Sake Bar Nippon

Reviews

• Simone W.

  star star star star star 31 May 2026

  We arrived to a drum roll in the kitchen and a communal 'HEY!' which made me feel like a total VIP (great start)
  The waiters were fast, polite and gorgeous. Our waiter had what I assume was a costume on, but whatever it was - he was a helluva guy and heaps kawai
  Other half got a beer but I generally go for plum / apricot wine when dining Japanese - so I got the Plum Wine & Soda. Try it. So sweet and refreshing
  We ordered a mixture of Karage Chicken, Broccoli, Edamame, Yum Yum Prawns, Deep fried Camembert, Scotch Fillet Steak and Cha (not sure if that was the name) Salmon. The Salmon was cooked lightly with a flame and brushed with butter / mayo and on top of a small amount of rice. Please order this. It literally melts in the mouth
  The vibe inside was just so welcoming and relaxed. I want to go here all the time!
  Also, extreme drum roll and lots of chefs shouting on departure. I even waved back at them (WHY?) but the attention overwhelms a girl right. haha
  Parking was down a side street just up the road but if you time it right you could get one right outside the door. Also, a perfect place to dine pre concert / event at the showgrounds which is what we did.
  I actually can not fault this place! Ticks the OISHI box!

• Olivia B.

  star star star star star_border 29 May 2026

  Very fun authentic Japanese restaurant. As you enter the sushi chefs call out and play the drums. This made it fun through the night. Although we didn't reserve we were quickly seated and had a push button for service. We got the mixed sashimi, salmon and kingfish were great, tuna was defrosted and had a weird texture, pork This a, yum, takoyaki, lots of big pieces of octopus but lacking flavour, spicy tuna roll, yum, and the tempura squid, meh tempura wasn't very crispy. Overall I loved the atmosphere and drinks but the food was just ok.

• Angel D.

  star star star star_border star_border 28 May 2026

  Sorry I don't mean to be mean. However, this Japanese place is not my favor.
  One thing you can tell whether a restaurant  is good or not, is from the customers. You should see local people enjoying , and also with people from the origin country. For instance, a Chinese restaurant here should attract both Chinese people and kiwis. But in Nippon, I see most of the guests are kiwi, not from Japan, or even from Asian countries.
  
  So here comes the confusion. A Japanese restaurant should be decent, quiet in a certain way, clean, cozy. It should leave some privacy space with the customers, not that loud and full of quirky music that piled up your stomach.
  
  Maybe people find it funny to get a drum hit once coming a new customer, however, I don't quite fancy this idea. Then the menu is a bit confusing, seats a bit narrow, the grilled beef tongue is way too salty, Ginger slices of roasted pork is too thick for chewing, and the whole presentation is not Japan delicate. Of all the dishes we ordered, perhaps the roast vegetable is the best.
  
  In our mind, Tokyo Bay in Takapuna is really a good example of what a proper Japanese restaurant should be. Sorry Nippon, I just don't feel you are the right cake for me.

• Ricky L.

  star star star star star 21 May 2026

  This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in town it has a wide selection of fresh Japanese food like sashimi and sushi. They have great customer service with surprisingly fast service for a place with so many customers

• Aimee J.

  star star star star star_border 14 May 2026

  Kind of really expensive for the small servings.. but i think that's the usual price for Japanese restaurants. We ordered A LOT to get the 6 of us full enough to leave happy... which lead to $50-$60 each... then again we had a lot of sake too haha
  
  We ordered a variety of dishes from beef tongue to squid to tuna tataki and all was really nice. Only down side is these are sharing plates and they don't come very big so like i said, order more to get full but that also means spend more. Maybe coming in groups of 4 or less is easiest for these types of sharing meals.
  
  The interior is very rustic japanese sake bar. with lots of wood and fabric banners to make you bow your head. my favourite part is when you enter and leave the restaurant, they scream a loud "WELCOME" and "THANK YOU FOR COMING" (or something like that) in japanese and beat down on the drums really loudly. I had to go to my car to get something and they welcomed me again hahahha love it