Shimizu Restaurant

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318 W 51st St (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019

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(212) 581-1581
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Reviews
( 7 )
( 8 )
( 3 )
( 1 )
( 3 )

Best

Shimizu is very simple. It has no gimmicks, it's not trendy, it's just some of the best sushi in the city in a lovely quiet room. Your best is sushi here, but the cooked dishes ar...

Worst

Tried this place b/c of the NYT review, and regretted my decision. Initially I was excited that this place is located close to work/home-- I've always wanted a decent priced good...

Won't be making a return trip here 6/16/2011

I can't say that I had the best experience in this restaurant. The sushi was outrageously priced. I've had better quality sushi at the Haru and paid half the price. It's not like the atmosphere in this restaurant or stellar customer service justfies the price. Won't be making a return trip here. more
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AWFUL EXPERIENCE AT THE SUSHI BAR!!!!! 4/18/2009

""Zettai nidoto ikanai"" means ""I absolutely never go back there"" in Japanese.. Sushi lunch maybe okay but DON'T even try to make a reservation for the sushi bar. They will charge you impossible $$$$. If you want to have good sushi in NY, go to the counter at Sushiden, Sushi Yasuda, Sasabune or others with the same quality of level. (There are many in NY) I have never seen a sushi chef who had long hair and, charged $85 for a tiny sashimi platter for 2. (assortment of four different kind of very thinly sliced plain fish, totally nothing special, this was a joke, not rip off ) I noticed that that's their strategy, serve sushi for tourists at lunch time at proper price and charge$$$$ for customers sit at the counter. My husband doesn't drink at all, I ordered just one glass of beer which was $6 and we paid almost $300 total. Do you still wanna go there?? more
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Excellent Service.. 9/29/2008

Excellent service...delicious sushi with a wonderful selection. I have been frequenting this establishment for almost a year now, and I must say that it has never disappointed me yet. The atmosphere is relaxing and the staff couldn't be more polite. Even my nit picking base requirements of my dining experience are always fulfilled without an issue or need to request. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone interested in sushi.\r \r Pros: staff,food more
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Very fresh seafood, small cozy place 7/21/2008

I came to Shimizu based on the recommendations of a Japanese friend. I ordered a Chef-selection plate of mixed sushi and sashimi. There was sea urchin among the selection. At first I dreaded eating it (not an urchin fan!) but to my surprise it tasted really sweet and tasty. It is like slurping a great oyster. The rest, needless to say, is history. My $75 plate had about 8 pieces of very good onigiri (toro, sardine, yellowtail, salmon, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, etc), seared mackerel sashimi, tuna sashimi, Pros: Fresh seafood, authentic chef, no-frill sushi Cons: Pricey, small place more
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Questionable at best 7/3/2008

Poor service, mediocre cuts and way over priced for the setting. Go to Haru or something similar. Same prices but better ambiance, cuts and service. Cons: Over priced, bad service and mediocre cuts more
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Wonderful food, gracious (if occasionally clumsy) service in a beautiful setting. 6/17/2008

Shimizu is very simple. It has no gimmicks, it's not trendy, it's just some of the best sushi in the city in a lovely quiet room. Your best is sushi here, but the cooked dishes are also quite good. Lunch is a spectacular bargain; every bit as good as dinner at a fraction of the price. Service can be uneven, but it is always friendly and polite. The chirashi is especially good - chef's choice of sashimi arranged on perfectly cooked and seasoned sushi rice. Well worth it for both lunch and dinner, and a close runner-up to Yasuda in quality. Pros: Excellent, very fresh fish, resonable prices (for the quality) Cons: None. more
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Very Good Food Avarage Service 5/18/2008

The food with very good and really it was better than a lot of places I had tried and the price is convenient however the service there need a lot of renovation because at leat you need to have some of the staff to be qualify for the service and give attention to their guests. At all I enjoyed the meal overthere and I think I will go there again. Pros: Fresh Fish and Food Cons: Slow Service more
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Poor service, fine food 12/17/2007

The service at Shimizu is poor at best -- the waitress brought us the wrong rolls and the bill wasn't itemized, so without going back to the menu, we had to take her word that she charged us for the right rolls. It was hard to get the wait staff's attention, as well. The food was fine -- not exceptional, but good quality sushi. The vegetable tempura was delicious, but the agadashi dofu was sticky and gross. If you're in the neighborhood, the food is fine and there was no crowd, and the price was right. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to go here. Pros: Centrally located, quiet, good food Cons: Poor service, small space more
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great fish 6/30/2007

You'll have to wait for a table at this restaurant, but the wait is worth it. Amazingly fresh and generous scallop sushi and yellowtail and scallion maki are among my favorite choices (at very reasonable prices.) Somewhat barren setting, no reservations. more
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Don't Sit @ the Sushi Bar unless You're Japanese 3/26/2007

