Edinburgh Europe Food

Edinburgh Eats: My Favourite Sushi Restaurants

Oct 23

bentoya-edinburgh-sushi-2I love sushi. If I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, there’s a good chance I’d choose these little starchy, heavenly morsels.

I’m no sushi connoisseur by any means – I have yet to make a sushi pilgrimage to Japan – but I can recognize good sushi when I see it.

These are my favourite sushi restaurants in Edinburgh, and some of the best Japanese food you’ll find in the city.

Kanpai

If you’re going to visit one sushi restaurant in Edinburgh, make it Kanpai. It’s the most expensive restaurant on this list, but it’s also easily the best sushi in the city. The presentation of their food is superb, and the menu is full of inventive dishes. A few must-try dishes are the grilled eggplant in sweet miso sauce and the grilled scallop nigiri – both of which are ridiculously delicious. Their sushi rolls are exceptionally fresh and full of flavour as well.

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Bonsai

Bonsai is a great spot for an inexpensive lunch, with cheap bento box and sushi deals on offer everyday. Their hand rolls are particularly tasty, especially the spicy tuna. And their green tea creme brûlée is the perfect post-sushi dessert.

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Yes Sushi

A few of my favourite dishes at Yes Sushi are the prawn dumplings, salmon skin roll, and their hot pot -which is reason enough to visit. Choose your broth, noodles, veggies, seafood, and meat (all of which are served uncooked), drop them into the boiling pot, and watch them cook in front of you. It’s £17.99 per person, and also includes all-you-can-eat sushi (from a limited menu), which is a bargain in Edinburgh.

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Bentoya

Bentoya is a cozy little restaurant near the Grassmarket, and it’s a great spot for fresh, quality sushi at a reasonable price. I’d recommend the spicy salt & pepper squid and the volcano roll, which is beautifully presented, and topped with dried shredded chili. The sashimi is also excellent, and has a creamy melt-in-your-mouth texture. This restaurant is BYOB, and the corkage fee is £2.

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Sushiya

Sushiya is hidden just out of sight near Haymarket train station. The restaurant is tiny – it seats no more than 20 people, so it’s best to make a reservation if you plan to visit. I’ve tried a bit of everything on their modest menu, from the appetizers to the hand rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and sushi rolls – and it’s all delicious. Every dish is freshly made and brimming with high quality ingredients.

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Where in the world is your favourite sushi restaurant?  

9 Comments

  • Reply LC Oct 23 at 9:28 am

    I love sushi too, but it’s so expensive to eat in London (and often disappointing, regardless of the price). My favourite sushi train is in Sydney, with plates of freshly prepped fish for $3. I think about it a lot…

    • Reply ashleywanders Oct 29 at 4:49 pm

      I can imagine how expensive sushi must be in London! And that sounds amazing. If I ever make it back to Australia, sushi will be my first meal 😉

      • Reply LC Oct 30 at 1:39 pm

        If you do make it back, you need to email me and I will take you to the best and cheapest spots!

        • Reply ashleywanders Oct 30 at 6:55 pm

          I’ll definitely take you up on that offer 😉 It’s a shame we weren’t able to connect while you were in the UK!

          • LC Nov 23 at 6:33 am

            Might be back next year at some point. Will let you know if you’re still in that neck of the woods. 🙂

  • Reply kenmiller May 01 at 10:47 am

    Yeah its so expensive here in London!

  • Reply Tony Chen Jan 30 at 3:23 pm

    Hey Ashley thanks for the super awesome review! I hope you will eventually get the time to make a big sushi pilgrimage trip 🙂 Japan has changed a lot these years, lot of sushi restaurants are becoming modernize with technology for efficiency. It almost makes America sushi restaurants look backward in technology!

    • Reply ashleywanders Jan 30 at 7:48 pm

      Thanks, Tony 🙂 A sushi pilgrimage trip to Japan has been sitting at the top of my bucket list for years, so here’s hoping it happens soon!

  • Reply Lulu Mar 04 at 2:41 am

    Thanks for sharing! As a big fan of sushi, I always make sushi at home to save money. Really need to fly to Japan to try them!

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