Sushi is a food as elegant in presentation as it is delicious in flavor, so going out for sushi in Tampa is one of those perfect experiences for almost any lunch or dinner occasion you can think of.
Whether you’re having fun with friends and family, discussing business with colleagues, or especially enjoying a romantic night out, it’s the cuisine that never fails to impress. After all, what better opportunity to show off your awesome chopstick skills?
Since Tampa Bay is nestled right into Florida’s gulf coastline, the restaurants located here are able to order the freshest fish possible every day to ensure serving nothing but the highest quality sushi made by master sushi chefs.
Matoi Sushi
602 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: 813-871-3233
First on the list is Matoi Sushi. This exciting Japanese-Korean hybrid restaurant is located in the North Bon Air neighborhood and has become a Tampa sushi favourite of ours. Matoi offers wildly unique specialty rolls that we haven’t seen in too many other establishments, like their gator roll that has fried gator tail and avocado inside it. Of course, if you’re looking for the more traditional sushi, Matoi still has you covered with anything you can imagine from sashimi and nigiri, all the way to delicious fried tempura.
SoHo Sushi
3218 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: 813-873-7646
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SoHo Sushi is a gem that you can find in West Tampa that truly combines aesthetics with taste by serving some of the most artisanal sushi in Tampa Bay. Each dish is hand-crafted like a piece of art and sure to have you staring at it for a few moments before devouring it. The name SoHo Sushi comes from their original location on South Howard Avenue in the SoHo District which is a hotspot for all types of restaurants in Tampa. Since 2005, SoHo Sushi has proven their dedication to serving top-quality sushi by always being consistently delicious.
Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar
1600 E 8th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-242-6688
In Tampa Bay’s famous Ybor City Historic District, there are endless fun activities to do and sights to see, but one thing that really stands out here, and that’s Samurai Blue Sushi and Sake Bar. Samurai Blue boasts a wide range of sushi, sashimi, nigiri, and tobiko, as well as the classic makimono rolls wrapped in seaweed that we all love. They offer lunch Monday-Friday from 11:30am-2:00pm, they then close until 5:00pm for dinner every night here at Samurai Blue.
Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant
3217 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: 813-835-4311
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Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant is a simple, cozy place located just south of Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club that serves not only some of the most amazing sushi in Tampa Bay, but incredible authentic ramen as well. Yoko’s sushi and sashimi are unparalleled. Some of our favorites include their white tuna, smoked salmon, and shrimp, but they even have exotic options like quail eggs and scallops! So next time you find yourself cruising down South MacDill Avenue in Tampa, keep your eyes peeled for Yoko’s because it’s a small place that can be easy to miss, but you sure don’t want to!
Ichiban Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar
2786 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612
Phone: 813-978-8095
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Directly across the street from the University of South Florida is Ichiban Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar. Due to its proximity to the university, Ichiban has proven popular among college students, but it’s perfect for anyone looking for tasty traditional Japanese food. Ichiban’s menu is loaded with sushi and sashimi options, but our favorites are definitely on the fried tempura roll menu, like their asparagus tempura roll with shrimp and eel sauce.
Ebisu Sushi Shack
5116 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33603
Phone: 813-252-6393
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Ebisu Sushi Shack is a charmingly quaint Japanese eatery built in a converted 1928 bungalow in Tampa’s Southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood. The vibe at Ebisu is extremely chill and laid-back with its earth-toned atmosphere and dim lighting, but the food is extremely vibrant and lively. Some rolls even have fun names of popular movie and TV characters like their Jabba the Hutt fried roll and the Naruto special roll. Ebisu even offers a tapas sushi bar with things like assorted sashimi, yellowtail or octopus carpaccio, and tuna nacho for something a little out of the ordinary.
Sakana Asian Grill & Sushi Bar
2908 W Gandy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33611
Phone: 813-837-8744
Sakana Sushi Restaurant is one of South Tampa’s number one Japanese cuisine destinations for plenty of great reasons, and number one is because of their everyday happy-hour deal from 5:00pm-7:00pm where they offer great deals on domestic beer, house wine, and various well liquors. Another reason Sakan is so well-loved is that they have one of the largest selections of protein options for your sushi or sashimi at 25 different ones to choose from. Enjoy happy-hour and sushi to your heart’s content at Sakana, then head on down to gorgeous Ballast Point Park less than a mile away for a stroll on the pier.
