Sushi: perfect combination between the words “su” (vinegar) and “meshi” (rice), an ancient art that has conquered palates all over the world and which is once again celebrated by Gambero Rosso in the new edition of Sushi Guide 2025. A return awaited by all lovers of Japanese cuisine, after the debut in 2021 and the pause in these years of transformation of Japanese restaurants in Italy also due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Between sushi bars, fusion establishments, fine dining, taverns, take-away and delivery, the Gambero Guide interprets this new scenario with a careful selection of the best places to taste the most famous Japanese food in the world: 223 addresses of brands that have invested in quality and innovation, including authentic flavors, but also more modern influences, for an increasingly popular food that continues to attract new consumers.
“In this volume there are many stories of love for Japanese culture, stories of Japanese who wanted to pass on to our country the great gastronomic heritage of which they are witnesses and stories of Italians, struck by the charm of the cuisine of the Land of the Rising Sun. Our selection seeks to highlight experiences of excellence centered around sushi” explains Pina Sozio, editor of the Guide.
The Three Wands
There are 32 excellences which offer the best sushi options throughout the country: the majority are concentrated in Milan, which has always been a city open to international influences and today is the capital of Japanese cuisine in Italy, one of the first cities in our country to have welcomed the first restaurants. Starting from the famous Poporoya sign from which the history of sushi in Milan began in 1989 with chef Hirazawa Minoru, known as Shiro, who slowly managed to overcome the Italians’ reluctance towards a cuisine that was then mysterious. What turns out to be a great surprise, however, are regions such as Puglia and Campania, which are more linked to Mediterranean traditions and which have instead witnessed a significant increase in restaurants offering Japanese specialties in recent years, often reinterpreted with a local touch. Molise is absent.
Tuscany
Between 14 signs representative of Tuscanyshines the Moi Omakase of Prato with his Three Wands and the Special Award The Masters of Sushi. As soon as you cross the threshold of the sign you have the impression of entering Japan. In this modern setting, characterized by soft lights and an intimate and elegant environment. The nerve center is the counter, sit at which, every evening, ten lucky diners let themselves be carried away by the fantastic Japanese cuisine of Francesco Preite, the chef who transformed the Tuscan town into a mecca for lovers of Japanese tradition, becoming a point of reference throughout the peninsula. A surprise journey of 18 courses characterizes the offer, the omakase: it usually starts with a miso soup to stimulate the salivation of the palate which finds full joy in the subsequent preparations, from the exquisite Hokkaido scallops to the nigiri – to be eaten strictly by 12 seconds from preparation – of snapper, scampi or bluefin tuna from the island of Elba. Also praise for the monkfish dashi broth. Refined wine and sake list. Professional and efficient service
The other excellences scattered throughout the region are mainly concentrated in the Tuscan capital:
Florence
- The Japanese Bentorothe sign of Sachiko and Roberto Sapia and one of the most interesting addresses in the city.
- The Heartthe Japanese tavern with a Florentine style.
- Hosekithe meeting place for business lunches and in the evening for a young and lively audience.
- The Japanese Yeee from Toshi by Toshifumi Mitsubiki, a reference in the city for well-made Japanese cuisine.
- Kokothe Japanese restaurant that for over fifteen years has been the Florentine cornerstone for an elegant dinner, in the name of love for oriental cuisine.
- Momoyamapioneer of Japanese restaurants in the characteristic San Frediano district.
- The fusion Satori which unites Eastern and Western culture.
And then again:
- The Japanese Saffron of Arezzo where the sea is the heart of the offer of this restaurant in the historic center of the city.
- The Kyubi Club of CarraraA very pleasant discovery for lovers of Japanese cuisine.
- At Tredici Sushi Lab in Empoli (FI) with its fusion cuisine and its contemporary design where you can breathe a metropolitan air.
- The Japanese Nida a corner of the East Outside the walls of Lucca where you can experience true Japanese cuisine.
- The Marini workshops in Pistoiawhere you can taste some of the best sushi in town.
- The SushiBar of Siena with its proposal created with attention to the seasonality of raw materials.
But 3 are also the best national take away and delivery:
- House of sushi in Arezzo;
- Mangiappone of Florence;
- Yatai Mad of Livorno
