Bentoya in Edinburgh, City of

What an awesome surprise! I had chicken kayak curry and my colleague had ramen. And we shared sushi to try. Everything was delicious, super tasty and good price quality. I definitely recommend plus it's doggy friendly!

We pop down for a quick dinner to @bentoyaedinburgh It was amazing inside and out! All the way! If you craving for a real Authentic Japanese experience, don't hesitate to give them a chance!

Holy shit this place is amazing. The fish is so buttery and incredible. I’ve had sushi all around the world and this definitely lands in the top 3 places. Do not sleep on this place. 10/10

Food was delicious. Tried the teriyaki salmon maki, spicy pork belly ramen and spicy pork mince ramen (forgot the actual names). All three dishes were lovely. No faults and would recommend a visit.

I was in on a Thursday, they were moderately busy but I still had excellent service and had sat down, ordered, eaten and paid in 25 minutes. I was looking for a quick meal for one before meeting friends so that was perfect. All the staff were lovely and the food was excellent and priced fairly. I had a chicken katsu don, which came with miso soup, and a spicy salmon roll and it came to just over £20 which is very reasonable.

The crispest tempura batter I've ever experienced, lighter than an angels fart.

Such a great experience. The service was great, staff was warm and friendly and the food came out very quick. Our meal was amazing and all the food that came out was 10/10 , I will definitely be back.

A good Japanese restaurant with a stable quality of food and service and decent prices. If you want a Japanese food in a city centre, this is a place to go. I was there a couple of times and tried various things from the menu - ramen, sushi, sashimi, bento box etc. and all are tasty. However, make a booking if you want to get a table during busy hours as they tend to be pretty full.

Very nice food and good service. All very clean. The tonkotsu ramen was nice as always. I have been many times there, and I usually enjoy it. Prices up to the actual prices in restaurants.

Great food, somewhat pricey but that's probably my fault for getting wagyu

A great Japanese place around the corner from Usher Hall. A great selection of dishes. The sushi’s are very tasty and the spring rolls and seaweed salad are delicious.

Encontré este restaurante por pura suerte y estoy tan contento de que lo hicimos... Personal agradable menú brillante y opciones de comida y realmente disfrutamos de nuestra comida y experiencia aquí. La única razón por la que no es un cinco estrellas es que mi hija esperó siglos a que llegara su comida y yo ya casi había terminado la mía cuando apareció la suya... . . no estoy seguro de qué pasó... . . Sin embargo, su comida era sabrosa una vez que llegó y sin duda volveríamos a visitar aquí de nuevo!

Really like this place. Really good food and great service from everybody

Faultless. Great menu and value for money given the quality of good and the restaurant being in Edinburgh. A stones throw from The Usher Hall where we were to see a Mogwai gig. Bentoya was the ideal place for us and was just the kind of food we were in the mood for. The portions were very generous and the food arrived promptly, very fresh and piping hot. We both found that we were spilt for choice, an extensive menu was offer featuring lots of Japanese favourites. I was also very impressed with the drinks menu, great range of soft drinks, beers, sake and teas. The general atmosphere and decor was lovely. A very intimate space. I really liked the sake cups decorating the walls and the counter area displaying shellfish and other ingredients. The downstairs was lovely and the toilets too. Partner loved his bento box and I opted for the pumpkin croquette Katsura. The most delicious Katsu sauce I’ve had before, I enjoyed the addition of veg in it and it was beautifully presented. All staff were friendly and charming, service very efficient and friendly.

