Despite a busy Mother's Day evening, the service was quick and staff helpful in choosing the best dish to enjoy the incredible fresh fish. Everyone was enjoying the atmosphere! read more

See all

I came here for dinner and the food was AMAZING. The sushi al a carte (signature style) is the way to go. The service is nice and it is a really beautiful space. It is extremely over priced, so get ready to take out to the credit card - but it that isnt an issues, this place is a GO TO. read more

Gari Columbus - Green tea cake - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

*Okay granted this is partially our fault buttttt - we asked the waiter for a recommendation for sake. The waiter provided us 3 small samples to try but he did not offer to share the price of the bottle nor did we ask. When the bill came, we found out it cost us $220!!! I felt like this was dishonest and put a damper on our otherwise wonderful meal. Ambiance (5/5): The establishment is pretty small but very organized and neat, clean, and welcoming! We were seated next to the chef's table and loved watching the preparation right in front of our eyes. The chefs worked together seamlessly to prepare the various dishes with special garnishes, sauces, and presentation. Service (4/5): We were warmly greeted at the door. Warm towels for wiping at the beginning of the meal and during the middle course. He went out of his way to ask us in advance if we wanted a birthday dessert since there was only 2 left in the back so he could reserve it. They came out with a sparkler candle for us! Free green tea with the dessert. Food (5/5): We chose the combo omakase for $180 (4 sashimi & 8 sushi). Every single dish was fresh and delicious! Presentation was exceptional and the tastes were infused with art. read more

See all

I came here for Valentine's Day with my husband. I actually wanted to go two years ago and my husband didn't. He regrets not coming sooner. Hands down the BEST omakase we have ever had!! We had to wait about 10 minutes for our table. I wasn't thrilled but it is NYC dining. The wait staff was very nice and apologized for the wait. When we sat down we were greeted by a lovely waitress who had the most beautiful heart braid in her hair. My husband ordered a Sapporo and I tried a new beer that I have never seen before called Kagua Saison. It was delicious! We then ordered the tuna appetizer as it was highly recommended by the waitress. We were not disappointed. It was a trio of toro tuna, tuna ceviche, and ahi tuna. We absolutely loved it! For our main course, we got the sushi omakase. It was fantastic, fresh, and delicious. I still dream about how amazing it was. We were given complimentary saki as well as cookies for dessert. We loved the service and the food and will be running back read more

See all

Delicious and fresh! The best I have had. I get why it is so busy. Met the chef/owner and his family. The sweetest people!

Ok so this really was a 8er wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow! That's what my lady said as she took the first bite. The maitake tempura was hot tender inside super crispy and to be eaten right away. Great flavor and really goes well w a Sapporo and garis sake. Then we went to the garis special. 8 pieces of sushi with each a different "topping " that compliments the fish. The rice was to perfection the combination of sweet from the rice wine they cook it with and the natural rice flavor. Hint the special is great no need for soy or wasabi. Flavors were a maize ing! Then we got the spicy scallop roll too. Excellent. Not your mundane spicy roll. The scallop pops in taste and texture. And after we still wanted to try more not that we were hungry but the flavors were so damn good. So we had the fluke and tuna yukke and both were decadent. Service was great. We sat outside with nice breeze and people watching. This is a must try and not your classic sushi but it does not disappoint! Worth every star! read more

See all

Rarely is a restaurant truly worthy of 5 stars...and to be able to do so through delivery is even more impressive. I ordered one very special, one salmon tomato purée roll, and one tuna tofu purée roll. To start I had the tsukune chicken meatballs The meatballs were absolutely delicious. A sweet teriyaki base with a hint of ponzu made these really flavorful. You get two skewers with three tiny little bites. Another skewer would be great :) The sushi was so special in the way the chef utilized special ingredients to create unique textures for every piece of nigiri. For a slight and satisfying crunch, a deep fried lotus root. For a hit a umami, a touch of chopped mushroom. Really special The rolls were absolutely delicious. For anyone that likes tuna and salmon and wants a roll without spicy mayo and avocado, give these rolls a try. The tomato is toasted and melts in your mouth, pairs really well with the salmon, the tuna tofu is unique and you just have to trust me on this one. 100$ for one but a forever memorable meal at that. Must try in the area. Worth traveling to 100%. read more

