Shimizu Restaurant

(212) 581-1581

318 W 51st St (8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019 40.7631 -73.9862

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Neighborhoods: Clinton, Midtown

SHIMIZUSUSHI.COM

Hours:

Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 9.12.11

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Hotel Restaurants, Private Rooms, Theater District Dining, Business Dining, Dine At The Bar

Cuisine:

Japanese, Seafood, Sushi

Notable Chef:

Hisao Shimizu

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Shimizu Restaurant

Featured Review

Kara Zuaro

Contributor

The Scene – Located on the ground floor of the Washington-Jefferson Hotel, this lesser-known Japanese spot is an oasis for theater-going foodies. The minimalist, brightly lit front dining room is lined by a long sushi bar, often occupied by Japanese businessmen. Extra-large pen-and-ink drawings of fish give the sushi chefs an elegant backdrop. In the cozier back room, additional tables are set beside a dark wood bar. – – The Food – Chef Hisao Shimizu's delectably fresh and generous omakase platter entices sushi connoisseurs. Starting at $30, the daily selection may…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Shimizu serves a variety of shochu, which can be made from rice, barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, or sugar. Beginners may wish to soften the potent beverage with lime and club soda.
Look Good:
Your receipt may come back in Japanese, but the friendly staff here is glad to describe drinks and dishes in English--don't be afraid to ask for recommendations.
Delivery:
There is a $20 minimum for delivery orders.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Good location, but due to its small size, could be hit or miss on waiting.”
  2. “nice atmosphere”
  3. “Very fresh seafood, small cozy place”
  4. “The atmosphere is relaxing and the staff couldn't be more polite.”
drinks
0.0% positive
  1. “If you're a real sushi person - order the omakase at the sushi bar and you will never be disappointed.”
food quality
97.06000328063965% positive
  1. “The vegetable tempura was delicious, but the agadashi dofu was sticky and gross.”
  2. “love sushi and have always had to trek all the way to the east side for any decent sushi.”
  3. “SHIMIZU has the best sushi in NYC!”
  4. “food was good, service good- all a bit too pricy.”
  5. “usually have a blue crab handroll at my fave sushi haunt but it was good to explore beyond my comfort zone.”
  6. “If you love sushi, you MUST go there.”
  7. “all sushi & sashimi are very very fresh, big enough to cover sushi rice & melted in my mouth with very reasonable price or even greater worth.”
  8. “Great meal.”
  9. “The sushi was excellent, but to compliment the great food was the fact that this restaurant is small and the noise level is low.”
  10. “This place is great for a low key evening for really great sushi and conversation.”
  11. “At all I enjoyed the meal overthere and I think I will go there again.”
  12. “will definitely go back to enjoy real sushi again soon!”
  13. “Wonderful food, gracious (if occasionally clumsy) service in a beautiful setting.”
  14. “Your best is sushi here, but the cooked dishes are also quite good.”
  15. “great fish”
  16. “Amazingly fresh and generous scallop sushi and yellowtail and scallion maki are among my favorite choices (at very reasonable prices.)”
  17. “The chirashi is especially good - chef's choice of sashimi arranged on perfectly cooked and seasoned sushi rice.”
  18. “you can rarely find this kind of authentic Japanese sushi restrant in Manhattan with this value!”
  19. “would recommend this restaurant to everyone interested in sushi.”
  20. “The fish was fresh and heavenly!”
  21. “If you want to have good sushi in NY, go to the counter at Sushiden, Sushi Yasuda, Sasabune or others with the same quality of level.”
  22. “It has no gimmicks, it's not trendy, it's just some of the best sushi in the city in a lovely quiet room.”
  23. “My $75 plate had about 8 pieces of very good onigiri (toro, sardine, yellowtail, salmon, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, etc), seared mackerel sashimi, tuna sashimi,”
  24. “1: my reservation for omakase on my boyfriend's bday had been "lost;" still, we decided to stay for a meal and for $65 per person, we ended up having a wonderful experience with delicious cooked and raw dishes.”
  25. “The food decent, but nothing special.”
  26. “Very fresh seafood, small cozy place”
  27. “Most important of all, the sushi was delicious!”
  28. “If you're a real sushi person - order the omakase at the sushi bar and you will never be disappointed.”
  29. “With so many great sushi places all over the city, why bother with this one?”
  30. “think this place is worth a try if you are a sushi lover, if nothing else for the experience of trying another good place.”
  31. “The usual suspects were good -- uni, toro, albacore, but I also liked his sweet shrimp and crab concoctions.”
  32. “am willing to pay for good sushi, and god knows I have, but I'm not sure it was worth every penny.”
  33. “delicious sushi with a wonderful selection.”
  34. “The food with very good and really it was better than a lot of places I had tried and the price is convenient however the service there need a lot of renovation because at leat you need to have some of the staff to be qualify for the service and give atte”
menu variety
75.0% positive
  1. “The Shochu selection is amazing and the prices are great.”
  2. “The service at Shimizu is poor at best -- the waitress brought us the wrong rolls and the bill wasn't itemized, so without going back to the menu, we had to take her word that she charged us for the right rolls.”
  3. “Amazingly fresh and generous scallop sushi and yellowtail and scallion maki are among my favorite choices (at very reasonable prices.)”
  4. “delicious sushi with a wonderful selection.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Initially I was excited that this place is located close to work/home-- I've always wanted a decent priced good quality japanese place that's convenient.”
  2. “The sushi was excellent, but to compliment the great food was the fact that this restaurant is small and the noise level is low.”
  3. “think this place is worth a try if you are a sushi lover, if nothing else for the experience of trying another good place.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “At all I enjoyed the meal overthere and I think I will go there again.”
  2. “will definitely go back to enjoy real sushi again soon!”
service
80.0% positive
  1. “Wonderful food, gracious (if occasionally clumsy) service in a beautiful setting.”
  2. “Poor service, mediocre cuts and way over priced for the setting.”
  3. “Excellent service.”
  4. “food was good, service good- all a bit too pricy.”
  5. “The atmosphere is relaxing and the staff couldn't be more polite.”
  6. “The food with very good and really it was better than a lot of places I had tried and the price is convenient however the service there need a lot of renovation because at leat you need to have some of the staff to be qualify for the service and give atte”
  7. “The service was great.”
  8. “Everyone was very nice and attentive.”
  9. “The prices are reasonable and the service is just a notch under super.”
  10. “The service at Shimizu is poor at best -- the waitress brought us the wrong rolls and the bill wasn't itemized, so without going back to the menu, we had to take her word that she charged us for the right rolls.”
value
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. “Amazingly fresh and generous scallop sushi and yellowtail and scallion maki are among my favorite choices (at very reasonable prices.)”
  2. “The food with very good and really it was better than a lot of places I had tried and the price is convenient however the service there need a lot of renovation because at leat you need to have some of the staff to be qualify for the service and give atte”
  3. “am willing to pay for good sushi, and god knows I have, but I'm not sure it was worth every penny.”
  4. “you can rarely find this kind of authentic Japanese sushi restrant in Manhattan with this value!”
  5. “The Shochu selection is amazing and the prices are great.”
  6. “Poor service, mediocre cuts and way over priced for the setting.”
  7. “The prices are reasonable and the service is just a notch under super.”
  8. “all sushi & sashimi are very very fresh, big enough to cover sushi rice & melted in my mouth with very reasonable price or even greater worth.”
  9. “think this place is worth a try if you are a sushi lover, if nothing else for the experience of trying another good place.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “Service was slow (asked for water about 5 times.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/16/11

