My partner and I had an absolutely amazing lunch there. We ordered some maki, rolls and fried squid. So delicate fish and all the food was put together with perception and care. Service was great, our cups were filled often with water. Loved the little touch of care - even some ice cubes and lemon dropped into the water.
It is quite dear but absolutely worth it!
This is definitely 1 of the best sushi places in the world. A big variety of specialty rolls and affordable too. The interior setup is very original as well.
Had the pleasure of having dinner here a few weekends ago after a recommendation and it did not disappoint. The food was amazing, so fresh and tasty and the presentation was incredible. Definitely one of the best around, unless of course you don't like sushi...
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I had high expectations for Kanpai because I'd heard such great things. My boyfriend and I booked a last minute table but because it was a Tuesday night they managed to squeeze us in; Kanpai is very popular and can get very busy. The interior has a similar feel to Japanese izakaya's with its hidden spaces and its secluded dining feel.
After contemplating the menu intensively (and me finally giving up and allowing Sam to choose) we decided on the Takoyaki octopus fish cake, salmon nigiri, tuna nigiri, salmon and avocado maki, a dragon roll and Kanpai's special sashimi combo. Everything comes when it's ready, which means we weren't left too long without food. The Tayoyako octopus fish cake was the perfect warm touch to our meal and closely resembled the same dish we had in Tokyo. I couldn't fault any of the food but the star of the show was definitely the sashimi. It arrived as a piece of art and I could almost taste how good it was going to be before I picked up my first piece. The selection was fantastic and the taste outstanding.
It wasn't the cheapest sushi we've had but it was arguably the best and I can't wait to go back for more authentic Japanese sushi experiences!
What a delight!
Kanpai is the best known secret in Edinburgh, a packed restaurant was somehow able to squeeze us in, and we're so glad they could.
The dumplings were divine, bursting with flavour, and the prawns were covered in a light batter that complemented the succulent meat. The dipping sauces added an extra dimension of umami and rice was sticky enough for my poor chopstick technique.
We also shared a sirloin steak, cut into sumptuous slithers. This seemed to be the right choice - every single table had the same dish. A satisfying selection.
We'll be back for sushi!
The food here is truly delicious. Cooked and rolled to perfection, you can really taste how fresh the ingredients are. All of the food was beautifully presented. The dining room is stunning, it could be suitable for lots of occasions. The price was slightly higher than your average sushi restaurant...but this isn't an average restaurant. Service was excellent, food came very quickly and empty dishes seemed to disappear. I recommend trying the rainbow roll, and the grilled teppanyaki salmon. The Sauvignon blanc was excellent, it went very nicely with the meal.
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Kan Pai - Edinburgh 17/10/2014
After missing September, The Food Club made a triumphant comeback this month. Although short on the usual numbers we enjoyed a fine meal at Kan Pai.
We jumped on the train and met at Haymarket before a short taxi trip to our destination. T’was a crisp evening and our taste buds were bubbling with excitement.
The restaurant looked great on the outside and even better inside, we were sat with plenty of room in the middle of the restaurant and able to take in the atmosphere of the tables surrounding us. We started by ordering our alcoholic beverages… as is tradition. We got a round of Sapporo Beer and a bottle of Saki on ice, as recommended by the staff.
The menu was fantastic with a great variety of sushi and filled with colourful photo’s, making our selection process very difficult.
We went for a wide variety and shared very little with our peers, far too good for sharing. A few members found that chopsticks were a difficult obstacle but perseverance is the name of the game. For one such member he was so good with chopsticks that he attempted the Miso Soup with them……. Instant fail. Another member decided using them as spears was a much more effective method…. One chopstick…… ADVANCED LEVEL SKILLS.
The soup was very tasty and a warming treat. It was followed with a selection of bright dishes including Avocado Maki, Seabass Nigiri and some kind of fantastic Crab dish. All went down well and accompanied with a delicate tea pot of soy and a plate of pickled ginger and wasabi.
More dishes arrived, Teriyaki Salmon, Squid Ngiri & Takoyaki Octopus. Flattering octopus balls, delightful in texture and served with what can only be described as tasty saw dust. Again there was no faulting the quality of the food. The smiles were beaming from our faces as we tucked in. We got a selection of larger dishes to fill us to the brim. A couple of Rainbow rolls, beautiful Salmon & Tuna married together with avocado and also the Kan Pai Special roll which was King Prawn & avocado rolled together.
The Saki was delightfully sipped throughout the night from the small cup like bowls and it was both smooth and warming down to the chest. The Sapporo was as good as ever and very refreshing throughout the dining experience.
Usually we like a dessert at food club but the only let down (other than a certain members questionable moustache) was perhaps that they only had ice cream on offer but in fairness it would be wrong to expect a chocolate fudge cake after that meal.
