Best Sushi in Edinburgh: Dine In & Takeaway

Looking for the best sushi in Edinburgh for your nigiri fix? Whether you are salivating for sashimi or your mind is on maki, this guide details Edinburgh’s top Japanese restaurants that serve sushi platters. We’ve also identified where to get sushi takeaway and delivery. From fine-dining Japanese cuisine and fresh fish counters to vegan sushi and quick takeaway boxes, these are the best places to get sushi in Edinburgh right now.

Updated: September 2026

Japanese Restaurants with the Best Sushi in Edinburgh

We’ve eaten our way through the city’s sushi spots, cross-checked Google reviews and local recommendations, and updated this guide for 2026 to bring you the best Japanese restaurants in Edinburgh — all worth your money.

A quick, handy tip: regardless of coriander not being seen anywhere near a dish in Japan, it sneakily appears as a garnish in many Edinburgh Japanese bowls and plates, so if you are in hate camp for this divisive herb, be sure to let your server know when you order from the menu.

As it is in Japan, everyone has their favourite sushi and ramen spots.

Who won the top sushi award in Edinburgh for you? Tell us in the comments below.

City Centre Sushi Restaurants

Yes, Sushi For Value For Money

Yes, Sushi (89 Hanover St) is such great value for money!

They do a set meal with eight rounds, including miso soup, sashimi, sushi, noodles, rice, and dessert.

They even give you boxes to take away leftover food so you can dine on it for lunch the next day.

The staff is super friendly, and the restaurant is relaxed. This New Town spot is easy to miss, but regulars keep coming back for the BBQ eel, and the tasting menu is a brilliant way to try lots of small dishes in one go. You can order online for collection too.

Maki & Ramen – Consistently Good Choice Around The City

Maki & Ramen (various locations) has exploded, with locations all around Edinburgh and Glasgow.

My partner always gets the Hell Ramen dish, which is naturally spicy, whereas I go for the pork or tofu, both of which offer a hearty bowl.

There’s a huge sushi menu too. The Fountainbridge venue is a firm favourite, and there’s a newer branch on Nicolson Street in Newington, handy for the university.

Kanpai For Addictive Hand Rolls

I think about the hand rolls at Kanpai often and can’t convince myself to stray away from them during visits.

The multi-award-winning Kanpai (8-10 Grindlay Street) is an attractive Japanese restaurant just off busy Lothian Road. It is ideal for date nights or special occasions.

The staff are friendly and clearly like their job and Japanese food, so if you need help choosing from the menu, just ask.

The food menu includes melt-in-your-mouth temaki hand rolls, nigiri, grilled nigiri, maki sushi, roll sushi, sashimi, tempura, teppan (iron griddle), soups, seaweed and specials.

The extensive drinks menu offers cold, warm, hot, bottled and canned sake and shochu/whisky.

Or, if you prefer something fancier, Japanese twists on the classic cocktails.

A selection of Japanese beers, IPAs, and European wines are also available.

Soft drinks include mocktails, fizzy drinks and tea.

Remember to say Kanpai, which means ‘bottoms up’.

Look out for teppan teriyaki salmon and maki rolls wrapped in buckwheat, and save room for white sesame, black sesame or green tea ice cream. One thing to note: there’s no ramen at Kanpai — this is a sushi and teppan show. It’s popular for dinner, so reserve a table ahead.

Chizuru Tei

Chizuru Tei (278 Morrison Street) is an unassuming Japanese fusion restaurant close to Haymarket Station.

The no-frills restaurant features a menu with soups, rice dishes, noodles, bento boxes and, of course, a variety of sushi.

There are lunch menu deals, with a particular focus on dragon rolls, and customers can take advantage of the BYOB service charge.

If you want to pay digitally, you need to let staff know before you order. Vegetarians and vegans are well looked after too — the menu hides amazing options like vege gyoza, avocado maki and tofu katsu curry alongside the delicious dragon rolls.

Bento

Bento is a small sushi cafe with a mainly takeout customer base.

It is located at 52 South Bridge, 128 Lothian Road, and 78 Raeburn Place.

The sushi is super fresh and filling, and there is a key for gluten-free options.

The South Bridge Bento is always super busy for customers.

Hakata-ya For Sushi and Cocktails

Blink, and you’ll miss the turn-off for this hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant in Edinburgh.

Located just off Rose Street (22 Rose St S Lane), this central sushi bar is a great laid-back option for a date or demolishing sushi platters with friends.

I went for sushi with my friend Amanda, and she’s already taken her partner back for more.

Hakata-ya is named after Hakata-Tonkotsu Ramen, the dish Chef Tang-Qun learned to make in Japan.

Serving authentic Japanese recipes from Fukuoka since 2007, this is a lesser-known sushi spot, which surprises us as the staff is friendly, the cosy atmosphere is welcoming, and the food is tasty.

Chef Tang’s menu comprises handcrafted sushi using fresh Scottish ingredients where feasible.

In addition to sushi, Hakata-ya also serves Osaka’s famous Takoyaki balls, reliable ramen and bento boxes.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you might want to try the matcha crème brûlée or mochi ice.

The menu offers soft drinks, tea, beer, wine and bespoke cocktails.

Hakata-ya has a food delivery service and party catering.

Sushi Stop For Take Out

Sushi Stop is located at the food court in Waverley Mall, the perfect spot for picking up some fresh takeaway sushi before getting on the train.

The staff are friendly and very accommodating whenever we request changes.

Love this place! Barely a minute from Waverley station, it’s our go-to for a quick lunch in the city centre.

Itsu For Fast, Sustainable Sushi at St James Quarter

Itsu (204 St James Crescent, EH1 3AD) brings the much-loved healthy chain to the city centre, a short walk from Princes Street and Waverley. Beautiful food, fast: order at the touchscreens and your gyoza, miso soup or sushi bowl is ready in minutes. Itsu is also one of the more sustainable chains to support, and students know the secret — everything goes half price in the last 30 minutes before close.

Southside Sushi Restaurants in Edinburgh

Koyama For Quick Service Sushi and Bento Boxes

Koyama (20 Forrest Road) is located between George IV Bridge and part of Edinburgh University’s campus at Teviot.

Its chef has over a decade of experience in the kitchen and serves up popular bento boxes, including sushi, sushi platters, rice boxes and noodle dishes.

The menu includes hot and cold meals, soups, salads, gyoza, teppanyaki and hot pots.

Decor is simple as the focus is on the food served efficiently in dishware imported from Japan.

Takeaway sushi can be ordered from Koyama.

This was the first Japanese restaurant I tried in Edinburgh! Vegan diners are sorted too, with plant-based bento and ramen options, and the soup base is slow-cooked for ten hours. Soba and sukiyaki round out the traditional line-up, and the Royal Mile is just a five-minute stroll away.

Harajuku Kitchen For Trendy Setting and Award-Winning Food

Harajuku Kitchen (10 Gillespie Place) is an award-winning Edinburgh Japanese restaurant in Bruntsfield, close to Lothian Road and the Meadows.

Its street-food sister, Edinburgh Street Food at the OMNi Centre on Leith Street, sells sushi burritos with eleven filling combinations — prawn katsu and spicy salmon are the stars — plus yakisoba noodles and kara-age chicken.

Harajuku Kitchen’s menu features dishes passed down for three generations and uses produce bought locally.

The owner, Kaori, wanted to continue the family tradition that her grandfather started by opening a restaurant with authentic Japanese food.

Kaori learnt how to run a kitchen during an internship at Michelin-starred The Kitchin in Leith and opened Harajuku in 2009. Kaori hails from Tokyo, and the bistro is so popular that reservations are recommended, especially at weekends.

The sushi list is extensive and includes nigiri, futomaki (sushi roll), hosomaki (thinner roll), and buri maki (yellowtail).

Sushi poke bowls also make an appearance.

Vegetable, vegan and gluten-free options are available.

Harajuku Kitchen delivers sushi and offers outside catering for parties and special events.

On Sundays, you might also see them at food markets such as the Stockbridge Farmers’ Market.

If you’re dining in and looking for things to do in the area, Harajuku Kitchen is close to the Meadows, which is a nice walk, especially in spring when the cherry blossoms are out in force.

Morningside is a 20-minute walk, where you’ll find cafes such as Salt Cafe or Momo if you have space for cake.

Check out what’s on at The Dominion cinema or browse the labels at the second-hand shops.

Soul Sushi For Delivery and Take Out or Cheap Sushi

Soul Sushi (126 Nicolson Street) can be found in the studenty Newington area of the city, where you are spoilt for choice regarding Asian cuisine.

It focuses on delicious fresh sushi made daily, which can be picked up via delivery or in a ‘grab and go’ box.

One of Soul Sushi’s pros is that they offer mixed boxes, so you’re not stuck with eight of the same rolls unless you want that!

The simple menu also includes poke bowls, platters and spicy garlic edamame.

They really know their target audience with 50% off at the end of the day; just head along to the shop 30 minutes before closing.

Soul Sushi is close to several pubs, such as The Geenmantle and The Dog House, or the students’ pubs, The Brass Monkey and the Pear Tree.

The Surgeons’ Hall and Festival Theatre are five minutes away if you want to tour Scotland’s medical history or see a show.

UMI Japanese Cuisine For Wagyu Croquettes and Scallop Sashimi

UMI Japanese Cuisine (12-14 Chapel Street, EH8 9AY) is the Southside’s destination for modern Japanese cuisine, with a second branch on Shandwick Place in the West End. Run by the family behind Kenji and Bentoya, the menu showcases inventive plates: fiery chicken ramen, wagyu beef croquettes, truffle edamame and iberico katsu. The scallop sashimi has earned excellent Google reviews, and vegetarian and vegan options appear throughout the menu. Lunch and dinner are served daily, 12:00-21:30.

