50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Winnetka

“Folks with celiac disease are often out of luck at Japanese restaurants, but Jimoto makes dining a total joy. Items are clearly marked with allergens, and tamari sauce is available in lieu of soy. Everything was very tasty, particularly the hamachi sashimi and the Chicago fire roll. Presentation is quietly elegant. Our new favorite north shore restaurant.“

“Ora is a fantastic sushi restaurant with FRESH fish and excellent service. Definitely a go to for date night.“

“Nice and cozy sushi bar. Great food!! Recommended“

“I really like this place! I had the Tantanmen ramen and chicken karaage and both were bomb. Great service too. We were seated quickly and our food came out in under 10 mins. 5/5 stars in my book!“

“Amazing freshest sushi , best in the town , great service , and nice ambiance.“

“The food was excellent and the portions were generous! I had the noodles with beef, great quality meat and perfectly seasoned. My husband ordered the rice with beef, and while I personally didn’t love the flavor of the oil they use for the rice (I’m a little picky about that), it was still tasty and well-cooked. The restaurant is very clean, and the owners are incredibly kind and genuinely care about their customers. The egg rolls and their dipping sauce were absolutely delicious, crispy, flavorful, and freshly made! Highly recommend this place for a satisfying meal and great service.“

“First place I ate dinner at when home shopping in the neighborhood. Been a regular for years now. Sushi is great, especially for the price. The owner is super nice. Really kind to my family and would ask about how my kids are doing when i did takeout during Covid. Will keep coming back.“

“Excellent Ramen. Excellent bartender in Helen Try the Mango Tango Vegi Roll.“

“Highly recommend. I had the most flavorful Miso soup I have ever had. Its a nice quiet cozy atmosphere and the lady serving us was extremely kind. I will be going back soon. Everything we ate was delicious. I recommend the Spring Train sushi roll.“

“BEST RAMEN! i dream of it sometimes. something about the coconut milk broth ramen piqued my interest last night, and I'm glad I listened to my intuition. Oh my goodness. whoever's recipe that is, please give them a massive hug for me right now and say thank you because that was the most delicious thing I've had in so long. What a TREAT! these folks have somehow managed to incorporate happiness as an ingredient in their food, so when you eat it, All the happiness particles travel through your body for 24 to 48 hours and you feel extremely satisfied and fulfilled. you might miss the ramen afterwards, and you might end up having dreams about it like I do but trust me, they're pleasant dreams.“

“Insanely delicious and fresh sushi.“

“I am not local, this is a regular go-to place for a friend, so when I visit with her, she wants to bring me. I had a Chinese Eggplant with chicken dish, flavorful and spicy. Also had some nigiri sushi, all very good. The Black Tobiko was plentiful and fresh. The Tamago and Inari, which are types of sushi that are deceptively simple seeming but really show a chef's knowledge and artistry, were excellent. I'm sure I will go again.“

“have eaten here for many years. I am aware of the new management but we will continue to come to the eat at RengaTei“

“Wonderful, authentic, beautiful Japanese sushi & food with a fantastic, hands on owner & exceptional service.“

“Good food with good asmosphere. I really recommend this restaurant if you are in a mood of craving yummy food!“

“First time here! Everything was delicious.“

“Great food, fresh ingredients… worth every penny!“

“This sushi/ramen bar is conveniently located in the village crossing plaza in Skokie. If you're in the area for the movie theater or anything else, it's absolutely worth stopping for.

The interior has a relaxing, Sunday-afternoon kind of vibe.

The ramen broth is prepared 18+ hours in advance to ensure flavor profile is maximized. There are a lot of great options for everyone of all dietary restrictions.

The banana coconut smoothie was one of the best I've had at a restaurant.

