Photo: Koy Shunka15 Best Sushi Restaurants in Barcelona (2026)
Introduction
The Barcelona Sushi List We Send to Friends
This is the Barcelona sushi list we send to friends. Barcelona is not Tokyo and never will be, but the city's Japanese cooking has matured into a serious scene over the last decade: two Michelin-starred sushi counters, a cluster of six-and-seven-seat omakase rooms run by chefs who trained at the best addresses in Spain and Japan, and a handful of long-running neighbourhood bars that have been serving authentic Japanese food since before sushi became fashionable here. Our top pick has held a Michelin star since 2013 and a second Sol from Repsol on top of it. The second pick has its own Michelin star and only six seats. The newest entry on the main list opened in August 2024 and earned its position from one of the strongest critical receptions of any sushi opening this decade. You'll spend under 30 euros at Bar Bodega Chiqui and well over 200 at Koy Shunka, but every restaurant here is run by a chef who is at the counter when you arrive.
The short answer
Key Picks at a Glance
In a hurry? These are the essential picks from our full ranking below.
- Best overallKoy Shunka
One Michelin star (since 2013), two Repsol Soles, OAD Top Europe 2025, 50 Best Discovery, and Hideki Matsuhisa working a tight Gothic Quarter counter that combines Japanese technique with Catalan produce.
- Editor's pickSuto
One Michelin star, one Repsol Sol, OAD Top Europe 2025, and chef Yoshikazu Suto serving a single seasonal omakase to six guests at the counter in Sants. Our founder's personal favourite on this list..
- Best entry-level omakaseSato i Tanaka
One Repsol Sol and a lunch sitting at €52–65 that is the most accessible way to eat at a serious omakase counter in Barcelona, with itamae Aki Tanaka and Kazutoshi Komuta at the bar.
- Best historicShunka
Repsol Recomendado, opened by Hideki Matsuhisa as the original of the small Gothic Quarter group that later added Michelin-starred Koy Shunka, and still the place to sit at the counter with the cathedral around the corner.
- Best recent openingJara Sushi Omakase
Opened August 2024 by two brothers, Jonathan Jara on the sushi and Robby in the dining room, with a ten-seat counter on Carrer de Pàdua in Putxet. The strongest critical reception of any Barcelona sushi opening this decade..
Before you order
A Guide to Sushi in Barcelona
What makes a great sushi restaurant in Barcelona?
Three things to look for. First, a counter where the chef works in front of you, also called a sushi-ya format, the original Japanese way of eating raw fish. Second, an omakase or chef's-choice tasting menu rather than a long picture-heavy carta, the modern signal that the kitchen is serious about its sourcing. Third, a small dining room: the best sushi rooms in Barcelona seat six to twelve guests, because every nigiri is finished by hand and the rice has a window of maybe two minutes between forming and eating before it starts to fade. If the menu has hundreds of items, the kitchen is reheating and assembling, not cooking and forming.
What types of sushi will I find in Barcelona?
Barcelona's better Japanese restaurants run a fairly tight format. Nigiri is the marker dish: a hand-formed pillow of vinegared rice topped with raw or briefly cured fish. Sashimi is the same fish without the rice. Maki and uramaki are rolls (the second is the inside-out style with rice on the outside). Edomae is the Tokyo-region tradition where fish is aged or marinated to develop flavour, an approach a few chefs in Barcelona now practise. Omakase means leaving the choice to the chef and is the format you want at the higher end. Beyond sushi proper, expect robatayaki (charcoal grilling, central to several places on this list), izakaya plates (the Japanese gastropub tradition of small dishes meant for sharing), and tasting menus that blend Japanese technique with Catalan and Mediterranean produce. Wagyu, sea urchin, kabayaki eel, sake and Japanese whisky lists are all standard at the upper tier.
When and how should I book sushi in Barcelona?
Book ahead. The omakase counters all run two or three services a night with six to twelve covers each, which means a Friday or Saturday at Sensato, Suto, Fukamura or Jara needs to be booked weeks rather than days in advance. Koy Shunka is two to three weeks out. Sato i Tanaka has an accessible lunch sitting that fills inside the same week. Mid-tier sushi bars (Robata, Os-Kuro, 99 Sushi Bar) take same-week reservations comfortably. Sensato is WhatsApp-only and opens new dates monthly. Hitsumabushi, Tasca Wakasa and Kottoya take phone bookings only. Prices range from around 30 euros at neighbourhood izakaya to 218 euros at the Michelin-starred top end, drinks not included.
