damnlines.comdamnlines.comChef Nozomu Abe's eight-seat hinoki-counter omakase, entered through a locked sliding door on East 78th Street, is run like a referral-heavy private ryōtei and ranks among NYC's hardest reservations to land.
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Sushi Noz doesn't have a walk-up line either — thesushilegend.com describes the eight-seat hinoki counter's booking system as referral-heavy and among the hardest to crack in the city. The Infatuation corroborates the exclusivity, describing guests being "invited through a locked sliding door" on East 78th Street into a room built like a private Japanese ryōtei, and reports that the two nightly Abe-san seatings — 6pm and 9pm — "book up months in advance."
Per the restaurant's own FAQ (noz.global/faq), reservations "are released approximately six weeks prior to the date," though the release schedule isn't fixed, so the venue recommends joining its mailing list to get notified when new dates drop. The restaurant runs four seatings Monday through Saturday — 6pm and 9pm at the 8-seat Hinoki Counter, 5:45pm and 8:45pm at the 6-seat Ash Room — and a credit card is required to hold the reservation, per The Infatuation.
Cancellation terms are strict: per noz.global/faq, canceling inside 72 hours of the reservation forfeits the deposit entirely, with no exceptions, while cancellations outside that window get a refund minus a 3% processing fee. Arrivals more than 15 minutes late "cannot be guaranteed the full menu," per the same FAQ, and guests are instructed to ring the doorbell at 181 E 78th St rather than expect a hostess stand.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: Reservations required, released roughly six weeks out on no fixed schedule (mailing list recommended), per noz.global/faq. The Infatuation reports both nightly seatings book up months in advance. Canceling inside 72 hours forfeits the deposit; thesushilegend.com describes the booking system as referral-heavy.
Walk-ins: Not accepted — The Infatuation describes entry via a locked sliding door, and no source mentions a walk-in option.
There's no walk-in line — the wait is for a release of seats. Sushi Noz's own FAQ says reservations "are released approximately six weeks prior to the date" on no fixed schedule and recommends joining the mailing list for alerts. The Infatuation adds that the two nightly seatings "book up months in advance," and thesushilegend.com describes the eight-seat hinoki counter's booking system as referral-heavy and among the hardest to crack in the city.
Yes — reservations are required and released roughly six weeks out per the restaurant's own FAQ (noz.global/faq), with four nightly seatings split between the 8-seat Hinoki Counter and 6-seat Ash Room. Cancellations inside 72 hours forfeit the full deposit, per the same source.
No — The Infatuation describes guests being "invited through a locked sliding door" on East 78th Street, and no source mentions a walk-in option; thesushilegend.com characterizes the booking system as referral-heavy.
Sushi Noz's own site and thesushilegend.com list $495 per person for either counter; The Infatuation's review lists $250 for the Ash Room and $400 for the Hinoki Room, so pricing appears to have changed between reviews — check noz.global directly for current pricing.
Sushi Noz is at 181 E 78th St on the Upper East Side, between Third and Lexington Avenues, per the restaurant's own FAQ, which notes the 77th Street subway station is two blocks away and instructs arriving guests to ring the doorbell.
Sources: thesushilegend.com · The Infatuation · Sushi Noz official FAQ
