Review Gion Japanese Restaurant - Auckland Central

This is absolutely my favorite Japanese Restaurant in Auckland. Authentic Japanese food in high quality. Price is reasonable. The owners has run this Restaurant more than 15 years. You must try. Recommend: Jumbo Salmon Sushi Roll; Ell Bento. Yummy

Highly recommended, value for money!!! Food was superb and everything was very fresh. I was a bit cautious in regards to the services, having read the previous review. However, I found the entire dining experience very pleasant. The owner was actually very nice and accommodating. She is more like a "GTO" style character, if you know what I mean. The price is very fair for the quality of the food. The A5 beef sukiyaki was amazing! This is one of the best geniune Japanese restaurant that I have tired in Auckland. My first choice of Japanese food from now.

I visited this restaurant with my family for dinner.The restaurant is quite clean and unique. Sashimi and sushi set is very fresh and yummy. It is best choice. Food quality is so good. I enjoyed the food. Highly recommended.

My favourite place for Japanese food. Gion offers a wide range of dishes and all are of top quality and made with incredibly fresh ingredients. I often order ahead using their online ordering system which is quick and easy, meaning I don't have to wait in the restaurant for my food. Every experience at Gion has been amazing, and being able to dine-in is a whole other level. The decor and ambiance is unmatched. Always highly recommend to friends and family.

Been here a couple times now. The Gion Special sashimi looked amazing and tasted even better! Also had some A5 wagyu sirloin, chicken katsu and many other dishes. Very authentic, but some dishes could be seen as slightly pricey than some restaurants out there - yet it is worth it.

Excellent quality food, Service is OK no one smiles and welcomes you. The lady who took our order was so grumpy but the young lady who brought our food was the only friendly person in the whole restaurant. Would go back for the food.

Amazing service and atmosphere. Were here for our Wedding dinner and it was fantastic. They even gave us a little parting gift. We knew the food was good as we had been there once a few years ago, but this just blew us away.

We came here the other day for lunch. We had the bento lunch, spicy karaage and the teriyaki beef. The beef was very good and tender and juicy. The spicy karaage is a bit let down for me as it was not very crunchy. Other then that, the salad was fresh, miso soup was good. Rice was nice and soft, sashimi was fresh. Not a big fan of the chicken sushi as it was very dry. Overall the stuff that was good was very good quality. Price obviously on the pricier side being in Parnell. A good treat for an occassion.

30 June 2020: Had a lovely dinner at this restaurant for the first time. This is the first place where we were explicitly asked to scan the QR. The service was quick, and I especially appreciated a rare dish of fish on a grill and half-size options. Everything was tasty but not extraordinary. When the host approached us to ask how everything is, she suggest cutlery instead of chopsticks and cut the fish for me. This could be viewed as an instance of extra motherly care up to the point where she touched the dish with her bare hands. Well, there is a first for everything.

Was probably one of the most delicious and authentic Japanese restaurants I have been to! Amazing aesthetics and atmosphere I love how the employees wear kimonos it makes the place feel homely. Food was great! Price is slightly more than other places but I don't mind as the food was delicious and flavorful. Serving size could have been a little bit bigger though! Some of the food was a little too salty but I'm sure I could have asked for a little less soy :) overall great food and experience!

The GoodJapanese food in Akl Recommend ⬇️ 1.Sashimi 🍣 (must order) so delicious 2.Chawan Mushi (must order) is so delicious! 3.TATAKI is the best raw beef I have ever eaten unagi Don 🍱 fried chicken🍗 It's really great and the price is cheap I also want to boast about the speed of serving. It’s ready in less than 20 minutes. I love it here.🥰🥰

My second time to Gion tonight since 7 years ago as I live in Melbourne. Totally love the food very much. Freshness and the best quality you can get. I can eat here all night and still come back for more.

Great japanese experience, had teriyaki don, agadashi tofu and it was amazing, a bit pricey but worth it

Fabulous food. Beautiful fresh salmon that melted in your mouth. Four of us had bento boxes after salmon avocado sushi, all thought bento had a good amount of food and thoroughly enjoyed it. Felt strange to be down the back next to toilet with a window looking into another restaurant away from the buzz of the restaurant. Staff could do with smiling and looking like they were enjoying their job though!!! Didn't seem like they wanted to be there.

Absolutely love this place! The Japanese steak was amazing and the sashimi was fresh. My favorite was the drinks here! If you are someone love sweet alcohol then definitely try the drink here!

