RFK Cuisine · Japanese · Singapore
Best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore 2026
Japanese · Singapore · 7 counters and rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published June 20, 2026 · Updated June 20, 2026
Twice a week, before Singapore wakes, a refrigerated shipment of fish leaves Tokyo's Toyosu market for the eight-seat counter at Shoukouwa on the waterfront, and by that evening it is nigiri. No city outside Japan takes Japanese cooking more seriously than Singapore, and few pay for it more willingly. The result is a deep bench: a two-star sushi-ya and a two-star degustation room at the top, a row of intense little omakase counters under them, and a famous value counter that charges a fraction of the rest for an honest run of sushi. This list runs from the S$680 omakase to the S$120 one, ranked on the fish and the cooking, the room and what the bill buys, with what to order at each.
1.Shoukouwa
The city's only two-star sushi-ya and its finest counter; book the eight seats a week out when the fish is the whole occasion.
Shoukouwa, on the second floor of One Fullerton looking onto Marina Bay, is the best sushi in Singapore and the only sushi-ya in the city to hold two Michelin stars. The format is pure Edomae: a Japanese head chef working an eight-seat counter through an omakase built on fish air-flown daily from Tokyo's Toyosu market, with a two-rice blend mixed to a precise ratio and nigiri formed one piece at a time. The full En omakase runs S$680, with the Hana menu at S$520, and the room is small, hushed and exacting. It is the bucket-list sushi seat in the country. Book about a week ahead, longer for weekends, and take the longest omakase you can stretch to.
Reserve direct; the En omakase, the daily Toyosu nigiri flight, the chef's special pieces.
2.Waku Ghin
Tetsuya Wakuda's two-star degustation at MBS; book the chef's table for the marinated botan shrimp and a long, plated occasion.
Waku Ghin, on Level 2 of Marina Bay Sands, is Tetsuya Wakuda's two-Michelin-starred flagship, and it is the city's grandest Japanese degustation rather than a sushi counter. Wakuda cooks a Japanese menu shaped by Western technique and a touch of Italian, served in part at an intimate ten-seat chef's table; the signature plate is the marinated botan shrimp with sea urchin and Oscietra caviar, a dish that has followed him for years. The experience moves between private rooms and the main dining room with its bay view, and the wine and sake list runs deep. It is the choice for a serious, multi-course celebration. Book two to three weeks ahead for a prime evening.
Reserve via Marina Bay Sands; the marinated botan shrimp with uni and caviar, the wagyu course.
3.Hashida
The most characterful sushi counter in the city; book the hinoki bar for Hatch Hashida's Edomae omakase and a chef with a point of view.
Hashida, in a townhouse on Amoy Street in the CBD, is chef Kenjiro "Hatch" Hashida's counter, and since he opened in Singapore in 2014 it has been the city's most personal sushi room. The son of a Tokyo sushi family, Hashida works a ten-seat hinoki counter through an Edomae omakase off fish flown from Japan, mixing classic nigiri with his own more expressive, art-driven plating. Expect around S$450 a head for the dinner omakase, and a chef who talks through the meal rather than serving it in silence. It is the counter for a diner who wants craft with personality rather than pure orthodoxy. Book a week or more ahead, especially for weekends.
Reserve direct; the Edomae omakase, the seasonal nigiri, the chef's signature plates.
4.Sushi Kimura
The one-star counter built on aged fish; book it for jukusei sushi you will not find cut this way anywhere else in the city.
Sushi Kimura, an eight-seat counter at Conrad Singapore Orchard, is the city's specialist in jukusei, or aged, sushi, and it has held a Michelin star since 2018. Founded by chef Tomoo Kimura, the room is built around fish matured for days or weeks to deepen its flavour before it is formed into nigiri, a technique that sets it apart from the daily-fresh counters around it. The omakase runs around S$450 for dinner and moves through aged and fresh pieces so you can taste the difference directly. It is the counter for a sushi obsessive who wants to understand ageing. Book a week ahead, and confirm seating since the counter is small.
Reserve direct; the aged-fish nigiri, the jukusei omakase, the seasonal otsumami.
5.Mikuni
The grand hotel Japanese room with sushi, teppanyaki and tempura counters; book it for a mixed table that each wants something different.
Mikuni, on the third floor of Fairmont Singapore on Bras Basah Road, is the city's most complete grand-hotel Japanese restaurant, built around three live counters under one roof: sushi, teppanyaki and tempura. That structure makes it the best room here for a table that cannot agree, since one diner can take an omakase while another watches wagyu seared on the teppan and a third orders the tempura set. The cooking is polished and the room is handsome and spacious rather than intimate. Plan on roughly S$200 to S$320 a head depending on the counter and menu. It is the choice for a celebratory dinner with range. Book a counter seat ahead for the full show.
Reserve direct; the sushi omakase, the teppanyaki wagyu, the tempura moriawase.
6.Teppei
The best-value omakase in Singapore; book the moment seats open for chef Teppei's run of sushi and bara chirashi at a fraction of the rest.
