I went to Tanoshi Sushi for my birthday and it was spectacular. I've been trying a range of omakase spots across the city, and this one strikes a really nice balance - innovative, but still grounded in traditional flavors. Unlike Sushi Ishikawa, which leans heavily on truffle in a lot of dishes, Tanoshi keeps things simple and lets the ingredients speak for themselves. It's a small, BYOB, relaxed spot; nothing overly flashy, just solid sushi done well. It's not quite on the level of Sushi Noz, Sushi Sho, or Yoshino, but it's approachable, enjoyable, and you can tell the chefs know what they're doing. They also have a nice touch with offering different cups for your sake, which adds to the experience. Standout pieces for me were the egg-uni nigiri and a seared fish piece that was absolutely incredible. read more

Tanoshi is a lovely UES omakase gem! It stands out from other similarly priced omakase in UES with its BYOB concept and ambiance that was quite warm and inviting for all kinds of guests, whether it's your first sushi experience or a regular. The dining counter is a bit tightly grouped around the chefs with all the ingredients stacked in front. Behind on the wall is a large map of the world showing the names and locations/sources of ingredients and lists names in Japanese (romanized) and English. For parties who brought drinks, the staff provided ice buckets to keep them chilled (if needed) and appropriate glassware and also handled pouring. They were all very nice and efficient. The chefs were friendly and easy to talk to about the courses and enthusiastic about answering any questions. There is 1 chef to about 4 guests which makes for a relatively fast omakase experience as well. I definitely get neighborhood, casual vibes dining here, though it never felt rushed. As for the omakase, it's $125/$130pp for 12 courses excluding app/miso. They also have an add-on menu for pieces at the end including off-menu items or can reorder prior pieces. The rice is a a bit unique - quite loose compared to most places I've been but not to the point of breaking apart and every course held together easily. The fish was overall good but did taste inconsistent in freshness - the highlights were the anago, triple x, handroll, ankimo, and mackerel, however other pieces like scallop tasted a bit bland. Unfortunately no uni was available during my meal. For the price I think Tanoshi is a great value for the omakase and experience. It's not necessarily upscale or geared towards serving luxury ingredients but it focused on sushi at its core - simplicity, efficient service, good vibes and accommodating/consideration towards diners. read more

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Simple and exceptional. Consistent. Sushi rice perfection. Perfect temperature of the rice and the fish. A great value for what you're getting and BYOB! read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Triple-X - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I have not done omakase before, but I expected more, especially at this price point for a one hour seating. (About 50 minutes in, the chef kept looking at the clock. That was off-putting.) The pieces in general were delicious, but I didn't feel that anything (other than the Triple X) was special or something I couldn't have gotten at a sushi restaurant for less cost. We got 11 different pieces for $125. And I was hoping for an "experience" with some interaction with the chef about the pieces or the preparation. As he put each piece on the plate he announced what it was, but, honestly, after asking him to repeat the identification of the pieces three times and me (and my partner) unable to understand him, we gave up after a few tries. The server filled our water glasses a number of times and offered us green tea (with refills) which was nice and warm on a cold evening. The atmosphere here is pleasant. When we were there, it was 5 couples. Everyone basically kept to themselves. I'm going to try omakase at a couple of other locations at different price points and will modify my review here if a determine that my initial expectation was incorrect. To quote the kids these days, I would say overall that the food and experience were "fine", but I wouldn't say I would recommend a person come here. As I said, perhaps my expectations were (are?) too high, but I don't think so. read more

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Solid omakase spot, but compared to the price and quality, other omakases have been better. This sushi spot is an oldie but a goodie according to others and I have watched videos on the head chef and his process of making sushi. I was inspired by his story so I came here. Don't get me wrong, sushi was great quality for $135 BUT for that price, I would have hoped to see otoro as one of the pieces. Instead, it was an extra add-on. Additionally, I've had a bit better at other omakase at that price range. A minor complaint about the ambiance was probably how small it is in the restaurant. The bathroom is extremely tiny for one person. Space is tight and I understand NYC places don't have the luxury of being bigger. Just letting others know. I'm glad I tried this restaurant, it was great, just not my favorite. read more

