Got a bar reservation on a Tuesday and wow it was hopping. I couldn't understand why it was so busy on a Tuesday night. Well know I now. Service is spot on and so friendly. We chose to order individual items and deferred on the Omikase. From the sashimi, rolls and cooked food, all of it was very good. It's a little pricey but the food quality is outstanding. Definitely on the go to list. read more

***FOOD: Creative & Delicious Sushi. DUMPLINGS - definitely a must try, smelled and taste so good; EEL BUN - good, could use more teriyaki or unagi sauce as it seemed a little dry; M SPECIAL ROLL - very good the tempura shrimp inside was crispy & light; FUTOMAKI - one of the rolls I didn't like it was dry and far too big, fell apart when trying to eat it; TAMAGO & EEL NIGIRI - sweet tasty and freshly made; TUNA CRISPY RICE - wow it's an original dish. Didn't really hit all the notes, taste of pretty bland; MANGO CREPE CAKE - very very good and something different on a sushi restaurant menu ***COST (OUT OF 4$) $$$ rolls are from $15-$20, Tamago nigiri is $7 for 2 pieces, Eel nigiri $12 & Eel Bun $15 for 2pcs ***DÉCOR: looks like basement converted into dining space, lots of wood, dark, somewhat contemporary. No valet parking, street parking or parking garage parking only ***SERVICE: our server had negative vibes, like he didn't really want to be there but have to work to pay the bills, felt like we were troubling him by ordering and eating there. Not very welcoming or friendly, especially at the end of the meal. One star off for the service. ***RECOMMEND: YES WOULD RECOMMEND & will eat there again because of the food. read more

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Great place all around, they fixed their bum wait times. Always on our list when we're back in town in Durham

A+ service and sushi! I ordered the bento box which came with a seaweed salad, sashimi, nigiri sushi, petite unagi don, potato croquette, and a 4pc special roll (which was tuna). The fish tasted very fresh/high quality and the potato croquette was delicious. We made a reservation and I highly recommend anyone does the same because they do book up. This is a great date night spot and very nicely decorated. read more

M Sushi - Bento (seaweed salad, sashimi, nigiri sushi, petite unagi don, potato croquette, 4pc special roll) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We, party of 2, came without a reservation on a Thursday night and had to wait about 45 minutes on the waitlist to get seat at the bar - plan ahead if you are in a hurry. There were lots of nearby bars, which made the wait pass quickly. I loved the vegan options at M Sushi! Specifically, their bento box had a fantastic array of flavors and textures. We also ordered the two vegan rolls - the waitress kindly warned us that the soy paper in one of the rolls had egg in it, so she happily subbed it for seaweed to make it vegan). They were good, but paled in comparison to the variety you get with the bento box. We left feeling satiated and it was also nice to see the chefs make/deliver sushi directly in front of us. read more

M Sushi - Vegan bento box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Tonight was my first time dining here and I can now say that the hype is real - this restaraunt is amazing. I ordered the Futomaki roll and I think it was the best sushi roll I've ever had! There were so many different, unique flavors in the roll and they all paired beautifully together. The service and the ambiance were excellent as well, and I will for sure be back (once my wallet recovers)! read more

M Sushi - Vegan bento box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Came back for a special occasion meal and was once again disappointed. So expensive, mediocre flavors, no substitutions (we got the nigiri meal and I didn't want miso soup on a 90+ degree day but oh well). My dining companion got a house made soda that tasted like apple juice mixed with seltzer and was $6. I thought by getting the nigiri special we'd get the chef's pick of what was fresh and delicious, but I will venture to guess it was really just what they had to use up. Also, it was uncomfortably warm inside for it being basically in a basement. That's another thing- for such high costs I'd expect a little more as far as ambiance. Service was fine but they turned our table in about 45 minutes and we dropped a lot of money (that tends to happen when you don't order alcohol- they want you out quick). Kind of a bummer. read more

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I wish I had photos to go along with this but I imagine you can find photos on this page somewhere. We went here for a team dinner and all did the Nigiri Omakase and WOW. Probably the best sushi/omakase I've had especially for that price. I truly enjoyed every one of the 13 nigiris which says a lot because I'm not terribly exploratory with fish and haven't like everything in other omakase experiences. I'd seriously recommend this restaurant and especially their omakase if you're thinking about coming. I really hope I come back because it was really THAT good. Thank you M sushi I'll have dreams about this meal. read more

My husband and I had a double-date at M Sushi and I was surprised at how busy it was on a Tuesday night. Thankfully his friend made a reservation for the 4 of us at 5:30, because all of the tables were booked by 7. I asked our server Mckenzie(?spelling) what was a cold, easy to drink, fruity but not too sweet sake, and she gave us the perfect recommendation of the Dassai 45. I'd actually buy a bottle for future sushi BYOB's, it was that good. The 3 of them split 5 special rolls, and I had the nigiri omakase. The nigiri omakase that night had 4 parts - miso soup, 5 or 6 pieces on the first plate, 6 on the second (pictured), and one nigiri+hand roll+tamago on the last. I could tell all of the ingredients were high-quality and I didn't need any additional soy sauce or wasabi. The food and service was great, and I loved how I was able to specifically do a nigiri omakase and the others at my table were able to do something else. The only minor issue I had is that we sat at the back of the restaurant while the A/C was by the front door, so we were all hot even though it wasn't that hot or humid outside. I'd still definitely go back, but I'd request a table closer to the A/C if it was during the summer. read more

M Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We had a late dinner at M and it was delicious. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered the grand omakase. Ai was our server and she was amazing. Very attentive and she recommended a great sake for us to share. The restaurant itself is tucked away down an alley near a hotel. It was a lovely experience and I will definitely come back next time I'm in town. The fish was fresh and everything had great flavor. read more

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This place was fantastic. Food came out quick and it was all delicious. No complaints at all. Told my parents I was gay here and it was definitely the perfect ambiance for that. read more

Outstanding!! One of the best sushi places in the Triangle. We went there two Saturdays ago after attending a show at DPAC in Durham. It's located in a basement of a building where you have to walk down and alley to get to. The atmosphere and vibe here are really cool. Our server was great and gave us many recommendations prior to ordering. We started off with some drinks. My wife had a glass of Prosecco. I went with the Rosemary Lime Smash. It was good. Next we got the Dumplings (scallop mousse, lobster & truffle emulsion) and the Tuna, crispy rice, marinated octopus, avocado and truffled soy. Both dishes were delicious. Next up was the Lobster Shabu Shabu!! The lobster was fresh, sweet, tender and the sauce was tasty. For entrees I went with the Nigiri Omakase and she went with two specialty rolls that I can't remember. However, she said it was awesome. We enjoyed our experience immensely at M Sushi and will definitely return in the future. read more

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M sushi is easily my favorite sushi in the area, and maybe even the best I have ever had. The fish is so fresh it melts in your mouth. I come here for the Nigiri or Sashimi and the omakase and have never been disappointed. The entire experience is delightful. From start to finish you are guaranteed an excellent time. The omakase bar seating experience is really neat, as they plate everything in front of you. 10/10 can't eat here enough. read more

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Delicious food! I took my adults (offspring - can't bring myself to refer to them as children) here for a special dinner. Everyone was so happy with their meal. My son had the bento and enjoyed it all, daughter and hubby had the chef choice sushi flights and really enjoyed everything. I select pieces of sushi, sashimi and rolls that I wanted to try! Every bite was delicious, so good in fact that I added two pieces of the tuna belly sashimi to my hubby's take out order (final four game, you know priorities). Hot tea and miso soup to start, they have a nice selection of Japanese beers. Here's the thing, my kids both have shellfish allergies and additionally my daughter has egg and nut allergies too. Every thing came to the table perfectly, they adjusted their flight and bento accordingly. It's hard to eat out and trust no cross contamination but they've eaten there before without issue. This is huge for me. Great sushi, good service experience and care in food handling! It's a win, win, win! read more

M Sushi - Miso soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Had an amazing meal at M Sushi Durham. We got the Nigiri Omakase which is 13 pieces of traditional sushi with specialty ingredients, chef's special Temaki of the day and house made Tamago. The sushi chef will prepare and serve the Nigiri one piece at a time so you can enjoy and savor the uniqueness of the flavor of each fish. It is definitely an experience worth trying. If you enjoy fresh fish without the fluff that comes in a sushi roll then Nigiri Omakase is for you. M Sushi uses fresh and quality fish so you won't be disappointed with anything you get there. Reservations are highly recommended because they get busy!! read more

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This was my first time visiting the state of North Carolina. M Sushi was the first restaurant I visited and also happened to be the very first time I dined in at a restaurant alone. M Sushi is 1 of 5 restaurants owned by Michael, an Ivy League who followed his passion and became a restauranteur. Michael's passion is evident in the careful detail he creates for the ultimate dining experience. For my visit, my waiter recommended the Sushi Deluxe as part of the lunch special for $29. It was an excellent choice--great value for premium grade sushi! My dining experience commenced with a bowl of miso soup, followed by a course containing 8 pieces of nigiri selected by the chef, 8 pieces of salmon avocado roll, and a light dessert that can best be described as an egg soufflé in the shape of a cube. What I learned from this experience is, it's not so bad to dine alone. I actually enjoyed the "me" time as I savored my meal. Also, it's easy to get a table for 1 in a busy restaurant without a reservation! Overall, I had a lovely dining experience. The ambiance was warm and cozy. The sushi was amazing, as was the service! read more

