Sushi of Gari

(212) 517-5340

402 E 78th St (nr. First Ave.)
New York, NY 10021 40.7714 -73.9532

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: Upper East Side, Midtown

Hours:

Tue-Sat 5pm-10:45pm

Sun 5pm-9:45pm

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 4.14.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Special Occasion Dining

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Sushi of Gari

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – A steady crowd packs this popular sushi spot, which gets so loud that it's often impossible to tune out neighboring conversation. Don't be surprised when regulars start ordering items that don't appear on the menu, such as the spicy scallop rolls or the tofu-topped tuna sushi. Make like a NYC native and scout for recommendations, or else risk an expensive, modestly sized sushi special or the ho-hum menu items. – – The Food – Ditch that edamame: the hijiki (cooked seaweed) and watercress salad offers a creamy, tangy, dangerously addictive surprise. Like any…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Visit the other Sushi of Gari on 46th Street.
Prix Fixe Menu:
The price of the omokase (chef's choice) menu can change nightly, but generally starts around $70-80.
ambiance
50.0% positive
  1. “The decor didn't bother me as much as it does others but the acoustics are bad, particularly if you get stuck next to a party of six where the mother yells nonstop at the kids with an unappealing Corona accent.”
  2. “Although being initially deterred by the quite high prices and crowded atmosphere, the sushi did not disappoint.”
  3. “Everything seemed overpriced for that quality of food, ambience and service.”
  4. “The place is cramped, the decor is poor, but when the food is that good, who cares!”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “The best sushi ever, make reservations early for the sushi bar and have an empty belly going in.”
  2. “The trick is that you have to sit at the sushi bar, order the omakase, and ask for Master Gari.”
food quality
87.5% positive
  1. “This is one of the best sushi places I've been to in NYC.”
  2. “Order the sushi of Gari selection and let them melt in your mouth.”
  3. “Very tasty the tatsuta-age, gindara kasuzuke and chirashi”
  4. “This is, hands down, the best sushi I have had the privilege of eating in NYC.”
  5. “order takeout from Gari all the time as well, and their presentation is wonderful and the fish there is soo fresh and soft.”
  6. “I've been to a few of the top sushi places in nyc, and this one, like all the others, had sushi which was incredibly fresh.”
  7. “The fish was fresh (like at every other good sushi place), but the portions were alot smaller and more expensive than places like Yama or Tomoe.”
  8. “The food is great, service is ok.”
  9. “Sushi of Gari seriously has the best sushi in the world, even better than sushi in Japan, and I only go to the best sushi restaurants in Japan.”
  10. “Terrific and creative sushi”
  11. “Sushi of Gari has the freshest fish and the most creative and unnique tasting sushi in town.”
  12. “this place is the best place to get sushi in the whole city.”
  13. “Gari gets top honors for creative sushi”
  14. “wasted so much of my time on this stupid sushi delivery - it's just not worth it.”
  15. “This is by far the best sushi restaurant in manhattan.”
  16. “love japanese sushi, especially here.”
  17. “It's worth the relatively high prices for the best fish in town.”
  18. “Although being initially deterred by the quite high prices and crowded atmosphere, the sushi did not disappoint.”
  19. “not only are the regular sushi they offer awesome and fresh, "Gari's Special" has the most creative combination of sushi and western ingredients and is always different.”
  20. “had a great meal at Sushi of Gari the other night.”
  21. “If you like sushi and want to experiment with something truly new, try Gari's special.”
  22. “The best sushi ever, make reservations early for the sushi bar and have an empty belly going in.”
  23. “The drinkers beside us had fresh glasses of water brought on trays to replace the empties and a smiling waitress to cater to their every whim.”
  24. “guarantee you'll love it, but beware you really won't enjoy regular sushi anymore!”
  25. “The NYC has available to it so many different vegetables, meats, and fishes; and Japanese cuisine has a number of unique foods and preparations all of which could have been used here with greater effect but all we get almost nothing of the sort.”
  26. “Example -- one piece of sushi in the platter was actually a piece of marinated/grilled eggplant -- easily the best eggplant concoction i had ever tasted.”
  27. “We do not see advantage of food and why prices are that so expensive.”
  28. “The sushi here is extremely creative, nothing that I've ever seen before.”
  29. “Beware of the "surprise dish", a very expensive sampling of sushi ($6 each piece), original fusion cuisine (i.e.: marinated snapper or monkfish liver tempura), but again, not necessarily the most appetizing.”
  30. “also thought the prices were extremely reasonable compared to other sushi restaurants of this caliber.”
  31. “Really excellent sushi”
  32. “of the 12 samples on it, I really liked two - fatty tuna and the fresh scallop.”
  33. “so whenever you eat there, you're having the best fish in the city definitly.”
  34. “we ordered a few rolls (good spicy scallop and spicy tuna), and a hijiki salad (unique dressing).”
  35. “friend told me this was the best sushi restaurant in New York.”
  36. “The food was absolutely exquisite.”
  37. “Everything seemed overpriced for that quality of food, ambience and service.”
  38. “The sushi is always fresh and tasty.”
  39. “love the salmon and tomato as well as all the hand rolls.”
  40. “This is by far the best sushi in New York City!”
  41. “Sushi is fresh and innovative.”
  42. “The place is small and cramped but the food is fantastic.”
  43. “My friend recommended their sushi is like 'buttah' so another stop for my group's tour of the best spots in the city.”
  44. “This is the best sushi in new york city - hands down.”
  45. “The fried oyster is the best on the planet, and nobody has a better beef rib.”
  46. “the sushi is absolutely amazing, no matter what you order.”
  47. “The sushi at this restaurant stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the best sushi in Japan.”
  48. “This is by far the best and most creative sushi in the city.”
  49. “Gari offers the most beautiful, pristine and original sushi creations in the city.”
  50. “Boring food, small portions, ridiculously overpriced, crappy servers and no charm whatsoever.”
  51. “We thought the sushi was excellent but next time we will make reservations.”
  52. “The fish is fresh but the variety of fish is nothing out of ordinary.”
  53. “As a sushi lover who also appreciates fine traditional sushi, I understand where they're coming from, but I still can't help but to love Gari's stuff.”
  54. “used to like the genuine sushi that Gari made because he was good chef.”
  55. “and on an evening when our waiter confided that the fish market being closed the previous day precluded them having fish as fresh as they'd like (honesty I appreciate) but relatively fresh nonetheless!”
  56. “gari is the best sushi in nyc”
  57. “Highly overrated, some dishes overpriced”
  58. “The place is cramped, the decor is poor, but when the food is that good, who cares!”
  59. “the food was just average and i didn't think the fish was particularly fresh.”
  60. “The trick is that you have to sit at the sushi bar, order the omakase, and ask for Master Gari.”
  61. “The fish is not only extremely fresh, but the combination of ingredients in each piece is amazing.”
  62. “the food was great, and not in a ordinary sushi menu.”
  63. “Standing alone the quality of the fish at Sushi of Gari is very high but inferior to some of the world's best places.”
  64. “Sinfully good sushi”
  65. “The pro's are that the sushi is fresh and many of the preparations are quite unusual.”
  66. “Omakase was delicious.”
  67. “The sushi is good, and extremely unique and inventive, but far from amazing.”
  68. “Gari makes some of the best new wave sushi concotions I have ever had, and like all top tier sushi digs, it's fish are fresh, with the exception of Blue Ribbon Sushi and Sugiyama, it must be the best in the city.”
  69. “times/month. My favorite is their spicy tuna roll.”
  70. “The most creative sushi restaurant in NYC!”
  71. “highly recommend this place to any "hardcore" sushi lover.”