Teppei, a small counter tucked inside Orchard Plaza, is chef Teppei Yamashita's cult omakase, and it is the value story on this list: a generous run of sushi, sashimi and small plates for around S$120 a head, a price that would not buy a starter at the top rooms. The cooking is honest and fast-moving rather than ceremonial, and the famous bara chirashi from the group's offshoots has the same DNA. The catch is the booking: the counter is tiny and beloved, so seats vanish the moment they release. It is the omakase to send a sceptic to before they say good sushi has to cost a fortune. Reserve as early as the line opens.
Reserve direct, early; the omakase, the bara chirashi, whatever sashimi is best that day.
7.Zuma Singapore
The izakaya for a sushi-and-robata group night; book it when the table is big and the mood is a celebration, not a quiet counter.
Zuma, in the downtown core, is Rainer Becker's contemporary izakaya, and it is the best big-room, high-energy Japanese restaurant in the city. The format is sharing: small plates across the table, a robata grill sending out the signature miso-marinated black cod and skewers, and a sushi-and-sashimi section cut cleanly even when the room is full. It appears on the 50 Best Discovery list and stays one of the livelier weekend bookings in the financial district. Plan on roughly S$150 to S$220 a head once the plates and cocktails build. It is the choice for a sociable group dinner where Japanese food meets a night out. Book a couple of weeks ahead for weekends.
Reserve direct; the miso black cod, the sushi-sashimi platter, the robata skewers to share.
How Singapore eats Japanese
Singapore's Japanese scene is among the deepest outside Japan, and it splits into clear tiers. At the top are the destination counters and degustation rooms, Shoukouwa and Waku Ghin with two stars each, where fish flies in from Toyosu and the price reflects it. Below them sits a dense layer of serious omakase counters, Hashida and Sushi Kimura among them, each with eight or ten seats and a chef with a specialty. Then come the grand hotel rooms like Mikuni built for range, and finally the value counters, led by Teppei, that prove the city's depth by making excellent sushi affordable. The market is so strong that even closures, like the well-loved Esora at the end of 2025, are quickly absorbed.
Practically, the small counters live and die by their booking windows, often releasing seats a set number of days out and selling through them in minutes, so set a reminder for the rooms you want. Lunch omakase is the smart-value move at several counters. Tipping is not expected, since a service charge is added. Geography clusters the scene in the CBD and Marina Bay, around Orchard Road and in the big hotels. For everything beyond Japanese, from the hawker stalls to the fine-dining rooms, the Singapore dining guide maps the city by neighbourhood and occasion.
Where not to look for it
Skip these for serious Japanese
The mall conveyor-belt sushi chains. The kaiten counters in the big shopping centres run on volume and frozen fish, not craft. For a genuine run of sushi at a fair price, book a Teppei seat instead and pay a little more for a lot more.
Shoukouwa or the small counters for a loud group celebration. They seat eight to ten in near silence and are paced around the chef; a party of ten will fit none of them and suit none of them. For that energy, book Zuma in the downtown core or a counter at Mikuni instead.
Frequently asked
What is the best Japanese restaurant in Singapore?
For sushi, Shoukouwa at One Fullerton is the benchmark, the city's only two-Michelin-starred sushi-ya, with eight counter seats and fish flown daily from Tokyo's Toyosu market. For a wider Japanese degustation, Tetsuya Wakuda's two-star Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands is the other top room. Hashida and Sushi Kimura are the next tier of serious omakase counters. Choose Shoukouwa or a counter for pure sushi, Waku Ghin for a full degustation occasion, and Teppei when you want great value.
How much does omakase cost in Singapore?
It runs from value to extravagant. Teppei's famous omakase is around S$120 a head, one of the best deals in Asia. Sushi Kimura and Hashida sit around S$400 to S$500 for dinner, and Shoukouwa's full En omakase reaches S$680, with its Hana menu at S$520. Waku Ghin's degustation lands in a similar premium band. Drinks and premium nigiri add to all of them, and the counters are small, so book well ahead for the top rooms.
Where is the best sushi in Singapore?
Shoukouwa is the best, the only two-star sushi-ya in the city, where a Japanese head chef serves an Edomae omakase off fish air-flown daily from Toyosu to an eight-seat counter at One Fullerton. After it, Hashida's hinoki counter on Amoy Street and Sushi Kimura's aged-sushi counter at Conrad Singapore Orchard are the standout sushi specialists. For a single chef putting nigiri in front of you one piece at a time, book Shoukouwa or one of these counters rather than a hotel Japanese room.
Do you need to book Japanese restaurants in Singapore in advance?
For the counters, very much so. Shoukouwa, Waku Ghin, Hashida and Sushi Kimura seat only eight to ten guests a sitting and sell out a week or more ahead, especially at weekends. Teppei is famously hard to book despite its low price, so reserve as early as the line opens. Mikuni at Fairmont and Zuma are larger and easier midweek but still worth booking for prime tables. Book the small counters as far ahead as they release seats.
Which Singapore Japanese restaurant is best for a group?
Zuma is the best big-group room, a contemporary izakaya built for sharing robata, sushi and cocktails across a buzzy table. Mikuni at Fairmont is the other strong choice, with separate sushi, teppanyaki and tempura counters under one roof so a mixed table can each have what they want. The small omakase counters, Shoukouwa, Hashida and Sushi Kimura, are the wrong call for a noisy celebration; save those for two to four serious diners.
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