Gari Columbus - Gari Special - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This must be on your list to try. The fish was so fresh and each bite was curated with a different taste profile. The service was top notch and for sure one of the top meals I've had in NYC. If they have the uni tasting app it's a MUST order. I recommend sitting at the sushi bar to get the full experience and ambiance. read more

See all

One of the best omakase dinners I have ever had. We had the sushi and sashimi combination, and every piece was stellar. The fluke with a poached egg and truffle? My god. Amazing. Some of the sushi combinations had us raising an eyebrow at the description, but wow -- warm tomato and salmon with garlic oil? Who'd have known?! The service was stellar, and we will definitely return. The restaurant was quiet, which I appreciate as my husband is hard of hearing and sometimes noise can ruin a meal. read more

I have never felt so uncomfortable at a dinner. I made and 8:30 reservation at the bar. They called and said please come at 8:15. I didn't understand why but clearly they didn't want us there. I came earlier and was rushed through the entire omakase experience. $500 dinner in 20 minutes. This was terrible. Many good omakase in New York. Skip this one. read more

I ordered a few of the vegetarian rolls here. The fold is all presented elegantly and the restaurant has a bit of an upscale vibe. It seems like they take a more traditional approach to sushi, so the vegetarian rolls were pretty standard, but well-executed. read more

We had an assortment of nigiri sushi... here are some of the highlights: Yellowtail - we have never had it so tasty. Striped Jack and Amber Jack - have never even heard of these before and wow were we glad they suggested we try them. Fatty Tuna with Scallion cut roll - just wow For us, the difference between great sushi and amazing sushi is how smooth it goes down, and the lack of that fishy smell. Gari has all of that. The server was also very pleasant and gave us lots of suggestions, and the setting was lovely. Five stars all the way.... can't wait to go back! read more

Eating at Gari Columbus is a really lovely experience! I saw comments about excessive noise, but it was really peaceful when I went. (Granted, there were only two other groups there so there probably wasn't a lot of preparation occurring.) The people were very hospitable, and the entire restaurant was aesthetically pleasing--it was a nice getaway from the bustling Upper West Side! My sister and I shared a spicy scallop roll and the Sushi Deluxe, which came with a fatty tuna and scallion roll and 9 pieces of nigiri. (I'm not totally sure about the names but think they were mid. fatty tuna, tuna, baby yellowtail, seared salmon, yellowtail, salmon roe, boiled shrimp, fried scallop, and one seared one which I don't know.) I really enjoyed all of the pieces I tried, although the seared salmon piece was almost completely split in half for some reason. (Also, my sister said that the unidentified one was too gamey for her taste.) I would definitely get the fried scallop and the seared salmon nigiri a la carte in the future, and I really liked the fatty tuna roll and the spicy scallop roll and would order them again as well. We had made the mistake of eating a lot for breakfast, so we were quite content with this amount of food, but I think under different circumstances, we probably would have wanted to order more. However, the pieces are pretty large (especially the spicy scallop cut roll) and we had a number of fattier cuts of fish that left us very full! Thank you to Gari Columbus for a wonderful dining experience! read more

Gari Columbus - Sushi Deluxe - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

This place has been a staple in the upper west side . Post pandemic , they have renovated the inside, especially near the entrance area . Too bad they are now only open for dinner. The food quality and service are still consistently good. read more

Gari Columbus - Kabucha tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I have been going to Sushi of Gari at Columbus cirlcle, but after a disappointing experience for omakase and their service, I decided to give it another try at another location. All tables are separated with clear partitions for covid safety. I was in a bit of rush, so I did not do omakase. Salmon yaki tomato, which is one of their signatures and my all time fave is a must- you can find their other signature sushi on their website. This time I ordered Tuna of Gari which was absolutely amazing! In addition, I ordered tamago, salmon yaki tomato, green tea tiramisu and hot sake. Both food and service were perfect. My partner I left full and satisfied + I had the same thing for to go for my mom. I will be returning to this location from now on. read more

See all

The food was good and all but this location sucks compared to the one on the east side

Not bad at all, but definitely overhyped and way overpriced. I don't regret going, but I wouldn't go back.

