Review Sakebar Nippon - Takapuna - Takapuna

A very relaxing sakebar. The food are delicious, and the environment is very chill and nice for friends and family gatherings! Staff are friendly and helpful.

First time trying the Takapuna branch. Have been to the Epsom branch before and that was great. The inside was really nice and we got sit in one of those 2 people pods which was actually really comfortable. We ordered the grilled squid, vege tempura, yakisoba, tonpeiyaki and salmon wing. The vege tempura was perfect, the batter didnt feel too oily and you can taste the individual ingredient that is inside the tempura at their natural flavour, which is hard to make. The grilled squid was awesome as well. Yakisoba I felt was too salty and not super big fan of having mayo on the noodles. The salmon wing was nice, even though it had an eye. Tonpeiyaki was yummy but I think next time I might order rice with some of these dish as it was quite flavourful. Overall was very delicious and I think it beat the Epsom branch actually. Will come back definitely

First time here, although it is an absolute institution of dining in Takapuna. It’s definitely a locals restaurant, for those who know. It’s pretty magical inside, there was a man dressed like a panda that would beat the Japanese drums every time new guests came in. The whole team is in sink and welcome you together. The interior is full of modern Japanese artifacts that make it look like you’re not in Takapuna. Ordering process is made easy with a menu that has pictures and numbers attached to each dish, so you write down the numbers, ring the bell and a staff member picks up your order from you - easy! We sat at the chefs bar and watched him cook soooo much deliciousness that we’ll have to come back for more just from what we saw. We went for some classics like the freshest salmon and avocado sushi, edamame beans, tofu fried in the famous Japanese batter with a tasty miso sauce and for the main event 8 got the grilled eel which was just fantastic, very much about the fish with only complementing flavours. The drinks list is extensive with lots of interesting Japanese flavours. We will be back.

First time dining in and the experience and service is great! Food is amazing, delicious, authentic and worth to come back..

First time visiting the Sake bar here, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. As vegetarian we definitely have a good selection of nippon delights to savour. The refreshing beers poured in frozen glasses are good boost needed between meals. However we didn't try sakes... maybe next time though. In addition, the atmosphere is really cozy, warming and welcoming. The staff is genuinely nice and caring. The spirit is similar the the sake bar in Epsom. Thank you guys for the super service . Will come back again

Authentic Japanese place. They even had the white girl? who worked there speaking Japanese. Beautiful food. Highly recommend.

Been here a few times and always impressed with the food and service. All the staff are friendly especially Mikki. Good place to have family dinner with children or for business lunch/dinner. Highly recommended, will definitely come back again.

Great Japanese place. Surprisingly there's bacon in quite a few of the dishes... The Spicy Sauce they use on the Sushi is darn tasty. There's an interactive game that you spin a wheel for prizes. Terrific.

Out Favorite Japanese Restaurant ♥️ Thank you for keeping top quality food and service as always.

My go to at least once a week for the last 1000 years, this is really a good place to eat in Takapuna, rarely a bad meal and always nice, very polite staff with impeccable manners and very friendly kind chef staff, special thanks to Mako manager for also being so respectful and sharing warm sake, do something nice for yourself and family and visit Nippon sake Bar Takapuna, you will not regret it! Domo arigato!!

Amazing place with great crowd and ambiance. Food is good, nothing exceptional. Good variety in menu to try and good quality of food n service. Weekends are too crowded and might get very noisy. I like that. I recommend the charred sushi and pork skewers 👌🏼

Love this restaurant. Amazing food and excellent services. The restaurant was so busy. Will come back definitely.

Amazing service and food came out very fast. The staff were super friendly and the food was amazing!! I would definitely come back here again.

Cool atmosphere and authentic Japanese izakaya style. Seatings was nice, great staff. Food was excellent. Highly recommend.

The selection of dishes are great pairing for the alcoholic drinks...it is a sakebar after all. The serving are like tapas...so you can definitely order more even if you're drinking alone. But definitely more enjoyable if shared with friends. And of course, the staff are nice and cheery.

