Sakura Southampton Japanese Restaurant

Featured reviews

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “One of the best Sushi place in Southampton for a cozy meal with friends and family. Had a great time here. Good service and atmosphere, food was awesome. Perfect.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Friendly and helpful staff, enormous selection of food and great price. The dragon roll was my favourite and incredibly delicious. Soup broth was super flavourful. 10/10 all round and will be coming again!!”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Really enjoyed the food here! We ordered the dragon roll, miso ramen with pork katsu, ebi tempura and deep-fried prawn gyoza. Everything was fresh, tasty and nicely presented. The dragon roll was my favourite, and the tempura was crispy without being too oily. The portions were generous too! Would definitely come back again :)”

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• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “I visit Sakura quite often with my partner and friends, and the food is consistently good. It’s one of the reasons we keep coming back. My only criticism is the service, which can be a bit hit and miss depending on who is serving. Most of the staff are friendly and professional, but a few come across as if you’re inconveniencing them by being there. For example, on our latest visit, we had just paid the bill when we were immediately told that other customers were waiting to be seated and that we needed to leave. This would have been understandable if the restaurant had been full, but it was around three-quarters empty at the time. We weren’t planning to sit there for another hour, but being rushed out the moment you’ve paid doesn’t leave a great impression. This won’t stop me coming back because the food is genuinely very good, but I’ve noticed similar comments in other reviews regarding some of the waiting staff. The younger staff members are usually very polite and respectful, whereas a few of the older staff could be a little more relaxed and welcoming. A good restaurant is more than just good food, and sometimes the service lets an otherwise excellent place down.”

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• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “Fantastic gem in Southampton. Food was delicious and served pronto, service paying attention to all our needs. Banana tempura is lush, definitely worth trying it. Only downside is that portions are small (a bit deceived by the menu pictures) but for £20 I did have enough.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “The best ramen!! Interior is beautiful too. I always say I’m going to try something different when I come here but end up getting the same thing every time because it is toooo good (the hell ramen) 🍜😍”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “This was the first Japanese meal I'd ever been out for even though I've always loved sushi. What an experience it was! Everything was beutifully set out, and tasted so fresh. The waitress was great as well. We had a Teishoku (set meal) each and a couple of sides and everything was just perfect. My first time trying hot Sake as well! Probably the best meal I've had in Southampton.”

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• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “I’m not a picky eater, and overall I think the food here is quite good. However, the main issue I’ve experienced almost every time I’ve visited is the service. While the food is enjoyable, I really think more attention should be given to staff training. It’s disappointing to be welcomed with an unpleasant and unwelcoming attitude. At times, it feels like customers are treated differently. For example, menus are handed to us carelessly, almost thrown onto the table, without any proper interaction. Even though the food is good, the overall experience is affected so much that it puts us off our meal. This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced this, but it has reached the point where I feel I don’t want to come back.”

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• G

  Google user

  ·7 months ago

  “Firstly, I would like to preface by saying that me and my partner (Chinese) only tried this place because of the great reviews found on Chinese social media (Rednote). But the treatment that we got, felt very unwelcoming. When we first went into the restaurant we were in a very rude tone to wait because she (the staff) was finishing cleaning a table, which obviously we weren't bothered by it, I myself have worked in the customer service industry before and of course I understand but the attitude that we were greeted with was atrocious, at that moment I felt the atmosphere shift from welcoming to not so much. We were offered a menu in Chinese and English, seeing as my partner is Chinese. Later when the same lady came back to get our order and we were listing the number of the dish, she then proceeded to say in a very rude manner that they (the chefs) don't have the number in there (the kitchen). She kept repeating 'Just say the name' multiple times. She never spoke in Chinese or give an indicator that she speaks Chinese so we didnt know what to say or how to say the name of the dish in the first place. We ordered some ramem, sushi and sashimi. The sashimi and the sushi were fine, the raven tasted nice but the noodles themselves were all stuck together like a ball of noodles, which to us it looked like it was prepared improperly. There was no heating, the whole time it was very cold, we were sat by the radiator and it was not on even though its been very cold outside. The bathroom was atrocious, cobwebs everywhere, clearly not maintained, the fan that was there was covered in thick grey balls of dust. And while paying for the meal, also while we had our meal, I could see at least a dozen flies flying around luckily they didnt land on our food like I've seen in other reviews upon leaving, the middleaged lady with glasses that I've also seen written about in other reviews after leaving the restaurant kept her rude tone with us, I've seen her interact with the other customers that walked in after us and she was being really nice to them, I'm not sure if its her being like that with other Asian customers, the fact that we were there as a same sex couple or both, I have also seen other reviews talking about all of this, the discriminatory attitude, the flies and just bad service towards international students and Asian people. The owner replied to those comments discrediting the complaints that other made in their reviews like the flies, talking about how the customers bringing them in or that its from simply outside, but when we were there, there was no rubbish outside the restaurant or around it, they have been flying in from the food preparation area. This is inexcusable.”

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• G

  Google user

  ·9 months ago

  “We’ve been coming to Sakura regularly for the last eight years, and there’s always one waiter who’s especially lovely ,he makes you feel welcome every time and always has a smile on his face. In my opinion, this is easily the best sushi restaurant in Southampton. We’ve tried plenty of others in the area, but none come close, and I always find myself coming back here. The food quality is excellent. Two of my absolute favourites are the lava rolls it must be the sauce, but we love them and the volcano rolls. Honestly, all of their sushi and ramen dishes are amazing, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The pricing is great as well, offering really good value for money. And it’s got a really cosy atmosphere especially if you’re in one of the booths. We’ve also come here with our vegetarian friends and they’ve always had a wide range of options to pick from. 🩷”

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