Sushi, the Japanese dish that has conquered palates all over the world, including Italy, is the combination of the words “su” (vinegar) and “meshi” (rice). A symbol of Japanese culinary culture that Gambero Rosso celebrates with the new edition of the Sushi Guide 2025, presented in Rome on the eve of «Sushi Day», an international day dedicated to this delicacy which is celebrated every year on 18 June. The publication returns to illustrate this varied gastronomic universe between sushi bars, fusion establishments, fine dining, taverns, take-away and delivery. The Gambero Sushi Guide 2025 selects 223 addresses that have invested in quality and innovation, including authentic flavors, but also more modern contaminations, 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 people 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 which also awards 13 Special Awards.
There are 32 “Three Chopsticks”, establishments that offer the best sushi options throughout the country: most are concentrated in Milan, today the capital of Japanese cuisine in Italy, one of the first cities in our country to have welcomed Japanese restaurants. Starting from the sign Poporoya, 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 comes as a great surprise, however, are regions such as Puglia and Campania which in recent years have witnessed a significant increase in restaurants offering Japanese specialities, often reinterpreted with a local touch.
The best sushi in Sicily
Between 7 Sicilian signs included in the guide stands out among all theHio Sushilab in Palermo winning the coveted recognition Three Wands. The kingdom of fusion cuisine by the talented Filippo Gugino arrives in a new location, glamorous in its furnishings and exclusive in its atmosphere, where you can be pampered with a fine dining experience that the chef, a careful researcher of precious raw materials and measured director, orchestra, sews for the customer. The menu satisfies everyone, from lovers of classic dishes (pasta and fish) to those who cross the threshold to experience the specialties of the Land of the Rising Sun, and ranges between snacks, tacos, first courses, second courses and sushi forms. Sashimi and nigiri are correct in cuts and dimensions, each bite is a balanced mix of well-matched flavours. Among the uramaki, the salmon and scampi with mango, lemon zest, tobiko, yuzu and ponzu sauce reduction are worthy of note. High-level wine cellar that does not disappoint the expectations of customers in terms of variety and quality. The service is courteous and punctual.
Scattered throughout the region, the other excellences that are included in the guide:
- Catania:
- The fusion cuisine of Amocuwhose fusion proposal can be appreciated for its punctual service, quality of raw materials and well-orchestrated flavours. Tasty and with cooked rice and seasoned to perfection, the nigiri with flambéed salmon. The rolls are well made and well presented, balanced and varied, among which we highlight the one with king crab, cod roe, foie gras, avocado and truffle roe.
- The Japanese Oxidianathe restaurant that was the first to write the history of quality sushi in Catania. Among the best tastings was the Ebi Roll with raw red prawns (very fresh and plump), avocado, cucumber, mint, bottarga and lime zest.
- Messina:
- The Japanese restaurant Kajiki, the first to have offered Japanese cuisine in the city, where for over 10 years you can taste typical Japanese specialties and high-quality cocktails.
- The Love’s Sushi Bara minimal place and a menu with many delicious proposals, some with interesting contaminations of local ingredients and raw materials, of excellent quality, in which sushi has a prominent place.
- Palermo:
- Ishi at the Pier in Palermo, for lovers of fusion cuisine combined with mixology which has all it takes to become a must in the city’s fusion restaurants.
- Catania:
- The fusion Nuk Urban Sushi Bar in Sant’Agata Li Battiati (CT), where those who come here for the first time are won over not only by the completeness of the gastronomic offer and the attention to detail with which all the dishes are presentedbut also by the pleasantness of the place. Among the uramaki, try the Salina with tuna, rocket, semi-dry cherry tomatoes, finger limes, Pantelleria capers and mint.
Also deserving of inclusion in the Guide as the best takeaways in Italy are:
- Dubrovnik: Zencho Sushi from Ragusa;
- Palermo: Finch
- Catania: Nuk.
The sushi masters and the news
With the Special Award «The Masters of Sushi», the guide celebrates eight great names, with two new entries, alongside the historic Milanese already awarded in the first edition: Francesco Preite of Moi Omakase in Pratoan intimate and elegant environment where you can savor fantastic Japanese cuisine that has transformed the Tuscan town into a point of reference for lovers of Japanese tradition in Italy; Ignacio Hidemasa Ito of Otoro81 in Naplesprotagonist of a real food and wellness hub spread over 1200 m2 in the city center with fusion cuisine of the highest level.
The novelty of the year is Azabu10 in Milanin the Bicocca area, opened in the spring of 2023, the restaurant of the not even thirty-year-old Gianluca Arcieri is a tribute to raw, cooked and above all matured fish.
Sakeya in Milan, one of the Italian temples of sake with more than 150 labels coming from 47 different prefectures and a menu with high-quality dishes paired with spirits created by chef Masaki Inoguchi, known as Masa. While Hiromi – The Maison in Rome, new project from an entrepreneurial family that already has several Japanese cuisine and pastry shops in the capital and which offers a selection of over 160 sake labels, plus an interesting cocktail offering. And awarded as best mixed drink proposal Moon Asian Bar in Rome, on the rooftop of the Hotel Valadier, which also boasts a fine sake list.
