Sushi Bar Near Me on the Upper East Side: Sushi of Gari

If you type sushi bar near me anywhere between East 72nd and East 86th Street, one of the oldest names on the list is Sushi of Gari, at 402 East 78th Street between First and York Avenues. It opened in 1997 and became famous for an idea that sounds simple now: the chef seasons every piece before it reaches you, so the soy sauce dish can stay empty. Nearly three decades later, the original room is still where the style is best understood.

The story behind the counter belongs to Masatoshi Sugio, known to everyone as Gari. The restaurant's about page says that while working as a sushi chef in New York he watched guests drown each piece in soy sauce and taste nothing but salt. His answer was to brush or top every piece with its own sauce during preparation. Sugio died on October 17, 2025, and the restaurant posted a memorial note saying his spirit lives on in the kitchens he built.

That signature is what most people come to order. The Gari's Special, listed on the menu under sushi bar entrees, is $72 for eight pieces of his signature sushi, with no substitutions. The point is that each bite arrives already balanced, so you eat it as served. The Tuna of Gari is $75 for eight pieces of signature tuna sushi plus a spicy tuna roll, which is the move for anyone who wants bluefin in different forms.

If you would rather start plainer, the Sushi Regular is $48 for eight pieces of sushi and a tuna roll, and the Sushi Deluxe is $60 for nine pieces and a negitoro roll. The chirashi, assorted sashimi over sushi rice, is also $60. These sets make a sensible first visit for a pair: one person orders the classic plate, the other orders the Gari's Special, and you can taste how much the house sauces change the same fish.

Ordering piece by piece is where regulars spend their time. Maguro tuna nigiri is $9.50, shima aji striped jack is $12.50, kanpachi amberjack is $11 and raw botan shrimp is $13. Sagoshi, a young Spanish mackerel, is $8.50 and makes a sharp contrast after fatty fish. Toro, chutoro and uni are priced at market rate and change with supply, so ask the server for the day's number before you add them to the order.

Rolls are a small part of the menu but not an afterthought. The negitoro roll, fatty tuna with scallion, is $18, and the spicy maguro roll is $13.50. The spicy hotate, scallop with crunch, is $15.50 and works as the last order of the night. From the small plates, the maguro avocado is $20, cubed lean bluefin tuna with avocado in wasabi soy sauce, which is a good opener while you wait for the counter to start your set.

For the full show, book the Sushi Omakase at $160 for twelve pieces, or the Sushi and Sashimi Omakase at $180, with four kinds of sashimi followed by eight pieces of sushi. The Sashimi Omakase, twelve kinds of sashimi, is $230. Omakase is the format at the counter itself: the restaurant's contact page notes in Japanese that counter dining is omakase only, so if you want to order a la carte, request a table instead.

Getting the right seat takes one phone call. The contact page is direct: general seating goes through OpenTable, while the sushi counter and parties of five or more are booked by phone only. OpenTable repeats that sushi bar reservations are not available online. Cancel on OpenTable at least 24 hours ahead, or by phone if it is closer than that; the restaurant lists a $50 fee for no-shows without notice.

Timing is easier than at most famous counters because the room runs every day. Dinner is served 5pm to 9:45pm, seven days a week. Lunch runs 12pm to 2:15pm, but dine-in lunch is only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while takeout and delivery lunch run every day. A weekday lunch delivery is a good way to try the signature sauces at home before committing to a $160 omakase evening at the counter.

The room itself is modest, which surprises first-time visitors who know the name. OpenTable describes it as a rather small establishment, with counter seating and a casual dress code. The executive chef at this location is Takatsugu Kishikawa. Recent guests in September 2026 wrote that they loved sitting at the sushi counter, and the restaurant answers reviews on the platform, which helps if you have a question about allergies or a special occasion.

Gari's style grew beyond this block. According to the restaurant, a second location opened in Aoyama, Tokyo in 2001, then Gari on the Upper West Side in 2005, and Sushi of Gari 46 in the Theater District in 2006. The East 78th Street room remains the original and, for many longtime customers, the one that feels most like Gari's own counter. Coming here is a way to see where a now widely copied New York sushi style began.

After dinner, walk west to Second Avenue and north to Heidelberg Restaurant at 1648 Second Avenue, which calls itself one of the oldest family-run German restaurants in the United States. It is a reminder that this corner of Yorkville was once a German neighborhood, and a beer there makes a fun contrast with a meal of brushed nigiri. On a mild evening, the East River esplanade a few blocks east is another easy stroll before heading home.

Practical notes: the restaurant accepts American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa. Dress is casual, so office clothes or jeans both fit. Sushi of Gari suits diners who want a historic New York sushi bar without the formality of a hushed omakase temple, couples marking a birthday, and anyone curious about how far a sauce can push a single piece of fish. Call ahead for the counter, order the Gari's Special, and leave the soy sauce alone.