Between those in attendance, I think we were in agreement that in terms of food quality this venue stole the show and I would highly recommend to anyone. Very affordable and very friendly staff.
We drifted to the Grassmarket for a pint seeing The Big Yin, Billy Connolly on our way. The night finished speaking fluent German and discussing another members receding hairline.
HEY DU!!!
We bid you farewell… until November.
AUF WEIDERSEHN & SAYONARA
The only truly worthwhile sushi place in Edinburgh. Every dish is fresh, delicious and authentic. Grilled aubergine with miso will tempt you away from salmon nigiri and takoyaki is a must. Great service, decent prices and a wide menu - simply the best.
I have had a lot of sushi in my time and this experience has had me rethink whether all the ones before were the real thing. Kanpai's food and staff surpassed any expectations I had with a phenomenal combination of class and flair! This is the real thing folks, don't waste your time or money anywhere else.
The bill is a touch on the pricey side compared to most sushi joints in Edinburgh, but you can’t deny that Kanpai is a step above the rest. This is a great place to go if you have a special celebration, or just fancy giving yourself a well deserved treat. For a high quality sushi selection, Kanpai is definitely the way to go.
I have visited Kanpai Sushi twice for lunch in the summer of 2021 in a small group and a dinner in a larger group recently.
Really nice:
- extensive menu, large restaurant that is relatively calm and quiet with the sushi chefs working at a visible counter.
- the ice creams are delicious
- some of the sushi dishes are creative and delicious too (liked the maki wrapped in buckwheat)
Room for improvement:
- the service can get rather slow in the busy times and we got some of our orders confused while acting annoyed :(
- the sizes of the dishes are difficult to predict, some nigiri sushi and sashimi can be very small. Make sure to confirm.
I would probably try it again when it's calmer for lunch.
We wanted good sushi and we definitely found it!
Such an amazing place. We had the tuna belly tartare which was so so tasty, the tuna was like butter. Also, a variety of different sushi rolls and for dessert ice cream for sharing 🍨 with 3 scoops of white sesame, black sesame and green tea and I it was so so delish. The perfect desert to finish an incredible meal. I can’t recommend this place enough. We will definitely be back.
Loved this little place! Atmosphere was so calm and suitable for the cuisine offered. Maki rolls were so fresh and yummy! Quality of salmon was great! Waitress was so friendly and polite 🙏🏻
Amazing sushi, so tasty and fresh, highly recommend rainbow roll and dragon roll, the squid and king prawn tempura were also amazing, the batter was so light and crispy. Very nice chill atmosphere and staff were lovely. Will be back
Fantastic sushi. Extremely fresh and perfectly made. Agedashi tofu was good too.
Super nice sushi and sashimi!!! The best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to in Edinburgh!!
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It was quite surprised while I saw this restaurant with the same company name I work for in 2019. But I was traveled alone so didn’t have a chance to try, after 2 years finally got an opportunity to enjoy the dinner with my friend and K here in Edinburgh.
The menu isn’t only opinion for sushi, but also has some Japanese fusion dishes. Fresh, authentic, and overall a great vibe.
🍃Environment: Modernly decoration, medium containing space, and here has a heightened sense lively atmosphere in bar for grabbing a drink.
🛎️Service: We had reservation at 8:30pm, but waited for about 15-30 mins to get our seat. As we all work for food & beverage, we think it’s acceptable. But the waiters were obviously not enough for service so we had waited for a bit longer to get our drinks in the waiting area. So I deducted a star for the service.
🍽「Crowned Tuna Tartare」
Fresh tuna is served with vinegar rice and refreshing sauce, a delicious appetiser can perfectly pair with Japanese sake.
🍽「Sashimi Combo」
I was very surprised that seafoods here in Edinburgh can be so good and fresh, tasted even better with a little bit wasabi and soy sauce.
🍽「Teppan Scotch Beef Sirloin 8oz」
Highly recommended NOT to order beef when you’re having meal in a sushi restaurant. I asked for medium-rare, but it came with iron plate so obviously overcooked. What a pity!
It seems very popular and you have to make a reservation for sure.
Hands down the best sushi restaurant in the edinburgh! We loved the very speedy service and quiet relaxed atmosphere. Food was absolutely amazing as well - would particularly recommend the rainbow rolls and the soft shell crab rolls. It also wasn’t too bad in terms of prices compared to other sushi restaurants!
I’ve eaten a lot of sushi at a lot of places and this was top tier. The otoro (fatty tuna belly) maki and the snow crab hand roll were out of this world, and the simple pieces like tamago and kappa maki were amazing quality. I barely took photos because I was so busy eating. Service was excellent and vibe was overall very Japanese - clean, minimalist, tasteful, efficient. Would definitely come back!
Really one of the best sushi in Edinburgh. Soooo delicious 😋
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