Stop by and check them out!“

“The food was awesome!!! I definitely recommend! 🙂“

“We liked very much. We strongly recommend“

“The widest selection of Sushi grade seafood Ive seen on a menu in a Long time- all very fresh and very generously portioned! Octopus and salmon Sashimi were the dessert orders from our kids 😂 We will definetly be returning, and highly recommend. Servers, Host, Owner, entire staff was extremely attentive- and to top it all they were happily and safely able to accomodate my childs severe dairy and peanut allergies (first sushi experience for him, and we Love seafood, so huge win for the whole family 🙌🏼)“

“My family and I got several bowls from Koya. We loved all of the customizable toppings it offers as well as the complimentary miso soups and cookies that come with the bowls. The ingredients were fresh, and portions were pretty large. The food was very reasonably priced.“

“I cannot say enough good things about Koya. I was so happy to find this restaurant. Everything we ordered, tempura, tempura udon soup, kids bento boxes, and sushi was incredibly good. Can't wait to go back!

Kid-friendliness: The bento box options for the kids were great! My 2 and 5 year olds loved it.“

“Love this place. Very fresh sushi!“

“Sushi cravings, this is the place to savor good sushi and rolls. The ambiance is excellent, with plenty of space, a very artistic atmosphere, and outstanding table service. Highly recommended. Walk-ins are welcome, but for large parties, reservations are required.“

“First time going here was amazing, staff was great and very respectful, and don’t even get me started on the ramen, everything about it was amazing from the taste to the look. But yeah honestly great place to grab ramen.“

“A Big Shout Out to Happi Sushi in Highland Park. We were lucky enough to try a number of their apps and rolls. Every single thing we got was SO delicious 😋. Their sushi was fresh, tasty, and so yummy. The apps are unique and full of flavor. We just love this family owned restaurant. The staff goes above and beyond for each patron. Please try Happi Sushi, Friends. You will not be disappointed!!“

“Excellent food and service!! Highly recommend!“

“Absolutely delicious! Kind and cozy atmosphere. Wonderful staff. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Chicago 🍜🍣🫶🏼“

“Best kosher sushi in Chicago.“

“Love this place, the food is delicious! Anything I’ve ordered has been amazing and my friends say the same!“

“We had a fabulous dinner last night at Chicago Kalbi with Cummins Peru, Komat'su, and the VPs from Antimina copper mine.

Such a great place, where you cook the wagyu & kobe beef at your table. The food was delicious ?

Isao Tozuka, the chef and his wife Chiyo-san, are fabulous hosts, very friendly, and really happy to help and show you how things are do e.

I would definitely recommend coming here. It's a unique place. Make sure you book though ad it can be busy.“

“Fresh, Fresh, Fresh Seafoods! Great Service! Tasty foods.“

“Mariana, our waitress was wonderful. The teriyaki salmon combination was delicious, as well as the soft shell crab and tempura appetizer. The miso soup and cucumber salad that came with the combination was the best I have had. Topped it off with green tea and red beans ice cream. Mmmmmm!“

“Yummy food and good service.“

“Good food for a great price. Service was fine, not friendly, not rude, but very quick and competent.
Trust me on this, get the noodles, oh yes yummy. And add veggies, very satisfying. Hubs agrees.
I was happily surprised by the amount of well made food for the price. And made quickly.“

“From the first sip of the miso soup, I knew we were in for a treat. Easily one of the best I've had! The house salad was very fresh and vibrant. Don't miss out on the deluxe rolls. Not only did they arrive beautifully presented, but each bite was truly a sushi lover's dream 😋. Our waitress was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. This is a lovely clean and cozy place. Will definitely be back soon!“

“Great place to hangout and good sushi“

“Ramen noodle restaurant in fashion outlet mall of Chicago. Food was ok. I asked for spicy and it was truly spicy. Egg was not fully cooked. Service was decent and fast. Prices were high, maybe because it's the fancy mall, but I think it is overpriced compared to the food. Food court was noisy.“

“Wonderful dining experience. Excellent food and fantastic service. Service was top notch for a large group (12).“

