The Best Sushi Spot in Washington D.C. To Match Your Taste and Budget

There is something about enjoying a platter of sushi and a favorite drink inform of a special event with friends and family just to remind yourself of the small luxuries in life.

When the craving for sushi hits, you want to satisfy it right away. Washington has a respectable mix of neighborhood sushi spots, affordable roll stops, as well as fancy, special occasion spots offering your favorite omakase menus.  Even in the wake of a global pandemic, sushi restaurants are finding a way to serve their customer with takeout and deliveries.

We did the tough task of trying them out, and out of the city’s incredible backdrop of great sushi restaurants, we selected some of the best spots to grab the best sushi in D.C.

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Shiro's Sushi

2401 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 shiros.com

A casual sushi restaurant serving up delicious sushi rolls and an Omakase including à la carte menu!

Shiro’s Sushi is a romantic spot that features a unique interior with ample space to enjoy a great meal with family and friends. Legendary chef Shiro Kashiba started this restaurant associated with his name to showcases a blend of classic Japanese techniques and Pacific Northwest seafood options and fresh ingredients. He has since moved on to a new project and slices seafood at nearby Sushi Kashiba in Pike Place Market.

That said, the food at Shiro’s Sushi remains flawless in the capable hands of chef Jun Kobayashi who has carried forth the legacy of the restaurants and diversified in sushi varieties with unique and innovative culinary skills. And now to the menu. Enjoy delicious options such as crispy sushi rice burger with selections such as Shiro’s classic with grilled smoked salmon, cabbage, crispy tomato, and onions, avocado and shrimp, crispy chicken, and Shiro’s vegan with crispy tofu, avocado, and vegetable – all gluten-free.

The sushi rolls especially tikka, spicy tuna, negitoro, salmon, California, and more are part of the main draws here. If you want to explore more, you can try some items from the Omakase menu including chef’s Omakase nigari that includes 19-piece chef’s choice nigari with 4 way Bluefin tuna, ikura, and sea urchin. You can also try the 12-piece nigiri assortment and caterpillar roll or the tuna combo that comes with five pieces of Bluefin tuna nigari with tuna and Daikon roll.

Along with the rolls, they offer appetizers, soups, salads, and entrees. Don’t forget to end the meal with a savory dessert!

Momiji

1522 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 momijiseattle.com

Upscale Japanese bistro serving delightful sushi and stylish cocktails in a serene space with a Kyoto courtyard!

Looking to get some unique takes on sushi at a stylish restaurant in D.C.? Then you should visit Momiji, a hand-crafted Japanese eatery located on Twelfth Avenue in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. They have an extensive menu with delicious items for dinner, happy hour, and late-night bites. The Japanese garden in the back is quiet and lovely in the late afternoon, but the sprawling eatery gets noisy as it fills up as the day grows old. That said, it’s a popular spot for a date night.

When you come here, you will be treated to the most beautiful assortment of sushi, rolls, bento boxes, soups, omakase, and other traditional Japanese foods prepared from the greatest Northwest ingredients. The Chef’s special menu features signature items such as the King Ghidorah roll that comes with spicy snow crab mix, tempura scallions, and avocado with spicy tuna, sesame, tempura unagi and scallion’s toppings. The Demon slayer roll that is spicy is also a great option to try. You can also enjoy other items such as Temari crispy rice, sashimi salad, appetizers, salads, and specialty rolls such as casino royale, crunchy lizard, rockstar, just to mention a few.

Drop by during happy hour and enjoy delicious options on the raw bar, fried rolls, and signature drinks. The late-night menu also features a whole lot of options from the kitchen, a late-night sushi bar, and of course delicious late-night drinks!

Umi Sake House

2230 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 umisakehouse.com

A sleek, casual spot dishing out inventive sushi rolls and loads of izakaya-style snacks, as well as sake, served late night!

How about a unique Japanese spot offering incredible sushi rolls and lots of other options during happy hour? Umi Sake House is popular for its high-quality seafood available in the Northwest, an extensive izakaya-style tapas menu, and a huge list of over 60 imported Japanese bottles.

Umi Sake House offers a wide range of specialty roles such as casino royale rolls, dragonfly rolls, Casanova rolls, butterfly rolls, crunchy lizard, and more. They also offer standard rolls such as tuna, salmon, Seattle, shrimp tempura, futomaki, and unagi rolls. Still on the menu, you will find plenty of raw bar items, salads, soups, and hot plates such as agedashi tofu, lobster tempura, crispy calamari, filet mignon, seared scallops, and much more.

Vegetarians will find something delightful to enjoy here with options such as vegetable sushi sampler with a 12-piece assortment of vegetable sushi and rolls, shishito pepper, inari, okra, cucumber roll, avocado roll, just to mention a few. Finally, the happy hour options are out of this world, so ensure you treat yourself to a bad boy roll, crunchy Cali roll, poke salad, and one of the late-night signature drinks.

