Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Cocoro

    4.7 (14 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndJapanese, Desserts, Live/Raw Food
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:00 PM, 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

    Cocoro Photos

    COCORO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Cocoro

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Degustation at Cocoro 21/1/13
    Alex D.

    Degustation is not normally my cup of tea - I find it to be a bit overwhelming. However, the focus on fresh, clean flavours at Cocoro makes it much more enjoyable. From delicate sashimi served with fresh South Island wasabi presented in a three-tiered lacquer box to snapper fried in a light tempura served with buckwheat in a ten-dashi broth, each is expertly prepared and beautifully presented! The service is also flawless - perfectly timed and not at all intrusive. We never had to ask for anything and each course was cleared promptly after it had been finished. Since we were in a Japanese restaurant, we of course thought it only right that we order a flight of sake. There are a couple of options here and unfortunately I can't remember what our was called but it came with 4 different sake(s?). The waiter brought each bottle to the table to pour it and explained a little bit about each sake and which dishes they went best with. Very helpful! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Cocoro to locals and would happily show it off to international visitors!

    Seriously, get their signature sashimi platter! It's worth it, just remember to call a day in advance to reserve. It was a cute restaurant with street parking and 2 reserved parking spots to the back. Clean, Japanese staff who were professional. We had their tasting menu and loved every course! The highlight was the sashimi platter! The varieties were amazing, just recalling it makes me drool. We were visiting from USA and have been to multiple high end sushi and kaiseki places, Cocoro is among our favorites. Overall, if I can put it in one word, it would be "humble". I didn't feel that they were trying hard to look luxurious or pretentious, down to earth fresh quality food. From my experience, I give it a 5 star. I hope to go back for that signature sashimi platter again soon!

    Cocoro - a taste bud extravaganza

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex D.
    875
    602
    2865

    12 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ben K.
    32
    44
    13

    13 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hannah J V.
    25
    289
    353

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Isabel C.
    61
    12
    22

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Excellent food and service. A little lacking on ambiance with the minimalist decor.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Review Highlights - Cocoro

    The highlight was the sashimi platter!

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Industry Zen

    Industry Zen

    3.7(32 reviews)
    2.3 kmViaduct
    $$$

    The world according to yelp: 1 STAR=Eek! Methinks not…read more 2 STAR=Meh. I've experienced better. I'm being generous when I award this business 2 stars!!! My personal rating would be 1 star...I will not return. The waitstaff here has zero concept of customer satisfaction or accommodation, or how to promote a positive experience for their diners. The chef prepares a reasonably good quality assortment of food, which garners a food rating of 3 (4 stars tops) stars. Thus, the complete dining experience, which someone seeks when they dine, is relegated the below average of 2 stars (and as I said...I'm being generous). Another couple walked in ahead of us by 10 seconds at 5:35pm. The two couples were waiting to be attended to by the waitstaff member, who was busy making telephone calls to confirm upcoming reservations, and couldn't have the decency to welcome waiting guests. After completing a few more calls, about 5 minutes, he then turned to first address the guests. Not a welcoming intro. Though the restaurant was deserted at opening, we were seated next to the bar, where the barman was busy grinding ice. This barstaff activity persisted for 10 minutes. Normally this sort of prep work is done in advance of opening, so as not to disturb diners. We remarked to the "host/waiter" who greeted and seated us, and he replied "it'll only be another 4, 5 or 6 minutes...thanks for your understanding". We could have walked out with that attitude and what we encountered previously. A long wait before anyone came to our table to take any orders. Finally I got up and went to the barman who had brought beers out to some patio diners and asked him to take our orders. We ordered drinks and our food, and he promptly went back to his bar station and kept grinding more ice. I then got up again and asked him for our drinks. He stopped grinding the ice and only then prepared our beer and wine. The host/waiter brought our food and served up the three sauces into a tray for our table. He squirted a fair amount of the mayonnaise sauce onto the floor. Did he ever clean it up??? NO!!! I had to remark to him about it some 20 minutes later, and he then remedied his own mess. But enough about the lack of service and the inattentiveness to customers. The food.... It was good, but not anything special, or what one wouldn't expect from any decent Japanese restaurant.

    Stopped in for lunch and LOVED the presentation of the lunch specials. For under $30, the specials…read morecame with a decent amount of food, and everything was just so cute! The appetizer plate came with two salads and two fried items, and for dessert the special came with a chocolate covered ice cream choux. The sushi boat was also very cute and delicately placed. I just didn't even know what anything was. The pieces were small and nothing was fishy tasting. I didn't know what to expect for the hot plate ramen. It just sounded interesting. The beef was served cold on a sizzling plate, so when I thought they were cooked medium rare, I just ended up chewing cold meat. When I left the meat on the plate to warm, then they were over cooked. The ramen broth didn't have any meat in it and it was a little too salty. Overall, Industry Zen gets an A+ on presentation, but just average rating for taste of food.

