Ranked by Google Maps reviews โ because popularity is data, not just opinion.
Milan’s sushi scene is vast, chaotic, and occasionally confused about what Japanese food actually is. But strip away the conveyor belts and the unlimited salmon rolls, and you’re left with a genuinely strong lineup of ร la carte spots โ from old-school neighborhood institutions to Michelin-adjacent fine dining.
Milan also has a thriving all-you-can-eat sushi scene, and if that’s what you’re after, we’ve ranked the best options separately. The most popular AYCE sushi restaurants in Milan are a different beast entirely โ higher volume, different expectations, and a completely different kind of evening.
This list ranks Milan’s most reviewed non-AYCE sushi restaurants on Google Maps. No buffets. No timers. No regret-fuelled rice overload. Just restaurants where you order what you want, pay for what you eat, and leave with your dignity intact.
1. Poporoya โ The Classic That Started It All
Google rating: 4.5 | Reviews: 3,489
Address: Via Bartolomeo Eustachi, 17
Poporoya is Milan’s most reviewed non-AYCE sushi restaurant, and it has earned that title the hard way โ over years of consistent, no-nonsense Japanese cooking. Sushi, sashimi, donburi, and comfort dishes served in a setting that prioritizes substance over spectacle.
This is not a trendy spot dressed up for Instagram. Poporoya has genuine roots in Milan’s Japanese food community, Japanese ownership, and a loyal crowd that keeps coming back. If you want one reliable benchmark for traditional Japanese sushi in Milan, this is it.
2. IYO โ Milan’s Best Fine Dining Japanese
Google rating: 4.7 | Reviews: 2,866
Address: Via Piero della Francesca, 74
The highest-rated restaurant on this list and one of the most acclaimed Japanese restaurants in Italy. IYO operates at a level most sushi spots in Milan don’t attempt: refined tasting menus, elegant nigiri, contemporary Japanese technique, and a dining room that takes the experience seriously.
This is fine dining. Prices reflect that. But if you’re looking for the best sushi restaurant in Milan with the reviews and the stars to back it up, IYO is the answer.
3. Temakinho โ Brazilian-Japanese Fusion, Massively Popular
Google rating: 4.1 | Reviews: 2,829 (Magenta) ยท 4.2 | Reviews: 2,266 (Navigli)
Address: Corso Magenta, 59
Full transparency: Temakinho is not a Japanese sushi restaurant in any traditional sense. It’s a Brazilian-Japanese fusion chain serving temaki, colorful rolls, ceviche, and cocktails in a setting designed for groups and energy. The food is fun, the atmosphere is louder than it needs to be, and the crowd loves it.
If you’re searching for sushi in Milan for a group night out, Temakinho delivers. If you want a quiet, focused Japanese meal, look further down the list.
4. Giappugliese โ Japanese Meets Puglia, Somehow Works
Google rating: 4.0 | Reviews: 1,838
Address: Via Solferino, 48
The name tells you everything. Giappugliese blends Japanese and southern Italian influences โ sushi-style plates alongside Pugliese-inspired seafood and creative combinations that shouldn’t work but often do. It’s a genuinely unusual concept, and the reviews suggest people are into it.
Not a purist destination. But for creative fusion dining in Milan’s Brera area, it’s one of the more original options around.
5. Nishiki โ Quality Sushi Without the Ceremony
Google rating: 4.6 | Reviews: 1,826
Address: Corso Lodi, 70
Nishiki sits in a comfortable middle ground: better than casual, less theatrical than fine dining. The menu focuses on sushi, sashimi, and rolls with visible attention to ingredients and presentation, without the price tag of IYO or the crowd dynamics of Temakinho.
For people who want reliable, well-executed sushi in Milan without a reservation process that feels like applying for a visa, Nishiki is one of the safest choices on this list.
