The food itself was very tasty, I did not have much to comment about. It was a very pleasant tasting experience and the price was really good, (110 NZD = $66 USD) for all that much food. Beef was tender and easy to chew, veggies were full of flavor. Fish was full of flavor and well textured. Definitely well balanced but I'd trim the cabbage salad to half as it was hard for me to finish, and maybe add a few more slices of salmon/tuna. Service was a bit slow considering the restaurant was not considerably busy, but all of my meals were served in a timely fashion. There was a party that got the same menu as me (shame on her for judging me eating alone but whatever), and the difference in time for us getting our foods wasn't too far apart. Ambiance - it is a very popular restaurant, has the stereotype of an up-scale buzzy restaurant. Definitely good for solo and accompanied dining :) I'd give this a 4 star rating. Food was great but the service could be better and more attentive. read more

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Some of the best sushi we've ever had! Friends with us who are not Japanese food fans have been converted. Tasting menu is perfect and yummy! read more

The choice for sushi or sushimi is rather limited although the environment is rather pleasant

5 stars for their food, especially their shrimp tempura - the best I've ever had! We had the gyoza appetizer and sushi. Sushi was amazing and fresh. The service was a 2. The waitresses timing on serving the food was off. We waited nearly an hour for a steak. We finished our sushi and everything else before our steak arrived. read more

Was really impressed with the food (especially the quality of sashimi) and liked the menu as it wasn't too traditional. We were visiting Aukland, and the location (near the Ferry Building & Britomart) made it easy to get to and find. read more

Trust me. Go here. For heavens sake, order the sashimi. You will not be disappointed.

Decent little high end sushi joint. Staff was a bit distracted but nice enough- staff suggested a bit too much food. Sashimi was exceptional and the gyoza was pretty outstanding as well. They have their own in-house dj working the deck but not overly loud. read more

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Ebisu is the Japanese god of fishermen and luck, and Auckland is one lucky city to have it's fresh fish in town. The service is top notch and the flavor combinations are umami-tastic. From the sous-vide Abalone to a sashimi tasting with wasabi tartare, there wasn't one item on the menu that didn't make my tastebuds jump for joy. As if the friendly service and flavorful food wasn't enough, Ebisu is also a must try for any serious Sake lovers (and the Japanese whiskey menu is also a treat!) read more

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This is how you do Japanese food! Ebisu is a top place to eat at! I was nervous to try here as originally I thought it looked pretentious and suited a more corporate clientele. However a friend of mine and I came before a concert one evening. From the pics you can see we ordered a Mixed Tempura, Crab and Mango roll, the Wagyu Dumplings and the Sticky Pork Belly - which I've seamed to lost the pic of. Everything was displayed beautifully and tasted as good as it looks. They don't try to hard to be too modern or fusion. The food speaks for itself. The crab and mango roll was different. I tend to order menu items you don't find elsewhere. Great place for sharing plates and all great value for your money. The restaurant is modern and spacious and very inviting. Food and staff are efficient. I definitely recommend this eatery! Nothing to fault! Rating: Food: 9/10 Service: 7.5/10 Value for money: Good 116-118 Quay Street, Britomart Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-Late Sat-Sun 5pm-Late read more

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Outstanding flavor! Seafood very fresh and prepared quickly. Small portion menu allows for more variety to be tried. We had five dishes for the two of us. Perfect. Wonderful location by the harbor. read more

Was brought here by a friend and what a great spot. We had the Tasting Menu with the premium sake and while a little pricey I totally recommend getting it. So much delicious food paired amazingly with Japanese sake, it's to die for. Certainly more of a place for special occasions and not a common spot. The service was also fantastic and wonderfully conveyed each plate and accompanied sake as part of a story read more

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I visited Ebisu on a Monday night in Britomart for a work dinner. They don't take bookings so be prepared to go early or wait for a table on busy nights. Luckily when we visited it wasn't too busy and we got a table for 6 immediately. Service was great, and the wait staff could suggest drinks and food, and were accurate at the amount of dishes required to satisfy our hungers. The food is presented nicely, flavored well, and enjoyable to eat and share. Particularly recommend the beef tataki, and chicken karage. Pricing per dish is at the high end, and the only thing making this rating a four. read more

