New Yorkers who have done their fair share of expensive omakases will especially appreciate Sushi Sho, because the format is a little different than other high-end spots. The $450 20-course omakase is followed by an exciting okonomi portion where you can choose your own pieces. And rather than one chef explaining everything, attendants stand behind your seat ready to give glimpses into the invisible effort—ice aging or vinegar curing, for example—of each course.

The two-and-a-half-hour omakase at Yoshino in Noho will cost you a whopping $648 (tax/tip included) to get in the door, which means you’ll sit next to people celebrating something and tech millionaires. But Yoshino feels looser and more creative than some other sushiyas around the same price—thanks in part to the chefs cracking jokes and swishing fancy wine with guests—and every bite is pretty much perfect.

This East Village restaurant almost exclusively uses ingredients found within the United States. They dole out bigeye tuna from North Carolina, striper raised in Bushwick, and incredible fluke sashimi that was caught so close to Rosella it could have taken the afternoon train from Montauk while enjoying a tallboy in a brown paper bag. An à la carte meal at Rosella will be the highlight of your week (and run you around $50), but the $150 omakase is particularly impressive.

At $420 a pop, Shion 69 Leonard Street is one of the most expensive omakases in the city. The restaurant delivers on everything it absolutely must for the price: skillfully prepared fish, impeccable service, and enough food. But what makes the two-hour meal truly outstanding is the seven-plate otsumami course in the first half, with signature dishes like butterfish in hot ponzu, a cold horsehair crab salad, and tilefish with deep-fried scales.

In order to get to Studio 151, you enter a door that's marked with a single red lightbulb, then walk up a red-lit staircase and ring a tiny buzzer. This Alphabet City restaurant is technically a speakeasy, and it's located in a cavernous space reminiscent of a ‘90s art loft. You can grab a high-top or a couch and eat some à la carte sushi—but we suggest you reserve one of the four seats at the chef’s counter and try the exceptional $80 omakase.

This party spot in Jackson Heights runs four nightly sushi omakase seatings, each with 15 pieces of nigiri, a couple of appetizers, and unlimited sake for $89 in cold hard cash. Whenever a diner’s cup empties, the owner tips a magnum of sake into their glass, and tops off his own cup for good measure. After about two pours, the people sitting next to you at the sushi bar will begin to loosen up. Then you can all sing along to “Mambo No. 5” together.

Kaito on West 72nd Street stands out from most other places on this guide because they serve a 15-course omakase for less than $100. Every two or three nigiri rounds will be broken up by a cooked dish like tempura fried hake in a mushroom broth and maybe a smoked goldeneye snapper collar if you’re lucky. The sushi tends to lean traditional here, usually with some alley oops from yuzu, dark soy, or scallions. If you want to try even more pieces, there’s an 18-course option for $135.

Everyone will have a great time at Shuko, but the Union Square restaurant has special appeal for a very specific type: someone who wants an upscale experience that isn’t too stuffy. The chefs behind the 20-seat counter wear Shuko-branded baseball caps, and—rather than the typical silence or jazz—the dramatically lit room is filled with the sweet sounds of Skee-Lo and the Beastie Boys.

This place in Prospect Heights with a shoji screen and a little Bonsai tree looks like hundreds of other neighborhood sushi spots, but that’s where the similarities end. Sushi Lin is serving some of the best sushi in the city—not just for a casual spot, but for any spot. The focus here is on quality fish, and for $33, you get nine pieces of thick-cut nigiri along with soup and a negi toro roll. It’s a deal that should cause lines around the block.

We always recommend Sushi Katsuei to anyone looking for a terrific, creative omakase that they can eat without feeling like Mr. Monopoly. This Park Slope restaurant opened in 2014, and then subsequently expanded to the West Village in 2017. Omakases at both locations start around $60 for nine pieces and a handroll, often highlighting unusual pieces like firefly squid or barracuda (plus more typical fan favorites like toro or uni).