We had Katsu bento box & Special lunch selection- Salmon Teriyaki with mixed sashimi Foods were nice. We might go again, if we crave for Japanes foods.

Have always walked past and wanted to make a booking at this fancy looking Japanese restaurant in Parnell. Finally took the opportunity this evening. First celebratory meal post lockdown number 2. <br/><br/>Liked: <br/>1. Nice intimate fine dining ambience inside compared to the usual Japanese isakaya joints. <br/><br/>2. Good portions, all well prepared and lovely quality. However everything came all at once. We would have preferred a slightly staggered service so there was more time to savor each dish without it all getting cold too quickly. <br/><br/>3. Best dish was the beef tataki. Excellent flavour and great if you like beef tartar as the beef is sliced and served sashimi style. Very very good one to try! <br/><br/>4. Had a sake and a Sapporo to complete the meal with a matcha ice cream and a fried banana with vanilla ice cream. I would pass on the banana dessert as the banana was not ripe and the tempura coating was less than the crispy I would normally expect. <br/><br/>Otherwise a lovely place for a nice intimate quality Japanese meal in upmarket Parnell. Will definitely head back again dad their menu is fairly extensive. <br/><br/>

19th March 2019<br/><br/>Went here for a casual date night<br/>Loved the ambiance<br/>We ordered very non-adventurous, not even purely japanese cuisine. But all tasted good, although not above and beyond the usual katsu, karaage, tofu and takoyaki you get on cheaper shops. I suppose you pay for the presentation as well (spectacular in that area) and the place... the experience.<br/><br/>Yes, we will be back.

Came in with a group of 6 for a birthday. Lovely staff and beautiful wee key chain gift and free dessert with candle for birthday girl as well as a group photo which was emailed to me! Very nice touch. We ordered a number of things, spider roll, spicy tuna roll, agudashi tofu, soft shell crab, karage chicken, beef tatiki and pork belly. All food was fantastic though I found the portion sizes were small and expensive in comparison to other Japanese restaurants. Thank you 😊

I had the worst experience ever today. This restaurant definitely is not kids friendly. We went with a group of 6, when I made my booking I made it really clear that we have 2kids who will need baby seat which they said ok. When we arrived, we weren’t given any menu for a while. Our Kids one is 2 and the other is 1years old were unsettled to start, as parents we tried our best to settle them down, the owner of the restaurant without giving us much time come to us straight away and asked us to leave if the kids is loud. We apologized and the kids did slowly calming down, then after we finally get the chance to ordered our food with the staff and we thought everything is ready to go, we then got told the menu they given us were not available to order. We need to reorder from another menu. The whole experience is very unpleasant, made us feel really unwelcome. We understand if you don’t take little kids we can avoid coming. But if you take our booking then you should know what you will be expecting. Just some comments for people who has little kids, thank you.

Awesome experience at Gion parnell! Staff were polite and ambience was really nice. Spacious and really nice decor, very comfortable. Food was surprisingly yummy! Love the soft shell crab roll, sashimis were really fresh too! Highly recommend their Beef tataki, love the tenderness, everything was just so fresh.

I had a birthday dinner. Food were all so beautiful presentation and delicious. They brought birthday desert plate with birthday songs which was lovely and took us memorial photo. I love this place and diffinatly would like to come back.

Had birthday dinner here. The lovely staffs sang birthday song for me and free birthday dessert. <br/>Nice ambience. Quality of the food is good. Cheesy eggplant was nice and unique, as they put steak cube on the top and the meatty flavour just balanced the sweet sauce. Service was really good.

The first time for us here. Very delicious Bento Karange chicken lunch, and very kind service. We'll be back!

was there for my birthday dinner nice setting n friendly staff. the sashimi n sushi are fresh however was little disappointed on the selection only has the common choices of salmon tuna n white fish was hoping for something special. the presentation of food was pretty great for selfie

This Japanese restaurant has been around for over 10 years, locates in Parnell, well known for its traditional Japanese cuisine.<br/><br/>They offer a good variety of dishes. Food are reasonably priced.<br/><br/>Their beef tataki are exceptional, thinly sliced and well seasoned. The sukiyaki pot have a flavorful soup base and the beef are fresh and tender. The Gion special sashimi platter contains a great variety of different raw fish, fresh and excellent valued.<br/><br/>Staff are super friendly and attentive. <br/><br/>Highly recommended to everyone.<br/><br/>Food: 10/10<br/>Food presentation: 7/10<br/>Service: 9/10<br/>Location: 9/10<br/>Ambience: 8/10<br/>Price $50 per person excl alcohol

Gion is one of the most authentic and original Japanese restaurants you must visit, centrally located in Parnell. The restaurant is often busy, however you will most likely be able to get a table without a reservation as well. <br/><br/>They offer Japanese cuisine, made with cafe and beautifully presented. I love their sashimi selections and sushi and highly recommend their hot pots too. <br/><br/>The service is always wonderful and attentive, the waitresses will offer to fill water at regular intervals and top up tea. <br/><br/>5/5

I had lunch with family there today. Very reasonable price with fresh sashimi and sushi. Exceeded our expectations. My parents really enjoy it. Ll return.

