The Best Sushi in Downtown Los Angeles

It’s a great time to be a sushi aficionado. The Japanese food scene in Los Angeles is stronger than ever as the American palate is evolving to be less squeamish towards raw fish and much more inclined towards simplicity than the fanciful mayonnaise-drenched rolls of yesteryear. There seems to be sushi at every corner in Los Angeles, but Downtown L.A. in particular boasts a diversity of options. Little Tokyo in itself is sushi central and not far from it are powerhouses like Sushi Zo and Sugarfish. You’ll get a good mix of affordable plus luxurious choices – all without driving very far.

sawa
Opened in June 2022, Bar Sawa offers an Edomae-style omakase experience at a more approachable price point ($185, with an optional $45 cocktail pairing) than its Michelin-starred sister restaurant, Sushi Kaneyoshi next door (see below). The low-lit interior evokes a high-end Tokyo listening bar - jazz plays from audiophile speakers that flank the backbar; a wall of Hibiki whisky bottles dominates one end of the bar.
Recent highlights of the 17-course seasonal omakase include Seikogani (female snow crab), Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) "Taco," Ankimo (monkfish liver), Greek Black Snapper with apple ponzu, and Chawanmushi with Hokkaido scallop, oyster puree float, ginger and mejiso.
For the cocktail pairing, choose any three from the menu - options include the Sawa Highball (Toki Whisky, Yuzu Bitters, soda water, grapefruit peel), Japanese Negroni (Roku Gin, Campari, Umeshu) and the Sawa Martini with Haku Vodka and Dassai.
Reservations at Tock.

Hama Sushi
A sign at Hama Sushi warns that this Little Tokyo favorite is sushi-only. There’s no tempura, teriyaki or noodles. You can’t even get rice alone. The focus is on raw fish over rice and you’ll quickly find that the fish quality speaks for itself. The best option is to sit at the bar and order nigiri individually - highlights include the translucent amaebi (sweet shrimp), velvety salmon belly, and if available the lightly crunchy engawa (halibut fin). The popular Sushi Combination C includes tuna (2x), salmon, halibut, squid, shrimp, uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon roe), half-California roll and tofu miso soup.

KazuNori
Acclaimed sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa (co-founder of Sugarfish) opened the first KazuNori on Main Street in 2014. With the same commitment to quality as Sugarfish and a unique focus on hand rolls, the casual eatery was an instant hit and has since led to locations in Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, Studio City, Westwood, Santa Monica and Marina del Rey.
The KazuNori concept is as simple as the minimalist decor - guests queue up for a spot at the counter (first come, first-served) and choose from set menus of three to six hand rolls (priced at $15 - $28 per set). The iconic Blue Crab Hand Roll is featured in all four menus - depending on your selection, hand roll options can include Salmon, Bay Scallop, Toro, Yellowtail and Lobster. A la carte hand rolls and sashimi are also available.
Bring the KazuNori experience home with a Hand Roll Kit, which serves 3-5 people and comes with everything you need to make 20 hand rolls, including four different fillings (toro, crab, yellowtail, salmon), Nozawa’s signature warm rice, seaweed, plus an assortment of condiments.

Kura - Little Tokyo
Located at Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is the first LA location of the global chain, which spans more than 500 locations in Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. Other LA locations include Sawtelle Japantown, Koreatown, Sherman Oaks, Glendale and Torrance.
The kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi) experience begins as soon as guests are seated. Plates of sushi slowly drift by diners, who pluck them from the patented "Mr. Fresh" plastic dome, which prevents contact with other dishes. Guests can also select from the touchscreen and their orders will zip to their table on the Express Belt. Empty plates are deposited into a slot for Kura to calculate the tab.
Mostly priced at $3.75 each, plates range from familiar two-piece nigiri to less common Hokkaido Scallop, Aji (Spanish Mackerel) and Sea Bream with yuzu pepper; and seasonal one-piece selections like Toro and Snow Crab Leg. There's also norimaki, gunkan, and numerous cut and handrolls.
Note that there are no reservations - sign up when you arrive, or pre-register via the Kura app.

Q
If you’re looking for traditional, no other place in Los Angeles does that better than Q. Chef Hiroyuki Naruke is a champion for Edomae cuisine, using red vinegar for his rice, a pinch of salt and forgoing the use of sugar. In Edo-style times, rice was naturally sweeter and there was no need for sugar. The fish is seasonal and imported from around the world. The 26-seat restaurant is intimate and extremely detail orientated. Wasabi isn’t just handed to you; it’s glazed on top. Some bites come brushed with a hint of miso. Others, a delicate soy.