Good vibe, good food

Authentic Japanese sake bar, the staff service super friendly, the drum beats to welcome guests was interesting, waiter and waitress also dressed up in cartoon costume makes the atmosphere lively and fun

Monday closed.

Being a long time client, I’m vey disappointed with the quality of the food tonight. Rice is super soft with inside not cooked through and sashimi is not fresh. It also took a long time to receive the food.

Cute little restaurant in the heart of Takapuna. Love the ambience and really does give you that Sake bar feel. There was plenty of variety on the menu. We ordered the steak which came on a sizzlling plate, great flavours and perfectly cooked. The sashimi was really fresh too. Katsu Chicken and Takoyaki balls were beautiful and great value for money. Friendly and fast service too. It was my second time coming here but would definitely make a third trip soon!

Wonderfully warm atmosphere, fabulous food, very reasonably priced, attentive friendly staff, LOVED LOVED it. We will be back.

AVERAGE 🙃<br/><br/>Poor quality fish (frozen and old), and just food taste bad for the price you pay.

Loved the way we (and every customer) is greater by staff. They are all so lovely and it creates and awesome atmosphere. The food was fine, and there’s enough options to please everyone!

Me and my partner came to this restaurant for dinner. I have been craving sushi train for the past week so I took the opportunity to come here because I saw sushi train from the window.<br/>When we showed up, the (very enthusiastic) employee came to greet us and showed us to our table. However, I had to re-direct him to the other direction because we were actually here for the sushi train. The music was probably a bit too loud.<br/>We were taken to our seats, given menus and a small bell to ring when we were ready to order. <br/>There was a lack of variety in the sushi train. Each plate costs $3.50. When we arrived (about 7.30pm), there were only some maki rolls, fried lotus, inarizushi, half an orange (expensive!) and some edamame. It seemed like the chefs were not topping up the train either so after a couple of plates from the sushi train, we ordered from the main menu as well. The quality of the food was quite good but I was really really disappointed with the sushi train. If you're going to have a sushi train, then you should at least cater for it properly. The menu for the sushi train had really limited options as well (about ~8 options).<br/>The 2 star review is based on the fact that I really wanted to enjoy the sushi train experience :(<br/>The employees were really friendly, enthusiastic and respectful though. I will say, the food was quite excellent. The food that was originally moving around in the sushi train was average.<br/>So if you're visiting, the sushi train is not recommended. Just order from the main menu.<br/>By the way, we ordered beef tataki nigiri that was supposedly from the sushi train menu ($3.5) but we ended up getting a plate of just the beef takaki which costed $16. YIKES.

Absolutely amazing food, yummy and very prompt. Friendly staff and very welcoming. Limited options for wine.

I always lived in Northshore but funny how I’ve never been to this restaurant, so we dined here on a Saturday night. Because we didn’t make a reservation, we were seated at the bar table, but it was okay because we always sit next to each other anyway. <br/><br/>The atmosphere was good but gets quite loud when the staff bash on the drum and chant something. I think it’s their custom to do it to welcome customers coming into the restaurant.<br/><br/>The service was excellent, and food was delicious too. I recommend scallops and okonomiyaki and prawn with hot sake.<br/><br/>

Me and my wife will never ever get tired of the Japanese cuisine the combination of its simplicity and delicate flavours is just impeccable we can’t skip a Japanese restaurant when we pass by it. Luckily there are many Japanese restaurants in Auckland so we have a lot of options when we are craving for one. I guess I posted already more than a dozen reviews on these types of restaurants here in New Zealand and abroad but is this latest place that we tried as par as the ones we tried before?

Friendly staff and amazing food for a wonderful night!!Sake is really awesome!!Must try hot sake in the winter~Service is excellent!!Next time want to try a boat of sashimi：）

Authentic Japanese Restaurant. Loved everything that we ordered. The place has a very nice ambiance. The Salmon Sashimi is my favorite. It is so fresh and just melts in your mouth. The Gyoza is so flavorful and the Shrimp Tempura is so good. if you’re looking for an authentic Japanese food/restaurant, this is the place to go. Service is excellent as well.

