Cody Auger and Dwight Rosendahl's twelve-seat Edomae counter books on Resy seven nights a week. Reserve weeks ahead for serious sushi.
The Reservation Problem at Nimblefish
Nimblefish has one real constraint: twelve seats. Cody Auger and Dwight Rosendahl run an Edomae omakase at a single sushi counter on Southeast 20th Avenue, four seatings a night, and once those tables are gone there is no larger room to absorb the overflow. That scarcity, not hype, is what makes the seat hard to get.
Nimblefish sits at 1524 SE 20th Avenue in inner Southeast Portland, with the casual nimblechan walk-in counter alongside it. The omakase is strict Edomae practice: seasonal Japanese seafood, much of it flown from Toyosu and cured in house, served as nigiri over rice held at body temperature. It is the most serious sushi seat in the city.
How to Book Nimblefish
Nimblefish books through Resy at resy.com/nimblefish, not OpenTable. Seatings run every night at 5:30, 6, 8 and 8:30, and with only twelve seats the prime 6 and 8 slots clear first on Friday and Saturday. Reservations are strongly recommended for the omakase; the counter is too small to count on a same-day table.
Book one to two weeks out for a weekend, sooner for an early weeknight seating. If Resy shows nothing, set a notify alert and call 503-719-4064 about cancellations, which tend to surface a day or two before service. Flag any allergies in the Resy booking so the kitchen can plan the run.
What You Eat
There is one omakase at $125: four small snacks, then thirteen pieces of nigiri, miso soup and a dessert such as yuzu sorbet. The fish is often Japanese, salted, pickled or smoked in house, and the rice is served warm, near body temperature, the Edomae detail that defines the meal. The list is short and sake-led; take a pour to follow the fish.
Next door, the nimblechan counter is the a la carte fallback and a separate, walk-in-only seat, open 5 to 9pm Tuesday to Friday. It is the place for a few pieces and a beer when the omakase is sold out or the mood is lighter, and it needs no reservation.
The Smart Play
Take an early 5:30 seating on a weeknight if your schedule allows; the counter is calmer and the table easier to land. Sit in the middle of the bar to watch Auger and Rosendahl work. When the omakase is full, walk into nimblechan instead, or check the Portland dining guide and the hardest Portland reservations guide for the rest of the week.
Not for a big group or a late, spontaneous dinner. The omakase is twelve seats at a fixed counter with set seatings, so a party of six or a 9:30 walk-in is rarely the move. Use nimblechan for that.
View Nimblefish on Restaurants for Kings →
Related Reading
- Our full profile: Nimblefish in Portland.
- The wider city: Portland dining guide and the hardest restaurant reservations in Portland.
- Strategy: the impossible-reservation playbook.
- Reservation-guide siblings: how to book Castagna and how to book Le Bernardin.
- Nearby Portland tables: Castagna and Beast.
- For the cuisine, the world's best sushi counters; for the night, solo dining and a first date.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to book Nimblefish?
Harder than its size suggests, because the omakase runs at a single twelve-seat counter with four seatings a night. Tables book on Resy, and weekend slots at 6 and 8 go first. Plan a week to two weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday, and target an early 5:30 weeknight seating for the easiest table.
How far in advance should I book Nimblefish?
Roughly one to two weeks for a weekend, less midweek. Reservations open on Resy and the prime 6pm and 8pm slots clear first, especially on Friday and Saturday. If Resy shows nothing, set a notify alert and call 503-719-4064 about cancellations, which tend to surface a day or two out as plans shift.
How much does Nimblefish cost?
The Edomae omakase is $125 a head before drinks, a run of four snacks, thirteen pieces of nigiri, miso soup and a small dessert. Plan on roughly $175 to $250 once you add sake, tax and tip. The walk-in nimblechan counter next door is the cheaper, a la carte alternative for a lighter night.
Can you walk in to Nimblefish?
Not for the omakase, which is reservation-only at the twelve-seat counter. But Nimblefish runs a separate five-seat walk-in counter called nimblechan from 5 to 9pm, Tuesday to Friday, serving a la carte nigiri and snacks. It is the no-booking way into the same kitchen when the omakase is full.
What should I order at Nimblefish?
The omakase is a set Edomae sequence, so the chefs decide: expect four snacks, thirteen pieces of nigiri with fish often flown from Japan and cured in house, then miso soup and a dessert such as yuzu sorbet. Add sake from the short list. At the nimblechan counter, order a la carte and build your own run.