Hope Izakaya in Edinburgh, City of

I visited this restaurant because I saw someone post a picture of the ramen. I am now telling you to also visit this restaurant because the ramen was amazing. Beautiful restaurant, friendly staff, and delicious food!

I have been a regular customer of this restaurant for a long time, the staff are lovely and the food is the best Japanese food in Edinburgh. I highly recommend it!

Lovely friendly place, gorgeous attention to detail. Got a delicious free appetiser and there was a fun selection of food. Our waitress, Alex, was amazing, kind, and patient with us. In all, a very enjoyable expirence.

Staff are super friendly and welcoming. Food was awesome. Been to so many Japanese Resto and this one was one of the best.

A to-go for sitting in or taking away. The best karaage and service plus interesting cocktails.

I would like more veggies in curry sauce.

I had a lunch set consisting of veg skewer, tonkotsu udon, salmon tartare and matcha dream pudding. Tonkotsu udon came with a delicious pork bone broth, and the chashu pieces were good (could be a bit thicker though). Salmon tartare, with the perfect blend of tender salmon pieces, creamy avocado bites and hot sauce bringing a little kick, was absolutely phenomenal. The matcha dream pudding brought adequate matcha taste and scent while also was mildly sweet. I also got myself a glass of cranberry mikan mocktail, which was a nice to have for its hint of clementine-y sweetness. The food there was so good I definitely consider having a lunch or dinner again in the future. Hope Izakaya is one of the best Japanese restaurant in the City of Edinburgh.

Randomly found this spot in Google Maps and it didn’t disappoint! Everything we ordered was delish! Their Teriyaki Pork Rice Bowl, Tonkotsu Cha Shu Ramen, and their famous Hope Omuriso was yuuuuumyy! Asian craving was definitely satisfied. And the ambience of their place felt like we were in Japan.

friendly staff and more importantly food is amazing!

Lovely food and service. We had a large group and the staff were very happy to serve us with a smile! Brilliant prices for Japanese food in Edinburgh. Loved the lychee martini ❤️

Amazing place, food and service. Very pleasant staff and a warm welcome. Very much recommended.

First time in Edinburgh and we found this restaurant not far from our hotel. A real favorite, the dishes are very good! We recommend!

Excellent service and super delicious food. :)

Excellent restaurant! Food amazingly tasty. Super fast and friendly service. I strongly recommend it!

Fantastic Vegan food and great service, very pleased by the experience! Thank you for such a nice night!

Amazing !! A must try experience and the food is to die for

it was a great experience, going as a big group. they were very hospitable and attending, and we had a great time. food was really tasty and they accommodated to vegans and different allergies when curating some menus for us thank you!

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh, this authentic Japanese restaurant offers a memorable culinary experience. From the moment we stepped through the door, we were greeted with a super warm welcome. The cosy atmosphere, enhanced by beautifully crafted decor featuring charming carp fish lights, created a visually beautiful venue. The staff were so attentive, they were always on hand, ensuring our water glasses were filled and that we had everything we needed. It was refreshing to dine somewhere where we never felt rushed; instead, we were encouraged to savor each moment. Now, let’s talk about the food—an absolute highlight of our visit. Each dish was fresh and bursting with flavor, showcasing the authenticity of Japanese cuisine. The portions were generous but just the right amount. The tonkotsu ramen, in particular, stood out as a dish I could eat over and over again. Overall, this gem in Edinburgh exceeded all expectations. With its welcoming ambiance, attentive service, and delicious, authentic food, I am already looking forward to my next visit - especially with so much to choose from on the menu. If you’re seeking a true taste of Japan, this restaurant is not to be missed!

i highly recommend the mocktails they are so good and are presented in the coolest fashion!! SUSHI IS AMAZING - gt the green dragon ;)

We got the lunch special with the Tonkotsu udon. We added the pork gyoza and some nigiri. Ordered the fresh watermelon and lychee juice. Everything was 10/10. One of the best meals we had visiting. The service was extremely pleasant.

The best Japanese beef tongue curry I've tried in Scotland so far! The staff were lovely and very attentive in recommending the menu. There's nothing to fault, will definitely be coming back!

A little Japan in Edinburgh. Hospitality amazing and food so yummy!

Really delicious, authentic Japanese food with friendly and attentive staff, will be back again!

First time visiting after a friend recommended the restaurant. Very pleased. The food was amazing, the service was very friendly, and the decorations are awesome. Loved it

Lovely place, staff are amazing! Food is unreal!!

Julie and Sabrina made my absolute day!!!

Wonderful place, excellent food

One of the best places we stumbled across in Edinburgh. The staff are so welcoming and the food is amazing. Great atmosphere. Would definitely come back!