We popped in here after our Milford to Takapuna beach walk. It was a Monday but this place was busy!! They were very accommodating to us as we didn’t have a booking. The staff were excellent, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was awsome. We will be back!

A bit let down since they stop doing the sushi train. I used to love this place as the sushi train contains many items (more variety than the branch on Manukau Rd) Now you just have to make the order. Foods tasted as good as usual. Recommended char grilled salmon sushi and steak.

This is such a great, casual Japanese restaurant in the heart of Takapuna. Fantastic and friendly staff, yummy food and fabulous atmosphere. We’ve been here for family dinners many times and every time it is so good. Even for birthdays they go the extra mile, with a birthday poster and a staff member that sings a happy birthday song! Highly recommend!

Wow! what a fun experience. The service was amazing. The atmosphere was fun, bold and lovely. The food and Sake were Devine.  Coming here has made me want to visit Japan! I will defiantly be coming back.

Great food great people. This is must visit place in Takapuna. Very authentic Japanese food and many choices, and you will feel Japan here. Of course Kids friendly!

Very good service and warm welcome when you come in the store.Available seats on Friday nights, foods were coming fast and very strong Japanese style decoration

Love the fun vibe in this place – every time an order is placed they bang the gong. Really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Although, can get a little loud on a busy night.

Staff are so welcoming && the food is always delicious. I had #TeryakiChickenOnRice tonight && it was freaking amazing. I highly recommend Nippon, thank me later ;)

I went for diner:) great place for sashimi. Ordered sashimi boat. Roll, okonomiyaki, nigiri, tadaki(?), beer n takoyaki. Was good especially okonomiyaki was nice. (I added prawn for okonomiyaki). But it was super busy. So i couldn’t have a chance to order for 10min even if press the bell. Very kind staffs but not enough staff..

We were pleasantly surprised by this Japanese restaurant we stumbled on. It was a busy Sunday lunch time. Staff were pleasant and efficient. Food was great and served quickly. We bought some cup cakes from nearby shop to celebrate our friend’s birthday. The lady serving us went extra miles to plate the cup cakes together beautifully for us. They even sang the happy birthday song and a Japanese song for us. Great for families and groups.

Came here for date night! Atmosphere pretty good! Fun to dine in as they allow us to play little lucky game at the end of the meal to win some price! Food were delicious and interesting with storing water in sake bottle 😀😀

Great fun, loud environment. Awesome for groups. Yummy food and great selection. Meat is always cook great and good for veges options. Very friendly service. Sing for parties if requested. Is open on Mondays not listed here though. Dessert not great. Seafood is amazing. Great nz cross Japanese food.

Amazing food and atmosphere! Will definitely be returning and that’s not only because we won a free tempura voucher on the awesome spinning wheel! Amazing night, thank you.

Super fun atmosphere for a large group and great patient service from the staff. Food was delicious, I recommend the sashimi and salads over the deep fried types but it was all great. Thoroughly enjoyed myself!

Me and 3 went here after our friend had booked and asked for a quiet area. As soon as we entered we could feel the vibrancy of the place! We were taken to our table, and it was anything but quiet, but really different. The waiter explained that our meals wouldn't all be served at once, which we accepted. We each ordered different meals,3 of us had finished before the last meal arrived, the salad we ordered we nibbled on before the first meal came and it was sooo fresh. My meal was fried rice with prawns it was just the right size for me. My friend and I had the creme broule and it was so creamy As we were leaving we were given to spin a wheel,and I won another meal. Food excellent and atmosphere electric. You must go, but perhaps take earplugs! !

