50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Winnetka

“Our dinner at Jimoto was wonderful. We are somewhat limited in our choice of selections by my wife's seafood allergies, but we were able to put together a varied selection that were both excellent and safe. The food was excellent, and the service, specifically our server, Isabella, was superb.“

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

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

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

“I stopped by K Teriyaki in Niles and tried the Chicken Teriyaki lunch special. I placed my order at 11:46 and received it at 12:02, so the wait was pretty reasonable. They also have an online ordering option if you’re short on time.
As far as the food goes, I’d put it on the higher end of middle-of-the-road for me. It’s not the best teriyaki I’ve ever had, but it’s certainly not the worst. The chicken had a slight char, which I enjoyed, and the steamed vegetables—cabbage, broccoli, and carrots—were still crunchy rather than overcooked.

I also like that the teriyaki sauce comes on the side instead of the chicken being covered in it. You can add as much or as little as you want, which gives you more control over the calories and can be helpful for people with dietary restrictions.

It’s a family-friendly spot, too, with high chairs and booster seats available right by the door.

They have five lunch specials, and I’ve decided I’m going to work my way through all of them. The Chicken Teriyaki was a solid start and landed on the higher end of middle-of-the-road for me. I’m looking forward to trying the other four to see which one comes out on top.“

“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!“

“Now one of my favorite restaurants! My friend and I came in for dinner, and everything was amazing! The atmosphere was so inviting and warm, the food was fresh and tasty, the complementary tea was super delicious, and the owner/chef/waitress was so kind and an absolute gem!

I had the beef bento box, and it was hot and fresh and extremely good. There is so much food you get in each of the bentos! My friend had the chicken katsu dinner and it was the best katsu we've ever had.

Absolute recommend to anyone wanting some comforting Japanese food.“

“Ive been here before for the sushi and yakisoba and enjoyed it. This time I got the teriyaki beef half veg half rice bowl but wouldn’t really recommend. It came with 3 pieces of vegetables. The beef was a bit chewy with a piece or two of gristle, and it was kinda drowned in teriyaki sauce. Most everything else i had from here was good, just wasnt as big a fan of this.“

“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.“

“Insanely delicious and fresh sushi.“

“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.“

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

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

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

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

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

“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.“

“It was our first time there and we liked it. We took octopus and salmon -avocado sushi. They were pretty good and freshly made. Fried Chicken was also good. Chicken teriyaki was sweeter but better than average. Loved the chicken fried rice and pork ramen. Will recommend to everyone.“

“Wow!!! What a treat. The CYO bowls are my way to go because they let you decide exactly what you were going to get. If you don't want to go to the create your own route they have eight signature bowls that you can choose from. They also have a Bento Box that you can choose from or create on your own as well. For kids they offer a kids box for $11 which offers chicken beef tofu all Teriyaki style orange style or tempura. They have a ton of different sides from sushi rice to house salads to edamame to gyoza. What I really like so is the sunset cup, as it's a half a bowl with all the fixings at half the price.

This place is very solid and the prices are on point as the servings are enormous...

Plus the fact that you get free parking right outside and makes it a very easy option for lunch or dinner.“

“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 🙌🏼)“

“Best kosher sushi in Chicago.“

“First time here! Everything was delicious.“

“Love this place. Very fresh sushi!“

“We were so excited to have found this new place for yummy sushi poke bowl! We adore that modernized look of the restaurant and there are a lot of variety of poke bowls to choose from. My boys like the mushroom and California rolls sushi while I enjoyed the spicy hot fish poke bowl a lot. The staff and owner were super friendly and nice. The place was stylish, neat and clean. The sashimi was fresh and delicious! The food was served fast and the price was reasonable too. We are definitely coming back!“

“The food & service are always spot on. We only go a few times a yr for birthdays, & we are always greeted kindly by the front of the house as well as all the servers. Had the hot dynamite roll for the first time & it was amazing!“

“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!!“

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

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

“We liked very much. We strongly recommend“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“I honestly really liked this place! My friend took me to dinner here and it really is a hidden gem. Yes, the prices are high, but the food and service was worth it. The owner is also such a cute, lovely lady and she makes the experience even better. She gave us free egg rolls and they were absolutely delicious. Our server was also kind and the whole vibes of the place are just super nice. Def recommend!“

“Excellent food and service!! Highly recommend!“

“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.“

“I come here a few times a week. Annie and the other staff are amazing and friendly. Food is reasonably priced and consistently good. Menu options are also extensive. It's a nice combination of American Japanese and authentic Japanese food.“

“The greeter seemed to not wanna be there, possibly from the attitude of the other staff, while she was trying to get us setup another dude jumped in and interrupted and took over. Figure out who does what.
I also found some bogus transaction on my card from this day, and the only time anyone ever took my card from me was from this restaurant I ended up with an uber charge but I DRIVE MY OWN CAR! this is the only time I had anyone else touch my card this day so is someone back there taking card information? has anyone else experienced this from this place? check your transaction history if this is a trend its gonna be a problem, if not perhaps a different vendor is doing it, eitherway its unproven yet so it doesnt affect my rating, if someone does get a bogus charge after going here, can you post it on a review so we can see a pattern.“

“Great place to hangout and good sushi“

“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!“

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

“Yummy food and good service.“

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

“First time at this location and I must say there serving portions blew away my local teriyaki madness. The gentlemen who spoke to me were very nice. The cashier was very attentive which never had a fast sit down place like this. Thank you guys!!! If im ever back in the area definitely will come again!!!“

“Found this little gem while walking around on a trip (not a local). Sushi sounded great, and I’m glad I stopped in! They have a delightful menu of very reasonably priced sushi. Food was delicious, service was great, and restaurant was clean and welcoming. Bonus: plenty of vegetarian options as well.“

“Great Food cozy place Food was delicious“

“The best sushi spot in Evanston. They flew in a 200 lb tuna from Japan.“

“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 came to Sushi on Saturday for lunch. They had specials but I chose an eel roll for $11. And a Japanese drink. Both were delicious and fresh. The place is modest and small but the sushi is excellent. I recommend this place and will be back for sure.“

“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.“