Came in for dinner tonight with the family. Food was amazing. The wagyu steak melted inside my mouth. There was no need to chew. Chazuke has both crispy and soft salmon. Salad was delicious, loved the sauce. Beef was so soft and easy to chew. Steamed egg had a mushroom and shrimp which gave it some nice flavour. Ice cream was extremely rich. Overall, excellent meal.

My favourite Japanese restaurant! <br/>Visited Japan a few times so am able to confirm the food here is delicious and very similar to authentic Japanese food. <br/>-Presentation of food is very pleasing to the eye<br/>-Restaurant has a traditional feel<br/>-Staff are helpful<br/>So yup you definitely get what you pay for

Had a set menu. Was really good. We took away some food home as we were too full. Food came too quick and all at the same time so we had to tell them to bring out the next dish after we finished the dish before.

Good Japanese restaurant in Parnell area. I come to this place many times because they have Sake that we like and for me I like sukiyaki or seafood hot pot here. It’s nice sweet taste soup. Other food also good too like eels don and sashimi.

Absolutely delicious and very well presented.<br/>Everything was good from the miso soup to the nigiri. I can’t fault this place one bit. The service is lovely and decor is beautiful. <br/>Price is a little on the expensive side but it’s worth every cent.<br/><br/>5/5

My absolute favorite Japanese restaurant in Auckland, better than any of the “bigger” names out there in my opinion. The authentic ambience, taste and services are just top notch, and would be top notch anywhere. I go there almost every week because my cravings for it are just constant.

We went for a dinner tonight. The service, the food, the ambience - all perfect! We ordered tuna tonkatsu, prawn tempura, pork belly. Thank you. We'll visit you again.

Amazing authentic Japanese food, great atmosphere and great service. Make you feel like you are in Japan! Fresh Sashimi and very tasty chawamushi. Also had chicken katsu and tempura udon. Remember to book for lunch as they have popular lunch bento menu!

I have had almost everything on the regular menu, everything is great, but they do great karaage compared to other places I have tried.<br/><br/>Pros: Amazing authentic food, Japanese staff in traditional clothing, Private tables, great decor<br/><br/>Cons: Expensive<br/><br/>Having tried most of their foods except for ramen, hotpot, and their desserts,  I can say there isn't anything you can really order and be disappointed, from entree to mains and sides, everything has a lot of flavour, is fresh, and is cooked well.<br/><br/>The staff are prompt and polite and food isn't too slow to arrive. If you have larger groups they may ask you to order in advance or place a deposit, as they get their fresh food in daily; which is the price you have to pay for having amazingly fresh sushi or sashimi. But keep this in mind as it has stumped me before.<br/><br/>Right on Parnell road so it is easy to find and there's plenty of paid parking at night in Parnell nearby.<br/><br/>It is a bit pricey, you can easily pay $80 for 2 here with no alcohol; so try make a plan for spending before you hit the sake or your bill could be much higher than you planned.<br/><br/>If you want to try really good and authentic Japanese food (including sushi, sashimi, ramen, karaage, takoyaki, yakisoba, udon, don and many more) this is a great choice. I wish they had okonomiyaki though but no where is perfect right?

The first time I came here was for my birthday and because my best friend had booked dinner for my partner and I to have here. Admittedly felt like this venue was on the finer dining side of things -not my usual- but the courteous and attentive service of the staff made our stay very warm, inviting and pleasant. The food is presented beautifully and the flavours are great. The beef tataki is definitely one of the better ones I've had throughout my dining experiences with Japanese cuisine. The soft shell crab is also incredible. <br/><br/>Staff and service: 5/5<br/>Atmosphere: 5/5<br/>Food: 4.5/5<br/>Price: $100-$140 on average for two people<br/><br/>Gift vouchers are also available, so if you enjoy your experience that much, you're able to purchase (if I remember correctly, $20, $50 and $100 vouchers) I've purchased 3 vouchers for family and friends to also check this place out.