Extremely happy I got to try this place! I knew about this place during the pandemic while visiting nyc, unfortunately they were closed. But once they finally opened up I had to get into this restaurant! We went yesterday without a reservation and the host was very accommodating. We sat at the bar and had to finish up in an hour, which is totally doable! I got the omakase and it was so delicious! The flavors were out of this world and so fresh! I wish there were more places like this. The service was excellent, didn't felt like we were rushed although I felt like I had to rush just out of courtesy. Definitely would love to go backs and I'll definitely make a reservation. read more

See all

I came here for omakase on a Saturday afternoon and the food was delicious! Gari's sushi has more bells and whistles and definitely isn't a place to go to if you're a purist. But the combinations are thoughtful and exciting and the portions are just right. For $120, we got 12 pieces. The rice was flavorful and had just enough stickiness. I also enjoyed the seaweed salads, although I enjoy the one with the mushrooms better. read more

See all

If you want Nobu quality without the Nobu price this is the place! I do not usually feel safe eating raw fish at a place that does not have a Michelin star, but the raw salmon and tuna here is super fresh and delicious. It melts in your mouth! My only complaint is that I wish they had better hours. Their hours are very strange. read more

Nov 2016- Hubby and I brought Mini-Me and her friend into the city for the evening to see the Macy Day Parade Balloon set up- Which was a huge let down* ohh ridiculous the lines.. We were all hungry and I quickly Yelped for local places and it was Sushi or Mexican. Gari Columbus won - of course. We didn't have a reservation but the hostess greeted us as if we were regular customers and sat us at the bar. She made mention that certain items on the menu were not allowed to be ordered at the sushi bar-- hubby said no worries. We ordered hot tea and pop and set to figuring out what we wanted. I'll be honest here, it all sounded so delicious and I wanted everything. Hubby and I ordered Tuna of Gari & Gari Special, Mini-Me and friend, went with Sushi Deluxe. After the waitress left this gave me time to look around and I had to use the restroom so Mini-Me went with. Nice décor in the restaurant, but décor does not make the meal so, I was pretty excited to see what we were being presented with. Presentation- Beautiful- I wish I had taken more pictures - I only took 1. sorry Freshness of the fish- Yes!!! delicious. You know when you have bad fish. Combinations and pairings of flavors- The two tasting combination plates hubby ordered went well together. I really loved the toppings that brought out the delicateness of each fish, but also enhanced the more hearty. Additions: We did order additional sushi from the bar, I wanted to see how some of the standalone bites stood up. Didn't disappoint. Negative: But that fried oyster, was a bit over fried so the creamy texture that is possible was lost, I'd have to try again to see if this is the standard way to serve it. We did order dessert mocha for Mini-Me and her guest, but it's Mochi, I would have loved to see something more creative. Final result: So all in all for the 4 of us for dinner a bit over $300+. and this did not include tip. Would I go back? yes I would, do I think the price point is high? slightly. I am more than happy to pay premium $$ for sushi that holds its own and Garo Columbus did not disappoint. I am sure not everyone has the same experience but ours was great. I am planning to come back for our anniversary lunch and have the Omakase and update my review to include that. Anniversary lunch? YUP... I drag our anniversary out for at least a week!! LOL read more

Gari Columbus - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

One of my favorite omakases in NYC! At about $100 for 10-12 pieces (with the option to add more pieces), it's also one of the more affordable omakases. Fish is always fresh and the inventive toppings are delicious and unique. The 10 pieces are large and pretty filling too. For a less expensive choice, the chirashi matsu is wonderful. The monkfish liver, black cod, and fried chicken appetizers are also good choices. read more

Unbelievable meal, quality, sakis, service, ambiance. Sushi's, steak, gyoza, chicken yakitori, phenomenal. We are regulars!!!