“My favorite sushi place! Love their Spicy Salmon Maki! Nice cozy place.“

“Had a great time last night. Thank you so very much!! Excellent!“

“Over the years, Indie Cafe has been amazingly kind and thoughtful in their service, and their food preparations and presentations always go above and beyond all of my expectations. From quadruple-checking whether or not a menu item is gluten-free, to recommending the best wine/sake pairings for an entrée, their staff have always ensured that I've left their restaurant knowing that I was appreciated as a customer. And welcomed as a friend. Maya is hands-down one of the most excellent servers I've had the pleasure of dining with. She always goes above and beyond with her level of professionalism and attention, and her personality is lovely as well! Given the quality of their sashimi, the creativity behind their menu, and the warmth in their hearts? I look forward to dining with them for many years to come.“

“The service was fantastic the day I was there 2/13/26. Ordered in person. Ordered rangoon, pot stickers, fried rice, chicken fried rice bowl (with specific vegetables only) side of noodles, extra side of fried rice and was all cooked great!! The order took about 10-12 minutes which is exactly what they said when I ordered it. Very nice staff. Would order again from this location.“

“Love this place. Great sushi with great prices!“

“Great Food cozy place Food was delicious“

“Really good place! I was expecting generic Chinese but I was pleasantly surprised. I asked the owner if the egg foo young was made with real eggs, or eggs from a carton. He was kind of shocked at the notion he would use eggs from a carton and assured me it was made with fresh eggs and freshly-made vegetables, like he would not be caught dead doing it any other way. That gave me a good feeling about the place - he clearly had pride in what he does. We had a vegetarian and a celiac in the party and he was very understanding and respectful of their needs. We are picky eaters but were all very happy with our meals, which were really good. Big portions too!“

“I love reviewing and eating Japanese food, and being from Japan, I find it very difficult to come across truly authentic Japanese cuisine. Most American Japanese restaurants barely scratch the surface of what Japanese food really is.

This place not only captured the atmosphere of a real Japanese restaurant, but the food itself was genuinely close to what you’d find in Japan. I had the pleasure of ordering the Zaru Soba Tempura, and I honestly haven’t had authentic tempura in a long time. I’m happy to say it exceeded my expectations, the food was outstanding.

What made the experience even better was that the waiter spoke to us in Japanese, which really showed the restaurant’s respect for the culture and added to the authenticity.

Japanese authenticity rating (if this restaurant were in Japan): 7.8/10
American-Japanese restaurant rating: 8.9/10

Overall, this place is amazing and absolutely worth visiting.“

“Nobori Sushi is a sleek, welcoming spot that blends traditional Japanese charm with a modern, relaxed vibe. The sushi here is consistently fresh and beautifully presented — every roll feels thoughtfully crafted rather than rushed. The Nigiri and sashimi stand out in particular, with melt-in-your-mouth texture and clean, balanced flavors.

Service is polite and attentive without being overbearing, and the staff seems genuinely proud of what they serve. The menu offers a nice mix of creative rolls alongside classic favorites, and the prices feel fair for the quality you’re getting.

The ambiance is calm and intimate, perfect for either a quiet dinner or a casual night out. If anything, a few of the cooked dishes could use a touch more seasoning, but that’s a minor note in an otherwise excellent meal.

Overall, Nobori Sushi earns a solid four stars — a dependable go-to for quality sushi, great service, and a pleasant dining experience.“

“best sushi in the chicagoland area for me! this little stall inside Hmart Niles’ food court is such a hidden gem. my husband and i actually come here once a week now, it’s officially become our comfort-food spot. i’m not a raw-sushi person at all, but they have amazing cooked options. i'm obsessed with the salmon yaki roll. seriously, it’s that good, always fresh and consistent.

we chatted with the owner once, and he told us he even makes the wasabi from scratch. the wasabi alone deserves an award, so flavorful, not the harsh store-bought kind. the owner is almost always there, making the sushi himself and running things with such a friendly vibe. he truly deserves recognition. this is literally the only sushi my stomach can tolerate, so that says a lot.

and it’s not just the sushi. their entrées are unforgettable too. my husband swears by the chicken katsu: crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and the portion/price is super fair.

definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area!“