Thirteen Water

Food: the fish tasted fresh and definitely worth the value. It was 13 pieces for $75. Didn't give a lot of rice, which I appreciated compared to other places that would leave me bloated. My favorites were the tomato salmon and hamachi. Service: seated right away and served was attentive with drinks. Chef was friendly and introduced each piece of fish. Ambiance: intimate setting, nice decor, nothing to complain about. Sat in a U-shaped bar around three chefs preparing the fish in the middle.

Very delicious omakase! Sushi was fresh and the chefs were accommodating when we requested additional wasabi on the side (the market is so saturated with bad sushi and crappy wasabi that we always take advantage when we go somewhere nice). Each piece was melt in your mouth delicious and filled with different textures and flavors. At the end of the your omakase, a waiter will go around and ask if you’d like to try any other pieces. The unagi was so good that we did a second around of those! We also enjoyed a nice light and sweet sake. I usually cannot handle sake but it was also delicious and complimented the meal very well. Since the meal was quick with a turnover after 45-1hr, we just did a small bottle. Service and ambiance were nice and intimate. It was my second time coming and the experience was consistent with my first. Good value omakase but not filling. We did another restaurant right after and then dessert. One person in our group is kosher and they accommodated without any issues. Would come again!

Having been to a decent number of affordable omakase options in the city, this one is one of the best. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and the pieces are solid. The seating is an hour long so definitely not for everyone. But if you’re looking for a good meal at a very reasonable price, Thirteen Water is a top option.

Thirteen Water is a delight for lunch at their East village location. Vibe felt intimate as you enter you're immediately facing the sushi counter you'll eat at outlined by stools and quiet talking amongst guests. The lunch omakase is great value starting at $75 for a 13 piece course and time at the end to order extras. While not overly adventurous in setup, the sushi still spoke for itself starting with the Madai and very flavorful Chu Toro. A couple pieces were ok, but most hit all the right notes on your taste buds. One of my favorites was the Otoro Toro Caviar with a little saltiness from the caviar and a seared flavor to the fish *chefs kiss* Couple things to note when going for lunch. The exterior doesn't really have any signage so it's a bit easy to miss the location during the day as you walk down the block. The meal is also timed to be 1hr max so eating felt a bit fast, not rushed, but not as calm as other omakase locations. All-in-all definitely still one of the omakase lunches have, in the city

I really loved every piece. Great, quality fish combined with interesting ingredients and just the right amount of rice. You can tell the chef put a lot of thought into crafting every piece. I however had to take one star off because for a lot of pieces, part of the rice fell off as you picked it up, which didn't happen at shinn east, another omakase place from the same restaurant group. We were also seated at the corner and a bit far from the plate, so the experience was a bit chaotic. That being said, I'm happy to be back and give it another try. The service was meh, not the nicest and at times it felt like they really wanted us to order another drink.

I’m late in posting my review. I visited Thirteen Water on May 18, 2024 and it easily became my favorite omakase experience considering the cost, quality, and creativity. Every piece honestly made me want to dance it was so good! If I was a local, I’d visit them regularly. They really set my expectations high for all omakases. Turns out I have a hobby; an expensive hobby. Omakase. But with the base price of $75, it simply means I can spend more on add-ons 😁. I can’t wait to revisit!

I had a strange experience where the food was delicious, but the atmosphere completely spoiled it for me. We visited on a Thursday evening for the last seating of the night. Initially, everything was going well—the waiter was friendly, and the chefs were just about to begin. However, about 15 minutes in, a group of five people showed up late, despite the restaurant's policy against late arrivals. They were clearly very drunk, celebrating a birthday, and it seemed like they knew the staff because they loudly greeted everyone as they walked in. After that, the waiters practically vanished for the rest of the evening, focusing only on this group, doing shots with them, and allowing them to be loud and obnoxious. The food itself was excellent, and I appreciated the creativity in some of the dishes, although a few fell short. I’d suggest giving the place a try at least once, as the food was quite good. However, the way the staff allowed this group to disrupt the entire atmosphere with their shouting and drunken antics really ruined the experience for me. I won’t be returning because of this.

Amazing combinations. I never thought some of the topped ingredients will go so well with their nigiri choices. I maximized the flavors. We ordered another piece of salmon foie gras because the taste was so different and rich. Overall, they use a lot of zesty ingredients which I love. I think it cleanse out to go from heavy taste sushi to the next sushi. So you could taste better even when you taste less heavier one. They also torch many ingredients. I wasn’t a fan of torching sushi before. But now, I learned it could make the sushi taste better. I totally agree how they arranged the order and respect how they represent sushi. My favorite Omakase place in New York City!

Food: the fish tasted fresh and definitely worth the value. It was 13 pieces for $75. Didn't give a lot of rice, which I appreciated compared to other places that would leave me bloated. My favorites were the tomato salmon and hamachi. Service: seated right away and served was attentive with drinks. Chef was friendly and introduced each piece of fish. Ambiance: intimate setting, nice decor, nothing to complain about. Sat in a U-shaped bar around three chefs preparing the fish in the middle.

