5 Recommended Sushi Restaurants in Susukino, Sapporo That Are Always Packed
There are numerous sushi restaurants scattered throughout Sapporo's Susukino district, the largest entertainment area in Hokkaido. Since seafood from all over Hokkaido gathers in Sapporo, the ingredients at every restaurant are exquisite. They compete with each other through the craftsmanship and sense of the chefs, as well as the service and atmosphere of the shops. Here are 5 recommended sushi restaurants located within a 5-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station, the gateway to the Susukino district.
1Hizen
Enjoy a variety of creative dishes
A sushi restaurant with an impressive, calm, and modern appearance. You can enjoy dishes with excellent taste and presentation through several types of courses. The popular choice is the "11,000 yen course," which includes 5 appetizers, 10 pieces of nigiri, and clam soup. The content of the appetizers changes depending on the availability of ingredients, and every dish is highly creative, rarely seen elsewhere. The nigiri also depends on what is in stock, but herring, kinki (thornyhead), and botan shrimp appear relatively often. The classic nigiri served at the end is the "three-color bowl" of sea urchin, salmon roe, and horsehair crab. Although it is called a bowl, the restaurant serves it as a piece of nigiri, and it has an impact in both appearance and taste.
Expectations rise for dishes that showcase the chef's skill and inspiration
The restaurant is run by a skilled husband-and-wife team who trained in Susukino. They use their discerning eyes to carefully select ingredients and arrange them into appetizers and nigiri using techniques and inspiration honed over many years. What dishes will be served on the day of your visit depends on the ingredients purchased that day and the chef's inspiration. You can enjoy your drinks while looking forward to the next dish. A variety of alcoholic beverages, including sake, are available, and for those who want to enjoy plenty of drinks, we also recommend the all-you-can-drink option.
Local
Supporter
The restaurant only has counter seating. As it is a popular spot, advance reservations are best, but if you are visiting on the day, we recommend calling ahead to check for availability.
2Sushi Sakae
An authentic sushi restaurant that is easy to visit
This popular restaurant is known for having the price of each item clearly listed on the tabletop menu, allowing you to eat as much as you like while considering your budget and appetite. It is well-regarded not only by tourists but also by locals, including those who work in the Susukino area. The menu features seafood caught across Hokkaido, such as salmon roe, sea urchin, abalone, thornyhead, and live scallops. You can order by the piece, or choose the value-priced "Omakase 1-person" nigiri set menu to easily enjoy the bounty of the northern seas. Sashimi and a la carte dishes are also available.
A glass-fronted storefront that is easy to enter
The restaurant features a glass-walled facade facing the street, allowing you to see the atmosphere and how busy it is from the sidewalk, making it easy for first-time visitors to gauge the situation before entering. Since there are few seats, booking in advance is best, but you can still get in if there are vacancies. The selection of alcoholic beverages, including sake, is extensive, and we recommend the "Sake Cold Tasting Set of 3." This is a great value set where you can choose your favorite three from six different brands, including three from within Hokkaido and others from Honshu and beyond. You can enjoy your own unique combination of nigiri and sake.
Local
Supporter
The restaurant is approachable and relatively reasonably priced, making it easy to use casually. The warm personality of the chef, who has over 40 years of experience, is also highly regarded.
- Sushi Ei
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1F TM-29 Bldg., Minami 6-jo Nishi 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP 
Approx. 4-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station
18:00 - 1:00 next day (L.O. 24:30)
Sundays, holidays, 3rd Monday
011-513-3720
None
3Chokotto Sushi Bettei
Reasonably priced sushi kaiseki is popular
A restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of small dishes and drinks along with sushi in a relaxed setting. A popular, cost-effective menu item is the "Weekday-Only Mini Sushi Kaiseki 5,500 yen Course." It can be ordered on weekdays (excluding Fridays and Saturdays) as well as Sundays and holidays. It is a hearty set that includes an appetizer of seafood or vegetables, two types of sashimi, a grilled or fried dish, eight pieces of nigiri sushi, steamed egg custard, and a bowl of soup. In addition to this, there are always sushi kaiseki courses available, as well as individual pieces and 5-piece assortments.
You can enjoy a marriage of food and drinks from Hokkaido and Okinawa
Opened in 2019 as a different concept from the popular standing sushi bar "Tachiguidokoro Chokotto Sushi Honten," also located in Susukino. The name reflects the desire for customers to enjoy a variety of sushi and dishes, tasting a little bit of everything at their own pace.
