(212) 777-9346

172 Thompson St (nr. Houston St.)
New York, NY 10012 40.7276 -74.0001

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: SoHo, Downtown

Hours:

Sun-Mon, 5pm-11pm

Tue-Sat, 1pm-3pm and 5pm-11pm

Price:

$$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Food Delivery

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

What People Are Saying About Tomoe Sushi

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – The toast of many a guidebook, this Soho spot finds its unassuming storefront thronged with tourists and patient locals every evening. Inside, it's decorated fairly traditionally in bare pine, with hand-drawn signs advertising specials du jour. A good deal of the restaurant's enduring popularity is due to the casual, friendly service and mood. – – The Food – The restaurant subscribes to the "big fish" doctrine of outsized, crowd-wowing hunks of sashimi. At restaurants serving poor fish, this trend is very tedious indeed; but here, fortunately, everything is…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Due to the restaurant's no-reservations policy, there are often hour-long lines to get in. Regulars know to get on line a bit before opening time to get a table more quickly.
ambiance
80.0% positive
  1. Decent price, top grade fresh fish, casual atmosphere, and a very impressive selection of sake.
  2. this would deserve a 10 if you can forgive the long long wait (45min way too long unless you're on a nice date or with friends), cramp seating, lack of ambiance & so so service, then you can enjoy the best sushi downtown (yama is passe & inconsistent).
  3. Don't expect great service or a charming ambience, though.
  4. Prices are reasonable, service is so-so, decor sucks but the fish is to die for!
  5. This cozy little spot in the West Village has the best sushi that NYC has to offer.
  6. The food is delicious but its not a romantic date spot.
  7. the fish is NOT fresh, doesn't blend well with the rice, everything is overpriced, especially given the bad quality of the food and the terrible atmosphere/ambience, and the service SUCKS - the waitress flat-out denied my request for a tea refill.
  8. big portions, real fresh, and no pretense (read, no ambiance, densely packed tables.
  9. This isn't the place for decor or ambience - just people who want the tastiest fish at a reasonable price.
  10. was surprised, given the atmosphere of the place -- inside it's very homey and busy and not trendy, but the food is excellent and worth the price.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. However all that can be forgotten when you're eating the nobu-worthy seabass appetizer, huge fresh shushi and devine banana tempura or green tea ice-cream.
  2. lightly fried banana with a scoop of creamy rich vanilla ice cream!
drinks
80.0% positive
  1. After we were seated, we were ignored by the wait staff, we had to flag down 2 different guys before we could order drinks, then the ordeal repated itself when we tried to order food.
  2. However all that can be forgotten when you're eating the nobu-worthy seabass appetizer, huge fresh shushi and devine banana tempura or green tea ice-cream.
  3. the fish is NOT fresh, doesn't blend well with the rice, everything is overpriced, especially given the bad quality of the food and the terrible atmosphere/ambience, and the service SUCKS - the waitress flat-out denied my request for a tea refill.
  4. The fishes at the sushi bar are fresh.
  5. The green tea is excellent and not overpowering as at some other restaurants.
food quality
89.60000038146973% positive
  1. fresh sushi and inventive sushi.
  2. The maki rolls were all incredibly fresh and delicious - DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAIT!
  3. The fishes at the sushi bar are fresh.
  4. For me, i would rather pay more to have real sushi and not to watch the chef turn some great fishes/seafood into garbage.
  5. one of the best sushi places in the city.
  6. HUGE pieces of delisiously fresh sushi and sashimi; wonderful wait staff.
  7. They were put together horribly and the fish really didnt have a super fresh taste.
  8. The food was RIDICULOUS.
  9. great food
  10. Tomoe has the best sushi in New York.
  11. The best fish in the city
  12. recommend the spicy tuna hand rolls- divine; the ika kimchi, the california roll- fantastic.
  13. love this place and everyone i took here has made to a point that this is the "best sushi" and we need to go again.
  14. Space are jammed, the Portion are huge, not like the other traditional sushi places, although house is obviously too small for the size of the portion cuts of the SUSHI!
  15. Here's how it rates, and when visiting, order the famous Soft shell crab dish!
  16. personally will only recommend people who never have good sushi before to go there as the price is reasonable.
  17. Just straightforward good sushi and nothing less.
  18. would recommend this place to those looking for fresh and inventive plate of sushi.
  19. Great sushi, long wait
  20. sushi is so fresh & comparable.
  21. Tomoe Sushi is one of, if not the best, sushi restaurants in NYC.
  22. For an appetizer, I recommend the soft shell crab with ponzu sauce, which was excellent - the perfect contrast of texture and flavor.
  23. best sushi in town!
  24. The sushi is just heavenly!
  25. The sushi is a tad expensive, but everything else on the menu is reasonably priced.
  26. would the sushi is absolutely amazing, nothing I ever tasted before.
  27. Really incredible meal, reasonable prices, friendly waiters, the most beautiful piece of toro I've ever eaten in my life.
  28. This is the best sushi in NYC.
  29. The sushi was just bad.