We arrived late looking to have dinner and they appeared to be preparing to close up for the night.  Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.  We enjoyed the kai too, and were just grateful to be able to have a decent meal in a warm, cosy setting.

This place smells of authenticity as soon as u walk in. With their full on Japanese deco plus the female waitress all dressed in kimonos. But for the food I'd rather average.<br/>I think we all got the bento boxes which was rather average, and fills the stomach. Comes with standard cabbage coleslaw and miso soup. <br/>No service of water unless asked, and the tea cost money?! And was only given one refill when we were about to leave. <br/><br/>Food 2.5/5 (not good or bad)<br/>Service 3.5/5 (kind and polite) <br/>

One of the nicest meals I have had in a long time, great service , ambience & the Seafood Udon hotpot was delicous, will definitely be back .

We had a birthday dinner here two weeks ago and had a lovely time. This was not my first choice for that particular evening, but I ended up reserving a table here because the other places were fully booked. Am I glad I did!<br/><br/>At first glance, the mains look expensive, esp when one thinks of the usual sizes of portions served at Japanese restaurants. But our group was in for a surprise. Unlike most Japanese restaurants where the pictures on the menu appear larger than the real meal, the opposite is true for Gion. <br/><br/>I ordered Vege Roll (sushi) and Renkon Chips as starters while we waited for our friends to arrive. The Renkon Chips were quite a surprise. I've never had lotus root that way--baked (?) crisp and thoroughly enjoyable. They actually taste like sweet potatoes.<br/><br/>Now back to the mains... we had Sukiyaki Pot, Yasai Miso Pot, Teriyaki Chicken, King Salmon Teriyaki, and Kyoto Style Saikyo Yaki Salmon. The Kyoto Style Salmon was just lovely. Well, everything was lovely. My husband does not like miso soup, but amazingly, he liked the miso soup here. Also... I didn't know that a simple, Shitake Osuimono Soup could be tasty. <br/><br/>And, yes, my friends enjoyed the wasabi. It was fresh and light, not like the usual wasabi that comes from those generic green packets or tubes which can be quite overpowering.<br/><br/>The service was lovely, as well. I know it does not seem appealing to be seated near the toilets. But this never was an issue as there was privacy in the "cubicle". (I'm actually thankful they did not give us a table in the "open" main dining area). <br/><br/>Of course, the celebrant got to blow a candle with the Gion ladies singing "Happy Birthday". And there's the usual photo op.<br/><br/>Just a side note: Free parking can be tricky in Parnell. Off-street spots are quickly filled-up on weekends. Be ready to add parking fee to your evening budget. :-)<br/><br/>All in all... Lovely evening, great service! We're definitely going back!

Ordered one Gion special sashimi platter for $52.80 and one green tea ice cream for $7.80 Price was not cheap but reasonable for the quality of raw food materials, taste and friendly service. <br/><br/>Only one suggestion is that the quality of their tableware could be improved much. Currently, most of tableware what they are using to serve food are same with the items in Japanese 3 dollar shop.

Good value for money. Speedy and very polite staff. Great ambience for catching up with friends. Food is well presented. They also have a longer table for bigger groups.

Amazing food and service! Quality of the food is good here, everything is fresh. Seafood udon is the best, super generous with the amount of salmon that is already in the soup. Soup is not salty like other udon noodle soups I have had. This soup had a lot of depth from the flavours developed from all the ingredients and fresh seafood. Perfect place for a nice date night :)

Simply the best high quality authentic Japanese restaurant in town!<br/><br/>The freshest sashimi cut in perfect thickness and only the best parts were served! The tempura was nice and light, crumbed perfectly. Chicken Katsu was beautifully cooked and almost melt in your mouth. The shabu-shabu just topped it off for our whole dinner! The serving sizes were very generous and we walked out holding out tummy. Everything was beautifully presented, they were like pieces of art sitting in front of us.<br/><br/>Great selections of sake, plume wine, beers and other beverages. We had the most beautiful bottle of plume wine during dinner.<br/><br/>The service were great! The staffs were very attentive and friendly, they tried their best to make sure we had a good experience in their restaurant. <br/><br/>We would gladly recommend this place to anyone who're looking for high quality authentic Japanese food.

The food here was delicious and service was decent.<br/><br/>However, as you would expect the prices are high and we were seated near the toilets which wasn't nice.

Definitely loved the ambiance of this place, very traditional. Customer service was very good. Very fulfilling meals and it came in a timely manner. Do try the noodles here as I enjoyed every slurp of it. Highly recommend this place.