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Where to start, we where a group of Six that all ordered the set menu with two of our group ordering the veg version. At $75 I was expecting something a little bit different, but while tasty, the Teriyaki chicken and the Sashimi platter were very average. The Menu just seams like two mains have been served when one done well (and individually plated) would of made more sense. I would be hard pressed to choose a dish of the night. Service: really rushed and annoying, waiters where mixed up with who at our table had the veg option and therefore it got really confusing with who should be eating what. The sharing plates where really rushed so instead of a steady pace all the course came almost at once. On the plus side the drinks menu is amazing with a new variant of Plum Wine made with rum that I hadn't tried before, but will be looking for in the future. I might possibly be back, but will order off the menu in the future. read more

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Ebisu is a modern take on a formal Japanese restaurant. I find this restaurant elegant with a romantic feel about it. This could purely be due to the dimly lit room with tea lit candles around the restaurant. It's a lovely atmosphere. We came here for a girls dinner a few months ago. I feel for the amount you are paying it would be nice if they had a bit more variety on the menu. I'm not a fussy eater when it comes to trying new exotic food's, however some of the girls were put off as chicken sushi was not an option on their relatively small menu. There is street parking but not too much and generally hard to find. I would recommend going to the parking building opposite Birtomart. If you're the adventurous type when it comes to trying new things, and have deep pockets, then I would recommend coming to Ebisu and trying the fancy dishes they have to offer. read more

Ebisu - Japanese Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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I found Ebisu to be okay. I came here with a group of friends one time for dinner and to be honest I have had (and so had my friends) gotten better food and service from restaurants that are not as visually appealing from the outside as Ebisu is. Inside Ebisu is nice. Dim lighting and comfortable surroundings, the option to be seated outside is also a plus but that beyond that I was not overly impressed. There were many staff members on that night and they all stood in a row and watched our table, took a long time to take our orders and the food took a while to come. Not everyone got their food at the same time either, there were 6 of us so that was another thing I didn't like. Food presentation was fairly good, but taste was not overly fantastic. Most of my friends including myself eat a lot of Japanese food and we all agreed we had eaten better elsewhere at smaller places without the bragging rights that Ebisu has. In the end we all decided we would not go back. Maybe just for drinks, the bar area looked nice but food, considering the above, if someone else wanted to go, I would out of politeness, but not if it were my choice. read more

Ebisu - Japanese Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Ebisu is an upmarket Japanese fusion restaurant. It's lovely inside - there are these nice booths available to sit in and there's a sort of atrium which has nice light. The menu is pretty good, it's difficult to choose what you want because it all sounds amazing. The new style sashimi salad is a winner. It's got raw scallops and flowers in it which is kind of freaky, but trust me: de-li-cious. The kaarage chicken (Japan's answer to KFC) is very good. Same with the slow cooked pork and the prawn tempura. The soft shell crab is off the chain. There are literally so many things on the menu that are good that I can't even list them. Cocktails are very nice, prices are steep. This place is good to take a date. You can't book for parties under 8 at dinnertime, so be prepared to wait. Do be patient and sit it out though, it's worth it. read more

Ebisu - Japanese Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Ebisu is beautifully simple yet indulgent and special. The menu is so graceful it's hard to decide what to order: the amazingly crispy soft shell crab with its creamy wasabi tartare. The fresh and perfectly bright sushi and sashimi. The twice cooked pork belly with soy miso glaze. The wakanui no steak (scotch fillet with three delectable sauces). The grilled eggplant and the mixed mushrooms. The whiskey laced tea and the bright blue bottles of Japanese lemonade. The shoga to ringo no doughnuts. I love the decor with it's clean lines, high ceilings, exposed brickwork and gorgeous flower arrangements. For me it's more 'special occasion' dining than regular week-night haunt, but Ebisu never fails to deliver a very special experience. read more

Ebisu - Japanese Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Great service, attentive and knowledgable staff. The food is more fusion than true Japanese, but very tasty and nicely presented.