6. Nobu Milano โ Global Brand, Local Glamour
Google rating: 4.4 | Reviews: 1,390
Address: Via Alessandro Manzoni, 31
Nobu needs no introduction. The internationally famous Japanese-Peruvian fusion concept โ black cod, tiradito, signature sushi โ lands in Milan’s fashion district with exactly the energy you’d expect. It’s polished, it’s pricey, and it attracts the kind of crowd that photographs their food before acknowledging the person across the table.
That said, the food at Nobu Milano is genuinely good. As a fusion experience and a dining occasion, it earns its reviews.
7. Finger’s Garden โ Stylish Fusion with a Garden Setting
Google rating: 4.3 | Reviews: 1,293
Address: Via Giovanni Keplero, 2
Finger’s Garden leans into the Milan formula: Japanese-inspired rolls, creative Asian fusion dishes, cocktails, and a setting that prioritizes atmosphere as much as food. The outdoor garden space gives it a seasonal edge that few competitors can match.
This is date-night sushi in Milan rather than serious Japanese cuisine. The kitchen handles flavors well, but the real draw is the overall experience. Manage expectations accordingly and you’ll enjoy it.
8. Sushi Li โ Casual, Solid, No Pretense
Google rating: 4.6 | Reviews: 1,168
Address: Via Gaetano Giardino, 6
Sushi Li doesn’t have the prestige of IYO or the brand recognition of Nobu, but it has a 4.6 rating and over a thousand reviews โ which is not an accident. Rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and Japanese noodle dishes at accessible prices, in a central location that keeps it consistently busy.
For affordable sushi in Milan city centre without sacrificing quality, Sushi Li is worth knowing about. Not every dinner needs a press release.
9. Bomaki Sanzio โ Brazilian-Japanese Fusion, Casual Version
Google rating: 4.3 | Reviews: 1,028
Address: Via Raffaello Sanzio, 24
Bomaki is to Temakinho what a neighborhood wine bar is to a hotel lobby lounge โ same general concept, slightly lower energy, slightly more approachable. The menu covers temaki, fusion rolls, tropical ingredients, and cocktails in a format designed for casual dining rather than a big occasion.
Not traditional. Not trying to be. For fun sushi in Milan on a weeknight, Bomaki Sanzio works.
10. Sumire โ Traditional Japanese, No Gimmicks
Google rating: 4.3 | Reviews: 933
Address: Via Varese, 1
Sumire is one of Milan’s most respected traditional Japanese restaurants โ the kind of place that earns loyalty from diners who want something calmer, more grounded, and further from the “sushi with nightclub lighting” end of the spectrum. The menu covers sushi, sashimi, soba, tonkatsu, takoyaki, and bento-style dishes: a genuinely broad range of Japanese comfort food done with care.
Where most of Milan’s sushi scene leans fusion or spectacle, Sumire holds its ground with a strong traditional Japanese identity that’s harder to find than it should be. It’s firmly ร la carte, which means the kitchen is focused on quality and actual cooking โ not on how many rolls you can inhale before the timer runs out.
Final Verdict: Two Scenes, One City
Milan’s non-AYCE sushi scene splits cleanly into two camps. On one side: restaurants with genuine Japanese culinary roots โ Poporoya, IYO, Nishiki, Sushi Li โ where the focus is on food quality and technique. On the other: fusion-driven crowd-pleasers โ Temakinho, Bomaki, Nobu, Finger’s Garden โ where atmosphere and concept carry as much weight as the kitchen.
Neither camp is wrong. They’re just answering different questions. The right choice depends on what kind of meal you’re actually after โ and whether “sushi dinner” means a quiet counter experience or a social event that happens to involve raw fish.
If unlimited rounds of salmon rolls are more your speed, our guide to the best all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants in Milan covers that side of the city’s Japanese scene in full.
Have you tried any of these spots yet? Let us know your opinion, and do not forget to bookmark chinatownmilano.it for more Asian food stories, restaurant guides, and hidden spots around the city and follow us on social media @chinatownmilano.it.