Whether you crave a serene counter omakase or a lively table with sake and shareable plates, Seattle offers sushi experiences that honor craft and comfort. Expect reliable spots for pristine fish, gracious service, and settings that suit date nights, hosting adult children, or an easy weekday treat. You will also find plenty of cooked options and vegetarian friendly plates alongside the nigiri.
Let’s get to it.
Sushi Kashiba
Seattle’s sushi compass points to Sushi Kashiba, an Edomae sanctuary by Pike Place Market. Precision rules here, and the experience reads as a quiet master class rather than a spectacle.
The chef’s counter is the headline. Three nightly seatings, about an hour and forty-five minutes, a few seats released on OpenTable, the rest first-come in a tidy queue. No substitutions, just the day’s catch, often Pacific Northwest standouts like geoduck, spot prawns, and local salmon alongside Hokkaido uni.
Prefer a table instead of the spotlight? The dining room follows the same market rhythm with set nigiri courses and a la carte plates. Black cod kasuzuke, chawanmushi, tempura, and chicken karaage keep non-sushi eaters comfortable, and there are vegetable-forward options. Strict dietary restrictions are not accommodated at the counter, so alert the team when booking or choose the dining room. Sake pairings and Japanese whisky fit right in.
Expect fine-dining prices, commonly 150 to 175 dollars for omakase, plus a 20% service charge in lieu of tipping. If you value tradition, restraint, and fish treated with reverence, this is your benchmark. Reserve early, then let the counter or the kitchen set the pace.
Moontree Sushi And Tapas
An omakase that does not feel like a splurge you have to brace for. At Moontree Sushi and Tapas in Lower Queen Anne, the Chef’s Sushi Omakase runs $85 with soup and salad. A tidy twelve pieces that showcase quality without fuss.
Chef Moon brings two decades in French and Japanese fine dining. The menu stays classic at the core, then playful at the edges. Premium nigiri often includes bluefin in multiple cuts, uni, ikura, hamachi, halibut, and hotate. Freshness is a point of pride.
For mixed groups, the hybrid approach shines. Traditional nigiri and sashimi sit alongside specialty rolls and a long list of Asian tapas. Non-sushi eaters can lean into tempura, grilled kama, riblets, or agedashi tofu, and vegetarians will find plenty. Prices range from modest rolls to higher end bites, so you can steer the spend.
Consider the sushi bar if you enjoy watching the team work. Reservations are accepted, takeout and delivery are straightforward, and the full bar covers cold and hot sake, cocktails, wine, and plum wine. Happy hour runs Monday to Friday from 3 to 5, a sweet spot for deals.
Star Sushi & Bar
Sushi flights are the move here. Star Sushi & Bar makes chef’s choice feel easy, not precious. On Capitol Hill’s Broadway, the vibe is casual-trendy with a buzz that suits a night out without the splurge.
Pull up to the sushi bar for five-piece flights of nigiri or sashimi, including bluefin-focused options and belly-only lineups. Expect bluefin in several cuts, from chu-toro to o-toro, plus hamachi, salmon, uni, hotate, amaebi, and unagi. Pricing sits midrange, with nigiri per piece, specialty rolls in the high teens to mid twenties, and chirashi in the twenties to thirties. Freshness leads, with daily selections rotating.
Variety is the safety net for mixed groups. Playful rolls like Charizard and Toro Lover share space with ramen, donburi, tempura, chicken katsu, and grilled salmon. Veg-friendly items are clearly labeled, and there are multiple veggie rolls. A full bar and a solid sake lineup power early-evening happy hour.
Seating spans a lively sushi bar, standard tables, and a covered patio reported dog friendly. They handle groups and private events, reservations help on busy nights, and online ordering is easy. No all-you-can-eat, just well-made pieces and approachable flights.
Umi Sake House
Start with the sake list; Umi Sake House treats it like a love letter to Japan. Dozens of bottles and a few sake cocktails keep the table chatty while you decide what to eat.
In Belltown, the menu bridges izakaya comfort and serious sushi. Traditional nigiri and sashimi meet a sprawl of creative rolls, so mixed tastes are easy to please. Prices stay moderate for most plates, with splurges for premium cuts. Vegetarians are not sidelined.
Pick your perch. The 14-seat wooden sushi bar suits purists, while the main room, a semi-private tatami nook, a larger private room, and an enclosed back patio make it group-friendly.
Occasional chef’s-choice tastings at the bar surface off-menu, so call ahead if that is your plan. Staff can clarify which seafood is wild or farmed.
Happy hour and late-night specials add value, and reservations help at prime time since the vibe skews lively. For variety without white-tablecloth stiffness, Umi hits a comfortable sweet spot between casual and upscale.
Shiro’s Sushi
Rice leads the dance at Shiro’s, and everything else follows in step. This is classic Edomae, where temperature, texture, and timing quietly steal the show. Shiro Kashiba’s legacy still hums here.