How We Built This List
10 Publications, One List
We built this list by cross-referencing every credible 'best sushi in Barcelona' article we could find, plus the institutional guides that matter for Japanese cooking specifically: Time Out Barcelona, Barcelona Urbana, Yokogao Magazine (a Japanese-food specialist), Barcelona Food Experience, Barcelona Navigator, Plateselector, Mana75, Barcelona Secreta, ComerJapones (the Spanish-language Japanese-food specialist), Macarfi, the Michelin Guide and the Repsol Guide. We extracted the full venue list from each source and recorded how often each restaurant appeared and how it was positioned. We then verified open-status for every candidate against Google's Maps listings (which surfaced four closures and one delivery-only pivot that secondary editorial sources still listed as open). We ordered the survivors using our subject-specific methodology for sushi: Michelin stars first, then Repsol distinctions (Sol > Solete > Recomendado), then chef pedigree and counter-format fit, then cross-source editorial consensus, then diner consensus from Google, TheFork and TripAdvisor with 300 or more reviews. No restaurant pays for placement, and Guidavera has no affiliate or sponsorship relationship with any venue featured here. The full research file with the source-mention matrix, claims-to-verify list and per-venue accolades inventory lives at docs/best-sushi-research.md in our public repository. Per-restaurant à la carte menus refreshed May 2026 from the venues' own posted carta and digital menus where available.
At a glance
The 15 Best Sushi Restaurants, Compared
Quick reference table. Click any name to jump to the full review.
| # | Restaurant | Neighbourhood | Price | Distinction | Signature dish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koy Shunka | el Barri Gòtic | €€€€ |  Michelin | Menú Koy (signature tasting menu) |
| 2 | Suto | Sants | €€€€ | Michelin | Omakase Spring 2026 (21 courses across 7 sections) |
| 3 | Sensato | el Putxet i el Farró | €€€ | Repsol Recommended | Seasonal omakase tasting |
| 4 | Sato i Tanaka | la Dreta de l'Eixample | €€€ | 1 Repsol Sol | Lunch: Nigiri 9 pcs + Maki 3 pcs |
| 5 | Fukamura | el Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova | €€€ | — | Omakase tasting menu |
| 6 | Jara Sushi Omakase | el Putxet i el Farró | €€€€ | — | Omakase tasting menu |
| 7 | Shunka | Barri Gotic | €€ | Repsol Recommended | Menú Shunka (9-course tasting plus dessert) |
| 8 | Os-Kuro Sushi Bar & Robata | la Dreta de l'Eixample | €€€ | Repsol Recommended | Aburi nigiri selection |
| 9 | 99 Sushi Bar | Sant Gervasi - Galvany | €€€ | Repsol Recommended | Tasting menu |
| 10 | Bar Bodega Chiqui | Sant Antoni | € | Repsol Solete | Uramaki Crazy Salmón (8 pcs) |
| 11 | Robata | l'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample | €€€ | Repsol Solete | El Viaje Robata (multi-course tasting) |
| 12 | Soluna | l'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample | €€€ | Repsol Recommended | Tasting menu |
| 13 | Hitsumabushi | el Putxet i el Farró | €€ | — | Hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style grilled eel over sushi rice in the traditional box) |
| 14 | Yashima | les Corts | €€€ | — | — |
| 15 | Sakura-Ya | les Corts | €€ | — | Moriawase (7 nigiri + 8 maki) |
The ranking
15 Best Sushi Restaurants in Barcelona
Koy Shunka
1. Koy Shunka — Barcelona's only Michelin-starred sushi restaurant since 2013
Michelin
RepsolKoy Shunka has held one Michelin star since 2013 and two Repsol Soles on top of it, the deepest credential set of any sushi restaurant in Barcelona. Chef Hideki Matsuhisa opened it on Carrer de Copons in the Gothic Quarter as the upmarket sister of his original Shunka counter a few streets away, with a clearer ambition: to bring rigorous Japanese culinary technique into direct dialogue with the abundant produce of Catalonia. The format is a tasting sequence at the counter, with nigiri formed by hand and placed directly in front of you. The Menú Koy starts at €178 and the longer Experience Menú at €218, drinks separate. Service hours are tight (closed Sunday and Monday, lunch only on Thursday through Saturday) and the room seats around twenty across the counter and a small dining area, so book two to three weeks ahead.