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This place is one of the best sushi spots I have had in the area! I came here on a Thursday evening and ordered the grand omakase. When looking at the menu, I was torn between the different types of omakase to choose from. We decided on the grand because we wanted to try it all! The grand omakase was a great experience, but I wasn't a fan of the sea bass or the wagyu since both dishes had sweet flavorings. The sushi aspect of the grand omakase was amazing and I would 100% recommend it to every sushi lover! If I were to order another meal, I would not order the grand omakase again. I would rather order the mini or nigiri omakase because those options focus more on their sushi instead of the other dishes, and they are significantly more cost effective. I would highly suggest making reservations at least a week prior to your visit. This is a really popular place, and it is difficult to get a table if you do not make a reservation! The restaurant itself has a cozy vibe. They have a medium sized sushi bar with tables surrounding the area. I did notice that it was pretty smoky with limited ventilation, so my clothes and hair smelled like smoke afterwards. Overall, I had a great experience at M Sushi. I thought the sushi was top notch and I will be back for more! read more

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I love the dimly lit environment. But the flavor of the food takes center stage. The drink selection is interesting and delicious, and the service is wonderful and attentive. read more

I really enjoyed M Sushi! First of all, I think the ambiance is really good. I love how cozy the restaurant feels. I also like how it is kind of long and rectangular so everyone can really see the kitchen. That's fun! The only thing I'd improve about the ambiance is the hallway that you have to go into to get to the bathroom. The service was also really good! No complaints. I especially like how if you sit at the bar, you can get your food straight from the kitchen. The food was good too! I really enjoyed my miso soup, and it was a good deal ($5). I didn't think my sushi roll was as good of a deal though. $20 for six pieces of sushi is a little scary to me! read more

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I think it's safe to say that most of the Triangle is stoked to have an NYC, LA, Tokyo caliber sushi restaurant locally. I've had the grand Omakase twice and is sensational. Every course more amazing than the last. Flavors, textures, fish quality all 10/10. Service is fine dining level. Ambiance is hip and moody with a great location in downtown Durham. I love M. Sushi!!! read more

My friends and I made a reservation 2 weeks out and were amazed by this dining experience. The location is next to the Durham Hotel, off the cute cobblestone path. A very cozy setting inside with a view of the sushi chefs making food to order. We ordered vegan ratatouille rolls, spicy tuna rolls and the twisted mango roll. All the sushi we tried was top notch quality and we highly recommend the Specialty rolls like the Vegan Ratatouille and Twisted Mango. The service was 10/10 and all of the staff were super friendly and accommodating. I can't wait to go back to try more sushi and bring more friends & family. read more

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We came here to celebrate my wife's birthday. The food is delicious and the service is spectacular! I loved that they gave my wife a glass of Prosecco on the house for her birthday. That was a nice touch. We will definitely be back. read more

M Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Incredibly fresh fish and great service This basement level sushi restaurant in Durham is bound to surprise you with its butter-like cuts of fresh fish. While you will be well taken care of any where in the restaurant, I suggest booking the coveted bar seats if you plan to order Omakese. You get a birds eye view of the talented team preparing your dinner. Additionally the rice for the Omakese comes out fresh at the bar vs slightly cold at the table which changes the experience. Highly recommend the crudo as well! P.S. make sure to bring some cash so you can tip the chefs. read more

M Sushi - 7 piece nigiri plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

How is it that I had to move to North Carolina to find the best sushi I have had outside of Japan? I learned to love sushi, and Japanese food in general, when I went to school in Japan (Hello, Canadian Academy alum!). The skill and care taken at M Sushi in downtown Durham, NC, is leagues beyond any other Japanese restaurant I have eaten at in decades! Everything was prepared with the utmost attention to detail. The freshness of the fish was unmatched! And our server was not only attentive but she made some excellent suggestions. The food, ambience, and attention ensures we will be back! There was absolutely nothing that we ordered that was not truly excellent! Note: Reservations are really required and well worth making well in advance! The pricing is higher in comparison to other places that serve a lesser product but well worth it! Eat at M Sushi! You will NOT regret it! read more