    Photos
    Industry Zen
    Industry Zen
    Industry Zen

    See all

    Tomo Japanese Restaurant & Yakitori Bar

    Tomo Japanese Restaurant & Yakitori Bar

    3.5(4 reviews)
    1.0 kmPonsonby
    $

    I have picked up sushi here while walking past on a number of occassions. They have it right on…read morethe street so it's super convenient and the staff are always on hand to relieve your bank account swiftly so you can get on with getting a good fill. I can recommend the chicken Katsu California Rolls and the Teriyaki Beef rolls. The only downside is that I am not keen on the way they do their Soy Sauce in foil packets, I found them difficult to open. I haven't eaten in the restaurant so cannot really comment on that side of the business, but it looks pretty dark back there.

    Tomo Restaurant and Yakitori Bar is certainly not the best sushi and yakitori in the city. I went…read morewith some friends to use a group buying voucher for unlimited sushi and a hot main course each. The sushi was very heavy on rice and light on everything else - I guess when you're offer all-you-can-eat you want to make it as cheap and unappealing as possible. Worse, the ingredients were dry and had almost certainly been sitting around in the fridge for too long. In fact, many of them were not every very presentable, smooshed by previous diners or careless staff. Also, be careful if they run this deal again - you need to eat all the sushi you take or you'll be charged $1 per wasted piece. I think this is fair enough to avoid wastage, but it's worth keeping in mind. The service was attentive, but not particularly friendly. The main courses were better, but nothing amazing. I'd try other yakitori offerings before returning to Tomo.

    Photos
    Tomo Japanese Restaurant & Yakitori Bar
    Tomo Japanese Restaurant & Yakitori Bar
    Tomo Japanese Restaurant & Yakitori Bar

    See all

    Kabuki Teppanyaki - That's the flying egg fried rice in flight.

    Kabuki Teppanyaki

    4.2(5 reviews)
    2.3 kmAuckland CBD, Viaduct
    $$$$

    I had heard a lot about this restaurant before finally deciding to come here. Kabuki is inside the…read moreStamford Plaza Hotel. A small "communal" dining restaurant, as you share a large table with other dining parties that encompasses the cooking area. For those who have never been to a Teppanyaki Restaurant: the chef cooks the food in front of you and performs various hat-trips with his cooking utensils and condiments as well as making some food fly at you while you attempt to catch it straight into your mouth. Our chef that night was having an off-night as there were plenty of clumsy mistakes and re-attempts. The dishes were great, some weren't. The beef was a bit overcooked, and the fried rice underfried.

    Went back and forth trying to decide if I should come here for quite a while. In the end, I was…read more disappointment with the experience. The place- in the ground level of Stamford Plaza Hotel. A very nice lobby. Came here on a Saturday, and there was a pianist playing there. The actual restaurant itself is small, with four iron griddles and seating areas. Can host about 15 people per area but you seat very close to each other. The smoke does get to you during the meal as my glasses were covered with little oil droplets from the frying. The food- not the standard that I was expecting. My disclaimer is that I came for the lunch special. Maybe they do a better job for dinner. The chef was professional, but could add a little more flair. The meats were in general tough and difficult to digest. Very little aesthetic appeal in general with the appetizer and the main. I was also disappointed that the lunch special did not include fried rice. The service- give them a point for trying hard, but it would be nice if they didn't serve and clean over the top of my son. I have to give them a plus for giving me a whole plunger pot of tea.... don't see that very often, but was very convenient for me. I see others had good experience, maybe I am biased by the lunch special using a coupon. it was supposedly half price ($15/person). Not sure if I would pay full price for the food.

    Photos
    Kabuki Teppanyaki
    Kabuki Teppanyaki
    Kabuki Teppanyaki - Lunch special

    See all

    Lunch special

    Nishiki - Chicken special sauce katsu

    Nishiki

    3.7(15 reviews)
    0.9 kmFreemans Bay
    $$

    When we came in here it may have just been a Tuesday night but still it was busy. Seems like it may…read morebe best to book as we were asked if we had a booking , and who knows we could have been turned away. But no, there was a table for us. As I have found always with the Japanese restaurants , except one i have been to,there service is top notch from entering to leaving. You are greeted , attended to well and bid farewell at the end!!! The exact same applied to this restaurant. We did have a little difficulty choosing as we were tempted by a lot of menu , but alas there is only so much one can eat in one sitting. We eventually settled on the Chicken sauce katsu , Imo Mochi which is potatoe cake with sweet sauce and butter, Dragon roll or eel tempura roll, Kumara chips , and Sukiyaki Hot Pot . We did have a desert to finsh of Yuzu Misato. The Chicken Sauce Katsu for me was not the best I have had , it could do with a bit of improvement. The Imo Mochi was perfect, as were the Kumara chips. The Dragon roll was very tasty, helped by the fact that I am a big fan of eel dishes anyway. The Sukiyaki Hotpot was average and nothing to rave about but tasty all the same. The Yuzu Misato we had to finish was delicious and will have to have again one day. To sum it all up. The service as I stated before is as I have found in all Japanese restaurants bar one top notch. But I nearly forgot to mention that the waitress did bring us the wrong dish at first that was meant for another table. This was only there for a second and an apology was extended. Not a black mark for them because of that as they rectified it very quickly and apologised. The food was for the better part good and delicious and finally the bill did not break the bank hardly. Well deserving of a return visit to try some other dishes.

