One of the finest sushi restaurants in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ, is Ra—ironically named this because they serve raw fish. But the irony in the name aside, you will not find a classier or more posh sushi bar than this place. Nestled nicely into Old Town Scottsdale, about two blocks south of the Galleria, Ra has earned its place in Old Town fame due to the decadent and vibrant interior and their gourmet fare.

On a typical Friday or Saturday evening you will see a long line to get into this very popular restaurant. If you are planning on trying out their wide variety of sushi fare, make sure that you book a reservation, otherwise you will be stuck waiting in a line that takes several hours; I have had to wait in line before to get into this place.

Once inside the restaurant, ample seating and vaulted ceilings greet you. A huge, wrap-around sushi bar is located in the direct center of the restaurant—where world-class, gourmet sushi chefs are hard at work preparing each order. Their fish is imported every single day in saltwater; it is as fresh as it gets. They are known for their excellent specialty dishes and of course, Toro—which will run you about $200 an order here.

A very popular bar is located to the left side of the restaurant; I recommend steering clear of this bar—it is always packed and nearly impossible to get a drink. The average meal for two will run you about $100 with tip. But this is what you will have to pay to dine at the nicest sushi restaurant in Scottsdale. The great service and the amazing eats set this place in a class of its own. Rating based upon personal experience: * five stars.

When in South Scottsdale if you do not find yourself at Ra or Kona, head to the next best restaurant tucked neatly in between the two, Sting Ray. This sushi bar is the newest one to makes its debut in Old Town Scottsdale and they have much to offer the hungry visitor. A smaller restaurant with a decent-sized patio and tiny bar compliment this romantic and generally quiet establishment.

The décor is very nice, featuring ancient Asian artifacts that are encased in plexi-glass and had to have cost a fortune to acquire. The service is so-so, sometimes the waiter remembers everything, but on some occasions I have been forgotten or had to remind the server of missing items in my order. Their prices are fair, especially considering that they have their fish shipped in fresh daily.

Drink specials are not common here and they are known to charge a little more for drinks from the bar. If you find yourself at Sting Ray, stay away from the soup—it is disgusting. Other than that, their sushi is rather excellent—made right in front of you at the medium-sized sushi bar they have. A dinner for two will cost you between $50-75 with tip. Recommended dishes are the California Rolls and the Cucumber Rolls. Rating based upon personal experience: * three stars; the service could improve as well as their drink prices.

This small sushi bar is coyly hidden in South Scottsdale, just north of Old Town in the Sun Flower shopping complex off Miller road. They offer an unusual Asian fare, featuring mostly sushi but also some other popular dishes such as teriyaki steak and chicken bowls. Their sushi bar is small but gets the job done. The place is tiny, but not very popular; they will almost always have a table open.

They have not gotten their liquor license yet—so drinks are a no-go. However, they do offer some of the best shrimp tempura that you will ever eat in your life. Other than that their dishes cry the usual banter when it comes to sushi. Added plusses are the more personalized customer service experience and very fresh food. Rating based upon personal experience: * three stars; no drinks are they crazy?

Located at one of the world’s largest malls—Scottsdale Fashion Square—Kona Grill is the 20’s something South Scottsdale hotspot for fine sushi dining and bar-hopping. This place is almost always packed to the brim, due to the immense demand for their specialty appetizers and their amazing sushi fare. They also run happy hour two times per day—where they offer several sushi dishes for only a few bucks, and of course, Sake Bombers for only $4.

There are two sides to this restaurant. The bar, which borders the outside of the mall and has a rather large patio that is outfitted with large screen plasma TVs, and the interior downstairs—which connects to the inside of the mall. There is ample seating at this sushi bar; typically the longest that you will wait is about five to ten minutes.

They have more than 40 different sushi dishes that you can eat—I recommend the Philly Rolls and their one-of-a-kind avocado egg rolls. The average dinner for two will run you about $75 with gratuity. Excellent service, gourmet dishes, great drink selection and no lines make Kona a win-win. Rating based upon personal experience: ** four stars.

The best sushi bar that you will ever eat at when in North Scottsdale is Sushi Brokers, located conveniently off the 101 freeway and Frank Lloyd Wright BLVD; very accessible from anywhere in North Scottsdale. This very large restaurant is more of a 20-30’s hangout and is very popular amongst the many residents of North Scottsdale. They offer a huge building that has generic décor, but serves to hold up to 350 patrons, so you know there will always be a table open. Since they are so large however, it does cause for a noticeable lag in service; do not expect five-star customer service here.

They have plenty of drink specials, which is one of their main attractions. Their sushi prices are amongst the best to be found in all of Scottsdale—in part because they do not have their fish shipped in daily. Decent service and great prices, as well as ample seating all make this restaurant worth visiting. When there I highly recommend the Las Vegas Rolls—they are the best in town. Dinner will cost you about $50 for two people with a nice tip. Rating based upon personal experience: * three stars; okay, but could be much better.

Other Great Sushi Places: