(212) 228-6751

63 Clinton St (nr. Rivington St.)
New York, NY 10002 40.719404 -73.984903

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown

Hours:

Sun-Thu, 5pm-midnight

Fri-Sat, 5pm-1am

Price:

$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, B.Y.O.B.

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Cube 63

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The cramped quarters of this Lower East Side sushi spot, packed with small square tables and steel chairs, aren't much to gawk at. But judging by the rotating cast of satisfied diners, the draw is not the atmosphere. The real pleasure here comes from the prices, which, especially accompanied by such high-quality sushi, are happily low. Specialities like the Volcano Roll and the eponymous Cube 63 Roll shouldn't be missed. Neither should the opportunity to bring your own booze. Just be prepared for a wait staff eager to hurry guests along with ordering and eating, as the one downside to an…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
It's BYOB and the restaurant doesn't offer dessert, but grab something on the way; they'll let you bring in both!
Look Good:
The sushi chefs arrange personalized omasake tasting dinners at the bar starting at $30.
Know Before You Go:
A reservation is generally necessary to secure a table, but you can try your luck on a sushi bar stool in back without. Either way, look for the green glow emanating from the glass door so as not to walk past this hole-in-the-wall.
When to Go:
For a less clamorous atmosphere, try it out on a night early in the week.
The Extras:
The deliver, so order in if you feel like eating at your own pace.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “This restaurant has everything: cool, relaxed atmosphere, extremely nice and knowledgable waitstaff, and some of the best sushi I've ever tasted!”
  2. “ambiance is great, prices are great to.”
  3. “The sushi chefs Ben, Ken, and Wing are so much fun.”
  4. “cozy place with yummy sushi”
  5. “amazing food coupled with the most fun sushi chef's - brothers ken & ben - you'll ever meet (and drink with).”
  6. “The ambiance is pretty nice (but it's small, and can get very loud on weekends).”
  7. “The music and ambience are great.”
  8. “good sushi, ambience a little”
  9. “The fish is quite fresh and the ambiance is nice, although the place is a little small.”
  10. “The atmosphere was great, nice vibe.”
  11. “The dimly lit room proves romantic and the food is fitting for a discerning food fanatic.”
drinks
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “This place is BYOB and should be a great place to relax with your friends and couple bottles of wine.”
  2. “You have the best personalities behind any sushi bar.”
  3. “amazing food coupled with the most fun sushi chef's - brothers ken & ben - you'll ever meet (and drink with).”
  4. “Although we did not have a reservation for Fri, we sat at the sushi bar and truly had a wonderful experience!”
  5. “IT'S BYOB and there is a deli across the street that sells cold beer (even Sapporo).”
  6. “However, they would not offer an ice bucket, and our wine was warm by the end of dinner.”
food quality
96.77000045776367% positive
  1. “Headed to Cube 63 a few weeks back (right after it opened): cute, funky little space, and such fresh and wonderful food, I was kvelling!”
  2. “throw in some incredible and fresh sushi and it's a night to remember.”
  3. “This restaurant has everything: cool, relaxed atmosphere, extremely nice and knowledgable waitstaff, and some of the best sushi I've ever tasted!”
  4. “The food is merely good, but the experience makes Cube 63 worth the visit.”
  5. “cozy place with yummy sushi”
  6. “Unique sushi with the perk of BYOB”
  7. “good sushi, ambience a little”
  8. “There are plenty of other places to grab great sushi with good service and not be rushed.”
  9. “Although very small and sometimes hard to get a reservation for, it is well worth the effort as the sushi is excellent with great variety and it's BYOB - so you won't break your wallet.”
  10. “The fish was fresh, the place is pleasant in general but there was nothing innovative, nothing very impressive about the sushi or the rolls.”
  11. “love any seafood restaurant that closes it's doors on Mondays (seafood is usually delivered on Thursdays to NYC for the wknds).”
  12. “The fish is fresh and the prepared plates are excellent.”
  13. “The spicy tuna is also amazing, along with most of their rolls.”
  14. “Absolutely fantastic sushi.”
  15. “This is a good place to take sushi naive folks because they have some really good rolls and cooked food too.”
  16. “Plus I didn't even enjoy sushi until I ate here.”
  17. “The fish is fresh, and you can't the BYOB.”
  18. “My friends and I had a great time, the food was excellent, and the service was better than I have ever received at a restaurant.”
  19. “The sushi was fantastic; very creative rolls and all the fish was fresh and tasty.”
  20. “Cube has to be one of my favorite sushi places in NYC and I've been around.”
  21. “amazing, tasty, byo, great value.”
  22. “Good priced, good tasting sushi.”
  23. “Having been spoiled by some of the best sushi around (Blowfish Sushi in San Francisco) several restaurants disappointed us until this place.”
  24. “The Clinton roll was excellent (tuna was fresh and delicious).”
  25. “The food was good but extremely slow service.”
  26. “It is the perfect combination of food.”
  27. “The sushi chefs Ben, Ken, and Wing are so much fun.”
  28. “The dimly lit room proves romantic and the food is fitting for a discerning food fanatic.”
  29. “The seafood is fresh.”
  30. “The sushi is unbelievable, and the staff is professional, proficient and accomodating.”
  31. “If you are looking for good food but a quiet place, try the one in Brooklyn.”
  32. “You are also getting the best bang for your buck here in the NYC sushi scene.”
  33. “Great, fresh food.”
  34. “Best sushi rolls in NY!”
  35. “The sushi rolls are the best I have EVER had!”
  36. “Its the size of a shoebox, so you definitely need reservations, but the sushi is amazing.”
  37. “But it was worth it -- complemented the excellent food nicely.”
  38. “The sushi is always fresh and without a doubt the best in the city.”
  39. “The sushi is good, but the rolls are tiny, and its not worth the harassment.”