Very delicious omakase! Sushi was fresh and the chefs were accommodating when we requested additional wasabi on the side (the market is so saturated with bad sushi and crappy wasabi that we always take advantage when we go somewhere nice). Each piece was melt in your mouth delicious and filled with different textures and flavors. At the end of the your omakase, a waiter will go around and ask if you’d like to try any other pieces. The unagi was so good that we did a second around of those! We also enjoyed a nice light and sweet sake. I usually cannot handle sake but it was also delicious and complimented the meal very well. Since the meal was quick with a turnover after 45-1hr, we just did a small bottle. Service and ambiance were nice and intimate. It was my second time coming and the experience was consistent with my first. Good value omakase but not filling. We did another restaurant right after and then dessert. One person in our group is kosher and they accommodated without any issues. Would come again!

Having been to a decent number of affordable omakase options in the city, this one is one of the best. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and the pieces are solid. The seating is an hour long so definitely not for everyone. But if you’re looking for a good meal at a very reasonable price, Thirteen Water is a top option.

Thirteen Water is a delight for lunch at their East village location. Vibe felt intimate as you enter you're immediately facing the sushi counter you'll eat at outlined by stools and quiet talking amongst guests. The lunch omakase is great value starting at $75 for a 13 piece course and time at the end to order extras. While not overly adventurous in setup, the sushi still spoke for itself starting with the Madai and very flavorful Chu Toro. A couple pieces were ok, but most hit all the right notes on your taste buds. One of my favorites was the Otoro Toro Caviar with a little saltiness from the caviar and a seared flavor to the fish *chefs kiss* Couple things to note when going for lunch. The exterior doesn't really have any signage so it's a bit easy to miss the location during the day as you walk down the block. The meal is also timed to be 1hr max so eating felt a bit fast, not rushed, but not as calm as other omakase locations. All-in-all definitely still one of the omakase lunches have, in the city

I really loved every piece. Great, quality fish combined with interesting ingredients and just the right amount of rice. You can tell the chef put a lot of thought into crafting every piece. I however had to take one star off because for a lot of pieces, part of the rice fell off as you picked it up, which didn't happen at shinn east, another omakase place from the same restaurant group. We were also seated at the corner and a bit far from the plate, so the experience was a bit chaotic. That being said, I'm happy to be back and give it another try. The service was meh, not the nicest and at times it felt like they really wanted us to order another drink.

I’m late in posting my review. I visited Thirteen Water on May 18, 2024 and it easily became my favorite omakase experience considering the cost, quality, and creativity. Every piece honestly made me want to dance it was so good! If I was a local, I’d visit them regularly. They really set my expectations high for all omakases. Turns out I have a hobby; an expensive hobby. Omakase. But with the base price of $75, it simply means I can spend more on add-ons 😁. I can’t wait to revisit!

I had a strange experience where the food was delicious, but the atmosphere completely spoiled it for me. We visited on a Thursday evening for the last seating of the night. Initially, everything was going well—the waiter was friendly, and the chefs were just about to begin. However, about 15 minutes in, a group of five people showed up late, despite the restaurant's policy against late arrivals. They were clearly very drunk, celebrating a birthday, and it seemed like they knew the staff because they loudly greeted everyone as they walked in. After that, the waiters practically vanished for the rest of the evening, focusing only on this group, doing shots with them, and allowing them to be loud and obnoxious. The food itself was excellent, and I appreciated the creativity in some of the dishes, although a few fell short. I’d suggest giving the place a try at least once, as the food was quite good. However, the way the staff allowed this group to disrupt the entire atmosphere with their shouting and drunken antics really ruined the experience for me. I won’t be returning because of this.

Amazing combinations. I never thought some of the topped ingredients will go so well with their nigiri choices. I maximized the flavors. We ordered another piece of salmon foie gras because the taste was so different and rich. Overall, they use a lot of zesty ingredients which I love. I think it cleanse out to go from heavy taste sushi to the next sushi. So you could taste better even when you taste less heavier one. They also torch many ingredients. I wasn’t a fan of torching sushi before. But now, I learned it could make the sushi taste better. I totally agree how they arranged the order and respect how they represent sushi. My favorite Omakase place in New York City!

The omakase lineup was great, honestly one of the best I've had, every piece was delicious and meticulously done. I feel like a lot of times omakase specifically will have a few stand out pieces and some forgettable ones. Here I found myself really enjoying every piece! The service is a bit quick so don't expect to get too comfortable, I think our first piece was served within 3 minutes of sitting down. That being said, from the first piece to last everything was delicious, some pieces more "common" like the salmon tomato (ordered a repeat in the end just cause it was perfection) to some more inventive. Overall a great experience, I think a great place to take someone visiting, delicious and won't break the bank