“One star: high quality cooking, worth a stop”— Michelin Guide (2026)
Suto
2. Suto — Six-seat omakase counter with a Michelin star and a Repsol Sol
MichelinRepsolSuto has one Michelin star and one Repsol Sol, the second-deepest credential set on the list. Chef Yoshikazu Suto runs a single counter of six seats in Sants, serving one seasonal omakase menu and nothing else. The menu price is €158 (drinks separate) and the experience is closer to a studio than a restaurant: one chef, six guests, the cuts and the rice happen in front of you, and the meal lasts roughly three hours. The room is open Tuesday evening, Wednesday through Friday for lunch and dinner, and Saturday lunch only. Closed Sunday and Monday. With six covers per service and one of the most-cited high-end sushi rooms in the city, booking is two to three weeks out as a baseline.
“One star: high quality cooking, worth a stop”— Michelin Guide (2026)
Sensato
3. Sensato — Six-seat WhatsApp-only omakase counter on a quiet Putxet street
Sensato is the six-seat omakase counter run by chef Ryuta Sato and his wife Aya on Carrer de Septimània, a residential corner of Putxet i el Farró. The format is a single tasting menu, opened only for two services a night, served entirely from the counter with no à la carte option. The kitchen holds Repsol Recomendado and an OAD Top Restaurants in Europe 2025 placement. The reservation mechanic is WhatsApp-only to +34 654 531 865 with new dates opening monthly, which is a deliberate choice to keep the room small and the service even. Tasting menu from €55 at weekday lunch up to the full evening sitting; drinks not included.
“Recomendado: featured in Repsol Guide 2026”— Repsol Guide (2026)
Sato i Tanaka
4. Sato i Tanaka — Repsol Sol omakase with the most accessible lunch on the high-end circuit
RepsolSato i Tanaka is a sixteen-seat omakase counter on Carrer del Bruc in la Dreta de l'Eixample, owned by Kenji Ueno and Neus Busquets of Can Kenji and run at the counter by itamae Aki Tanaka and Kazutoshi Komuta. The kitchen holds a Repsol Sol and opened in 2017. The structural advantage of the room is the dual-service lunch sitting, which runs Tuesday through Saturday at €52 for the nine-piece nigiri set or €65 for the twelve-piece, with the full evening tasting at €85. That makes it the most accessible way in Barcelona to sit down at a Repsol-credentialed omakase counter, and the room is large enough that same-week bookings are usually possible.
“Sol: outstanding cuisine”— Repsol Guide (2026)
Fukamura
5. Fukamura — Pure-omakase counter relaunched June 2025 by chef Daisuke Fukamura
Fukamura is a six-seat sushi omakase counter on Carrer de Còrsega in Gracia Nova, run by chef Daisuke Fukamura. The restaurant relaunched in June 2025 as omakase-only after years operating with a broader Japanese menu, and the format now means no à la carte: the chef selects and prepares every course at the counter for two seatings a night. Tuesday through Saturday at 19:30 and 21:30, plus a Sunday lunch sitting at 13:00. The omakase is €95, drinks separate, and the room seats six. Booking is two to three weeks out.
“Verified by Guidavera June 2025 reopening report”— Guidavera (2026)
Jara Sushi Omakase
6. Jara Sushi Omakase — Ten-seat Putxet counter opened August 2024 by two brothers
Jara Sushi Omakase opened in August 2024 on a quiet stretch of Carrer de Pàdua in Putxet, and the critical reception has been the strongest of any Barcelona sushi opening in recent memory. The ten-seat counter is run by two brothers: Jonathan Alexander Jara Gonzalez on the sushi and Robby Jara in the dining room. The format is a €95 omakase or an à la carte that runs from €5 single pieces up to €34, both available across Wednesday and Thursday dinner plus Friday through Sunday lunch and dinner. Closed Monday and Tuesday. The room is small enough that booking is essential and same-week weekend slots are usually gone by Tuesday.
