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    Kanpai

    4.2 (84 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

    Kanpai Photos

    KANPAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Kanpai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Outside
    Ariel T.

    Very cute place with good vibes. Friendly services and warm staff members who were very accommodating to different tastes and interests. I got some sashimi a la carte but was confused by the 10pcs option as well thinking I was choosing my 10pcs. But the staff were very accommodating and made the necessary changes - I didn't want to waste any food as I was by myself. Would def visit again when I find myself back in Edinburgh

    Grilled Salmon Roll
    Connie C.

    Greta Japanese place in Edinburgh. They have a great selection of fish, and wagyu beef. We stuck to nigiri and rolls, and all the fish were tasty. Our favorite to our surprise was the grilled salmon avocado roll. Didn't get a chance to ask if it was Scottish salmons but if it was, it was A++.

    Scallop sashimi

    Truly an excellent Japanese restaurant in Edinburgh. Service was very generous and efficient. Presentation of the dishes is lovely. If you're thinking about sushi, this is the placd

    Wakame salad, really nice
    Katrin L.

    Great food, service and atmosphere! We arrived 10min before their kitchen was closing, they let us know that so we would order before they close it. We quickly ordered some dishes and they came out in no time, very fresh and yummy. The wakame seaweed salad was so good, I could eat a big bowl of that. Veggie sushis were very nice and my husband's tuna and and dumplings were nice too. I didn't like the soba dish with some dipping sauce that I found quite sickening, it was like a sweet mayo sauce. My husband liked it though. I wish we had time to order the aubergine that everyone seems to love. Definitely the place to go for Japanese food in Edinburgh.

    Soft shell crab maki
    Sarah A.

    It was a Saturday and I thought "Time to treat myself to something delicious" so OF COURSE I chose sushi! I noticed Kanpai while on my way to Mademoiselle Macaron (practically next door to each other) and Yelped it immediately when I had the chance. Behold, a popular Japanese place that I NEEDED to try! Perfect! Went over for lunch and was quickly welcomed by friendly staff members. I sat at the sushi bar because I wanted to intimidate the chefs while they made sushi (hahahaha it's really a hobby of mine to make people feel uncomfortable). I also like when they finish making your food and immediately serve it to you over the bar, it feels more prompt and efficient lol The space is beautiful! Very minimal and stylish, just like how Japanese restaurants should be. It was bright, clean and welcoming at the same time. Anyway, I ordered a miso soup, salmon sashimi, soft shell crab maki and some green tea to go with everything (altogether, I paid 21.50quid). The miso soup was a good way to start the meal along with my freshly sliced salmon sashimi served in a bowl of shaved ice! Uggghhh so perfect with wasabi and soy sauce! My heart was exploding with happiness! The soft shell crab maki was delicious too! The crab was freshly fried up and then made into sushi right in front of me so props for freshness! :-) I was so full at the end of the meal, I could take a nap at the restaurant itself! Overall, loved eating here! Was one of my favourite places to have been lucky enough to discover! Definitely will bring Gian here when we get a chance to visit Edinburgh again! :-D

    Cold Sake, love it!
    Ben B.

    I believe this review is relative to what you're accustomed to, but I've lived in the UK long enough to miss good sushi... and I'm from Georgia, not exactly the sushi capital of the US. That said, I have to say that I've been pretty much shocked at the "meh" factor of most sushi places I've tried in the UK... I'm sure there are hidden gems, but I've hit so many duds in my quest that I subconsciously have started avoiding one of my favourite food types. So, on to Kanpai... it's good, really good... good enough that it's getting five stars because I simply haven't had sushi this good on this side of the pond yet, and it's reasonably priced. If you're over from Japan (or even California) I'm not sure it would rock you're world, but if like me you've grown cold to sushi because it's always either far overpriced, simply not good, or worse... both, then bookmark this place and give it a go. The King Prawn Tempura... wow, it's a must for a starter, a real treat. I've had the Squid Tempura as well, and while also nice it didn't quite live up to the King Prawn Tempura... which is a bit of a surprise to me since I normally fall on the side of squid when playing favourites between the two. I've also had the Grilled Aubergine in sweet Miso Sauce and it packed a punch with flavour... it could have almost been a dessert! I've also had the Pan Fried Veg & Chicken Dumplings on two occasions, loving them the first time... sadly the second time, while still good, they didn't live up to the first visit... they came out a bit cold and the dipping sauce was a bit weaker in flavour. (They were still good, just not as good.) (Side note... if you're in London, near Angel, seriously try the dumplings at New Culture Revolution... they're handmade bits of win, no other way around it.) I've had a few of the rolls at Kanpai, but so far the Dragon Roll is probably the winner in presentation and taste... I don't think you could really go wrong with any of them that sound of interest to you. The Kanpai Special Combo is a win for sashimi taste and presentation... go with a friend and order one of these, a Dragon Roll, and have the King Prawn Tempura as a starter (I'll let you pick the second starter on your own... it's your dinner after all!) and your table will look like a presentation fit for a magazine. So search no more Dear Yelpers, there is now somewhere I honestly look forward to going for sushi... not in the "well, it will do" way that so many other places have been until now... I legitimately crave this place. For the place itself... it's almost hidden, with no sign jutting out, but clean and well laid out inside... the staff are courteous as well, but it can get quite busy... a booking on a busy night is wise... very wise indeed. Enjoy!

    spicy tuna gunkan nigiri
    Kimberly C.