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No doubt the best Omakase I've ever had. It's byob and there's a bar next door, make sure you make a reservation since spots are limited, that's all you need to know. Sushi was fresh and delicious, staff so nice and very cozy since it's not a lot of people. read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Small, very unassuming omakase spot. Every single piece of fish was so buttery and tasty. Highly recommend this spot. The service was very quick and they were attentive. It is quite small, but BYOB is also a great perk. Bring a nice bottle of sake and you're in for a great dinner :) read more

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Really special restaurant. We enjoyed every bite and it felt perfectly spaced out with each piece of sushi. Super fresh. a fun experience that I've never had before in New York. With a group of max 8 people, you BYOB and get to enjoy some of the freshest sushi. read more

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Man, did I miss this place! Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar was my wife's and my favorite restaurant in summer 2012, when we lived in New York. We would come here every Thursday night, rain or shine. At the time, leaving Los Angeles for New York, we tried to replicate our sushi experience we were getting off of the famous sushi street, Ventura Boulevard and bring it to New York. After trying several restaurants Tanoshi was our hands down favorite (by a lot). Re-visiting Tanoshi tonight with one of my sons was just completely wonderful. Nothing has changed except we all got a little older. And the food was better than ever. Tanoshi is this Japanese master in the art of this cuisine. Every bite of the sushi this man creates is magical. He's so damn good, you won't find a lick of soy sauce or a speck of wasabi in sight because you absolutely don't need it; that's how expert he is in his craft. Tanoshi's Omakase dinners are these great excursions into everything that has to do with the ocean. He is a better guide in this domain than Jacques Cousteau. The one thing I remember the most is you will not leave here hungry. His omakase dinners provide just the right amount of provisions to make you leave with a smile on your face! read more

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It is the best hidden gem in Manhattan Sushi world. No frills, no fancy atmosphere, just good sushi. You even bring own sake or other beverages. No corkage fee. So, if you are the one who really wants to show off your great choices of beverages or experience real Japanese "shitamachi" sushi place which sushi chef knows what they're doing, this is the place. Just don't expect to see flashy fake Japanese stuff which you won't see in Japan. read more

first time i came here was years ago, and i remembered the experience so fondly. i was so glad to come back after so many years and see that their quality is still as high as ever. we've come for lunch several times now as we were in the area for hospital appointments. lunch is so well priced (i believe 60-65?) and you get 8 pieces. but then you can add on any additionals. honestly, 8 is more than enough for me, but i always order extras because it's delicious haha! reservations easy on yelp. service is polite and not overly doting (which i like!). they will also accommodate for "less rice" if you ask. love the black throat sushi, haven't really seen it anywhere else. small little joint with only the sushi bar and a handful of bar seats. since i've been going for lunch haven't been drinking during the meal, but from what i remember before, it was byob. read more

This is the 4th omakase spot I've been in nyc, and it's quickly become one of my fave. They specialize in loosely formed rice, and very fresh fish. One nice thing about this place is that it's BYOB. I enjoyed every single piece, but here are my special shout outs: 1. Bluefin tuna- so fatty and melts right in ur mouth 2. Stripe Jack: very very fresh 3. Scallops, bluefin fatty tuna and uni 4. Triple x with quail egg, uni and salmon roe was very unique and not something I've seen elsewhere Overall- a good amount of food for around 135 per person! Definitely highly recommend! read more