  72. “Amazing sushi”
menu variety
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “Order the sushi of Gari selection and let them melt in your mouth.”
  2. “regular menu is really mediocre”
  3. “the food was great, and not in a ordinary sushi menu.”
  4. “Let Gari work his magic and order the "specialities" that aren't on the menu.”
  5. “Everyone around me was eating stuff that wasn't on the menu and looked tastier, but the waitress didn't bother to suggest any of these things, even when asked for suggestions.”
  6. “The fish is fresh but the variety of fish is nothing out of ordinary.”
  7. “The menu is a bit of a disorganized mess so it takes a bit to figure out everything they offer (ask your helpful server).”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is by far the best sushi restaurant in manhattan.”
  2. “this place is the best place to get sushi in the whole city.”
  3. “friend told me this was the best sushi restaurant in New York.”
  4. “The fish was fresh (like at every other good sushi place), but the portions were alot smaller and more expensive than places like Yama or Tomoe.”
service
55.56000232696533% positive
  1. “service was HORRIBLE.”
  2. “Everything seemed overpriced for that quality of food, ambience and service.”
  3. “The service is awful--the last time I was there (and I do mean the last time) we were told that they needed our table so we would have to leave.”
  4. “and on an evening when our waiter confided that the fish market being closed the previous day precluded them having fish as fresh as they'd like (honesty I appreciate) but relatively fresh nonetheless!”
  5. “Taste is average, service is usually bad, and restraint still has many insects.”
  6. “The menu is a bit of a disorganized mess so it takes a bit to figure out everything they offer (ask your helpful server).”
  7. “Everyone around me was eating stuff that wasn't on the menu and looked tastier, but the waitress didn't bother to suggest any of these things, even when asked for suggestions.”
  8. “Nobody wants to pay up to hundred $$ for worst service.”
  9. “Restaurant was uncomfortable (with an insect) and service stank.”
  10. “The food is great, service is ok.”
  11. “service is incredible.”
  12. “Boring food, small portions, ridiculously overpriced, crappy servers and no charm whatsoever.”
  13. “Your attentive and friendly server will take care of the rest.”
  14. “The drinkers beside us had fresh glasses of water brought on trays to replace the empties and a smiling waitress to cater to their every whim.”
  15. “The manager yelled at me and claimed that the delivery person was in my lobby and I just didn't see him because the lobby was too big.”
  16. “Price gets really higher but service goes really bad.”
  17. “And the service was extremely helpful and friendly.”
  18. “Coz I love the taste and people!”
value
46.14999771118164% positive
  1. “overhyped, overpriced, confusingly bad omakase”
  2. “Although being initially deterred by the quite high prices and crowded atmosphere, the sushi did not disappoint.”
  3. “It's worth the relatively high prices for the best fish in town.”
  4. “Go to Gari expecting to drop big bucks.”
  5. “wasted so much of my time on this stupid sushi delivery - it's just not worth it.”
  6. “also thought the prices were extremely reasonable compared to other sushi restaurants of this caliber.”
  7. “We do not see advantage of food and why prices are that so expensive.”
  8. “Amazing price”
  9. “Everything seemed overpriced for that quality of food, ambience and service.”
  10. “Beware of the "surprise dish", a very expensive sampling of sushi ($6 each piece), original fusion cuisine (i.e.: marinated snapper or monkfish liver tempura), but again, not necessarily the most appetizing.”
  11. “Highly overrated, some dishes overpriced”
  12. “Boring food, small portions, ridiculously overpriced, crappy servers and no charm whatsoever.”
  13. “The fish was fresh (like at every other good sushi place), but the portions were alot smaller and more expensive than places like Yama or Tomoe.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “We ran up an amazing bill of $330 with tip in 55 minutes.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/20/09

