This is a list of places with the best sushi in Sarasota.
Many places didn’t make the list.
We ranked based on quality of fish, rice to fish ratio, atmosphere and reviews.
Let’s get started.
Here are the sushi restaurants in Sarasota that you must try:
- Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi
- Pacific Rim
- Bushido Sushi
- Star Thai & Sushi
- Kiyoshi’s Sushi
- Utamaro Sushi Bar
- Jpan Sushi & Grill
- Thai Wasabi
- Yume Sushi
- KOJO
- Spice Station
- Kasa Japanese Restaurant
- Flirt Sushi Lounge
- Thai Spice & Sushi
- Sushi Hana Japanese Restaurant
- Nori Japanese Restaurant
- Sushi Bay Sarasota
- Hideko 2 Sushi & Thai
- Goichi’s Sushi
Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi
100 Central Ave Ste 1022, Sarasota, FL
Known for: Best Sushi Restaurant in Sarasota
Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi is a Japanese restaurant with the best sushi in Sarasota. The atmosphere is elegant and relaxing. They even have live music, which adds to its ambiance.
The service is outstanding and the staff was very friendly and attentive. Tsunami was very accommodating when it came to modifications and dietary preferences.
We found the ratio of rice to fish to be perfect. They were very generous on avocado, Salmon and crab in all the sushi rolls we tried.
The food presentation was a 10/10. All the signature sushi rolls were carefully rolled, decorated and arranged in a very visually appealing way.
Pacific Rim Sarasota
1859 Hillview St, Sarasota, FL 34239
Pacific Rim is considered one of the best sushi restaurants in Sarasota, FL. They’ve specialized in Japanese Thai fusion cuisine since 1998. Located in the Southside Village area.
The sushi rolls used little rice and a generous amount of avocado, fish and crab. Everything was rolled tight and nothing fell apart. The avocado, cream cheese, smoked Salmon and tuna was all very fresh.
You could very clearly tell the ingredients were fresh. From the quality of fish to the ripeness of the avocado and cucumbers.
The uniquely pleasant atmosphere is elegant yet cozy. There are artificial trees throughout the restaurant wrapped in twinkle lights. We found the inside to be very romantically lit.
Wait staff was very attentive especially considering how busy it was. They were also very accommodating when we requested keto friendly sushi.
Bushido Sushi Sarasota
3688 Webber St, Sarasota, FL 34232
Known for: Best Sushi in Sarasota
Bushido SRQ is one of the newest sushi restaurants in Sarasota (2018). The owner and sushi chef is Jon Woo, who ran a sushi restaurant in NY for over 15 years.
People come here to be impressed. The sushi rolls arrive with artistic displays that are out of this world. Sometimes you’ll get a romantically lit bonsai tree on your plate. Other times, you’ll get beautiful flower decorations.
It doesn’t stop there.
The atmosphere is also unique. Bushido is a dimly lit space with a sophisticated intimate ambiance. You’ll find privacy screens that divide tables for a more private setting. The tables are reasonably spaced out.
Service was extremely attentive and friendly. When we requested keto friendly sushi with no rice, the wait staff made the modifications without a problem. Here’s why they’re known for the best sushi in Sarasota.
When the sushi came out, we were in awe. The eclectic combinations of flavors fired every one of our taste buds and possibly created new ones. Portion sizes were generous and the sashimi was so thick, it took a few bites for each piece.
Star Thai & Sushi
240 Avenida Madera, Siesta Key, FL
Star Thai & Sushi not only has the best sushi in Siesta Key, but also Sarasota. It’s known for its absolutely delicious food, authentic Japanese atmosphere and excellent food presentation.
The sushi rolls are large and perfectly balanced. They use little rice and do not hold back on the avocado. We absolutely loved their spicy tuna roll, but it was a little more spicy than we expected.
On the weekend, they even have live music. It can get pretty busy, but it’s a perfect place for a date night. It’s clean, reasonably priced and has a memorable atmosphere.
You absolutely have to try their well presented drinks. They are incredible and come out fast.
Kiyoshi’s Sushi Sarasota
6550 Gateway Ave, Sarasota, FL 34231
Known for: Best Tasting Sashimi
Kiyoshi’s Sushi is one of the best Japanese restaurants in town. It has a modern contemporary interior design with a fun atmosphere. You can either sit at a dining table or at the sushi bar.
The sushi bar has a conveyer belt, where you can get ideas of what to order. Considering they have some of the best sushi in Sarasota, the prices are very reasonable and fair.