My review may be a bit biased because we didn't order the omakase, which I understand is the selling point for Gari - I was watching the sushi chefs put together some very interesting combinations, including what looked to be a very generous dollop of mayo. But, in terms of price and quality, I thought Sushi Yasaka was better; actually, I've found the UWS sushi places to be, for the most part, pretty average compared to the ones in the East Village. Perhaps just less competition? Anyway, back to Gari. In the end, I was more enthused about the frosted windows than the food, though there were some standouts. The best appetizer we ordered was the beef tataki or sliced filet mignon, served cold with a dab of horseradish and a cluster of spring onion. Delicious, only lightly seasoned, and the meat was fully rare but amazingly tender. The miso marinated cod wasn't as stellar. A Japanese restaurant that means business should turn out a stellar miso cod, though I have a feeling chefs look upon it as a brunch line cook might look upon eggs Benedict. Tricky to get the filet cooked just right and tender and still maintain a sauce that doesn't overwhelm the fish. The piece we had had a strange, almost alcoholic aftertaste. Also skip the seaweed salad. It was a comically small portion for $9 and had a very clumpy onion dressing. I did like the sushi (tried the fatty tuna with scallion) and thought the cuts of fish, particularly the eel, were delicious. The rice was a bit too hard and chewy for my taste. My fiance's chirashi was also tasty but at $42, was not really worth it compared to Yasaka's or even Ise's versions. Next time, I'd stick with the sushi. read more

Wonderful service and delicious sushi and sashimi. We dine frequently at this small but cozy restaurant and have never had a disappointing meal or experience. read more

Omg this is hands down one of the best sushi place I ate at! At lunch, there's only omakasei on the sushi bar, but that's definitely the best way to go. You can get all sushi, all sashimi or mixture. We decided to go more sashimi the sushi since I don't like rice. First up, the sashimi plate with taro, sweet shrimp, oyster, tuna and salmons. Man, the fresh was so fresh! And the best was the taro!!!! It literally melts in your mouth on its own. Second plate up were sashimi too. I can picture it in my head but I can't remember the names of it. I know one had s crunchy fried lotus root, it was so good! The one in the middle is some spicy come with tuna; that was amazing too. Last couple of dishes up were nigiri. My favorite one was the torch fish with quail egg melts all over it. This was by far hands down the best! If you're here, you need to get one of these. Next one up is snow crab leg... Wow is the only word to describe it. Next up, salmon with friend tomato... Another one that blows your mind. Last one up was... Don't remember... I lost track. Tip: make sure you make reservation because it only serves customer who had made reservations. read more

See all

I don't know if it's the best sushi in the city, but it sure is the best sushi I've ever had. We ordered the Gari Special and the Tuna Special and both were delicious. The service was top notch: the waitress was friendly and helpful. Also, I was very happy to see that they're taking COVID regulations seriously and that they asked us for proof of vaccination. It made me feel safe and allowed me to enjoy my food without worrying whether the other guests were vaccinated or not. read more

Gari Columbus - Tuna of Gari - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

The omakase here is truly divine. Gari's sushi aims to bring innovation to sushi such that the sauces compliment rather than overpower the fish as soy sauce often does. I noticed there were no soy sauce dispensers around to demonstrate their confidence in this vision! The flavors, garnishes, and pairings of each piece were so remarkable, that it made me realize I never had a true omakase experience until coming here. After every piece, I found myself saying "that was my favorite." Come here if you want to be taken on a lovely flight to umami heaven! read more