Service was very good but food was so-so. I tried four different items at waiters recommendation and nothing stood out.

I didn't have the best expectations of this place.. mostly because I think 99% of Auckland's Japanese dining options are rubbish and also because I've never been a fan of 'fusion' food as most of the time it tastes like the brainfart of a chef who couldn't cook either cuisine properly. However my mum, my sister and I were after somewhere for dinner and we'd all heard mumblings that this place didn't completely suck. As my mother is a native of the Land of the Rising Sun I was keen to be accompanied by someone whose standards for Japanese were as critically fussy as my own. We were early for our reservation and were sat at the bar which gave us an opportunity to people/meal watch.. for the most part Ebisu's vibe lacks pretentiousness which accommodates a wide spectrum of diners: on a Saturday night there was a mix of young families, clubbing preloaders and tourists. Deciding what to order was a real chore.. whoever writes their menu is a freakin' poet-marketer hybrid and we ended up ordering around five plates. Each. The standout for me was the karaage softshell crab. It might've looked like an ancient alien fossil but I took one bite and I got a mouthful of melting crab meat and a splash of seawater. SO GOOD. The various sushi rolls were pretty good.. the scallop sushi rolls were topped with what my mother and I both identified as yakitori sauce. It actually tasted a little bit awesome. For dessert I ordered the pineapple carpaccio with pink peppercorns which arrived with an edible sugared leaf-skeleton looking like freakin art. As in I may have stared at it for several minutes before destroying its innocence with my spoon. Too bad Ebisu's lighting is not the greatest for picture taking unless you want to be THAT person who turns their flash on. Service was fantastic.. definitely one of the reliable eateries that isn't a parasite on the Britomart location. read more

I am quite a big fan of Ebisu - we've gone there a few times and it's always been really lovely. I really like the vibe, the seating, and how generally alive it is. It always has lots of corporate suits in there (total pot/kettle/black - I know) because it's good for both big groups and intimate dining sessions. I was there on a business lunch, and the one thing I'll say... It's not exactly private when you're trying to fly under the radar. But no big deal, we should've thought about that more. It's not something you can complain about, but I'm just giving you a heads up. Food wise, you have to be into sharing. I was there with someone who's not super into sharing plates, so he didn't have the best time. Again, not Ebisu's problem, we'll just know better for next time that he doesn't like to share and take him somewhere else! The actual food content? Beautiful. I have to say, the piece of black cod I had was mouth watering. Cooked beautifully, it had that amazing miso glaze and the Japanese eggplant was to die for. It tasted sweet and delicious. The aftertaste of the black cod was buttery, but not overwhelming. Very smooth. Loved it. The crab sliders were tasty - simple, but hey, that's what sliders are all about. The asparagus came out bright green and with this divine ginger sesame dressing. I couldn't get enough of it. We had a few other things from the menu like the seared beef roll and the beef tataki. Highly recommend both those dishes. It's a busy little place, and unfortunately they had misplaced my reservation. It was fine, as they managed to seat us in a booth. I got told that they wouldn't normally seat four people at such a large table (should I feel honoured?) but we used all the space with our dishes anyway - I don't think we could've had anything smaller! I quite like their wine list as they have my fave bottle of Dog Point sauv - I like it because it doesn't taste like a normal sauv, but my companions weren't too keen on the list or the wines. I think it's quite a respectable wine list, actually, so... forget what they said. Great place. Go and have a wonderful time! read more

Bento boxes are an ideal way to have a quick Japanese lunch and the boxes at Ebisu are consistently good. A bit of fusion with a sashimi salad, fried chicken ( ok I am sure it has a Japanese name but it was fried chicken - just not the greasy KFC kind) with finely chopped cabbage and a delicious mayonnaise, rice and your choice of another protein. My prawns were ok but not outstanding, last time I had teriyaki chicken and I think that is better. I wasn't paying the bill so also can't comment on value for money. read more