Reserved a spot for dinner during my day trip in New York. It was kind of difficult to find because the restaurant looks very simple and subtle from the outside. Has a minimalistic style as most Japanese sushi places do these days. The restaurant itself is small and cozy. Seats about 15-18 customers for omakase inside. The sushi chefs make the rolls right in front of us and serves upon finishing one by one. It was a great experience to observe how they made everything and the techniques behind it. They moved so effortlessly, which showed how much experience they had :) Quality and freshness of the seafood were immaculate. The toro and many of the other fishes would all just melt in your mouth like butter and were all so unique and rich in flavor. I like how creative their omakase set was, which made it unique and different from many places. My only complaint is that some of the creative combinations just threw me off and didn't pair well for my taste buds. For example, the Salmon Tomato: it was so weird to have a bite of cold refreshing salmon and then have the warm mushy tomato hit afterwards... which I believe hid the magic and taste of the fish itself). Food was so good and I left feeling pretty satisfied as I was full after the course. For the price point, it was affordable for the quality of fish and experience you get. Hard to find $75 omakase in other states! It's definitely worth it and worth trying out once! I'm glad that this was my first omakase experience and I didn't have to break my wallet for it.

Made a reservation for a Friday night and had a solid meal here. It was $75 for 13 courses as of September 2024. Definitely one of the better affordable omakase options in the area. Highlights included the churros, tuna truffle, shima aji, unagi and toast. I was super full after and thought it was great value for the price!

Solidly fine. Pretty standard $75 omakase experience. We were there for less than an hour and no piece stood out as particularly special or memorable.

Delicious!!! Great value for the price point, every piece was interesting and tasted amazing. My favorites were the chu toro, salmon foie gras, hamachi and otoro toro caviar. I went for lunch and it was a quick and quiet session. I liked the pacing a lot for solo dining. Hokkaido uni handroll was refreshing after the main course and they gave a lot of uni, but I think I could have gone without it. The course was already perfect as is.

Counter seating for patrons, so everyone has a full view of the chefs preparing item for Omakase. Our party of five was seated right away and the chef got to work as soon as we were seated. Pacing was just right in between each delectable bite-- enough time to savor each item and not feeling empty while waiting for the next. Our server took our drinks and waters were promptly served. More importantly, each item was prepared with care and some flair which we appreciated. The menu was on our table so we knew what the chef was preparing in good order. Everything was great, but I have to say my favorite was the snapper with freshly grated yuzu. Such a simple bite but it was all the feeeels. The otoro toro caviar was also great! Everyone loved all 13 items. There are additional items you can order aka carte at the end of the 13 items. Your server will ask you if there are more that you would like to try. It is fairly inexpensive compared to other omakase experiences in NYC, and I do think that's the draw where it is hard to get a reservation ( but not impossible). The fish is fresh, well seasoned and the flavors were well-balanced and thought of.

Not my favvvvorite omakase experience because it felt very rushed / take out ish. I wasn't completely blown away but I will say not a single piece missed! They were also very accommodating to those with a shellfish allergy.

Food: the fish tasted fresh and definitely worth the value. It was 13 pieces for $75. Didn't give a lot of rice, which I appreciated compared to other places that would leave me bloated. My favorites were the tomato salmon and hamachi. Service: seated right away and served was attentive with drinks. Chef was friendly and introduced each piece of fish. Ambiance: intimate setting, nice decor, nothing to complain about. Sat in a U-shaped bar around three chefs preparing the fish in the middle.

Service was EXTREMELY speedy (in and out in 40 minutes) and the pieces came out so fast, but I have to say thirteen water is now in my top 3 budget omakases in the city. Despite the speedy service, thirteen water does not sacrifice on the quality of the fish, with my favorites being the chu toro, toro truffle, and hamachi. I also do not like ebi and the ebi was really good. They even brought out matcha ice cream with a candle for my birthday! For less than 100 after tax and tip, pretty good bang for your buck. Only con though is I did leave still hungry, so adding a few extras wouldn't hurt.

Had reservations for a Friday evening and although we were a few minutes late they sat us. Only a few people fit each seating, two chefs working at a time. Pretty standard set up! The sushi was amazing and very filling! Very high quality and the accompanying flavors went very well with each fish. I would definitely come back!

The best sushi I've ever had in my life My friend has come here before and really loved it so since she knew we were coming to the city she made reservations for us way in advance. This is a 13 course omakase that is $75! What a value and an experience. There is a 15 seat counter and only a few times slots per evening. We showed up a little early and had to wait outside before they were ready for us. From the service to the food it was 5/5 experience! We had a menu of the 13 pieces of our omakase and a menu for drinks/extra pieces if we liked a certain piece of sushi and wanted we could order more. All of the fish was so fresh and the flavors all paired well together. I think my favorites were the tuna truffle, otoro toro caviar and the bonto ebi. Really all of it was fantastic !

