Sakura in Portsmouth

Best Japanese food I’ve had, service is unmatched.

Delicious food and lovely service in a cute environment!

First time eating here — the food is a solid 10/10! So good!! We arrived at peak hours but got a seat within 2minutes

Amazing food, can never complain about the food but the service is a bit too much, with the staff constantly checking in and asking the same questions. We felt pestered and rushed to leave. We had a friend show up 20 mins late and we were asked every 3 minutes where she was, and the response was always the same. We were eating despite our friend not being there, so unsure what the problem was. It’s not a relaxed atmosphere at all which was such a shame, as I love the food. There is no organisation amongst staff as to who is going to ask certain questions. We probably had four different staff members constantly making the rounds and asking the same questions. Very irritating.

Outstanding Japanese cousin, asian pearl on the British islands. Sakura returned the faith to me into a great food experience in UK. Their ramen is one of the best I've ever tried. Even if you haven't booked a table the staff always tries to find a spare one for last minute customers.

Came here for a birthday dinner date, some of the best sushi I've had in a while, really wholesome vibes, was a bit of a squeeze but its really cosy, nice atmosphere! Definitely recommend!

Beautiful restaurant with a very intimate atmosphere, the partitions make each table feel cozy but not cramped. The best japanese food in the area; everything is delicious, and the service is wonderful. Also thought it was very sweet that they have options on the website to book for different occassions, eg. Anniversary, birthday, etc. which made it feel very personalised.

Best sushi we've had for years and staff super welcoming. What a gem!

I’m late posting this review as we came back in ‘Oct 23, but had to take the time to highly recommend Sakura. We booked whilst on a stay locally and it was one of the highlights of our trip. My boy is 10 and hugely into his Ramen. Being Autistic he can be very unadventurous but he tried and loved everything! It’s really opened him up to trying new things which is so wonderful. The way the restaurant is set out he really felt comfortable & relaxed into the evening too. The food came quickly (which again is great with kids!), was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious!! We felt very reasonably priced also. Great atmosphere and perfect service. Definitely try and book in advance as it’s not a huge space and very popular (there was a queue when we left). Can’t wait to visit again when we are in the area.

A cosy and inexpensive restaurant, with a fun but family friendly atmosphere. Perfect for birthdays or get togethers with old friends. The staff are friendly and attentive, and the food is always great quality for the price. It's open till late and the atmosphere becomes more jovial as the evening progresses.

We are absolutely in love with sushi and rolls, and Japanese cuisine in general 🙏 And Sakura is wonderful, and super tasty place for us. Easy to reach, clean and cozy. The service is amazing! Wine and bear - TOP 🫶

Very pleasant experience, the food was really lovely, went here with my sisters, had some ramen and sushi.

The food is sooooo good , we love this place so much. If i live around this area i will order it every weekend 100%

Delicious food, full of flavour. Noodles, sushi & sashimi, even the stir fried veg all comes perfectly prepared. We always go here with friends and share numerous plates and the bill always seems reasonable. Their house Pinot Grigio by the glass is also perfectly acceptable. My only gripe is that we tend not to come as a couple anymore as we always get put in the tiny side by side in the window. It’s not a couples seat, maybe a friend’s seat. It’s functional but the worst seat in the house, right next to the door and zero ambiance. You also frequently get forgotten about. For now we will just enjoy with friends, as I never want to be shoved into such a small space when paying to eat out with my husband.

After eating cold Sushi from Tesco I thought that there must be something else. I honestly couldn’t think of a better place to go. Excellent food, excellent service, tasty white wine. This place has opened my eyes up to Japanese food. Absolute perfection. The ramen is unmatched.

I’d like to say I have always really liked Sakura, and have come here regularly over the last few years and really enjoyed the food and experience. I’ve always recommended it to others. The last two visits this month though have been highly disappointing. Food quality has dipped slightly which is understandable, but worst of all the staff constantly chase you to order, then to clear the plates while some are still eating, then to rush you again to order dessert. Instead of being a relaxed Japanese restaurant, it’s taken on the feel of a fast food joint. When I say that you are rushed to order, I’m not exaggerating. Within 5 mins of sitting down we had two separate staff members asking us what we wanted to eat, and coming repeatedly till we had decided. We had ordered food and drinks within 15 mins of being in the restaurant and the staff had come over approximately 5 times! Same story with dessert. While we were eating, twice a server came to take plates from different members of our party. We were in and out within about an hour of our booking. Not what you expect when you book a restaurant! The whole experience was rushed

Warning, you will be addicted to the food. Let me set the scene. It was a completely average evening and couldn’t decide what to eat and found Sakura on just eat. I sat and scrolled and decided to order a variety of food from miso, sushi, teriyaki beef and more. I ate here yesterday and it was delicious, so I thought let’s go again, every moment of the meal felt like a dream. I was longing for my meal again throughout the day. So here I am today, my second order arrived and as I went back to the hotel room, I nearly cried knowing I was with my meal from Sakura again. Sadly I’m relocating back up north tomorrow and won’t be back down in Portsmouth for a while. I may suffer from withdrawal symptoms as I cannot be without Sakura for a while. Please be careful as you may all be wanting more.

Great atmosphere, good menu selection of cold dishes (sushi) and hot plates (noodles and curry), fast and friendly service, love the seating areas.

Fantastic ramen. Excellent service. Highly recommended:

This is a highly rated restaurant , its food is good for Portsmouth , so in its marketplace, it deserves 5 stars for food, although not exhaustive as we only touched a few dishes . we suffered from terrible seating , even though asking for a quiet table, the seating was less than 18 inches between parties , so i managed to hear all the adventures of the local students ...although entertaining somewhat off putting , whilst trying to have a quiet evening meal . to sum up a wildly successful restaurant on rainy saturday night , food good, service as well as could be in packed restaurant , price steady. Seating terrible recommended with decent seats ,

I’ve just had a terrible experience with one of the waitresses, who was moody and grumpy the whole evening- she never smiled and it all culminated when she told me off for not understanding what was written in the menu regarding mochi icecream, which was written in broken English anyway and so was not obvious- very rude.

Very great experience, verr good plum wine 🍷

Amazing restaurant. Food always delicious and quick. Our go-to for sushi, although the teriyaki and tempura veggies are just as amazing! Each booth/table feels nice and private without being a separate room. Service was excellent. Offered to move us to a warmer table in case we were cold, and gave dad free ice cream with a candle for his birthday! Dimmed the lights and sang for him and everything. Adorable, and good value for money, around £20 per head for a massive amount of food. Definitely recommend.

We felt very rushed to get in and rushed to get out , hadn't seen the menu before they were pestering us to order and just kept coming over to see if we'd finished. Waitress spilt oil/soy sauce over boyfriends jeans food was ok staff friendly but over the top ...was like a conveyer belt with people , that's all they seemed interested in, getting more people in!

It was very delicious and the atmosphere was very nice, but the staff was too nervous towards the customers, regarding to my opinion so bussy but might be fine

Love this place!! We've been multiple times now and it is always amazing!! It has a real wide range of good quality and reasonably priced options. Authentically decorated and always a great atmosphere. The staff are very efficient and friendly.

Dropped our daughter back to uni and popped In here for lunch. OMG AMAZING. Absolutely delicious, fantastic customer service and reasonable. Can’t wait to visit my daughter at uni

Lovely independent restaurant, the food is always delicious and the service is always amazing!

My favourite restaurant in Portsmouth. Cute atmosphere, great food and inviting staff. My go to Birthday restaurant location and accommodating to allergens. Also great value for money.

Delicious food. Comprehensive menu. Generous portions. Great service. Highly recommended.

Literally love this place. The food is delicious and well presented. The menu is huge and varied plus incredible value for money. I Always love the authentic feel of this little restaurant and the staff are friendly, fast and welcoming.

Authentic Japanese food with a great mix of sushi and delicious cooked treats from belly pork slices to tempura vegetables we as a family love it and fill the table with an array of far eastern tapas

Delicious food, great service, and a price worth shouting about. Couldn’t recommend this place any more!

Great venue and superb food, eaten with many other Asian patrons.

My first time to a Japanese restaurant and it was really good. Not just raw fish (which I thought was the case). Nice atmosphere and attentive staff

Tasty sushi, attentive staff, great venue to host small events / parties as well decorated area and atmosphere was good. Price reflects the atmosphere. I would probably go there for the sushi though rather than anything else.

Great authentic Japanese flavours. Good value.

Loved the food here. Walked in at 5pm without a booking but they found us a table. Really friendly service and I loved the food. Sashimi was fantastic.

Fantastic food, fantastic staff, good prices

Always excellent ! Never disappoint me. Nice portions and good flavor!

This place was awful, we asked whether their chicken was halal, and they confirmed that it was so we went ahead and ordered katsu curry. We could hear the staff laughing at us and mentioning "halal", we also recorded it as it became very obvious. The food came pretty quick and we realised they didn't serve us chicken, they served us pork which they very well know we don't eat. When I asked them to confirm, they hesitated and didn't tell us so they took the dish back to bring out another one. A male waiter confirmed the order was a mistake, so I asked the waitress who took the order whether it was pork and she said it was chicken, I got frustrated and asked the manager who was standing next to her and confirmed it was pork. I asked them why they gave us pork when they knew we weren't allowed it, and they had no answer. I hate to say this but the "mix up" felt intentional. We walked out immediately ofcourse. My friends then told me after I shared this experience that the workers have been rude to them as well when they requested halal meat, if I knew this then I would not have stepped in. What a shameless restaurant. The lady who served us lied to us to our faces and the manager did not care. I really hope no one from the Muslim community visit this place, I don't think their chicken would be halal- its one of the worst experience I've ever had.

First time here and the food was amazing and the staff are friendly and helpful.

In one sentence, it’s good food

Great place Highly recommended 👌

Amazing, everything was spot on. Staff were lovely, service was attentive, we had 3 x sushi dishes, an udon dish, a yaki soba dish, some dumplings, 2 desserts and drinks and it came to £70. The food was all excellent and we will definitely be back. Please open another closer to London!

Second visit , good food,good ambience . V well worth the second time around. I would heartily recommend

Went on a busy Saturday night (book ahead!) and was greeted by the smiling staff, with quick service and absolutely delicious food. One to recommend!

Nice little restaurant serving Japanese cuisine. The staff are friendly and service is quick and courteous. Good for eating out for a couple or small group.

Lovely cosy interior, fast service and pleasant staff. The food is spectacular and really well made. As a table we tried sushi, tempura vegetables, gyoza, chashu pork, katsu ramen, beef udon and soba, katsu curry and some more, followed by mochi balls for dessert and it was all fantastic! Better than wags and very generous portions

Absolutely delicious food that had me wanting more, decent price for a lovely place. Would recommend this to anyone

Totally random find on the way to the theatre - but very happy with it. Clearly very popular with locals and probably best to book in advance, although we got a table for 2 with just a 20 minute wait. Great food and service.

Order from here fairly often. First choice sushi in Portsmouth but last couple of times the tuna has been horrible. Tough as old boots and old. Not vibrant red. Dull, grey and impossible to chew. Volcano roll and sashimi inedible last 2 orders.

Very fast service, quiet at the time we came in. Very tasty food.

i come here regularly come here with my family and get takeout. the staff are sooo lovely friendly and helpful rachel is amazing! i love coming here amazing food tastes fresh and fast service! you couldnt ask for a better restaurant

Good Japanese restaurant, usually crowded, bright and noisy. We found the food to be good but not great. Always a good meal out but this is a 'drop by' place rather than a place for special nights out.

Excellent service, very kind and attentive staff. Delicious food and amazing, very comfortable and private atmosphere. Definetly an amazing place to enjoy a nice dinner. Thank you also to the staff for the ice cream birthday suprise for my girlfriend, it was very sweet and kind of them!

Best meal I have had in a long time, such a good menu, helpful and attentive team. Plum wine far too drinkable

Have been several times. Food and service are both amazing.

Japan may be halfway around the world, but the taste and atmosphere of Nihon is available on the British South coast! The layout of the restaurant is very reminiscent of the small and tight streets of Japan's bustling streets, with a single walkway leading to and from the kitchen, and a small curtain separating the tables for that extra privacy/coziness. The food is also super fresh, with the maki and nigiri being oh so right. The seafood ramen was also a treat, with tasty broth and yummy noodles. The staff are also very attentive and check on you to make sure your order is to your liking, so you do feel valued and appreciated for your visit. They also have Asahi on tap! Definitely recommend if you're a fellow aficionado of Japanese food and culture.

The place looked very pretty and the food was nice. Had the Katsu Curry which tasted very good and was delievered very quickly. The menu was very large and the cheaper items were right at the back! The toilets were clean and nice.

A lovely family run sushi restaurant. The booths around the tables with the banners add a nice touch. Plus the food is excellent, as well as the service. Fabulous gem.

How have i never been here before today!! Amazing food, great portion sizes, well priced, attentive staff and our new favourite restautant in the area.

I have been here whenever I come to Southsea and Sakura has never let me down. No matter what I have chosen, it is superb. Lovely staff, committed to service. Recommend ++.

Delightful visit, charming decor and surroundings. Excellent service, delicious food and reasonably priced. First introduction to Sake. Will definitely be back

Our 13 year old daughters birthday. She is half Japanese and, having visited Japan, totally rates this restaurant.

Portsmouth doesn't have many Japanese restaurants to choose but that doesn't mean they aim low, I have tried Sushi in Tokyo and this wouldn't be out of place. Will be returning.

Super leckeres Essen, tolle Auswahl, nettes Personal, Preis/Leistung top, sehr gut besucht, unbedingt reservieren.

I always come to sakura!! staff always soo friendly and welcoming to me and my dad. i love it here i love the food i even order takeaway if i cant get my weekly sakura fix in! i recommend so much the ladies are so friendly

The best sushi I’ve ever had. I’ve been twice now and it was absolutely beautiful both times. Service is fast and the food is unreal. I will be visiting again tomorrow night and can’t wait. Definitely my new favourite restaurant

Lovely food and good portions, only thing I’d say is wish the menu would have a V next to it to indicate if it was vegetarian as my friend was vege, besides that 10/10, lovely staff and venue

Omg this place is amazing! Food is so good! All fresh and hot with quick service. Can’t wait to return. Sushi was honestly amazing! Thank you

We visited on Valentine’s Day and it was busy as expected. Most table had a private booth which made the meal nice and personal. I would say to avoid sitting near the door as people will enter and stand right by your table until they’re seen / seated. The food was all very fresh and delicious. I had the katsu curry as a main and it was fantastic, best one I’ve had. Definitely recommend going and easy to book in advance if you think it may be busy.

Arrived for birthday meal walk in as couple, were free seats/tables, as we were waiting to be seated a group of 3 also came in after us without booking. We were told no space but then the group of 3 was seated as we left. Very disappointed with customer service and cheek of situation. Will not be returning.

Ordered delivery from Sakura tonight. I ordered Pork Belly Teriyaki with salad, And this is what I received. If you don't want to do delivery, just stop, but don't send this crap. I'll pop in tomorrow to discuss a full refund.

The problem with restaurants that have non stop 5* reviews with everything seeming to be faultless is that it can raise expectation and it is for this reason you have to be objective. Had booked of 6 for brother in laws birthday as he's a...

This has been our go to takeaway for about 3 yrs now and we have eaten in a few times. On ringing to put our order through for our usual dishes, they had gone up from £14.90 to £17.90 each, which we thought was very...

Went to Sakura for a date night having not been for a long time. Didn’t disappoint, seated in a booth which although was only separated the next table by a curtain still felt private. Food was lovely, with big portions, quick service and attentive staff....

From opening the door you feel you’re about to experience something special. You’re seated in your own intimate area with traditional table setting. The menu is very extensive, catering for every taste. Presentation of food and taste was exquisite from sauce to tempura from raw...

Service is good and very friendly staffs, also nice atmosphere. However, I would not classified this is a Japanese restaurant. More of a mixed Asian restaurant.

Eating here was a really fabulous experience. The interior is great fun, with private booths that feel really cosy. The service is both friendly and efficient as well as perfectly timed. The menu is so exciting and the food came quickly and was just incredible!...

I’m a big fan of Japanese food, and have been to a few restaurants around the UK but this is far the best one I’ve been to. Lovely staff, extremely prompt service and delicious fresh food. Not to mention the restaurant itself, lovely decor and...

As this is my first genuine and authentic Japanese food experience. I am happy to say I was thoroughly impressed by the food. Light and full of flavour. The Sashimi especially was to die for. And so many delicate flavours expertly married together this experience...

I visited Sakura for the first time in Aug-22 ordering the volcano roll sushi and Katsu Curry. The food was incredible and generous portion sizes. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly making our night memorable. I would not hesitate in recommending Sakura.

Came here for lunch on a recommendation from a friend and we were not disappointed. Everything was really tasty and well presented. The staff were very nice and very efficient. Will definitely come back again.

We were recommended the Sakura by friends. I'm an 'Eating Out' fanatic but never ventured as far as a Japanese restaurant because of ridiculously held mis conceptions with regards the menu !! Wow, how completely wrong I was !! But the restaurant itself first. You...

Just Wow! As has been said this is so authentic and absolutely blinking delicious. I had Katsu Ramen 9/10 and edamame 10/10 and some maki somethings 12/10! Green tea and very attentive friendly staff. Definitely coming back and will make it soon

Authentic Japanese restaurant with beautiful decor, excellent service but the highlight is the food. Everything was amazingly good. Sashimi, nigiri, tuna hand rolls, broccoli stir fry, seaweed salads and the warm Sakai. I wish I lived in Portsmouth so I can go there every week.

Been meaning to visit for a while and finally made it over today. Being slightly larger than most, the first table we were offered was a little cramped so they offered us a larger booth, which was much larger. The server was incredibly helpful with...

Me and a friend are planning a trip to Japan, and a friend of ours recommended Sakura to us for authentic Japanese cuisine. You literally step out of Southsea and into Kyoto, with some of the most amazing food we’ve ever had. We were both...

AMAZING!! Took my son and his fiancé for a birthday meal, as she is a sushi lover, and this place didn’t disappoint. The food was outstanding, the service and atmosphere was great and the place was buzzing even though it was a Wednesday night. The...

Went here for our anniversary and couldn’t decide what we wanted off the menu so left it to the waitress to choose for us. Very glad we did, great food! Good atmosphere, friendly staff and reasonably priced. Can’t wait to go back.

Given the brilliant reviews for this restaurant, I was expecting something a great deal better than I got. People make it sound like some sort of world-class dining experience, but I found it no better than the sushi I used to get from a supermarket...

Wow, what a find. It was my first visit last night and I will certainly be going again. In fact I will go so far as to say it’s my new favourite restaurant in Portsmouth. Rachel and her team were fantastic, the food was amazing,...

Have always looked at this place and wondered, finally bit the bullet and booked a table for two this week. Very small venue but service and food were absolutely amazing, will certainly let be going back again, would highly recommend booking though 👍🏼

The food is of incredible quality and the sushi is probably the best sushi I've ever had. The restaurant is always full, which says a lot about a restaurant and the decor has an authentic Japanese feel. The staff are extremely hospitable, friendly and always...

We had a lovely experience eating here at Sakura. Would be lovely if they had some outdoor seating. Food was really tasty, staff were ok, it’s very small inside. Food came out promptly, I would say the staff could make more of an effort to...

Sakura used to be our favourite sushi restaurant in the UK and we used to travel hours regularly just to eat there, however we will never be returning. Upon entering we were immediately sidelined due to a big birthday party, and it took a while...

We used to visit Sakura regularly prior to the Covid lockdowns. Some of the food is very good and reasonably priced, particularly if one visits for lunch on a Saturday, when a 20% discount applies on everything except alcoholic drinks. The place is small. Intimate...

I’ve been there twice after lockdown lifted with a friend and our kids. It was amazing both food and service, lovely Malaysian staffs always be there for us and very accommodating. The food price and portions are matched over all we had an amazing time...

We recently had a large family birthday party (17 guests) and Sakura supplied the food. We preordered a couple of days before and everything was ready exactly on time. The food was excellent and Rachel at Sakura was really helpful. We were very happy with...