If love sashimi, this is a great place to eat. They had the freshest and best tasting sashimi we’ve ever tried. The fish was cut perfectly and you could tell they used fresh fish.
The maki rolls are made by master sushi chefs. Chef Kiyoshi is from Aomori, Japan and has gone through extensive trainings in Tokyo and New York.
Utamaro Sushi Bar
1900 Main St #107, Sarasota, FL 34236
Utamaro Sushi Bar is truly a hidden gem with the most incredible sushi in downtown Sarasota. The highly skilled itamae (master sushi chef) is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We experienced a super polite and helpful wait staff.
Food presentation was fantastic and very creative. Every sushi piece was tightly rolled and carefully placed in aesthetically pleasing manner.
Signature maki rolls had little rice and were carefully rolled. The sushi chef was very generous on the portion sizes of fish, avocado and other fish.
Sashimi was cut thick and clearly used fresh fish. The rice was sticky and tasted mildly sour and sweet at the same time. Absolutely cooked to perfection!
Jpan Sushi & Grill
3800 S Tamiami Trail #3, Sarasota, FL
Jpan has two sushi restaurants in Sarasota. One in UTC (University Town Center) and the other in Siesta Row. Both are excellent, but we have to recommend the Jpan Siesta Row location.
It has a laid back atmosphere in a modern setting. The restaurant is meticulously clean and very organized. The wait staff was extremely polite and very efficient.
The servers checked on tables fairly often and were very attentive of everyone dining. While it does get very busy on the weekend, the master sushi chefs were able to keep up with demand.
We found the basic maki sushi rolls used a lot of rice unfortunately. If you’re going to order sushi, we recommend ordering the signature sushi rolls on the weekend.
Thai Wasabi
5250 E, State Rd. 64, Bradenton, FL
Thai Wasabi is a Thai restaurant with some of the best sushi in Sarasota metropolitan area. Ask the locals and they’ll tell you about their extremely fresh fish and sticky rice.
While the food presentation is not like the other sushi restaurants in Sarasota, the rolls are still delicious. We did find they used more rice than other places on our list. However, the maki rolls were larger and used more avocado and fish to make up for it.
Yume Sushi Sarasota
1532 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Yume Sushi is one of the most popular sushi restaurants in Sarasota, FL. It’s a casual Japanese restaurant that’s located right in the heart of downtown Sarasota on Main Street.
They do a great job with food presentation, especially if you get the sushi boat. The signature maki rolls were dressed to the nines. Which were later finished with great tasting sauce.
The atmosphere is romantically lit, so expect is to be fairly dark. We absolutely loved the intimate cozy ambiance. It was welcoming and non confrontational, but was slightly outdated.
Signature maki rolls had the perfect combination of flavors and rice to fish ratio. We highly recommend skipping the basic rolls, since they had too much rice. This is the type of place you get the signature rolls to have a good time.
KOJO
1289 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
KOJO is one of the newest restaurants that opened in 2022. It’s an Asian inspired upscale restaurant that is revolutionizing Sarasota as we know it.
Not only is it the best restaurant in downtown Sarasota, it also has excellent sushi. When it comes to atmosphere and food presentation, KOJO wins by a long shot.
Let’s not forget their mouth watering Instagram worthy craft cocktails that’ll surprise even the toughest critic. They exclusively used the highest ingredients in all the sushi rolls. We also found they offered combinations of flavors we did not see elsewhere.
Spice Station
1438 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL
Spice Station is a cute Thai restaurant with a sushi bar in downtown Sarasota. While the sushi menu is small compared to other restaurants, it’s still very good.
We ordered takeout and experienced really fast delivery. On the Spice Station lunch menu, they had a three roll special for $14, which is an unbelievable deal.
Their maki rolls use an average amount of rice. Not too much and not too little. The rice was sticky and fresh. We found the rolls to be smaller than some of the other places, but they were priced accordingly.
They used a generous amount of smoked Salmon and tuna in their rolls. However, we felt there was not avocado and cucumber in every roll we tried. We tried the Tampa sushi roll and would highly recommend it, if you love Grouper.
Kasa Japanese Restaurant
4195 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL
Known for: Signature rolls with little rice
Kasa Japanese Restaurant is one of the top rated sushi restaurants in Sarasota. They have excellent Google, TripAdvisor and Yelp reviews! Locals absolutely love them!
First the bad news. The atmosphere and interior design is fairly boring and nothing special. However, the wait staff is very kind and they have really good food.