Won't be making a return trip here

by FeldmanDebbi at Citysearch

I can't say that I had the best experience in this restaurant. The sushi was outrageously priced. I've had better quality sushi at the Haru and paid half the price. It's not like the atmosphere in this restaurant or stellar customer service justfies the price. Won't be making a return trip here.

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/18/09

AWFUL EXPERIENCE AT THE SUSHI BAR!!!!!

by Himawari at Citysearch

"Zettai nidoto ikanai" means "I absolutely never go back there" in Japanese.. Sushi lunch maybe okay but DON'T even try to make a reservation for the sushi bar. They will charge you impossible $$$$. If you want to have good sushi in NY, go to the counter at Sushiden, Sushi Yasuda, Sasabune or others with the same quality of level. (There are many in NY) I have never seen a sushi chef who had long hair and, charged $85 for a tiny sashimi platter for 2. (assortment of four different kind of very thinly sliced plain fish, totally nothing special, this was a joke, not rip off ) I noticed that that's their strategy, serve sushi for tourists at lunch time at proper price and charge$$$$ for customers sit at the counter. My husband doesn't drink at all, I ordered just one glass of beer which was $6 and we paid almost $300 total. Do you still wanna go there??

4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/29/08

Excellent Service..

by marianneee at Citysearch

Excellent service...delicious sushi with a wonderful selection. I have been frequenting this establishment for almost a year now, and I must say that it has never disappointed me yet. The atmosphere is relaxing and the staff couldn't be more polite. Even my nit picking base requirements of my dining experience are always fulfilled without an issue or need to request. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone interested in sushi.

  • Pros: staff,food
4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/21/08

Very fresh seafood, small cozy place

by sihui at Citysearch

I came to Shimizu based on the recommendations of a Japanese friend. I ordered a Chef-selection plate of mixed sushi and sashimi. There was sea urchin among the selection. At first I dreaded eating it (not an urchin fan!) but to my surprise it tasted really sweet and tasty. It is like slurping a great oyster. The rest, needless to say, is history. My $75 plate had about 8 pieces of very good onigiri (toro, sardine, yellowtail, salmon, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, etc), seared mackerel sashimi, tuna sashimi,

  • Pros: Fresh seafood, authentic chef, no-frill sushi
  • Cons: Pricey, small place
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/03/08

Questionable at best

by shaheen1981 at Citysearch

Poor service, mediocre cuts and way over priced for the setting. Go to Haru or something similar. Same prices but better ambiance, cuts and service.

  • Pros: None
  • Cons: Over priced, bad service and mediocre cuts

The Details on Shimizu Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • best real sushi
  • great service
  • great food
  • big sashimi
  • decent good quality japanese place
  • great fish
  • great small cozy place
  • awful experience
  • very nice everyone
  • generous scallop sushi
  • generous maki
  • fresh seafood
  • especially good chirashi
  • ridiculous rip
  • great sushi places
  • great meal
  • more polite staff
  • liked sweet shrimp
  • really great conversation
  • quite good cooked dishes
  • beautiful setting
  • mediocre cuts
  • authentic japanese sushi restrant
  • very reasonable prices
  • very good onigiri