I have been wanting to try Ebisu for quite some time so was very excited for my first visit on Saturday evening. I was immediately impressed by the awesome laid back vibe they have managed to create here. The restaurant is quite large but it has been well separated into small areas. The tone is very relaxed and gentle, I'm unsure if they intended for it be like this, or if the Saturday evening crowd was mellow. Either way it was very pleasant, and made for a very relaxed meal. We shared a few small small plates and had drinks, the highlights for me were the prawn dumplings and the duck spring rolls. I felt each dish had something extra that made it unique and a little bit more special than the usual Japanese dish. The waiters were really friendly and professional. Will definitely be going back to Ebisu, can't wait to try some of the other delights they offer. read more

Craving Japanese while in Auckland I popped in here for lunch and enjoyed a nice bento box lunch of grilled snapper with an upgrade of tempura soft shelled crab. To go with I selected a Queenstown sake that turned out to be very good indeed. Pricing is a bit steep but not unexpected in Auckland. Worth a try. read more

Ebisu - Benton box lunch - Japanese Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Nearly missed the venue due to the small hidden entrance but glad we did see it. We were lucky and got there before it got packed- which it did, as we continued our steady stream of dishes. It is a lovely neat, clean space and we were lucky to get a couch and small table near the windows by the water. Had a great waitress who helped us order, and kept drinks topped up consistently. Amazing service. We shared the Edamame which was a great starter before the beautiful platter of New Style Mixed Sashimi came out. It was beautiful and tasted amazing. The duck spring rolls went down great and the Crisp soft shell crab was very well done. Had to get dessert after reading the exceptional menu and chose the Yuzu Brulee which went down easily and too quickly. An amazing place- highly recommend! read more

Really cool place with exciting dishes. I had the vegetarian set menu which was lots of fun. The cocktails are original and delicious too. Rated only 4 stars because not sure if the veery expensive price is worth the experience overall read more

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This mostly focuses on the service aspects. Came here for a customer dinner and there were about ten of us. We were first given menus, then later told that due to the size of our party, we would be having a set menu. I assumed that I would be picking a dish from each section of the set menu, but it turned out that everything on the menu was part of the set. With that confusion out of the way, we got our drinks order in. For some reason multiple orders of drinks showed up for some people and none for others. The waiter seemed to be frazzled but he was struggling and I'm not sure why as the restaurant was not full and there were plenty of other staff. In what is presumably a higher end establishment, I found it strange that the servers would set glasses on the opposite site of the table to the recipient because it was difficult for them to reach. Simply setting the tray down nearby, delivering the glass on by one with a "pardon my reach" would have been a more professional experience. Similarly, asking a diner to pass a place seemed a little strange. The highlight of the evening was when a colleague suddenly felt that the back of his shirt was wet. I checked and some soy sauce had found its way onto the back of his shirt. He mentioned it to our waiter who was clearing things up who immediately got defensive and loudly made it very clear that he had not spilled soy sauce on my colleague. No allegation had even been made but the waiter was immediately shifting the blame to someone else. I thought that this was extremely unprofessional behaviour especially since the waiter represents the entire establishment. To his credit, he brought over a bottle of soda water and wanted to try to clean the stain but my colleague politely declined. The food itself was good. Nothing outstanding although I'm not sure what the bar is in Auckland for Japanese food. read more

I have been here 4 times now- the last time we even took the kids. The food is absolutely fantastic. Favourites are: New style sashimi, karagarge chicken and scallops. The service is consistently efficient. Location is good for celebrity spotting and tourist watching as they wander along the waterfront. By far the best place on auckland for a casual delicious meal in sophisticated surroundings... read more

