For many years now, all sector statistics have pointed to the sushi and, in general, the Japanese foodin the most important development trends. A 2022 study by Businesscoot speaks of a growth forecast of $2.49 billion globally in the period 2021-2025. In Italy, sushi has become so popular that it is no longer consumed only in restaurants, but increasingly also sold in restaurants GDO. A further BVA Doxa survey, commissioned by Just Eat in 2023, highlights how, thanks to the more frequent use of food delivery, for one interviewee in two the consumption of sushi has significantly increased compared to the past. At the beginning of 2024, TheFork Observatory, in a survey conducted in collaboration with Format Research, estimates that Asian cuisine – mainly Japanese and Chinese – is on the podium of the new catering businesses launched between October 2022 and September 2023. The numbers don’t lie, Italians like sushi a lot.
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The new Gambero Rosso Sushi guide
A few years ago, in 2021, we released the number zero of the Sushi guide dedicated to best sushi restaurants in Italy. A pioneer project, born, however, in a period – that of the explosion of pandemic from Covid19 – which for many parts of the catering industry was Armageddon. Today we find ourselves dealing with a changed scenario. Many brands have closed their doors and, at the same time, quality investments have grown. Our selection also changeswhich seeks to highlight experiences of excellence focused on most famous Japanese food in the world.
Kohaku – Rome
The mapping
In the Sushi 2025 guide by Gambero Rosso there are many stories of love for Japanese culture: 223 addressesBetween sushi bar, izakaya, fine dininglocals fusionan appendix dedicated to the best take away. Some areas are a revelation, like Puglia and Campaniaothers are undefended or totally absent, like Molise: we will be the subject of controversy for this, but we have not yet been able to find one or more brands in that region that satisfy the standards we set ourselves in the selection.
Milan wins by a landslide, for highlighted and awarded signs. Moreover, it is in the Lombard capital that we trace the origins of quality Japanese cuisine in Italy, thanks to the work of doyens, such as the members of the AIRG (Italian Association of Japanese Restaurateurs), also awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for commitment to promoting authentic Japanese culture on the Peninsula. To introduce the new edition of the guide a convenient illustrated glossary which also helps newbies to understand well how to find their way around the restaurant, how to behave when faced with sushi dishes on the table and also how to discern quality preparations.
Iyo Omakase – Milan
The best sushi restaurants in Italy
Among the pages of the Sushi 2025 guide you will find a symbol, the Three Wands: indicate the best sushi proposals in Italy according to Gambero Rosso inspectors. I am 32to tow the Lombardy (Milan), as we were saying, with eight award-winning venues. Followed by Lazio, Campania and Puglia, each with four top brands, then Piedmont and Emilia Romagna, with three winners. Finally, a Three Wands each for Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Umbria, Sicily and Sardinia.
Otoro81 – Naples
The Special Prizes
A recognition that we strongly wanted in the first edition returns, i Sushi masterscommendation – awarded in collaboration with Kikkoman – to the careers of the chefs who taught and brought the culture of sushi to Italy. Among these are the Japanese doyens of Milanese catering, such as Haruo Ichikawa (Ichikawa), Hirazawa Minoru (founder of Poporoya and Shiro Poporoya), Yoshinobu Kurio (Yoshinobu), Wicky Priyan (Wicky’s Innovative Japanese Cuisine), Ikeda Osamu (chef today by Shiro Poporoya), Masashi Suzuki (chef of Iyo Omakase). There are also in this very noble list Francesco Preite by Moi Omakase, Prato, e Ignacio Hidemasa Itotoday at Otoro81 in Naples.
Azabu10 – Milan
Among the new special prizes of this edition are News of the Yearin collaboration with Mundi Rice: the prize goes, once again to Milan, but to an outsider of Japanese cuisine, Andrea Arcieri, a young boy member of an Apulian family dedicated to seafood restaurants, who has shuffled all the cards by opening Azabu10. The award to Best Dining Room Service instead, he goes to the south, to Salerno. Umi (cover photo), a young but solid reality, which harks back to Japanese orthodoxy in a land which has instead sublimated its contaminations: in addition to earning the Three Wands, the venue stood out for its high-level, engaging and professional dining service .
Moon Asian Bar – Rome
The service and pairing front is growing in restaurants: wine, sake, beers, cocktails, sushi offers a challenging territory for pairing disciplines. The awards are dedicated to this area Best Mixed Drink Proposalwhich goes to Moon Asian Bar of Rome, and Enhancement of Sakeconferred, with JFC Italyto two important realities such as Sakeya (Milan) e Hiromi Maison (Rome).