I've been to a handful of omakase places and this one is definitely one of my tops. For the price of $75 and 13 courses I was amazed by the uniqueness of each dish prepared here. The experience was a little under an hour and I appreciated the speed of which each piece came out. I was satisfied with the amount of dishes but my boyfriend probably could've had a few more to be full. Service was great. The waiters refilled our tea and water frequently and were always very attentive. The interior was simple. My favorites were the otoro, tuna truffle and shima aji

Similar to what others said, 13 water is a solid spot with great value for what you pay! You get 13 courses for $75/pp, which is super reasonable. We were 15-20 min late and the restaurant was actually super accommodating and our chef waited for us to arrive before making our pieces. We really appreciated this. We really enjoyed all of the pieces but my eel piece had a huge bone that I had to pull out. Our favorite was the toro tuna with caviar on top. Other than that, we were in and out after 45 min.

I've been wanting to try thirteen water for a while now and finally got a chance to go! The omakase set is $75 for 13 pieces and you can add on specials or pieces from the omakase set again at the end! I ended up adding the scallop uni from the specials. I really enjoyed my experience - each piece was delicious and fresh! I really enjoyed the toppings on top of each piece that made it more unique and elevated. The seating is quite limited so everyone is at the counter and you can see the care that the chef puts into making each piece. The dining experience is very calm and serene, which I personally enjoyed a lot! I know some people expect a lot of conversation and banter with their chefs for omakase but I actually quite enjoyed how quiet and peaceful it all felt. There were only 8 people total seated when I was dining there which really makes for an attentive and personal experience. Seating is limited to 60 minutes and we were pretty much in and out in under 50 minutes, so if you are looking for a slower, longer meal or some place to linger and chit chat that's just something to be aware of. I never felt rushed and each piece was paced appropriately in my opinion! Definitely recommend stopping by!

For $75 each bite was specially crafted. I think this is one of the best Omakase I have been in New York City and it didn't feel pretentious or overly fancy. Everything is served very fast so plan to only be here for one hour.

Birthday dinner in NYC and the family took me to one of the new "black board" Omakase genred restaurants popping up all over our city. Set menu of 13 pieces for $75, a la carte add ons available separately. We were honored to have the owner Aaron serve the 6 of us tonight. Won't go into each of the 13 pieces, but all were very good, very fresh and delicious. My standouts were the tomato salmon (umami, lightly acidic, lightly sweet - first time!) and good ole unagi hand roll (I think that was a special one-off just for me, so satisfying). Aaron and the entire staff were very accommodating, attentive and warm. Located in Alphabet City, near Tompkins Square Park, it's good to see that NYC bounced back from the chaos of the riots here in the early 1990's. Go Big Apple!

SO GOOD. Do yourself a favor and GO TO THIRTEEN WATER. I've tried a bunch of omakases and this was defiinitely the best for the price range. As a caveat, the seatings are every hour.... so you will feel a bit rushed (unless you're in a pinch then you'll be pumped). The chefs are all friendly and explain each nigiri + topping combo. Hosts are also attentive with drinks/ additional items to order. The sushi bar is packed in tightly but very well organized that you don't feel squished at all (esp compared to some other places cough cough sushi by M) Can't wait to come back!

Our friend who moved to New York is made of one thing and that's sushi. She has raved about this place ever since and we're so glad we finally got to try it! We were so lucky to get Aaron as our chef! Every piece of sushi was traditional, SO fresh, and leaves you wanting more with every bite. Will be coming back any time we visit NY!

Wow!!! Such a great experience for my first time!! They were quick/helpful/kind/ and on top of everything!!! Timing was perfect and each bite WAS AMAZING!!!!!! Inside is a little small but that's why they only take a certain amount of reservations and it's not crowded or anything while enjoying food! Sake was great as well!! Overall, 10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO A FRIEND!!!

Came here for Omakase and it was superb. I believe it was 13 course. I believe an hour sits 15 people. We had the $75pp offering. There were couple of ones that i loved: Tuna Truffle, Shima Aji, Salmon Tomato, Otoro Toro Caviar, Toast, and Unagi. The ambiance was great. lighting was perfect, noise was not loud we were able to have a conversation and share our experiences. The chef was delicate and explained as he was preparing the dishes. The showmanship was great, I enjoyed the show with the torch... Since we liked the omakase tasting we decided to order extra food. We ordered the A5 wagyu. The preparing part looked cool when the chef was cutting it, its marble color, the flaming it when it was being prepared, etc... And when the time came it tasted alright. I guess because i've had better wagyu elsewhere... Anyways, I'd say Thirteen Water is definitely worth it: the experience, the enjoyment, the food tasting, the food flavour, the quietness and exclusiveness of the place, and many more...

Great new omakase place that's the sister restaurant of Shinn East. I've always enjoyed Shinn East, so figured this would be an affordable and delicious new spot too. Seatings are for 1 hour only, so you should plan to get here 5 mins before your reservation. They seat you quickly and start serving your first course within the first few minutes. Definitely feels a bit rushed, but we were done with all 13 courses within 45-50 mins, with time at the end to order additional pieces. The unique part of this restaurant compared to other omakase experiences, is the topping for each piece. My favorites: Otoro Toro Caviar, Toast, and the Hamachi. All had unique toppings and presentations, with great flavor and fresh fish. Would love to come back and try their other seasonal menus!