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We went there for my husband's birthday and it didn't disappoint , it's such a cute hidden gem. The place is so clean, the waiters are super friendly and welcoming, and our waitress, Christina N. , gave suggestions and recommendations. We ended up getting the grand omakasa, which was very expensive but equally delicious. All the different fish meat would just melt in your mouth and very flavourful. The way they arranged the sequence of dishes was simply perfect and it was great to close with the wagyu. The meal already came with a dessert so they gave us complimentary wine with the dessert for my husband's birthday. read more

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So happy I had a chance to try M sushi ... it reminds me of a sushi shop you can find in Japan ... hidden and tucked away in a alley way .. The ambiance is simple and cozy and reminds me of my travels to Japan .. You walk in and immediately arrive at a host stand and walked to your table or sushi bar.. This time I opted for sushi bar and was not disappointed .. Being at the sushi bar is like being at the Chefs table at any other restaurant.. you're able to chat with the sushi chefs and see them work their magic So enough talk about the restaurant... now let's talk a. By recommendations from the waitress... I ordered the Tuna small plate which is served on crispy rice, with marinated octopus, avocado, tobiko, kaiware, truffled soy.... it was so tasty and basically tasted like a deconstructed tuna roll on bruschetta .... without the heavy rice to fill you up.. Next up was the FUTOMAKI which is Hamachi, salmon, tuna, avocado, kaiware, shallot, tamago, cilantro, cucumber, pickled lotus root , masago, mustard aioli in a roll ... everything was well balanced and amazing .. with a bit of savory and sweet all mixed into one bite .. And last was Toro and Sea Trout... First off the sea trout looks exactly like salmon but a cleaner taste and tender which makes it delicious... and of course you cant go wrong with the melt in your mouth Toro... not ass tender as the Otoro but just as good ... All and all M sushi is a great place for great sushi ... cant wait until to try their new location at Fenton Sq in Cary .. read more

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The M. restaurant tax sure is steep. The M. restaurants overall range from very good to disappointing at times. M. Sushi was their first and set the standard and tone which is a good and bad thing. Their commitment to the craft is exceptional, but in general I've come to find M. Sushi overpriced for what you get and the location's ambiance while charming at first is rather dank and disappointing now.  My wife and I recently went for date night to M. Sushi on a saturday night. We had attempted to go previously a few weeks prior but now they are typically booked out 3-4 weeks ahead of time for your typical Saturday night out. I wouldn't recommend going without a reservation unless you're able to get a last minute seat at the bar. M. Sushi hasn't changed much since I last went for a full experience which was prior to the pandemic and the place hasn't looked like it's changed much either for better or worse. It's still a basement restaurant, dark and it was a very hot day and the AC was struggling to keep the place cool. Yeah it's dark and feels slightly intimate but it also feels like people are packed in there and it's pretty noisy.  My wife and I were seated and our server was a lovely woman that went over the menu in japanese and english. She was great. I ordered an in-house apple soda which was a bit disappointing for the size and taste. My wife and I ordered the Nigiri Omakase special (Traditional style sushi with specialty ingredients, chef's special futomaki, house-made Tamago. 13 pieces $69 per Person) This does come with miso soup which annoyingly you can't substitute for the seaweed salad. Given the temp of the restaurant and how hot it was outside, this felt a little silly not to allow this. The chef's pick didnt feel all that special outside of a handful of pieces being very good, not a lot wowed us. I really enjoyed our server bringing out each selection slowly and detailing what was in each piece, but it's so noisy in there it was hard to hear here.  M. Sushi is very nice but I find it overpriced and our meal was decent but felt lacking at the end of the night. It's nice for a special occasion, but I'm finding the price of it to not be satisfactory anymore given the location itself is really showing its age. read more

Delicious! Great spot, always crowded. Love sitting at the bar and watching chefs work their magic. The crispy tuna was great! Their sashimi is top notch, fresh fish even in landlocked Durham!! I love coming here when I visit my son at Duke. read more

Food is fresh and delicious. Our server was also so nice! We had apps, two sushi rolls, sea trout and Red SunBream, all delicious. 10/10

10/10 Fantastic experience! I say experience because dining in M Sushi is not only about food (which don't get me wrong- is top notch, made with the freshest fish possible). If you go there for a date you should definitely sit on the bar and have the Omakase. We ordered the lite one. The chef brings you each piece separately and explains what it is. Watching the chefs working in complete harmony without even having to talk to one another is like watching a theatrical performance. Also, I have to say that each piece of sushi was better and more tasty than the previous one! Our server was extremely friendly and helpful as well! She seemed to truly enjoy working there. The drinks available were on the pricier side but that is to be expected. Be prepared to pay for the quality you get, I would say that the bill will come to around 120 per person depending what you get. Definitely recommend! read more

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Sat at the bar and had an incredible server with great sushi and presentations by the chefs. Great experience

