadent dishes like snow crab with kani miso and tosazu jelly.

The sushi counter has only 12 chairs (with an extra 10 in the dining area behind it), and each session is limited to two hours. There’s no need to rush: the chefs are trained to keep things running at a relaxed pace.

3. Momotaro

Momotaro, one of the most stylish sushi restaurants in Chicago, is located in the West Loop. It offers a contemporary take on traditional Japanese cuisine with an emphasis on high-quality ingredients.

The menu features a wide range of sushi and sashimi options, expertly crafted by skilled sushi chefs.

4. The Omakase Room at Sushi-san

Omakase is having a moment right now, and none does it better than Lettuce Entertain You’s small 10-seater concealed inside Sushi-san.

The Omakase Room, led by Chef Kaze Chan, is a spectacular experience that is both exquisite and unpretentious.

Guests get a close-up view of the action, and the relaxed atmosphere promotes mingling with the staff as they deftly carve fish for 18 unique courses such as caviar-topped otoro tartare and uni ice cream.

5. Sushi Suite 202

Sushi Suite transforms a 500-square-foot hotel room (Hotel Lincoln) into a hidden, six-seat sushi speakeasy for private dining, as if omakase dinners weren’t sophisticated and intimate enough.

For $155 per person, the 75-minute, 17-course dinner features elegantly prepared sushi topped with shrimp, uni, and other seafood delicacies.

Spice up your dinner with a trio of pairings from the suite’s self-service sake vending machine for an even more opulent experience.

6. Omakase Yume

Omakase Yume, situated in the West Loop, specializes in traditional omakase experiences.

The sushi chefs curate a seasonal and personalized menu, taking you on a culinary journey through the finest ingredients and flavors.

The intimate setting and meticulous attention to detail make Omakase Yume an exceptional dining destination and one of the best sushi restaurants in Chicago.

7. Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: Chicago

This omakase newbie from husband and wife Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee has received several accolades, including a Michelin star for its outlet in Montecito, California.

The 10-seat concept, tucked beneath West Loop bar The Drop In, serves 17 plates across three seatings each night.

There are lots of high-end ingredients, as well as tasty nigiri, such as a piece with roasted bone marrow drippings and unagi.

8. Kai Zan

Kai Zan, a hidden gem in Humboldt Park, offers a fusion of Japanese and Latin American flavors in their sushi offerings. This makes it one of the best sushi restaurants in Chicago.

The menu showcases innovative and creative sushi combinations, along with traditional favorites. With its cozy atmosphere and friendly service, Kai Zan is a must-visit sushi spot.

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9. Juno

Looking for the finest sushi deal in town? It’s at Juno, where sushi chef BK Park is doing amazing work with raw fish.

The chef’s choice sashimi is $56 for 16 pieces of fish (two of each of eight distinct varieties), neatly sliced, placed over ice, and garnished with shells and flowers.

This is a deal, and while it’s sufficient for a single diner, there are other fantastic dishes to try, like the smoked hamachi, which appears under a glass dome with two spoons cradling lightly smoked morsels of salmon.

The Juno King has two single bits of tuna, topped with hot crab and wrapped around rice, it’s delectable. Even the spicy tuna roll has been improved, with a large slice of tuna and scallions, as well as a hint of sriracha and chile oil.

10. Arami

Arami, located in West Town, is one of the top sushi restaurants in Chicago. It is known for its artfully presented sushi creations.

The restaurant emphasizes sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, resulting in a fresh and delightful dining experience. Don’t miss their omakase menu for a truly special sushi journey.

11. Kyoku Sushi

Raisu’s team has created a new Lincoln Park location that is every bit as memorable as the original.

The 15-course omakase menu offers a variety of seasonal, high-quality ingredients and is likely to gratify those looking for the whole experience.

The lobster roll and the chef’s choice selection of nigiri, which arrives attractively displayed on a sushi bridge, are both excellent a la carte options.

12. Jinsei Motto

CH Distillery, well renowned for vodka, Malört, and other spirits, now has a sushi restaurant in the back of its premises.

Owners Andrew Choi and Patrick Bouaphanh created Jinsei Motto as a pop-up initiative during the epidemic, offering guests a handpicked selection of premium seafood to mix with their Malört Spritzes.

