Updated October 2026. Two visits to SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa in Beverly Hills: a work dinner with coworkers, and a spring break lunch with the whole family. The bill is at the bottom.
I had spent the day flying into Los Angeles and then sitting in a meeting, and by the evening I was done. One of my coworkers used to live in Southern California and ate at SUGARFISH all the time back then. He knew how much I love sushi, so he suggested we go. We didn’t have a reservation, we waited about 30 minutes for a table, and it was worth it.
The fish was probably some of the freshest I have had. And the rice, I don’t think I have had more well balanced rice before. When I got home and told Vika about it, she said that when we go to LA, she wants to try it. About a year later, on spring break, all four of us were sitting at a table there. Vika loved it as much as I did. The kids, not so much, and I think that is worth knowing before you bring yours.
Why SUGARFISH Beverly Hills felt like an experience, not just dinner
SUGARFISH sits on North Canon Drive, a block off Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The space is not huge, but there is a vibe when you walk in. That first time, I would say it was different from any sushi place I had been to. It was an experience.
Part of that is how it works. You don’t build your own order unless you want to. Most tables order a Trust Me, a set menu where the kitchen sends out a fixed run of courses, one plate at a time, in the order they want you to eat them. You just eat what shows up.
The other part is the rice. SUGARFISH says on its own site that the rice is served warm and loosely packed, against cool fish, and that this is the signature of the Nozawa style.
The Nozawa Trust Me, the bigger set I ordered at a work dinner
There were four of us that night. Three of my coworkers went with the regular Trust Me. I ordered the more expensive one, the Nozawa Trust Me. On the menu the night we went, it was the regular Trust Me plus bluefin otoro nigiri, and a few of the pieces came as two instead of one.
It starts with edamame and tuna sashimi sitting in ponzu with chives. Then the nigiri starts coming: albacore with ponzu and chives, salmon with toasted sesame, New Zealand sea bream with citrus salt, Japanese yellowtail with lemon, bluefin otoro, and hirame, a Japanese halibut, with yuzu ponzu. In between there is a toro hand roll, and it finishes with a blue and Dungeness crab hand roll. The table also added one more toro hand roll and an extra order of salmon.
The room is dim at night, which is why my photos from that dinner look the way they do. The food did not need good lighting.
The rice is the reason I keep coming back
I have eaten a lot of sushi, at home in the Chicago suburbs and on the road. At SUGARFISH, the rice was amazing. I don’t think I have had more well balanced rice before, and it comes to the table warm, which is how SUGARFISH says Nozawa style sushi is meant to be served.
Put that together with fish that fresh, and that is the whole case for this place. It is not fancy rolls and sauces. It is the basics, done really well.
A year later, we brought Vika, Josh and Emily on spring break
Vika had been waiting to try SUGARFISH ever since I came home talking about it. About a year after that work trip, the four of us went to Los Angeles for spring break, and we finally went together, for lunch.
It is a different experience depending on who is there. The first time it was dinner with coworkers after a long workday. This time it was lunch with two kids. But the food was still amazing.
Vika skipped the set menu, and she was happy with that choice
Vika did not want to order the set plates. So instead of a Trust Me, we ordered off the regular menu, different rolls plus a few pieces of nigiri, and everyone picked what they wanted.
She was happy with that choice, and she really enjoyed the food. If you are not sure about committing to a whole set, I think ordering this way is a good option, especially with kids at the table.
I don’t remember exactly what we ordered that day, so I will not pretend to walk you through it. The photos show a lobster hand roll for Vika and some eel nigiri, and that is about as far as my memory goes. What I can tell you is that it was incredibly fresh and tasty, the same as the first time.
Is SUGARFISH good for kids? Ours were not sold, and that is fair
Josh and Emily did not love it the way Vika and I did. It was not what they are used to. SUGARFISH is more authentic, in a sense, than the sushi places we usually take them to back home. The rolls are clean, with no heavy sauces, and the crab is real crab.
That last part is exactly where Josh got stuck. He is not a fan of real crab. He ended up eating what he ordered, but he did not appreciate it as much as we did. Emily had a cucumber roll and said it was fine.
So would I bring kids? Yes, if your kids already like real sushi, or if you are okay with them sticking to something simple. If your kids are used to spicy mayo and tempura crunch, set your expectations. One useful detail from SUGARFISH’s own FAQ: kids are allowed to order a plain bowl of rice, which adults can’t.
No reservations, and no tipping
SUGARFISH Beverly Hills does not take reservations. It is first come, first served, and the restaurant says the whole party has to be there before you can be seated. We walked in without a reservation on that work trip and waited about 30 minutes. It was worth the wait.