Tanoshi used to be a far walk from any train, but now this sushi restaurant on the Upper East Side is one of the best excuses to take advantage of the newish 72nd Street Q station. As soon as you sit down, you’ll be asked if you need glassware—this place is BYOB, and that’s a big part of why we like it. The space here is tight, but as you get into your $108 omakase, you’ll quickly forget about your surroundings. We encourage you to order at least one of the add-ons.

Sushi Seki is similar to Sushi Of Gari in terms of fish quality and a commitment to unexpected flair (broiled tomatoes on salmon, tofu on tuna, etc). That’s because Chef Seki actually started working at Gari before opening this place. The main difference between the two is that here you can always expect a late-night scene of people who have lived in the neighborhood for 20 years sitting at the sushi bar, as well as sleepy chefs eating after their shifts. We usually order the $42 special.

The tranquil dining room here makes you feel like somebody is about to place cucumber slices over your eyes and give you a massage. Only one omakase is offered ($225 or $200 depending on where you sit), and it consists of an amuse, sashimi, 12 sushi courses (including one toro scallion hand roll with pickled radish), soup, and a dessert with tea. Instead of booking a spa day, come here for your next big night out, and feel just as pampered as you would getting a cryotherapy facial.

The chef at Sushi Jin is the sushi godfather of the Upper East Side. And for the hour you’re sitting at his omakase counter, you’re officially part of his crew. The selection at Sushi Jin changes based on whatever is seasonal, but some atypical pieces might include a subtly sweet cherry sea bream, giant squid that tastes as creamy as a milkshake, and our favorite, a delicate and buttery Japanese tilefish. An omakase starts around $120, and you can call 646-609-6770 for a reservation.

When Sushi Nakazawa opened in 2013, $150 still felt like an intimidating price tag for an omakase. Now, there are a ton of spots where you can easily spend $300 or more. This puts us in the awkward position of having to tell you that, at $180 for 21 courses, Sushi Nakazawa is actually a pretty good deal. Don’t tell anyone we said that, but do come here for your next special occasion.

This “sushi speakeasy” requires you to decode an email before you can enter the East Village restaurant. That might sound annoying, but we promise it's not. (And it’s really easy). This omakase is based around a loose plot in which you've been invited by the eccentric and reclusive Mr. Moto to dine amongst his collection of Japanese antiques. But the lightly themed dinner theater isn’t there to distract from any flaws.

We sometimes get tired of sushi costumes. You know the ones: unidentifiable crunchy bits, truffle uni painted with edible gold, and hills of roe that shimmer like sequins on a prom dress. Douska on the LES doesn’t bother with costumes. Instead, this casual spot specializes in to-the-point handrolls that bring together fresh yellowtail, a few rogue scallions, and warm vinegary rice in a little hug of crispy nori.

You can’t debate the best sushi on the Upper East Side without mentioning Sushi Of Gari, a small spot on 78th Street that has been around since 1997. The omakase here includes what is by now a legendary combination of sauteed tomato over perfectly chilled, buttery salmon. Even if you don’t personally understand what “umami” is supposed to taste like, you will after this bite. All of Sushi Of Gari’s pieces are brushed with sauces, and most are topped with additional garments.

You can usually fit sushi places into one of a few categories. They range from “it’s a Tuesday and this place on Seamless seemed fine last time” to “I want to eat like Jeff Bezos for just one day.” Domodomo is unique in that it’s hard to place neatly into a tier. Aesthetically, the restaurant feels very upscale, but the $97 signature Domokase comes with more than most would expect (10 pieces of sushi, miso Chilean sea bass, a tuna cone with truffle oil, and more).

Nakaji has a few distinctions in the fancy sushi landscape. First, there’s the setting. This place is located in a little alley running between Bowery and Elizabeth in Chinatown, so you’re probably going to walk around confused for a few minutes before you find the doorway. The menu ($225 before tax and tip) also stands out from its peers, mainly through its dedication to seasonality. On any given night, the three starter dishes and the dozen-ish nigiri that follow might vary pretty widely.