Nizuni

Unassumingly sitting at the end of Charlotte Street, Nizuni is a little gem of a Japanese resaturant. Before getting there my worries about the place were that it would be too bright and the tables would be too close together for comfort. On entering, I found that though the tables are close it certainly wasn't enough to distract from our conversation by any stretch and the lighting was nicely low and understated. The interior is coloured by dark wood floors, tables and ceilings, with lighter coloured walls. All in all it's a very cosy feel.

Foodwise we had tuna tartar and yellowtail with truffle oil to start, the latter of which was incredible, and the 38-piece sushi platter to share for the main. This platter was totally sufficient and we didn't need any sides with it. Remember your eyes can always be bigger than your stomach when it comes to sushi. Though the sashimi was good, the mackerel and sea bass sushi won the evening, along with some excellent small maki, not sure what was in them but they were great. Dessert was excellent, with my platter of green tea, black sesame and red bean ice cream being really something special.

No problems with the service at all, though my only reservation was the waitress bringing us the wrong sake which I only realised when the bill came [of course, it was a more expensive one]. Apart from that the whole place is reasonably priced and very good quality. The main course 38-piece platter was £50 but when you consider that was all we needed between the two of us it's a very decent price. No annoying music either and the kind of clientèle that frequent these places meant there were no annoyingly loud tables of drunks, even on a Saturday. All in all an excellent evening which we really enjoyed: a cosy restaurant, nice location, and great food. What more can you ask. Would definitely like the return.
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deep silent complete
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, April 28, 2013

I'd recommend anyone who's curious about Japanese cuisine to give this place a look.

The menu is quite extensive and food extremely well prepared. I ordered my favourites this time round and nothing disappointed.

Service is quite friendly and attentive, but I dropped a couple of points as there were times when the left hand didn't seem to know what the right hand was doing. Sometimes staff would approach us to ask a question that we'd already answered, or to offer desserts when we'd only just finished starters. Not a major problem, but a bit of a concern when you're trying to impress someone for a birthday meal.

I also dropped a couple of points on atmosphere. Although the decor is really nice to look at, the tables are very close together. So it's quite easy to get a posterior next to your cheek or an apron strap across the table.

Value wise I felt it was expensive for the sake of being expensive. I had unwittingly booked online which I hadn't realised entitled me to a 30% discount. But even with the discount, this place is a wallet-drainer. In my opinion, there is nothing inately special about a Japanese restaurant, so I see no reason why they should tend to be more expensive than anywhere else.

Looking back on the review, I see it looks a bit scathing, but I did have a good time here. So I'll just close by reminding that I would recommend it - mainly because the food is very good indeed.
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Alan Ingham - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Monday, December 10, 2012

We went for dinner at Nizuni, taking advantage of the 30% off all food. The starters were great. I got the veggie/fish/prawn tempura and my partner got the chicken dumplings, which he said were lovely. Then we shared the grilled miso Aubergine, which was amazing! The mains were a bit of a let down though. My sea bass was really tasty but was quite expensive and came with nothing to accompany it. My partner said his main of the pork belly was delicious but also very small. The two noodle dishes we got as sides were rubbish though. Totally bland and and the noodles tasted like shop bought super noodles. We both left most of the those and just ate all the veg which came with it. Stick to sushi and the smaller appetizers.
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Laura
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, August 07, 2012

I love this restaurant!!! Great food, service and atmosphere. I took a friend there for his birthday and went back soon after with my wife. On both occasions everyone had an excellent time.

The menu is rich, which provides you with the opportunity to sample some Japanese dishes that you may not have had previously and the prices are reasonable.

Looking forward to going back again soon!
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Justin
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, October 06, 2011

Nizuni have a good range of food dishes – dispelling the myth that Japanese food is just raw fish. It was clear that it had all been freshly prepared. The setting is very tranquil, however what makes the experience extra special is the service - which was outstanding. Thanks to all the team for making me and my friend feel so looked after. I will be back again!
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SM
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, September 27, 2011

wow, we ended up dining here when our beloved barrica was closed for bank holiday but were very impressed. The udon noodles were the best i have ever had and with chilli in them so a real treat to have extra heat. The service was very friendly and the gyozo was also very good. The beef bento also was very generous sized portion of meat even though part of lunch deal. We are very pleased to have stumbled across this place. They also open up all the door windows in the summer so its nice and breezy. Excellent lunch option. The main menu looks more pricey but if even as good as the lunch offers it will be worth it!!
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HG001 - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 25, 2011

I have had two lunches here, both of which were excellent. The first was a selection of smaller dishes and some sushi: everything was wonderful. The second was a mackerel bento box with a shared starter of edamame and beef tataki. Again, all excellent,. Reasonably priced for the quality of the food and environment, although some dishes, like the beef tataki, were slightly stingy (five mouthfuls of beef for £7), especially compared to something like the bento box, which was about £10 for a full meal. Nonetheless I have recommended it to colleagues and will be going back, eagerly. it;s a good venue for a reasonable-mid-priced business or casual lunch.
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RichardM
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Great place to eat. This is the 2nd time I've been there and I just love the food here. Staff are friendly and nice too. Atmosphere is lively. Would recommend!
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Kate
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, December 19, 2010

I went to the restaurant last weekend. I have no idea of Japanese food. I was given very good recomendations from the waiter. I had some tempura and spinachi as stater which were great. and after that I had some Maki and black cod, it was amazing. That was the best cod I've had before. I'll bring my parents next time, they will like it.
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james - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I have been there for dinner twice now.

Cool atmosphere, tasty food, excellent and fantastic service. All staff are nice.....

Love it !!!
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Walton - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, December 13, 2010