  40. “You have the best personalities behind any sushi bar.”
  41. “Although we did not have a reservation for Fri, we sat at the sushi bar and truly had a wonderful experience!”
  42. “My favorites are the Wasabi Shumai, traditional tuna belly sashimi, Spicy Tuna Roll (gotta love their special sauce) and the Tuna Tataki.”
  43. “really like their noodle dishes; the peanut noodles are good and theres a few spicy seafood ones, but I dont remember which one i like better.”
  44. “This is by far the best value for sushi I've found in NYC.”
  45. “The fish is quite fresh and the ambiance is nice, although the place is a little small.”
  46. “Small, but great sushi!”
  47. “love the sushi.”
  48. “delicious sashimi, yummy noodles”
  49. “My husband and I love sushi and decided to give this place a try.”
  50. “bit off the beaten path, but a great place if you are looking for BYOB and tasty sushi!”
  51. “highly recommend the Volcano Roll, it's probably the best tasting sushi I've ever had!”
  52. “Good food but bad staff ruined it.”
  53. “The food is indeed quite good.”
  54. “Cube is a great place for sushi because it's oh so yummy and not so expensive!”
  55. “best sushi in the city super fast and very friendly service!”
  56. “My search for great sushi continues.”
  57. “Simply -- great food!”
  58. “decent sushi.”
  59. “The talented chefs offer traditional sashimi and sushi dishes to daring and delicious contemporary combinations.”
  60. “The sushi here was excellent.”
  61. “Excellent quality and value, one of our favorite sushi places”
  62. “amazing food coupled with the most fun sushi chef's - brothers ken & ben - you'll ever meet (and drink with).”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Although very small and sometimes hard to get a reservation for, it is well worth the effort as the sushi is excellent with great variety and it's BYOB - so you won't break your wallet.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This place is BYOB and should be a great place to relax with your friends and couple bottles of wine.”
  2. “Let me say it is a great place for both friends and family.”
  3. “This is my favorite restaurant to take people to in the city.”
  4. “Having been spoiled by some of the best sushi around (Blowfish Sushi in San Francisco) several restaurants disappointed us until this place.”
  5. “bit off the beaten path, but a great place if you are looking for BYOB and tasty sushi!”
  6. “can get a really nice bottle of sake for $35 that would easily run minimum $80 at a restaurant.”
  7. “The fish is quite fresh and the ambiance is nice, although the place is a little small.”
  8. “If you are looking for good food but a quiet place, try the one in Brooklyn.”
  9. “probably NOT the best place for a birthday party of 10.”
  10. “This is a good place to take sushi naive folks because they have some really good rolls and cooked food too.”
  11. “Cube is a great place for sushi because it's oh so yummy and not so expensive!”
  12. “This is my favorite restaurant in the city.”
  13. “My friends and I had a great time, the food was excellent, and the service was better than I have ever received at a restaurant.”
  14. “It is a great place for big parties because it is BYOB.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “Its BYOB, bring a big bottle of something and share it with the guys, they appreciate it and they will remember you when you come back.”
service
65.21999835968018% positive
  1. “bad service.”
  2. “My friends and I had a great time, the food was excellent, and the service was better than I have ever received at a restaurant.”
  3. “This place is not good for large groups since its so small and the music is loud, but its perfect for four people are less.”
  4. “The volcano roll was my favorite and the serve staffs were very friendly and informative.”
  5. “Nice staff.”
  6. “Good food but bad staff ruined it.”
  7. “staff is awesome, waitresses are so cute, and suzanne (owner) is the sweetest thing alive.”
  8. “This is my favorite restaurant to take people to in the city.”
  9. “The food was good but extremely slow service.”
  10. “best sushi in the city super fast and very friendly service!”
  11. “There are plenty of other places to grab great sushi with good service and not be rushed.”
  12. “The staff are courteous, never rush you and the bill is reasonable since you can fill up on your own liquor.”
  13. “This was the worst customer service I've ever experienced.”
  14. “Like most people have said, their sashimi plate is good.”
  15. “Absolutely the WORST customer service EVER.”
  16. “Horribly rude service!”
  17. “bad service”
  18. “Service was good and fast (because there were very few people there so early?”
  19. “The service was good enough; a little slow, but we were in no rush to leave anyway.”
  20. “The sushi is unbelievable, and the staff is professional, proficient and accomodating.”
  21. “The staff is warm and friendly (maybe because I share my sake with them).”
  22. “rude service”
  23. “The waitstaff is always very friendly and accomodating.”
value
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “amazing, tasty, byo, great value.”
  2. “The price is decent, although you don't get a lot for the omakase.”
  3. “This is by far the best value for sushi I've found in NYC.”
  4. “ambiance is great, prices are great to.”
  5. “am not a huge fan of Sushi, but when I tried the rolls at Cube 63 for the first time, I was hooked!”
  6. “The food is merely good, but the experience makes Cube 63 worth the visit.”
  7. “Excellent quality and value, one of our favorite sushi places”
  8. “Although very small and sometimes hard to get a reservation for, it is well worth the effort as the sushi is excellent with great variety and it's BYOB - so you won't break your wallet.”
  9. “But it was worth it -- complemented the excellent food nicely.”
  10. “Cube is a great place for sushi because it's oh so yummy and not so expensive!”
  11. “The sushi is good, but the rolls are tiny, and its not worth the harassment.”
  12. “Menu is affordable and we really enjoyed the fact that it was BYOB.”
wait time
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “The food was good but extremely slow service.”
  2. “The service was good enough; a little slow, but we were in no rush to leave anyway.”
  3. “Service was extremely slow.”
3 Star Rating: Average

