Having completed my Foundations of Sushi Masterclass with the Master of Japanese Cuisine Academy last year, I thought it would be a good time to update the list for the best sushi in St. Pete. Technically, sushi means sour rice that is served with raw fish. Even though this is a sushi list, we also took sashimi into consideration. Sashimi is the raw fish without the rice.
Most people know what sushi and sashimi are, but what most do not know is that the majority of the restaurants offering sushi in the U.S. are offering Japanese-American sushi, and only a small number offer Japanese sushi. Only one in St. Petersburg does.
Japanese vs. Japanese-American Sushi
Japanese Sushi
- No menu. Maybe a list of fish. (Unless it’s a place catering to tourists.)
- Sit at a sushi bar and interact with the sushi chef.
- Sashimi, nigiri, and hand rolls are served. Never multi-ingredient sushi rolls.
- Rice is always on the inside of a roll, and it has only one ingredient rolled inside – fish or vegetable.
- In Japan, you will never find sushi rolls that are fried, spicy, or filled with avocado.
Japanese-American Sushi
- There is a menu, and it is often large.
- More likely to be seated at a table, and no interaction with the sushi chef.
- Multi-ingredient rolls that are often much larger and sometimes hard to fit in your mouth, or to be eaten in one bite.
- Rice is more often on the outside of the roll.
- Rolls that are spicy, fried and sometimes include cooked ingredients, like tempura.
If you want tempura in Japan, you have to go to a tempura bar. Unlike American restaurants that offer multiple types of Japanese and other Asian cuisines in one establishment, they have specialty shops such as sushi bars, tempura bars, ramen shops, yakitori joints, and so on. Japanese sushi bars usually have miso soup if you want something hot.
These aren’t the only differences. There are entire articles on the subject. Another big one is the amount of soy sauce and wasabi that are used by Americans. I won’t even get into the “wasabi” we are typically served. (Maybe later.)
We kick off the list with the only place that has the authentic Japanese experience, which is Sushi Sho Rexley. It’s not for everybody, and it is likely out of budget for some. The rest of the list is in random order.
As with all of our lists, and unlike most other publishers, we personally went to all of these places, and ate all of this sushi, and took all of these photos.
Here’s our 10 Best Places in no particular order, to Get Sushi in St. Petersburg Florida for 2024.
Sushi Sho Rexley
214 2nd St N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 835-8478
Sushi Sho Rexley Website
“I will leave it up to you” is the english translation of the Japanese word Omakase. As I said earlier, there is usually no menu in Japan, and with Omakase, you don’t order the sushi. The chef chooses it for you, and you are served one thing at a time.
A masu (pictured above) was originally a square wooden box used to measure rice in Japan, and it has now evolved into a vessel to hold a sake glass where you overflow the glass into the masu, and drink out of both the glass and the masu. If you look closely, you’ll see that they fill the glass to the rim, and let you be the one that spills it into the masu. You won’t find this in the Japanese-American places. It’s another sign of Japanese authenticity at Sushi Sho Rexley.
You can see that the fish looks super fresh and delicious in the above photos, but look at the rice too. Americans typically think that white rice is boring, but in Japan the rice is more important than the fish. Koshihikari is the strain of rice used in Japan, and it is here at Sushi Sho Rexley too. It’s the good stuff.
At Sushi Sho Rexley they also use real wasabi, meaning the actual root that is hand grated with nothing added. The wasabi we typically get is mixed with horseradish and other ingredients.
Notice that the hand roll has the nori on the outside, and aside from that and the rice, there is only one ingredient – salmon roe.
Sushi Sho Rexley is reservations only, paid in advance, and they have two seatings each night. There is an optional sake pairing.
(Sushi Sho Rexley photos by Lori Brown)
AHI Sushi
364 1st Ave N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 290-9802
Ahi Sushi Website
Ahi Sushi is the newcomer to the list having opened in February 2023. I wanted to give them some time, as other places that had been in the same spot have come and gone, so I waited until 2024 to go. I was happy to see that they successfully transformed the interior, which used to be a falling apart dump, into a refined little space worthy of elegant Japanese cuisine.
From Lori’s post:
Upon entering, the place is super clean, bright and airy. They have a small but nice selection of Sake. I almost didn’t order the edamame because most of the time, these days, it’s frankly just disappointing. By that I mean, sad and soggy, not salted properly and just not fresh. For something so simple, you would think everyone could do it right. No, they cannot, but Ahi Sushi can and it was fresh and fantastic.
We ordered the tuna tataki done in a different style than I have ever had. The outside sear had a nice, spicy kick to it. We shared tuna, salmon and yellowtail nigiri that was so fresh. And sushi rice done properly. That rice is so good. It had the perfect stickiness and the flavor of sushi rice cooked properly. We shared a house special roll called the Yammi Roll – Inside: spicy tuna, cucumber, asparagus. Outside: salmon, yellowtail, avocado, scallion, masago, micro greens. Delicious, not too big for one bite, great crunch. This will be our new go to for sushi in St. Pete.