So many omakase restaurants popping up in New York these days. Which ones do you choose? Every place is offering premium sushi at an affordable price but which ones are the best and actually worth the price/experience? Look no further! Thirteen Water is definitely one of the better ones. It is $75 for 13 courses for an hour seating. The restaurant is very intimate as it only seats around 16 people and people keep their voices down (that is one thing I had to get used to since I am loud and talk a lot but that is a me problem). My favorites were the otoro toro caviar and hotate (scallops). You can ask for substitutes. The lady next to us didn't want unagi (eel) so the chef gave her an uni piece instead! We also ordered the A5 Wagyu that literally melted in your mouth. All the seafood was so fresh and the layering of the seafood and different ingredients such as lemon zest, foie gras and truffle were top notch.

Amazing food and service, but felt like pacing could have been a little slower! Came here for my birthday and they start very on time. We got the omakase set without any add ons. $75 for 13 courses felt very reasonable to me! Fish were all pretty fresh. Food highlights: Hamachi - loved the fish and sauteed pepper on top Shima aji - enjoyed the crispy garlic that added flavor/texture Ikura - personal favorite Scallop/Hotate - very fresh and chewy Otoro Toro Caviar - perf ratio of each ingredient Toast with uni and tuna - loved the flavor combo and contrast of textures Toro handroll - super fresh seaweed and fish, good ratios too! The store itself is kinda small and tight knit. They have a good range of sake and drinks. Staff were really nice and attentive. They gave us a free matcha ice cream for my bday. Nevertheless I felt like it was really quick to fit 13 courses in 60 mins; honestly fish to fish was more like 40 mins so it was hard to keep up with eating while trying to socialize with my party. They kindly asked us to leave by the 55 minute mark. I wasn't aware of the time limits so I was shocked at how fast it went by and how strict/short the timing was.

I've attached the menu in my picture set but the omakase set we had here was amazing. Went here for a date night with my boyfriend and the atmosphere was great -- I think we saw maybe four different couples here on a first day. It's not noisy at all so you can have conversations here comfortably and the restaurant only seats something like 16 people at a time so it's intimate. Our chef was kind and answered my questions I had about the dishes which was much appreciated. My favorite was the yellowtail with shishito peppers and the otoro with caviar. It's $75 per person and I paid an additional $25 each for an additional hokkaido uni for both of us and with tip it came out to about $240. I think it was worth it (I wouldn't order additional pieces in the future though the original omakase set was filling enough) and would come back again!

First time trying omakase style and we liked it here so much we literally made another reservation for two days later.

Love how unique their pieces are here compared to other omakase restaurants at this price point. If you're looking for something more experimental and flavorful this is your place. The service was quick and each course was nicely paced. The restaurant is small and intimate with only bar seating so just be mindful if you want a table. Each course is made in front of you and was definitely an enjoyable experience!

Omakase with exciting layered sushi and elevated flavor combinations, high quality ingredients (and so much toro!), and relatively affordable (only $75). It was really cool having rich sashimi pieces topped with different garnishes and sauces, very interesting. Their rice is quite special, you can feel each kernel and it's seasoned wonderfully. Highlights: Toast with toro and uni: So full of umami and rich and creamy, it just melts in your mouth. On top of a crispy buttered toast, it's like bread and butter but elevated to a whole new level. Chutoro with otoro with uni: It's like putting delicious luxury in your mouth. The different toro and mixture of fattiness and the hit of caviar, amazing. Roe with lemon: Salmon roe has a satisfying popping and has a fishy taste. Thirteen water adds lemon strips to it, which adds a delightful sweetness and fruitiness to the sushi, quite a nice surprise. Botan ebi: The sweet shrimp was fresh and had nice flavor. Mixed with some pickled wasabi, wonderful combination. It is worth noting that all the pieces don't come with the traditional bit wasabi, only this one had some wasabi.

This place was all over my social media as one of the best "affordable" omakase. For $75, you get 13 different fish (including a hand roll) and I thought it was absolutely delicious and so worth it! The more affordable aspect definitely showed up in the no frills experience. You're definitely in and out within the hour and the experience is extremely straight forward. If you're looking to hangout with friends or have cocktails and the whole experience, this might not be the place for you. However, if you're open to just an hour of high quality fish and creative preparation, this is the perfect place. Definitely recommend!

Every single piece was so delicious and the flavors meshed so well. It's $75 for 13 pieces. I am missing parts of each piece but overall they included: 1. Madai - snapper with lime zest 2. Chutoro - fatty tuna with pickled wasabi 3. Hamachi - hamachi yellowtail with shishito peppers 4. Tuna Truffle - blue fin tuna with shiitake mushroom and truffle (so so good) 5. Shima Aji - stripe jack with fried garlic 6. Salmon Tomato - salmon with seared tomato (was such an unexpecting tasty combo) 7. Ikura - salmon roe with yuzu skin (loved the hint of yuzu) 8. Botan Ebi - shrimp with pico wasabi 9. Hotate - scallop with sea salt, lime zest 10. Otoro Toro Caviar 11. Unagi - unagi over rice (simple and good) 12. Toast - tuna, uni (wasn't a big fan of the toast portion because it was a bit dry) 13. Toro handroll - toro with pickled radish Loved every piece and highly recommend this place. Whole experience finished before the hour to allow for extra orders. Served on a plate with ginger. No personal soy sauce dish or wasabi as it is already implemented by the chef.

Where to start! We were part of the first group to enter. At first we almost passed it because it blended in so well with the building. Small but straight to the point for omakase. $75 for 13 courses??? NYC omakase really is different and affordable. My husband and I had such a great early Valentines/Anniversary dinner here. My favorite had to be the uni toast while my husband loved the otoro Caviar (and me too but I love uni more lol). Would definitely come back or visit the other location!

Such a good deal for omakase! $75 for 13 pieces. Reminds me of what Sushi by Bou used to be a few years ago, before the pieces of fish got smaller, worse quality and the entire experience started feeling more commercialized. The restaurant is fully countertop seating and there's around 15 spots total, so you can watch your pieces being made and ask questions as you like. The seats are higher up and there are little hooks for you to hang your bags under the table. The sushi chef was so fast at making different pieces and good at personalizing based on our preferences (for wasabi or specific spices). He was also very friendly in explaining each piece to us. My personal faves were the botan ebi (of course!!!), hotate, chutoro and then the hamachi with shishito pepper. Last was such a unique taste that I loved!! One point I did notice is that this spot uses a lot of lemon rather than yuzu, and sometimes too much lemon. The pieces that came with lemon reminded me more of ceviche than sushi, but that might be my personal preference for yuzu! They definitely tried to explore with different flavors and textures more than other omakase spots I've been to.

I came from San Diego where we don't have many options for good omakase, so when I finally came into town I knew I wanted to try something BETTER. I've heard about this place from so many friends as an affordable, yet super worth spot in NYC and it did not disappoint!!! Hands down my favorite omakase to date for the price, quality, service, and experience overall. For 13 pieces, I was pretty full after surprisingly but they spaced out the pieces well enough to create that feeling, which I appreciate. Everything was pretty amazing so I can't even highlight anything ... except the salmon w/ seared tomato. wow out of this world.. you just have to try for yourself!

After an extensive search for some great omakase, I came upon Thirteen Water. I was able to make a same day reservation for a 8:30pm time slot (at the west side location.) the meal was $75 for 13 courses! Our experience there was great, the staff was extremely kind and attentive (even being so gracious as to wait to begin our experience when my friend was running late.) Each piece of fish we had was fresh and prepared perfectly, however, my favorite of the night was the A5 Wagyu & foie gras. The seating was intimate and quiet. Definitely on my list of favorites!

I came here with a friend on a Wednesday evening. Definitely one of the better omakase I've had in NYC! I can attest that it has lived up to its hype. Seating is every hour, so you only have 1 hour to eat. It is a 13 piece set meal for $75 per person. The chefs are very courteous and professional! Each piece was so delicious, I highly HIGHLY recommend coming! The fish was very fresh and the pieces were well put together. My favorites were the Chutoro, Hotate, and Tuna Truffle! Would most likely return here next time

One of the best affordable omakase ($75) Seating is only one hour and you don't feel rushed at all. I been to other omakase were it felt rush where you are not able to enjoy the experience. At thirteen water, the staff are friendly esp. our chef, Jasper. This was the first time where the chef wiped the plate for the next piece of fish. Jasper gave my friend a heads up when he was using the blow torch because my friend missed taking a video the first time. I thought that was very nice. My favorite piece is def their otoro toro caviar and toast. I ordered the spicy scallop hand roll as additional piece which was also good. But honestly every piece was yummy.

Service was very quick and friendly, as a 1 hour omakase should be. The interior was very cozy and calm with nice background music. Sushi was served promptly and each piece was introduced upon serving. My favorites were the chutoro sushi, the caviar otoro, and the really fresh shrimp! I also loved the piece with the ginger scallion, oh my god. I'm a huge fan of ginger scallion sauce and I could eat that sauce all day with just rice honestly. If they sold it, I would buy that from them! Or at least please share the recipe, haha. I recommend arriving a few minutes early to your reservation on Resy. You don't want to be late, or you will not have as much time to eat and enjoy your sushi. They do not rush you, but you only have the alloted hour before the next session starts. Overall, I highly recommend this place for omakase - $75 for 13 pieces of amazing Sushi is worth it! And the beer that we ordered, Kyoto pale ale was very refreshing and yummy. I would definitely come back soon!

Sushi has been forever changed after my experience at Thirteen Water. The restaurant felt intimate and personal. Every bite was so beautifully crafted, intentional, and refreshing -- I loved every second of my experience here. I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on another reservation here and I highly recommend for anyone to go if they get the chance! Also, at $75 for 13 pieces of fantastic sushi, I'd say it's pretty reasonable as far as omakase in New York goes!

Pretty solid omakase spot. The selection is pretty decent and my favorite was the toast. I liked how each piece was quite unique.

Very good sushi. Personally I love the fast pace dining experience. Each piece carefully crafted they don't push add one. Sushi stands on it own. I'd come here again. My favorite dish was tuna truffle. I did get an extra otoro toro caviar roll and my partner got the spicy salmon hand roll but both add ons were unnecessary the 13 piece course was just right.

13 pieces set meal for $75/person is amazing Omakase deal. They provided good quality and super fresh fish. This is a great spot but I would not say it's the best. My favorite was Hokkaido Scallop and the Hamachi. Fun fact: I was aiming to have my water refilled 13 times but I got up to 8 before I "tapped" out.

(Overall: A) - Thirteen Water was the first Omakase place I wanted to visit after returning to New York as their premise is going for more experimental flavors as compared to traditional omakase. Despite my harsh criticism for some of these more experimental pieces, I think the concept is a very interesting one and should be praised to try some more unique ideas instead of copy pasting from the omakase place next door. The staff are nice and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere is typical for an omakase place, with potential to be a little more comfortable space wise. If the menu were to be refined in terms of flavors, I think the experience would be even better for future guests! (Snapper: A) - The first course was snapper, which they served with salt and citrus to bring out the white fish flavor. This was a simple and elegant way to start this tasting as it was well prepared and beautifully presented. (Chu Toro: S) - Next, was the medium fatty bluefin tuna, with a blend of pickled wasabi and also wasabi soy to give it a double kick. I'd have to admit that this is my favorite pairing from this restaurant group as this was also a hit at Shinn East. The pickled zing just works so well to contrast the fattiness of the fish without being overly indulgent. (Hamachi: B) - First of the new pairings I've seen, this is yellowtail paired with smoked shishito. I personally found the shishito to taste like empty calories beyond a nice smokiness, so a smoked jalapeno could've have perhaps provided a bolder flavor to help out the yellowtail. Nevertheless, the idea was in the right direction. (Maguro: D) - The fourth course paired tuna with shiitake and truffle, which I found to be a misstep as the tuna does not taste good with the shiitake, and the truffle is very delicate and overpowered by the shiitake. (Shima Aji: A+) - This piece of striped jack was paired with scallion and ginger, and finished with an onion chip. I found this Chinese take to work well as it reminds me of the strong herbs to pair with a steamed whole fish. (Salmon: D) - This was by far the strangest option as salmon was paired with tomato, mayo, and onion, which does not sound appetizing. While the bite was not awful, I think the tomato was ultimately too overpowering and detracting as I could not taste the salmon. (Ikura: B) - The sweet x salty combination of maple syrup and ikura is a fantastic idea in my opinion. However, for someone with a sweettooth, this piece was way too sweet and overpowered by maple syrup. Had it been more restrained, this could be a signature menu candidate. (Botan Ebi: S) - The duality of the pickled wasabi and wasabi soy work well here too; they help make the shrimp muscle more pronounced and tasty. (Hotate: A+) - This scallop was beautifully cut. I think the citrus and salt helps make the scallop's natural sweetness shine and it was great overall. (Otoro: A+) - This piece screams luxury starting with fatty bluefin tuna and topping with more fatty tuna, fresh wasabi, and caviar. However, I would say that perhaps there is *too* much going on here; I think restraint is a good skill to have and this piece would've been better without the added chopped tuna. Nevertheless, this is an incredible price omakase for such luxury. (Unagi: B) - Unlike all the other pieces discussed, this is just a classic that looks and tastes good. I think something simple to elevate it could've been interesting though, like a lemon syrup. (Toast: C) - Tuna and Uni do not pair well in my opinion. Uni is this fresh and creamy seafood delight that is subtle and needs to shine on its own; the tuna just made it strange and I felt this was not very well executed despite being individually fresh and tasty. (Handroll: B) - Compared to most negitoro, this one has a brush of wasabi soy to help draw out the flavor, which is pretty good. I feel like there is more room for experimenting here though, such as mixing perilla in the chopped tuna, for example. -- Food: E Presentation: +1 Price: +1 Atmosphere: E Service: +1 Menu: +2 Overall: +5 A IG: @amei.eats

The best less than $80 omakase I've had in NY so far! There was so many delicious pieces that had various combinations of flavors and textures! We had a hard time choosing a favorite. They work very fast here and this may be the only downside of your meal. You have to wait outside before you reservation time and once seated, you finish in one hour and are expected to leave before they usher the next group in. It's very quiet in there as it's such a close and intimate setting with everyone who's seated in there and the chefs in front of you. This is probably not the place you'd want to take someone on a first date as it'll be hard to have a conversation without everyone near you hearing it. Nonetheless, AMAZING sushi and such a great value. I highly recommend and cannot wait to return!

Great omakase spot. The vibe is quiet and intimate. The preset omakase for $75 feels like a steal for how full we got and the quality of the fish. I really liked the chutoro and madai and had to get extra of them. I came as a party of 2 and the pieces came out one after another so we were done after about an hour or so. Service was good as well.

