When it comes to Japanese cuisine in New York City, we’re spoiled for choice. From elegant izakayas to comforting ramen shops, the city is teeming with incredible options. Maybe too many options. Which spots truly stand out? As someone who has spent 25 years exploring Japanese food culture in NYC, I’ve seen it all. This list highlights my personal favorites and doesn’t include the upper-echelon, Michelin-starred sushi restaurants. These are more down-to-earth. Each restaurant on this list offers something special—whether it’s the best sake pairing, an unforgettable tomato dish, or a late-night bowl of comfort. Let’s dive into the top ten Japanese restaurants in New York City!
Best Overall: Sakagura
Image credit: Sakagura
Opened in 1996, Sakagura is the first restaurant in New York City to elevate sake to the same level as fine wine, quite a departure from the limited selection of hot sake offered elsewhere. Emphasizing premium sake imported from Japan and pairing it with their authentic dishes, Sakagura continues to educate New Yorkers about sake and Japanese cuisine.
The extensive sake list and delicious food, combined with its calm atmosphere and consistently exceptional service, make Sakagura the perfect place for a meal, whether it’s a power lunch with a client or a date night with someone special.
How to Find Sakagura
Image Credit: Sakagura
Follow on Instagram: @ sakagurany
📍211 E. 43rd Street, B1, New York, NY 10017
Best Tokyo-Style Ramen: Tonchin
Image credit: Tonchin Ramen
There are close to one hundred ramen restaurants in New York City, so I’m not going to attempt to name the best one here. But Tonchin does have what I consider the best Tokyo-style ramen, which is a lighter, dashi-based version of traditional tonkotsu broths. Plus, their kakigori is amazing and worth having in the heat of summer.
Where to Find Tonchin’s Tokyo-Style Ramen
Image credit: Tonchin Ramen
Follow on Instagram: @ tonchinus
📍13 W. 36th Street, New York, NY 10018
📍109 N. 3rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Best Tomato: Towa
Image credit: Towa
Okay, I know it sounds crazy to steer people to a restaurant because it has the best tomato, but Towa serves the best tomato I’ve ever had in my life. Marinated in dashi and served with dashi jelly, chia seeds, and passion fruit, the softball-sized “Umami Tomato” is bursting with flavor. Towa’s sushi and nabe entrees don’t disappoint, either.
Where to Experience Towa’s Umami Tomato
Follow on Instagram: @ towa.nyc
📍 36 W. 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
Best Chicken Tsukune: Izakaya Nomad
Image credit: Izakaya Nomad
In keeping with the theme of highlighting a restaurant for a specific dish, the chicken tsukune at Izakaya Nomad, located mere steps away from Towa, is tops in the city.
At an izakaya known for its scrumptious skewers, the chicken tsukune stands out because the perfectly round orbs are slathered in tare and grilled to a crispy perfection on the outside while retaining a softness on the inside. The raw egg in soy sauce for dipping adds another layer of umami to the experience.
Directions to Izakaya Nomad for Tsukune Lovers
Image credit: Izakaya Nomad
Follow on Instagram: @ izakaya_nomad
📍 13 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
Best Late-Night Option: Donburiya
Image credit: Donburiya
This is my go-to spot after an evening event in Midtown West, be it a Broadway show or a gallery opening. Donburiya has an extensive menu that covers the breadth of Japanese comfort food, including all the noodles—ramen, soba, udon—as well as a wide selection of donburi, of course.
Wash it all down with a beer, a glass of sake, or a highball. And their last order on most nights is at 2:30 a.m., so you’ll have plenty of time to eat and drink.
Late-Night Eats: Find Donburiya Here
Image credit: Donburiya
Follow on Instagram: @ donburi.ya
📍 253 W. 55th Street, New York, NY 10019
Best Appetizers: NR
Image credit: NR
This Upper East Side speakeasy has elevated versions of your typical Japanese appetizers: edamame, karaage, and pork buns. But what you really need to order is their Deviled Egg + Egg + Egg, Truffle Egg Sandwich, and Miso-Glazed Eggplant.
This isn’t your Aunt Mildred’s deviled eggs on Thanksgiving; NR’s triple-egg delight tops an egg with uni and caviar as well as umami-enhancing condiments. You can dip your truffle-seasoned egg sando in warm butter, and the house-made miso adds saltiness and texture to a very large but tender eggplant. Go for the apps; stay for the cocktails.
Get to NR for Amazing Appetizers
Image credit: NR
Follow on Instagram: @nr_nyc
📍 339 E. 75th Street, New York, NY 10021
Best Cocktails: Angel’s Share
Image credit: Angel’s Share
But if you want THE BEST cocktails in New York, go to Angel’s Share, where you’ll have a sublime experience. The legendary craft cocktail bar closed in 2022, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was resurrected the following year after owner Erina Yoshida made an exhaustive search to find the perfect new home. She did, and she managed to bring the classic details from the first incarnation in 1993, including the iconic cherub-covered mural.
Each cocktail crafted at Angel’s Share is representative of Japan’s meticulous bartending techniques and dedication to blending high-quality ingredients with their innovative recipes. The award-winning bar revolutionized cocktail culture and launched the careers of several celebrity bartenders, including Shingo Gokan, who is considered one of the most influential mixologists in the world, and Takuma Watanabe, who opened Martiny’s in the spring of 2022.
How to Find Angel’s Share for Craft Cocktails
Image credit: Angel’s Share
Follow on Instagram: @angelssharenyc
📍 45 Grove Street, New York, NY 10014
Best Comfort Food: Go!Go!Curry!
Image credit: Go! Go! Curry!
Nothing says “comfort food” like a plate of Japanese pork katsu curry, and Go!Go!Curry! has the best curry in New York. Named after legendary Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees baseball player Hideki Matsui, who wore number 55 (which can be pronounced “go-go”), Go!Go!Curry! serves a variety of katsu and toppings with a dark and thick Kanazawa-style sauce. You can get your curry fix at five different locations.
Where to Enjoy Go!Go!Curry!
Image credit: Go! Go! Curry!
Follow on Instagram: @gogocurryamerica
📍 12 John Street, New York, NY 10038
📍 43-31 33rd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
Best Sweets: Cha-An
Image credit: Cha-An Tea House
This cozy teahouse in the East Village has been serving tea and Japanese sweets for 20 years. You’ll find Japanese specialties such as homemade mochi, anmitsu, and dango, but there are creative collaborations of Japan and the West as well: matcha tiramisu, strawberry affogato, and black sesame crème brûlée.
They have excellent savory offerings for lunch as well, but the desserts—and the tea—are why you should go.
Sweet Treats Await at Cha-An
Image credit: Cha-An Team House
Follow on Instagram: @chaanteahouse
📍 230 E. 9th St. 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003
Best Bento: BentOn
Image credit: BentOn
Technically not a restaurant, BentOn is a consistently wonderful bento take-out place in Midtown. Every bento is constructed with proteins and veggies, a balance of fried and broiled, with special attention paid to seasonality and thoughtful presentation.
If you don’t have time for a sit-down meal, a bento from BentOn is the best choice.
Pick Up the Best Bento at BentOn
Image credit: BentOn
Follow on Instagram: @benton_nyc
📍 156 E. 45th Street, New York, NY 10017
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