Bentoya, Edimburgo – Una experiencia mixta Bentoya, situado justo al lado de Lothian Road y frente al hotel DoubleTree, ofrece una experiencia gastronómica tradicional japonesa con algunos altos y bajos notables. El restaurante está dividido en dos plantas, con la planta baja con un interior mucho más acogedor. El diseño de madera clara, con áreas de estar tradicionales con almohadas suaves y puertas correderas, crea un ambiente auténtico. Sin embargo, el piso superior se siente notablemente apretado, especialmente en la primera zona de estar, donde tres mesas para dos se aprietan en un espacio reducido. El bar y la cocina están situados cerca de la entrada, lo que significa que el ruido de fondo de la preparación de alimentos es inevitable. La cocina también se visualiza a través de una ventana de vidrio al pasar a pie. Una sopa miso de cortesía acompaña a la caja de bento, que es un buen toque. El sampler de sake fue una experiencia mixta — mientras que el Seitoku Bessen destacó por su sabor limpio, el Akitabare Shunsetsu era excesivamente alcohol — hacia adelante, y la fruta final — infusión de yuzushu ume no yado se sentía más como una bebida de postre y no era genial. El sushi era inconsistente; el atún era decepcionantemente masticable, mientras que al salmón le iba mejor. El yakitori de pollo era promedio, con tanto grasa como piel en el pincho, lo que puede no adaptarse a todos los comensales. Del mismo modo, el pato en la caja de bento tenía una capa significativa de grasa - bien para aquellos que disfrutan, pero fuera de ella - poniendo para otros. La caja bento contenía una cantidad excesiva de arroz, que constituía casi una cuarta parte de la porción. Ambas calidades de carne eran promedio, lo que hizo que toda la experiencia de la caja doblada careciera de brillo, El servicio era perfuncionario pero poco notable, eficiente pero carente de calidez o atención. Se añadió una tasa de servicio del 10 %, que se sintió injustificada dado el nivel de compromiso del personal. Mientras que Bentoya ofrece un menú más extenso que Kanpai, este último sigue siendo el referente de la cocina japonesa en Edimburgo y está a solo dos calles de distancia. Bentoya tiene potencial, pero se queda corto en varias áreas. El ambiente varía mucho dependiendo de dónde estés sentado, y la comida, aunque decente en partes, carece de consistencia. Con mejores opciones japonesas disponibles cerca, vale la pena considerar alternativas a menos que te atraiga particularmente la variedad de menús.

Bentoya, Edinburgh – A Mixed Experience Bentoya, located just off Lothian Road and opposite the DoubleTree hotel, offers a traditional Japanese dining experience with a few notable highs and lows. The restaurant is split across two floors, with the downstairs boasting a far more inviting interior. The light wood design, complete with traditional seating areas featuring soft pillows and sliding doors, creates an authentic atmosphere. However, the top floor feels noticeably cramped, particularly in the first seating area, where three tables for two are squeezed into a tight space. The bar and kitchen are positioned near the entrance, meaning background noise from food preparation is inevitable. The kitchen is also visualised via a glass window as walking pass. A complimentary miso soup accompanies the bento box, which is a nice touch. The sake sampler was a mixed experience—while the Seitoku Bessen stood out for its clean taste, the Akitabare Shunsetsu was overly alcohol-forward, and the final fruit-infused yuzushu ume no yado felt more like a dessert drink. The sushi was inconsistent; the tuna was disappointingly chewy, while the salmon fared better. The chicken yakitori was average, with both fat and skin left on the skewer, which may not suit all diners. Similarly, the duck in the bento box had a significant layer of fat—fine for those who enjoy it, but off-putting for others. The bento box contained an excessive amount of rice, making up almost a quarter of the portion.Both meat quality was average which made the whole bento box experience rather lack lustre, Service was perfunctory but unremarkable—efficient but lacking warmth or attentiveness. A 10% service charge was added, which felt unwarranted given the level of engagement from staff. While Bentoya offers a more extensive menu than Kanpai, the latter remains the benchmark for Japanese cuisine in Edinburgh and is only two streets away. Bentoya has potential, but it falls short in several areas. The atmosphere varies greatly depending on where you’re seated, and the food, while decent in parts, lacks consistency. With better Japanese options available nearby, it’s worth considering alternatives unless you’re particularly drawn to the menu variety.

The best Japanese restaurant in Edinburgh, lovely atmosphere, friendly service and delicious food.

Staff were welcoming and lovely and the food was absolutely delicious! Would definitely recommend a visit here if you're in Edinburgh!

It was great but a bit salty we love it tho. Service was really good

So good! Fortunately we could be seated without a reservation, and the service was nice and quick. The staff was lovely and the food was more than delicious! Best sushi I've had in a long time.

Wow!! Never had any sushi só good in my life! Tasteful, fresh and the presentation was superb. The staff is friendly and service is quick. Will gladly be back here

Food took 1hr 30 minutes to arrive. One dish was off. Rest was fine. No chop sticks or cutlery were provided. Was an extremely disappointing experience.

Lovely atmosphere and staff! The unagi was superb

Service was very fast and friendly. Food was very good.

A bit spenny but delicious food, really fresh sushi and some good teriyaki skewers too

Excellent restaurant, atmosphere was great, staff were very friendly and food was incredible. Highly recommend!

I don't like leaving a bad review, but I feel I have no other choice. We went to here last night for dinner, and the food was genuinely delicious, the service was good. However by 3am my girlfriend and I had the absolute worst food poisoning I have ever experienced. We know it was the food because we had the same meal from this place compared to our friends. We've even had to book an emergency extra night at our hotel because I'm unable to drive back home today.

