Review: Okaru in Roslyn
The sashimi platter at Okaru in Roslyn. Credit: Danielle Daly
Okaru, the Roslyn venture from Marc Spitzer, of Manhattan’s famed BondSt, quickly became one of Newsday's best new restaurants when it opened last year. The historic, bi-level building, which dates to 1890, embraces modern Japanese and Scandinavian design over multiple dining areas, including a chef’s table and sushi bar. Within, attention to detail is everything: The handcrafted cocktails are impeccable, the miso is made in-house, dishes change seasonally; and nearly 90% of the menu is gluten-free, with many of the dressings made with tamari rather than soy.
Okaru
Range of entrees: $34 to $64
Accessibility: Yes
Attributes: Celebrations, date night, outdoor seating, dine at the bar, tasting menu, vegetarian-friendly, new for 2026
Reservations: Required
1401 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn
While most fish is flown in from Japan, Spitzer likes to highlight Montauk tuna and other local fish, so start with the tuna tarts — paper-thin sheets of raw big-eye draped over crisp gyoza wrappers, brushed with truffled ponzu and crowned with shiso microgreens. Oyster preparations change regularly; don’t skip. Cucumbers are smashed with toasted sesame and chili crisp. On the hot side, try the crispy shrimp with chili aioli, a BondSt riff that dots most tables. The sake braised short rib is accompanied by wasabi celery root puree in red shiso. The chicken katsu, fluke tempura and braised pork belly steamed buns always hit their mark.
The bar at Okaru. Credit: Danielle Daly
Hand rolls include a Hokkaido scallop and uni, while cut rolls include creative salmon kimchi, yellowtail with smashed avocado and gochujang miso, and lobster tempura with brown butter ponzu. The O.G. spicy tuna roll, a pillowy flavor bomb crusted with black sesame seeds, is a standout. Sashimi and nigiri offerings are ample, with six kinds of tuna and salmon, five types of yellowtail, various whitefish, plus indulgent options like uni, caviar and Alaskan king crab.
Credit: Danielle Daly
Notable dishes
Tuna tartlets, crispy shrimp, spicy tuna roll, NY strip, mushroom rice, bread pudding.
Tip:
A hard dinner reservation to snag, Okaru takes walk-ins at its front lounge, and offers brunch on weekends, both easier to score. An eight-piece chef’s selection omakase runs a reasonable $78. Though the menu feels vast, follow your taste buds, you won’t be misled.
Hot dishes are just as creative and delicious as the sushi. Miso Chilean sea bass is served with rice cake, there’s a dry aged New York strip with truffle teriyaki, and a grilled whole fish — recently branzino — with charred Japanese eggplant, water spinach, pickled long pepper and a yuzu shiso gremolata. For vegetarians, the mushroom rice is fantastic, but filling. If you have any room for dessert, the Japanese whiskey bread pudding is iconic.
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A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