    Kanpai is an authentically designed sushi bar nestled just under the Edinburgh Castle. The staff are so polite and so friendly. The decor is minimalist and very Japanese. The whole experience at Kanpai reflects the elegance and simplicity of Japanese cuisine. Food-wise everything on this menu down to the wine selection is spot on. Recommendations: Spicy Tuna Gunkan Nigiri, the Kanpai Special roll, and the Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream.

    Dragon Roll is a Dragon!!! Talk about knowing your audience!

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    Photo of S I.
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    14 years ago

    Food's just ok, service very slow and not very organized. There are better places in the area for Japanese...

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    14 years ago

    Along with Sushiya (it's sister restaurant) this is by far the best place in Edinburgh to get sushi. Well tasty!

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    Page 3 of 3

    Kanpai Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Kanpai

    Aaaaahhhhh the dragon roll is so good here that I had to maybe possibly definitely did get two of them....

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

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    Kenji Sushi - Spicy Pork belly ramen and dynamite sushi

    Kenji Sushi

    4.5(19 reviews)
    0.8 miStockbridge, New Town
    ££

    You can pass by this place in Edinburgh and literally never know it exists…read more If anything gets full marks, it's the decor. First off, you walk down these stairs from the street to get to it. When you enter the restaurant, the decor definitely is the first thing you notice. Very traditional Japanese decor all around. I've been to many Japanese restaurants in the states and majority are not nearly decked out as this place. Food and service is solid too. The only reason I couldn't rate it any higher is because the food tastes like "a normal" spot I've had before. The Katsu was cooked perfectly but the curry just seemed only a little above average. The Tonkotsu Ramen also didn't have as much flavor as I was hoping. I'm not trying to say any of the food is bad. Not even saying it's mid. It's just the flavors really didn't do anything to blow the socks off my taste buds and that's my fault. I'm spoiled because I live in the Bay Area of California where I have an abundance of Japanese restaurants to choose from. I also went to Japan for the first time this year so again, I've been fortunate enough to be able try a lot of different places. Don't get it twisted though. I highly recommend Kenji Sushi. If I lived in Edinburgh I'd probably be coming here a lot. Especially if I had never had Japanese food before. I think it's amazing that the city has diverse food options like this that are actually good. It helps that it looks fancy inside too. Kenji would be a great place to take someone on a date.

    BEWARE!!! 1. This restaurant is not at this location. Look…read morethem up on google maps, it is just up the street. 2. Make a reservation. Very busy around dinner time. Very good food. You can tell that the fish is fresh. The place is very cozy and surprisingly quiet. Would recommend!

    Photos
    Kenji Sushi - Katsu Curry

    Katsu Curry

    Kenji Sushi - Kuro Tonkotsu Ramen

    Kuro Tonkotsu Ramen

    Kenji Sushi - Red Dragon roll

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    Red Dragon roll

    Soul Sushi - Salmon & Avocado Roll. Event catering. Photo ninja skills by Don L: digitalechos.net

    Soul Sushi

    4.6(19 reviews)
    0.8 miNewington
    ££

    This is like a Pret-a-Manger for sushi lovers. I found it by chance one lunchtime when I was…read morelooking for something a little different from the usual Tesco sandwiches. I understand from other reviewers that it's mainly a delivery service, but they certainly seemed to be doing well catering for the lunchtime market, judging by the available selection of delicious sushi boxes on the chiller shelves. It's hard to choose what to get as it all looks so delicious! They have a good selection of veggie sushi too, which is always nice to see. The prices are perhaps a little on the expensive side; I spent just over £10 on two sushi boxes and a drink, which was a little over my usual lunch budget. But I didn't regret it as the sushi was excellent and certainly kept me going throughout a busy Festival afternoon.

    Hands down, best sushi I've had in Edinburgh so far…read more Delivery or collection only, but my oh my have they mastered their craft. The butternut pumpkin sushi was mind blowing and I could gladly eat that daily. Katsu chicken maki rolls were in no way small as I had expected, and the creative adding of red pepper was a nice touch. Salmon nigiri was fresh, and surprisingly my only issue was the spicy mayonnaise in the deluxe California rolls was a bit bland, needs more spicy! I'm also generally a fan of seaweed salad to pick at, but this portion was a hefty size I happily gobbled up. It's also real seaweed (I have no idea what I've been picking at this while time!) Hefty servings of wasabi, soy sauce and ginger too. Delivery was fairly quick (about 45 minutes across town) and service was friendly. The price, for £30 total filled two adults with leftovers (for about 5 minutes, it was too good not to eat!. Totally reasonable for Edinburgh and I'll gladly be a customer again and again.

