Masa's New Extended Omakase Costs $1,200!
Plus: Price hikes at Sushi Sho and Sushi Noz. And three new omakase spots to look out for this spring
Last week, I wrote about how prices are creeping up at some of the city’s top tasting menu spots. But today, we’ll talk about the cost of dinner at an even tonier class of restaurants: New York’s rarefied sushi counters.
Things are getting more expensive, yet again.
Sometimes, like with Sushi Sho, the newly higher prices come via menu surcharges.
Sometimes, like with Noz, the cost of dinner has gone up following the elimination of a service-included policy (a development from late 2024).
And in the case of Masa, the country’s most expensive restaurant, there’s a brand new menu that caters to the wealthiest of wealthy patrons.
Whatever the scenario, these are all signs that upscale restaurateurs aren’t afraid to exercise a little pricing power — even as everyday operators face steep challenges in passing along cost increases.
Some of us might not swing by these exorbitant institutions every second Sunday of the month. Or ever. But I still like to think these stories are relevant. One of the things I’ve learned from 15 years of covering restaurant pricing is that when one or two high profile venues push up the cost of dinner, others inevitably follow.
Also: Price watching is a favorite spectator sport among New Yorkers! We love to complain about things becoming more unaffordable even when we couldn’t afford those same things in the first place. It’s a little like screaming about baseball player salaries or scrolling through Zillow for that regal townhouse in Carroll Gardens.
Prices are what we talk about. Even if we don’t have the means — or the desire — to sample the product or service they’re attached to. It’s part of our collective, “the rent is too damn high” narrative as New Yorkers.
So let’s get to it.
Masa’s new $1,200 omakase
Masa is already country’s most expensive restaurant.
Lunch is $495, service-included, while dinner at the hinoki bar runs $950.
At these stratospheric levels — well above what you’ll pay at any of the city’s celebrated omakase spots — Masa feels more like a semi-private club for plutocrats rather than a vital sushi destination. That’s all the more true in the aftermath of Michelin downgrading the decades-old institution to two stars last December.
In any case, Masa now offers a new seasonal omakase. It costs $1,200 per person.
The booking site calls the offering an “extended expression of Chef Masayoshi Takayama’s philosophy, rooted in the pursuit of purity.”
Masa goes on:
“The menu highlights rare ingredients at their most fleeting moment, featuring produce harvested at the turn of the season and delicacies chosen for their singular character.
Each evening unfolds differently, guided by what nature offers, with additional courses exploring nuance, depth, and quiet innovation.”
Masa did not respond to an inquiry about the new menu, but a receptionist at the restaurant said the offering has a “few extra dishes with seasonal ingredients.” She added that those additional appetizer dishes can change on a daily basis.
For something more affordable: Masa’s $950 menu kicks off with six to seven dishes, which might include Takayama’s toro tartare with caviar and toast, or his Ohmi beef with shaved truffles. That’s followed by 15 to 17 pieces of sushi. The lunch menu is a more abbreviated affair, as one might expect for a paltry $495 (lol). 10 Columbus Circle, Midtown West
Behind the Paywall: The New York Omakase Index!
Plus….
Sushi Sho’s new 10 percent admin fee
Noz is no longer service-included. What will it cost now?
Three big-deal sushi openings for this spring
How to book a well-regarded sushi pop-up in Union Square
Bonus! The steep price of Champagne and sake at Masa