10 Best Sushi Restaurants in San Diego

Photo Credit: steven

• 2121 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA
• soichisushi.com
• $$$$
• Michelin-starred dining experience
• Reservations required

SOICHI is the creme de la creme for sushi in San Diego. It’s one of five local restaurants that has earned a prestigious 1 Michelin Star rating. This honorable designation is credited to the engaging omakase style with Chef Soichi himself!

Reservations are made a month in advance for a chance to sit with Chef Soichi. For this special 8-course meal, he selects seasonal ingredients and has a few surprises awaiting diners as you taste exceptional food from the appetizer to dessert. From their artistic presentation to the unique blend of textures and a mouthwatering combination of flavors, these rolls are well worth the price tag.

2. Harney Sushi

Photo Credit: Pablo Perez

• 3964 Harney St, San Diego, CA
• harneysushi.com
• $$
• Sustainably-sourced sushi
• Reservations recommended

Order any sushi roll from the Harney Sushi menu, and it will pass the freshness test. Good sushi starts from the ingredients. Everything is sourced sustainably to ensure top-quality appearance, texture, and, of course, flavor in every bite!

Harney Sushi brings the world’s best sushi ingredients to Old Town San Diego to create its award-winning sushi. Yellowfin tuna arrives directly from the Gulf of Mexico, wild mackerel caught and shipped from Boston, and shellfish sourced from Carlsbad Aquafarms. Even the produce comes from local sustainable farms.

Don’t miss out on their happy hour menu to try the five-piece nigiri sampler.

3. Sushi Tadokoro

Photo Credit: Cindy Chiu

• 2244 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• sushitadokoro.com
• $$$$
• Traditional sashimi and nigiri
• Reservations Required

This former Michelin-starred restaurant is primed to win its way back into the hearts of San Diego’s sushi lovers. And it’s doing so by doubling down on traditional sushi-making methods instead of chasing the latest culinary trends.

Sushi Tadokoro specializes in Edomae-style sushi, which was created during Japan’s Edo period. It prepares sushi using fish found in Tokyo Bay, including tuna, mackerel, sea urchin, etc. It uses a special technique for marinating fish in soy sauce, originally used to preserve the fish.

Edomae-style sushi brings minimalism to culinary arts by keeping ingredients to a minimum: fish and vinegar rice. Fewer ingredients mean larger portions than your typical sushi place in San Diego, so you’ll have more than enough great food to feel satisfied.

4. Taka Restaurant

Photo Credit: Brian Wong

• 555 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA
• takasushi.com
• $$$
• Seasonal sushi and sashimi
• Reservations recommended

Treat yourself to a seasonal taste fest at Taka Restaurant in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. It will save your taste buds a trip to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ because this sushi spot gets its fish imported directly from Japan.

Whatever fish is in season is what you get at Taka Restaurant. Chef Taka and his team of skilled sushi chefs keep the sushi bar stocked with seasonal specialties using a contemporary twist to traditional Japanese sushi-making. Pair the unique sushi creations with hot or cold sake.

5. Himitsu

Photo Credit: Chenlin Lu (Leo)

• 1030 Torrey Pines Rd G, La Jolla, CA
• himitsusd.com
• $$$
• Best sushi bar
• Reservations required

The sushi bar at Himitsu is the best seat in the house. The face-to-face engagement with the very chefs preparing your sushi makes each bite that much more meaningful. These friendly sushi chefs will turn you into a sushi expert by the end of your meal.

Only eight seats are available at the sushi bar, so lock in your reservations before arriving. You’re in for a show as sushi chefs handcraft sushi creations right in front of you. Learn about their techniques and the special ingredients while consuming a la carte sushi plates. Its popular sushi dishes include rib eye katsu sando, soft-shell crab, Matsu roll, and bluefin tuna toro.