Hidden at the corner of bread street near Usher hall, Bentoya proudly serves Japanese cuisine. The wooden vibe gives me the vibe as if like I’m indulging myself in the onsen. The appetizer stole the show for us, including takoyaki which is crispy and flavorful. The spicy squid is very tender and a glimpse of spiciness. Highly recommended. The bento box is various to choose from but I tried seafood with salmon teriyaki. The rice is very generous but the sauce is a little less fulfilling. The rice hot bowl with salmon is also not bad as well. Feel free to come and try.

Excellent food. Miso aubergine and salmon maki were highlights. Very reasonably priced. Very nice setting and quick service. Only complaint is that the same song was on loop. Would definitely visit again

Great food in a cosy & quiet setting. Varied menu with lots of choice. Very rarely finish a whole bowl of ramen but the broth was delicious and chicken perfectly cooked. Crunch roll was also delicious.

Amazing food and amazing atmosphere!

Sushi and tempura was delicious - I particularly enjoyed the panko fried salmon and avocado. And all served in a really pleasant interior with a very japanese feel. My only note was that the service was perhaps overly attentive - we were often interrupted by the staff, who seemed to check in on us overly often - perhaps the management shouldn't make the staff check in as much. But I understand that sometimes that can be a matter of preferance!

This place did not disappoint! Good food, good ambience, perfect for our first dinner in Edinburgh!

Beautiful interior, friendly staff and delicious food!

Tasty, quick, and authentic. Can recommend the chicken bento box. Service could be a little more attentive

Favourite restaurant in Edinburgh.

Beautiful restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh. The place is great, the food is delicious and the staff super friendly. Fully recommended.

We've been here several times and the food is always fantastic. You can get types of sushi here that many other places don't have. Staff is very friendly and professional as well. I'm a bit noise sensitive, but I've never had issues here, even when it's busy.

Delicious food and great service! Highly recommend :)

Delicious and fresh food. We tried different plates all were amazing. Expect 20 mins at least for food preparation. Nice sitting and very polite staff. Around 20 gbp per person on average

Excellent food and excellent service

Reminded me of my trip to Japan last year around the same time. Really nice and cosy atmosphere and great choice of Japanese dishs and drinks

Pretty disappointing experience sadly. We were seated downstairs in a very cold room, ordered the wagyu beef which was so chewy we had to send it back. We then had the katsu instead and that was pretty dry and served only with rice and what seemed like half a raw egg. The veg tempura though was delicious.

Really a delightful experience! Wonderful service…. Excellent SAKE and Delicious Food! Yay!! Definitely Try It! Great Spot!

I was very disappointed with the A3 wagyu katsu curry with rice. Wagyu cut had tendons across the piece and made it impossible to chew properly; definitely not possessing the culinary skills to handle wagyu for £32. Rice was a bit soggy to go with curry, another miss. Sashimi was ok but the white squid and octopus on white crushed ice was totally not eye-pleasing for Japanese presentation. Tables were closely packed together, too close to be comfortable really.

El Chasu Ramen es realmente repugnante. La «sopa» es simplemente el zumo de almidón de los fideos y la cobertura de cerdo inexistente aparte del 95 % de grasa. No hay verduras ni otros. Entiendo el negocio de F&be y la necesidad de aumentar los GPs (Gross Profits_, pero cuando el resultado final es COMIDA PRISIONERA, entonces has perdido esa ecuación. Lo siento chicos, ya ni siquiera son de "calidad decente". AVOID. 1 / 10

One of the best experiences. The food was perfect, the place was cozy with beautiful Japanese aesthetic, impeccable vibes, the staff was kind.

Best place for sushi I have found in Edinburgh!! So many options on the menu and they are alllll delicious :) everything is very reasonably priced as well

Never disappoint. Always the best place for sushi and remen in Edinburgh

Very good restaurant. Quick service and very good food for a fair price. I recommend

Fantastic service, great food and nice atmosphere

Genuinely good food. A bit expensive but worth to try for a date

Unreal food and lovely relaxing atmosphere. Staff were also very friendly and attentive so highly recommend 🙌🏻

Muy sabrosa y auténtica comida y ambiente. El servicio es atento sin problemas y el restaurante está bien valorado para ingredientes realmente buenos.

Ramen and sushi very good. Very attentive and polite service. I liked it a lot

Good atmosphere and friendly staff. Food was good but some of the competition for me is slightly better.

