Where to eat sushi in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: an honest guide from a neighbourhood Japanese

Looking for good sushi in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria? Watch for three things: fresh Atlantic fish, rice served warm and made fresh each service, and cuts prepared to order at the counter. At Hito (Calle Galileo, 4) that is exactly what we do — and here is our honest take on how to choose.

What makes good sushi in Las Palmas?

It is not the priciest place or the one with the most colourful rolls. It is the one that respects the basics. And in sushi, the basics come down to fish, rice and cut. When those three pillars are right, almost everything else is noise.

The fish has to be fresh, and here in Gran Canaria we are lucky to have the Atlantic on our doorstep: bonito, amberjack, sea bream, wreckfish. It is local fish, with a flavour and texture that a frozen product shipped from the other side of the world can rarely match. When the produce is good, you taste it in every bite, and there is no need to drown it in sauces to enjoy it.

The rice is the other half of the work, and probably the most overlooked. Good sushi rice is served warm, close to body temperature, and made per service rather than the day before. The grains should be loose but bound, with just the right balance of vinegar, sugar and salt. If the rice comes cold from the fridge, clumped or too sharp, it does not matter how pretty the plate looks: the bite does not work. If you want to understand why the rice matters so much, we explain it in our guide to the types of sushi.

Then there is the cut. Sushi is cut to order, ideally in front of you. That is the difference between a counter and a delivery order: at the counter the nigiri reaches your plate seconds after it is built, with the right temperature and moisture, and the itamae adjusts each piece to what he sees in the fish that day. Delivery can never give you that, however good the place is. It is not worse or better — it is a different thing.

One practical tip: when you walk into a Japanese place, look for a counter and whether they work in full view. A spot that cuts in front of you has little to hide.

Where are the options: Triana and Vegueta?

The old town — Triana and Vegueta — holds much of the city’s dining scene, including some Japanese cooking. It is a pleasant area to walk before or after dinner, with pedestrian streets, shops and atmosphere at almost any hour. If you are exploring the centre, you will find options for every taste and budget, from small counters to larger rooms.

We are not going to hand you a ranking of names: that we leave to your own palate. Our advice never changes: ask whether they cut the fish to order and whether they have a counter. Notice, too, the temperature of the rice when it reaches you. That tells you more than any menu or any amount of décor.

And by the sea: Las Canteras and the Puerto?

The Las Canteras and Puerto area is the other big gastronomic zone, right by the beach and busy with locals and visitors alike. Eating sushi near the sea has its charm, especially at sunset, when the promenade fills up and you feel like sitting down without rushing. The offer here is wide and varied, with places built both for the passing tourist and for the neighbour who comes back.

Again, look at the produce and at how they handle the rice more than at the location or the views. A pretty terrace will not save a badly built nigiri. A good Japanese shows in the details — the sheen of the fish, the texture of the rice, the cleanliness of the counter — wherever it is, in the historic centre or facing the beach.

Why Hito?

Hito sits on Calle Galileo, 4, next to Santa Catalina park and a short walk from Las Canteras beach. We are a neighbourhood Japanese with our own counter, where Oliver Schultz (master sushiman), Olga Schultz and Alex, our second master of the cut, work to order right in front of you.

What defines us: we bring in whole Balfegó bluefin tuna and break it down in-house, drawing every cut — from the loin to the toro — for nigiri, sashimi, tataki and uramaki. Breaking the tuna down ourselves lets us use each part at its best and offer cuts you will not always find when the fish arrives already filleted. We are recommended by the Guía Repsol 2026 and hold 4.5 stars from more than 579 Google reviews. If you want to read them before coming, they are on our reviews page; we would rather you decided with the words of people who have already sat at the counter.

An honest note on hours, because nothing is worse than arriving at a closed door: we close on Mondays, open only for dinner on Thursdays and only for lunch on Sundays. The rest of the week, lunch and dinner, with the kitchen open until 16:00 at midday and until 23:00 in the evening. If you have a day in mind, book a table and we will save you a spot at the counter, which is where sushi is at its best.

What if you would rather have sushi at home?

We get it — some days call for the sofa, a film and staying in. We deliver sushi across Las Palmas through Just Eat and Uber Eats, so you can enjoy our menu without leaving home.

That said, we will be honest: the rice is at its best in the minutes right after it is cut. For delivery we do everything we can to send it well — we pack it carefully and choose pieces that travel better — but if you can, the counter always wins. There the fish is freshly cut, the rice is warm and every nigiri arrives on time. Your call: home or counter, both doors are open.