New York City / Sushi
Best Sushi
in NYC
Hand rolls, all-you-can-eat, and the $6 sushi happy hours nobody else writes about.
Two real sushi happy hours — Zest (LES) and Zen (Midtown) run flat $6 rolls.
- 11 sushi spots
- hand rolls from $5
- AYCE from $25
- HH rolls $6
The short version
The best sushi in NYC right now spans three price worlds: hand-roll bars like Nami Nori and KazuNori ($5–7 a roll), Nozawa-style value omakase at Sugarfish (the ‘Trust Me’ set, tip included), and — the part nobody else covers — real sushi happy hours, where Zest on the Lower East Side runs flat $6 rolls (Tue–Fri from 3:30pm) and Zen in Midtown does $6 rolls daily 4–8pm. There’s also all-you-can-eat: Yuka on the Upper East Side is the ~$25 benchmark. This is the broad guide; for the $200-plus omakase temples like Sushi Nakazawa and Sushi Noz, see our best omakase in NYC. Below: best overall, all-you-can-eat, and the happy hours, mapped across Manhattan.
At a glance
Best overall up top, then AYCE and the happy hours. Tap a number to place it on the map.
| Bar | The deal | Days | Window | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nami Nori | Temaki; 5-roll omakase $28 | Daily | 11:30am–9:30pm | $$$ |
| KazuNori | Hand-roll sets, warm rice | Daily | 11:30am–11pm | $$$ |
| Blue Ribbon Sushi | Blue Ribbon roll; deep sake list | Daily | to 1am Thu–Sat | $$$ |
| Sugarfish | ‘Trust Me’ – they feed you, tip included | Daily | lunch + dinner | $$$ |
| Sushi Seki | Order the chef’s specials | Mon–Sat | 5pm–12:30am | $$$ |
| Sushi of Gari | Sauced tuna + tomato nigiri | Daily | dinner (+ wknd lunch) | $$$ |
| Yuka | AYCE ~$24.95 – the value benchmark | Tue–Sun | 11:30am–10pm | $$$ |
| Kikoo Sushi | AYCE $45, +$5 all-you-can-drink | Wed–Mon | 3pm–10pm | $$$ |
| Sushi Damo | Nicer-than-usual AYCE room | Daily | 12pm–10/11pm | $$$ |
| Zest Sushi | 30+ items, all $6 | Tue–Fri | 3:30–7pm | $$$ |
| Zen Ramen & Sushi | ~30 rolls + apps, all $6 | Daily | 4–8pm | $$$ |
Map: where these 11 spots are
Manhattan-wide: hand-roll bars downtown, AYCE uptown, and the $6 happy hours on the LES and in Midtown.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for the deal and directions.
Best sushi overall
Hand rolls, value omakase, and a late-night raw bar. For the $200+ omakase temples, see our best omakase in NYC guide.
Nami Nori
The Verdict: open-style temaki hand rolls, $5–7 each, from a Masa alum — the West Village original is bright, casual, and consistently excellent. Get the crispy rice and the lobster roll, or the five-roll omakase for $28. The Local Move: no reservations, so expect a short wait; it moves. The Why: hand rolls eaten the second they’re made are a different food than the sad supermarket version, and Nami Nori nails the format.
naminori.us · See our best omakase in NYC
KazuNori
The Verdict: the hand-roll bar from the Sugarfish team, counter-only, rolls handed to you one at a time so the nori’s still crisp. The four-roll Original set ($17) is the move: warm rice, cool fish, no fuss. The Local Move: the NoMad location keeps the fullest hours if you’re going late-ish. The Honest Caveat: it’s counter seating only — a quick, focused meal, not a lingering dinner. Cheap thrills done right.
handrollbar.com · See our best Asian restaurants in NYC
Blue Ribbon Sushi
The Verdict: a SoHo institution and one of the only serious sushi kitchens open past midnight — the industry’s late-night raw-bar move. Sit at the bar, order the Blue Ribbon roll and whatever’s freshest, and work the deep sake list. The Why: it’s not cheap, but it’s not omakase-priced either, and the late hours make it singular. The Local Move: go after 11pm when the cooks and bartenders roll in.
blueribbonrestaurants.com · See our best seafood in NYC
Sugarfish
The Verdict: Nozawa’s cult value omakase-lite, and the ‘Trust Me’ set (~$32–52, tip included) is the whole reason to come. You don’t order; they feed you the right things in the right sequence — warm rice, restrained wasabi. The Local Move: arrive before 6pm or wait; no reservations, and the line is real. The Why: it’s the most reliable quality-per-dollar sushi in the city, which is why there’s always a crowd.