6. Azuki Sushi Lounge

Photo Credit: Mario Guadarrama

• 2321 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA
• azukisushi.com
• $$
• Creative sushi rolls
• Reservations recommended

The origin of sushi dates back as early as the 2nd century. Since then, sushi chefs have found innovative new ways to make it. From the type of fish used to preparation to how it looks on your plate, Azuki Sushi Lounge has explored countless ways to deliver the most creative sushi in San Diego.

This Banker’s Hill sushi spot puts a creative San Diegoan touch to the traditional Japanese recipe. Taste the unbelievable flavor of the ‘R U Kidding Me.’ Ignite your sense of taste with the Super Dragon specialty rolls. Experience a Mexican fusion in the ‘by the border’ roll. They even have Vegan sushi rolls!

7. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar

Photo Credit: Jay Schimke

• 4609 Convoy St STE F, San Diego, CA
• kurasushi.com/locations/san-diego-ca-convoy
• $
• Revolving sushi bar concept
• Reservations not required

Forget about the futuristic AI revolution when this unique sushi spot has already found a way to deliver endless amounts of sushi to your table without a server. How? With Kura’s revolving sushi bar. It’s a concept that originated in Japan and now spread to multiple locations across the US.

Take a seat anywhere inside this unique restaurant and watch the magic happen. A conveyor belt circles past each table with plates of hand-rolled sushi prepared fresh. It’s one of the best cheap sushi spots in San Diego since most sushi plates are under $5. Seared scallops, golden crunch rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and California rolls are just a few of the sushi options you’ll see rotating around the belt.

8. Katsu Cafe

Photo Credit: shristi Todi

• 7305 Clairemont Mesa Blvd #B, San Diego, CA
• katsucafesd.com
• $$
• Authentic Japanese food
• Reservations not required

Sushi is a staple in Japanese cuisine that pairs well with other Asian-inspired dishes. Get the full cultural experience when dining in at Katsu Cafe. With 40+ varieties of sushi rolls on the menu, you can try something new every time you eat at this Japanese restaurant.

Experiment with different types of sushi to find your favorite style—fresh specialty rolls, fully cooked/baked, deep fried rolls, and hand rolls. And that’s just the beginning! Order vegetable tempura to accompany a plate dish or ramen bowl.

9. Full Moon Sushi & Kitchen Bar

Photo Credit: Addie Kern

• 926 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA
• fullmoonsandiego.com
• $$
• Kaizen-style sushi
• Reservations recommended

Full Moon Sushi changes the tide for sushi making in the Gaslamp Quarter. It’s the first Kaizen sushi restaurant in town, aiming to elevate the way we experience sushi in San Diego. “Kaizen” is a Japanese concept of continuous improvement. This sushi hotspot prides itself on taking several aspects of the sushi dining experience to the next level.

Chef Sung and his staff have raised the bar for sushi flavor with high-quality ingredients. It gave the menu an uplift by incorporating international influences and inspiration from the Pacific region. You’ll love dining in this sophisticated space. It spotlights the open kitchen design to put sushi-making on front display.

Ask your server for recommendations for imported Japanese sake based on your taste preferences.

10. Sushi Ota

Photo Credit: Kyle

• 4529 Mission Bay Dr., San Diego, CA
• sushi-ota.com
• $$$$
• Omakase tastings
• Reservations required

Dine at San Diego’s OG sushi spot that birthed many of the best local sushi restaurants and chefs. Experience how an omakase tasting is supposed to happen.

This multi-course meal consists of chef-choice selections. Taste the melt-in-your-mouth fish varieties on the nigiri plate. Pick tasty bites from the sashimi platter. The freshly-made wasabi is a must-try—but only a drop!

Several chefs with successful training in Sushi Ota have gone on to start other local sushi spots in San Diego, including Mitsu Aihara, founder of Hitmitsu, who is also featured on this list.

Come for Vacation Villa, Stay For the Sushi

Make tonight a sushi night and order sushi takeout to enjoy at your San Diego Vacation Rental. Many of the best local sushi restaurants offer takeout and/or delivery service right to your door. Browse our collection of vacation rentals near popular neighborhoods—from the historic Gaslamp District to La Jolla oceanfront vacation homes.