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Not my favorite omakase in the city, but the fish quality here is of the utmost freshness and the meal definitely left me quite full. The style of their rice is also quite unique... less sticky and more loose (was not really my preference since I prefer stickier, more vinegar taste to the rice). When you get to your meal, you will either be directed to be seated in tanoshi left or tanoshi right (only the right one has a bathroom), and it's 1 sushi chef to every 4 guests which makes the service really fast. The ambiance overall is more traditional and less upscale. My favorite pieces from the meal were the sable fish, the uni, the scallop with uni, and the yellowtail. I'm also not usually the biggest fan of ebi but the ebi here was not too fishy or grimy at all. Although we were really full at the end, we added on 2 pieces for fun just to try (golden eye snapper and japanese mackerel), which was totally not necessary. In my opinion they serve the best cuts of fish in the regular omakase menu, which is $125pp for 14 courses (including the app and miso soup). They also sang us happy birthday and gave us some cuts of fish (although not as high quality as the omakase pieces) with a candle to celebrate! Very nice gesture of them. Cuts of fish are very fresh, and great service! I do enjoy some other omakase places in the city better though for the price point. read more

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I stumbled on this place while waiting for an appointment near by and I'm so glad I did! I did the lunch omakase which consisted of plenty of fresh fish which truly melted in your mouth. They also had additions to the omakase menu you could order. It is a small intimate setting with attentive staff. I cannot wait to go back! read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Botan uni - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Phenomenal sushi and quality of fish. Also probably one of the few BYOB sushi joints that are in NYC. Small bar seating but the sushi chefs are great and overall, the place has a super homey vibe. read more

4.5/5 Came here with my boyfriend on a weekend for dinner. He reserved a table for 7:30 two days before with no problem. All the sushi was extremely fresh and I had the best uni that I've ever had in my entire life there. It was so creamy and not fishy at all. I was never a big fan of tuna but this place really changed my mind! The triplets xxx which has uni, ikura, and quail egg was my favorite sushi in the 13 course. Took 0.5 star out because I was pretty disappointed with the last course, which was a spicy tuna roll. That is not traditional sushi and the mayo covered the taste of the tuna. That was just not what I expected to get when paying that much for a meal. Overall, great experience. Server was very attentive and we enjoyed our dinner a lot. Will definitely come back for a special occasion! read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Absolutely amazing. Enjoyed every bite and especially loved the loose rice in body temperature and fresh fish in room temperature. Reservation is a must and if you do the lunch omakase, it's totally worth it to request the dinner version for extra pieces! read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Outside the restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Best sushi I have had in NYC. We love the environment, and the chefs are wonderful. Pricey, but worth it for a splurge. read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Not used to raw egg, but Th mixture of tastes was delicious - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Great sushi place. Probably the best I've had on the east coast, friendly service. Tiny place. 10% off if you pay with cash

The omakase was epic! The variety of fish was spectacular while the service top notch. All for a reasonable price. Tanoshi means fun in Japanese and it lived up to the name. read more

Fish was very fresh and I enjoyed all of them. The chef introduced each fish but spoke very little English so couldn't engage much in conversation. He was very friendly though. The place is very intimate and small. There is only one bar and I think there was about 10-12 people seated there. It's a no frills restaurant with fresh fish. I don't know if the price justifies the experience as I think you can get the same quality of fish at other spots in the city for cheaper. Still enjoyed it though! read more

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I've been going to Tanoshi for a long time and sadly the last 2x I have been the food has drastically under delivered compared to years past. The quality of the fish wasn't as spectacular as during prior visits with the chef often times altering the menu (ex: dicing up fatty tuna that would have been served whole or adding excess sauces to cover up lower grade fish). I also felt that on my last visit the menu felt a little light but admittedly I didn't track closely...other guests said they felt the same. Overall I was quite disappointed since this once special place known for their pure fish has adapted to using sauces and textures. Hope they manage to improve! read more

Went a few months ago with a friend omakase menu was not good for the price only 4 pieces were very good the rest was not good been here 5 times maybe new chef read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Excellent sushi absolutely delicious - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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We had a great lunch that both my 5 year old and 7 year old totally enjoyed. Both the chef and the host were amazing and we enjoyed the company the fish and rice were perfect - the temperatures, the quantity and the marination. Having lived in Japan for a few years this place felt oh so familiar and the Efren and Jeison were great hosts for the kids and us. The kids were clear this is the best Omakase we have been too in New York and we have tried a few in the last few months. Warm, hospitable with great food to boot :) read more