The omakase here is non-traditional: try asking a sushi chef in japan to put hot tomato on raw salmon. Say wuttt. Regardless, if you come with an open mind and sit at the sushi bar, you are guaranteed for a ride that's pure bliss. You can check out some of the signature pieces here: http://www.sushiofgari.com/signature/ Definitely keep count of how many pieces you've had - our chef told us we'd had 12 pieces after only 10. I am sure it was unintentional because he later admitted it was a mistake, but if my boyfriend wasn't taking notes we would have been overcharged 40 bucks and walked out with less than full stomache... read more

See all

Got robbed tonight at Sushi of Gari. Most overrated, overpriced omakase in the five boroughs. To not be served Uni or Ikura at $160 a pop is criminal. Service was excellent but whoever approved the tomato piece needs help!! read more

Most overpriced omakase in the city. 12 pieces of average, wholly uninteresting fish for $160. No Uni. No Ikura. Everything is topped with nonsense, over the top garnishes. Who puts steamed tomato on bland salmon? Will not be going back, and neither should you. read more

My all-time favorite sushi restaurant! The omakase, while not traditional, never fails to blow my mind with its innovativeness. Each piece is an adventure, and as a person who's normally picky with sushi, I can definitely say you can trust the chef here. Love! read more

Always good! Very fresh, friendly service and good dining environment!!! So clean and so nice! read more

Gari Columbus - Sushi Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Food: fresh fresh fresh!! We've had both the Gari special nigiri which is nigiri with additional toppings that are often hot or cooked with a yummy sauce, as well as the sushi deluxe nigiri which is your typical simple nigiri and the sashimi dinner (14 pieces). All of the fish are fresh and the presentation is well thought out. The black seaweed salad is so yummy and I'm always happy to see real seaweed salad instead of the plastic green ones. Service: top! we sat at the bar, as we always prefer to when it's just the two of us and our server was not only knowledgeable but answered all my questions promptly and never missed a beat with our drinks and extra ginger. Ambiance: definitely gives a "neighborhood" feel with its size which is what we love. The house was full on a week night but we also did see walk-ins. Walk ins are not always possible so do make a reso when you can. The half cup of hot tea at the end really tied the evening well. read more

See all

I am a firm believer in omakase and the house of Gari. A veteran of the east side location, I was happy to learn that there was a Gari open for lunch on a weekend. Seriously. Good...to...know. So, in honor of a friend's birthday, I treated my friend to several flights of the omakase at Gari. 3 hour lunch....many glasses of sake later, we stumbled out full and happy. Our favorites were the warm tomato and salmon, the otoro, and, of course, the umi. You can get sushi/sashimi anywhere but if you want omakase, you need to try Gari~! read more

See all

Christmas Day... Did not order a lot of food... and in LA, this tab would have gotten you double the amount. Yes, I know this is NYC... but $29 for chicken teriyaki that was dried out... and literally the WORST chicken teriyaki any of us have tasted, was shameful. I think because it was Xmas we did not send it back, but honestly it could have been used as jerky... I will say the sushi was fantastic... overpriced, but fantastic. The salmon was the second best I have ever had... beautiful, thickly cut... tender, delicious and melt in your mouth. Spicy tuna was also delicious, as was the eel. And the omakase looked absolutely amazing... I was riveted by the chef's work at the sushi bar and would love to try that if I come back... But I'm telling you, the chicken was so bad, it might just keep us away. I am sure we are a little spoiled in LA, as we can get fantastic sushi at a most reasonable price... and again, this is New York... but come on. You need to do better across the board, especially at the prices you are charging. read more

I'd been wanting to try this place forever, and to have it present itself while I was wandering the Upper West Side without warning?! My roomie could hear the pleading in my voice. Please, pleaaase can we eat here? The service here is ridiculous! It seems like there's a server for each diner. Behind the bar is a line of sushi chefs, more like cloned sushi chefs, so alike and fluid in their sushi crafting movements that it made me stare. But the tatsuta (fried chicken) appetizer we ordered was tiny! I wondered where they found miniature microscopic chickens... The only bonus was that it was boneless, but the flavor was the same as at cheaper places. I feel like the best way to test a place's sushi is to get nigiri, but because of how expensive it is here (average nigiri piece is $5, min order is 2 per type), we couldn't afford to try much, and our rolls were only average. Bill came out to around $50, which isn't a lot but we weren't even close to full. More like... still starving. The way to approach this place must be with the omakase (like everyone else around us). Since we didn't though, it was a bit of a let down. read more

