Masa

Should You Book Masa?

Yes — if you are prepared for one of the most demanding price tags in American dining and want a counter-focused omakase experience that three consecutive Michelin stars suggest no other New York restaurant has matched in Japanese precision. If you are weighing Masa against another $$$$ tasting menu in the city, the question is not quality but format: this is sushi as ceremony, not a French kitchen's progression of courses. Book it for that reason specifically, or do not book it at all.

The Counter Is the Meal

Masa seats 26 guests, and the most consequential decision you will make before arrival is where you sit. Request the sushi bar. The ten oversized leather chairs at the hinoki wood counter are where the experience earns its price: chefs work directly in front of you, the pale wood surface runs almost white under the lighting, and courses are occasionally placed in your hand rather than on a plate. The atmosphere here is not celebratory in the way a French dining room feels celebratory. It is calm, focused, and quiet in a way that Columbus Circle, four floors below, makes feel intentional. This is not a loud room. Conversation is possible but the energy pulls you toward attention, not chatter. If you are bringing someone who needs background noise to relax, note that.

The format is a pre-set progression with no menu handed to you. It opens with appetizers — preparations involving seafood, caviar, and toro , moves into a green tea pause, then proceeds through sushi courses built around fish flown in daily from Japan and international sources. Tuna, sea bream, eel, sea urchin, scallops, and octopus appear regularly. The rice is served lukewarm, the temperature contrast with cold fish giving it a texture that distinguishes it from every other omakase counter in the city. White truffles appear over rice courses. Foie gras nigiri and meltingly tender abalone are recurring features. The meal closes with buckwheat tea and a grapefruit granite. You can ask the kitchen to repeat any course.

The sake list is a secondary reason to sit at the counter rather than a table. It rotates seasonally, runs to six varieties plus a private label, and spans fragrant and unfiltered styles including a nigori sake that pairs well with the richer courses. Ask your server about the current selection when you arrive rather than waiting for it to be offered.

Coming Back: What to Do Differently

If you have been once and are considering a return, the counter remains the right call, but treat this visit as an opportunity to engage the chefs directly about the seafood sourcing and current seasonality. The menu changes with what is available, so the sushi progression you experienced before will not be identical. Lunch service runs Tuesday through Saturday, 12 to 2 pm, and offers the same format at the same counter , for a return visit, lunch is worth trying if your first experience was dinner. The room feels slightly more open during the day, and the seasonal truffle and caviar components are the same regardless of service. Bar Masa, on the same fourth floor of the Time Warner Center, exists if you want a shorter, less structured version of Takayama's cooking without the full commitment.

Ratings and Recognition

Masa holds three Michelin stars as of both 2024 and 2025, a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating, and a La Liste score of 89 points in 2025 (83 in 2026). Opinionated About Dining ranked it 56th in North America in 2023, 75th in 2024, and 67th in 2025. The Google rating sits at 4.2 across 543 reviews. The Michelin inspectors' note is direct: foie gras nigiri and abalone of this calibre are a rarity, and the hinoki counter experience is described as singularly memorable.

Practical Details

Reservations: Near impossible to secure without advance planning. Masa takes reservations by phone starting Monday 10 am to 8 pm and Saturday noon to 8 pm. Call on the opening window, not mid-week. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, lunch 12–2 pm and dinner 5–9:30 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. Dress: No formal dress code. Comfortable, casual clothing is fine , the room does not require or expect black tie. Budget: $$$$ with a 26-course pre-set menu. Factor sake pairings into your total. Location: Fourth floor of the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019. Seats: 26 total; 10 at the hinoki counter bar.

How Masa Compares to Other New York Omakase Counters

Within the New York omakase tier, Sushi Noz and Sushi Amane offer counter experiences that are technically serious and significantly easier to book. If the ceremony and the truffle-and-caviar luxury components are not your priority, either of those is a more practical choice at a lower price. Kosaka and Sushi Nakazawa are the right comparisons if you want counter sushi without the full pre-set commitment. Sushi Yasuda remains a reliable option for a la carte precision at a fraction of Masa's price. The comparison that matters most: Masa is not competing against those venues on value. It is competing on experience ceiling. If the ceiling is what you are paying for, Masa justifies it.

For a broader view of where Masa sits in the national range of high-commitment tasting menus, consider how it positions against The French Laundry in Napa, Alinea in Chicago, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, and Providence in Los Angeles. Each of those operates at a comparable price tier and commitment level. Masa's distinction within that group is its counter format and Japanese sourcing rigour. Internationally, Sushi Masaki Saito in Toronto and Endo at The Rotunda in London are the closest structural comparisons for travellers who want to benchmark the experience outside New York.

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