The food was absolutely incredible! Not to mention the super speedy service!!! The food was good quality and great portion sizes. Will return again :)

All the bentos are nicely designed with a mix of sushi, sashimi, pickles, salad and main dish.  The sashimi is fresh and the makis are wrapped tightly (unlike some of the sushi outlets that sell imitation sushi, which features lots of rice and little other ingredients).  The best of gion is their wagyu steak and oysters (when it's the right season).  Their special menu is full of surprises, including a mix with three types of pickles (one of my kids' favorites) and braised pork.  The special menu changes every season.  This means there are always something different we can choose from.  I recommend this Japanese restaurant for family lunch.

At Gion Japanese Restaurant, there is a wide variety of mains to choose from. The only thing was that they didn’t have a lot of dessert options. They have quite a fancy table and chair settings. Staff were also dressed in Japanese costumes. Really felt welcome here and the people kept rolling in after my friend and I went in. I ordered the half size of Tanuki Udon / Soba for $8. Half size is considered a side dish but I thought it was a good portion size for lunch if you wanted to have more room for dessert for example. When I first took a sip of the soup, it was the most unique taste! I was amazed by the interesting flavour and I finished the whole dish! I enquired to a staff member about the dish and she talked about how the following ingredients contribute to the dish’s taste: fish stock, soy sauce, sake (a Japanese alcoholic drink).

Went there for lunch today, it was a booking for 7 and we(5 of us) arrived at 11:45 and was told by the waitress that she couldn't bring us in for the seating until everyone has arrived.  We asked her why and she simply replied we have a busy day today ? Needless to say we weren't very impressed and wasn't sure why we couldn't wait for our friends at the table we booked! so the 5 of us had to stand outside the restaurant waiting........I would rate their customer service 0 , give their food 3.5 , the food was fresh, well presented but not that special for the price they charge for it.  Other waitresses was helpful but will not go back again! There are plenty other expensive Japanese restaurant with better customer service in Auckland.

This is a great little find in Parnell. The restaurant is clean and inviting. The service is friendly and generally very good. Anything teriyaki here is delicious - my favourite is the teriyaki chicken and the chicken and avo sushi. Prices are a little more than other restaurant but worth the extra coin. They have a really nice group function area too if you are planning a special occasion.

Good authentic Japanese restaurant with fresh food and menu. Great service by the staff. Good selection of drinks. Although it can be somewhat boring because the menu doesn't really change much.

Ok lunch in heart of Parnell, there're lots of Japanese decoration in the store which remind me the old days traveling around in Japan. I tried beef teriyaki udon which is nice, they cut beef in thick pieces, juicy and matches so well with teriyaki source. The size is tiny and The rice is so so. But the beef is worth the price. Also tried spider roll-cool name, right? It's made with deep fried soft crab, chewy and unique. The presentation is simple.

Went here Thursday evening with a girlfriend and then again on Saturday night. Food here is delicious, service is awesome and reasonably priced. Doesn't have a lot of atmosphere but is certainly a highly recommended! I tried the sparkling sake too which was delicious.

We just had a beautiful lunch here today. We had pork gyoza dumplings and then each got a lunch special. Both were amazing, I had the tempura and the chicken katsu. My fiance had the sashimi and the chicken karaange. Yum! It was about $80 including a wine, sparkling water and coke. Another great restaurant just a short walk away, so we will be back!

At long last, the hunt for zaru soba in NZ ends. :) I’ve never been a fan of Parnell Rd’s dining establishments – with only a few notable exceptions, I found most of them overpriced for what they offered. Gion is certainly one of the few exceptions, though – sure, it’s fairly pricey, but not as pricey as the likes of Cocoro and Masu, and perhaps more importantly, it delivers excellent food.

We came here for lunch and ordered two bentos and a udon noodle soup. <br/>The prices were very good for the quality and presentation of the food. <br/><br/>Pork katsu bento - the pork was crunchy and the sauce was every distributed. <br/><br/>Teriyaki salmon bento - generous pieces of perfectly cooked salmon. <br/><br/>Bentos- came with miso soup, small salad, rice, sushi and sashimi <br/><br/>Fried tofu udon noodle soup - really tasty soup base which you could spice up with the spicy seasoning on the side. Nice sweet fried tofu pockets

Best miso I have ever tasted. Slightly on the expensive side compared to price but the miso really made up for it. Great service and good location, would definitely return

Good food, good service, one of the best Japanese restaurants in NZ. Though getting a bit pricier... Nevertheless, one of the must try in Auckland!