SUGARFISH | Downtown LA
Sugarfish is renowned for their Trust Me menus, where beautiful compact bites of nigiri are handed out as the meal goes on. The rice is warm and loosely packed and the fish is always creamy and soft. It’s intensely simple here – but that’s part of the whole appeal. A typical menu runs seven items strong, with a couple of hand rolls and a saucer of organic edamame. You can add more bites if you wish but trust them – their curated menu is often more than enough.

Sushi Gen Restaurant
Located inside Honda Plaza, Sushi Gen was opened by Toshiaki Toyoshima in 1980 and is best known for its weekday Sashimi Lunch - more than a dozen cuts (including a cooked salmon piece), miso soup, rice, tofu and pickled veggies for $23. Pricing for the special is $32 at dinner, which adds a tempura appetizer. The Chirashi ($23/$28) is also popular, featuring fresh bites of trout, tuna, yellowtail, squid and eel. No reservations, the line starts forming even before doors open at 11am.

Sushi Go 55
Located on the top floor of the Little Tokyo Galleria Market, Sushi Go 55 was opened in 2004 by the Morishita family, which can trace their Little Tokyo roots to their first restaurant in 1929. Sushi Go 5 offers all the standard options but it’s most known for being the home of the two-tiered chirashi. The top bowl is the usual assortment of fish - red snapper, tuna, yellowtail and salmon. The rice is embedded in the bottom layer and seasoned with a rather lavish amount of roe, seaweed and shredded egg.

Sushi Kaneyoshi
The epitome of "hidden gem," the Michelin-starred Sushi Kaneyoshi is tucked in the basement of the Kajima building off San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo. Helmed by chef Yoshiyuki Inoue, Sushi Kaneyoshi offers a high-end, Edomae-style omakase with 20 seasonal courses that change frequently.
Instagram user @sherwingoo recently posted a detailed recap of the experience - one standout is a beautifully presented dish with thin strands of mozuku seaweed in a vinegar dashi broth, topped with Ebi (Blue Prawns), shiso blossoms and yuzu zest. Other highlights include: Noten Hon Maguro ("a rich cut of bluefin tuna taken from the crown of the head"), Amadai (Tilefish), Gindara Don (Black Cod), Smoked Shima Aji (Striped Jack) with shiso sauce and pickled sweet onions; Seared Nodoguro (Blackthroat Seaperch) handroll, Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) with fresh wasabi and pickled rice; Saba (Japanese Mackerel) topped with thinly sliced kombu; Hokkaido Uni and Canadian Bafun Black Uni; and a final course of Tamago made with shrimp, egg and mountain yam.
Pricing for the omakase is $300 per person. Highly coveted reservations for the nightly 10 seats are available at Tock.

Sushi Rush - Grand Central Market
Look for Jonas Never's Shohei Ohtani mural and you can't miss Sushi Rush, located in the historic Grand Central Market. Founded by Tomohiko "Tomo" Kawamura and Nao Kikuchi, Sushi Rush offers a casual yet high-quality experience inspired by their motto, "Let's Sushi."
Sushi sets like the Rush Roll ($28) are a great bargain - the 5-piece "open handroll" set includes Blue Crab with cucumber, Bay Scallop with masago, Salmon with cucumber, Spicy Tuna with kaiware & crispy onion and Yellowtail with cucumber & scallion. Other options include the $25 Sushi Rush (8-pieces nigiri & 1 Rush Roll) and Salmon Zukushi ($25) with 8 pieces of salmon nigiri and a salmon handroll with cucumber and rice cracker.
Sushi Rush offers a weekday Happy Hour from 3pm to close, featuring a sushi sampler, Sapporo draft (16 oz or pitcher), red and white wine, sake (hot or cold) and edamame.

Sushi Zo
It’s the $160 omakase that both draws and deters people from this place. But if you have the money to spend and the patience to enjoy, Angelenos swear by Sushi Zo as one of their best sushi experiences. The wild sockeye salmon, if you are lucky enough to get it on your plate, is a resplendent blood orange, almost neon in color. You might have the oyster from Washington, toro from Australia or the abalone from Monterey. Each course, like a global procession, marches into your mouth educating you on what sushi can be and should be.