My photos didn't do it justice! We were craving from East Asian food and came across this place. It was very busy but they managed to squeeze us two in without a table reservation. Friendly and attentive staff. We ordered salt and pepper calamari, ramen, and a salmon bento box that came with a miso soup. Everything was brilliant. My salmon bento box was amazing and memorable. The salmon literally melted in my mouth. Fresh Scottish salmon indeed. Thank you for the enjoyable dinner!

Very very tasty food. My food came very quickly. Really recommended, very tasty. 🥰

Best Japanese restaurant I've been to. Visit at least a couple of times per month, staff are always first class and always remember our order!

It was loud and crowded, tables put very tighy together and music blasting. The service was okay, they were fast. But the worst part was the food... We both got sick on our stomach after eating there, better to have gone for a mcdonalds than this place. At least I wouldn't feel like throwing up 15 minutes after aeting. Taste-wise, too salty. Bad experience all in all.

I went here on a casual date here with my girlfriend and it was really nice. Not too expensive and you get what you pay for ( I was stuffed afterwards). Ps the food comes really quickly and the serve was really friendly :) would defo recommend

Great food, really nice. We just popped in for a pre-theatre snack / meal and were pleasantly surprised.

Great food, and friendly service!

Superb food, great friendly service. Strongly recommend it! Had both the Gyu Beef Don and the Salmon Bowl. Book it in advance. Cheers from Brazil! 🇧🇷

Amazing experience, can you eat good sushi in the UK? Yes, I would say, you will find the answer in Edinburgh in this fantastic restaurant, a few steps from the center in a very well-kept and clean internal location, the quality of the dishes is really high, from rolls to ramen, I highly recommend trying the sashimi, the price it's right with the quality shown and the service was really great

Such a sweet place. The surroundings were really pretty and the staff were very attentive and friendly. The food was delicious - I had the pumpkin croquettes, cucumber maki and grilled cheesy dragon rolls, all of which were really tasty. The torched salmon on the rolls was especially memorable. Warm sake was great too. Would love to go back next time I'm in Edinburgh.

Lovely aesthetic restaurant and food. Lots of options of food on menu

Came here with my boyfriend and we loved it! The waitresses were attentive and kind, the food was delicious and it’s a really cute, cosy place with a quaint atmosphere. Perfect now that it’s getting colder. 10/10

We ordered wagyu sukiyaki and a large sashimi platter. There were fish bones in the sashimi and small black flying insects in the ramen. Apart from giving us a new ramen, there was no sign of anything. Unless you actively call the waiter, you will never notice. You, we have to clean up the dishes after we finish them. The restaurant that used to be good is getting worse and worse. I feel very sad and will not come again.

The food and service here is always top notch! And brilliant vegetarian options. Very cosy theming and decor. Love this restaurant!

Great food and service in early evening on a Saturday.

Favourite sushi restaurant in Edinburgh. It’s small, so make sure you make a reservation and you’re ok with tight tables seating but very worth it for the amazing sushi they serve!

He visitado Bentoya justo antes de un evento de teatro, estaba corto de tiempo así que no pude disfrutar de su línea completa a mi gusto, pero los 3 artículos que tenía eran geniales. He empezado con el pollo yakitori - esto llegó a los pocos minutos de pedir y fue el primer bocado perfecto para disminuir el hambre inicial. Como segundo tuve algunas de sus ofertas de sashimi - como no tuve tiempo solo fui con 2 tipos que eran el salmón y el atún graso - el salmón estaba fresco como era de esperar del salmón escocés. El atún graso era sorprendentemente bueno - también sabía fresco - un poco más frío de lo que prefiero, pero si no tenía prisa lo habría dejado para acercarse un poco más a la temperatura ambiente. La última vez terminé con el curry A 3 katsu - que era muy bueno y graso como se espera de wagyu. El ambiente es genial también - solo asegúrese de reservar con antelación para garantizar una mesa. Cuando vuelva a Edimburgo, sin duda volveré de nuevo.

Une carte qui donne très envie ! La nourriture est excellente et les serveuses très sympa. Elles ont été à notre écoute même si on ne parlait pas très bien anglais. Le lieu est très mignon et bien décoré. Je recommande fortement

Absolutely lovely restaurant and they also have a few other restaurants which are also good. Good staff and excellent food

The food was very tasty and the service was great!

Small, cozy place with excellent quality dishes.