Not going to lie. This place is not cheap and the portions are incredibly small, BUT they do it well and I can't fault them for that, especially since it's located in the heart of the Parnell shops.<br/><br/>It's a nice cosy restaurant with lots of traditional Japanese decorations. Perhaps a bit small, it still sits comfortably.<br/><br/>Food: 8.5/10<br/>Service: 4.5/5 <br/>Ambience: 4.5/5<br/>Value: 3.5/5<br/>Overall: 21/25

Went here for lunch. My friend reccomended the bento set, so I opted for the spicy karaage. It isn't anywhere near spicy but kinda expected that in a japanese cuisine. Everything is presented beautifully; they surely believe that we eat with our eyes. Service is nice and friendly and the place looks clean and tidy.

I remember going there when Gion was the winner for Japanese cuisine. Some time past since then. <br/>Went for dinner last month and yes, fresh food, good service but I had to wait longer than usual for food to arrive. <br/>Presentation was very simple compare to other Japanese restaurants.  <br/>I think it's well overpriced (portions are tiny) as well as vine list. <br/>If you go there be prepared to  spend some time to find car park.

This restaurant is my go to for authentic japanese food. Food are always fresh and beautifully presented. The portion size is small like more japanese food so we always end up with a big bill at the end.

A small Friday get together and this was the birthday boys chosen venue. I’m a big-time Japanese cuisine lover and unfortunately, the only thing memorable, was the company.  Now, I’m not saying that it was bad, I’m just not convinced that if I had a choice of Japanese places to visit in Auckland, this would be in my top 10.<br/><br/>Our order included;-  Sushi and sashimi platters (L), Tako wasabi, Takoyaki, Prawn tempura and Beef teriyaki<br/><br/>Best dish of the night was definitely the tako-wasabi. The octopus was very fresh and the wasabi balance was just right.<br/><br/>Disappointment:  The two sashimi platters. Although the fish quality was good, I think there is something about eating with your eyes. One of the things I really love about Japanese restaurants is their ability to present stunning plates, and I think this place lacked a little bit of flair.  <br/><br/>Overall, an average experience.

This resturant was at a different address sone years ago when I last visited. The new location suits as I usually dine in the precinct outlets between Renkon / alphabet cafe down to the diary or say oh calcutta precinct area of Parnell Road. Usually for business so taking photos is not possible. Gion is near the off license wine shop. On the Windsor case side of the Road.<br/>This resturant is laid out in the most elaborate styke.. Their artwork is unmatched and it is not cluttered with spacious table settings and immaculate ambiance of fine dining. 5/5.<br/>The menu or should I say menus are equally impressive I'd wish I had more time to study them but hunger in our party overruled. For those less familiar the menus have pictures but I found scale and corelation to price was no guarantee to not going hungry after shelling out $40.<br/>Food arrived after a wait. A little longer than ideal. A little bad luck, or annoying, was my dishes of 3 bluffies and soft shell crab came out first as if entrees. These were well before the other people's orders.<br/>The bluff oysters were quite expensive at $5 each I order a mixture of cooked when I usually have natural just to see if tge Japanese style was any special. The panko crumbed was too heavy and over fried I fekt I was eating a biscuit, the tempura battered was clearly better and the mornay styled was ordinary yet yummy the mayonnaise and japanese ingredients really didnt influence the taste in my opinion. 3.5/5<br/>My soft shell crab was very nice and cooked perfectly. As I said it came out well before the other dishes so I shared it and I didnt eat more than one and a half pieces of a relatively small looking serving 5/5;<br/>Mix up with a request for some veges for bubs to hold and chomp on while we eat. The waitress misunderstood and thought baby wated "cucumber sushi rolls" not "cucumber to hold" a mildly costly mistake as the restaurant ended up charging us for this error the cost of the sushi they prepared. A little disappointing by really shouldn't take the shine off what is one of Aucklnd best upmarket Japanese.<br/>Other superb dishes were the Wagu beef pinkish sliced meats were the caviar of meat. But what I enjoyed was the fresh whole shittake mushroom. @Joliejolie will need to tke note. It was so different to the dried variety of shittake and probably very expensive as the $70 waygu dish has only 1. 5/5 for the wagyu hotpot. Note its broth is very sweet if you dislike sugary hot food like me.<br/>Eel donburi it was a little small. In fact looked cramped in a bowl sized basket I didnt taste it as t portion was modedt but 2/5 for presentation.<br/>By the stage others in the party mains were being served I was getting a little peckish again with seeing these elaborate dishes being enjoyed. So I order pork Gyzoya a common stable entree. Usually I'd get 6 to 8 pieces but only 5 in a portion here. Not sure the price but I'd imagine the dish was $20 so it was again deliciously surprising!<br/>Overall Gion is a wonderful dining experience of refined authentic Japanese at its best. Expect expensive but the quality is there. The cucumber sticks at $7 ie the cost of the mini sushi roll was cheeky and risks spoiling a great customer experience when you pay the the bill and leave.<br/>Child friendly rated: 2/5 high chairs provided dont have table attachments and no kids menu. Charged for cucumber sticks at price of sushi.<br/>

