Japanese Kitchen SORA Café & Izakaya Tapas in Broxtowe

Nice little Japanese cafe. Same taste as I have in Japan 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Fantastic place and nice food! Coming back surely!

One of the best meals I’ve had. Excellent service, excellent taste in a super calming atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Edit: Have upped score to three stars because of the good response of the restaurant to this review. They promptly apologised and offered a refund. Original review: Salmon nigiri was ragged, thin, and discoloured (going a little grey). Donburi was tasty enough, but the egg was overcooked and a bit dry. Tuna roll wasn't 100% fresh. Bit of a disappointment, and really not worth the high prices. Also added 10% tip by default to bill.

After I had sushi and Donburi here tonight, I vomit once get home. Do not recommend. Overall very pricy once we get menu, but we still want to try. At the beginning, we take the SORA special sushi set and Salmon Sashimi, fish meat are very thin and taste bitter afterwards so not fresh at all. Then we had four Donburi, which is not bad but very small dish. Overall, taste normal but high price, so not worth the price. Atmosphere is full of oil smoke.

I was really looking forward to this meal as I love Japanese food, and this restaurant seemed quite authentic, especially with Japanese owners. However, I was very disappointed. First, the salmon nigiri was shockingly small, thin, and looked a bit grey around the edges, which made me question the freshness of the fish. To make matters worse, I noticed residue from another type of fish on my nigiri—very unprofessional for a dish priced at £7 for just two pieces. I also ordered the oyako don, a dish that should never go wrong in any Japanese restaurant, especially at £15. The egg was fully cooked, rather than having the slightly runny texture it should have, looks like diluted egg mixture as well. My friend’s Nasu don, the aubergine was way too sour and the portion of rice was small. It honestly felt like a subpar home-cooked meal, not something you’d expect from a restaurant at all, especially at this price in Nottingham. Overall, I can’t recommend this place and won’t be returning. Sarcastically, seems like the Japanese restaurants run by Hong Kong owners offer much better quality in the UK. If this restaurant wants to represent authentic Japanese cuisine, they need to seriously improve their food.

Another little gem in Beeston. This small restaurant serves some amazing food from a tiny kitchen. There is a very good selection of Japanese beverages, too. Service is lovely. We have now been twice and it will be another of our go-tos.

I went to Sora with a group of colleagues from work, and it was absolutely delightful. We had two types of sake (there were so many options from all over Japan), edamame, an aubergine dish, and a seaweed wakame salad. We also shared gyoza dumplings—both chicken and vegetable—as starters. For the main course, we had donburi, and everything was incredibly delicious. The aubergine starter was excellent and is one of our top recommendations—nicely marinated and coated with a lovely soy sauce flavour. The staff were very helpful and always happy to help us. The ambience of the restaurant was charming, with lots of cute and authentic items from Japan. When booking the restaurant, I had a very pleasant interaction (and conversation) with the owner (she was extremely helpful), and the whole experience was just absolutely amazing. As a Japanese person living in Nottingham, this is definitely a place I’ll return to when I miss authentic (and homemade) Japanese food. Thanks to the fantastic Sora team! We can’t wait to come back soon.

I've tried most of the Japanese restaurants in Nottingham and I would say this is one of the best. Just had Sunday meal here and it's as close to Japanese food you will ever get outside of Japan. I had the Ramen and it's was delicious. The curry buns were amazing. The Japanese sweets are a must try but it is a very unique taste. Service was spot on also. The jazz music in the background was very relaxing. All in all a great place to eat. I'll definitely be coming here again.