“Strongest critical reception of any Barcelona sushi opening this decade”— Guidavera source consensus (2026)
Shunka
7. Shunka — Hideki Matsuhisa's original Gothic Quarter counter, predecessor to Koy Shunka
Shunka is the original Japanese restaurant in this small Gothic Quarter group, tucked on Carrer de Sagristans near the Cathedral. It later spun off Michelin-starred Koy Shunka on nearby Carrer de Copons along with Kakkoy and Majide. Shunka itself is billed by the group as the taberna version of Koy Shunka, a counter-led format that keeps the focus on the sushi bar. The kitchen holds Repsol Recomendado and is led at the counter by Chanjiang Lin. The menu balances a €68 Menú Shunka tasting (nine dishes plus dessert) with a broad à la carte that covers nigiri, sashimi platters, tempura, udon, and a small selection of rice and meat dishes. The format is louder and more energetic than the omakase rooms on this list and the room is open Tuesday through Saturday for both services, plus Sunday lunch.
“Recomendado: featured in Repsol Guide 2026”— Repsol Guide (2026)
Os-Kuro Sushi Bar & Robata
8. Os-Kuro Sushi Bar & Robata — Hotel Claris sushi bar paired with an upstairs robatayaki grill
Os-Kuro is the Japanese restaurant of the Claris Hotel & Spa in Eixample, pairing a ground-floor sushi bar with an upstairs robatayaki grill. The kitchen holds Repsol Recomendado and combines fresh local seafood with imported Japanese product across both formats: classic nigiri and maki at the bar, Kobe wagyu, miso-cured fish and Iberian pork over the charcoal grill upstairs. Pricing runs roughly €51 to €100 per person. The room is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, closed Sunday and Monday, and the hotel-restaurant format means it accepts last-minute bookings more readily than the smaller omakase counters.
“Recomendado: featured in Repsol Guide 2026”— Repsol Guide (2026)
99 Sushi Bar
9. 99 Sushi Bar — Premium Spanish Japanese-restaurant group with Repsol Recomendado
99 Sushi Bar is Spain's leading premium Japanese restaurant group, with the Barcelona location at Carrer de Tenor Viñas in Sant Gervasi - Galvany. Culinary direction comes from Roberto Limas and the kitchen holds Repsol Recomendado. The menu is large but precise: starters from €12 to €37, tartares €31 to €53, maki €23 to €47, nigiri €11.50 to €22.40, sashimi €36 to €61, Wagyu €37 to €106, and a €130 tasting menu per person. The room is larger than the omakase counters on this list (closer to fifty seats) and the format is more formal: white tablecloths, longer wine and sake list, dressier crowd. Open every day for lunch and dinner except Sunday evening.
“Recomendado: featured in Repsol Guide 2026”— Repsol Guide (2026)
Bar Bodega Chiqui
10. Bar Bodega Chiqui — 1959 Sant Antoni bodega running a Repsol Solete sushi operation in the same room
Bar Bodega Chiqui is the most distinctive format on this list. The bodega itself opened in 1959 on Carrer de Vilamarí in Sant Antoni and still serves vermouth from the barrel, fried squid sandwiches and traditional Catalan tapas in the front room. The same kitchen runs Grado Sushi as a second life, with nigiri, sashimi and uramaki produced from the back of the bar. The sushi side holds Repsol Solete (2023) and the cross-format pricing is the cheapest on the list, with a full meal landing well under €40 per person. The room is open Monday evening through Sunday lunch with the cafeteria-style early service starting at 07:00 Tuesday through Friday. No reservations on the sushi side.
“Solete: distinguished by Repsol Guide”— Repsol Guide (2023)
Robata
11. Robata — Charcoal-led Japanese room on Enric Granados with a Repsol Solete
Robata sits on Carrer d'Enric Granados in l'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample, run by Venezuelan-born, Kobe-trained chef Fabiola Lairet. The kitchen holds Repsol Solete and the format is built around the robata charcoal grill and a precise sushi bar, with the two operating side by side rather than as separate stations. The carta runs from small plates around €5 up to €52, plus the El Viaje Robata tasting menu at €80 (multi-course journey through the kitchen's signatures). Open every day from lunch through to midnight on weeknights and to 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, which is unusually long hours for a sushi-credentialed kitchen in Barcelona.
“Solete: distinguished by Repsol Guide”— Repsol Guide (2026)
Soluna
12. Soluna — Repsol Recomendado Japanese tasting menus by chef Teppei Nii
Soluna is the creation of chef Teppei Nii, who brings Japanese culinary training to a small, intimate space on Carrer de Casanova in l'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample. The kitchen holds Repsol Recomendado and the format is tasting menus from €76, in which Japanese cooking technique is applied to ingredients from across the Catalan market. The room is small (around twenty seats) and the service hours are tight: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings only, plus Thursday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Closed Sunday and Monday. The pricing positions Soluna between the entry-level omakase rooms and the higher-credentialed counters above.