Chef Thai & Sushi
1155 S Dale Mabry Hwy STE 22, Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: 813-286-8187
We think Chef Thai & Sushi is, hands down, the best Thai restaurant in Tampa as well as the most authentic. Chef Thai is known for things like their wide array of curries and boba teas, but sushi is also well within their realm of expertise. They offer all the unbeatable classics like the Alaskan roll and the California roll, but then branch out with special rolls that you won’t see anywhere else like their sexy man roll, with tuna, avocado, sriracha, and eel tempura.
Sushi House
1901 N 19th St, Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813-248-2333
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Sushi House is home to our favorite atmosphere for enjoying delectable sushi when in Tampa Bay. The restaurant itself is built inside of a gorgeous renovated home to give it the ultimate comfortable setting for guests to relax and enjoy their meal.What makes Sushi House truly special is that they offer sushi-making classes that are available for anyone to sign up. For only $35 dollars you can learn the skills of a master sushi chef!
Izakaya Tori
310 S Dale Mabry Hwy #160, Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: 813-875-4842
Tucked away in the neighborhood of Bon Air, Izakaya Tori is known throughout Tampa Bay for their modern interpretations of the classic Japanese dishes that everyone loves. We recommend starting with the mind-blowing tuna tataki for an appetizer, and our favorite rolls to get here are the spicy conch roll and the Mexican roll, but you’re in for a treat no matter which one you go with.
WATER + FLOUR
1015 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: 813-251-8406
WATER + FLOUR is a California-themed restaurant that specializes in upscale, creative sushi rolls, and they have quickly shown that they know what they’re doing. Brunch, lunch, and dinner are all offered here at WATER + FLOUR, but we think the dinner menu is where their recipes truly shine with all the glorious sushi options. WATER + FLOUR is perfect for any health-conscious guest as they offer nothing but the highest-quality fish and vegetables in their sushi.
Ahi Asian Bistro
14841 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618
Phone: 813-374-5756
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Up in northern Tampa is an easy-to-miss spot called the Ahi Asian Bistro, a small Japanese and Thai restaurant located on the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Ehrlich Road that offers Tampa Bay sushi at its best. Ahi Asian Bistro has great deals all day long, including a long list of vegetable rolls and traditional rolls for only $5 each! However, if you feel like splurging, then we recommend going for some of the fatty tuna called toro for some incredible nigiri sushi or sashimi.
Zukku Sushi
1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-693-5481
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Zukku Sushi is modern and elegant, located directly on the edge of Tampa Bay’s Hillsborough River, just north of Water Works Park, so enjoy a nice day in the sun and then head over here for some fresh sushi. One thing we love about Zukku is their utter mastery of the sushi burrito. Choose between 5 different unique flavor combinations in your burrito, all devised by the experts. The best part about Zukku, in our opinion, is that they also encourage their guests to “be the artist” and craft their own ideal burrito or poke bowl.
Sushi Ninja
3018 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: 813-898-2874
Sushi Ninja is Tampa’s casual spot for Japanese and Korean cuisine at both lunch and dinnertime. The main attraction here at Sushi Ninja is their expansive list of Japanese and Korean alcoholic beverages. They have various hot and chilled sakes, 3 different flavored sakes, Korean wines, and even a Japanese whiskey. You’re sure to quench your thirst here!
KELP Sushi Joint
3401 W Bay to Bay Blvd, Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: 813-831-2222
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Just north of the Tampa International Airport in Tampa’s Town & Country neighborhood is KELP Sushi Joint, a relaxed yet refined spot to grab the best poke bowl in Tampa Bay. There are literally hundreds of combinations here at KELP to make the exact poke bowl you’ve been dreaming of, like spicy salmon with curried cabbage with lots of their sweet lava sauce. Save room for dessert because they also offer our absolute favorite Japanese treat, mochi ice cream!