Sushi Kashiba

86 Pine St Suite #1, Seattle, WA 98101 sushikashiba.com

Fresh sushi and omakase served in a vibrant chic room with water views!

For over 50 years, Chef Kashiba has delighted visitors from across the world with his craft and artistry when it comes to preparing sushi and omakase. Located near the Pike Place Market, this restaurant offers everything from sushi to sashimi and it’s made with great skill. This popular destination offers daily selections of oysters sprinkled with shave frozen ponzu vinegar, sashimi tuna poke, ohitashi, and sunomono salad – daily selected seafood, seaweed, and sliced cucumber in dashi vinegar.

Stop by for dinner and try out the sushi course dinner with 13-pieces nigiri and special roll and includes house special appetizer, seasonal salad, and miso soup, and traditional egg finale.

Omakase box options are also great with popular items such as Kashiba belly box that comes with seared salmon belly, kama toro and seared Bluefin tuna belly, Kashiba Ikura jewel box that features a glistening layer of salmon roe and a couple of salmon sashimi slices, Kashiba toro maki box with three rolls of hand-shredded toro, and the Kashiba deluxe toro bowl that comes with hand-shredded Bluefin tuna betty and a couple of toro sashimi slices.

End the day on a high note by ordering one of their extensive wines and sake.

Kaz Sushi Bistro

1915 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006 kazsushi.com

Trendy, modern sushi spot that serves specialty Japanese fare including the chef’s tasting menus!

If you’re craving to enjoy Sushi in the perfect environment, Kaz Sushi Bistro is the place to go. The city pioneer, serves omakase, lunch specials, chef’s choice selections, and more. Here, Chef Kaz Okochi has been putting his experience in preparing delicious food to use with an extensive menu that has served locals for over 20 years now.

Take a break and join your friends for lunch or loved ones here and discover the wonderful tastes of the Japanese fare. Enjoy different items every day of the week on the lunch menu including sushi and salmon teriyaki bento box, nigiri and maki combo, sushi and beef teriyaki bento box, and much more. Still on the menu, you can grab one of your favorite rolls, signature nigiri or sashimi, and enjoy it with a salad or small dish.

Vegetarians will find something great to enjoy at Kaz Sushi Bistro with options such as vegetarian rolls from cucumber rolls to asparagus and red bell pepper roll, as well as vegetarian nigiri with options such as sweet sushi omelet Tamago and shitake mushroom.

They also offer savory desserts and signature drinks to go along with your sushi.

Sushi Taro

1503 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036 sushitaro.com

Chic sushi spot known for serving chef’s choice dinners, sake, bento-box lunch specials, and sho-chu!

When it comes to good food and signature wines, Sushi Taro works wonders and they deliver an exquisite dining experience for the best sushi you can find in the District. The atmosphere here is cool and laid back making it the perfect spot to hang out with family and friends.

When it comes to their menu, it’s bursting with plenty of unique options. There are tons of sushi rolls, bento-box lunch specials, kaiseki options, entrees, and sweets. Pair any of your main meals with signature wines, beer, or sake.

When it comes to Taro’s sushi kaiseki, be sure to try options such as zensai – an assortment of seasonal specialty bits, sashimi, chef’s choice nigiri sushi, or one of the sushi entrée. There’s also some intriguing smoked fish and not the usual lox you might find at other places with cream cheese. When you open up the box, you could be met up with some sweet shrimp, madai, spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, and so much more depending on your order.

If you don’t like ordering something from the menu, you can try out the Kaiseki experience. You won’t regret it. That said, don’t forget to explore their uniquely blended wine and craft beer to go enjoy along with your sushi.

Kotobuki

4822 MacArthur Blvd NW, Washington, DC 20007 kotobukidc.com

A japanese-inspired cozy spot that offers a fine selection of Japanese eats and other classics!

Kotobuki is a cute, cozy restaurant that offers basic nigiri and maki. While there are no huge dragon rolls, they serve delicious sushi, sashimi and kamameshi (vegetables and meat served in an iron kettle).

They have a large varied menu for dinner, lunch, happy hour, drinks, and even a special menu. When you come here for lunch, you can enjoy items such as sashimi fresh raw fish, sushi special, appetizers, desserts, and plenty of hot or cold sake and wine. Come in during the happy hour and enjoy classics such as nigiri sushi handcrafted or rolled with seaweed.

They also offer a drinks menu with signature sake cocktails, beers, and wines for diners to try.

As you can see, D.C. has a wide variety of upscale sushi spots to try. Even if you’re not a sushi fan, you will find something exquisite to enjoy in any of these top restaurants in Washington. So, which spots would you want to try out! Let’s know in the comments!