Lovely place, food is delicious and atmosphere is so friendly. Thoroughly recommend and will be back many times I imagine.

Great place, ramen was good. Staff was very friendly

The waitresses serving was so polite and made us feel so welcomed we will definitely be back

Waitress was so lovely and the food was amazing and quickly served

Food was delicious, reasonable price and service from joshua is the best

Never been to such a restraunt before and my mother and partner are really fussy about food. Great explanations and patience by staff and spot on choices. 10 out of 10

The udon set is really nice and well displayed. The broth could be stronger but they also provide additional seasonings on the table, so couldn’t complain. £13.9 for both skewers and noodle, which I think it’s way better than raki & ramen in terms of food and quality.

Always a great experience. Varied food and drinks menu. As good as being in Japan.

Our new favourite Japanese restaurant in Edinburgh. The grilled bowl is delicious, the atmosphere gorgeous (kuddos to the soundtrack!) and the skewers are so yummy.

Delicious food, friendly staff, great vibe!

Ah, so good chicken udon. Lots of chicken, fabulous broth very content.

I recently visited Hope Restaurant and ordered the Hell Cha Shu Ramen—absolutely delicious! The flavors were bold, and the portion was just right. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great ramen experience. The atmosphere was welcoming, the food was outstanding, and the location is convenient. The service was prompt and friendly, and the prices are very reasonable. I'll definitely be back for more!

Friendliest staff and delicious ramen! Can’t recommend enough:)

I ordered Tonkatsu Hell Udon, highly recommend. Food, staff and atmosphere were top notch. Will definitely come back again before leaving Edinburgh.

Was a fun and friendly experience. Also the food was really good!

Great place. Great cuisine. Lovely service.

Very nice place and environment, excellent food and excellent service, fast and friendly, well done!!

Had lunch here by chance but had a really great experience! Very friendly service, super tasty and fresh food and as a bonus we received a taste of the new matcha dessert. (Definitely try this one! It's a good mix of matcha, fresh pudding and a sweet touch.) To complete the experience, we were allowed to hang a wish in the wish tree and our visit was immortalized on the spacious photo wall. Thank you for receiving us so kindly! Highly recommended.

Very tasty food and even a Sunday lunch menu

Staff were so helpful today with my dietry requirements for gluten free. The manager was really knowledgeable and the chef double checked everything too. The attention to detail was really appreciated.

Amazing place to eat. The food was amazing, I got the omurice and I don't think any food I've ordered has ever looked more like the picture on the menu. The decor was beautiful and felt very Japanese. The staff were very lovely too. Would recommend and will return if I'm in the area

Very friendly and cordial service, original and fun decoration. Correct food, we had a very pleasant dinner.

We were overwhelmed with the warm welcome, we didnt need to book and we got a table straight away. The staff were so friendly and cheerful! x We had the wheel of hope, the best sake that was recommended by the staff and ramens. The staff let us choose our sake glasses too! I had the chicken ramen, my partner had a tofu ramen, lots of vegeterian options on the menu, would recommend fully for all tourists and locals! x

Nice looking place, and the service is fine. Food was nothing special though— curry chicken rice had half a bowl of onions (and just a drop of curry), the rice was not really cooked right for the sticks. Octopus sashimi looked nothing like the picture and the portion was tiny (salmon was ok, and they didn’t have any tuna at all), and there was plastic imitation grass in the plate, not sure what aesthetics they were going for with this

Abbiamo trovato il locale girando per i centro di Edinburgo, siamo stati a cena con una famiglia di amici e anche bambini. Il cibo in generale era ottimo, il ramen che ho preso io era saporito e gustoso e il personale davvero cordiale e disponibile. Complimenti.

This is a rare place in Edinburgh where you can enjoy Asian style. The decoration is very Japanese, and the cups are also light and beautiful, but there is a very serious problem. Obviously, this is a Japanese-run shop. Why can't it maintain the flavour of Japanese food? Its sauce is too sweet, and there are even some traces of imitation of Chinese food. The abandonment of this food flavour greatly reduces the dining experience. At the same time, although sake is the best I have ever had, the cocktail made with sake is full of syrup flavour, which is very unpleasant. The smell and taste of Japan are not reflected in this store.what a shame!

Tasty nice Asian food. Amazing staff. Nice atmosphere and very clean.

Hope Izakaya has a lovely atmosphere and good service however the food was disappointing. I ordered some tuna sushi and when it arrived I was quite surprised at the bright red colour. If someone told me this tuna was vegetarian I would be inclined to believe them as the tuna was fleshy and quite tasteless. Not the grade of tuna I’m used to receiving in sushi. I asked the staff what grade it was and none of them seemed to know. I tried eating some of the tuna sashimi and it was quite unpleasant. Whilst there is no direct issue with it - such as it tasting off or smelling strange - I couldn’t bring myself to eat it. I unfortunately do not recommend dining here for sushi.

