Sushisen

Should You Book Sushisen on a Return Visit to Rome?

If you have already been to Sushisen and are deciding whether to go back, the answer depends entirely on which room you chose last time. The conveyor-belt dining room and the contemporary omakase room are genuinely different experiences under one roof — and most first-time visitors default to the belt. On a second visit, the omakase room is where the decision becomes more interesting, and where the wine and sake program actually comes into its own.

For explorers of food and drink looking for something outside Rome's Italian-centric fine dining circuit, Sushisen at the €€ price tier is one of the more considered bets in the city.

Two Rooms, Two Decisions

The structural split at Sushisen is worth understanding before you book. One dining room offers counter seating at a bar with a conveyor belt of traditional Japanese dishes — a format that works well for solo diners, couples who want to graze, or anyone who finds tasting menus constraining. The other room operates as a more formal contemporary Japanese restaurant, anchored by an omakase tasting menu. These are not two versions of the same meal. They are two separate propositions, and the right choice depends on what you are after.

For the explorer who wants depth rather than novelty, the omakase room is the more rewarding choice. The format allows the kitchen to sequence and pace the meal, and it is in this context that the wine and sake list becomes a meaningful part of the evening rather than an afterthought. Nearly all wines and sakes on the list are available by the glass, a practical decision that matters significantly when pairing across a multi-course Japanese menu, where the right match shifts course by course. You are not locked into a bottle of something that works for two dishes and clashes with the rest.

The Wine and Sake Program

For a Japanese restaurant at the €€ price point, the by-the-glass depth here is worth noting. The fact that nearly the entire wine and sake list is poured by the glass is unusual and genuinely useful, it allows diners to pair differently across the conveyor belt format or build a proper progression through the omakase. Sake by the glass in Rome is not a given, and having access to the full list without committing to a bottle makes the beverage program approachable at a price that does not compound the spend unnecessarily.

If you are comparing this to how the wine programs work at higher-price-tier Rome restaurants like Il Pagliaccio or Enoteca La Torre, where wine lists skew deep into Italian and French bottles, Sushisen's sake-forward list is a different kind of depth, narrower in geography but more specific to the cuisine. For food and drink explorers, that specificity is an asset. For Italian wine devotees who want Barolo with their fish courses, it may feel like a gap. Know which camp you are in before you book.

For further context on how Japanese contemporary cuisine is being executed across Europe, it is worth looking at what venues like The Japanese Restaurant in Andermatt and Sankai by Nagaya in Istanbul are doing at comparable price tiers, both offer useful benchmarks for the genre's current direction outside Japan.

Atmosphere and Timing

The two-room format also means the energy levels differ. The conveyor-belt room is likely to be livelier, more casual, and louder, the kind of setting where conversation flows without effort and the pace is set by you rather than the kitchen. The omakase room will be quieter and more structured. If you are looking for a restaurant that can hold a serious conversation across the table, book the omakase side. If you want something more relaxed and interactive, the belt room fits better.

Rome's Japanese dining scene is smaller than Tokyo's, obviously, but also smaller than what you find in cities like London or Paris, which makes a Michelin-recognised option at the €€ tier more notable here than it might be elsewhere. For a city where most ambitious dining gravitates toward Italian cuisine, Sushisen occupies a specific gap.

Booking and Logistics

Booking at Sushisen is rated as easy. At the €€ price tier, without a starred Michelin rating (the Plate recognition signals quality control rather than the kind of acclaim that triggers reservation queues), you are unlikely to face the three-week lead times required at restaurants like La Pergola. That said, if you are planning around the omakase room specifically, it is worth confirming availability in advance rather than arriving and hoping for the right table. The conveyor-belt room is more likely to accommodate walk-ins or same-week bookings.

The restaurant sits in the 00154 postal district in Rome. No phone or website data is available in our current records, check platforms like TheFork or Google for current contact and reservation options.

How It Compares

Against Rome's broader dining options, Sushisen sits in a distinct position: the only Michelin-recognised Japanese contemporary venue at the €€ price point in the city's current guide. For further reading on Rome's wider restaurant scene, our full Rome restaurants guide covers the full range of options, including the Acquolina and Kohaku for alternative creative directions. If your trip extends beyond dining, our Rome hotels guide, Rome bars guide, Rome wineries guide, and Rome experiences guide are worth checking before you go.

For a sense of how Italy's most ambitious kitchens are operating beyond Rome, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Uliassi in Senigallia, Reale in Castel di Sangro, Dal Pescatore in Runate, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico offer useful reference points across price tiers and styles.

Ratings and At a Glance

• Michelin recognition: Plate (2024, 2025)
• Price tier: €€
• Cuisine: Japanese Contemporary
• Address: Via Giuseppe Giulietti, 21A, 00154 Roma
• Booking difficulty: Easy