02/23/10

Tiny portions for the price

by RKM at Citysearch

I went with my girlfriend on a Monday night and ordered miso soup, 2 rolls, and some sushi/sashimi. The service was prompt, but the restuarant only had one group there that night. The rolls are very tiny and even though we had 1 roll with tuna and another with eel, they tasted almost the same. We did not feel that we had our $10 worth in the rolls; it felt more like an appetizer than an entree. There are a lot of better japanese places in nearby East Village that charge the same prices and provide better portions, such as Nori.

  • Pros: Decent, but fresh, rolls, sushi, and sashimi.
  • Cons: For a $10 roll, it sure left me desiring more.
2 Star Rating: Below Average

03/08/09

Horribly rude service!!!

by blueivy at Citysearch

I went to Cube 63 with some friends this past Saturday night for a casual birthday dinner. I called the restaurant to tell them that my group was running late due to traffic and that's when they FIRST informed me that there was a 1.5 hour time limit on the table, from the time of the reservation, regardless of when our party arrived. The lady was EXTREMELY rude and repeatedly asked if we were going to show up or not, clearly because she wanted to give our tables away. When I arrived at the restaurant only a few minutes after the reservation time, she rudely asked AGAIN if the rest of my friends were definitely going to show up. Furthermore, she couldn't seem to understand English or something, because she was confused when I told her that they need to tell people about the time limit on the table WHEN THEY ARE MAKING THE RESERVATION, NOT WHEN THEY SHOW UP! Then they gave us a 4 person table for 6 people, it was ridiculously small and uncomfortable! They also rushed us during the meal and especially towards the end of the time limit. The sushi is good, but the rolls are tiny, and its not worth the harassment. AVOID THIS PLACE!!!!!!!

  • Pros: fresh fish
  • Cons: service, small rolls, tiny restaurant
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/23/08

Great sushi

by tdv at Citysearch

I've gone to this restaurant once or twice a year since it opened and always wonder why I don't go more. It can be a bit cozy in there, but you never mind once you get your food. This is by far the best value for sushi I've found in NYC. Bond Street may be better, but other than that I can't really say anyone else provides a superior sushi meal.

  • Pros: Great Sushi!!!
  • Cons: A bit tight and need a reservation
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/16/08

rude service

by andeesue10 at Citysearch

I could not believe the staff at this place. Immediately upon arriving we were told we had a time limit on our reservation and would have to leave in an hour and a half. This place is BYOB and should be a great place to relax with your friends and couple bottles of wine. Instead we were rushed through dinner and dessert and then told outright we had to leave. When we asked if we could finish our bottle of wine, the staff verbally attacked us. I will never return to this place and would urge no one else to go. There are far better BYOB sushi places with much nicer staff.

  • Pros: decent sushi
  • Cons: rude staff, very crowded
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/03/08

HORRIBLE SERVICE, MEDIOCRE SUSHU

by 10021BGT at Citysearch

I was looking for to this place. The service was inattentive and actually downright rude. The sushi was average at best but not bad. The space is cool and the neighborhood great. We were asked to leave immediately upon paying the check, which was very disturbing. There are plenty of other places to grab great sushi with good service and not be rushed. Go to those.

The Details on Cube 63

Place Categories:

  • best sushi
  • great place
  • fresh food
  • bad customer service
  • bad staff
  • fresh fish
  • good service
  • amazing spicy tuna
  • knowledgable waitstaff
  • great chefs
  • wonderful dinner experience
  • favorite volcano roll
  • favorite seafood restaurant
  • great value
  • pretty nice ambiance
  • big bottle
  • informative serve staffs
  • love clinton roll
  • great price
  • cold sake
  • favorite sushi places
  • nice byob
  • fresh creative rolls
  • great specialty rolls
  • uninspired rolls
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