Since there is also a branch in Okinawa, you may find ingredients from Okinawa and Kyushu, such as tilefish and striped jack, alongside fresh Hokkaido seafood. The drink menu is also extensive, featuring around 20 types of awamori at all times, over 10 brands of sake from both Hokkaido and other regions, several locally produced wines, and a wide selection of shochu from across Japan. You can enjoy a little bit of everything with your meal.
Local
Supporter
Before 10:00 PM, you may be able to enter without a reservation depending on ingredients and availability, but after 10:00 PM, reservations are essential as the restaurant may close if there are no bookings.
- Chokotto Sushi Bettei
-
- B1F N-Grande Bldg., Minami 5-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Approx. 2-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station
- 17:00 - 24:00 (L.O. food 23:00, drinks 23:30)
*Closes after 22:00 if no reservations - Sundays, 3rd Monday
- 011-215-1001
- None
4Kaiten Sushi Pasar
Start by ordering the value-priced "Evening Drink Set"
A restaurant where you can enjoy sushi at a reasonable price in Susukino, an area crowded with high-end establishments. The "Evening Drink Set," ordered by many customers, is a great value menu that includes two drinks of your choice, three types of sashimi, and one type of sushi roll. The standard way to enjoy this place is to start with the Evening Drink Set for a light snack and a drink, then order your favorite nigiri sushi afterward. The nigiri selection includes many Hokkaido specialties, such as raw oyster gunkan-maki, live octopus, and abalone. In addition to a wide variety of sake from Hokkaido and beyond, the drink menu includes beer, shochu, sours, and more, with almost all drinks eligible for the Evening Drink Set.
Enjoy the sushi toppings you want on the spot
The unique name "Pasar" means "a place where people gather" in Indonesian. It was named after the rattan-producing region because the previous owner also ran a rattan furniture store. Although the sushi conveyor belt on the counter used to rotate, it is no longer in operation, and the current system involves writing your order on a slip. However, the style of pressing a lever on the table to pour hot water over powdered tea is still in use. The appeal lies in being able to eat as much as you like of your favorite sushi with the same casual feel as a conveyor belt sushi restaurant.
Local
Supporter
This is a popular sushi restaurant known to those in the know locally, and sometimes a line forms on the street in front of the shop. They close as soon as they run out of ingredients, and sometimes close as early as 10 p.m., so try to visit before it gets too late.
- Kaiten Sushi Pasar
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- 1F Minami 4 Nishi 2 Bldg., Minami 4-jo Nishi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Approx. 3-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station
- 17:00–23:30 (Closes when ingredients run out)
- Sundays and approximately 2–3 other irregular days off per month
- 011-242-5567
- None
5Sushi Mikami
The chef's choice course that captivates regulars and repeat customers
This Edomae sushi restaurant offers only an "omakase course," yet it has many repeat customers, including local regulars and tourists who have been captivated by its reliable flavors. You can enjoy 5 or 6 appetizers and about 10 pieces of sushi using the seasonal ingredients of the day. Standard items in the course include steamed abalone cooked for 6 hours, as well as sea urchin gunkan-maki, salmon roe hand rolls, and fatty tuna nigiri. The chef keeps the seasoning as simple as possible to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients. If you are still hungry after the full course, they may offer you an additional homemade kanpyo (dried gourd) roll.
We are particular about not only the sushi toppings, but also the rice, vinegar, and seaweed
It goes without saying that the sushi toppings are excellent, but the restaurant's policy is to focus on the foundation of the sushi itself. In pursuit of the perfect rice for vinegared rice, they intentionally use year-old rice rather than new rice, creating a unique blend of "Hitomebore" and "Akitakomachi" from Tome, Miyagi Prefecture. They finish the vinegared rice using 3-year-aged red vinegar. The seaweed is high-grade "Kontobi nori" from the Ariake Sea in Kyushu, characterized by its surprisingly vibrant aroma and rich flavor.
A variety of alcoholic beverages that pair well with sushi are available, including about 15 brands of sake. Why not enjoy the trinity of topping, rice, and seaweed along with a drink?
Local
Supporter
Tucked away at the back of the first floor of a building, this is a special, hideaway-like restaurant. It is often full, so we recommend making a reservation in advance.
- Sushi Mikami
-
- 1F Dai-21 Keiwabiru, Minami 6-jo Nishi 4-5-10, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido MAP
- Approx. 4-minute walk from Susukino Subway Station
- 18:00–24:00 (May close early depending on reservations and ingredient availability)
- Sundays and public holidays (may be open on some holidays)
- 011-532-2626
- None
Please call before making a reservation or visiting