This restaurant is crazy amazing! I come here all the time, the staff are so amazing, Saki and Mako are so friendly and cool! And as it was my father's birthday, Taka sung happy birthday with his amazing voice!! As we left every staff member makes a big deal out of you including having Mako bow as we left. The service is next level, the atmosphere is amazing, the ordered food is delicious and fresh, the sushi train has amazing variety. And most importantly, the prices are extremely fair! My favourite Japanese restaurant by a long shot! Only negative is that they open from 5pm, which is understandable as they must keep the sushi train food fresh, and this would incur a lot of waste if they were open, so it's completely understandable! ありがとうみなさん！ほんとうにおいしい！またね〜

Haru is a lovely girl who work at sakebar. Food are very delicious and desert is great and tasty. We quite enjoy this restaurant. Highly recommend all

Amazing place, the service is great it's like being in Japan. I love their gyoza and all the yakitoris. They have a good range of traditional drinks.

Lovely evening. Food was great, worth the wait. Friendly service. Nice atmosphere. Love when they bang the drum on your way out and welcome you when you come in.

Excellent food! Decent service could be more attentive considering the restaurant wasn't too busy but good food nonetheless :)<br/>Kind of pricey but it's to be expected of fresh ingredients I suppose. Conveniently close to the movies too which is a plus

Went there 3 times over about 3 months- really good service and food the first two times- and extremely bad service the last time. We ordered about 7 small dishes and drinks- the drinks took about 15 mins to arrive and got about 3 of the dishes (sushi, edamame and pork skewers) we ordered in the next 45 mins. The table in front of us ordered starters and mains and got both in the same time when they arrived and ordered after us. When I got tired of waiting and went to pay for what we got, the manager said that 2 more os our dishes were ready. When I declined, he offered me to take them with me for free, then charged me for them. Said a perfunctory sorry about the experience. Thats it- no genuine remorse. Not going back.

Two of us Friday night for dinner. First time here had read the reviews so knew what to expect!!! Lots of noise loud music nd lively atmosphere. Staff are very attentive nd efficient. Made you feel welcome. Service very brisk.... we had a selection of dishes that we know nd like wine by the glass ndKirin beer.<br/>A good night out , well worth another visit.

I had heard a lot of good reviews about this place, and finally had the chance to try it. And booooy! It did not disappoint. They offer a range of authentic Japanese dishes, from sides to mains. If you have a large group of people, I suggest ordering small plates so that you get a taste of each. Nonetheless, we still did that with us two. We were so eager to try all the sorts and they were deliciously made and the sashimi boat was so fresh. The prices are definitely well priced, you'd feel worth for all the food you get. We did order a bit too much (oops) but they were happy to give us takeaway boxes to take home with us.

So our regular fav Japanese restaurant in freemans bay was booked out so we took our chances and having gone past this place a few times decided to try it out for date night dinner. <br/><br/>Firstly, WOW, such awesome authentic atmosphere, the kitchen really lights up and they even offer awesome music show with traditional Japanese music and instruments. <br/><br/>The food itself was lovely, well priced, we ordered to much (think our eyes were bigger then our stomachs) and they hand daily specials as well <br/><br/>The beef tataki (pictured) was my favourite dish, but I also loved the salmon Avo sushi and the mayo oysters were fresh ! <br/><br/>I would certainly like to return to try out some more dishes <br/><br/>Big thumbs up. 😉

I love this place, it has got signs up saying opens from 5pm but we went there for Sunday lunch. Fab food, great atmosphere! Love the greeting and farewell. The chicken livers are perfect, kaarage chicken yum yum yummm! Ginger pork, seaweed salad all good. Fast friendly fantastic!

Went on a Friday night and was seated immediately. The atmosphere is great with a nice interior. Food tastes really good and is reasonably priced, although portion sizes are a little small. Only other downside was the wait times between each dish. Other than that, would recommend and revisit again.

Such a fun environment to dine if your into a social atmosphere. <br/>food was good and found the staff attentive and friendly. <br/>Will definitely be back. <br/>

Such a good vibe when you walk into this place! Service is really good and when you order the food, it arrives super quick. My partner and I like to order lots of different things so we can share and try a variety of options. Personal favourites would be sashimi, char grilled salmon & the chicken katsu.