  30. The sushi is good, but the service is so bad that it's not worth it.
  31. Face it - you are coming for fresh sushi, whether sashimi, sushi or rolls.
  32. Tomoe, although tiny inside, offers huge deals on some of the best tasting sushi in the city!
  33. However all that can be forgotten when you're eating the nobu-worthy seabass appetizer, huge fresh shushi and devine banana tempura or green tea ice-cream.
  34. If you eat here, you have to come here for the sushi or sashimi, the rolls have extra ingredient that take away from the amazing taste of the fish.
  35. The sushi is aptly priced (a weee bit on the high side), and while you won't get ginormous portions, you will have astoundingly fresh cuts of fish.
  36. This cozy little spot in the West Village has the best sushi that NYC has to offer.
  37. This place does serve really good food.
  38. This isn't the place for decor or ambience - just people who want the tastiest fish at a reasonable price.
  39. The sushi is extremely fresh - the nigiri can be on the large size (3 or 4 bit.
  40. The waiters were rude, the food was barely average and the prices were too high.
  41. The sushi looked less clean cut and a bit rushed.
  42. Tomoe has great sushi one of the best places in the city but the wait sucks.
  43. After we were seated, we were ignored by the wait staff, we had to flag down 2 different guys before we could order drinks, then the ordeal repated itself when we tried to order food.
  44. The uni were fresh.
  45. Qulaity of the seafood is EXCELLENT!
  46. very fresh fish, very well done sushi.
  47. The spicy tuna roll is awesome and everything else has been great, too.
  48. If they have the fresh soft-shell crab I recommend it, but be weary, the one in the roll is not the freshest one, its the frozen one, so get the appetizer version.
  49. the best sushi and great variaty of japanese food
  50. fresh sushi in appropriate portions (not overwhelmingly large like the other sushi restaurant nearby).
  51. This sushi place is very authentic.
  52. Huge chunks of salmon and something else (cod?)
  53. The food can't be that good.
  54. The fish is fresh, but as people who love sushi know, fresh is by far not the only thing fish should be.
  55. There's a reason why there is ALWAYS a line outside this place, sushi is always fresh and tasty!
  56. was very skeptical when I had to wait in line for a while before I could order, but once my food arrived I was in DISBELIEF as to how fresh the sushi was.
  57. Always fresh fish, I have never been disappointed!
  58. This is by far my favorite sushi place ever!
  59. The best sushi, I have ever had in New York.
  60. This tasty spot had some of the best Toro I've ever had, and it wasn't a den of hobnobery and snobish pretension as is common on the upper east.
  61. great sushi for the price
  62. awesome sushi
  63. For those of you that love the sushi but cant take the lines try Hamachi.
  64. You'll always wait in line, but if you want the best fish in the city, its worth the wait.
  65. However, it's the amazingly bad sushi chef who ruined everything.
  66. The experience here is entirely different than at Yasuda, maybe like having a huge grilled burger versus a perfect filet mignon.
  67. swimming in a rich miso soup.
  68. This is the best sushi place I have ever been to.
  69. Average sushi, high price, HORRIBLE customer service
  70. The sushi rolls were fresh and quite flavorful.
  71. We told him about the bad service and he just kept repeating: "you were at my table, i brought you your food
  72. The line was long and the food was really really good.
  73. The sashimi is fresh, the cooked dishes are small but delicious.
  74. This is the place for excellent sushi and sashimi.
  75. best squid in NYC fantastic rolls and the best salmon skin roll in the world
  76. For appetizers, my wife and I ordered the baked Sea Bass with a fresh tomato and red chili pepper sauce.
  77. Tomoe sushi is horrible.
  78. Fresh and tasty sushi.
  79. Prices are reasonable, service is so-so, decor sucks but the fish is to die for!
  80. Their fish is always fresh and flavorful.
  81. the sashimi and sushi is really, really fresh.
  82. Sushi was fresh -- the sushi / sashimi combination offers such a variety of fish - yellowtail, tuna, salmon, salmon tar-tar, rolls, shrimp, squids, scallops, etc.
  83. big portions, real fresh, and no pretense (read, no ambiance, densely packed tables.
  84. She told me that it is the best sushi she has had in NY (price was not a factor for her).
  85. However, the oshinko roll here is delicious since shiso leaf and wasabi are added for that extra subtle taste.
  86. The cuts of the sushi/sashimi were big.
  87. Our waiter was very nice and accommodating, but we really came here to have good raw fish, and we DID NOT find it.
  88. was surprised, given the atmosphere of the place -- inside it's very homey and busy and not trendy, but the food is excellent and worth the price.
  89. The sushi is not the best there is - but for the price it's terrific.
  90. Avoid this and you will have a great meal!
  91. The line is worth the wait, this is my favorite place in the city for fresh tasty fish.
  92. But even w/the lines to get in, still top place in my book to get wickedly good sushi.
  93. everything is just deliciously fresh and perfect.
  94. When in line, it's always smart to ask to sit at the sushi counter (not just here, but at any good sushi joint).
  95. best value for money, freshest fish, and tastiest sushi rolls, handrolled in front of the customer, this little tiny soho hangout, does not take reservations, so be prepared to wait in line, unless you get there early enough, however, it is well worth the
