Where Sushi Lovers Eat in Adelaide

Sushi-lovers are in luck in Adelaide: the city boasts an array of Japanese eateries, and while many menus focus on a broader range of delicacies, sushi and sashimi are still well represented and beautifully executed.

Shiki

It’s billed as a teppanyaki restaurant, with everyone perched around the hotplate but Shiki also serves up exemplary sushi – a range of nigiri, maki and California rolls and a tight edit (salmon, yellow-fin tuna and kingfish) of top-notch sashimi. Given that it’s located in the InterContinental, it’s no surprise that the atmosphere is elegant and refined.

Upper lobby, North Terrace, Adelaide; (08) 8238 2400

Sushi Bar Genki

At this vibrant, unpretentious kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt restaurant), staff will greet you with an enthusiastic “Irasshaimase!”. The train is full of fresh, appealing options and the a la carte menu (viewed and ordered from the electronic tablets bolted to the tables and bar) boasts everything from nigiri and aburi (scorched) to gunkan, hand rolls and sashimi, as well as noodles, tonkatsu, sets and more.

163 Gouger St, Adelaide; (08) 8211 9848

Ramen & Izakaya Himeji

From the same owner as Sushi Bar Genki but with a more intimate, upmarket ambiance, Ramen & Izakaya Himeji is known to serve some the city’s best ramen – but we should also be talking the vast menu: altogether there’s more than 40 sashimi, nigiri, maki and aburi options (not including the immaculately presented platters) plus an entire section dedicated to “Himeji New Style sashimi”, things like scallop and swordfish ceviche and kingfish jalapeno. Come hungry, come with friends, order loads.

22-24 Grote Street, Adelaide; (08) 8410 0102

Ichitaro Dining

The striking, contemporary dining room, which features black walls and a rope art installation, is an initial indicator that this place treads the line between swank fine diner and lively izakaya. The menu boasts authentic dishes including precision-cut sashimi and tender nigiri morsels. Raw lovers should also investigate the kingfish carpaccio and the wagyu beef tataki.

3/160 King William Rd, Hyde Park; (08) 8272 8921

Wasai

Tucked into one of the laneways off Gouger Street, this unassuming Japanese kitchen offers an extensive range of nigiri and aburi, plus several California rolls in variations like dragon, spider and dynamite (the latter coated in a seven-spice chill powder). While there’s plenty to explore on the menu (tonkatsu, noodles, hot pots and more), the hands-down winner is the deluxe sushi and sashimi boat —a feast of succulent rolls, nigiri and freshly cut sashimi.

1/9-15 Field St, Adelaide; (08) 8221 6606

Sushi Planet

The busy West Terrace location mightn’t be that appealing but inside, the hip soundtrack and décor – polished concrete floors, Wegner-style chairs, and chic timber detailing – do a good job of creating a cool urban vibe. The menu has plenty to offer – skewers, noodles and sets, as well as a vast array of sushi and sashimi, which is clean, fresh and delectable. A new outpost in Modbury caters to Adelaide’s northeastern suburbs.

1/60 West Terrace, Adelaide; 1800 787 447

Ginza Miyako

It’s a Japanese-French fusion at Ginza Miyako, so while you’ll find nigiri and sashimi for the traditionalists on the menu (tuna, kingfish, salmon, prawn, squid, eel and so on), chef Kazuki Ushiro is particularly proud of his fusion sushi rolls which team ingredients such as seared tuna with beetroot, red capsicum, flying fish roe, spicy mayo and chili powder and smoked eel with cream cheese, pumpkin, teriyaki sauce and dukkah.

Level 1, Stamford Plaza Hotel, 150 North Terrace, Adelaide; (08) 8221 6147

Nagomi Japanese Kitchen

It’s on the site of former celebrated Japanese restaurant Kenji (which closed at the beginning of this year) so there are big shoes to fill in this location but Nagomi is doing an impressive job of creating its own taste sensations. The menu features tempters like okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) and black cod saikyo style, alongside a range of sushi platters – aburi, maki, sashimi – with fish that’s fresh and succulent.

Shop 5, 242 Hutt St, Adelaide; (08) 8232 0944