Sushi Restaurant Color Palettes

These restaurant sushi color palettes are used to select colors for your restaurant logo, menu, signboard, take away boxes, website and social media posts.

They’ve been created for the sushi chef, restaurant owner, the Japanese food brands, and anyone opening a sushi spot.

The food presentation, color combinations and interior design at Sachi – The Asian Fusion was very appreciative.

The furniture, seating arrangements, light and cleanliness further added to the atmosphere. The overall style seemed to me modern and stylish.

For a sushi restaurant, I think it’s a good option to use colors to make the food look appealing and stand out while also getting the restaurant a distinctive modern look.

Type of color palettes used for popular Sushi restaurants: Salmon Nigiri, Nori Black, Wasabi Fresh, Cherry Blossom, Torii Red, Bamboo Zen, Ocean Tuna, Soy & Sesame, Neon Tokyo, Rice Paper.

10 Sushi Restaurant Color Palettes

Quick Reference Table

Here is the full menu: All palettes and their 5 colors in one row.

New color way	HEX codes	Best for:
Salmon Nigiri	#FA8072, #FFB4A2, #FFF1EB, #2B2B2B, #009966	Music is a universal experience to all, even if they don’t like it.#00B386 Perched on the edge of the table.
Nori Black	#0F1A14, #1F2E25, #3D5245, #E8E4D9, #F99C00	Upscale casual restaurants.#C8102E Upscale omakase restaurants.
Wasabi Fresh	#6A994E, #A7C957, #F2E8CF, #386641, #1B1B1B	Fresh and healthy sushi bars
Cherry Blossom	#F6C1CC, #FCE4EC, #FFFFFF, #8E3B46,	The casual Japanese café is #3A3A3A.
Torii Red	#B22222, #E63946, #F1FAEE, #1D1D1D, #D4A373	Traditional Japanese restaurants
Bamboo Zen	#7A8B5C, #B5C99A, #EDEEC9, #5C4A3D,	The minimal zen-style dining rooms are #F9F7F1.
Ocean Tuna	#0B3954, #087E8B, #BFD7EA, #FF5A5F, #FFFFFF	Sushi restaurants with a seafood theme
Soy & Sesame	#3B2416, #7B4B2A, #C9A27E, #F3E6D3, #1B201E	Bento bars, or isakaya as in the photo above.#1B201E Izakaya-style sushi bars.
Neon Tokyo	#0D0D2B, #FF2E63, #08D9D6, #EAEAEA, #FFD23F	Late night sushi bars are all the rage
Rice Paper	#FAF8F2, #EFEBE1, #D8D2C2, #8A8578, #000000	Black, as in black tie and tuxedos.#333333 Takeout and delivery food, sushi.

What Palette is the best one for you?

A pen, a pencil, and a ruler (for the best results, include a marker)
A traditional Japanese restaurant	Torii Red: classic red and cream with a sense of authenticity and boldness.
	Exclusive, refined taste in high-end omakase bar, Nori Black: deep greens and black.
	Wasabi Fresh: bright greens feel clean and fresh, a fresh, healthy sushi menu.
A popular, evening time venue	Neon Tokyo: neon pink and aqua makes for a fun and urban venue.
A quiet, little dining room	Bamboo Zen: the soft bamboos feel peace in the dining room.
A takeaway or delivery brand	Rice Paper: simple off-whites are clean and neat.

Traditional Japanese vs Modern Minimal

The majority of sushi bars tend to be one of the two types described above. Here’s how they compare.

Traditional Japanese

Consider Torii Red, Soy & Sesame and Cherry Blossom.

Best for:

• Family-run sushi restaurants
• Casual and izakaya restaurants
• Restaurants using lanterns that are made of wood and paper.
• Brands which wish to appear warm and genuine.

Modern Minimal

Consider Nori Black, Bamboo Zen and Rice Paper.

Best for:

• Omakase and “Fine-dining” sushi bars
• Eating establishments located in malls or urban areas
• Delivery-first sushi brands
• Brands that desire a clean and high-end feel.

I suggest that most sushi restaurants use one colour accent such as red or green and a neutral base colour. It allows the colored sushi to stand out.

For the best results, use these palettes as follows:

Website

1. Lightest color as background on your page.
2. Display text and menus in the darkest color.
3. Use one accent colour for buttons such as ‘Order online’.

Signage & Packaging

1. Use a color converter to convert HEX to CMYK before printing.
2. Have one primary colour for take away boxes, chopstick sleeves and signboard.
3. If you are about to use soft greens and pinks, print a test box first, as they may fade on paper.

Social Media

1. Choose one background color to use for new roll and offer posts.
2. Use the same 2-3 colors to create text and menu graphics.
3. Check your grid. It shouldn’t be 10 sushi restaurants, it should be one sushi restaurant.

CSS Snippet

css

:root {
  --sushi-dark:  #0F1A14; /* text */
  --sushi-red:   #C8102E; /* buttons */
  --sushi-green: #3D5245; /* accents */
  --sushi-rice:  #E8E4D9; /* background */
}

Copy and paste this into your stylesheet, and then use color var(--sushi-red) anywhere you need to use the color red.

Pro Tip

Try your colours by placing them next to actual sushi! Before making your menu or box design, put a plate of salmon, tuna and avocado rolls on your table.

If there’s no sparkle in the fish’s range of colors against yours, opt for a more subdued or muted color. The sushi should be the center of attention.

An experience at “Sachi – The Asian Fusion” taught me that colors, lighting, furniture and presentation of the food are all equally important in the overall look of a restaurant.

A sushi restaurant can benefit from pairing white or cream with deep green, black or red to give a luxurious and upscale appearance.

But in choosing colors, it is important that the natural coloring of the food is visible and text on packaging/musy is easily readable.

This will help the restaurant’s branding to reflect the modern and appealing image, and will also help the presentation of the restaurant’s food.

FAQ

Which colours are suitable for a sushi restaurant?

Black, red, cream or soft green are good choices. They remind what nori, tuna, rice and wasabi in the same way.

What is the ideal number of colors for a Sushi restaurant brand?

I suggest 3-4 colors: one dark, one light and one or two accents. That’s just over too much.

Are these sushi restaurant color palettes free to use?

Yes. Make them into your logo, menu, website or take away boxes. No credit needed.

Was there a need to use red in a sushi restaurant?

Although Red is the traditional colour, black, green and cream are also suitable for a modern style.

Looking for more colour inspiration?

Choose from hundreds of brand colours in our Brand Colour Library. Click on any colour to copy it for free and forever.