The cannoli-shaped hand roll that starts each meal serves as official notice: This 10-seat sushi bar throws tradition out the window (not that this dark, hidden-away room has any windows). Telegenic restaurateur Phillip Frankland Lee earned a Michelin star for this concept’s location in Montecito. He knows how to mine a sushi bar’s inherent drama, whether it’s the speakeasy-style setup or the signature course of eel nigiri drenched in rendered bone marrow. Lee favors ingredients from his California roots—sweet corn and sourdough breadcrumbs, poblano peppers—but maps out the menu with serious intent. This place isn't for purists, but beneath the theater, the sushi holds its own.

Hidden away behind a mondo apartment complex, Sushi Kashiba alum Keiji Tsukasaki presides over eight seats and one astonishing omakase . No a la carte here, just that unlikely combo demanded of great sushi chefs: surgeon-level fish skills and the hosting warmth of both Martha and Snoop. He offers up seasonal treasures like aged sea bass and side-by-side uni from Hokkaido and Santa Barbara, each bite perked with hits of fresh wasabi root that languishes on its large grater like a nightmareish artichoke. There’s a lot of talent (and a lot of Shiro Kashiba gestalt) behind this counter, but Ltd. Edition makes high-end sushi feel surprisingly casual—with help from some fun drink pairings.

Follow a near-invisible sign down a passageway to find a 10-seat sushi bar and a newcomer to Seattle’s cadre of “that meal just blew my mind” sushi experiences. Chef Yasutaka Suzuki oversees a space so small, you might mistake it for someone’s personal kitchen. His 20-course survey of raw fish and seasoned rice embraces seasonal rarities like ankimo and firefly squid. Suzuki adjusts the temperature on pristine rice to show off the particular attributes of a fish—amber jack, luxe otoro, even gleaming iwashi sardine—and is fond of pairing uni with other delicacies, like a spot prawn or bit of wagyu. Diners leave this hideaway on a high from the final-course tamago, so tender and flan-like that it’s served with a tiny fork. All this restrained elegance makes the restroom (and its US president theme) even more improbably delightful.

Sushi titan Shiro Kashiba partnered with his longtime apprentice, Jun Takai, to give the Eastside its very own flagship of capital-S Serious sushi. Kashiba lent his name and celeb status (and makes the occasional cameo to say hi in the dining room), but this food is absolutely chef Jun’s. The omakase at his 10-seat sushi bar contains more courses than the one available in the dining room; both make liberal use of aged fish and a dash of whimsy in courses like soup or octopus karaage. Drink pairings range from luxe grower champagne (did I mention "takai" also means "expensive" in Japanese?) to a very thoughtful N/A sequence of teas.

Hand roll bars have recently been reinvigorated in cities like New York and Los Angeles. The Seattle area has a few now; Uminori is the one with the most soul, the freshest fish, and a rock-solid pedigree (owner Kyu Han also runs Kisaku). Uminori offers temaki, or hand rolls, in the familiar flavor canon (spicy tuna, salmon and avocado) but also unexpected takes like ikura with yuzu crème fraiche or wagyu and Asian pear. The quality’s impeccable but the experience feels more casual and raucous than most higher-end sushi dinners. The foie gras nigiri topped with a pink puff of cotton candy is more nuanced (and less gimmicky) than you’d expect.

Kyu Han, an alum of Tyson Cole’s Uchi in Texas, took over Kisaku in 2018 and retained the many charms of a sushi bar equally suited to a special occasion or a casual weeknight family hang. Han knows his sushi traditions, but also considers it a vehicle for creativity. This is evident in the fresh sheet at Kisaku, but even more in his newer spot, Umigawa, in Totem Lake. While Umigawa’s menu is geared for versatility and value-seeking shoppers, the appetizer menu harbors Han’s creative flexes; the fresh sheet feels like a great omakase broken down as a la carte.

An expansive sushi menu meets a truly stunning dining room, hidden behind a relatively staid Auto Row–era facade. Momiji excels at late-night and happy hour menus (and a ton of Japanese whiskey), served in a series of dining rooms that surround a tranquil central courtyard. The newer South Lake Union outpost recasts this formula into a more standard new construction setting, swapping late night for a great happy hour and a handful of covered patio tables.