Sushi up here isn't one thing. There's the counter on First Avenue you can reach in three minutes when dinner starts late, and there's the edomae room on 78th you book a month out and dress for. Guests ask us for both, usually in the same week.
What makes the Upper East Side good for this is density. Between East 62nd and East 79th, mostly east of Lexington, there's a run of small counters that have been feeding the same regulars for years. They're not chasing anyone. Most of them seat under thirty people, several take reservations a month ahead, and a few will still find you a seat at 9:30 on a Tuesday if you call.
Here's the order we'd send you in, closest first. Walk times are from our door on East 62nd Street between First and Second. Prices move, so treat the numbers as the ballpark we've seen published rather than a quote. And if you're the kind of traveler who'd rather eat at your own counter, all of these blocks are an easy walk back with a bag.