Really enjoyed the food and can’t wait to return

Chefs are simply amazing. Food was astoundingly good, and easily the best Japanese that I have been to. Great selection and dishes that are beyond the normal range for most Japanese places. If you like Japanese or want to try for the first time, I highly recommend this place. Edit / Update - the menu increases but the food is still simply amazing. The team are just fantastic, friendly, and welcoming. So glad to be able to keep revisiting this place as often as we can given how far away we are from it (wish we were closer)

I have been here 3 times now. You can do it for reasonable price. But if you want to enjoy yourselves then go as a treat and don't think about money. You will not regret it. The staff are lovely the food is divine and they will keep serving you until you are done. I've tried most of the menu now and it is all incredible. A special shout out to the wait staff who make the whole experience too wholesome for a fool like me. 11/10. maybe the best restaurant in nottingham.

Sushi was nice but the eel was not as good as another Japanese restaurant Higoi. Overall, the food was okay, better than city Japanese restaurants however not comparable to Higoi. Good for casual meal (fast food) but definitely not good for any special celebration.

This restaurants offers delicious food, the staffs especially Erika is very friendly and nice and provides amazing services. The sora special maki was amazing, sashimi is really fresh. The matcha desserts are really good as well. We went there during our friend's birthday and they served us a cake as a service which I find really heart warming. However, to cherrypick, one candle would not really be enough to fully cook the takoyaki, which we had to add at least 3 candles to have it fully cooked. Overall, the experience is amazing, worth coming again!

We had such an amazing experience here! The staff were so polite, the food was amazing. They even let us purchase one of their soy sauce miniature containers. I would definitely recommend if you are in the area. 5/5

Authentic, high quality Japanese food with a wide variety of choices on the menu. Very friendly and attentive service. There’re some special dishes you hardly find in typical Japanese restaurants in the UK. I ordered the foil packed wild mushrooms and oysters grill. Basically the food was cooked in foil on the table, which was an interesting experience. On the side, I tried the Ocha Zuke, which was actually a bowl of hot green tea poured over steamed rice with some seaweed sprinkles. It tasted exactly what I tried in Japan before! I haven’t seen this on menu in other Japanese restaurants here. Definitely a must-try! My partner ordered the Una Don. I could see the portion was very generous with two large pieces of grilled eel. The set came with miso soup and pickled veg. Despite big portion of food he had, there’s always a room for dessert to him… He got to try the matcha cheesecake. The cake was displayed on a rabbit-shaped plate and decorated with sprinkles of matcha powder and strawberry pieces. Yes, that’s Miffy! So cute! Taste wise, the cake was very creamy with intense matcha. The taste is very well-balanced, neither too bitter nor too sweet. They also offer DIY Takoyaki as well. They provide you all ingredients and you can make your own Takoyaki on the table. Of course there’s an instruction sheet for your reference. Unfortunately we haven’t got room for this. Will try next time. Highly recommend this hidden gem if you’re around Nottingham. Would suggest reserving a table in advance especially on Saturday evening. The restaurant is fully packed and busy.

Fabulous food, friendly staff, quiet on a Wednesday

Took a party of 6 there. And had a great time. Interesting drink choices, even for non-alcoholics. Attentive and friendly staff. The food itself is stellar, and for what you're getting, fairly priced. There's a nice range of dishes in a variety of styles. There's also some more snacky bits if you wanted to go there for drink mainly as that's what an Izakaya normally is in japan: drinks primarily, and some good snacks to go with. However, if you're with a picky eater, they may struggle as there's not much in the way of "plain" dishes. The staff are fairly good at pointing out good options, so you may have some luck. Best to ask them before booking if you suspect this may be the case.

I can say with confidence as a regular customer for the last year or so that Sora is my favourite dining experience in Nottingham. The atmosphere is one of family and community, fostered by the owners who regularly host local Japan-themed events outside the scope of what you'd expect from a small restaurant. The food is as authentic as it comes, offering a wide range of options that you won't often find in most UK-based Japanese restaurants that tend to focus more on well-known elements of the cuisine (sushi, noodle broths etc). For those willing to branch out I will always recommend the tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelette) and array of agedashi dishes. Additionally, while the quality of the regular menu is both consistent and outstanding, Sora regularly keeps things fresh by running bespoke menus for seasonal events such as Valentine's Day and Christmas. During the summer and autumn of 2023 they also ran a stall outside the restaurant selling snacks which I recommended stopping in on if you regularly attend the Sunday market at The Garage. Finally, you will always find the service at Sora to be incredibly flexible and accommodating. Whilst they are regularly booked up they will always endeavour to find a spot for short notice bookings/off the street custom where possible and are highly attentive. 空の皆さん、本格的な料理や優しい雰囲気を毎度ありがとうございます

Lovely food and fantastic, friendly service – would thoroughly recommend!

I came here with high expectations after reading the reviews, but I was a little disappointed. The quality of the tuna on the sashimi platter was honestly better than the ones in Hong Kong... Fried chicken chop... Fried chicken chop is delicious, but is the egg a little overcooked? It doesn't feel smooth... So it’s either a Japanese restaurant or an authentic Japanese restaurant. It can only be said to be cooked at home.

The food is fantastic (not biggest portions but still just about enough). Though it doesn't feel the most organised. Last time we visited our table wasn't ready (same happened to others this time). This time we got an email an hour before saying our reservation had been brought forward 15 minutes, no ask just telling us (luckily we were able to make it in time). Additionally it is a little tight, probably one table too many .

I love it here and the food is delicious : p pleanty veggies / vegan options too

Food is fantastic and the service is brilliant. Still brilliant, five visits in total now, and not been disappointed once!!

From the moment I walked in I was welcomed with a sensational smell and absolutely calming music, the food was perfect as well as my service 10/10 I have recommended to my friends and I would definitely go again. The food was so delicious I have never enjoyed eating in as much as I did at Sora!

Based on previous reviews, definitely worth a visit. A very small independent outlet with a few tables but food 🍱 is absolutely yum 😋 An amazing 🤩 hidden gem offering authentic genuine Japanese cuisine, highly recommended. 👍🏻 Please note that you are paying for “ quality cuisine “ not quantity, I am so glad 😃 this is based in Nottingham, at last we got the real deal here!! Welcome to Japan 🇯🇵 on your doorstep 😋🇯🇵🤩🇯🇵🎉🇯🇵👅🇯🇵😄😍

Food is very delicious! I love the atmosphere was great as well! Would definitely visit again! Thank you!

Lovely wholesome food, perfectly balanced. Friendly family feel. What a gem of a cafe! And the dog was welcome to join us too.

Outstanding restaurant - small inside but food is top quality and service is excellent. Prices very reasonable.

Absolutely amazing experience!!! My friend Scott recommended the place and it didn’t disappoint the waiter was very attentive and made sure all the customers were looked after. The atmosphere and decorations where on point. A hidden gem

Had been this restaurant for three times. The food was always tasty and staffs were really friendly. But if you have the Tonkotsu ramen in lunch menu it would be much better lol. Anyway, highly recommended! Looking forward to come next time!

An excellent familly owned real genuine Japanese restaurant. Nothing fancy just great Japanese food done well. A hit with all the familly

Sora is the best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to. The food (I go for sushi), the amazing service and the overall relaxing vibe is what makes this the best kept gem of Nottingham. The fish melts in your mouth and ALWAYS leaves you wanting more and more. If you go, you won’t regret it and you might become a regular just like me(: Ps the food is amazing no matter if it’s takeaway or dine in!

This place offers both great food and outstanding service. I'll definitely come back again:)

We attended as a small group and were treated to excellent tasty food with a good choice of both Japanese food and drink. The restaurant itself is quaint and well decorated. The waiting staff were lovely and friendly, knowledgeable about the food and efficient. The only drawback was the overpowering smell of oil/frying coming from the kitchen that clung to our clothes and hair. We visited some time ago and had a similar experience, hoping that it was a one off, revisited to find it the same. We met with friends for some drinks afterwards, conscious that we smelt strongly of oil, our friends were quick to ask if we'd been stood in a chip shop! A negative on an otherwise faultless dining experience, I don't think we'd return on this basis but might risk a takeaway as the food is top notch.

Brilliant local Japanese restaurant! The sake choice is exceptional, great food selection too and very reasonable prices. Definitely worth checking out

Had a takeaway from here tonight and loved it soooo much that we’ve booked to eat in tomorrow night. Amazing sushi - thank you so much! They have great vegan options too! 🌱

Such a hidden Gem. One of the most authentic Japanese restaurants. Felt like entering into a studio Ghibli movie. The food is exceptionally delicious. A lot of variety. The staff are so kind and helpful. I think this is my fav Japanese in UK.

Great food & lovely place to eat.

Went here for a short lunch visit as a guest of a client. We relied on his knowledge of Japanese dishes and had a variety of smaller sharing dishes. Really enjoyable combination of authentic cuisine

Nothing short of excellent. The sushi is always top notch, the hot food is 5 star and the staff are brilliant. Best Japanese food I have tasted in the UK or USA (and that makes it the best in the world so far for me!!)

Very disappointing….atmosphere was nice but food was below average. We ordered the assorted sashimi and it came in tiny scraps instead of actual whole pieces and not very fresh. The salmon avocado maki was drenched in mayo….wouldn’t come back….

What an amazing restaurant. My wife and I are heading to Japan in August and the authenticity of the food just made us more excited, everything we had was delicious and fresh. The restaurant is small but the atmosphere is perfect and reminded me of a family kitchen. The staff were attentive and friendly. This has easily become one of my favourite meals out.

Amazing food not busy good service I would recommend prawn donburi

Had dinner here on a Saturday early evening . It is a very small place, only enough seating for around 20, so I'd definitely say book in advance. Menu is varied with a lot of options. Everything we had was very nice and service was very friendly, we didn't enquire ourselves but it was clear they were very helpful explaining dishes to people etc. For most dishes the portion sizes aren't that big but then again most are clearly tapas style, though there's a few pages of bigger "mains". I'd probably say 4-5 things each for the smaller dishes depending on your appetite and how carb heavy your choice is. Will absolutely go back to try other things on the menu. (images below chicken dumplings, sweet pork, honey duck, agedashi mushrooms, Eel nigiri, prawn & Avacado maki, Miso soup, chicken teriyaki) At time of writing above courses along with a boiled rice and two drinks (one soft, one alcoholic) was £60.

Such an exciting authentic menu. Food was brilliant and Service was prompt and friendly. We really enjoyed our lunch and will return for more I think.

What a great place; love the atmosphere, the food is amazing, and the staff are so knowledgeable. Really worth a visit (or several!).

this authentic Japanese restaurant is definitely the best one in my list. Portion good, taste good, quality good and not too pricy.

Amazing food. Great staff, very authentic and some of the freshest most delicious sashimi we think we've ever had in the UK! Thank you we'll be back

A wonderful find- I came twice in one day! Such delicious food- I had two different interesting hot meals: aubergine with intense sauce, and the eel with egg, both so tasty. And a beautiful seaweed salad. They have a lunch menu which is extremely good value. Great service, very friendly.

I'm from Japan and here is the best Japanese restaurant in the UK!

What a lovely little place with amazing food, helpful and attentive staff, and a nice cosy atmosphere.

Authentic, fresh, very tasty, nice ambiance, friendly, reasonably priced

Best Japanese food I've ever tried. Great service and cozy atmosphere. The only thing I would improve is that our clothes ended up smelling a lot; the kitchen needs better extraction fans. Also, if the cute little soy sauce jars were up for sale, people would definitely buy them 😉

Best experience I've had outside of Japan. We both enjoyed a chicken katsu don. It came with pickles and miso soup. All of it was very tasty. The half cooked egg was maybe a little overdone, but the service was spot on, just like any restaurant in Japan.

Great home-cooked-style Japanese food. They also have a selection of Sushi and Sashimi and an extensive Japanese drinks selection. I really love the food here and highly recommend it. The menu is a little confusing but the staff are very helpful and pleasant. You won't be disappointed.

Super place. The food was amazing, I would recommend in a heart beat.

Great mini Japanese restaurant! The place is small, but very cosy. Waiters are very friendly with a very relaxed atmosphere. I went in for a takeaway and got: 3 Onigiri (kelp and Mentaiko), 1 Omelette Maki, 1 Prawn katsu fry maki. These seemed all fresh and were delicious. Thank you

Lovely little find! Great food and friendly staff.

Stumbled upon this place after being rejected as a walk in at another establishment for Friday lunch. What a pleasant surprise. Great authentic Japanese food with friendly service. We had the chicken dumplings and prawn dumplings, duck soba noodles and the eel donburi. They were all excellent, especially the eel, which is my favourite. Would not hesitate recommending this place.

Excellent choice of dishes, well prepared, great service and a calm, quiet atmosphere - in fact it has a really cool vibe! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I'll be back the next time I'm in Nottingham/Beeston.

A gem in Beeston, we took a chance on somewhere new and came out happy, full and wishing for next time to come soon. Definitely recommend the assorted sashimi platter and my partner loved the agadashi mochi. The waggyu beef yakiniku was sublime; the drama of flame grilled meat at the table was a perfect way to finish off. They only have a few tables so book ahead. Lovely chill atmosphere, gorgeous plates and wonderful staff; a must for any Japanese loving foodie.

the best Japanese restaurants in notts!!!

Great food, great service. Try the sake taster!

Never had Japanese before so was a little worried trying something new but oh my goodness I'm so glad I did!!!! I ordered sake for a drink which was fizzy lemon flavour but jellied!!! It was wonderful!! I had tuna nigiri which again was out of this world and for my main I had chicken katsu joti. They basically bought a little bucket out which was cooking my chicken then 3 minutes later she bought a whisked egg out to add into my chicken. The rice was beautifully sticky and the soy sauce was lovely!!! I wouldn't hesitate to go back again!! Service was amazing too!

When my partner and I left we both immediately agreed it was some of the best restaurant service we had had. There was a real personal touch to it, perhaps because of the small venue which makes for a cosy atmosphere. We probably should have ordered more food but accept that was in part to our ignorance of the portion sizes. Would definitely recommend.

Absolutely blown away, phenomenal selection and flavours. Would recommend the salmon nigiri or the katsu chomaki and about 25 other dishes. We got a little carried away as can be the case with sushi but would absolutley recommend!

Delicious food, friendly service and relaxed ambience.

Great experience visiting Sora for lunch. Excellent service and very good tasty Japanese dishes. Portions may seem a bit small, but actually they are very filing and just right, served in exquisite Japanese dishes. Recommended.

A small cozy café & restaurant with a very Japanese atmosphere expressed by the restaurant decorations and tableware etc. The food was quite authentic, especially the rice, the texture and stickiness are perfect like the proper Japanese rice. The pork was delicious, but the grounded chicken in the Donburi was slightly too salty. The sesame latte was gorgeous too. I took a star off because the restaurant is way too small. It's already over crowded with only four tables in the restaurant. Unfortunately, I don't think it's wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Feel like I am in Japan. Thank you for bringing real Japan food and real Japan service to here.

凄く美味しかった日本料理。蕎麦とエビ天ぷらを食べましたと全部はほんまに美味しいでした。部員も丁寧とサービスは早いでした

Authentic and fresh ingredients.

This dining experience was an absolute treat! The menu was a little overwhelming for me (so many choices!), so I told the server my budget and said I was open to everything. What ensued was a wonderful precession of small dishes, each one a delight. The place is small and full of charm, definitely book ahead. Small tip for the summer, while they have a small screen, there is still quite a bit of sun that comes through, either book later enough that the sun is a little lower or early enough to have a table that is all the way out of the sun (they did have several fans to help as well). I can't wait to come back

Forgot to review when we went a while ago, but due back next month. Do book in advance as a smaller resturant. Our food was incredible. Very fresh tasting and everything prepared and presented brilliantly. A great little find for authentic tasting food

Sorry to say food was not good as people commented.

I'm Japanese. I was very surprised to eat such amazing Japanese food around here. I know there are some imitated Japanese restaurants, but this is a real one. I come again absolutely.

Lovely experience, food was fresh and staff were lovely. We will be visiting again for sure.

Very disappointment, eggplant is very not delicious, no taste, eels have many spines,sashimi has spines too. The first time also the last time come to this restaurant.

not delicious！fish is so smelly

Absolute gem of a restaurant. Dishes are all super tasty,service efficient and friendly. Proper Japanese food too. A must-try!

Wonderful small Japanese place that has some tasty, authentic food.

Great third visit to this hidden gem. Table was prebooked, and ready on time and staff were friendly and attentive. We ordered a selection of dishes and I decided to also try the Wagyu which was something different. It comes with a little grill for you to cook at your table along with some vegetables. Overall very tasty food and drink, bringing Japanese authenticity to Nottingham. Highly recommended.

Lovely food served by lovely people... Utterly authentic, very fresh and it all tasted fabulous!! Great service too, will be returning soon!

Absolutely fantastic food. Really helpful staff in a small cosy restaurant. Sushi was amazing and we didn't have a single bad dish. Will definitely be back though recommend booking as it fills up quickly! Big range of Sake and other Japanese drinks.

The waiter who served me was amazing!

A tiny gem! We went for lunch. Although it was a bit more than we'd usually spend for lunch, it was definitely worth it. You can tell that a lot of care and precision is put into the food, which was delicious. It's a relaxed, peaceful and cosy little place and we'll definitely be back.

とても繊細な、丁寧な数々のケーキとお団子。日本のお茶と合わせて、ほっこり、幸せなひとときです。

Lovely food, ambience and service.

Great food and great staff. Price is what you'd expect to pay. I tried the wagyu this time. Very nice

Amazing food and incredibly helpful staff

The food was delicious. The staff were friendly and very helpful. It was a lovely meal in a really cute restaurant.

SORA Kitchen is the authentic Japanese taste sensation you are looking for! Great place all the food is top notch and the service is mega. Get yourself down here, but it's smaller than my nans Nissan Micra so book a table x

The food is delicious and have a Japanese catering atmosphere. Service is good too.

This is one of my favourite places to eat. The food is great value and always utterly delicious, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting.

Eaten here several times and never been disappointed. Always had a delightful time in a beautifully relaxed a friendly environment. 5/5

Best Japanese restaurant I've been to in a long time! Fantastic sushi - try the salmon sashimi with sashimi soy sauce, it's unbelievable!! All of the food is excellent and the variety of sake is great. Having experienced authentic Japanese food in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, I can testify to the brilliant quality of food they serve. Make sure you book in advance as they're a small restaurant that book up quickly!

Have been wanting to visit SORA for a while now, only been stopped by the various lockdowns we've had over the last year. Finally got to try their "take out" option and they really didn't disappoint. I think you'll be hard pressed to find fresher, generously portioned and competitively priced sushi in Nottingham. Personally ordered the assorted sashimi which really highlighted the quality of the produce, my wife ordering some of the cooked options of duck and pork and these were also lovely. I'd recommend ordering in advance of the "Pick up" time as they can get quite busy. Will absolutely be trying again soon.

We loved it here! Such a cute, authentic place to eat. The menu has lots of choice including a great vegan selection. The food is delicious, colourful, well presented (and fun!) and fresh. Would highly recommend!

Great food and friendly homely atmosphere. Not been to this place before, so wasn't sure what to order, and the waiter was really helpful with food choices. Had a selection of small plates and all were really tasty. Will definitely be back to try the donburi!