The Hands-Down Best Sushi Restaurant In North Carolina Is A Sleek Hotspot In Downtown Raleigh

In a culinary landscape increasingly defined by global flavors, few traditions demand the same level of mastery and artistry as sushi. It's a cuisine where knowing the best places can really make a difference. Recognizing this, the decades-old food site Chowhound embarked on a mission to find the best sushi restaurant in each state, compiling scores based on awards, critical press, and social media buzz. North Carolina's hands-down winner is a sleek hotspot in downtown Raleigh. Welcome to City Market Sushi, a modern sushi restaurant that distinguishes itself with high-quality sourcing, a lively atmosphere, and a masterful balance of classic and avant-garde preparations.

Located in the historic city center, the restaurant pairs its chic ambiance with a menu that successfully navigates between purist tradition and inventive experimentation. Classic nigiri (fish or seafood pressed onto rice) and sashimi (without rice) include fatty tuna, fresh water eel, octopus, snow crab, and sea urchin, among others, but the chefs get more creative with the temaki and maki rolls. These include ahi poke with shrimp tempura, unagi dragon with shrimp and BBQ eel, and a tempura-cased spicy tuna roll with salmon and avocado. Still, the ultimate rainbow roll is the visual showstopper with snow crab, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in soy paper and topped with a colorful array of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, red snapper, scallop, shrimp, and a bright wasabi yuzu sauce. Those seeking a hot meal can focus on the appetizers, with options like crispy pork belly and softshell crab sliders.

Several user-review sites also list City Market Sushi as one of the city's best. For example, Yelp ranked it third among the best sushi restaurants in Raleigh, though it actually has the highest rating in the entire Top 10, even outperforming the two sushi spots above it.

As the name suggests, the sushi spot is located in the City Market shopping area in the historic heart of downtown. The Historic City Market, opened in 1914, served as the center for commerce and trade for farmers, bakers, and fishermen in the early 20th century. The market eventually closed as supermarkets proliferated and people left downtown for the suburbs, but a revitalization effort in the 1990s brought life back to the market building and area.

In late 2016, City Market Sushi joined the cobblestone streets of the historic center, opening at 315 Blake Street across from the Market Hall and about 14 miles from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The restaurant, currently open Tuesday to Saturday, occupies a building that may predate the City Market by a few years. In 2024, the City Market Sushi team opened a ramen restaurant, Daijobu, a few blocks away. The walk-in only spot focuses on tonkotsu-style and mazeman ramens, but it also serves hand rolls.

For those visiting from out of town, Raleigh, often described as a "city in a park," is a good base to explore the surrounding region, including the nearby William B. Umstead State Park with glistening lakes and multi-use trails. You could even combine the visit with a weekend escape at Umstead Hotel and Spa, considered one of the Top 10 hotels in North Carolina, in Cary, a highly rated town with its own trendy eateries.