9 top Japanese restaurants in Edinburgh
If you're after sushi, gyoza or ramen, Edinburgh's Japanese restaurants are packed with flavour
Harajuku Kitchen
10 Gillespie Place
A hybrid of endearing neighbourhood bistro and more-than-sushi Japanese specialist, this is a place to explore new flavours, eat well and feel looked after. Go beyond sushi to try their gyoza, curries and donburi.
Kenji Sushi
24 Deanhaugh Street
Kenji makes the most of its subterranean surroundings with dark walls, paper lanterns and cute room dividers splitting the tiny space. A big menu hits all the marks, but you’re probably here for the sushi: sea-fresh and generous, it’s among the best in the city.
Kome Izakaya
13a Brougham Street
Casual Japanese bar-dining culture is de rigueur at Kome Izakaya: small bowls of seaweed-infused rice topped with runny egg, mini yakitori skewers in sweet-salty glaze and sandos on soft shokupan. Craft cocktails are as prettily presented as the food and there’s a vast choice of sake for connoisseurs.
Satoru
45 St Patrick Square
Japanese cuisine as it should be: a select menu specialising in one delicacy. In Satoru’s case, it’s tempura and udon noodles. Light and crisp battered prawns and vegetables are the stars, topping warm bowls of thick noodles. Décor is simple yet effective, just like each perfectly presented dish.
Yamato
11 Lochrin Terrace
A masterclass in relaxed yet serene Japanese fine dining, with top-notch sashimi, nigiri and maki rolls alongside izakaya (small plates) and the chance to sample high-grade tuna, wagyu beef and saké.
Yutori
83 Morrison Street
Sushi is fresh, ramen is thick and piping hot, and the décor is cool. You’ll see the standard California-style sushi (dragon rolls, rainbow rolls) on the menu alongside staples like gyoza, katsu and tempura, but every dish is quality, and you can get adventurous with the sake choice.
Also try… Budget yet excellent sushi is still available thanks to a BYOB policy at Chizuru Tei, while classy lightwood and paper elevate Kanpai to fancy dining levels. New kid on the block Nishiki hits the mark on décor and dishes in equal measure.
This TipList is taken from Eat & Drink 365, our sister mag recommending the best in restaurants, bars, cafés and more across Edinburgh. Want a copy? It’s available online or across all good stockists in Scotland’s capital; main picture: Tim Drew.