While the omakase menu is the preferred option, the a la carte options are also noteworthy.

Even the most seasoned sushi eaters will be amazed by tasty morsels of soy-marinated salmon and uni-and-toro nigiri, as well as a vegetarian-friendly 1Up roll loaded with truffle mayo and shiitake, and enoki mushrooms.

13. Sushi-san

Sushi-san, situated in River North, combines traditional sushi techniques with a playful and lively atmosphere.

The restaurant focuses on serving fresh and flavorful sushi, sashimi, and maki rolls, along with an impressive selection of sake and Japanese whiskey.

14. AJI Omakase

Omakase experiences are on the upswing in Chicago, and this Lakeview restaurant is one of the most interesting ones.

Take a seat at the counter and see chefs Kristian Cho and Arnold Lee create 14 flavor-packed meals, including sweet shrimp topped with shaved and crushed caviar and Hokkaido uni.

The menu costs $150 per person and can be augmented with sakes, teas, and creative Asian-inspired cocktails.

15. Raisu Japanese Fine Dining

It’s sometimes preferable to leave things to the professionals, as is the case at Raisu in Irving Park.

A variety of seafood is flown in many times per week and may be found in inventive dishes like the Snow White, a maki roll with crab, tempura avocado, asparagus, chives, fried smoked salmon, and garlic and unagi sauces.

Try the omakase for a complete sample of what chef Simon Liew can do. It costs $75 per person and includes delicacies such as wagyu steak and uni.

16. Omakase Takeya

Noodle fans flock to Ramen Takeya for steaming bowls of chicken paitan ramen, but tucked away in the area below is an equally remarkable concept: A little sushi bar with only six seats.

Chef Hiromichi Sasaki serves edomae-style sushi (raw fish on cooked rice seasoned with vinegar) here, as well as small dishes and hand rolls. The 15-course supper, which costs $99 per person, is a 75-minute fast-paced experience.

If you still have room for more, order specialties like fatty tuna belly and hotate scallops from the a la carte menu.

17. Yuzu Sushi and Robata Grill

This West Town sushi restaurant delivers massive rolls with a side of art. Some of the Yuzu giant rolls are presented on plates decked out in Instagram-worthy designs and shapes with bright sauces.

Try the unholy Green Harbor, which is topped with wasabi mayo, avocado, spicy mayo, and sweet soy sauce after being stuffed with broccoli and grilled asparagus, sweet potato tempura, and cucumber. Open your arms wide!

18. Tanoshii

Look for the Mike-heads: Sushi connoisseurs who swear by Tanoshii chef Mike Ham. If you try the cooked foods, you’re unlikely to return.

If you order your own sushi, you’re probably going to say, “So what?” But if you do what the regulars do, putting yourself in “Sushi Mike’s” hands (name your price, and he’ll you build a combo), you could just become another convert.

19. 312 Fish Market

The food court Sushi may not generally have a good reputation, but 312 Fish Market is an exception.

This sushi eatery, located on the second floor of the Chinese supermarket Emporium 88 Marketplace, imports its items directly from Japan.

Joe Fung, a former Sushi-san chef, and co-partner serves flawless raw fish slices, including Konbujime-style cured madai and charred salmon maki.

The menu also emphasizes to-go party platters, which include everything from an all-salmon tray to a 50-piece sashimi selection.

20. Sunda

Sunda, a Pan-Asian stalwart, understands how to go all out to impress. You can’t go wrong with the famous crispy rice topped with either spicy tuna or wagyu. But if you’re in the mood for rolls, there are plenty of options.

The Gambler includes spicy tuna, kampyo, kani, cucumber, scallions, and avocado, as well as ghost pepper sambal in a random single piece for the courageous.

Ballers can choose the Lux. A sumptuous blend of negi toro, wagyu, shaved truffles, white wasabi cream, truffle vinaigrette, and tobiko is available on the hidden menu.

summary

Chicago is a bustling city known for its diverse culinary scene, and when it comes to sushi, it’s no exception.

Whether you’re a sushi connoisseur or just starting to explore this delightful Japanese cuisine, the sushi restaurants we have listed here will satisfy your cravings.