overhyped, overpriced, confusingly bad omakase

by hk384

heard this place was suppose to be amazing, so for an anniversary I came to try the famous omakase. we ordered a few rolls (good spicy scallop and spicy tuna), and a hijiki salad (unique dressing). so far so good, although the service was far from attentive (well, they stopped coming to our table once we said we didn't want drinks, we had to wave them over to order food after that). the omakase plate comes in sushi and sashimi versions, with sashimi being ~$90 on that day - it is supposed to be the house specialty and each sashimi selection comes with a special sauce. It took about 40 minutes to arrive at our table. of the 12 samples on it, I really liked two - fatty tuna and the fresh scallop. the baby yellowtail was paired with an overly spicy sauce, the boiled octopus was oddly chewy and the sauce was too mild, the snapper was just blah, and so was the tuna with tofu sauce. really, blah. to top all of this off, the oyster smelled funny, when I asked the waiter, he said it was normal... I took a chance and ate it - R O T T E N!! absolutely unacceptable at this, or at any price, really. at the end of the meal we concluded that we must really love each other and have been very deeply fulfilled by the conversation to have withstood that food in peace. I will avoid this place in the future....

  • Pros: good spicy rolls
  • Cons: putrid oyster in my omakase, otherwise mediocre
2 Star Rating: Below Average

04/03/09

Not impressed

Contributor

Typical Americanized sushi place, with lots of sugary toppings and sauces. Omakase tasting is fine but nothing impressive. This place is not as good as blue ribbon and not even close to Yasuda

1 Star Rating: Poor

01/06/09

Worst place in the city

by sohofoodluv

This place is a joke. I went there once - never again. Boring food, small portions, ridiculously overpriced, crappy servers and no charm whatsoever. Save your money. The only thing impressive about this place is the bill that you'll get stuck with.

  • Pros: close to home
  • Cons: close to home
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/04/08

RUDEST SERVICE I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED - HORRIBLE

by nycbrunette25

Have you ever had a restaurant manager call you out of the blue to start a fight? Or call you to convince you to cancel your delivery order? Or hang up on you - twice? Well, I have ordered from Sushi of Gari twice and I never will again. The first time I ordered, the delivery person was late, so I called the restaurant to inquire about when he might arrive. The manager yelled at me and claimed that the delivery person was in my lobby and I just didn't see him because the lobby was too big. No, sorry, not the case. He then hung up on me angrily. I called back and he hung up. The sushi finally arrived and it was very good. The second time I ordered, the manager called to tell me that the delivery person could not deliver to me because he had too many deliveries to make. He was pressuring me to cancel my order! He sounded disappointed when I told him that I still wanted the food. He started actually yelling at me and telling me that it would be hard to deliver! Are you kidding? Why oh why are you on Seamless Web if you can't deliver? Every other restaurant in Manhattan manages to successfully deliver food without insulting their customers and causing a lot of grief. Unbelievable. I wasted so much of my time on this stupid sushi delivery - it's just not worth it. There are way too many other sushi restaurants in this city to treat your customers like this - it's just bad business. If you are looking for innovative sushi that costs a fortune, then go to Haru or Sushi Samba or Nobu etc, just don't waste your time, money, and emotional energy on Sushi of Gari!!!

  • Pros: The sushi is good, but you can get the same quality elsewhere
  • Cons: Hideously rude service, a huge waste of my time to deal with these psychos, bad business practices
4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/13/08

4 Star Experience!

by debello73

I had a great meal at Sushi of Gari the other night. Very tasty the tatsuta-age, gindara kasuzuke and chirashi . And the service was extremely helpful and friendly.

The menu is a bit of a disorganized mess so it takes a bit to figure out everything they offer (ask your helpful server). Also the parking is challenging so plan for that (luckily it's an easy walk for me). Finally, it is extremely expensive if you start beef tataki ($14.00)

Happily, despite those knocks, given the friendliness, uniqueness and tastiness Sushi of Gari still equals a four star experience!

The Details on Sushi of Gari

Place Categories:

  • best genuine sushi
  • fresh fish
  • really bad service
  • great food
  • best sushi place
  • incredible omakase
  • best sushi restaurant
  • enjoy gari
  • extremely reasonable price
  • overpriced bad omakase
  • good spicy scallop
  • good chef
  • not bother decor
  • creative combination
  • most creative sushi
  • soft soo
  • not as good place
  • love hand rolls
  • impressive nothing
  • really mediocre regular menu
  • not enjoy regular sushi
  • ridiculously overpriced small portions
  • rich toro
  • helpful server
  • uncomfortable restaurant

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