Love it or hate it, sushi is mainstream. It certainly wasn’t a high street option 30 years ago (unless you looked hard), but places like Itsu have made it mainstream to be enjoyed for lunch or as a quick healthy dinner whilst you’re rushing for the train home. Of course, you can also go high end sampling the best yellowfin tuna or Ikura. It’s all in the quality of the fish, knife work and sumeshi (seasoned rice) - often hailed as the most important component of the best sushi. Manchester has a broad array of sushi restaurants to choose from depending on your budget and how much time you’ve got. Here's culturecalling.com’s pick of the best…
Australasia
1 The Avenue, Deansgate, Manchester M3 3AP
Australasia has been around in the city for over 13 years and is legendary as one of Manchester’s high-end restaurants. Hailed as a ‘stylish sanctuary’ underneath the pavements of Spinningfields, you feel like you’ve been transported to somewhere in the Pacific coastline. Its whitewashed walls, wooden floors, cool lighting and open kitchen are perfect for a posh dinner or to indulge in a cocktail or two. Alongside the A la Carte menu, there’s a great sushi ‘Hanami Blossom Sharing’ menu. It’s not cheap at £52.5 per person but we think it’s worth it. Wave 01 (see the Pacific theme?) is Loch Duart salmon Californian roll, Wagyu beef dragon roll, Kingfish nigiri and crispy tuna nigiri. Tempted? Wave 02 serves up a similar feast of fishy delights including grilled seabass with mango, red chilli and kaffir lime and a mix of veggie dishes. Don’t have much time or the budget? Why not try the Afternoon Tea Beneath which includes the signature bento box and a Hanami cocktail followed by their delectable desserts and pastries for £29.50.
You can book a table here
Sushi Marvel
67 Bridge St, Manchester, M3 3BQ
If you’re a sushi lover, you’re gonna love this restaurant superhero. Right in the heart of Manchester on Bridge Street, most of their dishes are crafted in Sushi Marvel’s kitchen and the menu serves up a wide variety of sushi and other dishes. They offer fresh sashimi platters of 14 pieces which include salmon, tuna, seabass and Hamachi yellow tail for £32. They’ve got a long list of Nigiri including Ototo – a very rare cut of Bluefin underbelly tuna and king of the sushi game and a snip at £12.80. There’s a great Nigiri 10 piece sharing platter to share with friends which includes Wagyu, scallop, Hamachi yellow-tail, seared salmon and Unagi at £40. And if you really want to push the boat out, try the deluxe Sushi Marvel Premium rolls which include delicacies like grilled eel and crispy softshell crab.
No bookings needed
Kitten
Deansgate Square, 9 Owen Street, M15 4TW
Kitten is one of the best restaurants in Manchester only dwarfed by the glittering Beacon Tower that rises above it. The interior transports you to a sophisticated Asian vibe complete with bamboo lined walls, marble tabletops, ornate floor tiling, long bar with stools and grand plants. It sets the scene for a Moorish Asian feast that includes the best Wagyu beef with garlic and bone marrow gravy, Miso cod that melts in the mouth, Sashimi which we think is well priced between £10-£15 for 5 pieces and a big line-up of Uramaki rolls. The Hello Kitten roll with Hamachi, caviar, truffle, prawn and avo isn’t cheap at £24 but we guarantee you’ll come back for more. If you’re up for sharing your sushi, there’s small, medium and large to choose from depending on how hungry you are. Like Sake? This is a Japanese bar and there’s over 13 Sake brands to choose from ranging in price from £43 - £132 for 720ml. There’s also a great cocktail list.
You can book a table here
Sapporo Manchester
91-93 Liverpool Rd, Manchester M3 4JN
This is a fun Japanese restaurant in the heart of Manchester nestled between Castlefield and Spinningfields. It serves up authentic Japanese dishes, including sushi, noodles, hot dishes and a broad selection of vegetarian options. Dishes are prepared before your very eyes by Sapporo’s experienced chefs who’ve trained for over 5 years+ and the Itamea – sushi chefs to you and me – for over 10 years. This is good sushi!