  96. Great fish
  97. The food was awesome and sooo fresh!
  98. Yes, sushi was fresh and tasty.
  99. Tomoe makes for an excellent introduction to great sushi.
  100. If you want great japanese food, head over to Tomoe.
  101. The sushi is excellent and at a great price.
  102. Service is incredibly fast, the sashimi deluxe is filled with buttery tuna, shrimp, squid.
  103. Tomoe offers great sushi.
  104. The Sushi was delicious and fresh tasting and the pieces were quite large.
  105. Still, my favourite sushi restaurant in North America.
  106. Decent price, top grade fresh fish, casual atmosphere, and a very impressive selection of sake.
  107. The california roll was too big and overfilled with imitation crab meat, so it's not the best I had.
  108. fresh and cut very well, the appetizers are yummy and the hand rolls ARE SO GOOD!
  109. this would deserve a 10 if you can forgive the long long wait (45min way too long unless you're on a nice date or with friends), cramp seating, lack of ambiance & so so service, then you can enjoy the best sushi downtown (yama is passe & inconsistent).
  110. Tomoe runs a solid kitchen that outputs some impressive food.
  111. Tomoe is the place to go for great sushi.
  112. Yeah, there's a wait, but when I went last the waiter brought out sake to my friend and I, and when we got our food, it was the best sushi I've ever had.
  113. sushi/sashimi. This place is spot on with fresh and delicious food every visit.
  114. Cost is reasonable for the quality of the food.
  115. But for fresh sushi, nothing tops Tomoe.
  116. Tomoe definitely provides its diners with excellent quality sushi and sashimi, although the quality does not justify the exhobitant costs.
  117. This is the worst sushi expereince I had in NYC.
  118. the spicy toro tartar is great as well.
  119. The fish is very fresh and all the small dishes are excellent.
  120. Great sushi!
  121. Great big soft sushi!
  122. Not only it will make the rice too warm and affect the freshness of fishes, it's also not clean to use your whole palm to handle food that people will eat raw.
  123. Nothing fancy, but great skills of selecting the fish.
  124. So toughen up, wait in line for 20 minutes and have the best sushi around.
  125. Therefore, I did not enjoy the sushi deluxe at Tomoe, as each piece was pre-seasoned with Wasabi.
  126. We are sushi connesuiers and know what different types of fresh raw fish should taste like.
  127. don't like standing in line with those jerks, but the food more than makes up for it.
  128. The fish is very very fresh, and the pieces are huge.
  129. Awesome sushi!
  130. i've had lots of sushi and many great restaurants all across the country so i had high expectations after hearing the reviews and waiting in line for over an hour.
  131. The sashimi, fried soft shell crab, giant clam soup, and spicy toro tartar are always fresh and definitely what I keep going back there for.
  132. The food is delicious but its not a romantic date spot.
  133. the fish is NOT fresh, doesn't blend well with the rice, everything is overpriced, especially given the bad quality of the food and the terrible atmosphere/ambience, and the service SUCKS - the waitress flat-out denied my request for a tea refill.
menu variety
75.0% positive
  1. Sushi was fresh -- the sushi / sashimi combination offers such a variety of fish - yellowtail, tuna, salmon, salmon tar-tar, rolls, shrimp, squids, scallops, etc.
  2. Decent price, top grade fresh fish, casual atmosphere, and a very impressive selection of sake.
  3. have yet to explore the whole menu, but almost everything I have tried is outstanding!
  4. The sushi is a tad expensive, but everything else on the menu is reasonably priced.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. This is definitely one of my all time favorite Japanese restaurant.
  2. This is the best sushi place I have ever been to.
  3. There is almost always an hour wait at dinner time, but this may be the best Japanese Sushi restaurant in NYC.
  4. We really left there scratching our heads after hearing friends and reading reviews on how great this place was.
service
72.22000122070312% positive
  1. The portion sizes are generous and the service is amiable and attentive.
  2. Don't expect great service or a charming ambience, though.
  3. The service wasn't as bad as previous reviews make them out to be.
  4. The sushi is good, but the service is so bad that it's not worth it.
  5. Our waiter was very nice and accommodating, but we really came here to have good raw fish, and we DID NOT find it.
  6. Really incredible meal, reasonable prices, friendly waiters, the most beautiful piece of toro I've ever eaten in my life.
  7. After we were seated, we were ignored by the wait staff, we had to flag down 2 different guys before we could order drinks, then the ordeal repated itself when we tried to order food.
  8. the fish is NOT fresh, doesn't blend well with the rice, everything is overpriced, especially given the bad quality of the food and the terrible atmosphere/ambience, and the service SUCKS - the waitress flat-out denied my request for a tea refill.
  9. personally will only recommend people who never have good sushi before to go there as the price is reasonable.
  10. The fish is fresh, but as people who love sushi know, fresh is by far not the only thing fish should be.
  11. Average sushi, high price, HORRIBLE customer service
  12. There is a huge line, usually a 45 minute wait; they take no reservations and no tables of more than five people.
  13. Prices are reasonable, service is so-so, decor sucks but the fish is to die for!
