Santa Fe, NM
For Japanese in Santa Fe, the local food press points to Izanami Restaurant and Joy's Sushi Bar. Picks from Santa Fe Reporter, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Santa Fe Reporter. Updated July 2026.
Izanami Restaurant · Hyde Park Road
An upscale izakaya set inside the Ten Thousand Waves hot-springs resort on Hyde Park Road, pairing Japanese small plates with one of North America's deepest premium sake selections. Owner Deborah Fleig is one of fewer than 40 female sake masters in the world, and her flights anchor the meal. Named Best Asian Restaurant in the 2024 Best of Santa Fe awards and profiled by the Santa Fe Reporter. Order izakaya small plates alongside a curated sake flight, with sushi and sashimi Wednesday through Saturday.
Joy's Sushi Bar · St. Michael's corridor
A no-frills counter-service sushi bar attached to the Santa Fe Asian Market on the St. Michael's corridor, where the draw is the fish itself. The Santa Fe Reporter's 'Jump for Joy's' feature praised it for some of the freshest fish among the city's sushi options, and the 2026 Best of Santa Fe guide named it a Best New Restaurant nominee. Order the nigiri and sashimi selections cut to order at the counter, then browse the market on your way out.
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