The counter is the splurge. Expect roughly $140 per person for omakase, repaid in pacing, pristine cuts, and the calm of letting the chef steer. Prefer a little buffer? Table set-courses around $85 keep the spirit, minus the spotlight.
Fish toggles between local Pacific Northwest catch and Japan-flown arrivals, often several times a week. Nigiri is rice-first and restrained, not a fireworks show of sauces. Sake leads the pairings, sometimes in flights, with a few wines and beers in support.
Space is tight, the Belltown buzz is real, and reservations are wise, especially for those coveted bar seats and timed seatings. Best for traditionalists, date nights, and anyone who values craft over spectacle. Vegetarian options exist but are limited, and allergies are handled with care.
Fremont Bowl
The best deal in Fremont might be a bowl of fish on rice. Fremont Bowl keeps the focus tight and the prices kind, a relief in a city where sushi can gallop past your budget.
This is a donburi-and-chirashi shop, not a roll factory. Think generous cuts of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, eel, and shrimp layered over warm rice. The chirashi is the star, a colorful mix that often lands under twenty while eating like a small feast.
Service is counter-style and swift. The petite dining room means many people grab and go, yet the line moves, pickup is a breeze, and the staff stays cheerful. If aburi is calling, plan to dine in, since certain seared items wisely stay off the takeout list.
Bringing a mixed crowd is easy. Teriyaki, katsu, and karaage bowls keep non-raw eaters happy, and there are a few lighter salad options. Vegetarians will find something, though the menu is not built around them.
Choose Fremont Bowl when you want quality fish without ceremony, a weeknight treat that respects both time and wallet. Skip it for omakase rituals, long sake lists, or lingering date-night ambiance. This spot is about simple pleasure, nicely priced.
Maneki Restaurant
In the International District, Maneki balances heritage with restraint. This James Beard America’s Classics honoree keeps the spotlight on fish and lets tradition set the pace.
Order nigiri and sashimi and follow the specials board. Uni with gentle sweetness, buttery toro, and several salmon varieties show up often. If the menu feels daunting, a chef’s selection is common, more conversational than formal, and a smart way to sample what is best that day.
Not everyone at the table needs to be a purist. The kitchen turns out black cod miso, sukiyaki, tempura, and comforting unagi kama-meshi alongside simple rolls. Sit at the sushi bar for a front-row view or book a tatami room for the classic experience.
Prices land in the middle, a welcome surprise for fish this good. Sake is the better bet at the bar, since cocktails can be limited and beer or wine sometimes run high.
Plan ahead. Reservations, often handled by text, are your friend, and walk-ins do wait. Vegetarians have options, though some dishes use dashi, so ask.
Sushi Kappo Tamura
Watch the kappo counter at Sushi Kappo Tamura, where chefs work in clear view and shape Pacific Northwest catch into precise Edo-style bites. The theater is quiet, the moves deliberate, and the fish treated with care.
Executive chef Taichi Kitamura, trained under Shiro Kashiba, steers a seasonal, sustainability-minded program. Taylor Shellfish, Skagit River Ranch, and Northwest fisheries stock the case, while a rooftop garden partnership supplies hyper-fresh herbs and produce.
Nigiri and sashimi lead. Look for Pacific salmon, halibut, scallop, and geoduck, with premium imports like toro when it makes sense. Specialty rolls and composed plates add a gentle regional accent. Non-sushi eaters can settle into chawanmushi, tonkatsu, or a comforting braise, and vegetarian options appear, though seafood stays the focus.
Plan for mid-to-high pricing. Counter omakase is the splurge and clearest expression of the kitchen’s touch. Table service keeps things flexible with à la carte. Sake flights and pairings shine, reservations help, and the counter often books ahead.
Choose it for craftsmanship, thoughtful sourcing, and a calm, grown-up meal. Skip it if all-you-can-eat is the goal or a bargain is the only priority. Pickup and delivery exist, yet the show happens at the counter.
Nishino
Quiet confidence is Nishino’s calling card. In Madison Park, this white-linen stalwart lets the fish and the chef tell the story without leaning on spectacle.
The playbook is omakase, offered in tiers that keep it welcoming: a Regular around $70 and an Exclusive around $85. Reservations are smart, especially for the chef’s-choice progression. Tatsu Nishino, Kyoto-born and an alum of Matsuhisa in Los Angeles, sets a rhythm that moves from pristine sashimi to thoughtful warm bites.
Prefer to steer? The à la carte menu is broad without feeling busy, with nigiri standards like maguro, hamachi, uni, ikura, amaebi, and unagi, plus polished specialty rolls. Cooked dishes, noodles, and vegetarian options make mixed parties easy, while the mid-high pricing feels proportionate to the finesse.
The beverage program leans curated rather than sprawling, with a Northwest-skewed wine list and a tidy sake selection across warm and chilled styles. Staff guide pairings with a calm, non-pushy touch that keeps the focus on the plate.
It suits a date night, a celebratory dinner with adult kids, or hosting out-of-towners who value craft over flash. Bookable on Resy, and there is takeout when a quieter evening calls.