The sushi menu covers temaki, nigiri and sashimi to feast on. Plus, there’s also over 12 maki types to test. We like the sushi sharing platters at various prices.
The a la carte tasting menu gives you the all-round Japanese flavour sensation and highly recommended if your budget can stretch to it. The Emperor (at £55) serves up the full Japanese selection of mis soup, nigiri sushi, barbeque ribs, sea bass, beef filled, king prawns to chicken fillet. All served with rice, stir fried veggies and Sapporo potatoes.
You can book a table here
Unagi
1A Central Way, Altrincham, WA14 1SB
Unagi Is a small chain of restaurants across Wilmslow, West Didsbury, Salford Quays, the City’s Green Quarter and their latest branch in Altrincham. The delicate and fresh pieces of sashimi in either Tuna, salmon, Yellowtail and seabass starts at a modest £10, 3 pieces of Nigiri for £7 – or if you’re feeling hungry, try the 12 pieces at £26. There’s also a large selection of tasty Uramaki sushi rolls. If you fancy starting with sushi and moving on to something else, we’d highly recommend trying a poke bowl, our fave is the healthy and full-of-flavour Teriyaki salmon,
You can book a table here
Firefly
New Bailey, Suite 2, Ground Floor, One, Stanley St, Salford M3 5JL
This a rather swish bar and restaurant on the banks of the river Irwell. It’s not strictly a Japanese restaurant but there’s an East Asian influence to the menu (alongside influences from North & south America, Europe, India, Madagascar) and the platters of sushi are a beautiful work of art. The Dawn brunch and lunch menu serves up 5 pieces of sashimi in seabass, salmon and yellowfin tuna, 5 or 10 pieces of favoursome Uramaki and we recommend the Yellowfin tuna Nigiri. Firefly’s taster menus are served from lunch and throughout the evening starting at £32pp and increasing to £68pp for 4 courses.
You can book a table here
Samsi
36-38 Whitworth St, Manchester M1 3NR
This is as authentic as it gets. Samsi has been serving Japanese cuisine since 1993, and a landmark in the city’s culinary scene. It’s a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary Japanese food, featuring an extensive selection from fresh sushi and sashimi, to more hearty ramen and kushiyaki grills. The dishes are meticulously crafted by our experienced Japanese chefs who use only the finest ingredients imported directly from Japan. As you’d expect from a Japanese restaurant, you will find an extensive sashimi, nigiri, norimaki, and temaki menus which include high grade tuna, and fresh wild Scottish Salmon. Samsi’s 10 piece platters serving mixed veggie, mixed sashimi, sushi and sashimi are good value from £9.50 to £12.50.
The restaurant is located centrally close to China Town, Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road Train Station.
You can book a table here
Musu
64 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BN
Musu is a seriously sophisticated sushi restaurant. But I guess when you spend £3million on the interior, it’s going to deliver some wow factor. Its clean lines and commanding Manchester skyline are the perfect setting for Head Chef, Michael Shaw’s, gastronomic offer. There are 3 tasting menus to choose from and include five, eight or twelve courses (for those of you with good appetites). All the menus are inspired from across the Far East – using the finest ingredients and exquisitely presented. The Land of the Rising Sun incorporates four distinct cooking styles and dishes including tempura, yakitori, sashimi, black cod and A5 (yes, A5!) Wagyu beef. Prices are £50pp, £100pp or £150pp depending on the tasting menu you select. The Omakase menu is a sushi journey expertly crafted by Chef Andre Aguiar and served at the counter. There are only six guests at any one time which means they deliver a really personal experience, telling you detailed insight about where the dishes, origins, preparation so you’ll definitely leave much more knowledgeable than when you arrived. It isn’t cheap though at £150 per person but a great treat for a special night with some wow factor.
You can book at table here