    This place has 2 meetings ON Saturday night, 6pm or 8pm. We went for the earlier option when they…read moreopened for a group of 6. Definitely the place to come to eat and drink on the cheap before hitting the Ponsonby bars. Food was great and came out steadily throughout the night. Basic service, help yourself to water. Cheap, delicious, easy, be sure to book!

    Photos
    Nishiki - Imo mochi  ( potatoe cake with sweet sauce and butter.) and Kumar chips.

    Imo mochi ( potatoe cake with sweet sauce and butter.) and Kumar chips.

    Nishiki - Dragon Roll.  Or eel tempura roll.

    Dragon Roll. Or eel tempura roll.

    Nishiki - View of kitchen area.

    See all

    View of kitchen area.

    Daikoku on Quay

    Daikoku on Quay

    3.2(5 reviews)
    2.6 kmViaduct
    $$$

    Daikoku is a great place to take a group out for birthdays, dinners, any excuse really, and is much…read moremore than just a meal, it's an absolutel experience. Teppanyaki dining hasn't had much exposure in Auckland apart from this place and the other franchises opened later, but I'm definitely glad they did. Not only do you get delicious food, but it's prepared in the most entertaining way, with you all sitting around the outside of a central hot plate, with your own chef cooking your food to order, flipping his utensils around, flinging salt and pepper shakers into his hat, and sending bits of fried egg flying across the table into your mouth, accurately! The highlight for me is always the prawns in Yum-Yum sauce. It's almost certainly not the most healthy thing for you, and all in all the meals aren't cheap for dinner, bu the experience more than makes up for it, and man is it delicious!

    Am I the only one that doesn't rave about this place? Yeah, it's entertaining having your food…read morecooked in front of you, Teppanyaki style. Yeah, it's something a bit different to your usual sit down and wait places and probably a great place to take a first date or for a special occasion but I just find that once you get past all that, it's just overpriced food and mediocre service. In fairness to them, the ingredients taste like they're of good quality and it is a fun environment but the staff hardly speak any English so come across as rather reticent and unforthcoming. I can think of plenty of other restaurants where the food is cheaper and better for a similar kind of thing. It's one of those places you go to for the entertainment value rather than for the food itself. Definitely a one-time thing for me.

    Photos
    Daikoku on Quay
    Daikoku on Quay
    Daikoku on Quay - Tonko-Shoyu Ramen $10

    See all

    Tonko-Shoyu Ramen $10

    Milse - Sticky date pudding with Apple and butterscotch - amaaaaaazing.

    Milse

    4.4(82 reviews)
    2.7 kmViaduct
    $$

    We came here for a dessert after dinner. Had to wait 20 minutes for a table for two, which wasn't…read morebad since we left our number with them so we could wander around. I chose to have the lemon and yoghurt bombe alaska that was fantastic. The right amount of sweetness and tartness. There was a bit of confusion that kind of spoiled our experience as we also ordered the passion fruit and peach chocolate bon bon and was only told after the dish arrived that the passion fruit and peach were only available as shards, which was eight dollars more. We would have appreciated the waitress explaining that some of the chocolates came as shards and the others as bon bons, so we felt like we were tricked into ordering something. The cookie dough macaron was good but didn't remind us of cookie dough, more of a chocolate macaron. We left wanting a lot more from our experience chocolate- and pastry-wise.

    The lemon yogurt bomb Alaska is the best "popsicle" ice cream bar I've had. It's not too sweet or…read moretangy and balances our dessert well. It has a crispy lemony coating over a frozen yogurt middle, finished off with stripes of meringue on the top. It all case together so well! The cookies and cream rocher was also very delicious. It was topped with edible gold, had a crunchy cookies and cream outer layer before you hit a velvety chocolate mousse later. Finally, the inside had bits of cookie. It sounds very sweet and sickly but was pleasantly well balanced. I wish they had a Milse where I'm from! Actually maybe not, or else I'd be so broke.

    Photos
    Milse - Berry gelato stick

    Berry gelato stick

    Milse - Don't even know, but delicious.

    Don't even know, but delicious.

    Milse - Chocolate tart

    See all

    Chocolate tart

    Cocoro - japanese - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...