The back story : Gion and I go way back. Having started going there many years ago, when it first started up on the opposite side of Parnell Rd to where it is now located, I have consistently been satisfied with its attentive service and food. Their authentic Japanese ingredients sourced from overseas compliment fresh NZ produce well and keeps customers coming through its doors.<br/><br/>Setting : A proud wood carved sign hung on an exotic red wall announces Gion as you walk in. The place is authentically Japanese. No details are missed here. From a large red kimono style cloak hung up on one wall, to the kimono-wearing wait staff in wooden clogs- everything shouts Japanese. Gentlr music plays in the background adding to the atmosphere. The place is spacious, with options to dine on the red couches along one wall or at the bar, or there is even a room you can book out back for larger groups wanting their own intimate but authentically Japanese experience.<br/><br/>Food: With Gion's head chef originating from Japan, you know you can't go wrong with having authentic Japanese food. What strikes me most as the best part is the serving size - much larger than what you usually get at Japanese places. When you order a main - you know you'll be full at the end of it. The menu is varied with loads to choose from too - from jumbo sushi rolls (actually jumbo - lots of filling with little rice - so you know you're not overloading with carbs !) to hot pots of udon and soba cooked at your table to fresh sashimi that melts in your mouth - it always feels like there is something for everyone. I certainly have never taken a friend there without them falling in love with the dishes ! If you don't know what to choose and are feeling like you want a sampler of everything then I recommend the Gion Gozen. You get soup, salad, tapas tasters, nigiri, three types of sashimi, a beef hot pot, tempura, chicken teriyaki.<br/><br/>Occasion : Authentic Japanese dining experience, for intimate to medium groups. Great choice for an affordable mid-fine dining experience of Japanese cuisine<br/><br/>Revisit potential : 10 / 10

I really love this restaurant and especially the Agedashi Tofu!<br/>We had 4 dishes and a huge sashimi combo between the 2 of us. Very delicious and well- prepared. But it kinda shows the pricing and portion is a tad disproportionate. <br/>Still will visit again though.

Have been dining here regularly for years and can truthfully say I have never been disappointed. Fresh food, great service. Highly recommend.<br/><br/><br/>

This place is awesome. The food is great. It is definitely a place that is worth going to. It's my favourite place to go if I want to treat myself to some good Jap food. Hit up the fresh oysters, they're mean.

Interior and atmosphere of the restaurant is nice. However:<br/>a. service is slow<br/>b. food portions are really small for the price<br/>c. most of all, check your receipt carefully.  Paying individually is not allowed. What we ordered and what we were charged was different.

Have only recently discovered Gion. Although it's rather pricey in terms of Jap it's undoubtably worth it. Their teriyaki chicken is one of the best I've ever had. I don't know what they do with it but their sauce is devine. The chicken is well cooked but tender and they provide ample amounts of sauce to cover it. I throughly enjoy their renkon chips too. Highly recommend Gion.

Have been there few times, over priced meal and service is not good enough.  <br/>Last time my friends and I ordered Teriyaki Chicken main and Ebi (Prawn) Tempura. The chicken was way too salty and prawn tempura just like the one I had in some cheap sushi shop. During our dining, we found out there is no sauce on the table for sashimi, we called their waitress twice, but no one is following us.  Finally one chef from the kitchen noticed us. That is not acceptable for that time, because only few customers there. <br/>Not recommended.

Wonderful experience, great service, great taste, great atmosphere! Fresh seafood, my favorites are the rainbow roll, Saba yaki 鯖焼き, and Unagi don. The waitresses are friendly, the decorations are so Japanese. Love it!