Dined here with my partner for lunch, it was pretty quiet & most people were dining at the sushi train section, we decided to order off the full menu. The decor is cute & the vibe feels very authentic, the staff are lovely however the service was pretty slow considering how quiet they were. There is an awesome variety of dishes on the menu. We shared the beef tataki to start which we very much enjoyed. My partner had squid for a main which he also enjoyed. I had steak which I asked to be cooked medium rare, it was more well done but it was still perfectly edible. The prices are reasonable & I would probably return again.

went with two friends. fried rice a bit salty. sushi good. soup good. service good. will come again definitely. close to the cinema. convenient.

It's been one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Auckland for a long time. Great food, awesome staff..really fun place to go to! When I go to sakebar I always try to invite many friends so we can share all different dishes :) <br/>I recommend beef tataki, steak, vegetable tempura and mussel mayo! Sushi is nice too, if you love sashimi try sashimi boat you will be surprised by the amount of fresh fish on the boat.

Utterly overpriced and overrated too.Me and my friends were looking to have a really good gourmet experience in this place,we decided to go to this placed based in The Zomato Rating,which I think it does not show the reality,I ordered the Saikoro Steak(18 $) and they took more than 45 mins to bring it,basically I have to eat by myself as the rest of my friends(10 people) have already eaten as well due the tiny size of the portions .Definitely portions are extremely small and it is not what you see in the illustration(You don't get what you see).I think there are better Japanese places where you can have better food and more important where you do not walk out starving and with a headache due to the drums banging :-(

Fun place <br/>Nice fresh sushi and a great variety <br/>Staff are friendly and helpful happy to make whatever you desire sushi wise<br/>Would go there again for sure

This is hands down my favorite Japanese restaraunt, everything from them yelling greeting when you walk in to the seats you sit on feel authentic. The food tastes amazing, just a little on the pricey side. Only thing id change is the portion sizes, they are a bit small

First time here after workmates raved about it. My mouth was watering just thinking about it. Loved the vibe, the staff are fantastic. <br/>The food is awesome, so many things to choose from. We opted for a few plates to share. Soft shell crab, spring rolls, karaage chicken, gyoza, yum yum prawns and prawn and pork belly skewers. Everything came out really quickly and was yummy. <br/>Topped off the night with a little slice of brownie from the sushi train, an awesome idea. <br/>Well priced, great experience. Will definitely visit again. If you book in advance you spin the wheel to get free plates of food - bonus!!

Fabulous place to eat at. it's really fun, loud, happy with great staff working there who really make you feel at home.  We love the food - service is fast and every time a meal is ready they bang a gong.  My family and I love the place and we thoroughly recommend it. Food is really good and very reasonably priced. Today is my birthday - my husband told them that and they made me a very funny b'd card and one of the male staff came over to our table and sang 'Po karekare ana'  - imagine a Japanese chef singing that and he has a wonderful voice. I also got a free dessert. It's the happiest eating place you'll ever go to.

Sandbar Nippon Restaurant is a firm favourite of mine. Often. I'll take my girlfriend out to dinner and we'll dine here. The experience is always energetic, with staff welcoming you loudly and warmly.<br/><br/>The food is authentic, tasty, and fresh. I'll often order Okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese pancake; Edamame, karage chicken, and squid; all of which, I'd recommend.<br/><br/>I'd recommend Sakebar Nippon Restaurant to friends, family, and followers.<br/><br/>

The best japanese restaurant I've ever been to in Auckland. The staff's hospitality is awesome, food quality is good. I brought a friend there on his birthday and the staff came and sang for him and gave free ice cream for him. The only thing that needs improvement is the food variety, as they don't have ramen, udon on the menu but apart from those, I would give this restaurant 5 stars out of 5. The restaurant interior design is amazing as well,  the lighting ambiance, unique interior decor, the chanting, you'll feel like you are in Japan.