The food is very good and good service. Quiet atmosphere. I liked.

Great food, highly recommend the Tonkatsu ramen!

i love this place so much. The ‘Tonkotsu Hell Ramen’ is so good!! Would love if they had a rewards system as i go often 😂.

dynamite japanese food. even better after all the pub fare

Second time here. First time I tried three courses only to quickly realise that was too much food. This time me and my fellow diners had only one course. First time it was Hell* (the name of one of their dishes). That was excellent. This time I tried Japanese Curry Beef Udon. It lived up to the name. It was served in a nice big bowl. The lower half was filled with udon in a japanese curry sauce and plenty of red onion. On top was a generous layer of seared beef with a layer of beefy gravy broth on top. Not ramen style, not soupy, but thicker than that. I dug in. Starting at the top, the beef was very meaty tasting, really strong beef flavour which was very nice and flavourful and mild. When I broke through to the lower curry udon layer I realised that the beef was sitting atop the udon layer. So the lovely and strong japanese curry flavours came to the fore. A nice combination. Fellow diners had chicken ramen, more ingredient variations than my dish but none of us were disappointed. By the end of the meal - with one beer only - I was stuffed and elegantly satiated with flavours and quantity. I'll come here again. Quite a few things to sample here from sushi through to ramen and tonkatsu etc. I'm expecting to enjoy my third visit soon.

A welcome change from the usual Japanese places focused on sushi. Excellent small dishes all very good quality and a great drinks menu too offering an extensive sake menu alongside some great non-alchoholic drinks. All this combined with great service means this is definitely somewhere I'll be heading back to.

I went with my friend to Hope Izakaya for lunch for the first time this weekend. I had read good reviews and it did not disappoint. We shared some starters, including vegetable gyoza, kimchi, octopus, and California Roll. All beautifully presented and tasted amazing. I had the Japanese Curry Chicken Rice Bowl for main - delicious! Good size portion and very tasty! My friend had the Tonkitsu Chicken Udon - again, a good size portion, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The restaurant itself is lovely, with paper fish lanterns dotted around the ceiling- it felt bright and airy. All of the staff were friendly, helpful and smiling - they added to the enjoyment of the day! I would thoroughly recommend Hope Izakayu and will be back again!

If you are gluten-free, it is not for you

Great food and drink, quick and friendly service, relaxing and fun atmosphere

We'd planned to go here ever since it opened but hadn't been able to find the menu online. Dropped in a for a quick lunch at £14.95 each - choice of three dishes, I think. I had the chicken curry and rice and my husband the pork. Really tasty. Served with an okra skewer and green tea. Lovely friendly service. Alcohol a bit pricey, but we'll still return and have a larger meal!

Best Japanese food I've had outside of Japan, wonderful atmosphere, you need to try the omurice!

Came here for my birthday dinner and they did not disappoint! Lovely hearty food, friendly and attentive staff and great atmosphere! I especially liked the leek and chicken yakitori (I also appreciated hearing some of my favourite j-pop artists being played over the speakers ^^) 🩵

Really rate this place. Its great food and especially their bbq is so tasty. Everytime I'm in Edinburgh I try to visit. Good value too. Service is top notch 👍

A great place to learn Japanese cuisine. Delicious dishes, pleasant atmosphere and staff ❤️

Very nice food with really good service. The selection is fairly good and not too pricy.

Just round the corner from the Johnny walker experience this fab wee place has tasty menu, the best dumplings ever and the kindest people. We didn’t get around to tasting the wall of Saki but that’s always a good reason to return xxx Thank you to team izakaya - the loveliest people

Delicious food, such a fantastic atmosphere and the staff are exceptionally lovely. Will definitely be back for some more BBQ and Udon!

Hands down the best chicken BBQ I had! We got BBQ plate of spicy beef, chicken thighs with leek and mushroom then after we got more chicken, it is that good. We also got the omurice and beef rice bowl. Great service and atmosphere. Definitely worth eating at!

We found the place by chance and it couldn't be better, great food, good service, spectacular quality - price, I will return!

Recently i have visited the restaurant and if you have never taste the omurice you need to do it guys. Amazing dish! Excellent services as well from Julie. Well done guy's great work 👍

Really good Ramen!! And the teriyaki pork with rice is fantastic. The personal have been very nice with us. 10/10

I don't mind that the food wasn't authentic, but it wasn't tasty either. Very mediocre in flavour and barely hot when it arrived at our table. Ramen had so little broth it felt like I was eating dry noodles. Pork wasn't great quality either. When you eat good ramen, pork melts in your mouth, it's so soft. This was uncomfortably chewy. I'm also not sure why their kitsune udon didn't have aburaage, it's the point of kitsune udon. Gave lower service rating because we were served wrong tea and had to remind about portion of our order. A party of three and neither of us enjoyed the food. And we do love Japanese food. I did enjoy the decor, I thought it was well done to the last detail. Cheerful and lavish but tasteful.

The yuzu martini was excellent. Unfortunately the yakitori ranks as the worst I’ve ever had. I ordered 4 different items which came on one plate. All other times I’ve had yakitori each one came on its own small plate. It wouldn’t have been as bad had all the skewers not been swimming in the pickling liquid from the side of pickled carrots. It made everything mushy and cold. The bacon wrapped rice cake was particularly bad with the rice cake the texture of mud and gummy bacon. I figured the udon was safe but noticed the udon noodles were much skinnier than traditional udon and was just mediocre. I ate as much as I could to just fill my empty stomach. Dining by myself, I was seated at the first table by the entrance although there were several open tables. It was drafty with patrons coming and going in the December cold which also cooled my food that much quicker. At one point I had to get up to close the door that’d been left open. Left paying £33 for a meal I very much did not enjoy.

L’accueil était parfait !! Du serveur au cuisinier ! Dans l’assiette ( un ramen) était divin et celui de mon épouse également !! Des beau morceaux de poulet épicé comme il faut !! Amateur de cuisine japonaise il y avait longtemps que je n’avait pas manger aussi bon dommage c’était notre dernière soirée sinon on n’y serait retourner chaque soir !!! La décoration est très joli avec les carpes Koi !! Belle découverte Nous étions les derniers et j’ai pu féliciter l’ensemble de l’équipe

My son and husband went yesterday and really enjoyed the food, service and decor. My son is still raving about the food.

sat inside this place for the very first time and i can say it’s absolutely beautiful. the staff are lovely and the service is amazing. had the beef teriyaki rice bowl and it was the best i’ve ever had. highly recommend this place as it’s affordable and high quality:)

Excelente comida y servicio muy cerca del centro de la ciudad. Muy recomendable. Volveremos 😊

Delicious food, saki and delicate cocktails. Staff provide a great service and the interior is both unique and charming. Can’t wait to return!

I cannot say one bad thing about this place. The atmosphere is lovely. The food is superb: we tried the crab salad, ox tongue, cabbage and octopus omelette, ramen, rice dishes, dessert, cocktails.. EVERYTHING was a 10/10. And do not let me start with the service: our waitress was the loveliest person, she recommended us stuff, even invited us to try two different Sakes. Thank you SO much for the best Christmas Eve and for teaching us that Japanese food is a lot more than sushi. We will be back.

One of the best places I ever been here in Edinburgh, the food and the service was AMAZING ✨💗💗💗💗💗✨

The food is nice and fresh - must try if you are in Edinburgh!

Que grata sorpresa me llevé con este restaurante japonés en medio de Edimburgo, realmente una joya 💎 Excelente comida, apetitosa, muy bien presentada. A pesar de todo, nos han atendido de maravilla y muy educados. La decoración es muy llamativa. Al final de la comida, nos han ofrecido una foto la cual luego la han dejado en la pared de los recuerdos que tenían allí. Ha sido una tarde/ noche muy cálida ❤️ Arigatou

Excellent food👌 Very good atmosphere!!!

Great wee Japanese place, really tasty and tasted like it’s actually from Japan unlike other places. Decor is really lovely too.

Went for a meal with friends and we loved it. The sake based cocktails were so enjoyable. I would highly recommend their ramen, omurice and BBQ selection. Staff were extremely kind and attentive. We will definitely be coming back!

Had a great bowl of ramen with a super speedy service. Really enjoyed eating here

Had a great time, with wonderful staff who helped us with the correct type of food to suit us as individuals. First visit and would be not the last time, the young girl who served us brilliant

The food was amazing and the staff was super friendly and helpful.

Amazinggg Japanese food! Get: 1. Nori fries (unreal flavour) 2. Omu Rice or Japanese Curry Rice

Great food offered up slightly differently than a standard Asian restaurant. Great menu of skewers and bowls.

4 Words. Amazing Delicious Friendly Atmosphere

The udon noodles were tasty. Skewers could be cooked a bit more, they were quite disappointing. Friendly and quick staff

Dîner le 23 septembre 2023. Très bonne expérience avec des plats copieux et savoureux! Un service agréable !

Very quiet lunchtime but this place is lovely! Food was delicious and it was brought quickly. The staff are attentive and pleasant. Great quality food.