(Ahi Sushi photos by Lori Brown)
Good Fortune St. Pete
260 1st Ave S #100
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 287-3881
Good Fortune Website
Good Fortune is right in the heart of the action in downtown St. Pete.
From Haley’s review:
“Good Fortune is situated where Ichicoro Ane used to be, right under Station House. The menu is Asian fusion with small plates, bowls, sushi rolls, nigiri and sashimi, desserts, and a heavy drink menu with cocktails, Japanese Whisky, sake, shochu, beer and wine.
Once inside, you’ll find a vibey bar, a sushi bar, a lounge, a restaurant and a private karaoke room. Around the rooms you will see kitschy fun nods to Tokyo with neon signs, beautiful greenery and flowers, extraordinary murals, and even more to see the longer you look around. It’s so much more than just going for dinner and drinks, at Good Fortune, it’s an experience that all of your senses will encounter.
The Double Dragon is simple and seriously delicious with tuna, and avocado, topped with Yellowtail, habanero relish and yuzu ponzu. It’s earthy, simple, and so fresh.
The Cash Money signature roll has spicy salmon and avocado, topped with tuna, spicy mayo, crispy leeks, and green masago. Compared to the Double Dragon roll, this is more elevated in flavor with a slight kick to it. If you like simple, get the Double Dragon, if you like spice and a little more oomph, get the Cash Money. Both were excellent.
Good Fortune should be famed for its fatty tuna. It’s the melt-in-your-mouth quality that separates the best from the rest. I also loved the exquisite salmon belly, as salmon is always my go-to, but the salmon belly really kicks it up a notch. They both melt in your mouth, have a smooth aftertaste, are satisfyingly thick, and made us realize the true freshness.”
(Good Fortune Photos by Haley Haman)
Rain Japanese Sushi Bar & Thai
5267 Park St N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
(727) 545-1781
Rain Website
From Abby’s review:
“The Sassy Amiga roll (pictured above on the left) was listed second on the menu and immediately grabbed our attention with components of spicy tuna, krab stick, avocado, cheese and a tortilla wrapping. I typically don’t gravitate towards specialty rolls like this, but it was a unique choice that I’m glad we made. The roll, of course, had heavy savory notes, but it also carried a nice sweetness due to the marriage of ingredients.
Hangover roll. This specialty roll has that whole less is more thing going for it as it is only comprised of spicy tuna, cucumber, scallions, lime and a yummy little special hangover sauce. It’s incredibly fresh tasting with just the right amount of spicy subtle tuna flavor. This is one of those rolls that I would order time and time again.
The Snow Crab is a basic roll with snow crab, cucumber, mayo, avocado and smelt roe. The crab is very good and definitely stands out to make a statement. So if you’re a lover of crab, this one is undoubtedly for you if you want a roll without the fuss.”
Ikigai with a Taste of Saigon
4195 54th Ave N Suite E
St. Petersburg, FL 33714
(727) 999-0444
Ikigai Website
The space at Ikigai is simple and humble. They’re situated in a small plaza with enough parking spots to handle their flow of customers. It may not be located in a popular area for dining in St. Pete, but it certainly appears to draw quite the crowd. We visited Ikigai on a Saturday afternoon around lunchtime and the restaurant was buzzing with both dine-in and take-out clientele. Though, take-out was the clear favored option. Delivery services were in and out of Ikigai constantly, but there was also a steady flow of diners enjoying their meal on premise.
Sushi rolls are a must at Ikigai. They have classic and specialty options and we had to order one of each, of course. Both rolls arrived on a platter together and the first standout detail of note was their beautiful appearance.
The Mexican Roll under the classic selection of rolls has been deemed a favorite with the masses, so that one was a no-brainer. Tempura shrimp wrapped up in a blanket of seaweed and rice with avocado and topped with smelt roe – it’s a hard roll not to love. Texturally, this sushi roll is on-point. The avocado levels out the richness that the shrimp tempura brings to the table and all of it together makes for a glorious bite.
A specialty roll was a must and we seem to always lean towards the tuna offerings – specifically, spicy tuna options. Luckily, they have a roll that is 100% up our alley and that is the Kamikaze roll. The roll is simple, but it hits all desired notes with spicy tuna and cucumber inside and more fresh tuna and spicy mayo on top of the roll on the outside. I often don’t love how large slices from a specialty roll can be, but these pieces were great and more than manageable. Spice levels were enjoyable without being too intense and the tuna was quite fresh. I find that less is more when it comes to a sushi roll and if you’re looking for that, this option is it.
Green Pagoda
7900 4th St N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33702
(727) 827-2133
Green Pagoda Facebook
From Lindsey’s review: “If you’re not familiar with the location, Green Pagoda serves north St. Pete along 4th Street at 80thAvenue. If you know the area, you are likely aware of the void of quality restaurants. You basically only have Noble Crust. While Noble Crust is always a good go-to, there is definitely a need for more quality, and thankfully Green Pagoda has filled that void.