First time here.<br/><br/>Nice food with the average price of Japanese dishes.<br/><br/>It takes me to 60$ to fill up my tummy lol . <br/><br/>Just a bit annoyed with the shouting of chefs and the drum noise. this might be traditional thing to attract the customers. Apart from this, it is a nice jap restaurant you should try.<br/><br/>

Best Japanese restaurant I have ever been to! The entertainment, service and quality of food is just outstanding! Winning free springrolls from the spinning wheel was a great bonus to the evening. Only thing that needs slight improvement would be the tempura udon noodle soup, the soup itself was a little bit salty.<br/><br/>Second visit - won free plate of springrolls again. This time round got a lot more food as I took my family here. Definitely recommend the soft shell crab, pancake and the grilled kingfish wing. This place is super generous with their portions compared to other similar restaurants such as Nishiki.

As soon as you walk through the restaurants door, you're greeted with banging drums, shouting, chanting and everything loud. And it's fantastic. It's a bustling, lively restaurant that thrives to give you a taste of Japanese culture from its food to its service. As soon as were seated we were given a quick run down of the menu, which offered more of a shared plate variety. And sure the place was very loud and difficult to converse in, but you'll soon forget as you indulge in your first sushi platter. We also ordered the takoyaki and yakisoba, with intentions of trying more plates but our full stomachs forced us to stop. <br/><br/>Having my fair share of Japanese food, the takoyaki was perfect but the yakisoba needs more convincing for me. The sushi and avocado roll was generous with the salmon but the rice texture was stickier than preferred. <br/><br/>Overall the dinner was great, ambiance was lively and you couldn't help but smile with every drum bang and every chef that sang. Date night success

Sakebar is our go-to date night dinner. The food here is so good, always get the chicken teriyaki, chicken katsu and a creme brulee. <br/>I love the atmosphere and the staff are really great and they play the drums when you walk in which I think is very cool.

Great fun, great food, great service. What a fabulous experience from the time you walk into the restaurant until you pay the bill. It's almost a shame to leave. Just what a Japanese restaurant should be like.

First visit to Sakebar Takapuna on 29/1/16. I am a huge fan of Japanese cuisine. On arrival we had a very warm and energetic welcome from all of the staff. The staff were friendly and food great! Highly recommend for great Japanese food and energetic atmosphere

Best japanese I've had in Auckland! Authentic dishes, AMAZING ambience, unique interior decor, excellent service (had a waitress voluntarily explain to us their daily specials and drinks menu), and a couple of dishes (yakisoba and ginger butter pork) that may have been a little oily. Other than that, everything was perfect! Can't wait to return!

My new favourite japanese resto. So authentic and food are so yum. Price is reasonable for the food and so as for the japanese beers. I recommend this one if you are looking for authenticity in jap food.

It's hard to see what this place is like from standing on the the street, but once inside, you will be pleasantly surprised. The wooden interior adds a nice vibe and the booth seating makes it perfect for groups! Wouldn't be my first pick for a date though as its quite loud and generally busy. The staff were friendly and quite attentive during our evening visit. There isn't a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, but other than that there is all the traditional japanese dishes.<br/><br/>We ordered the Agedashi tofu, Karaage chicken and the Vegetable tempura. My fav dish of the night was the Karaage, anything fried is always good! The chicken was succulent with a really nice outer crunch! And with Kewpie (japanese mayo) - its always a hit!

Good service and good food. Selection was great as well. We ordered Chicken Katsu, Tempura, Teriyaki Chicken, mixed sushi, Gyoza and all were tasty. The ambiance was lively so just be prepared for a not-so-quiet dinner. <br/><br/>The only thing that was odd was they charged wasabi for $2-3.00. <br/><br/>Overall recommended restaurant.

Favourite Japanese in Auckland. Bit higher in price than your average, but you get what you pay for. Can be a little loud at times but it creates a great atmosphere. Everything on the menu is fresh, delicious, and never disappoints.