The best Japanese fusion I have ever had. The customer service is good but the food is even better. The second time I went there I got to try a little more than expected... after the second time of having the wagyu beef dumplings - I'm going to have to rate them the best thing on the menu and go as far as to say the best dumplings you would find in Auckland... Biting into one of them is like a flavour explosion they are so well made, you can tell every dumpling is hand crafted to perfection with just enough flavouring... Soo good!! The duck spring rolls and pork belly lettuce cups were a real treat and I would highly recommend them to anyone going there for the first time ... The mains are good but the portions are abit small, it's worth while getting more starters and one or 2 mains and mixing everything up abit ... This place is great for sharing (please do not be selfish and not share your food with friends ) you will be disappointed if you do not dig your chopstick in someone else's food .... read more

I adore the very fist dish I ordered and only order now. The Raw Tuna Salad.. with that scrumptious sauce!! whatever it is yumm! read more

When I'm in Auckland, at least one stop to Ebisu is a must. The interior alone is gorgeous and the service here is terrific. Sit back and enjoy a delicious cocktail - Ebisu do a number of great Japanese inspired drinks but the Miss Wednesday has become a favorite (lychee, rose and vanilla - yum!). For lunch, you can't go past the bento box at a reasonable $25. The teriyaki tofu is the winner for me, but I'm a biased vegetarian. The vege sushi roll is also on point and all the food here is so beautifully presented. The menu is extensive and there's something for everyone, especially for vegetarians looking for a fancy Japanese dining experience, you can't look past Ebisu. read more

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Holy yum. Japanese food can be found on pretty much every street corner in anywhere from man cities to the smallest little towns you drive through on a kiwi road trip. As a result, I think a lot of people are getting to be quite discerning when it comes to Japanese food. Ebisu is a fantastic option. Situated right beside the super cool Tyler Street Garage in the very slick new Britomart area, it is definitely also a place to be seen. the décor is very cool, with that new York loft style feel. The lighting is pretty dim and furniture is very stylish. You can also sit outside. We were greeted at the door by a lovely guy and he was our waiter the whole way though which was really nice. It was our first time there and he took the time to explain the menu and make some suggestions. Everything that we had was really delicious with some of the best sashimi I have tried. It also all looked awesome on the plate. For how much it cost I expected bigger portions, but you do pay for the atmosphere too, and we had a great time. read more

We went for an early dinner and was looking forward to a sushi inspired meal. We ordered multiple plates to share. Each one was beautifully prepared and had interesting flavors. This is not your everyday sushi. Our favorite dish though was not sushi, but the gyoza. It was outstanding. The beef tataki had an odd flavoring that we did not enjoy. The main reason for a three star rating were a someone indifferent server, high cost, interior was interesting, and you will walk away hungry unless you spend a fortune. read more

Went here Friday night 11/03 with hot date this place is really styley and cool. Fantastic food great location. We tried the soft crab, sushimi, tempura, other foreign delights. Presentation was spot on but these servings were quite small to share between two yet surprisingly we were both happily satisfied. Just proves you can eat with your eyes sometimes. Nice and refreshing. read more

Ebisu - Japanese Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Walked in on a whim Saturday night and ended up enjoying some of the best sushi I've ever had. Only waited 20 mins for a table, and enjoyed a nice drink in the meantime. Plenty of cooked and raw options, lovely atmosphere, and decent service. read more

If you are a fan of Asian food - your cant miss this place! The duck rolls and wagyu dumplings are stand outs. Great atmosphere with good service . Currently my favourite Asian eatery read more

Great spot for a nice Japanese meal, and the chocolate fondant is excellent! Never been disappointed.

Tasty Japanese. Of there is something you fancy ask, there's more available than on the menu. For ask our meal it was lovely, not amazing not great, bit very good. Pricey for what it was, cost days should be more of an indulgence than it is. read more

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The food was incredible and beautifully presented. I can't stop thinking about the Seared Hokkaido Scallops. Delicious doesn't even begin to cover it. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. It's quite expensive but worth it. I can't wait to go back! read more

I had my birthday dinner with my girl friends. Food and service was perfect as we were here few times before. A little bit pricy but all good quality ingredients. My favorite dish is soft shell crab and the brûlée read more