1: my reservation for omakase on my boyfriend's bday had been ""lost;"" still, we decided to stay for a meal and for $65 per person, we ended up having a wonderful experience with delicious cooked and raw dishes. \r 2: My boyfriend and I went back to finally have omakase. This time they had our reservation, but we were mostly ignored by the chef. The quality of the fish was high, the art of sushi-making was average and in an american style (monster pieces). After almost 2 hours, we decided to ask for our bill as the Japanese patrons around us were served much more food, with much more care at a much faster rate. We had eaten 8 pieces of sushi each + shared 1 appetizer and were feeling hungry and annoyed...and then the bill came: $90 per person - such a ridiculous rip off. Our lesson? If you're white and don't speak Japanese, don't sit at the bar at Shimizu. Pros: good sushi Cons: lost reservations, ripped off more
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Fresh sushi SPLURGE in a quiet atmosphere 12/15/2006

I went for lunch on a weekday so it was virtually empty, sat at the bar and handed it to Shimizu to wow us. I liked it b/c he had me sample shellfish varieties that I usually don't have. but I thought that considering we got one piece at a time, the price tag of $80 a pop seems excessive. I am willing to pay for good sushi, and god knows I have, but I'm not sure it was worth every penny. The usual suspects were good -- uni, toro, albacore, but I also liked his sweet shrimp and crab concoctions. I usually have a blue crab handroll at my fave sushi haunt but it was good to explore beyond my comfort zone. The only really negative thing I have to say is that I'm partial to warm-just-out-of-the-rice cooker rice in the sushi and the rice was not only bordering on room temperature, but the texture was also not chewy and kind of crumbly. I think this place is worth a try if you are a sushi lover, if nothing else for the experience of trying another good place. but be prepared to pay up. Pros: fresh sushi, quiet ambience, decent service Cons: exorbitant prices, not-so-warm rice in the sushi more
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nice atmosphere 6/11/2006

if i lived in new york i would take my clients here- its one of those types of places. food was good, service good- all a bit too pricy.\r Pros: ambiance Cons: expensive more
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Had a great time 2/25/2006

surprised that not many people know about this place, the only way i found it was through user reviews on citysearch. Sashimi was ok (maki rolls tasted better). Quiet and good without being too crowded and overrated. You will see me there again. more
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Great meal... 1/6/2006

One of the most important pieces of enjoying a quality meal is the ambiance. The sushi was excellent, but to compliment the great food was the fact that this restaurant is small and the noise level is low. You can sit there for hours enjoying your sushi and small selection of sake, and hear yourself speak! I've been to many 'trendy' Japanese restaurants in NYC where the food was above par, but it was crowded with teriyaki eaters and noise bouncing off the walls. This place is great for a low key evening for really great sushi and conversation. Pros: Fresh Sushi, Helpful Service, Quaint Cons: Not for large groups more
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Excellent Restaurant! 1/5/2006

I went there about a week ago and everything was spectacular. We were seated as soon as we arrived. The service was great. Everyone was very nice and attentive. Most important of all, the sushi was delicious! When we went it was very quiet and romantic for two. I am definitely coming back! more
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Mediocre to below average... 10/1/2005

Tried this place b/c of the NYT review, and regretted my decision. Initially I was excited that this place is located close to work/home-- I've always wanted a decent priced good quality japanese place that's convenient. However, I was disappointed. The food decent, but nothing special. Service was slow (asked for water about 5 times... and the flakey waitress looked at us confused...). With so many great sushi places all over the city, why bother with this one? I'm highly critical of japanese food, and when it's good, I'll be the first one to go back there over and over again (En, Seki, Yama, Sakagura, etc). Pros: Neighborhood joint, decent decor Cons: poor sake selection, slow service, mediocre sushi more
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great! 8/17/2005

SHIMIZU has the best sushi in NYC! Believe me. If you love sushi, you MUST go there. more
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Sushi and Shochu, Perfect Together 3/27/2005

The Sushi at Shimizu is as good as you are going to find anywhere in NYC. The prices are reasonable and the service is just a notch under super. Good location, but due to its small size, could be hit or miss on waiting. Call ahead with a reservation and you should be all set. The Shochu selection is amazing and the prices are great. NYers can begin their Shochu education at Shimizu without breaking the bank. Plenty of kick for less than a martini costs, hell spend the money you saved on some more fish. Pros: Fish, Service, Design Cons: Small more
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Sublime experience 3/2/2005

Food-wise, this place can compete head to head with any top sushi place in NYC. Sit at the bar, and let Shimizu-san select the sashimi and sushi for you. The fish is so buttery and exquisite, I sometime go through a whole meal without using any soysauce. more
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Great sushi and selection! 2/5/2005

When we went, it was rather empty, which is a shame because this place deserves more attention. It has a peaceful, zen-like atmosphere and they have a great selection of fish. We liked that there were variations on the toro or the clams. The fish was fresh and heavenly!!! We really enjoyed ourselves here and would definitely go back again! more
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Menu for Shimizu Restaurant


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Bright lights shine on real-deal sushi at this Japanese restaurant and shochu bar near the Theater District.

Editorial

  • The Scene
    Located on the ground floor of the Washington-Jefferson Hotel, this lesser-known Japanese spot is an oasis for theater-going foodies. The minimalist, brightly lit front dining...

  • 1/19/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa, Discover, American Express
  • Neighborhoods: Clinton, Midtown
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