The 10 Best Sushi Restaurants in Istanbul

Istanbul has a real sushi scene, with Michelin-recognized rooms, hotel restaurants with Bosphorus views, and small bars run by Japanese chefs. This guide covers ten places worth your time and the specific dishes to order at each.

Though Turkish cuisine covers a huge range of food, there are times you just want something different. If you are after authentic Japanese food, Istanbul has plenty of sushi restaurants to choose from. Our list focuses on places that pair good food with good service and fresh ingredients.

The best sushi restaurants in Istanbul at a glance

1. Ioki

If you are not sure which sushi spot to pick, Ioki has plenty of creative sushi types. The room is relaxing and clean, and they do private catering for special occasions like birthdays when you want more privacy. The spicy Tiger Roll comes with fried sweet potatoes, shrimp, crab stick, creamy avocado, and cream cheese. Their sashimi salad with orange oil sauce is hard to pass up.

There are two chef’s selections, a sashimi combo and a Nigiri mix, that both land well. They serve other Japanese dishes too, like the Yaki Ebi (shrimp in sweet and sour sauce) and an aromatic lemongrass soup. If you really cannot choose, let the chef decide.

Want a drink with it? There is Japanese beer, and the spicy Kintaro cocktail is worth a look.

2. Inari Omakase

Chef Barlas Günebak was after a fried-popcorn feel, and he gets it with crunchy Haru Maki, black tiger shrimp tempura, and corn kakiage (sweetcorn tempura). This one runs pricy, but it holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, the guide’s nod for cooking that justifies the bill. What started as a single sushi bar in Kuruçeşme has grown into a small group with branches in Vadistanbul and Etiler, and the Kuruçeşme original gets livelier in the evenings with DJ sets.

The menu has ingredients you will not find everywhere. This is the place to try the Style Foie Gras Nigiri, topped with a caramel sauce. If foie gras is not for you, there is a seabass version with a spicy caramel sauce (Style Suzuki Nigiri). You can also settle for the Jou Sashimi Mori, which brings 15 pieces of fish.

This is one of the few luxury Japanese restaurants here with a dessert menu worth raving about. The walnut and maple mochi, or the Nutella one for chocoholics, makes the case on its own. The real standout is the Coco Houko, a coconutty chocolate ice cream.

Add in a long wine list, strong cocktails, mocktails like the virgin Yuzuhana, and other Turkish drinks. For a wider look at Japanese food in the city among other international restaurants, this room sets the bar.

3. Miyabi Sushi

Of all the Japanese restaurants in Istanbul, Miyabi plates the prettiest dishes. The food arrives in a creative, colorful style.

There is a satisfying range of sushi types, and what they have is excellent. The Moon Lover, with shrimp, salmon, tempura, caviar, and creamy avocado, is a standout. The Nina is something else, with paneled shrimp, fresh chili tuna, teriyaki and chili sauce, and sesame. The way the shrimp tails stick out is impressive. The plates look like they belong in a museum, and the names will have you smiling: Samurai, Lobster Dynamite, Yummy Tummy, Monte Carlo, Yakuza, and on it goes.

Trying to keep it light? The rainbow salad has a wide spread of seafood over crunchy greens. If you want to cut loose, this is the spot for corn tempura done in a way you have not seen.

The decor is simple in a good way, and you can watch the Japanese chefs at work.

4. Maromi by Divan

Reservations are a must at this spot with its bold sushi options. Start with a spicy miso or a tempura udon soup. Once your stomach is rumbling, follow it with one of the classics. If you are feeling bold, give the Dragon roll a shot with eel and avocado. Otherwise, stick with the Boston roll and its reliable salmon and cream cheese.

Your best move is a combo. That way you get the tried-and-true Californian, Rainbow, and Boston roll with a little of that exciting Dragon roll. You might find a new favorite.

If you want to order from the Japanese or Kaiseki menu, tell them when you book.

