UPDATED FOR 2018!
Tel Aviv has become a bit of a sushi mecca in recent times and – you might be surprised to hear this – is now the world’s third largest sushi market in per capita terms, behind New York and, not surprisingly, Tokyo.
See also: The Top 5 sushi restaurants in Jerusalem
Anyway, from the ever-growing list of excellent sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv (there are now well over 100 sushi joints listed on Israel’s premier restaurant site), we’ve selected the 5 we think you really should try. They, in our opinion, are the best sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv, that will probably still be around (economy crises willing) when you come looking for some sushi. And we have even added a few at the end that just missed out on fame and glory on iGoogled…
In no particular order…
Yan
We recently came across this awesome little sushi restaurant, located on the corner of Ben Gurion/Dizengoff streets. Decently priced sushi, with very fresh, crispy ingredients! We loved the Spicy Tuna, the Shrimp Tempura, and the Pad Thai. The cosy atmosphere was also nice – there’s also a great little balcony overlooking Ben Gurion street, perfect for a bit of people watching. And if you sit inside, don’t worry about your feet not reaching the floor – I’m almost two meters tall and my feet were dangling!
Ben Gurion 40, Telephone: 03-7943529 (Yan Sushi House Facebook)
Onami
This place has a great name in Tel Aviv sushi circles and is considered perhaps the finest of all in Tel Aviv. It’s not cheap, but the variety available is impressive. You should try their renowned Agadashi Tofu. I’ve been here a couple of times myself, but always left expecting more. Maybe I came at the wrong time of day or just ordered the wrong stuff…but others do rave about this place so give it a try.
HaArba’ah 18, 03-5621172 (www.onami.co.il)
Jasia
This is fast becoming one of the must-try sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv (OK, it’s actually in Old Jaffa), and its location in an ancient stone building is the first thing you’ll be charmed by. Their exciting mixtures of Asian food with Mediterranean Jaffan influences are well worth a try, with plenty of excellent sushi to try. If Asian Fusion is up your street, this is one restaurant you shouldn’t miss out on…
Louis Pasteur 7, Old Jaffa, 03-9323222 (More details)
Nini Hachi
This newish sushi restaurant (shown in the photo above), located at the northern end of Ben Yehuda Street, is also becoming a bit of a star in the Tel Aviv sushi scene, with its Kosher status making it a firm favorite with more observant Jews. Good service, with some very decent sushi. Try the upstairs section if you want to get away from the buzz downstairs. The noodle soup gets the nod from us. For those of you expecting seafood, try one of the others on this list…
Ben Yehuda 228, 03-6249228 (www.ninihachi.com)
Moon
Another of the conveyor belt crowd, though Moon claims to be the first sushi bar in Tel Aviv to use this, and frankly, who are we to argue. Their use of the conveyor belt system promotes sitting at the bar because they only have 3 tables to sit at, which are often occupied. Great sushi, nice place. My wife was particularly impressed by the couple of Israeli celebs she spotted in the place. They also have a good delivery service which shouldn’t be sneezed at.
Bograshov 58, 03-6291155 (More details)
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So there you go, the 5 best sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv. Hope you’ve got your chopsticks primed and ready. And please feel free to let us know of any hidden gems that we might have missed out…hopefully the following list includes some of those brave attempts but not quite Top 5 restaurants…
- Sushi Bar Bazel: This is another long-standing sushi joint getting good reviews: read more on their website.
- HaSushiya: Another popular sushi joint, with a range of branches across the country: see more on their website
- FU Sushi: Good mix of sushi, with decent service, much loved by many! Check out their website
* For those of you familiar with our sushi list, we removed Kai (HaBarzel 4) because they appear to have closed down. Damn shame…
And a quick taste of what sushi in Tel Aviv is all about…