This place is known for its authentic Japanese dining experience. We had dinner there and as soon as we stepped into the door, we were greeted by waiters dressed in traditional clothing who spoke Japanese to us. Throughout dinner time, we could hear Japanese chants and drum beats. The experience was definitely very new and different and very authentic. It would suit someone who likes a bit of noise and excitement during their meals. However, I was put off by the size of their dishes. We ordered skewers as starters and we had two very small pieces of scallops and chicken liver on each skewer (literally the same as the illustration), but I was expecting a bit more given the price. I preferred the main dishes. The sashimi was quite fresh and I really enjoyed the Yakisoba noodles, which were tangy and flavoursome.

My friend and I often catch up in Takapuna and we both love Japanese. We thought we would go to a different Japanese places to try somewhere new but we wish we didn’t.<br/><br/>They are continuously banging the drums and cheer whenever someone comes into the restaurant which makes it really hard to chat to someone. <br/><br/>I ordered the tuna sashimi salad ($14) and the edamame beans ($7).The food was okay but the portion sizes were really small. There are better Japanese places in Takapuna.<br/><br/>I walked out with a headache from the banging of the drums and I definitely won’t be going back.

There is very little I need to say about this japanese gem. All the other reviews speak for itself. If your not familiar with dining out and paying for good food don't expect Mc Donalds happy meal prices. But you'll notice even when the final bill comes, it's not even that expensive at all. This place is there to accomodate you and even entertain. It's an experience that everybody should try. <br/><br/>If you are not familiar with Japanese food. I recommend you go there with somebody who does. Everything on the menu is fantastic and is authentic to the Japanese style of cooking. I can recommend prawns with yum yum sauce. The "kfc" or chicken karage is also gr8. The mussel mayo and oyster mayo are to die for. <br/>In the menu it's best to pick a small something from all over. But I recommend these meals will fill you up very fast. So be warned. <br/><br/>My wife and I will eat japanese food over most other styles. So we have tried a lot of the resturants all over auckland. This resturant is up there. <br/><br/>Please note if you are after a romantic quiet dinner, this is not the place to go. After our meal in a group setting the staff offered to us karaoke. We obliged and this worked well with the sake. On this occasion we were a group of 10 with a bday girl. The staff sang her happy bday and even did a drawing with Japanese writing wishes. Then the big surprise was "Taka" the Japanese Oprah singer. Wow. <br/><br/><br/><br/>

Been there a number of times,it's not a top choice for Japanese food,but good enough for north shore people.Good service and food was yummy.My favorite food is Prawn fried rice.But my husband doesn't like the atmosphere.It's too noise for him.

I was a little hesitant to walk in here, but boy was I glad we did. I love how they bang on the drum and cheer whenever someone walks in. Fast service and waiters are very attentive. <br/><br/>Dumplings were amazing and so was the steamed broccoli with Mayo. All up we spent around $55 for two people including drinks so not bad price wise. <br/><br/>What an amazing atmosphere this place is!

Without a doubt the best Japanese restaurant I have been to in Auckland. Service throughout the night was excellent, and the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended this place.

Food was wonderful here. First time at a Japanese place and it was just yummy! Staff were super friendly and atmosphere was really fun. Bit loud for conversation but that never bothered me :)

Fun! We dine here at least every 3 months knowing that it's going to be noisey and bustling with happy faces! we've got to know our favourite dishes now but it has taken awhile to get through the huge selection menu :)

Located on ANZAC Road, in Takapuna CBD. Easy to get car park as it is next to a large car park. <br/><br/>The restaurant is very warm. Whenever there is guest visiting the staff will hit the drum and shouted welcome. Unless you prefer somewhere quiet, this is not your choice.<br/><br/>The interior set up is very Japanese feel. As if you are in a Japan back street stall enjoying your meal.<br/><br/>The menu has quite sufficient to fulfill our taste buds from tariyaki (skewer), sashimi (raw fish), yaki soba (fried noodle) to teriyaki (grill with sauce). We ordered yaki soba, teriyaki ika (squid), sashimi set and beef saikoro. The food is very satisfied. <br/><br/>The dinner cost us about $80 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children.<br/><br/>Love it! Will definitely revisit.