Here’s the good news. The signature sushi rolls came out with beautiful presentation. Kasa sushi chefs used very little rice and the rolls were large. There was a generous amount of avocado, Salmon and tuna in their appropriate rolls.
Flirt Sushi Lounge
1296 1st St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Flirt Sushi Lounge is the most upscale sushi restaurant in Sarasota. They use high quality ingredients and have the best atmosphere by a long shot.
The inside is dimly lit with a red romantic tint. You’ll see people ordering black caviar sushi, VOSS water, beautiful signature sushi rolls, craft cocktails and more.
Their master bartenders are super knowledgeable and make super Instagram worthy drinks. Let’s not forget they have a beautiful outdoor patio and a cool lounge.
It’s no wonder, they made our list of the best things to do in Sarasota at night. However, this dining experience comes at a cost. The sushi is expensive.
Don’t be surprised if you see people from the Siesta Key tv show. If you’re wondering where celebrities who live in Sarasota go, this is it.
Thai Spice & Sushi Sarasota
8209 Natures Way, Bradenton, FL 34202
Thai Spice & Sushi is among our favorite sushi restaurants in Lakewood Ranch, FL. It’s family friendly and has a laid back atmosphere. We wouldn’t recommend it for a date night, but it’s a great place to have a casual dinner with the family.
They have great Thai food and excellent maki sushi rolls. We thought they did a great job with the food presentation as well. The sauces on the signature rolls were exceptional.
However, since they recently switched ownership and sushi chefs, so we’ll have to revisit and see if anything changes.
Sushi Hana Japanese Restaurant
4274 53rd Ave E, Bradenton, FL 34203
Sushi Hana Japanese Restaurant has great signature sushi rolls. The rolls are large and use very little rice. They use a generous amount of fish and later finished with excellent tasting sauces.
However, we would highly recommend skipping the basic rolls as they were fairly average. They tasted great, but they didn’t really stand out and used more rice than what we find acceptable.
Nori Japanese Restaurant
4003 Clark Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233
Nori Sushi & Thai is a traditional Japanese restaurant with a Thai twist! The atmosphere is cozy with Japanese paper lantern fixtures throughout the restaurant.
There’s an intimate sushi counter where you can watch the sushi chef make your sushi. The prices are reasonable and the sushi tasted great.
The more sushi you order, the better the food presentation gets. The sushi is decorated very nice and the plates have artistic Japanese themed displays.
We would highly recommend going with friends and ordering a sushi boat.
Sushi Bay Sarasota
3957 Cattlemen Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233
Sushi Bay Kitchen & Sake Bar is a modern contemporary sushi restaurant in Sarasota, Florida. You’ll find modern light fixtures, contemporary wall decor with a Japanese themed twist.
They put a generous amount of fish, avocado and cream cheese in their relative rolls. While they do have more rice than some other places, they make it for it with larger rolls.
Food presentation will have you taking out your phone to share with your friends. The more sushi rolls you order, the better the artistic plate displays will get.
Hideko 2 Sushi-Thai Restaurant
7646 Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL
Hideko Sushi & Thai has two locations in Palmetto and Sarasota, FL. While it’s known for the best Pad Thai, they also have some great sushi.
The atmosphere is average and outdated. However, they do a great job with presenting the signature rolls. Both the basic and signature rolls had more rice than we would like, but they tasted great.
We also tried their bubble tea, but they did not make our list of the best boba in Sarasota.
Goichi’s Sushi Sarasota
4563 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233
Goichi’s Sushi is known for its Tonkotsu Ramen, sushi burrito’s and maki sushi rolls. It’s a small family owned restaurant that has an amazing “Cash N Carry” menu with some unbelievable deals.
Since the the restaurant is so small, takeout is preferred. If you do choose to sit inside, the atmosphere is cozy and intimate. It reminds us of an authentic small Ramen restaurant in NY.
Their maki rolls had an average amount of rice. Depending on what roll you get, we found they were very generous with the Salmon and tuna. The avocado was perfectly ripe and very fresh.
Ichiban Restaurant & Sushi Bar
2724 Stickney Point Rd, Sarasota, FL
Ichiban Restaurant did not make this list of the best sushi spots. However, if you want a lot of good sushi for dinner… Ichiban did make our list of all you can eat sushi in Sarasota, FL.
Map of the Best Sushi in Sarasota, FL
This is a map of where to get the best sushi in Sarasota, Florida near your location.