“Recomendado: featured in Repsol Guide 2026”— Repsol Guide (2026)
Hitsumabushi
13. Hitsumabushi — Discreet eel and sushi specialist in Putxet i el Farró
Hitsumabushi takes its name from the Nagoya-style grilled eel preparation served over rice, the dish that anchors the menu. Chef Nobuyuki Kawai runs a small dining room on Avinguda de la Riera de Cassoles in Putxet i el Farró, with a focus on eel preparations, sea urchin nigiri, flambéed scallop and chirashi-style bowls. The kitchen does not publish a printed menu and dishes change with market sourcing, so the carta is read off a board at the table. Open Monday through Wednesday for lunch only, then Thursday through Saturday for both services. Closed Sunday. Pricing runs roughly €20 to €30 at lunch and €30 to €80 at dinner.
“Signature eel preparations documented across multiple public reviews”— Guidavera source consensus (2026)
Yashima
14. Yashima — Long-running teppanyaki and sushi room in Les Corts
Yashima sits on Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas in Les Corts, a long-running Japanese restaurant built on a commitment to careful cooking and quality ingredients. The dining room is unpretentious and runs a teppanyaki counter alongside a more conventional sushi and tasting menu section. Pricing lands around €51 to €100 per person and the format is broader than the omakase counters on this list: lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, plus a Sunday lunch sitting. The room is large enough to take same-week bookings on weeknights, though weekend services fill in advance.
“Longstanding Japanese restaurant in Les Corts”— Guidavera source consensus (2026)
Sakura-Ya
15. Sakura-Ya — Long-running sushi bar inside L'Illa Diagonal shopping centre
Sakura-Ya is the sushi bar inside L'Illa Diagonal shopping centre on Avinguda Diagonal in Les Corts. The format pairs a sushi counter with takeaway service and a small dining area on the lower level of the mall. The kitchen is run by Suryaman Maharjan (head chef) and Yan (sushi chef), with a menu that covers nigiri, maki, sashimi, donburi and a short list of cooked Japanese plates. Pricing is the most accessible on the main list at around €30 per person, the room is open every day for lunch through to early evening (slightly extended hours in summer), and the location inside the mall makes it the most walk-in-friendly venue on this list.
“L'Illa Diagonal mall directory listing”— L'Illa Diagonal (2026)
Also worth trying
Honourable Mentions
Kottoya
el Barri Gòtic
Small omakase and sushi counter on Plaça del Rei in the Gothic Quarter, blending Japanese technique with Mediterranean ingredients. Newer entry without institutional credentials yet but high TheFork diner consensus — worth tracking as it earns coverage.
Tasca Japonesa Wakasa
el Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova
Repsol Recomendado izakaya on Carrer de Nàpols, run since 2009 by Natsu (chef) and Taka (front of house), a couple from Osaka. The 49-dish carta runs from €4 ontama to a €36.20 mixed sashimi, with the house Wakasa-Maki (eel, cucumber, cream cheese, avocado) at €18.50 and the signature 'catalá-yu' sauce (onion, toasted almond, sesame oil) running through several dishes.
Ikoya Izakaya
Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera
Hideki Matsuhisa's casual izakaya facing Mercat de Santa Caterina, opened January 2022 with Grupo Sagardi co-founder Inaki Lopez de Vinaspre. The 54-dish English carta covers nine sections from Bluefin Tuna Tartare (€20, three styles) through robata-grilled Wagyu A5 at €21 per 100g (200g minimum). Tokyo-style format rather than a pure sushi counter, but the chef pedigree justifies the slot.
Sun Taka
la Dreta de l'Eixample
Chef Mitsutaka Kawata's izakaya on Carrer de Bruc in la Dreta de l'Eixample. The carta runs 42 dishes plus a 22-strong Japanese-liqueur list and a 41-bottle bodega. Signatures include Toro no Tataki at €22, Miyazaki Arita Wagyu A5 Tataki at €23, and the Wagyu A5 Nigiri at €7.80. Around €55 per person without drinks.
Nomo Eixample
l'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample
Grupo Nomo's Barcelona flagship on Consell de Cent, designed by Trenchs Studio at 570 square metres on two floors with 120 seats. Two tasting menus on top of an 87-dish à la carte: Haginoya (€70) for the premium chef proposal and Naoyuki (€50) for the chef's selection. Robata section exclusive to the Eixample location.