Other Neighbourhoods

Kenji Sushi in Stockbridge

Kenji Sushi (24 Deanhaugh St) is a popular neighbourhood Japanese restaurant located in the upmarket area of Stockbridge.

The premise is quite compact, and diners are squeezed into small seating areas, but there are close modesty curtains, so you don’t have to dine on top of each other.

A unique seating area is built into the lower ground, too.

The menu is extensive, pleasing avid sushi fans like me and picky eaters like my partner, and I love that you can get individual sushi instead of being forced to eat 12 of the same kind.

I went for various small plates, including seaweed salad, edamame, a hand roll, and a starter of chicken katsu.

My partner had a main dish of katsu.

Along with one drink and a pot of tea, we struggled to manage all the plates on the table, but the staff quickly cleared what was eaten.

On our visit there was a “cash only” sign, which is unusual in Edinburgh — worth checking ahead before you dine. Kenji originally opened on St Stephen Street and moved to the bigger Deanhaugh Street premises in 2021; the same family also runs UMI Japanese Cuisine on Chapel Street.

Yamato For Fine-Dining Sushi in Tollcross

Yamato (11 Lochrin Terrace, EH3 9QJ) is an award-winning fine-dining Japanese restaurant in Tollcross, at the edge of the West End. Opened in 2018 by Max, who comes from a family of restaurateurs, it has become one of the best sushi restaurants in Edinburgh for a special dinner — meticulous presentation and warm service throughout. Expect around £26-£40 per head, and book a table ahead at weekends.

Sushiya For Donburi, Udon and Sashimi Sets

Sushiya (93 Dalry Road, EH11 2AB) delights from the moment you walk in, with a friendly team, colourful decor and beautifully presented dishes. The generous menu ranges from sashimi sets and donburi to skewers and ramen — try the prawn tempura udon alongside a pot of sake. Slightly off the tourist trail in Dalry, it rewards the detour.

Irasshai For Leith Sushi Takeaway

Irasshai (130 Duke Street, Leith, EH6 8HR) is a dedicated sushi takeaway beloved by locals — ask around Leith for the best sushi place in Edinburgh and it comes up again and again. The counter overflows with salmon nigiri, dragon rolls and California rolls, plus hot ramen for colder evenings. Open Tuesday to Sunday evenings; order ahead for pickup.

More Sushi Spots Worth Knowing

• Yokohama Sushi (Dalziel Place, off London Road) — a lovely little Japanese restaurant with soft shell crab sushi, ramen and, unexpectedly, great bubble tea. You order via iPad.
• Minami (9 West Register Street) — smart sushi bar near the Playhouse with a meticulously crafted vegan menu: avocado tartare, vegan dragon rolls and poke.
• Sushisamba (W Hotel, St James Quarter) — the flashiest fine-dining Japanese experience in the city, pairing sushi with Nikkei plates.
• YO! Sushi (First Floor, 78 Princes Street) — the familiar conveyor-belt chain, handy for a quick, cheap city-centre fix.

Best Sushi in Edinburgh: FAQ

Where is the best sushi place in Edinburgh?

When it comes to sit-down meals, Reddit regulars and locals point to Kanpai for hand rolls and Harajuku Kitchen for award-winning dishes. For a quick box, Irasshai in Leith and Sushi Stop at Waverley Mall are must-try stops, while Yamato and Sushisamba cover the fine-dining end.

Which sushi restaurants in Edinburgh offer delivery or online ordering?

Soul Sushi delivers fresh sushi daily across the Southside, Hakata-ya runs its own delivery service and party catering, and Harajuku Kitchen delivers too. Yes Sushi takes orders online for collection, and many of the venues in this guide also appear on major delivery apps.

Where can I find vegan or vegetarian sushi in Edinburgh?

Koyama serves vegan Japanese dishes alongside its bento boxes, UMI is vegetarian friendly with vegan options, and Harajuku Kitchen labels its vegetable, vegan and gluten-free choices clearly. For an all-vegan sushi menu, Minami near the Playhouse is the standout.

What is the best sushi near Waverley station or for students?

Sushi Stop sits inside Waverley Mall itself, and Itsu at St James Quarter is a two-minute walk away. Students swear by Soul Sushi on Nicolson Street — its end-of-day 50% discount is legendary — and Koyama’s bento boxes on Forrest Road sit close to the university.

Do I need to book a table for sushi in Edinburgh?

For dinner at Yamato, Kanpai or Harajuku Kitchen, yes — reservations are essential on Fridays and Saturdays. Casual spots like Yes Sushi, Chizuru Tei and UMI usually take walk-ins, and takeaways such as Bento, Irasshai and Sushi Stop need no booking at all.

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