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This venue is closed.

Overlook the spray-painted graffiti on the signage and ignore the seasick green stucco walls inside, and you’ll find that sea-fresh sushi is to be had in this minuscule spot. They also serve a smattering of unusual Japanese appetizers, like starchy, rice vinegar–marinated pumpkin and broiled alligator. The latter is imported from New Orleans, stuffed with shiso basil, and rubbed with a generous pile of sea salt; the result amounts to an addictive white meat, salty and tangy—reminiscent of chicken, but with a satisfying fishy aftertaste. If you’re here for sushi, you’ll get consistently fresh and simple renditions of familiar dishes. Slabs of sashimi draped over rice—from the generously marbled, deep-red fatty tuna to the soft, pink salmon—are melt-in-your-mouth tender. Expect to overhear many conversations in Japanese between young tourists intermingling with the low tones of the occasional celebrities who seem to revel in Natori’s grungy anonymity. — Laurel Fantauzzo

Natori has two separate entrances to two small, divided dining rooms; both share the same kitchen and practically the same interior.

Broiled alligator, $6