We were told by Patrick that their sushi chef has over 20 years of experience and pays extra close attention to detail, especially when it comes to cooking the rice just right.
From top to bottom, we ordered the crispy salmon roll, Pagoda roll and the seared beef roll.
While my friend and I typically don’t prefer tempura fried rolls, we decided to try the crispy salmon roll at Patrick’s suggestion. The roll comes filled with salmon, eel, asparagus, cream cheese, masago, sesame seeds, and scallion then tempura fried and topped with sriracha, shrimp sauce and teriyaki. And while that might sound like a lot of flavors that could overwhelm one another, it was a delicious, well balanced (big) bite.
The Pagoda roll is a seaweed outside, tightly wrapped roll with tuna, salmon, escolar, snapper, crab, asparagus and cream cheese then topped with tobiko, scallion and teriyaki. The combination of all the raw fishes made this roll refreshing, with the teriyaki adding a slight tang on top.
The seared beef roll was the simplest of the three rolls with spicy tuna, avocado and cucumber inside then topped with seared beef, tobiko, peppercorn, sesame seeds and chili oil. The chili oil added a good spice while the beef added a bit of earthiness.
All of the rolls were well sized and I enjoyed the unique sauces that were used, as opposed to your typical spicy mayo or eel sauce.”
Mangosteen
656 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 954-3381
Mangosteen Website
From Lori’s review: “Mangosteen rolled onto the St Pete restaurant scene in early November 2021 with it’s trendy, hip vibe and eclectic asian inspired menu which features yakitori, tapas, tacos, sushi, stir-fry and very creative tropical cocktail concoctions.
We all shared two orders of rolls. First up was the Spider Roll – tempura soft shell crab, asparagus, sriracha, masago, shrimp sauce, teriyaki. So different, fresh and flavorful. Definitely recommend.
I love volcano rolls so I had to try their version – California roll, baked spicy salmon, sesame seeds, masago, shrimp sauce, teriyaki.”
(Mangosteen Photos by Lori Brown)
The Lure
661 Central Ave N
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 914-8000
The Lure Website
The Lure, that cool, brick-walled open great room concept place on Central with funky wall murals, birch art and pool tables.
Our favorite items to get at The Lure are: Sashimi appetizer – Tuna, Salmon and Yellowtail. Red Dragon Roll (L) – Shrimp Tempura, spicy tuna, and cucumber rolled in seaweed and rice, topped with more tuna, eel sauce, and spicy mayo. The Lure Roll (R) – Spicy kani, asparagus, cream cheese roll topped with salmon, avocado, and masago, drizzled with jalapeño cilantro lime aoli (on the side here).
(The Lure Photos by Lori Brown)
Pin Wok & Bowl
445 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 575-7167
Pin Wok & Bowl Website
Ever since they opened in 2017, Pin Wok & Bowl is one of our favorite places to get sashimi. Their tuna, and especially the salmon just has an elevated texture, mouthfeel and flavor. There are 11 different types of salmon, six of which are used for sushi. Based on my recent experience studying and making sushi, I suspect that Pin Wok & Bowl is using Ōra King Salmon, and they may even be giving it a 15 minute soak in liquid shio koji. It’s a home run.
A fun roll to try is the P.B.J. Roll. It has spicy tuna, avocado, smelt roe, mayo, and cream cheese, and is topped with crispy snapper. This was an interesting one to say the least. It actually did taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We ordered these for delivery and the photos were taken at home rather than at the restaurant.
(Pin Wok & Bowl Photos by Lori Brown)
Nomi Nori
1572 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
(727) 954-5474
Nomi Nori Website
There are two Nomi Nori spots next to each other. The Edge Eatery is a mini food hall with a few different concepts to choose from, including a smaller selection of sushi from Nomi Nori. This is the lunch spot. For dinner, go next door to Nomi Nori at the District Lounge.
The food focus at District Lounge is on the sushi, nigiri and sashimi. The brilliance of their small but carefully curated menu lies in the Chef’s Choice Sets section. Here, they showcase three different levels of thoughtfully selected combinations of hand rolls and nigiri. Quantities are the main difference. Three of us were in our party and for that, Moses suggested the largest set, which was the Nomi Nori Encore. This experience includes side salad and miso soup, blue crab hand roll, bluefin tuna poke hand roll, bluefin tuna nigiri, hamachi nigiri, escolar nigiri, salmon nigiri, golden bluefin tuna, uni & caviar nigiri and scallop with soy butter and caviar nigiri.
It was a beautiful way to taste our way through some of their menu highlights. Each piece of fish was transformed into a curated masterpiece that showcased both the fish and the artistry of the chefs and the establishment. The nigiri arrived first in a gorgeous display. In all honestly, we loved every single one, but the scallop and the hamachi were probably our favorites if we had to choose.
What are your favorite places for sushi in St. Pete? Tell us in the comments below.
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A list of the best sushi in St. Petersburg, Florida chosen by locals in 2024
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