Can Kenji
la Dreta de l'Eixample
Repsol Solete izakaya on Carrer del Rosselló run by chef Kenji Ueno, who also owns Sato i Tanaka. The 75-item Catalan-Spanish carta covers tatakis (horse, duck, bonito with salmorejo), sushi, and a small bodega. Hamburguesa Can Kenji at €11, Degustació de Atún (3-nigiri tuna tasting) at €7.80, around €25-40 per person.
The bigger picture
The Sushi Scene in Barcelona
Barcelona has more than 60 Japanese restaurants in our database and roughly half of those serve some form of sushi. The high end is unusually strong for a city of this size: two Michelin-starred sushi counters (Koy Shunka, Suto), plus five more counters with under twelve seats running omakase as their primary or only format (Sensato, Sato i Tanaka, Fukamura, Jara, Soluna). The mid-tier is built around proper sushi bars with Repsol distinctions (Os-Kuro, 99 Sushi Bar, Bar Bodega Chiqui, Robata) and the long tail includes neighbourhood bars and historic venues that have been quietly serving authentic Japanese food in Barcelona for fifteen to thirty years. The single highest concentration is in the Eixample, with about half of the venues on this list inside Eixample's grid. Gothic Quarter holds the Hideki Matsuhisa-led trio (Koy Shunka, Shunka, Kottoya). Sarrià-Sant Gervasi has the small specialist counters (Sensato, Jara, Hitsumabushi, 99 Sushi Bar). Sants and Les Corts each hold one specialist (Suto, Yashima and Sakura-Ya).
Practical tips
Know before you go
A short survival guide for eating sushiin Barcelona — everything we wish we’d known on our first trip.
- 1
Sit at the counter when you can
Most of the venues on this list have counter seating in front of the chef, and the experience there is not the same as the experience at a table. The chef forms each nigiri the moment it is served, the rice is at body temperature, and you watch the cuts and the brushwork. If the booking offers a choice between counter and table, take the counter.
- 2
Book the omakase rooms two weeks ahead
Sensato, Suto, Fukamura and Jara each run two services a night with six to ten covers. A Friday or Saturday booking inside the same week is usually impossible. Koy Shunka is two to three weeks out. Sato i Tanaka's lunch sitting at €52–65 is the most accessible high-end booking and usually has same-week availability.
- 3
Sensato is WhatsApp-only
Chef Ryuta Sato's six-seat counter at Septimània 36 only takes reservations via WhatsApp to +34 654 531 865. New dates open monthly. There is no email and no online booking, and the WhatsApp queue is the queue.
- 4
Cash is welcome but cards are accepted everywhere on this list
Every restaurant on the main 15 and on the honourable mentions accepts credit, debit and contactless payments. Bar Bodega Chiqui is the budget pick on the list and still takes cards. Tipping is welcome but not expected at Spanish prices, usually a couple of euros at the casual venues and a slightly larger round-up at the omakase counters.
- 5
Order sashimi before nigiri at the omakase counters
The chef's sequence at a proper omakase normally starts with a clean fish course (sashimi or a sashimi-style preparation), moves into nigiri once the palate is calibrated, and ends with a maki or hand roll before dessert. If you are ordering off a carta rather than taking the chef's choice, follow the same sequence: a sashimi platter to start, nigiri to anchor the meal, maki to finish.
- 6
Lunch is the better-value sitting
Most of the omakase counters offer a shorter, more accessible lunch menu (Sato i Tanaka €52–65, Sensato weekday lunch €55, Jara à la carte). Dinner is the full tasting at full price. If you are eating sushi for the first time in Barcelona, start at lunch.
- 7
Drink sake or shochu, not wine
The better sushi bars in Barcelona keep a serious sake list and most of them keep shochu and Japanese whisky too. A junmai daiginjo with raw fish does a different and better job than a white wine, and the staff at Sensato, Suto, Fukamura, Soluna and Os-Kuro will pair the bottle to your courses if you ask.
By neighbourhood
Sushi by neighbourhood
Already know where you’re eating? Here’s where to find the best sushiin each of Barcelona’s key neighbourhoods.
Eixample
Eixample holds about half of the sushi restaurants on this list. Sato i Tanaka, Robata, Soluna, Os-Kuro and 99 Sushi Bar (in the Sant Gervasi - Galvany corner of the upper Eixample) are all here. The format is more accessible than the Gothic Quarter counters, the rooms are slightly larger, and the pricing covers everything from €52 lunches at Sato i Tanaka to €130 tasting menus at 99 Sushi Bar.