Food is excellent and service is very polite and efficient. The decor is simple but that is the humble element before a high quality selection of omakase. I have eaten here easily 20 times in the last 5 years and never a bad visit. read more

Went for dinner with my friends at 7:30pm. It's byob so bring a bottle and unwind with some good food. The omakase itself was pretty good. I would say 2/3 of the fish was spot on. I really liked the seared salmon and the scallop the most. The 3 eggs was different lol but it really worked, the combination paired well. The only reason why I didn't give it a 4 star is because I had finished my ginger and after 3-4 pieces passed by the chief didn't refill it. (I guess I'm petty) I've never been to an omakase and the chief wasn't attentive enough to refill the ginger lol. I had to ask for a refill... bruh and he was mumbling to me what he was serving to me... he was very quiet but I guess he's just focused on his work. But hey asides from that the foods really amazing. The staff was all very friendly. read more

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Came to this byob Omakae sushi restaurant with a group of 4 on a Thursday. Definitely make reservations! We were seated on our own side and it felt like such a cool private dining experience. I could tell the fish was high quality and everything was delicious. My only comment is that the chef was a little heavy handed with the wasabi. Also when some ingredients fell off my friend's sushi, it wasn't fixed. Other than that, I liked the intimate dining setting and the food. read more

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Great food. The location was a little more crammed with tiny restroom and limited seating, but overall I enjoyed the experience. read more

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As always, the most incredible fish. The service was good, but felt like very little effort went into interacting with the customers. The decor is way too tired. Although I get the whole hole in the wall shtick, it could be clean and well maintained hole in the wall read more

Love Tanoshi, one of my favorite omakase places in NYC. High quality fish, perfectly cooked and seasoned rice and overall flavors are incredible every time! I've been twice during two different seasons and what was served was different, so if you've been before recommend coming again to see what else they have up their sleeve. Must mention that it is BYOB with a liquor store that sells sake just across the street (great way to save a buck on your drink expense for the night). They also have a lunch seating as well (which for certain seatings you can opt for the dinner if you request ahead). It's a small and cozy place but full of character. Highly recommend! read more

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Had the best time at Tanoshi! Small spot on the upper east side where they have a right and a left section. We were seated in the right section and this spot is BYOB! So get ready for a good night with sushi! My boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner and it was amazing! Pieces were well proportioned and there is a map where it shows where each piece is from. The fish was fresh and the flavor pairings were chef kisses. Their unique piece was definitely their xxx which my boyfriend hyped up for me because this is his favorite omakase in the city and he misses the main chef toshio! Eggs on top of eggs and yummy goodness. The staff was great and we just had a really good night interacting with the chef and chatting! I was stuffed at the end of the meal! read more

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At this price point, this is the best omakase spot I have had of late! I have to confess that I've been eating too many of these budget omakase spots of late (like Sushi by Bou, Sushi by M, etc etc) - after a while these start tasting kind of the same. It's also of note that a lot of these spots are not owned or run by Japanese people. Coming to Tanoshi, I was pleased to see that the chefs are still Japanese. I was completely floored by how good the sushi was - there is just a much tighter attention to detail and the quality is sooo much better, and you can especially tell in the sushi rice. After eating here, I felt embarrassed at wasting my money at all those other budget spots. It's interesting they have two separate eating areas that are separated by an apartment building. When your reservation time comes up, they will direct you to the appropriate seating area. The place is also BYOB, so don't forget to bring that bottle of sake or wine - they'll provide an ice bucket for you to store it in as well! This is definitely my new go-to spot for omakase when I want superb quality without being charged an arm and a leg! read more