sugarfishsushi.com · See our best omakase in NYC
Sushi Seki
The Verdict: chef-driven, creative nigiri served late — Mon–Sat until about 12:30am, which almost nobody at this level does. Skip the standard rolls and order the chef’s specials; that’s where it sings. Worth It if you want serious sushi after a show or a shift. The Honest Caveat: it’s closed Sundays, and the à la carte adds up fast — but you can stay mid-priced if you’re disciplined.
sushiseki.com · See our best omakase in NYC
Sushi of Gari
The Verdict: the original creative-nigiri landmark on the Upper East Side, where Gari-style pieces come dressed in their own sauces — the sauced tuna and the tomato nigiri are the icons. Order à la carte to keep it mid-priced, or hand over for the open-ended omakase if you’re splurging. The Why: it’s been influential for a reason; half the ‘creative’ sushi in the city descends from here.
sushiofgari.com · See our best omakase in NYC
All-you-can-eat
The AYCE rooms worth your appetite — read the finish-your-plate rules. More in best Asian restaurants in NYC.
Yuka
The Verdict: the OG cheap all-you-can-eat on the Upper East Side, around $24.95, and the value benchmark every other AYCE gets measured against. Go hungry and order in rounds. The Honest Caveat: finish what you order or you pay per piece, and a 15–18% surcharge gets added — read the fine print. The Why: for volume-per-dollar nothing touches it; just don’t expect omakase-grade fish.
Kikoo Sushi
The Verdict: the best all-you-can-eat on the Upper West Side, $45 for food or $50 with all-you-can-drink, ordered by iPad on a two-hour clock. The +$5 drink upgrade is the actual deal. The Local Move: order in small batches so each round arrives fresh instead of piling up. The Why: solid variety, a modern room, and a fair ceiling price for a full night of sushi.
kikoowest.com · See our best Asian restaurants in NYC
Sushi Damo
The Verdict: a sleek all-you-can-eat near Columbus Circle that’s a cut nicer than most AYCE rooms, plus an à la carte option if you’d rather. Convenient before Lincoln Center or a Midtown show. The Honest Caveat: the AYCE price isn’t posted online, so confirm it when you book — don’t assume. The Why: when you want all-you-can-eat without the fluorescent-lit cafeteria vibe, this is the upgrade.
sushidamo58.com · See our best seafood in NYC
Sushi happy hours
The deal angle nobody else covers: flat $6 rolls. See more weekday deals in our happy hour guides.
Zest Sushi On now
The Verdict: the Lower East Side’s famous flat-$6 sushi happy hour — 30-plus rolls, apps and drinks, all six bucks, Tue–Fri 3:30–7pm and weekends from noon. This is the deal-page anchor: real sushi at a price that shouldn’t exist. Order the 249 Roll and the spicy tuna, stack a few, keep it under twenty. The Why: nobody strong ranks for ‘sushi happy hour,’ and Zest is the reason we own it.
zestsushi.kikisnyc.com · See our Saturday happy hours
Zen Ramen & Sushi On now
The Verdict: a Midtown after-work $6 sushi happy hour that runs every single day, 4–8pm — around 30 rolls plus apps, dine-in only. Steps from Herald Square and Penn, so it’s the commuter’s move before the train. The Honest Caveat: the deal is dine-in only, so no packing it to go. The Why: a daily $6 roll list in Midtown is quietly one of the best food deals in the neighborhood.
zenramensushiny.com · See our best ramen in NYC
Sushi happy hour: FAQ
What’s the best sushi in NYC?
For everyday excellence: Nami Nori and KazuNori for hand rolls, Sugarfish for value omakase, and Blue Ribbon Sushi for a late-night raw bar. For a $200+ omakase splurge, see our omakase guide.
Is there all-you-can-eat sushi in NYC, and is it any good?
Yes. Yuka on the Upper East Side (~$24.95) is the value benchmark, Kikoo on the UWS is $45 ($50 with drinks), and Sushi Damo near Columbus Circle offers AYCE too. Rule of thumb: finish what you order or pay per piece.
Where’s the best sushi happy hour in NYC?
Zest Sushi on the Lower East Side runs flat $6 rolls, apps and drinks Tue–Fri 3:30–7pm and weekends from noon. Zen Ramen & Sushi in Midtown does a $6 sushi happy hour daily 4–8pm, dine-in only.
What’s the best affordable sushi in NYC that isn’t a $200 omakase?
Sugarfish’s ‘Trust Me’ set, KazuNori and Nami Nori hand rolls, or an all-you-can-eat run at Yuka.
Where can I get sushi late at night in NYC?
Blue Ribbon Sushi in SoHo runs its raw bar past midnight; Sushi Seki in Chelsea serves until about 12:30am.
Last updated: July 2026. Deals and hours change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
