10 Best Sushi Restaurants in Ginza

If you’re looking to live the high life for the day, there’s no better place to do so than Ginza. Known for luxury shopping and high-end restaurants, Ginza is undoubtedly one of the best spots in Tokyo to have a decadent dining experience. 

One of the specialties of the area: Sushi. But when it comes to the best Ginza sushi, where do you start? We have a list of the best sushi restaurants in Ginza for the uninitiated and initiated alike. 

Formerly known as “Sushi Saisho,” Ginza Saisho has just made a triumphant return to Ginza to serve premium quality sushi at their secluded, intimate location. 

Drawing many visitors to the restaurant is the famous Sea Urchin Festival, held at irregular intervals and booked almost immediately upon announcing. The buttery, succulent “uniku,” combining the Japanese words for sea urchin and meat, is a trademarked specialty here. 

Heading up this prolific eatery is Chef Saisho himself, a native of Akita Prefecture and an English speaker eager to chat with patrons from all over the globe. 

Try a glass of sake from his home prefecture and enjoy a conversation at the counter.

Come to the Ginza branch of Niigata’s most famous sushi restaurant, Sushi Benkei Umi. Right in the heart of the city, you can taste the freshness of fish caught off the coast of Sado Island, married with the Koshihikari rice grown in the region. Making the ingredients sing is the choice to not add sugar so that the natural umami of the grains can shine on their own. 

Chef Yamazaki Masao skillfully blends Edomae sushi tradition with modern innovation to create memorable dishes: otoro fatty tuna marinated in garlic soy sauce, sea urchin in salted rice malt and simmered mackerel and gizzard shad with a basil garnish, to name a few. 

Pair it all with a glass of sake from Niigata or Sado Island while you watch the master go to work right at the counter. 

As one of the mainstay restaurants in the “sushi battleground” of Ginza, Sushi Yamaken has made a name for itself thanks to the “sushi kappo” experience offered at its counter. 

In addition to nigiri and other types of sushi, diners can enjoy a series of small dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients in true kappo style. Beloved by many are the tuna and sea urchin — to the point where getting reservations in the winter, when both ingredients are at their sweetest, is all but impossible. 

Located just a one-minute walk away from Higashi-Ginza station, Yamaken boasts a beautiful view of the Ginza skyline from the ninth floor, making it the perfect place to relax and eat omakase sushi after a long day of shopping and sightseeing. 

Named for the classic rakugo play of a stumbling drunkard and his loving, supportive wife, Ginza Shibahama similarly pays tribute to the power of love. 

Run by Chef Yoshio Nakashita and sommelier Tomomi Nakashita, the married couple combines the classic elements of a sushi restaurant with the prestige of a kappo restaurant. Their “sushi kappo” restaurant has earned acclaim with locals and tourists alike, thanks to the pair’s hospitality and culinary finesse. 

Wife Tomomi provides the best sake pairing recommendations, while Chef Nakashita meticulously plans the menu in accordance with the season. 

One of the most famous sushi institutions in all of Tokyo, eating here is a rite of passage for sushi lovers around the globe. If you want to eat until you drop, this is where you can do so, with each sushi set including 16 pieces of sushi and other side dishes!

Try the recommended Kyubey assorted sushi by making a reservation. 

Please note that there are several locations, so be sure to choose the “honten,” or main location, in Ginza.

Welcome to the restaurant where each piece of sushi is “made with a fresh approach and new ideas.” Established in 1977, Umegaoka Sushi no Midori remains dedicated to providing excellent craftsmanship at an affordable price. In fact, their conger eel has only increased by ¥300 since opening over 40 years ago! 

Sourced directly from Toyosu Fish Market, the menu is as varied as it is beautiful in presentation. Even the children’s nigiri is bound to put a smile on your child’s face. 

Check out the menu for yourself on Sushi no Midori.

Headed by the Kimihiko Araya Produce Group, Ginza Seamon provides glitz and glamour — and fantastic sushi. The masterful chefs source their seafood from Tsukiji Fish Market, serving quality ingredients Edomae-style. 

Whether it’s the sushi kaiseki multi-course dinner with salmon caviar, scallops and two kinds of tuna or the lunch course with 8-10 kinds of nigiri sushi, this classy restaurant — just a stone’s throw away from Ginza Station — will have you craving it long after you’ve finished your meal. 

Please note that you must make reservations through a hotel concierge, but you can take a look at the menu and plan your order on Ginza Seamon. 

Tucked away on Ginza Corridor street is Tokyo Sushi ITAMAE SUSHI Ginza Corridor Branch, a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of the city without ever leaving it. 

Settle down at the counter and converse with the chef as he prepares a memorable meal for you, or opt for one of the three private rooms instead. Try the seasonal omakase course, the tender wagyu beef sushi or select a dish from the extensive Itamae tuna menu. 

At Sushi Yoshitake, Chef Masahiro Yoshitake aims to provide delicious sushi that’s “beautiful to the eye, harmonious in taste, and satisfying to the stomach after eating.” Sounds good to us! 

Before diving into the omakase courses, Chef Yoshitake likes to start the meal with an appetizer such as the specialty abalone liver sauce. Then, the sushi is presented with rice flavored with aged red vinegar. 

In total, the omakase menu provides 5-6 options for appetizers and 12 pieces of sushi, ensuring you leave feeling more than satisfied. Additionally, an in-house sommelier will guide you through the right sake and wine pairings to round out the meal. 

Sit at one of the eight counter seats or choose a private room, both with a calming, chic environment. 

Starting as a humble conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido, Hanamaru brings the freshness of Hokkaido’s seafood to the luxe atmosphere of Ginza. 

As each dish comes down the conveyor belt, you’ll notice the careful attention paid to both the weight of the sushi pieces and the design of the presentation. From the first bite, you’ll want to try just about everything on the menu, washing it all down with a nice glass of custom sake. 

Find out more on their TripAdvisor page — the photos more than speak for themselves.

Got your fill of glorious Ginza sushi? Check out the best sushi places in Shibuya, where to eat sushi in Shinjuku, the best places for sushi in Tokyo and affordable omakase sushi restaurants in Tokyo.