Gothic Quarter
Three restaurants on the list sit inside the medieval streets around the cathedral, all of them connected to chef Hideki Matsuhisa: Koy Shunka on Copons, the original Shunka on Sagristans, and Kottoya tucked onto Plaça del Rei. The Gothic Quarter is where the city's best sushi has historically lived and the three rooms here cover the full price arc.
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
The smallest, quietest omakase rooms in Barcelona are tucked into Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, all far from the tourist track. Sensato's six seats, Jara's ten, Hitsumabushi's discreet eel-focused dining room, and the 99 Sushi Bar location on Tenor Viñas. The Putxet i el Farró pocket alone holds three of the venues on this list.
Sants and Les Corts
Two specialist counters live on the western edge of the city. Michelin-starred Suto is on Carrer de Violant d'Hongria in Sants, six seats and a single omakase. Yashima sits on Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas in Les Corts. Sakura-Ya, inside the L'Illa Diagonal mall, completes the western corner.
Sant Antoni and Gràcia
Two of the most distinctive formats on the list. Bar Bodega Chiqui is the 1959 Sant Antoni bodega that quietly grew a sushi operation called Grado Sushi using the same kitchen, the only place on the list where you can drink vermouth from the barrel and eat nigiri at the same counter. Fukamura's six-seat omakase is on Carrer de Còrsega in Gràcia Nova.
Know the terms
Glossary
The vocabulary you need to order sushi in Barcelona like a local.
- Nigiri
- Hand-formed pillow of vinegared sushi rice topped with raw, cured, seared or grilled fish, finished with the chef's brush of soy or yuzu salt. The fundamental unit of sushi and the dish a serious counter is judged on.
- Sashimi
- Raw fish served without rice, plated and seasoned by the chef. Sashimi tests the knife work, the quality of the fish itself, and the temperature at which the kitchen rests it before slicing.
- Omakase
- Literally 'I leave it to you'. A chef's-choice tasting format where the kitchen picks the courses based on what the market delivered that morning. Standard format at the higher end of Barcelona's sushi scene and the only way Sensato, Suto, Fukamura and Soluna serve.
- Itamae
- The chef at the sushi counter. The word literally means 'before the board' and refers to the master craftsman working directly in front of guests rather than a kitchen team out of sight.
- Edomae
- The Tokyo-region tradition of curing or briefly maturing fish before forming nigiri. A pre-refrigeration technique that develops flavour and is now practised at a handful of Barcelona counters as a craft choice rather than a necessity.
- Robata / Robatayaki
- Charcoal-grilling format in Japanese cooking, central to several Barcelona restaurants that pair a sushi counter with a robata grill (Os-Kuro, Robata, Ikoya, Nomo).
- Izakaya
- Japanese gastropub format: small plates, sake and shochu, designed for sharing and lingering. Several of the honourable mentions on this list run an izakaya format rather than a sushi counter (Tasca Wakasa, Ikoya, Sun Taka, Can Kenji).
- Maki and uramaki
- Rolled sushi. Maki has the seaweed on the outside, uramaki has the rice on the outside (the inside-out style). Both are easy ways to read whether a kitchen is using its own technique or assembling from a supplier.
- Wagyu A5
- The top Japanese beef grade, fully marbled and intensely fatty. A signal that the restaurant takes its Japanese sourcing seriously beyond just the fish. Sun Taka, 99 Sushi Bar, Os-Kuro and Nomo all run wagyu programmes.
- Sake and Japanese whisky pairing
- The sake list at a proper sushi bar replaces the wine list as the primary pairing. The better Barcelona counters (Sensato, Suto, Fukamura, Soluna, Os-Kuro) carry junmai daiginjo, sparkling and aged styles, plus a serious Japanese whisky selection.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
All restaurants on this list were independently verified as open and serving the dishes described as of .
What is the best sushi restaurant in Barcelona?
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Koy Shunka is our top pick. It has held a Michelin star since 2013, also holds two Repsol Soles, and is run by chef Hideki Matsuhisa in the Gothic Quarter. Suto is the second pick: one Michelin star, one Repsol Sol, six seats and a single omakase by chef Yoshikazu Suto in Sants.
Which sushi restaurants in Barcelona have a Michelin star?