A wonderful lunch experience. Have been multiple times and my wife and I thoroughly enjoy the multiple choices on the menu. Okay so her choices almost always settle on the mixture of teriyaki beef and tempura prawn (you get to choose two flavours with lunch), but the other one of us mixes it up and I have never been disappointed. The presentation is exceptional. Just a pity the wheelchair access is so difficult despite being a new building you have to come in by a back way.

We booked and decided to try this restaurant out as the two other places for Japanese food in Parnell were closed on a Sunday evening. <br/><br/>When we arrived the restaurant was a quarter full and died down. The service was prompt to start with and then when our waitress was replaced with a trainee things went downhill. <br/><br/>No soda for a vodka soda, no champagne by the glass... for a Parnell eatery there were very limited drinks options.<br/><br/>We ordered an assortment of food between us and another couple. Our Beef tataki arrived and was the standard you would expect. <br/><br/>When we unravelled an unkempt ball of meat in the centre, it was full of bits of fat, and lacked the general care Japanese food prep usually has. We waited about 15 more minutes and eventually some of our friend's food turned up. By this stage it was just us an another two tables in the restaurant. The prawn tempura was poor value for money. The Chicken Karange lacked the usual spice and flavour. We waited another 30 minutes for our food after our friends finished theirs and needless to say were fairly starving. It appeared they had forgotten our serving of chicken karange. The rest of our food eventually arrived. <br/><br/>Overall the service was ok, they forgot our side of rice completely, the food was poor to average at best and we definitely wont be back, especially due to the long wait and overall poor value for money.<br/><br/>Save your dollars and go elsewhere, there are many more outstanding Japanese restaurants in Auckland City.

By far the best Japanese restaurant I have been with a group of friends from Asia.<br/>They saw and tasted the freshness of New Zealand seafood done Japanese way.<br/>They loved it and my whole family visit them 3-4 times a month when we want to eat Japanese food.

Went there on the weekend for lunch. The place is very pleasant, the interior is better than the old place (which used to locate opposite the road), and very well designed. <br/><br/>I've ordered a set lunch where I can choose the two dishes out of a list of food. The katsu pork was great, but the salmon wasn't as good. The salad that came with the set was tasteless. It had a little bit of salad dressing but we couldn't taste a thing except raw lettuce. The miso soup was plain as well. My friend's tempura udon was good though. Will definitely go back for another try, probably won't order a set though as the side dishes/salad/soup are not worth the extra money.

Went over for dinner with my family last Wednesday 30/5 to celebrate my wife's birthday.<br/>Again, we were not disappointed - the new location and the new restaurant layout was great. The Manager on duty gave impeccable service and the wait staff - always attentive. The food standards consistent and we even got a complimentary birthday dessert for my wife!<br/>Highly recommended and you will see us again definitely!<br/>Well done and keep up the good service and compliments to the Chef!<br/>RK

Gourgeous food, lovely clean flavours. I hope you re-open soon.

My friends and I had lunch at Gion last Sunday. While it wasn't planned I had always want to dine at Gion having heard that it's one of the top Japanese restaurants in Auckland.<br/><br/>The environment is very pleasant and I was particularly impressed by the wedding kimono hung on the wall beside my table.<br/><br/>I ordered a panko chicken bento as main and shared with my friends a soft shell crab sushi entree. The bento was average with standard sushi and chicken both in terms of taste and portion, but the sashimi side was generous. The soft shell crab sushi was on the other hand very nicely prepared that the shell remains crunchy after sitting on our table for a while.<br/><br/>Overall the lunch was nice but not the best. For around $16 per lunch bento it's worth a try.

Our party of 11 ate at Gion last week and the experience has been in mind for several days so I had to leave a review.<br/><br/>Whilst the service and style are wonderfully Japanese, its really the food and smiles of the staff that are the real stars. My soba noodle dish was wonderful whilst my husband exclaimed over his starter of sushi and main of chicken udon. As a party we found the wait between course almost the same as if we were only a table of two and the attentiveness of people looking after us meant our water of sake glasses were always cared for.<br/><br/>Highly recommended <br/><br/>Avis - Birkenhead

My girlfriend and I dined here late on a Friday night. We loved it! It had a great authentic Japanese feel. Quiet, warm and comfortable atmosphere. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. The service was very fast and efficient the best Ive ever had. The food tasted great and was presented perfectly. Good prices too. Definitely recommend this restaurant!! And free parking close by :)

Very authentic Japanese restaurant, waitresses are dressed in their traditional costumes , and interior were very nice with the traditional look. Food were great, presented beautifully. Prices are on the high side, but the experience makes it worth it. One of the best Japanese restaurant I have been to in auckland.