    Photos
    Soul Sushi - King Prawn Dragon Roll. Event catering. Photo ninja skills by Don L: digitalechos.net

    King Prawn Dragon Roll. Event catering. Photo ninja skills by Don L: digitalechos.net

    Soul Sushi - Event catering. Photo ninja skills by Don L: digitalechos.net

    Event catering. Photo ninja skills by Don L: digitalechos.net

    Soul Sushi - Garden Platter with chopsticks for scale. Decent amount of sushi for three people or a massive pig-out for two :D

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    Garden Platter with chopsticks for scale. Decent amount of sushi for three people or a massive pig-out for two :D

    SushiSamba - Salmon Appetizer

    SushiSamba

    3.5(6 reviews)
    0.8 miNew Town

    The view of the city is incredible. This is on a top floor of the W hotel, so it is pricey!! Like…read morevery pricey. We only had the sushi and it was pretty incredible. I've been to the location in las Vegas and the quality is consistent and great. The ikura is to die for. The black cod is a splurge but so so tasty. Service is friendly but very slow. They don't allow you to eat at the bar so you need to get a table. Reservations are a must, they may not let you in without one. I spent $260 in me and my five year old.

    On our way into we were told about sushi samba a few times so we knew we had to pop on over and…read morecheck it out. The entry confused us a bit since we came in through the shopping center, but once we went up the elevator we understood it was inside the hotel. The restrooms were also very clean! The service was slow but pleasant overall. The views are incredible. Looking over the city with amazing theming, I can see why people go just for that. I ordered edamame, miso soup, the Edinburgh role, and 4 pieces of nigiri (both tuna and tuna belly). The edamame was delicious, the miso soup was pretty underwhelming. For the Edinburgh role it was tasty, but we were a bit disappointed because our server said roles come with 8 pieces but in reality they came with 6. The nigiri was good with soy sauce but very bland without it. I've had some good nigiri before that was so fresh you didn't need to add soy sauce so that was a bit disappointing. Overall it was an average meal. The price point is a bit high but I'm assuming that's due to the view and location.

    Photos
    SushiSamba - Bar

    Bar

    SushiSamba - Rolls Selection

    Rolls Selection

    SushiSamba - Rolls Selection

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    Rolls Selection

    Sapporo Teppanyaki

    Sapporo Teppanyaki

    3.5(37 reviews)
    40.7 miMerchant City, City Centre
    £££

    I saw the generally positive reviews, and typically enjoy Japanese Hibachi and/or Sushi. So we…read morethought we'd give it a try during a brief trip to Glasgow. The staff we interacted with were all very friendly and helpful. But unfortunately, the food was the real weak spot. The hibachi chef used enough salt to cause an immediate coronary - a layer of salt on the grill before adding the meat, before cooking the fried rice, and another layer of salt before the bean sprouts and noodles - you get the idea. The couple next to us agreed that everything was terribly salty, but eat there regularly, and said this was different than usual. So maybe it was the individual chef. At the same time, my Dragon Roll also tasted salty, so who knows. If I were here, I might give it another try, but not likely.

    My eyes nearly fell out my head when I found out I was going here for my birthday. Yasss! I have…read morebeen wanting to go for a long time now but as it's a bit on the expensive side it's put me off. Fortunately it was through an itison deal and it brought the cost down my a massive amount. It was only £19 for 2 people and 2 courses and you still get the pleasure of the Sapporo "experience". Sapporo is a show chef bar, so we had Superman, I kid you not, as our chef. He had a Superman belt and it said on his name badge so it must be true. We sat along with a couple who I believe were from Mauritius, mmm maybe it was Malaysia. Anyhoo, we ordered our drinks and food, which we ordered from an itison menu that Sapporo had created. They must be doing many of these deals, I would double check they are still available as it was it worth it. The sushi was good and the main course was amazing. Superman had many tricks up his sleeve, jumping out your skin most of the time to be honest. They suggest that you tuck in while he's cooking, as it'll just get cold otherwise. Not only Superman but other chef's do make many noises and beware you will also sound like them after a while. Hehe! I swear one of them had a laugh like a looney toon character from Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. I don't want to give away the show as I'm glad I didn't know as I really enjoyed it. It was cheesy but a good laugh, probably even better in a larger group. I need to find out what he used to cook the stir-fry veg as I've never tastied anything like it. The Teriyaki sauce was also delicious including their fried rice. It's an experience, so I say chillax and just enjoy.

    Photos
    Sapporo Teppanyaki - Big groups for a teppanyaki show!

    Big groups for a teppanyaki show!

    Sapporo Teppanyaki - Nigiri, rolls and ribs

    Nigiri, rolls and ribs

    Sapporo Teppanyaki - Some fire

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    Some fire

    Kanpai - japanese - Updated May 2026

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