The best omakase experience I've had in NYC! You get incredibly good quality ingredients, especially for the price point ($75 for 13 pieces). Everything was super fresh and each piece had a really unique combination of flavors that I've never had elsewhere. I also loved how the omakase chefs explained what the ingredients were for each course. Great ambiance as well - easily one of my top restaurants in the city.

FOOD - wow so good. compares to shinn west and better than saanyu west imo. I loved that they cut each piece w thin cuts so it tastes more melty? and each piece is also super super fresh. the salmon tomato one especially stood out to me, just because I was so surprised at how good tomato could be. PRICE - with tax and tip came out to be $95 SERVICE - amazing ofc, and I loved that we didn't have to wait super long in between pieces AMBIANCE - loved that it was bar seating so u could watch the chefs make it

Thirteen Water in New York City is a treasure trove for omakase enthusiasts. As someone who has experienced a wide range of omakase from $70 to $400, it's a delight to declare that Thirteen Water comfortably sits in my Top 5 for NYC. Priced at $75 per person, the 13-course omakase at Thirteen Water is a steal, considering the quality and creativity on display. The meal is an expedited affair (lasting about the duration of an episode of Succession, haha), but each course is a testament to Chef Aaron Liu's skill and innovation. I recommend visiting here if the quick time limit does not bother you. The omakase boasts an array of meticulously crafted pieces, each a testament to the chef's ingenuity. Notable mentions include the otoro uni caviar, a luxurious blend of textures and flavors, and the salmon tomato, which adds a unique twist to traditional nigiri. The tuna truffle is another highlight, elevating the humble tuna to new heights with the addition of truffle. One particularly memorable piece is the hamachi nigiri, draped over vinegared rice and topped with julienned shishito peppers. Combining the fish's luxurious oils and the smoky punch of the peppers creates a symphony of flavors in the mouth. This dish and others like shima aji, topped with crispy garlic chips and salmon crowned with a warm lobe of foie gras, showcases Liu's flair for pairing unconventional ingredients to create a harmonious balance. Although the omakase starts at $75, our bill ended up more than $300 for two people because the pieces here are THAT good. We ended up ordering more à la carte, and the sake bottles were terrific, too!

Food 8/10 My thoughts straight from the sushi journal in real-time: 1. Snapper sea salt lemon juice lime: too much citrus but fish is soft 2. Chutoro: good wasabi balance, jelly-like consistency 3. Yellowtail shishito pepper: I like the char and the pepper pairing, a little chewier 4. Tuna truffle: fire, surprised I did appreciate truffle being added can definitely taste it 5. Shima aji: garlic chip most of the flavor, soft texture 6. Salmon tomato; mushy 7. Ikura: lemon zest. Why does this taste like boba to me 8. Botan ebi: kinda sweet, but not the sweetest, strong wasabi 9. Scallop: lime zest yuzu, no chew bite right through tender big scallop piece, very strong citrus again 10. Otoro toro caviar: caviar unnecessary but I love tuna so this was great, not too fishy 11. Eel: always solid, just a teensy bit dry 12. Toast: uni and toro, i love uni, bread was unnecessary would prefer w rice. This is what I don't like about innovative sushi 13. Toro handroll: a little small idk They are very generous with their fish pieces. The rice itself is not very distinct, light on the wasabi, little loose wish it had more vinegar, and we asked for less rice. I don't like frills in omakase, so this was definitely not my style. Atmosphere 3/10 Horrible ventilation bumped down the ranking significantly. The oil fumes made my head hurt. The counter is three-sided. Typical mid-tier omakase pretty good price for what you get in NYC. Service 5/10 Nice service. Because it's a timed omakase spot, they fed us piece after piece quite consecutively, but not complaining about it.

As other reviewers have said, this is an amazing omakase deal, especially for New York standards. Honestly, it's nothing crazy (simple, authentic, with some new takes on classics), but everything is incredibly fresh and high quality. You're definitely coming here solely for the food and for that, the price can't be beat. My only qualm is that it does feel rushed, not while you eat, but they start cleaning up 40 minutes in or so. The seating time should be slightly longer. Establishment is extremely casual. Maybe a 15 person countertop. You're in and out in 1 hour or less. The pacing of the food doesn't necessarily feel rushed, but definitely no lingering. Not a spot to go to hangout or catch up with someone. You CAN order extra pieces afterwards if you're still hungry, but again, they start cleaning up 40 minutes in so you feel rushed. I wish seating was a full hour and they starting cleaning at the 1 hour mark - it's just not super enjoyable to be eating while everyone is quickly shuffling around cleaning up everything. Normally I eat omakase with soy sauce (I know, I'm bad!) There was no soy sauce offered and the food tasted amazing!!!! Some favorites were the Tuna Truffle and the Toast with Uni.

Excellent omakase. The perfect combination of classic meets innovative in this intimate and unassuming setting. We ordered some extra pieces (wagu with foie gras!) and had some fab sake. We felt the prices were very fair, especially for NYC ( 75 pp base.) Will gladly return