  14. Please dont come to Tomoe, because then other people will know about my fabulous secret!
  15. HUGE pieces of delisiously fresh sushi and sashimi; wonderful wait staff.
  16. The waiters were rude, the food was barely average and the prices were too high.
  17. This isn't the place for decor or ambience - just people who want the tastiest fish at a reasonable price.
  18. Not only it will make the rice too warm and affect the freshness of fishes, it's also not clean to use your whole palm to handle food that people will eat raw.
  19. We told him about the bad service and he just kept repeating: "you were at my table, i brought you your food
  20. Yeah, there's a wait, but when I went last the waiter brought out sake to my friend and I, and when we got our food, it was the best sushi I've ever had.
  21. this would deserve a 10 if you can forgive the long long wait (45min way too long unless you're on a nice date or with friends), cramp seating, lack of ambiance & so so service, then you can enjoy the best sushi downtown (yama is passe & inconsistent).
value
80.29999732971191% positive
  1. Decent price, top grade fresh fish, casual atmosphere, and a very impressive selection of sake.
  2. The waiters were rude, the food was barely average and the prices were too high.
  3. The sushi is a tad expensive, but everything else on the menu is reasonably priced.
  4. This isn't the place for decor or ambience - just people who want the tastiest fish at a reasonable price.
  5. Really incredible meal, reasonable prices, friendly waiters, the most beautiful piece of toro I've ever eaten in my life.
  6. The portion sizes are generous and the service is amiable and attentive.
  7. the fish is NOT fresh, doesn't blend well with the rice, everything is overpriced, especially given the bad quality of the food and the terrible atmosphere/ambience, and the service SUCKS - the waitress flat-out denied my request for a tea refill.
  8. The sushi is not the best there is - but for the price it's terrific.
  9. and best value for money in the city!
  10. The experience here is entirely different than at Yasuda, maybe like having a huge grilled burger versus a perfect filet mignon.
  11. The prices aren't super-low, but if you consider the portion size, the value is good.
  12. best value for money, freshest fish, and tastiest sushi rolls, handrolled in front of the customer, this little tiny soho hangout, does not take reservations, so be prepared to wait in line, unless you get there early enough, however, it is well worth the
  13. The line is worth the wait, this is my favorite place in the city for fresh tasty fish.
  14. Funny tho to hear others talking where they have been & we heard Blue Ribbon Sushi (recommend but pricey & long waits also), Raku (recommend in theater district) & Sushi of Gari (UES but crowded & $$$$).
  15. great sushi for the price
  16. She told me that it is the best sushi she has had in NY (price was not a factor for her).
  17. The sushi is good, but the service is so bad that it's not worth it.
  18. There is a huge line, usually a 45 minute wait; they take no reservations and no tables of more than five people.
  19. Average sushi, high price, HORRIBLE customer service
  20. was surprised, given the atmosphere of the place -- inside it's very homey and busy and not trendy, but the food is excellent and worth the price.
  21. Space are jammed, the Portion are huge, not like the other traditional sushi places, although house is obviously too small for the size of the portion cuts of the SUSHI!
  22. big portions, real fresh, and no pretense (read, no ambiance, densely packed tables.
  23. The sushi is excellent and at a great price.
  24. Best Sushi with great price
  25. personally will only recommend people who never have good sushi before to go there as the price is reasonable.
  26. Tomoe, although tiny inside, offers huge deals on some of the best tasting sushi in the city!
  27. The prices are ridiculous.
  28. The fish is very very fresh, and the pieces are huge.
  29. The sushi is aptly priced (a weee bit on the high side), and while you won't get ginormous portions, you will have astoundingly fresh cuts of fish.
  30. fresh sushi in appropriate portions (not overwhelmingly large like the other sushi restaurant nearby).
  31. However all that can be forgotten when you're eating the nobu-worthy seabass appetizer, huge fresh shushi and devine banana tempura or green tea ice-cream.
  32. You'll always wait in line, but if you want the best fish in the city, its worth the wait.
  33. to their credit the scallops were excellent but the tuna sashimi had that unfresh "pasty" texture and was just this huge chunk.
wait time
90.4800033569336% positive
  1. So toughen up, wait in line for 20 minutes and have the best sushi around.
  2. There is a huge line, usually a 45 minute wait; they take no reservations and no tables of more than five people.
  3. this would deserve a 10 if you can forgive the long long wait (45min way too long unless you're on a nice date or with friends), cramp seating, lack of ambiance & so so service, then you can enjoy the best sushi downtown (yama is passe & inconsistent).
  4. Great sushi, long wait
  5. Funny tho to hear others talking where they have been & we heard Blue Ribbon Sushi (recommend but pricey & long waits also), Raku (recommend in theater district) & Sushi of Gari (UES but crowded & $$$$).
  6. 2) The chef held the raw fishes in their hand so long that the fishes turns warm and unfresh while u ate it.
  7. The line was long and the food was really really good.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/10/11