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Two sushi restaurants in Barcelona hold a Michelin star: Koy Shunka (since 2013) and Suto. Both run small, counter-led formats and require booking two to three weeks in advance.
What is the cheapest sushi on this list?
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Bar Bodega Chiqui in Sant Antoni runs a Repsol Solete sushi operation called Grado Sushi out of a 1959 bodega, with a full meal usually under €40 per person. Sakura-Ya inside L'Illa Diagonal mall lands around €30. Both are the most accessible venues on the list.
Which sushi restaurants in Barcelona offer omakase?
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Koy Shunka, Suto, Sensato, Sato i Tanaka, Fukamura, Jara Sushi Omakase and Soluna all run omakase as their primary format. Sensato, Suto and Fukamura serve omakase only. Sato i Tanaka and Jara offer both omakase and à la carte options.
Where are most of Barcelona's best sushi restaurants located?
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About half of the venues on this list are in the Eixample. The Gothic Quarter holds three restaurants connected to chef Hideki Matsuhisa (Koy Shunka, Shunka, Kottoya). Sarrià-Sant Gervasi has the smallest specialist counters (Sensato, Jara, Hitsumabushi). Sants and Les Corts each hold one specialist (Suto, Yashima).
How far in advance do I need to book?
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The omakase counters need two to three weeks for weekend services. Koy Shunka is two to three weeks at any service. Sato i Tanaka's lunch sitting is the easiest high-end booking, usually available same-week. Sensato is WhatsApp-only with new dates opening monthly. Mid-tier rooms (Robata, Os-Kuro, 99 Sushi Bar) take same-week reservations.
How do I book at Sensato?
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Sensato is WhatsApp-only to +34 654 531 865. New dates open monthly. There is no email, no website booking form, and no telephone reservation line. The WhatsApp queue is the queue.
What is the difference between Koy Shunka and Shunka?
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Shunka is the original Gothic Quarter restaurant opened by chef Hideki Matsuhisa, billed by the group as the taberna version. Koy Shunka is the upmarket sister he later opened a few streets away on Carrer de Copons, the one with the Michelin star and the two Repsol Soles. Shunka holds Repsol Recomendado and runs a broader carta plus a €68 tasting menu. Koy Shunka runs tasting menus only at €178 and €218.
Are any sushi restaurants in Barcelona open every day?
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Most of the better sushi restaurants in Barcelona close on Sunday or Monday or both. Nomo Eixample and Sakura-Ya are open every day. Robata opens every day from lunch through to midnight. Most of the omakase counters (Suto, Sensato, Fukamura, Sato i Tanaka, Jara, Soluna) close two days a week.
Which sushi restaurants in Barcelona serve wagyu?
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Sun Taka, 99 Sushi Bar, Os-Kuro, Nomo Eixample and Koy Shunka all run wagyu programmes. 99 Sushi Bar prices wagyu between €37 and €106 per dish. Sun Taka centres its non-sushi menu around wagyu A5. Os-Kuro's robatayaki section runs Kobe wagyu over charcoal.
Is sushi in Barcelona as good as sushi in Tokyo?
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No, and that is the wrong question. Tokyo has hundreds of dedicated sushi-ya backed by the Toyosu wholesale market and a deeper tradition of fish sourcing than any European city can replicate. Barcelona's better sushi rooms are run by chefs trained in Japan or in Spain by Japanese masters, working with local seafood from the Mediterranean Catalan coast and selectively imported product. The result is a more hybrid, Catalan-Japanese style than pure Tokyo edomae, and at the top end (Koy Shunka, Suto, Sensato, Sato i Tanaka, Fukamura, Jara) it is genuinely world-class within that frame.
What about closed restaurants that still appear in older 'best of' lists?
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Several restaurants that older Barcelona sushi guides still feature are no longer operating in their original form: Restaurant Kintsugi (permanently closed), Akashi Gallery (permanently closed), Nakashita Born (permanently closed), Majide (temporarily closed at time of publication), and Yuku Barcelona (omakase counter consolidated to Madrid, Barcelona is delivery-only as of 2025). We verified open status for every venue on this list before publishing.
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About the author
Justin Mota
Guidavera founder
Justin Mota is the founder of Guidavera. He has lived in Spain for over 10 years and runs a native AI agency alongside building this platform. Food has always been the way Justin connects with friends, and Guidavera started as the list he kept sending to everyone visiting Barcelona. He built it for himself and his friends first, and now hopes it can transform the way people discover great food experiences everywhere.
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