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What an awesome find. My daughter, wife and I were looking for a last minute omikase place, and a friend who works at Sotheby's (located down the steeet) made a great recommendation. We were able to secure a 9pm seating rez last minute in a sat night. My daughter and I loved everything about the experience. Great and adventurous food. Small location. The Japanese barracuda, scallops, spice salmon hand roll and tuna were some of our favorite. My wife isn't as adventurous on the food side, and went along for the ride. If you're looking for a fun experience, you got it here. read more

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Super amazing quality food. Would definitely go back again soon!!! I recommend for those who love authentic sushi read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Incredible. Best sushi I have had since I was in Kyoto. The fish just melts in your mouth. The chefs create unique sushi combinations that are all distinct and delicious. Truly an incredible experience doing Omakase. Some tips: for Omakase reservations, wait outside until they call your name to come in. Do not be late. You start in a cohort. You get a 10% discount if you pay in cash. BYOB - pair with a nice light sake to best enjoy the sushi flavors! read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - A special treat for your birthday - cup of incredible high quality seafood - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Note that price for dinner as of Feb 2023 is now $118! I think there is an outdated menu that says $105 on Google. You do get a discount if you pay in cash! It's a bit confusing figuring out which storefront to enter through. We initially went through the wrong one, but they will tell you once you let them know your name where you're supposed to sit. Each of the seats is in front of a chef, but the counter is high so you can't actually see them work. We had an excellent dinner here. The service was great -- love that they give cute sake cups / wine glasses depending on what bottle you bring. There is a coat rack, and I was fortunately seated in front of the heater which felt so nice on a cold winter night. I especially loved the Triple X, aka the uni, quail egg and roe. The grilled sable was good as well as the scallop. You can choose to pay extra to add on any pieces you want. read more

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The waiter service at this place was one of the worst we've ever experienced. We had made a reservation for a 7:30pm omakase dinner for 5 people and we were 15 min early. When entering the restaurant, a rude host came running towards us shouting they were not ready for us. As it was freezing outside, we asked if we could wait inside (as the place was basically empty) but she said we couldn't. That set the stage for an extremely unpleasant experience throughout the night, far removed from Chef Toshio's vision of creating a welcoming and enjoyable environment for guests. This defineltly wasn't the high-quality authentic sushi experience focusing on traditional Japanese flavors and techniques, as they claim. There was not a single Japanese sushi chef in the restaurant. And while the sushi quality was acceptable, the omakase service felt rushed. It looked like they were trying to get us out in under 60 minutes. This was definitely not the Edomae-style omakase we were expecting and not a memorable dining experience at all. We have been to many omakese places in NYC, Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka and many more around the world and this must be one of the worst experiences ever. I don't know why this host offered a 10% discount. She must have realized our experience wasn't a very happy one. Very disappointing. read more

OHMAHGODSE, this was hands down the best sushi experience I have ever had. Fish was so fresh and every bite was truly a unique flavor experience, in the best way. I will be craving this from the other side of the country..I promise to never forget you, seared salmon belly with yuzu miso it is byob which I didn't know til I showed up but there's a place nearby that sells sake, nbd. I swear the chef didn't want us to know what type of fish each course was ? could not understand him for the life of us, and I even speak Japanese read more

Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

We made a reservation to come here for my bday. It was my first time having omakase. The moment we entered we were told where to sit. The chef was quiet after greeting us. We got the lunch omakase. I have no complaints about the sushi itself. It was delicious and I was definitely craving for more after. I was confused on what I was eating. The chef pointed out the first two pieces out on the map and not the rest. I would've been interested to hear more about it since it was my first omakase experience. He did tell us what each piece was but it was mumbled so I couldn't really hear. I felt like it would've been nice to have a conversation to make it not as awkward. read more

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Tanoshi has always been one of my OF faves. Now with all the new omakases popping up it's hard to decide which are worth a try. Tanoshi never disappoints and it's BYOB with no extra charges. The fish is fresh and sushi rice seasoned nicely. Reservations are recommended. And def get the crab brain (my fave). read more