Sasaya

One of the city’s greatest culinary gripes is the poor availability of fresh fish, something blamed on geography but more likely to do with local tastes traditionally running to the freshwater varieties or smoked and pickled preserves. This poses a challenge for Japanese restaurants and other than the scores of combination Asian places serving ‘discount’ sushi, the Real McCoy is hard to come by. An authentic menu and a bustling atmosphere have kept Prenzlauer Berg’s Sasaya a long-term favourite. The sashimi here is eye-poppingly fresh and they also serve the interesting thick sushi rolls futo maki alongside fine cooked dishes of grilled horse mackerel and kakuni (braised pork belly). For a real taste of the ocean though, try one of their dressed seaweed salads, those emerald-green strands’ slimy crunch akin to a muscle-memory of their previous maritime home. This place packs out: reservations required.