Obento in Bristol, City of

Out with friends looking for group supper. This is a street packed with pubs and places selling a large variety of food. I broke away and dodged the heavy rain to look in here. Checked one of the menus and actually came into a large airy colourful room where someone tucking into multiple dishes with maybe four children asked if I needed help. I explained, he said he was a happy regular, he highly recommended it all and almost coaxed me into trying some of their main plates from which I could already catch the wafting flavours. It smelt and looked great but then a gruff hand from behind pulled me back, it was one of my mates to tell they’d got a table in a food pub a few doors away and there were pints bought and lined up . He could see how I felt but he said ‘too late, come another day’. And we will! This restaurant has a good vibe and a loyal following. Suits all ages.

The food was OK, if you like that style. The Karaoke went down well with my colleagues. The service was shockingly bad - the venue seemed utterly unable to handle the large group booking they had taken - the last part of my main arrived 20 minutes after the first part.

Delicious sushi and sashimi sets, we sometimes come here to celebrate something or to treat ourselves and we are never disappointed with the quality. The service is very chilled yet professional. On the downside, the bathrooms could be improved for sure. There's nothing to dry your hands in the lady's one (no paper towels and the air dryer is old and isn't working), the stalls remind me of a train station. The interior design is a bit kitschy to my liking - there are Christmas decorations in August 😂. Oh yeah and the opening hours are crazy:) Still one of our favourite sushi spots in Bristol!

Awesome food really well priced

Went there with a few friends and we were all super impressed. Delicious fresh food, plenty of vegan and gf options, great service and really nice decor.

The food here is fantastic and very well priced. Delicious sushi, sashimi & traditional hot dishes including bento boxes. The downstairs is quite relaxed whereas upstairs they have two karaoke booths where you can eat and sing together. Staff are lovely! Xx

My husband visited Obento yesterday for a quick meal before a show. We ordered Japanese Curry, kimchi and a fried rice dish. Really nice dishes, quick service, value for money and quiet atmosphere. We will definitely return.

Delicious, and good value. Really cute decor too. Already planning our next visit!

Food was tasty and generous portions. I tried eel for the first time and it was delicious. Service was fast and the restaurant was very clean

100% delicious... 100% recommend... the set menus are great and the Bento boxes delicious!

Wow wow Been wanting to try this restaurant restaurant for ages, & I can honestly say we were not disappointed. We ordered the set menu from start to finish the food was so beautiful Light soup to begin with followed by the most amazing fresh sushi, pork Gyouos (beautiful) amazing tempura prawns & vegetables, rare sirloin steak the food didn't stop. We couldn't eat all of it so took the rest home. Amazing staff from 2 lovely ladies Thank you for a great evening. Highly recommended to visit

Amazing from start to finish Amazing service & food Please visit this restaurant & eat the most amazing food

This is in Obento bristol. We ordered sashimi and when we pour the sour sauce, a body of a bug was in there. But it was covered in the sauce so we didn’t notice until we dipped the salmon. AVOID AT ALL COST!!! Even worse, they did not even show any guilt or say any apologetic words when we point out the big to them! They simply took the plate away. Only when they came to give us the POS machine they said they deducted the money for sashimi, with a casual attitude like we owe them an apology or sth ?!!! This is beyond rude, i don’t understand how this shop is still operating?! Later that night, I had the worst food poisoning in my whole life.

Tell your mum! Tell your dad! Tell your friends! Here’s the best sushi place in brizzy!!!! So fricken happy with this

Went here for dinner with my two daughters and was by far one of the better Japanese restaurants I have eaten in for a long time. I was living and working in Yokohama for 12 months and every business trip I was treated to dinner at the end of the day by the clients. At Obento, we had two beers, one mango juice, two large carafes of water and 7 plates and it all came to £110. The food was piping hot we had to wait for the Tempura and the Teryaki steak was melt in the mouth and was cooked over hot coals. Will definitely go back.

Delicious food as always, and impeccable service! Always worth a visit for a special occasion!

A good range of dishes. Very polite reception.

The teriyaki grilled salmon bento box was DELICIOUS. Good service and fast time for us to takeaway. Really bright interior. Very good value too.

The food here was delicious and authentic. Atmosphere is great; a great spot for sushi lovers. The service was a little slow, but I would recommend a visit for anyone in Bristol.

Tables and utensils are greasy and dusty. Raw fish doesnt taste fresh as it should. AVOID!

Their Mapo tofu blew me away! It’s an unlikely dish to order in a Japanese restaurant as it’s Chinese, but I may have seen a photo of it and it looked good, the actual food far exceeded my expectations. It’s perhaps as good as you’ll get in China! I ate in this restaurant last Oct, but a friend happens to be in Bristol now so also gave this dish a try and it lived up to my hype! If you are yearning to try some signature Chinese dish, do give it a go. I’ll give it a thumbs up in a Chinese phrase - 吐血推荐: so good, it’s worth spitting blood to recommend!

We went to a private room for karaoke, great experience, the sushi wasn't great…

5 pounds for a tiny, tiny little tuna pocket seems pretty ridiculous. I was very disappointed I'm that. The food was nice though, and thanks for throwing in some drinks. Overall it was good.

Really dreadful - if I could give this restaurant zero stars I would have done! Our sushi never arrived, my chicken noodles tasted like gone off fish (so was entirely inedible) and my husband's beef ramen tasted like a leather boot. Terrible service and they had the audacity to add a service charge onto the bill, despite the issues we had raised with them. I did something I have never done before and asked them to remove the service charge, given how dreadful everything had been. Avoid!!

Absolutely delicious! Gluten free options and just stunning food.

Udon beef chili soup. Was good dinner and worth the price

Visited many times in the past decade. Food always delicious with a great range of sushi.

Soooo gooodddd!!! I went crazy with their spider crab and crispy spicy eel!!

The food was delicious, the atmosphere was perfect and Ivy was the perfect host who guided us through one of the best meals out I have ever had.

Really nice food. Service is polite and efficient. Portions are generous. If you visit in the evenings, they do have a karaoke room upstairs. :)

Had lunch with a friend, the takoyaki was so good! I also had the sashimi bento, normally I'm not one for tuna sashimi but I really enjoyed the tuna, it was like melt in your mouth good!

The food was amazing. Bento boxes, sushi, miso soup were all delicious, great value too.

The food was ok but not authentic. The miso soup definitely came from miso instant powder. The eel seems like from frozen counter and not tastes just ok. The potion was weird as I don’t think any japanese restaurant have fried sushi as a side in the set. We also waited for half an hour just for this. And when we found out there’s a fly in there. They just took away the dish. I had to ask twice to get the bill. They did not apologise for the food hygiene until we pay. And even dare to ask for service fee. 😡🤬🤬

Went there recently for karaoke, food and drinks for a birthday. The staff were friendly, attentive and helpful. The food was delicious with a great selection of gluten free options and the drinks (particularly the plum wine) were nice. Had a great time in the private karaoke room singing our hearts out. Would definitely recommend.

Always delicious , favorite Japanese restaurant in Bristol.

Had a wonderful dinner here. The food was fresh and flavourful. Especially recommend sushi dishes and Bento

It’s just okay. If you’re at a level that you enjoy tesco sushi, then you are gonna love it. It’s decent but it’s not authentic. Not very flavoursome. Place looks good. Service was alright

It was okay. Ordered the obento deluxe sushi and 5 of the 11 pieces were made with cheap ingredients, mostly cucumber and crab sticks. The fish pieces that were served were fresh and tasty, to be fair, so can't complain about those but definitely wouldn't have considered it a deluxe offering. Bf ordered a chicken yakisoba which was too sweet and the chicken was not great tasting but again, mostly fine. Quite cute inside but it was quiet when we went, probably because it was a weekday evening.

Avoid at all costs! We ordered a takeaway from here and I have been left with severe food poisoning. Have not been this sick in a long time. Very concerning with how unbothered they are in regards to sending out such low quality food. Really should not be in service. The food was incredibly bland, tasted old and stale as if it hadn’t been stored correctly then reheated.

LEAVE, dont walk away RUN, don't come in a 5 meter premise of this place. Got severe food poisoning like never before, went as a group of 4, 3 people spend the whole night reversing the food that was eating out. In the attempt to be as fair and as critical as possible, the restaurant seemed fine and the food did not look inedbile or had visible discolouring that would sway a casual diner from consuming the served plate. To critique a japanese place ran by japanese? Chinese? People? the food lacked flavor upon contact with the pallete and sadly that was not the worst thing, obviously it was also not hygienic to the point of messing up 2 days for 3 people. To elaborate on the service, the place had 10+ tables and only 3 were taken on this night yet a hand raised couldnt get their attention because they were conversing amongst themselves (probably on the topic of how to dress inedible fish for the customers but I'm just assuming). The atmosphere was mid, colors giving a 90s' look, place looking kinda run down ngl. In conclusion DONT GET SASHIMI OR DONT COME. I am begging, you will thank me and yourself.

Sushi was amazing, really fresh. Wish they had a slightly bigger selection

I'm sad to say the food I ate here was awful. I didn't expect too much, just standard Japanese fare. I had udon noodles with seafood. The noodles were ok, just very bland, but edible. The seafood had been cooked until it was crunchy and completely dry, a miserable experience. I would absolutely avoid eating here again.

The restaurant at first glance is colourful, and yasai tempura was good, we also ordered the vegan yasai ramen and when it arrived we found we were chewing a big chunk of chicken. When we let them know and they were indifferently apologetic and took it off the final bill, and when we went to pay they added the service charge on top of our contactless payment without asking us if we wanted to pay it! Then felt confused about us asking it back. Incredibly cheeky to say the least. In all fairness we shouldn’t have paid for anything, service and the indifference towards us was very poor- probably would’ve have treated us the same had it been an allergy.

I ordered the Yasai vegan Ramen, when taking the order the waitress asked what noodles I said the words”as long as it’s vegan then that’s great” stressing again “yup vegan noodles please”.After consuming a third of the bowl I took a piece of what I thought was tofu into my mouth and began chewing, it was chicken which I promptly spat out into a napkin, and called over the waitress.There was a stifled silence and a very quiet “sorry about that” after examining the chicken piece and asked if I wanted a replacement I said no, she said ok,”I’ll take it off the bill”.When we went to get the bill the waitress said “sorry about the noodles and then asked my girlfriend about too and service charge and we obviously said no, then she added service charge anyway and looked bewildered why would consider this unreasonable.I should have made a much bigger fuss in hindsight as if this was a good intolerance or severe allergy then it would be much more serious I felt sickened being made to consume chicken even though I know accidents can happen the sheer disdain and indifference from the staff meant I had to write this review as they need to know this is not ok.

Great place, food was excellent and quick too. I will be going back

Meat was like sad leather. Chicken was hard and unflavoured. Even the miso soup was awful. How do you mess up miso soup? The bars so low for that one it’s a tripping hazard in hell but Obento is over here limbo dancing with the devil. Chopsticks worked at least.

Honestly such a lovely fresh feast. We were pretty full after eating the Jasmine set meal then found out we were only halfway through. It's such great value for money, we will definitely be back!

Very lovely atmosphere and very delicious food!

Loved my meal here. Great food and really attentive service

Great selection of food options, service was quick, pleasant surroundings

I love the food here. The restaurant has the best fresh raw fish. Excellent value for money. Authentic Japanese food. It’s a must try! You won’t be disappointed, if you love sea food

Food was amazing highly recommend

I’ve been here about 5 times at this point, and struggled to find other sushi venues around Bristol that can compare quality wise. Definitely recommend :)

Unexpectedly good. Tempura not looking like traditional japanese tempura. The only place for star deduction for the music which is not J-Pop.

everything was delicious!! especially their kimchi since it tasted authentic!!

We came here for lunch on our visit to Bristol, it wasn't clear if it was open as it was unsurprisingly totally empty. Food came out at different times not together, no big deal. The food was not good however: luke warm, the squid was very rubbery, the prawns were questionable and it was a little difficult to munch through it all, I am surprised I am not ill. I don't like to be negative but I feel something needs to change here. Sadly, I wish we had gone elsewhere.

We had a private room with karaoke for 12 people on Saturday evening and we had a fantastic time. The food was great, good menu, good portions and well priced. The staff were amazing and super welcoming. The karaoke machine was a little confusing to work and the catalogue could be better but overall a fantastic time!.

Horrible food terrible service & overcharged. Don’t eat here! My glass had chipped rim, food was tasteless and dry, the dessert on the fixed menu was a dry cut up single orange between 2 of us! 10% service charge on everything!! I felt sick after. The waitresses ignored us completely and when we complained and said we refused to pay the service charge, they added on an extra beer! The worst food I’ve eaten in years. I hope I’m not ill now.* update * my husband and I are feeling unwell this evening after eating lunchtime.

Great food shame about the poor seating lovely staff

Was a bit disappointed. I would rethink the breaded, deep fried crab sticks.

I used to eat at Obento quite frequently in 2017 and even though it was pricey, their food quality was worth it. I was very dissapointed when I ordered from them last night, I was looking forward to the same great quality and didn’t hesitate to spend £50 for a meal for 2 as I was expecting the same great flavours. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near to what I remember. Sushi rice was overcooked and it was not as fresh - I remember the nori on the sushi „popping” as I would bite into it whereas now it was soggy and heavy, and the flavour was quite blant. Really, really dissapointing. The dough on the prawns was not even fried properly - it was rubbery and very light in colour which suggested it was undercooked. I regret spending so much money as it was nowhere near worth the money. Its a shame that what was my hope for the only „real” sushi in Bristol has turned into another pre-made, fast food takeaway. We both - unfortunately- agreed that even Itsu is better than what we had from Obento. I won’t be ordering ever again.

As a vegetarian I wasn't v impressed with the menu and prices for rice and vegetables, but my non veggie sister absolutely loved her meal and said the fish was good. It was a Saturday lunch time and nice and chilled.

Obento、コンビニエンスストアの弁当提供で、、、驚くべきの価格、、、

Best Japanese I’ve had in Europe so far

Food was fantastic, and the staff were super smiley, friendly, and attentive. We had bento boxes and a side of sushi to share. Really tasty!

Friend arranged leaving do for me. When I arrived, staff did not know there was a party in private room even though other people were there and sent me away. Food was OK but we ordered meals for 2 plus and we never got the seasonal fruit and then was asked to leave as our booking time was over. Asked about the fruit. Was offered an orange to take away with us.

We were a family of 8. It took ages for the food to arrive, and one of the order was wrong. Having corrected that, it took forever to come. We ordered 2 Bento boxes which were ok, but the bento soup came as everyone finished eating and we were left wondering why it was brought out so late. All the ramen noodle soups tasted the same and the wok fried seafood noodles was simply awful. The squid in the saefood noodles was so tough I was afraid I'd choke on it. The fritteres had no taste and dipping sauces were not topped up. When we complained about te food and service, the staff couldn't have been less concerned. We didn't enjoy it al all.

Fabulous food in this restaurant and surprised it doesn’t have a higher rating. The sushi is wonderful and fresh and the selection of Japanese food is varied and also feels clean upon eating.

On website and at the door states that they close at 11:00 on Friday but I could not be served at 10:15 only takeaway. They have ruined my night.

Lacklustre service with aloof staff, and the restaurant was freezing cold, I remained in my coat the entire time.

I've had food from Obento many time over the years, always delicious and up to standard for my partner who lived in Japan for a few years - highly recommend

I chose the place because so many restaurants are closed on a Monday but this was open. The food was mediocre at best, but not overly expensive. Staff were efficient. Don't think I'll be going back in a hurry though.

Went for karaoke for 3 hours, really worth the price including food.

Super friendly staff, incredible food and very good prices! The decorations were really nice too

Good Japanese food - sushi, noodles and rice dishes! Really friendly staff too. Great place to go at the start (or during) a night out!

Visited here twice this month, once in a large party of around 15, 3 people’s meals didn’t arrive and they just had to leave without eating. When asked at the end of the meal to cancel the remaining items as they hadn’t arrived still and we were leaving (we had been waiting for over 1.5 hours) there was no apology, compensation, nothing. We decided we would give it another go and put it down to being a large party, went in a group of 5. Out of 5, one meal was cold, one meal was wrong and again one of our friends had to leave without eating because they forgot the food. When we were paying I explained that another meal had been forgotten and we wanted the service charge removed, we received no apology whatsoever in fact they seemed frustrated we wanted the service charge removed. Definitely wouldn’t recommend and won’t be returning

Do not let the convince you for the private karaoke room! Cold. No service. And bigger all you can find on the karaoke. it also has a list on the wall of the £1000s you will owe for any damage 😲

Good japanese food found here. Highly reccomend the Chirashi Don! Service is top notch as well.

The location and space is great for social gatherings, which is why I end up here more often than I care for. A bit pricey considering the quality you get, I suppose they make it up with generous portions. I have a problem with their fish - particularly the tuna and salmon as that's what they serve as sashimi. It has been treated in a way that it lacks any discerning flavour and has the weirdest texture that I can only describe as dry and mealy. I suspect they don't own a commercial freezer and the slow freezing has damaged the fish.

The food was alright until the maki arrived - the rice was terrible; overcooked and far too thick and sticky. Expensive too. Would not recommend.

The karaoke room was fun, though the selection of songs was very limited and dated and there was no Wifi to download songs on the system. Eight out of ten meals came out stone cold and were sent back. It was like warm when it came back 20 mins later and not tasty. Can’t strongly recommend.

I came here for my girlfriend's birthday. She's very much more into Japanese cuisine than I am and it was my first time trying sushi! The experience was great, we both had a lot of fun and loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. It was very quiet on the Sunday that we came but had a really nice ambience to it. The service was good, and the staff were polite and friendly. There was a mistake made with our food but it was quickly resolved. The food was also good, with my wok fried noodle dish being very tasty. My partner and I shared nigiri which was adequate although the egg and rice was quite moist and had a peculiar taste. I recommend this spot if wanting to try Japanese cuisine.

I loved this restaurant. A decent selection of Japanese and Chinese dishes. The fried ebi bento I had was just yummy. The service charge is waived if you pay in cash.

Unbelievable for the price! So delicious and friendly!! Super recommend ♥️

Myself and my partner had dinner here, we hadn't heard of it but by the central location presumed wrongly that it would be professionals cooking our food and instead it was a freezer, then a microwave. Shameful, flavourless and it shouldn't remain open.

Great place to enjoy Japanese food. Service was quick and waiters are friendly. Highly recommend the Chirashi Don. Will be back soon.

Terrible food - worst sushi I’ve had. Tough and flavourless

Awful cheap microwaved food cooked with no heart or soul, don't waste your hard earned money

Lovely tasty food, nice vegan range.

I booked one of the karaoke rooms in this restaurant for my birthday, and had such a great experience! The food was delicious and the staff were extremely helpful. 12 of us fit comfortably in the room and everyone had a fun time.

I injured my hand and asked only once to use their restroom to clean a small wound, but they did not allow me, saying that this was supposedly only allowed for customers (in fact, this is my legal right). However, perhaps because of this attitude here on Friday evening an empty hall when all the neighbours rs have no empty seats. I do not recommend these people because only money is important here and there is no kindness. Itsu has much nicer staff.

The food was an hour late, the app showed that it was delivered when it wasn’t. I had to contact the restaurant several times via an external service and couldn’t get through.

Wow been waiting for a sushi place to open on just eat and this place is stunning. Highly recommended amazing fresh food, taste incredible

The staff were super helpful in advising us what to eat. The sushi was good quality and came out quickly but tasted freshly made. I love sushi, and would definitely recommend this as a place to eat in Bristol.

WRong, order, discasting food, to late delivery.

Been going for years however the new menu is great. Great variety, great taste and good value too.

Solid traditional Japanese izakaya and sushi. Kaarage was crispy and meaty, nigiri was fresh, rice was fluffy and not gummy. Pretty happy with the meal.

Great food, lovely staff, good value

Staff polite. Slow service, food cold, would not return!

Obento has now become an institution of Bristol. Part of the initial push of up scaling Bristols eateries from the plain ol Burgers and Pizzas, it's status in pushing Bristol cannot be dismissed. Since then we've had the chains move in but they don't come close to Obentos, the quality vs value here is great.