Totally overpriced, totally underwhelmed. Disappointing. Very old school food, but old school can be great if cooked with the right ingredients.

Awesome atmosphere, yummy food and great prices! I love teriyaki chicken, and it's pretty spot on. <br/>GREAT for dates if you don't want a quiet awkward atmosphere, and fantastic in a group of friends. Tapa style Japanese food. Hidden gem really

Amazing atmosphere, great food, timely service! Perfect for an impromptu dinner out. :-)

By far the best Japanese restaurant on the shore. Food is excellent, staff are excellent, decor fun (ask nicely and you might get to beat the drum). <br/><br/>Went here first time last night with clients, have been to the Manukau Road sister restaurant before and was extremely pleased to find that Takapuna gives Manukau Road a run for its money.<br/><br/>Will not go anywhere else for Japanese on the shore from now on!

We went there at 5PM and practically had the place to ourselves for an hour and then it really filled up. The service was great and the food was delicious. The value for the meal was also very good. The miso soup was especially tasty on a cold evening!! Very well prepared. They pay attention to detail. Lovely atmosphere as well! The staff are so friendly and in real Japanese style they welcome you with a drum and send you off with a very loud arigato-gosiamas!! We will definitely go back again!

this is the best sake bar on the shore possibly the whole of Auckland...warm greeting on arrival and when you leave...a++++ for the service and food...the staff are amazing....best karage chicken in the entire world..trust me its amazing...love this place so much...had so many great nights here,,its awesome to take a friend for there birthday..speak to the host and you will get a great song sung for the birthday boy\girl...almost wanna keep it secret...10/10

We went to Sake Bar Nippon for a birthday celebration on Wednesday and found the restaurants decorations gave a great atmosphere and the staff did drum beating to welcome new arrivals. The food and service was great and the staff very friendly.<br/><br/>The top experience was when we were about to leave the staff gathered around and a member of staff sung "Nessun Dorma" he has a beautiful voice for opera and the staff sung Happy Birthday to our friend. They also wrote a scroll in Japanese wishing her a happy birthday. The staff observed the presents and asked whose birthday it was. <br/><br/>Thank you we had a great evening and a wonderful experience.

Went to Sake Bar yesterday night for a team celebration dinner with colleagues and we had a great experience.<br/><br/>The greeting is really surprising (in a nice way), service is excellent and food very good. Our dishes arrived very quickly and were excellent. Decoration is also great, you feel like you're in Japan!<br/><br/>Will recommend this place without any hesitation.

We will be back for more. A really enjoyable experience,the service and food was truly great and being next to the car park was a bonus. Simply a great treat. I cannot say more but would recommend to anyone they come and see for themselves. Otherwise you will have to go to japan to get the same experience.

Had a wonderful dinner at this restaurant last night. We ordered lots of meals to share and weren't disappointed with any of them, they were all terrific. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the place had a real buzz about it even though it was half empty. Would recommend it to all and will definitely be returning to sample even more of the delicacies.

My favourite dish here, was the mouth-watering char-scallop nigiri sushi. I've never tasted anything like it! (2 pieces for 8 dollars, was worth every cent).<br/><br/>Also beautiful was the chicken teriyaki - my partner said that was his favourite chicken teriyaki that he could ever remember eating. It was delicious.<br/><br/>One critique would be that the Salmon wings, were a bit too simplistic in flavour and a bit too oily for my liking... next time I'll know that I prefer my Japanese salmon with a bit of a sauce (like miso paste or something?) but that was the only point of contention. <br/><br/>All other aspects of the meal were fantastic. <br/>The 'fresh fish dumplings' were beautiful, and we also had a delicious spicy seaweed salad.<br/><br/>In total, we had sake, 2 beers, 5 shared dishes, and we only spent about $60 bucks.<br/><br/>Staff were really good, I just love how they shout out a greeting and bang on those drums!<br/><br/>Nice venue. Clean, comfortable, with a great authentic Japanese fitout.<br/><br/>Loved it, and highly recommend.