Seattle, WA
For Japanese in Seattle, the local food press points to Sushi Kashiba, Kamonegi, and Maneki Restaurant. Picks from The Infatuation and The Seattle Times, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in The Infatuation and The Seattle Times. Updated July 2026.
Sushi Kashiba · Pike Place Market
Run by Shiro Kashiba, who trained under Jiro Ono before opening Seattle's first sushi bar decades ago, this Pike Place Market institution builds an omakase around sake- and soy-brushed tuna, silky uni, and fried prawn heads. Arrive early for counter seats.
Kamonegi · Fremont
Chef Mutsuko Soma hand-cuts buckwheat soba in-house, served cold or in broth alongside fresh sea urchin and marinated ikura on shiso. Fried kabocha wings glazed in a sticky duck demi-glace round out a menu that earned national new-restaurant recognition.
Maneki Restaurant · International District
Operating in the Chinatown-International District since 1904, one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the country still open. Sushi shares the menu with cooked plates like pan-seared gyoza and a smoky miso black cod collar.
wa'z Seattle · Belltown
A seasonal kaiseki restaurant building multi-course dashi-based dinners around dry-aged bluefin tuna nigiri, a formal, slow-paced alternative to the standard sushi-counter format in a compact Belltown room.
Tamari Bar · Capitol Hill
A sashimi- and small-plates-focused izakaya on Capitol Hill, known for a salmon belly chirashi topped with miso sauce and a rotating list of pork dumplings, built for grazing over drinks rather than a full formal sushi dinner.
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