Wonderful Experience

by yumi65

A friend took me here once. It was a splendid experience. Extremely crowded but I guess it was because it is so popular. The sashimi slices were very filling and when the check came I was glad I wasn't picking up the tab!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/08/10

Love this place!

by tahleeya design

Fresh fish, Nice portions. A little pricey but well worth it!

The ambiance is a little tight and there is usually a long wait to be seated.. but that is because this place is fantastic.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/18/10

My Favorite Sushi Spot

by Czuks

OK so maybe one look at this place will make you want to turn around but they really do have the BEST sushi/sahimi in NYC. I don't love the maguro sashimi, too red and not as fresh as I'd like but their Yellowtail and Salmon are to die for. No whimpy pieces of sushi here. Large chunks of the freshest fish you can find. I dream about it and you will too!!!!!!

4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/01/10

Great sushi

by gaiamcraft

This place does serve really good food. You can taste the effort. The sashimi is fresh, the cooked dishes are small but delicious. Come early to beat the line and make friends with the waiter for next time.

  • Pros: food
  • Cons: lines/wait, pricey
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/24/09

The BEST sashimi I have EVER had!

by get_the_honey_junior

This was BY FAR...THE BEST sashimi that I have EVER eaten. For appetizers, my wife and I ordered the baked Sea Bass with a fresh tomato and red chili pepper sauce. (UNREAL!!!) We each ordered the Sashimi Deluxe platter. The pieces of fish were HUGE which usually occurs when quality is replaced by quantity. Nothing could be further from the truth at Tomoe. This sashimi was so jaw droppingly tender and fresh...that it could be described as something of a religious experience!!! This was definitely one of the top 10 food experiences I have EVER had.

Don't let the lines deter you....It is DEFINITELY well worth the wait!

  • Pros: Fresh, large and oh so tender pieces of fish
  • Cons: No reservations... long lines out the door.

The Details on Tomoe Sushi

Place Categories:

  • best great sushi
  • love sushi place
  • fresh raw fish
  • reasonable price
  • best sashimi
  • bad service
  • quite flavorful sushi rolls
  • overpriced everything
  • rude waiters
  • pricey waits
  • never good tomoe sushi
  • very good maki rolls
  • sucks line
  • big cuts
  • great spicy toro tartar
  • best value
  • fantastic tomoe
  • recommend fried soft shell crab
  • sucks place
  • big portion
  • huge fresh shushi
  • disgusting dirty plastic
  • great japanese food
  • warm fishes
  • great cooked appetizers
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