I'm giving this place a 3 star not for the quality of the food, but for little things that kind of piled up. I can say confidently that the quality and freshness of the fish here was fantastic. I can also attest for the quality of the service from the waiters. This spot was very pretty, has nice bar style dining seating, and a very chill ambiance (perfect for a date night). Some things that I think could be improved are the descriptions in the menu and some explanations from the chef. The menu doesn't tell you how much you are getting, so we had to kind of guess. To our surprise, the $9 tuna hand roll only came with 1. Also when we received the sashimi small plate, none of the fish were described to us. I understand that these could have been solved by asking a waiter or chef, but I feel like for $37 and fish labeled as "chef's choice" we should be told which fish the chef choose. I've seen some other reviews where people order the Omakase and the dishes were just dropped off and not explained. Given my experience, I could definitely see this happening to others. Not really sure if I would say the experience to price ratio was worth it. read more

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Packed house for lunch today. Arrived at 11:30 and thankfully snagged two seats at the sushi bar. We enjoyed the lunch special rolls (Twisted Mango & Tuna Special) both of which were delicious and comes with a cup of hot miso soup & seaweed arugula salad. Friendly, helpful service and I love watching them create sushi works of art from the sushi bar! Great ambience; casual vibe for lunch but would also be a great spot for a dinner date during the evening. Thanks for a nice sushi lunch! read more

M Sushi - Twisted Mango Roll & Tuna Special Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was amazing- like eating in Japan. The best thing in our opinion is the lite omikase. It was an incredible combination of good. The eel buns were great too. While the sushi is all great, it's the raw fish that makes it worth paying their prices. read more

Intimate spot, great for date nights! Service was fast and our server was helpful with recs! All of the sushi and apps we got were delicious! read more

M Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The best sushi I've ever had. Quite authentic if you want it to be, but they have excellent sushi for everyone. Definitely try the bento box or the lite/grand omakase if you're feeling adventurous! read more

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Went recently after a first visit during their early days. The dishes have evolved to better suit american palettes. Makes sense since western palettes are their clientele. The subtly and nuance of Japanese dishes were missing replaced with overly bold flavors that sometimes didn't match up. The nigiri lacked the confidence to live up to the pricing. Still, glad to see the restaurant packed on a Thursday night and expect they will continue to do well. read more

Having recently moved from DC, we were in search of our new date night sushi spot, and M Sushi delivered! A bit tucked away off the main road, the basement, red brick ambiance is very cool! We were able to snag a last-minute early reservation, but it seemed like the book out in advance so definitely plan ahead if you want a reservation. We sat at a table, but the bar seating also looked lovely and I would be happy to sit there next time. Our service was excellent, and we were given a very nice introduction to the menu since it was our first time there. The tuna tataki was delicious!! The creamy ponzu sauce was really tasty and so fresh. We also tried the nigiri sampler, which was a fun way to try various types of fish. We also tried to M roll which had a surprising amount of orange zest flavor, but we both still thought it was delicious. Overall, I was impressed and think the quality is definitely worth the money at M Sushi! read more

M Sushi is a must-go for a wonderful sushi experience. Walking into M Sushi makes me feel as if I've been transported to a trendy Sushi bar in New York City. It's got an upscale, yet unpretentious underground vibe that absolutely transports you from the streets of Downtown Durham. In short, it feels like a hidden gem. That being said, the restaurant space is small and reservations book up quickly in advance. This is a place to go with a more intimate date or smaller gathering of friends/family. They have a full sushi menu with a variety of really authentic rolls and bento boxes. However, I opted for the omakase sashimi, which is a Chef's Choice menu made up of 3 different courses with about 15 pieces of sushi. This was a truly wonderful experience. The server paces the pieces and gives you a detailed description of each one with a suggested order to eat them in. All of the pieces were flavorful and delicious. You can really tell that the sushi is high quality and fresh. Best part, I left really full and happy. For a nice night out, I'd definitely recommend M Sushi to anyone! read more

M Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This was our first time coming to M sushi and we'll definitely be coming back. The ambiance of the restaurant was really nice and great place to celebrate a special occasion. We made a reservation to sit at the bar and I'm glad we did. It was great watching the chefs prepare the meals and be able to be served our sushi right in front of us from the chef that made it. We ordered the hamachi kama as a small plate to share and the yellowtail was a great sized portion for 2 people! It was delicious. Definitely recommend this if you like cooked fish. I ordered 2 sushi rolls and my husband did the lite omakase. Definitely recommend both! We ended with the green tea crepe cake, which was so soft and not too sweet, which we loved. Highly recommend this place if you want some delicious and high quality sushi read more

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