Best Sushi in Portland: Omakase Counters and Local Favorites

Nimblefish has been one of Portland’s top omakase counters since it opened in 2017, a 12-seat wooden bar a few steps off Hawthorne. The Edomae-inspired omakase pairs Northwest and Japanese seafood, and the kitchen’s way with curing, marinating and smoking fish is what sets it apart. Watch for Oregon uni with lemon and shiso, or a small, rich rice bowl of smoked salmon, crab and ikura.

Good for

Special-occasion dinners, a first omakase, and anyone curious about cured and smoked fish.

Know before you go

Book the omakase counter through Resy. À la carte sushi is served Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m., at a separate counter, and you can add pieces after the omakase.

Shinji and Izumi Uehara opened Kaede in Sellwood in January 2023, and it quickly became one of the city’s most admired sushi rooms. It works in the sushi kappo style, somewhere between a casual izakaya and formal kaiseki, with a seasonal tasting menu that moves from small cooked dishes to nigiri. Shinji leads the sushi counter, and battera, Osaka-style pressed sushi with house-cured mackerel, is a quiet highlight.

Good for

Quiet celebrations, tasting-menu fans, and a Sellwood dinner worth planning around.

Know before you go

Reservations are required and open 13 days ahead. Dinner only, Tuesday through Friday, with the last seating at 7:15 p.m. Counter seats cost a little more than tables.

The newest counter on this list opened downtown in September 2026, from Cody Auger, the chef who founded Nimblefish. It has eight seats, one seating a night and an omakase of about 21 courses, with Washington crab, Spanish fatty tuna, Japanese uni, steamed Oregon petrale sole and grilled Japanese mackerel among recent pieces. The room is spare on purpose, so all the attention lands on the fish.

Good for

Serious sushi people, milestone dinners, and anyone who followed Auger’s work at Nimblefish.

Know before you go

Open Wednesday through Saturday, by reservation only, through OpenTable.

Murata has been a family-owned Japanese restaurant since 1988, and it still runs like a place built on regulars. Take a seat at the sushi bar, mark your order on the paper sheet, and check the specials board for things like Hokkaido uni or firefly squid. The rest of the menu rewards exploring too, from Osaka-style pressed sushi to zosui, a rice soup served in a small iron pot.

Good for

Classic-sushi lovers, a weekday lunch downtown, and visitors who like a restaurant with history.

Know before you go

Reservations are by phone only; leave a voicemail and the restaurant calls back to confirm. Lunch is Monday through Friday and dinner Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Zilla holds one of the biggest sake collections in Portland, and under chef Kate Koo, who has owned it since 2018, this Alberta room has become one of the city’s most personal sushi restaurants. Book the chef-driven omakase or build a meal from nigiri, sashimi, maki and small cooked plates. The whole food menu is gluten-free, and staff will help you match a bottle to dinner.

Good for

Sake lovers, gluten-free diners, and Alberta date nights.

Know before you go

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m. (last seating). Reservations on Tock are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. Takeout is by phone, Tuesday through Thursday only. Bottles are sold to go at retail prices.

Bamboo became the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant in 2008, and responsible sourcing is still its core. It has since grown into a regional group, yet the Portland rooms remain an easy call for mixed groups and casual date nights, and Willamette Week readers voted it the city’s best sushi in 2026. The Alberta Street location pairs well with a walk along the avenue before or after.

Good for

Groups with different comfort levels, sustainability-minded diners, and dependable weeknight sushi.

Know before you go

Book through the website. Other Portland locations are on SE 28th Avenue, NW 23rd Avenue and SW 12th Avenue downtown, plus Lake Oswego and Cedar Hills in Beaverton.

Masu has been a downtown fixture for more than 20 years, an upstairs dining room on SW 13th Avenue run by executive chef and owner Tommy Shin with co-owners Jennifer and Tracy Quan. The kitchen draws on ingredients from the Pacific Northwest and Japan and goes well past nigiri: miso-and-butter marinated black cod, beef short rib yakiniku, and house rolls like the Rip City. It’s the one to choose when your group includes a cautious orderer.

Good for

Downtown dinners, mixed groups, and an after-work happy hour.

Know before you go

Happy hour runs 5 to 6:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Lunch is weekdays and dinner is nightly, with reservations on OpenTable. The entrance leads up a flight of stairs; call ahead for elevator access. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options are available.

Yama is the relaxed, full-service choice in the Pearl: a sushi and sake bar with a long menu, generous hours and seasonal specials. The restaurant says its seafood is flown in daily from the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Sea of Japan, and there are vegetarian options for the friend who skips fish.

Good for

Pearl District lunches, casual sushi nights, and becoming a regular somewhere.

Know before you go

Open daily for lunch and dinner, with no afternoon break on weekends. Online ordering is available for pickup.

Yoko’s has been on SE Gladstone Street since 1997, and Portland keeps voting for it: it was a finalist for best sushi in Willamette Week’s 2026 readers’ poll. It’s a woman-owned neighborhood restaurant with imported sake and a menu that covers nigiri, rolls, teriyaki and udon. Order Taka’s Tuna, a crisp-fried rice patty topped with avocado and tuna poke.

Good for

Neighborhood sushi nights, families, and anyone who likes a restaurant with deep roots.

Know before you go

Open every day, 5 to 9 p.m., except Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.

The one suburban pick here earns its place on value. Ki-ichi sits in a strip mall on Pacific Highway in Tigard, and Portland Monthly counts it among the metro area’s best sushi deals. Chef’s-choice nigiri sets run from seven pieces up to a premium ten-piece set with uni, and the crab is the real thing.

Good for

A west-side lunch, budget-minded sushi fans, and good nigiri without a tasting-menu bill.

Know before you go

Lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Know a spot we missed? Tell us about it.