See all

My boss organized a dinner for two of my coworkers and I with the caveat that we would enjoy some 'serious sushi' and she was NOT exaggerating! The fish was incredibly fresh here and the flavor profiles were off the charts. A truly memorable piece of sushi had truffle oil and a poached quail egg on top. Incredible. For dessert she ordered the crepe cake, with green tea cream, which was rich yet light (apparently it was from Lady M bakery). Will definitely be back when I'm craving some high caliber sushi with friendly service! read more

See all

My first exposure to the Gari restaurants was Sushi of Gar on 46th. At a firm lunch, I had the lunch version of the Omakase and fell in love. I went there the following weekend for the dinner Omakase on my own dime and it was one of the most amazing food experiences I have ever had. Since then, the Gari restaurants have had a special place in my food heart. I rekindled my love affair with Gari this past Sunday. They offered a special prix fixe $85 menu for Valentine's Weekend, which included the Omakase. My boyfriend and I both started with the Hijiki Salad. It's like a pickled vegetable and seaweed salad. I will admit that I didn't think I would like it from the looks of it, but it was actually quite tasty. My boyfriend's second course was the Beef Spare Ribs. They were thinly sliced and very sweet and tender. I had the Shrimp and Crab Haru Maki. I didn't really like the spring roll itself, but the accompanying dipping sauce was a powerful and slightly sweet ginger-based sauce. The Omakase was delicious. Although, it was probably my least favorite of the ones I've had at the restaurant, I chalked it up to lower price of the prix fixe menu. For dessert we had the Banana Bread Pudding, which was a sweet and light way to end the meal. This restaurant is definitely on my short list of best sushi restaurants in New York City. Yes, it's a bit expensive if you opt for the Omakase, but I have never walked away from a meal at Gari feeling disappointed. It remains one of my favorite places to go for semi-special occasions and to entertain out of town visitors. read more

Not only the best sushi, but some of the best dinners I have had in New York City. You can debate until you are blue in the face about the affordability and value of Gari, but at the end of the day, there is no denying the quality. The meticulously presented sushi is exquisitely plated. And never once will you think to need soy sauce, as it would bastardize the beauty of each presentation. For those naysayers who quibble about the style, flavor, etc, you have yourself to blame. Don't like toppings?--tell them "no toppings" and you will get outrageously fresh fish with nothing added. Don't like a certain flavor, communicate that... Just because you pay a premium for prime quality doesn't mean the servers are clairvoyant. The menu doesn't do remote justifice to the options available, but in a somewhat elitist way, the whole menu really is about the Omakase. If you truly, genuinely want let in on the magic about which so many rave, you have to throw frugality to the wind. But if you allow yourself to enjoy, to really indulge and treat yourself, you will see and taste the beauty of an art form that is rarely--if ever--elevated to this level of excellence in America--even in New York City. Yes, the sushi/sashimi really is *that* good. It simply cannot be debated. If you want something cheaper, expect cheaper quality. Because I don't have the disposable income to enjoy it regularly, I save Gari for really special occasions. The last omakase tasting we enjoyed came to about $200 per person. Our server explained that it runs from $90 to $120 depending on the fish. The reason there is no set price is because it's priced piece-by-piece--so you can make it as pricey or affordable as you or your appetite dictate. Well, we were so blown away by the initial ten or so selections, we ended up begging for it to keep coming at the chef's discretion. So while you could easily spend a few hundred, it isn't necessary. But do plan to spend at least $100 per person for the tasting. If you just want a sample, you can order a la carte. But talk to your server about what they recommend. You can order one or two fancy pieces to see what all the hype is without breaking the bank. read more

See all