Sugarfish, a well-known sushi restaurant from Los Angeles, will open in San Diego’s Little Italy district early in the new year, the city announced Tuesday.
The company’s first outlet outside of Los Angeles, Orange County, or New York will be located at 2100 Kettner Blvd.
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Co-founder Lele Massimini expressed her excitement about bringing Sugarfish to San Diego’s Little Italy district. “We don’t open another restaurant just to open one — we do it because growth enables us to source better fish and gives our guests a better bite of sushi.”
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Sugarfish, Nozawa Bar, and KazuNori are all owned by the Sushi Nozawa Group, which was established in 2008. Its “Nozawa-style sushi,” as it is called, is made using simple, seasonal, and fresh ingredients to create “sushi at its very best.”
Featuring “the highest quality fish sourced from around the world, crisp nori, and warm, loosely-packed rice,” the restaurant’s four “Trust Me” set dinners in an omakase format serve as the centerpiece of its menu.
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“The secret to our success has been our guests’ ability to distinguish between good and great sushi,” co-founder Tom Nozawa stated. “The quality of the fish and the simplicity say it all.”
The Little Italy restaurant, which is slated to open in the spring of 2026, was inspired by building designer Cliff May’s ranch-style residences in California. According to a statement from the company, the 40-seat eatery will have exposed structural columns, natural concrete floors, and wide windows that showcase harbor sunsets.