You also do not tip here. They discourage it, in fact. Instead there is a 16% fee on the bill, and the restaurant is clear that the fee is not a gratuity or a tip. It says so right on the receipt: “We are a no tipping establishment.”
Date night, family dinner or a business dinner, and what to wear
I have now done SUGARFISH two very different ways, and I think it works for all of them. It is great for a date night, it is great for a family dinner, and it is even great for a business dinner, which is exactly how I found it.
It is not a place you will want to walk into in your best sweatpants, though. It is a few steps nicer than that. Nice jeans, slacks, even nice shorts are fine. You just want to look presentable.
Our verdict on SUGARFISH Beverly Hills
For me, SUGARFISH was worth the wait the first time and worth coming back to the second. The fish is some of the freshest I have had, the rice is the best balanced I have had, and for where you are, it is not expensive.
Vika and I agreed that if we are back in Los Angeles as a family, we are coming back here. And she understands if I come back on my own when I am in LA for work. The kids can have a cucumber roll. For a more relaxed, no show kind of sushi night in LA, we also reviewed Noma Sushi in Santa Monica, the spot a local colleague took me to on another trip.
Both of these visits happened before I started this blog. Vika and I have been enjoying dining out and traveling for a long time, and this blog is our way of sharing it. SUGARFISH was too good not to share.
What SUGARFISH Beverly Hills cost
The work dinner for four came to just under $290. That covered three Trust Me dinners at $35 each, my Nozawa Trust Me at $46, nine Sapporo beers, an extra toro hand roll at $5.75 and an extra order of salmon at $6.
The subtotal was about $226, then the 16% fee and tax. There is no tip on top, because they don’t take one. With the beers in there, I would say that is not expensive for Beverly Hills.
I don’t have the receipt from our spring break lunch, so I can’t tell you what the four of us spent that day.
Prices have gone up a little since that dinner. When I checked SUGARFISH’s California menu in October, dinner was $36 for the Trust Me, $48 for the Nozawa Trust Me, $28 for the Trust Me Lite and $60 for Don’t Think. Just Eat. Trust Me. The lunch versions of the first three cost less.
SUGARFISH Beverly Hills location and hours
Address. 212 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
Phone. (310) 276-6900.
Hours. Daily 11:30 am to 10 pm, with lunch until 3:30 pm. Closed on a handful of holidays, so check their site around Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and the Fourth of July.
Reservations. None. Walk in, and bring your whole party.
Hours and policies are from SUGARFISH’s website when we checked in October.
Does SUGARFISH Beverly Hills take reservations?
No. It is walk in only, first come, first served, and your whole party has to be there before you are seated. We waited about 30 minutes on a weeknight.
Do you tip at SUGARFISH?
No. SUGARFISH is a no tipping restaurant. A 16% fee is added to the bill instead, and the restaurant says it is not a gratuity or a tip.
What is the difference between the Trust Me and the Nozawa Trust Me?
Both are set menus where the kitchen sends out the courses in order. The Nozawa Trust Me is the bigger one. The night we went, it added bluefin otoro nigiri and doubled up a few pieces. It costs more, $48 versus $36 at dinner when we checked.
Is SUGARFISH good for kids?
It can be, if your kids like real sushi. Ours were lukewarm. Josh doesn’t like real crab, and Emily stuck to a cucumber roll and said it was fine. Kids can order a plain bowl of rice, which is handy for picky eaters.
Why is the rice warm at SUGARFISH?
It is on purpose. SUGARFISH serves its rice warm and loosely packed so it contrasts with the cool fish, and it calls this the signature of Nozawa style sushi. For me, the rice was the best part.
What should I wear to SUGARFISH Beverly Hills?
Look presentable. Nice jeans, slacks or even nice shorts are fine, but skip the sweatpants. It is a few steps nicer than that.
Is SUGARFISH good for a date night or a business dinner?
Yes to both. We think it works for a date night, a family dinner and a business dinner. My first visit was a work dinner with coworkers.
Is SUGARFISH Beverly Hills worth it?
Yes. It has some of the freshest fish and the best balanced rice I have had, and for Beverly Hills it is not expensive. Go for the Trust Me if you like sushi, and order off the regular menu if someone at your table doesn’t.
This article is not sponsored. Nothing was comped by the restaurant. Both of our visits were before we started this blog, so nobody there knew we would ever write about them. Prices come from our itemized receipt and SUGARFISH’s posted menu.
