13 best sushi restaurants in Tokyo for every budget

If you're after top-notch sushi without the high price tag and are willing to skip the chairs and warm towelettes, head to Tachiguizushi Akira. This stand-and-eat sushi spot, known in Japanese as tachigui, caters to those looking for a quick bite between appointments or a snack with a drink without waiting for a table.

Taciguizushi Akira, a sister establishment of the introduction-only Sushi Shoryu, offers a twist on the concept, allowing diners to enjoy high-end sushi without needing a special connection or spending a fortune. While the setup is modest, the sushi is exceptional. The uni rolls (from ¥1,100) are piled so high with creamy sea urchin that they seem on the verge of tipping over, while the aburi nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch, ¥1,540) is seared so delicately that it practically glistens on the serving counter.

With pieces like honmaguro (bluefin tuna) nigiri starting at ¥440, a satisfying meal typically costs between ¥6,000 and ¥8,000 per person, though this is still a fraction of what you'd pay for comparable quality at a seated sushi restaurant. Just be prepared to arrive early – the absence of seating hasn't kept Tokyo's dedicated sushi lovers from lining up well before opening.

Nothing adds sparkle to an ordinary weekday quite like an omakase sushi lunch. This restaurant in the Marunouchi financial district is usually packed with office workers popping in at lunch for a mid-week treat, but show up before 1pm and you’ll have a good chance of nabbing a seat.

The standard lunch omakase has a good variety of nigiri sushi and side dishes like chawanmushi (savoury egg custard) and ikura (marinated salmon roe) over rice. The vibe here is polished but fuss-free, so you don’t have to feel intimidated if there’s a particular fish or ingredient you’re not a fan of – the chefs behind the counter are happy to swap it out for you.

You can only book a seat for lunch if you’re ordering the ¥6,930 course. The ¥3,850 lunch option doesn't take reservations, but it has all the goodies everyone looks forward to in an omakase menu, including prized uni and chutoro (medium fatty tuna).

In Tokyo, sushi on a budget normally means skipping the uni and fatty tuna rolls and sticking to imported salmon and dashimaki tamago (Japanese omelette) nigiri. This isn’t the case at Sushi Tokyo Ten Shibuya, where you can drop by the Shibuya Stream restaurant for a generous omakase lunch for ¥4,400 (weekdays only) and dinner for ¥8,800.

A peaceful oasis in the middle of bustling Shibuya, this sleek counter-style sushi restaurant will leave you feeling pampered, calm and most importantly, satisfied by the end of your meal. The restaurant doesn’t have any menus, but you’re in good hands as the chef behind the counter swiftly and seamlessly forms an array of perfectly shaped sushi, including opulent favourites like chutoro (medium fatty tuna), abalone and a mini ikura-don (salmon eggs over rice).

In Shinbashi, amidst casual izakayas and ramen joints, Sushi Restaurant Issekisancho stands out with its polished, Ginza-worthy ambiance but reasonable prices. Part of the Issekisancho group, the restaurant sources its seafood directly from fishermen and has strong ties with Toyosu Market’s top tuna broker, Yamayuki, ensuring top-shelf ingredients at lower costs.

For ¥9,800, enjoy an eight-piece omakase sushi meal plus dishes like sea cucumber chawanmushi and buttery monkfish liver. The ¥13,000 full course adds five extra nigiri pieces.

The Edomae (or Edo-style) sushi features shari made from Niigata rice and a unique vinegar blend. Seasonal fish, prime tuna and creative yet authentic sushi touches, like pressed mackerel wrapped in crisp nori, elevate the experience. Complementing the meal is free-flowing clam soup and house-made pickled ginger. Bookings are recommended, with three seatings daily. Several staff members speak some English.

Hidden on the fourth floor of a small building in Nishi-Azabu is Sushi Kitamura, where just six guests can savour a private omakase experience in a warm, homestyle setting. Here, chef-owner Jun Kitamura combines an array of Edomae-style nigiri with a selection of appetisers and grilled dishes, best paired with a bottle of regionally sourced sake.

Kitamura often begins his menu with a small bowl of succulent shijimi clams marinated in a garlic-bonito dashi sauce, setting the stage for a series of carefully crafted appetisers, such as a Euro-Japanese twist on páté on toast, where buttery-smooth ankimo (monkfish liver) is used in lieu of foie gras.

The sushi courses typically follow, featuring around seven pieces of nigiri – sea bream, white squid, sweet amaebi shrimp and uni, among others – each selected to reflect the best of the season. The final piece of sushi is always the restaurant’s signature maki roll, where grilled anago (freshwater eel), medium fatty tuna and Japanese pickles are wrapped in sushi rice and seaweed. 

All of this comes down to ¥16,000 per head, making Sushi Kitamura one of the most reasonably priced (and filling) sushi omakase courses in Tokyo.

This Aoyama restaurant is a partnership between veteran sushi chef Michimasa Nakamura and sommelier Yoshinobu Kimura, who brings with him a decade’s experience as the head sommelier at two-Michelin-starred Narisawa in Tokyo. With already two successful sushi restaurants to his name – Sushi Shin in Shirokane and Sushi Shin Hanare in Nishi-Azabu – Nakamura leverages on his deep, intuitive understanding of seafood to help them blossom to new potential. He’s creating a new style of sushi while still respecting Japanese traditions.

The ‘M’ in Sushi M stands for the French word ‘mariage’, the harmonious pairing of food and drinks, which is the aim of this innovative sushi restaurant, where the drinks play an equal, rather than supporting, role in the dining experience. So you can expect unconventional sushi and drinks, such as amadai (tilefish) brushed with garum (fermented fish sauce) from Tokushima Prefecture and served with a condiment blend of fresh seaweed, wasabi and sherry vinegar, and Nagasaki oyster nigiri paired with a Japanese orange wine.

The restaurant’s sleek interior features just 12 seats around an L-shaped hinoki cypress counter. An omakase course is ¥33,000, with drink pairings available from ¥14,300.

At just 33, Yuichi Arai was remarkably young for an independent sushi chef when he opened his own restaurant in 2015 after more than a decade of experience. Having honed his skills at renowned establishments like Ginza Kyubey and Sushi Takumi, Chef Arai brings a personal touch to each guest’s experience.

The dining experience at Sushi Arai is tailored for both English-speaking and Japanese-speaking guests, with separate areas and a book of fish with Japanese and English translations for any rarities. Hand-painted tableware complements dishes like Hokkaido scallops, lean bluefin tuna (akami), pickled cucumber and aubergine, smoked sea eel, and clam miso soup.

Diners can choose between the ¥38,500 'nigiri' omakase course, which focuses solely on Edomae-style sushi, or the ¥55,000 'tsumami and nigiri' course, which includes a combination of traditional Edo-style sushi, grilled items and appetisers such as simmered abalone or luscious monkfish liver topped with narazuke pickles.

Found on a quiet residential street in Nakameguro, one-Michelin-starred Udatsu Sushi is built on a concept of combining traditional Edo cuisine with contemporary art by Japanese artists. Ergo, the restaurant is all about embracing new ideas while staying true to traditional roots.

Drawing from his butchery background, head chef Hisashi Udatsu adds unique touches to his Edomae sushi, with dishes such as fatty tuna smoked in hay, sticky dashi jelly on striped beakfish, lightly charred marbled tuna, and a trout and seaweed roll filled with fresh micro-herbs instead of rice.

Udatsu takes special pride in the relationships he has with all his vendors. This aspect is essential in securing the best fish from the veteran fishmongers of Toyosu as well as getting the weekly shipments of produce from Kajiya Farm, which grows pesticide-free herbs and edible flowers for some of the top restaurants in the country. The omakase menus start at ¥22,000, and a vegetarian option is available for those who book at least two days in advance.

The Tsukiji outer market still has enough sushi and seafood restaurants, food stalls and cafés to keep you well-fed for weeks

From updated yakitori and omakase sushi to cocktail dens and coffee roasters