5 Best Omakase Dining Experiences in Boston

Omakase is a Japanese dining concept that translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” or “chef’s choice.”

In an omakase meal, the chef creates a personalized, multi-course menu based on the freshest seasonal ingredients along with his or her culinary expertise with a creative spin.

Indulge in a splurge-worthy meal at these top five omakase restaurants in Boston.  

O Ya

O Ya, a legendary spot in Boston’s sushi scene, continues to stand out as a treasure in the city’s culinary landscape, even after 15 years since its establishment. Located in the Leather District, this intimate restaurant is a coveted destination with reservations booking up to 60 days out.

Diners can delight in a 20-course menu with unique innovations such as fried kumamoto oyster infused with yuzu kosho aoili, and squid ink bubbles, house-made fingerling potato chip nigiri with truffle aioli and black truffle, hokkaido sea urchin and white sturgeon caviar, A5 Japanese wagyu strip loin with potato confit, and much more.

To elevate your gastronomic adventure, there’s an opportunity for a sake and beverage pairing. Don’t forget dessert! Enjoy the foie gras nigiri with balsamic chocolate kabayaki and raisin cocoa pulp.  

9 E St, 02111

311

Introducing 311, Boston’s newest omakase restaurant nestled within a historic Victorian brownstone in the South End, the largest urban Victorian neighborhood in the nation.

Embark on an extraordinary 18-course omakase journey featuring imported Japanese seafood and premium ingredients. Highlights include kegani (Japanese hairy crabs) prized for their delicate flavor and rich kanimiso (tomalley), offering a creamy golden roe.

You can also indulge in the ikura kanpachi monaka, a delightful blend of salmon roe and finely chopped amberjack within a mochi cracker sandwich, truffle-infused sea bream, and aori ika, tender squid nigiri delicately dusted with lime zest.

Each course is a symphony of flavors meticulously crafted by Chef Wei, presented on rare, antique Japanese serveware while diners sit at a sushi bar crafted in Hinoki cypress wood imported from Japan.

Booking is currently about a month out with only 10 available seats per night across two-time slots, from Wednesday to Monday (closed on Tuesdays). Please note that alcohol is currently not available, but you can bring your own alcohol.

605 Tremont St, 02118

Oishii

Take a seat at this 16-person modern and sleek sushi bar in the South End offering dishes that will wow you with bold flavor and artistic presentation. You will have a choice of a 6- or 9-course (with or without truffle) and optional wine and sake pairing.

Begin with a complimentary edamame mousse palette cleanser then we recommend the escargot tempura with lemon foam and orange zest then journey into the hamachi or toro truffle with seared, shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, cucumber, truffle, and caviar.

Oishii’s most popular dish is the salmon on fire draped over lemongrass and set ablaze with rum over cherry wood and coffee beans. The seared sashimi is infused with fried shallots, citrus ponzu, and raspberry gastrique. A true feast for the eyes!

Guests can also indulge in seasonal specials such as the ume crab with Maryland soft shell crab, lightly tempura, and ume shiso sauce.

The finale? A coconut sphere dessert filled with coffee mouse and molten sugar with chocolate sauce drizzled on top laid over a base of yuzu sherbet and blackberries and topped with a mint leaf and strawberry.

Don’t miss out on their innovative cocktail list including creative sips such as the Tokyo Mule infused with a mouth-numbing Sichuan button flower.

1166 Washington St, 02118 

Zuma

Zuma, located at Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston in Back Bay, offers relaxed dining with the Japanese izakaya concept with a variety of small plates mixed with elegant Japanese design elements. Guests can choose to embark on a signature, premium, or a5 wagyu omakase dining journey.

Indulge yourself in dishes such as the rock shrimp tempura with chili tofu, spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chili, and sweet soy, and black cod in Saikyo miso wrapped in hoba leaf paired with asparagus.

The best part? End your omakase experience with the Zuma deluxe dessert platter featuring green tea and banana cake with toffee sauce, mango sorbet and vanilla bean ice cream, yuzu cheesecake, and fresh fruit.

Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, 1 Dalton St, 02115

Uni

Uni located at The Eliot Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood is known for its fresh seafood from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market and local New England sources. The fine-dining sushi restaurant doesn’t offer nightly traditional omakase, but on Thursdays, Uni offers a 10-course chef-tasting menu with seasonal specials plus a beverage pairing option. Booking is limited for this menu, so book well in advance.

Uni also offers an exclusive omakase experience to parties of 12 who can enjoy the Chef’s Table overlooking the bar with family-style prix-fixe menu crafted by Chef David Bazirgan any night of their choosing.

The tasting menu features innovative dishes like Maine uni spoon with California Osetra caviar, quail egg yolk, and yuzu, foie gras nigiri infused with strawberry and yuzu, chutoro (fatty tuna) with miso, Meyer lemon, and roasted shichimi, spicy negihama hamachi, pickled longhorn pepper, and gochujang leek miso, and much more.

Try one of their innovative cocktails such as the Yellow Lamborghini made with Pierre Ferrante 1840, Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, lemon, pineapple, cinnamon, tamarind, and yellow curry.

370A Commonwealth Ave, 02215