Really good food, a wide variety of dishes. Food came fast but service was a little slow, it was a busy night though! Really nice decor and atmosphere, good food presentation! Avocado Maku: good presentation, really creamy and tasty. Tofu Katsu Curry: Panko coated tofu was amazing with the sauce. Potato and carrot makes the meal really hearty!

I've been there twice, it's a lovely wee place, the food is beautiful with a fair selection, staff are friendly and prices reasonable. They have a bottle of (maybe tap) water at each table, which I think it's very nice. I'm not sure if booking is mandatory, but I'd advise you to book as it is small-ish and pretty busy.

Food was good but service was bad! Staff are not listening and the delivering of order was not consistent! The Other table ordered late by 40 mins with same item but they were served first! Very bad service! They were only catering the other locals but not us. Visit here if your not hungry.

I simply fell in love with this restaurant when you arrive at the reception and the service is wonderful, not to mention the food, WOW, it comes in large portions, for the price, the flavors are fresh, everything is made very quickly, I didn't have to wait long even though the restaurant was full of people, I will definitely go back, everything was wonderful.

My favourite sushi spot in Edinburgh. So underrated! Service is great and the food is always high quality.

Lovely food and friendly service. It made for a perfect present Ed fringe show experience

Absolutely amazing and fresh food, fast and friendly service. Must try authentic Japanese

Absolutamente delicioso! Gran menú, la comida llegó rápidamente y el personal era muy amable y eficiente! Ramen iba a morir y los titulares también. Absolutamente recomiendo! Definitivamente volveré. Thanks Bentoya Team😊👍

Great sushi and other japanese fare. Wife and I have been here many times but I always forget to take pictures so I haven't reviewed it before now. The food here isn't trying anything new, but it does what it does well. Not even going to pretend to know how to spell the japanese names for the dishes, but we had; Fried Calamari, lovely buttery taste pairs well with the spicy mayo. 7/10 Octopus balls, crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside. Great stuff 8/10 Miso soup, their miso has a great depth of flavour and I get it basically every time, 8/10 The venue is fairly small and usually pretty popular so you might struggle to walk in without a booking if you're a larger group, but for a group of 2-4 you should have no issues. It's a little bit on the pricey side, but if you like good japanese food this is place to get it.

Full of delicious food, friendly service.

Food has lost a lot of quality and they completely changed recipes for much worse (the Teriyaki Salmon Donburi was probably the worst of them all, and the Spider Fotomaki cannot match the previous Spider Roll). Very disappointed. Not going back after many years of being a loyal customer. My previous review years ago was 4 stars.

Bentoya used to be great, my partner and I have been going there since 2017. The menu has changed recently and the food has, sadly, lost a lot of quality. Great dishes, such as the Spider Roll have been removed and the replacements are not nice. They also used to do a delicious teriyaki salmon on a hot plate. That was changed a few years ago to a donburi, that was nice until this new change adding raw egg and removing peppers and soy. The quality has also dropped, the salmon is often burnt and the gyozas aren't as good, I think they switched brand. It feels sad as we used to love coming here to celebrate but we are very unlikely to return.

Lovely small restaurant. The Crispy Ebi Roll sushi was very good! The Chicken Katsu curry was pretty average. The Crazy Tonkatsu Ramen was okay. However, the pork in it was not appetising to eat. Great service though and highly recommended for the sushi.

Every time we want sushi 🍣, we go to Bentoya❤️ Delicious, friendly staff, good location.

Great authentic Japanese food. Nice service and good environment. Highly recommend. Sorry to be only passing by.... I would like to have this place as my regular weekend restaurant!

Helpful staff and a great variety of food in a cosy environment. Would definitely recommend the new vegan sushi rolls inari and enoki. They were fantastic!

The food is tasty enough, but it did not amaze me. Perhaps the flavour combinations were unexpected. I had a Tokyo roll and an Eda Inari roll. Also had some pumpkin croquettes, which were good but it's hard to go wrong there. The rolls seemed a bit too pricey for the ingredients used. I would definitely come back to try a bento box or a wagyu sandwich but perhaps not soon. All in all a solid choice although not mind blowing.

Thank you for having a vegan menu available! There were so many wonderful options!

Very nice food, a comfort after a long tiresome day traveling edinburgh. The price of food was reasonable and the ramen was cooked well. Sushi was nice as well.

Stunningly fresh, great service. Delicious seafood

Literally the best restaurant ever. Good prices and service is 10/10

The food is good and Samantha provides excellent customer service. Overall, my experience is great.

Interesting and tasty food from a great menu.