5. Sunset Grill & Bar

Billed as “new Japanese cuisine,” this mixed restaurant keeps its Japanese influence front and center even as the kitchen has changed hands. Since the start of 2024 it has been led by Executive Chef Marios Tsouris. There are plenty of Mediterranean dishes, but the sushi holds its own if you are leaning Japanese. The lobster tempura is also very good.

If Japanese is not your thing, there is other Asian food. You can build your own duck wrap with the warm pancakes in the Peking Style Duck, which they finish with a lime twist.

Established in 1994, they are still going strong, helped by the food and the views of the Bosphorus and the park the restaurant sits in. You can reserve a table here.

6. Nobu Istanbul

Nobu is one of the few sushi spots that takes care of vegetarians. It also serves one of the better Omakase menus in the city. The roasted crab legs with yuzu butter are excellent if you want to step away from the sushi for a course.

If you stay with sushi, the Beef Nigiri is worth trying once. The Cup Selection will also fill you up. Chase it with Japanese beer, Turkish rakı, or one of the cocktails arranged by taste profile.

7. Naomi Sushi Bar

The concept here is fun and the rolls back it up. The Philadelphia roll with cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and salmon is the sensible pick for newcomers, but there is a lot more to try: the Crunch Roll, the Crispy Roll, the Double Tuna. The star is a tie between Chin Chin and Star Roll. Chin Chin layers shrimp under sweet potato, cream cheese, crab, and avocado with a zingy ginger sauce. Star Roll somehow brings salmon together with mango, avocado, and tempura pieces for a sweet, crunchy result.

We will not blame you for following up with Gyunuki Udon (noodles with veggies and meat). The fried ice cream is excellent.

8. Sankai by Nagaya

If you want sushi with serious credentials, Sankai by Nagaya holds one Michelin star, which it kept in the 2026 Michelin Guide Türkiye. It sits on the third floor of the historic Bebek Hotel with views over the Bosphorus, and it was the first restaurant in Turkey to combine Kaiseki with Edomae-style sushi. The kitchen is a partnership between Michelin-starred chef Yoshizumi Nagaya and head sushi chef Hiroko Shibata.

The room is intimate at just 24 seats, so book well ahead. Reviewers consistently mention the Bosphorus view and the Japanese precision of the tasting menu. There is even a free shuttle for guests, which makes the trip out to Bebek much easier.

9. Aqua Restaurant - Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus

The Four Seasons Bosphorus is known for its terraced bar. Aqua is a Mediterranean seafood restaurant first, with Italian and Turkish specialties, and the sushi comes from a dedicated sushi corner rather than a full Japanese kitchen. The options are classic, with no wild experiments, so you know what you are getting. The veggie maki roll (avocado, cucumber, carrot, and daikon) is a colorful set. The hot Grilled Salmon roll (grilled salmon, tobiko, avocado, cucumber) and the cold Spicy Salmon are both good choices.

10. Itsumi

Itsumi has grown into an upscale operation with branches in Levent and Etiler, the Levent room modern and minimalist, the Etiler one elegant and contemporary. The food, which includes vegetarian options, keeps people coming back, and it has earned a Michelin Guide listing. It is the authentic pick, where you will find Japanese tourists and the diaspora. It may be overstated, but you really should try the miso soup. If you are feeling bold, the Japanese omelet with eel is much better than it sounds.

There are plenty of dishes with spinach, like the spinach with sesame dressing, and seaweed, like the salad (Wakame Sarada). The Sashimi Moriawse has a bit of everything, including octopus. If that is not for you, the grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce (Shake Tare) is a safe bet.

The best part is that you can order sushi pieces one by one to get a feel for each before you commit.

Final words

That is our list of the best sushi restaurants in Istanbul. When you are ready to get back to local food, our Istanbul food tours walk you through the markets and neighborhoods with a guide who lives here, and you can read more about the city’s food on our best food in Istanbul hub. For other cuisines, see our roundup of the best international restaurants in Istanbul and the best restaurants in Istanbul overall.