The Best Sushi in Rio de Janeiro

Eight seats at a counter inside a Leblon shopping center sounds like a trap, but this Michelin-starred omakase counter runs on a different logic entirely. The chef spent decades in Japan and founded a sushi school there, and he arrives at your seat with fresh fish, a steady knife, and apparently a lot of good stories. Newcomers to omakase get a quiet explanation of what's coming; everyone gets a glass of sake at the door.

1. Michelin Guide 1 Star

A Japanese-philosophy-meets-Copacabana sushi bar where the chef sources fish directly from local fishermen rather than from anyone in a suit. The ground floor spills onto the pavement; upstairs, a counter faces an open kitchen and the mood shifts. You can order sushi and temaki à la carte or surrender to the omakase, with sake available by the glass throughout.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
2. The 50 The 50 Discovery

A twelve-seat counter in Leblon where the day's fish, displayed behind the chef, decides the menu. This omakase spot skips salmon entirely in favor of locally caught fish and shellfish alongside imported tuna from multiple origins, which is the chef's calling card. The São Paulo locations came first, but the Leblon outpost fits the neighborhood. Book early; the room fills fast and there is no winging it on walk-ins.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant